Time for Love , The McCarthys of Gansett Island, Book 9 by Marie Force Read Free Book Online Page A

minutes before he was up and pacing again.  
    Janey gave up on the magazine and tried to find a comfortable position on the table. Her back was killing her, as always, and sitting without something to rest against made it worse.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked, zeroing in on her. “Does something hurt?”
    “My back. As usual.”
    “You should’ve said something.” He came over to sit behind her, putting his arms around her so she could lean into his chest.
    The relief was immediate and intense. “Much better, and it keeps you from pacing, too.”
    “Sorry, baby. I feel like my nerves are stretched so tight they’re about to snap, and I’m not even the one having the baby.”
    “Joe—”  
    “I’m scared every time I leave the island for even a couple of hours that you’re going to need me, and I’m not going to be here. I should have Seamus take me off the schedule—”
    “Joe! Stop! Listen to me. I’ve got eight weeks to go. Everything is fine. You heard what Victoria said at the last appointment—most first babies are late anyway. We’ll move to the house on the mainland in four weeks as we planned, and we’ll be right where we need to be when the baby comes. You have to calm down. You’re making me nuts.”  
    She hated that they would miss her cousin Laura’s wedding to Owen Lawry in early August. However, there was no way she’d convince Joe to stay on the island past the end of July with the baby due on August 15, especially considering his phobias about train wreck deliveries. Because he’d been so wound up, she hadn’t even bothered to suggest they come out to the island for the day of the wedding and return to the mainland right after.
    His forehead landed on her shoulder, his breath warm against her back. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you nuts. It’s just that I can’t stop thinking about the night Hailey was born and how many things could’ve gone wrong. And if David hadn’t been there—”
    She covered the hand he’d placed on her belly with hers. “He was there. Hailey was fine. I’ll be fine and so will our baby. Stop anticipating doom. You’re reminding me too much of Mac right now.”
    “But he was right, and if Maddie had listened to him—”
    Janey squished his lips together to shut him up. “ Enough .”
    A knock on the door preceded Victoria into the room. “So sorry to keep you waiting. We’re straight-out crazy busy today, and David is on the mainland, and…and you don’t care where David is.”
    Janey smiled at the chagrined expression on Victoria’s face when she remembered she was speaking to David’s ex-fiancée. “Not to worry, Vic. Ancient history.” As she said the words, she clamped down harder on Joe’s hand to keep him from chiming in on the subject of David. He’d chilled out somewhat since David saved their baby niece’s life, but he’d never be one of Joe’s favorite people.  
    “Anyway,” Victoria said, consulting Janey’s chart. “Here we are at thirty-two weeks. We’ll keep seeing you every other week until thirty-six, when we go to every week.”
    “That’s when we’ll be moving to the mainland,” Joe reminded her. “We’re having the baby at Women and Infants in Providence.”
    “That’s right,” Victoria said. “I see that noted on your chart. You’ve been to the childbirth preparation classes there?”
    “We did the one-day class last week,” Janey said. “It’s a beautiful facility.”
    “It sure is.” She pulled on gloves. “Let’s take a look and see how things are going.”
    Janey didn’t think she’d ever get used to putting her feet in the stirrups while her husband was in the room, but Maddie had told her to prepare for many more indignities before it was over. She startled from the cold lube on Victoria’s fingers and held back the urge to pee from the pressure of the internal exam.
    Victoria was always very thorough and today was no exception. “I’m not feeling the baby’s head