Read Online The Christmas Baby Bump by Lynne Marshall - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lynne Marshall
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“Thank you, Tamara and Stacy,” he said. “I’m glad someone noticed.”
He sat next to Stephanie, edging out Jon’s nurse, though there was plenty of room on the other side of the table, then unpacked a couple of shrimp tacos from his brown bag. “You know, that’s what I like about you. You’re not under my spell.”
She almost spat out her soda. “You have a spell?” She was walking on thin ice because she knew without a doubt he did have a special something that very well could be called a spell, and that she was most likely already under it…especially since their kiss.
“So I’ve been told.”
“He’s got a spell,” the nurses said together.
She laughed and shook her head. “Well, I don’t know about a spell, but I do know you’ve got a jelly stain on your shirt.”
He pulled in his chin and glanced downward. “Oh, that. It’s probably from when I made Robbie’s sandwich this morning.”
With each day, and all the little details she noticed about him, Phil became more irresistible.
Not that she was interested or anything. “So where were you?”
“Where else? The preschool. Seems like it’s my second home. How does Roma do it?”
“Don’t let this go to your head, Phil, but I think you’re doing a pretty good job of pinch-hitting for your parents.”
“They’re due back tonight, and I’m counting the hours.”
The nurses finished their lunch, and announced they were just about to take a walk before the afternoon clinic opened when René Munroe appeared, complete with swaddled baby in her arms and Jon at her side.
“Hi, Dr. Munroe!” one of the nurses said, rushing over to look at the newborn. “Oh, he’s adorable. May I hold him?”
“Sure,” the dark-haired René said, glowing with newmom pride.
Phil popped up and took a peek under the blanket. “Hey, he looks just like those pictures.”
René rolled her eyes. “Oh, gosh, has Jon been boring everyone with pictures?”
Phil nodded, but the nurses quickly protested, “No! We love baby pictures.”
“Oh, hey, René, this is Stephanie Bennett, the doc we hired to cover your patients,” Jon said, looking a bit abashed and obviously wanting to change the subject.
They greeted each other and Stephanie already felt as though she knew René from working in her office. While Jon passed the baby around, Stephanie discussed Celeste Conroy’s abnormal Pap smear with René andher plans for following up. When René agreed with the next step, Stephanie felt much more confident.
“Would you like me to call and reassure her that I’m in total agreement?” René said.
“That would be wonderful.”
“Okay, last chance to hold Evan before I take René out to lunch,” Jon said, having taken back his son but seeming ready to share him with anyone who wanted. “Stephanie?”
He offered the teddy-bear-patterned bundle of blanket to her and she froze. Oh, no, what should she do? Would it be completely awkward to refuse? Her pulse sputtered in her chest, and her ears rang. She liked these people and didn’t want to insult them.
“Okay,” she said, feigning a smile. She held Evan with stiff arms, away from her chest. “Aren’t you something?” Memories of her son gurgling and cooing hit so fast and hard she found it impossible to breathe. She blinked back the images as her heart stumbled, and she handed the baby back to René, trying her best to disguise her quivery voice. “You must be so proud.”
The huge, beaming smile on René’s face gave the answer. She cuddled the baby to her heart and kissed his cheek. “I wuv this wittle guy.”
Jon laughed and scratched his nose. “Anyone know a cure for a highly educated woman who suddenly starts talking baby talk?”
The nurses giggled. “It’s a requirement of motherhood, Doc,” one of them said.
Flushed and edgy, Stephanie willed her hands to stop shaking. She’d looked into those beautiful baby gray eyes and had seen Justin. She’d glanced up to
“Thank you, Tamara and Stacy,” he said. “I’m glad someone noticed.”
He sat next to Stephanie, edging out Jon’s nurse, though there was plenty of room on the other side of the table, then unpacked a couple of shrimp tacos from his brown bag. “You know, that’s what I like about you. You’re not under my spell.”
She almost spat out her soda. “You have a spell?” She was walking on thin ice because she knew without a doubt he did have a special something that very well could be called a spell, and that she was most likely already under it…especially since their kiss.
“So I’ve been told.”
“He’s got a spell,” the nurses said together.
She laughed and shook her head. “Well, I don’t know about a spell, but I do know you’ve got a jelly stain on your shirt.”
He pulled in his chin and glanced downward. “Oh, that. It’s probably from when I made Robbie’s sandwich this morning.”
With each day, and all the little details she noticed about him, Phil became more irresistible.
Not that she was interested or anything. “So where were you?”
“Where else? The preschool. Seems like it’s my second home. How does Roma do it?”
“Don’t let this go to your head, Phil, but I think you’re doing a pretty good job of pinch-hitting for your parents.”
“They’re due back tonight, and I’m counting the hours.”
The nurses finished their lunch, and announced they were just about to take a walk before the afternoon clinic opened when René Munroe appeared, complete with swaddled baby in her arms and Jon at her side.
“Hi, Dr. Munroe!” one of the nurses said, rushing over to look at the newborn. “Oh, he’s adorable. May I hold him?”
“Sure,” the dark-haired René said, glowing with newmom pride.
Phil popped up and took a peek under the blanket. “Hey, he looks just like those pictures.”
René rolled her eyes. “Oh, gosh, has Jon been boring everyone with pictures?”
Phil nodded, but the nurses quickly protested, “No! We love baby pictures.”
“Oh, hey, René, this is Stephanie Bennett, the doc we hired to cover your patients,” Jon said, looking a bit abashed and obviously wanting to change the subject.
They greeted each other and Stephanie already felt as though she knew René from working in her office. While Jon passed the baby around, Stephanie discussed Celeste Conroy’s abnormal Pap smear with René andher plans for following up. When René agreed with the next step, Stephanie felt much more confident.
“Would you like me to call and reassure her that I’m in total agreement?” René said.
“That would be wonderful.”
“Okay, last chance to hold Evan before I take René out to lunch,” Jon said, having taken back his son but seeming ready to share him with anyone who wanted. “Stephanie?”
He offered the teddy-bear-patterned bundle of blanket to her and she froze. Oh, no, what should she do? Would it be completely awkward to refuse? Her pulse sputtered in her chest, and her ears rang. She liked these people and didn’t want to insult them.
“Okay,” she said, feigning a smile. She held Evan with stiff arms, away from her chest. “Aren’t you something?” Memories of her son gurgling and cooing hit so fast and hard she found it impossible to breathe. She blinked back the images as her heart stumbled, and she handed the baby back to René, trying her best to disguise her quivery voice. “You must be so proud.”
The huge, beaming smile on René’s face gave the answer. She cuddled the baby to her heart and kissed his cheek. “I wuv this wittle guy.”
Jon laughed and scratched his nose. “Anyone know a cure for a highly educated woman who suddenly starts talking baby talk?”
The nurses giggled. “It’s a requirement of motherhood, Doc,” one of them said.
Flushed and edgy, Stephanie willed her hands to stop shaking. She’d looked into those beautiful baby gray eyes and had seen Justin. She’d glanced up to
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