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Chapter Twenty-Two
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Family Doctor's Baby Chapter Twenty-Three
It was up to me to pick up a couple of things to help with dinner. I felt incredibly domestic and helpful as I picked the ripest tomatoes and the freshest gallon of milk in the entire store.The summer heat was oppressive as I walked to my car. The blacktop radiated the sun and shimmered with imaginary mirages of water. I was sweating by the time I finished the short walk and loaded everything into my car.That was summer in Iowa. Humid and hot.The cicadas thrummed in the trees and birds called out as got in my car. We would get thunderstorms this evening, and given Jacob's propensity for getting wet and looking sexy as hell because of it, I was rather looking forward to them.I especially liked how he held me as the thunder crashed around us. When the storms came, I didn't have to worry about people coming to our houses and finding us. I didn't have to worry about what anyone else thought. I was Jacob's and he was mine.It was my own little slice of heaven.I hummed as I drove the r
Family Doctor's Baby Chapter Twenty-Four
My stomach still hadn't settled from the night before. I hoped it wasn't food poisoning.Jacob's phone went off and he groaned. We'd both fallen asleep on the couch watching TV and now the soft morning light filtered in. The “Are you still watching screen?” sat waiting for us to pick the next episode.Jacob groaned and reached for his phone. It took him two tries to swipe it.“I have to go into the office,” he said, reading the message. “Jackie Rhodes needs stitches.”“Do you need help?” I asked. I didn't really want to go in to the office. I wanted to just hide in Jacob's house or possibly my bathtub and just never come out. I wouldn't have to deal with the consequences of us being found out that way.“No. He's just busted his hand open on a piece of equipment again. It's the third time this year. He's got to get a guard or some gloves or something.” Jacob stretched his arms up over his head and made the early morning stretch noise. “Want me to pick up some breakfast on my way back?”
Family Doctor's Baby Chapter Twenty-Five
I stress baked the rest of the evening. Muffins, cookies, brownies, and I even attempted a double layer chocolate cake. It came out better than I expected and that made me feel a little bit better. I would have kept baking, but I ran out of flour and didn't have the guts to go into town and get more.Jacob got pulled to the hospital for a patient after stitching up Jackie and he wasn't able to get back. Jacob had privileges at the local hospitals so that he could treat the patients he knew in the hospital setting along with the doctors there. The privileges also allowed him to deliver the town's babies at the hospital as well.That night, his patient unfortunately took a turn for the worst, and Jacob didn't want to leave the hospital at all. I told him it was fine and that I would see him at the office in the morning.I held the phone in my hand a long time after he hung up.I had no idea how I was going to tell him I was pregnant, but I knew on the phone while one of his patients was
Family Doctor's Baby Chapter Twenty-Six
We had exactly three patients all day. One was an out-of-towner that sprained her ankle, one of the local farmers that didn't care who saw him as long as he got his hand fixed up, and Emily Markins and her baby.Little baby Dominic was growing in leaps and bounds. He knew how to smile and I loved him immediately. Emily told us that there wasn't anyone else she wanted him to be seen by. She didn't care about the drama.“There are a lot of people in town that don't care,” she told us after the exam. “The patients will come back. We all know and trust you both. I can't believe people are being this shallow.”It made me feel a little bit better. I knew we were still the best healthcare providers for fifty miles, but I also knew that this was going to take some time to blow over. I just wished the blowing would go a little bit faster.Donna left without saying goodbye. We just heard the door chime and then her car drive off. Dr. Mathews and I finished up the last few things and then he loc
Family Doctor's Baby Chapter Twenty-Seven
It was official. The town hated me.To be fair, they were pretty unhappy with Jacob, but they took the majority of it out on me.I was the “other woman.” I was the reason Jacob and Katie broke up. I was the interloper who was tempting the good doctor away.Despite the fact that none of this was true didn't matter. It was the will of the Ladies' Bridge Club. I was cast as the villain in their eyes.It manifested in small ways. My number was never called at the deli. The checkout line somehow always “broke down” right before it was my turn to checkout. No one would speak to me on the street. I started bringing my lunch instead of going out. I drove to the next town over to buy my groceries.Not everyone was awful. Katie's Bakery still made me the best sandwiches. Katie made sure her employees knew not to mess with me or Dr. Mathews. They honored her request because she was “being the bigger person” according to the Ladies' Bridge Club.It just made her more perfect in their eyes. I didn
Family Doctor's Baby Chapter Twenty-Eight
“We need to talk.”I winced and was really glad I wasn't facing my mother when she said it.I took a deep breath and slowly turned to face her.“Okay, Mom. I get off of work in about ten minutes.” I checked my watch.She looked around the empty waiting room and shrugged. “I'll just wait here.” She sat down in one of the plastic chairs and crossed her legs.At least Donna could keep her company. They were both members of the Ladies' Bridge Club. That had to count for something, right? I tried not to panic as I finished restocking the rooms and making sure that everything was set for the night.We'd managed to have a small amount of patients today. Apparently, people liked getting healthcare in town rather than driving forty minutes and having to redo paperwork. It wasn't fast enough, though. Dr. Taggert wasn't pleased. He was more than ready to kick Jacob and I to the curb to save his beloved clinic.It made my heart hurt, but I understood it. It was just business.I sighed, trying not
