To Have the Doctor's Baby by Teresa Southwick Read Free Book Online Page B

expression in her friend’s eyes turned the tiniest bit wicked. “So you haven’t done it yet?”
    â€œNo. Not quite the right time in my cycle.”
    â€œAnd I’m going to be Auntie Avery?”
    â€œWith a little luck.”
    â€œAnd sex.” Her expression turned serious. “This is me and I’m there for you. Whatever you need. Count on it.”
    â€œI have no doubt about that.” Ryleigh knew there was more. “But?”
    â€œI saw what you went through when you and Nick fell apart. I held you when you cried. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t help you look at this whole thing from every angle?”
    â€œJust spit it out,” Ryleigh said.
    â€œOkay. I have to ask. Do you really think you can go through with this and come out unscathed?”
    â€œBy ‘this,’ I’m assuming you mean sex without complications.” When her friend nodded she said, “Men do it all the time.”
    â€œIf God wanted women to be like men, He’d have given us the same equipment. If you have sex with Nick, I’mpretty sure there will be feelings involved. On your part, anyway. I just don’t want you to get hurt again.”
    â€œI won’t.”
    â€œFamous last words.”
    â€œDon’t you see, Avery? From the time I was a little girl, I’ve wanted to be a mother. I want it more than I can put into words and it’s this close.” She held up her thumb and index fingers, a fraction of an inch apart. “Please don’t rain on my parade.”
    â€œThat’s the last thing I’d do.” Avery finished the wine in her glass and set it on the table. She slid closer and leaned in for a hug before saying, “I love the idea of you having a baby, getting what you want. And I’m serious about having aunt status. I just want to make sure you know what you’re doing with Nick.”
    â€œI appreciate that and if it were you, I’d feel the same way.” Her friend’s eyes darkened for a moment, and she quickly added, “Don’t worry. I’ve thought this through.” Ryleigh met the other woman’s gaze. “I’ve been there, done that. Now I’m over him. Nick can’t hurt me, which makes him the perfect guy.”
    And by her calculations, the perfect time in her cycle was tomorrow.

Chapter Four
    T oday was Monday.
    Nick got out of the shower and dried himself off, then tied the towel around his waist while he shaved—a habit left over from when he was married.
    Normally Monday was his least favorite day, as it was for most people. But his schedule wasn’t like most people’s and he often saw patients seven days a week, blurring them all together.
    Except Monday.
    That’s when the paperwork, billing and loose ends from a busy weekend had to be managed and cleaned up. Between seeing sick kids in his office and the ones admitted to the hospital, the hours from nine to five were all spoken for. That left the evening to sort out everything else.
    At least this Monday would start out better than most. If the smell of coffee drifting to him was anything to go by, Ryleigh was in the kitchen. He’d missed her last nightwhen she’d gone to see Avery. Stupid to miss her. He’d pushed the feeling away after she moved to the East Coast. Why would it get through now when she was back? But questioning the why of it didn’t make the reality any less true.
    She’d been living with him—correction: she’d been living under his roof—for two days, and one evening without her had felt lonelier than any he could remember since the divorce. In hindsight, asking her to move in was probably a bonehead move, but there was no way to undo it without looking like a complete ass. He wasn’t willing to go there.
    He combed his hair, spritzed cologne on his bare chest, then dressed in jeans and a cotton shirt. It was his belief that a suit and tie