Read Online Baby Comes First by Beverly Farr - Free Book Online

other person’s
privacy.
    But for some reason, he couldn’t seem to
leave Hannah alone. He wanted to know everything about her. And
this evening, at her doorstep, he hadn’t wanted to leave.
    What was that all about?
    What was so different about Hannah that he
reacted so strongly? None of his pro bono clients had ever affected
him this way. Always before, he’d been able to do his work, help
them, and move on, without getting involved.
    He’d never thought about kissing those women,
either, he realized with sudden clarity. And tonight, when it was
time to say good bye, he had definitely felt like kissing her
good-night.
    The impulse had surprised him. After Gloria
died, he had no interest in finding another woman. He’d thought the
sexual part of him was dead, too, but apparently it had been merely
dormant, waiting for the right opportunity.
    Was that the difference? The fact that he
found Hannah attractive? He could lie to himself and say he had
been motivated solely by pity, wanting to comfort her, but he knew
better. He’d wanted to kiss her, and hold her close, if only for a
moment.
    It didn’t make sense.
    She was pretty, he admitted, but there were
other women, more beautiful than she, who had crossed his path over
the years without upsetting his equilibrium.
    She was smart, too. But then again, the law
firm was filled with intelligent women who didn’t intrigue him the
way Hannah did.
    The baby was another factor, although it was
difficult to say if it was positive or negative. As much as he
liked children, he’d been furious when he learned that she had gone
to a sperm bank to have a baby. He thought she was wrong to do it,
he still thought it was poor judgment on her part, but underneath
his anger, there was a twinge of male satisfaction that she didn’t
have an ex-lover that could show up, ruining his chances with
her.
    My chances?
    Luke laughed at his own idiocy. The woman was
seven months pregnant and had just been put on bed rest. Starting a
relationship with him would be the last thing on her mind.
    He felt as if this was one of Mother Nature’s
tricks, having him be physically attracted to a woman so obviously
out of reach.
    But she won’t be pregnant forever.
    #
    The next morning, Mrs. Parker arrived ten
minutes late. She was a stocky woman in her early fifties with
friendly smile. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was terrible. LBJ was a
mess, and Central Expressway was no better,” she explained in a
rush, untying a patterned scarf and taking off her coat. She
glanced around the living room with approval. “What a lovely home.
I’m going to enjoy working here,” she said, then held out her hand.
“Hello, I’m Ellen Parker.”
    Hannah shook her hand and asked the woman to
sit, then she lay back down on the couch. She’d brought out a
pillow from her bed, and she wore sweats to be comfortable. “As you
can see, I have to stay horizontal.”
    “That’s what the agency said,” Mrs. Parker
said calmly. “And I’m glad if I can be of some help. One of my
sisters was told to lie down when she was pregnant, but with three
kids, that was practically impossible, and she ended up
miscarrying.”
    Hannah’s eyes widened with alarm.
    “Oh, I’m sorry,” Mrs. Parker gasped. “I
shouldn’t have mentioned that. I’m sure your case will be very
different.”
    “I hope so,” Hannah murmured. She was not
offended. How could she be when Mrs. Parker was such a warm-hearted
person? The only thing that surprised her was that Luke had
described her as quiet. But then again, he had a habit of
intimidating people. Perhaps Mrs. Parker had been quiet in his
house. Hannah said, “I’ve heard good things about you from one of
your previous employers – Luke Jamison.”
    Mrs. Parker’s smile faded. “Yes. Mr. and Mrs.
Jamison. I remember them. That wasn’t a happy job.”
    “No, I suppose not, not with Mrs. Jamison
dying.” For a moment, Hannah was tempted to ask about Luke’s wife.
She wondered what