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Authors: Laura Iding
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frequent.”
“Contractions?” His heart clenched and he stared helplessly at her rounded stomach. “Shouldn’t you call Kim Rayborn?”
Alyssa bit her lip. “Yes,” she agreed. “But I’d like to eat first. Last time this happened, they stopped on their own.”
Last time? When? During the night? Or before she’d even gone to work?
Dammit, she had no business going back to work so soon.
He clenched his jaw and gently set the TV tray on her lap. Then he took the pillow off the sofa and tucked it beneath her ankles to protect them from the hard edge of the coffee table.
“Thanks,” she murmured. She dug into the omelet and French toast meal he’d created with obvious enthusiasm. “Hmm. This is fantastic.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He sat beside her with his own plate, eating mechanically but not tasting a thing as he kept darting worried glances at Alyssa. When he realizedhis plate was clean yet he didn’t remember tasting any of it, he set it aside with a grimace. “Alyssa, having contractions isn’t good.”
“It’s not that bad. I’ve been timing them,” she said defensively. “They’re not regular and they don’t last long.”
He wanted to shake some sense into her. “You were on your feet the entire night—don’t you think you might have overdone things just a bit?”
“Maybe,” she said, avoiding his gaze.
He stifled a sigh. “Are you going to call Kim? She should be the final judge as to whether or not you should continue working.”
Alyssa was silent for a long moment, before she finally looked at him. “I already called off work for tonight. I just don’t think I can do another night shift like the one we had last night and I wanted to give them plenty of time to find someone to replace me.”
“Thank heavens,” he said, overwhelmed with relief. Finally she’d come to her senses. Now, if only he could convince her to stay here at his house where he could watch over her. “Your health, along with the babies’, are your two main concerns. I’m sure they’ll find someone to work your shift.”
“I hope so.” She frowned. “I don’t like to leave them short-staffed. Look how busy we were being fully staffed.”
“I know, but they’re going to be working without you soon enough,” he pointed out. “Especially if you deliver early. So pushing yourself isn’t going to help.”
She simply nodded as she ate the last bit of eggs andtoast on her plate. When she was finished, he stood and took the tray from her lap.
She frowned a little. “You cooked, so I should clean up.”
Yeah, over his dead body she would. “Are you still having contractions?” he asked warily.
“Not in the last fifteen minutes,” she said dryly. “Stop hovering, Jadon. The only thing Kim would tell me to do right now is go back on bed rest, which I can do on my own. I know my body well enough, and these few contractions aren’t anything to worry about.”
Maybe, but he didn’t like it. He preferred having control of the situation, not waiting to see what might happen. He carried the dirty dishes back to the kitchen.
When he returned to the living room a few minutes later, she was lying back against the cushions with her eyes closed. He didn’t want to disturb her but suddenly she opened her eyes.
“Jadon, this isn’t going to work. You keep acting as if I’m going to fall apart. I think it’s time you took me home.”
“No.” He stared at her for a long moment. “I’m happy to go to your apartment to pick up your things, but I’m not taking you home and leaving you alone.”
Her eyes widened in surprise at his blunt response. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Don’t ask me to do it, Alyssa, because I can’t. Look at you! You’re exhausted. You need to rest and you can’t do that if you have to do everything for yourself.” He rubbed the back of his neck, wishing he knew what to say to convince her. “Please. Stay here with me. At least until you
“Contractions?” His heart clenched and he stared helplessly at her rounded stomach. “Shouldn’t you call Kim Rayborn?”
Alyssa bit her lip. “Yes,” she agreed. “But I’d like to eat first. Last time this happened, they stopped on their own.”
Last time? When? During the night? Or before she’d even gone to work?
Dammit, she had no business going back to work so soon.
He clenched his jaw and gently set the TV tray on her lap. Then he took the pillow off the sofa and tucked it beneath her ankles to protect them from the hard edge of the coffee table.
“Thanks,” she murmured. She dug into the omelet and French toast meal he’d created with obvious enthusiasm. “Hmm. This is fantastic.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He sat beside her with his own plate, eating mechanically but not tasting a thing as he kept darting worried glances at Alyssa. When he realizedhis plate was clean yet he didn’t remember tasting any of it, he set it aside with a grimace. “Alyssa, having contractions isn’t good.”
“It’s not that bad. I’ve been timing them,” she said defensively. “They’re not regular and they don’t last long.”
He wanted to shake some sense into her. “You were on your feet the entire night—don’t you think you might have overdone things just a bit?”
“Maybe,” she said, avoiding his gaze.
He stifled a sigh. “Are you going to call Kim? She should be the final judge as to whether or not you should continue working.”
Alyssa was silent for a long moment, before she finally looked at him. “I already called off work for tonight. I just don’t think I can do another night shift like the one we had last night and I wanted to give them plenty of time to find someone to replace me.”
“Thank heavens,” he said, overwhelmed with relief. Finally she’d come to her senses. Now, if only he could convince her to stay here at his house where he could watch over her. “Your health, along with the babies’, are your two main concerns. I’m sure they’ll find someone to work your shift.”
“I hope so.” She frowned. “I don’t like to leave them short-staffed. Look how busy we were being fully staffed.”
“I know, but they’re going to be working without you soon enough,” he pointed out. “Especially if you deliver early. So pushing yourself isn’t going to help.”
She simply nodded as she ate the last bit of eggs andtoast on her plate. When she was finished, he stood and took the tray from her lap.
She frowned a little. “You cooked, so I should clean up.”
Yeah, over his dead body she would. “Are you still having contractions?” he asked warily.
“Not in the last fifteen minutes,” she said dryly. “Stop hovering, Jadon. The only thing Kim would tell me to do right now is go back on bed rest, which I can do on my own. I know my body well enough, and these few contractions aren’t anything to worry about.”
Maybe, but he didn’t like it. He preferred having control of the situation, not waiting to see what might happen. He carried the dirty dishes back to the kitchen.
When he returned to the living room a few minutes later, she was lying back against the cushions with her eyes closed. He didn’t want to disturb her but suddenly she opened her eyes.
“Jadon, this isn’t going to work. You keep acting as if I’m going to fall apart. I think it’s time you took me home.”
“No.” He stared at her for a long moment. “I’m happy to go to your apartment to pick up your things, but I’m not taking you home and leaving you alone.”
Her eyes widened in surprise at his blunt response. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Don’t ask me to do it, Alyssa, because I can’t. Look at you! You’re exhausted. You need to rest and you can’t do that if you have to do everything for yourself.” He rubbed the back of his neck, wishing he knew what to say to convince her. “Please. Stay here with me. At least until you
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