Read Online Newborn Needs a Dad / His Motherless Little Twins by Dianne Drake - Free Book Online Page B

underweight.”
    “She eats a lot. Fallon did a physical on her, and nothing came to light. Gabrielle’s a really staunch defender of women working through their pregnancy if they feel well enough to do it, but now I’m wondering if she has some underlying condition she doesn’t know about. Or something developing…”
    Eric scratched his head. “Well, whatever it is, she sure picked a dramatic moment to faint.”
    “I didn’t faint,” she finally said. “I just…just had a momentary syncope.”
    “Isn’t that the same as fainting?” Neil asked.
    His wasn’t the face directly over her when she did manage to open her eyes. In fact, when her blur came into focus she was greeted by a startling, handsome set of clear green eyes. Chestnut-colored hair, cut short. Angular face. A breath-taker for sure, but not her type. “We haven’t really been formally introduced, have we?” she asked, extending her hand upward to Eric.
    Quite surprised by the gesture, he took it. “I don’t suppose we have.”
    “And these aren’t the best circumstances for a proper introduction, but I’m Gabby Evans.”
    “Eric Ramsey,” he replied, looking over at Neil, who looked almost like he was ready to pass out too. “And what I want to know from you, Gabby Evans, is what happened?”
    “Odd thing about fainting. Most of the time you don’t really know what happened. One minute you’re there, the next you’re not.” She started to sit up, but Neil stepped up to the exam table and placed a hand on her shoulder.
    “There’s always a cause, Gabrielle,” Neil insisted.
    There was. She knew that. But how could she tell Neil what that cause was?
    “I think I spun around too quickly, got light-headed.” Horrible lie. But it was the best she could do under the circumstances. “And I’m fine now. I heard you say that the fetal heartbeat is strong. That my blood sugar is normal. So, I’m ready to go.” She tried sitting up again but, like the first time, Neil stopped her.
    “You’re going back to work, aren’t you?” he asked.
    “Is there any reason I shouldn’t?”
    “Other than you just fainted?” he snapped.
    “Look, you two,” Eric interjected. “I need to go see a patient of my own, plus I think I’ll look in on the patient Gabby’s had waiting for half an hour. Gabby, it’s nice to finally meet you officially, and I’m glad you’re feeling better. Neil, her blood work should be back shortly. If you need anything…” Eric slipped out of the exam room without another word, his absence barely even noticed by Gabby and Neil, who were staring at each other like two rancorous tomcats ready to have a go at each other.
    “I’m fine,” she insisted. Truth was, she wanted to get away from him. Right now! Wanted to think, to figure out how this could have happened. She was pregnant with Neil’s brother’s baby, of all the incredible coincidences. Incredible and, she had a feeling, not in a good way. “And I’ll take it easy the rest of the day.” Except her hands were shaking now, and she was so cold she was shivering. Shock, followed by a faint had a way of doing all that. And Neil wasn’t missing a symptom, which meant he wasn’tgoing to let her go anywhere. “Neil, I’m really fine,” she managed, as another cold chill came over her. “I just got a little claustrophobic, started to panic, with all those people standing around. I’m not a great one for being in crowds. So I spun around, got light-headed, and…”
    “And scared the hell out of me.”
    “Are you the one who caught me?”
    “Caught you and carried you here.”
    “Then I’m sorry to have taken you away from the dedicatory ceremony. Were you supposed to make a speech?”
    “I was glad for an excuse to get away from there, but not for the reason that made it happen.” He picked up a blood-pressure cuff and wrapped it around Gabby’s arm. Then he inflated the ball, put the stethoscope earpieces in his ears, and listened.