Family Doctor's Baby Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Hannah!” my dad shouted, followed by a heavy cough.At this point, the fellow restaurant patrons went quiet. It might have been my name or the terror in my dad's voice, but suddenly all eyes were on me and my dad.I hurried over to the bar. Dr. Taggert's skin was clammy and white. His eyes were glazed over and he had his right arm clutched to his chest.“Dr. Taggert? Are you okay?” I asked, putting my hand on his left wrist.He didn't answer me with more than a shake of his head. His pulse under my fingertips was thready and erratic.The first thought through my head: Oh shit.Then, my training took over.“Dad, I need you to call 911. Mr. Abrams, I need you to call Dr. Mathews and tell him that Dr. Taggert is having a heart attack at the diner. He'll get here before the ambulance will.” I looked up long enough to make sure my dad nodded at me. I pointed to one of the younger men. “Help me get him on the floor. If he falls, he'll hurt himself. Everyone else, we need some space and a c
Family Doctor's Baby Chapter Thirty
We had ten patients in the clinic the next day, as well as new future appointments to make up lost appointments. Mr. Abrams was coming in. So was the preacher and his wife. The next day we almost had a full schedule. By the end of the week, we were just a few appointments shy of a regular day.Things were slowly getting back to normal.Still, I secretly hoped that Abigail St. James would continue to see the doctor in the next town over, even if I was fired. The further that woman was from me, even in my head, the better. It was petty, but I didn't care.Friday came with the news that Dr. Taggert was on his way home from the hospital. He was still weak and recovering from surgery, but healing faster than expected. He was banned from working at the clinic until he was one-hundred percent, but I had a feeling that he'd somehow sneak in to see patients by the end of next week.As for me, I kept busy. With our schedule back to having patients, I found myself worrying less about losing my j
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Family Doctor's Baby BBA: Chapter Thirty-Three
JacksonHis mouth twitched like he wanted to smile at her. She raised her hand and tried to appear like this wasn’t breaking her heart. If anyone was looking, they would think she was here for moral support and that nothing was wrong.“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen for joining me today. First, I’d like to address the vicious rumors going around that I am involved with a woman other than my fiancée. I want to state expressly that this is a bald-faced lie.” He paused and smiled around the room. “And I have proof.”Emma couldn’t help but gasp. So did several reporters.“If you’ll please turn your attention to the screen here,” Jackson said, motioning to a flat screen TV near him. He clicked a small button and the screen came to life. “This is security footage from a small sailboat in the dock. It was overlooked at first, but as with many good things, it warranted a second look.”Emma wondered if he meant something more by that statement, but didn’t have time to ponder it as the securit
Family Doctor's Baby BBA: Chapter Thirty-Two
JacksonJackson went back up to his apartment, got in the shower, and cried.He hadn’t cried since he was five years old and his pet turtle died. He hadn’t cried like this when his parents died. He didn’t know that it was possible for a grown man to feel this much hurt inside.He had screwed up. Big time.Why hadn’t he just told her? He could have come home from the party and told her then. He could have mentioned it the next day. It would have been so easy.He wanted to say it was to protect her. He wanted to believe it was because he was keeping her calm for the baby.But that was a lie.He was doing it to protect himself. He was afraid she would leave him. That she wouldn’t smile up at him like he was the best thing in the world. That she wouldn’t tease him or make him laugh because she would finally see his true nature.And he had made it a self-fulfilling prophecy. By not telling her, he had ruined things. He had broken their trust.He should have told her that he loved her the m
Family Doctor's Baby BBA: Chapter Thirty-One
EmmaEmma didn’t know it was possible to cry this much. She didn’t know that she had this many tears inside of her. She didn’t know that it was possible to feel this much pain from just one lie.He kissed another woman.He didn’t love her.She was obviously nothing to him.She sat on her couch in her tiny apartment, mindlessly eating a pint of ice cream that she stole from his fridge, and cried.The worst part was that she didn’t even feel like she had the right to cry. It was in the contract that they could see other people. Their relationship was never meant to be about love. They were a business relationship. It was always supposed to be a way to keep the bad boy’s business happy. She was only ever supposed to be the good girl image.Yet, it still hurt. It hurt more than she ever thought possible.He had cheated on her. Just because she had suspected this day might come didn’t make it easier. When they had first started this arrangement, she thought she could handle it. She had tho
Family Doctor's Baby BBA: Chapter Thirty
JacksonJackson sat at his desk, head in his hands. He didn’t know how to fix this one. He had screwed up. It wasn’t really his fault, but now that it was happening, he could see a million different ways he could have prevented this.‘If onlys’ whispered through his mind. He could have pushed the woman away sooner. He should have never been alone. He should have told Emma right away.That was the one that hurt the most. He should have come straight home and told her that a strange woman had kissed him. She would have forgiven him then. She would have understood.He sighed. Now it was too late. He’d kept the kiss to himself. For the first twenty-four hours, he thought he was safe. There were no news stories, no leaks. He had thought that it really was just an over-eager business student.And then came the phone calls. Nearly the instant it hit the tabloids, he was deluged by phone calls.Now there was a note from his housekeeper that Emma had moved all of her things out.He ran his han
Family Doctor's Baby BBA: Chapter Twenty-Nine
EmmaEmma groaned, finally giving up on her nap. Exhaustion still tugged on her, but her phone simply wouldn’t stop buzzing or chiming. Unfortunately, it was on the kitchen table and a good ten steps away from the couch she currently was very comfortable on.The chime went off again. She thought about just leaving it there, but it was plugged in. The chimes would never stop since it would never run out of battery. Besides, that many text messages, emails, and phone calls had to be something important.With a groan, she threw her feet to the floor and sat up from the couch. She just wanted to nap today. This being pregnant thing was harder than she expected. She remembered her friend Grace’s pregnancy being easy. The only thing Grace had was an aversion to the smell of cooked chicken. Emma seemed to have an aversion to everything.She stood up and walked zombie like to the kitchen table. She picked up her phone and started making some ginger tea while she checked what was making her ph
Family Doctor's Baby BBA: Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jackson“I don’t have to go,” Jackson told the beautiful woman laying in bed.Emma rolled over and hugged the bowl closer to her chest.“And what are you going to do if you stay here? Sit and watch me throw up?” she asked, motioning to the bowl.Morning sickness had hit her hard. He’d been surprised to learn that it really should be called All Day sickness as it didn’t occur just in the morning. It actually seemed to be worse for Emma right before bed.“I don’t like leaving you,” he said, softly. He sat on the edge of the bed and caressed her hair. She hummed slightly, leaning into him.“I’ll be fine,” she promised. “Honestly, I just want to lay in bed, drink the ginger tea you got me, and watch horrible, trashy TV. There’s a new episode.”Jackson rolled his eyes and then narrowed them. “You aren’t hyping the morning sickness so you can stay home and watch the new episode are you?”“Me?” Emma’s eyes got big and innocent as she held up a hand to her chest. “I would never.”“You so woul
Family Doctor's Baby BBA: Chapter Twenty-Seven
He looked down at the picture again. He was a father.“What are you thinking, Jackson?” Emma asked. He looked up to see her biting her lip and looking like she was about to cry. “Please, tell me what you’re thinking.”“I’m thinking you are the most beautiful woman in the entire world,” he told her. He stood up and put his arms around her. She was shaking. “I’m thinking that I am the luckiest man in the world.”A shudder of relief went through her and she collapsed into him, tucking her face into his shoulder. He rubbed her back.“I was so afraid...” Her words came out muffled, but he understood them.“Why?” he asked, pulling her back.She shrugged. “I don’t know. Your reputation?”“It’s in our contract.”“Yeah, but so are sales taxes and membership fees. Just because it’s in a contract doesn’t mean that it’s something you want,” she replied.He took her chin in his hand, making sure that she looked up at him. She was so beautiful it made his heart catch. If he had felt protective befo
Family Doctor's Baby BBA: Chapter Twenty-Six
JacksonJackson woke feeling more rested than he had in months. He lay in bed for a moment, his eyes closed and body still, enjoying the lack of exhaustion. He wasn’t sure what had woken him, but it wasn’t his alarm. It wasn’t a need to move or a desire to get the day started.It was that he just wasn’t tired anymore.He peeked open one eye to see the world bathed in sunlight. It was strange that he’d slept so late. Usually, he was up and running by dawn. There was too much for him to do in the world to lay around sleeping all day.Yet, he had relaxed today. He looked over to see Emma curled up beside him. Her chest rose and fell with easy, deep breaths that told him she was still fast asleep. He smiled, watching her for a moment.When she was here, he felt at peace. There was no need to push for the next thing. He still wanted to excel, of course, but the need for better stopped when she was around. She was the best. He was content.It was a strange feeling. Usually, when he woke up
Family Doctor's Baby BBA: Chapter Twenty-Five
Emma“You must be Emma. It’s so wonderful to meet you. You look just like your pictures in the magazines.”Emma stood at the door of Jackson’s apartment and suddenly wished very much that she didn’t have to do this. But, she didn’t really have much of a choice. This had to happen.“Yes, I’m Emma,” she said, forcing herself to smile as she opened the door a little wider. “Please come in. Your name is Becca, right?”“That’s me, Becca the wedding planner,” the woman chirped. Becca wasn’t much older than Emma, but was several inches shorter. She had beautiful blonde hair in beautiful wavy curls down her back. The woman looked like she just stepped out of a beauty salon.She wore a light pink dress that looked like 1950’s vintage. Her makeup was perfect. Her hair was perfect.Even though Emma wore nice slacks, a button-up dark blue silk shirt, and light makeup, she felt incredibly unprepared. Becca just looked so put together.“Now, I have some samples of other weddings so that I can get y
