Judy Duarte - Once Upon a Pregnancy

“They haven’t met yet,” Simone said. “And I’m not sure how Woofer is going to feel about sharing my time or having a houseguest.”

“Just take it slow and easy when you introduce them. There’s always a bit of an adjustment period, but I’m sure they’ll be the best of friends before you know it.” Millie looked at Mike. “Would you like me to hold Wags for you while you shop?”

“Thanks. I have a feeling we’ll be needing both hands.” Mike passed the puppy to Millie. “So, if you’ll excuse me, I’d better get a cart.”

“Where’s Fred?” Simone asked. She hoped he was feeling okay and hadn’t stayed home.

“Helen Walters purchased a new aquarium for her nephew, so he drove over to the boy’s house to help them set it up. He’s been gone quite a while, so I expect him back soon.”

The Baxters were very generous with their time and their expertise, so going the extra mile wasn’t surprising.

“That was sweet of Fred to help.”

“Aw, you know how Fred is.” Millie smiled, eyes crinkling. “If there’s anything he likes more than animals it’s kids.”

“Okay,” Mike said upon his return with a cart. “Where do we find the dog supplies?”

“They’re on aisle one.” Simone pointed to the right. “I’ll show you.”

As they strode through the small but well-stocked and -organized shop, Simone pointed to the basset hound snoozing on a blue pad by the cash register. She noticed that he was wearing the usual bandanna around his neck. It was red this time, although the color and print usually varied from day to day.

“That’s Popeye Baxter,” Simone told Mike. “He comes to work with Fred and Millie each day and is practically a fixture around here.”

“Lucky dog.”

“Yes, he certainly is. The Baxters own quite a few pets.” All of which they referred to as “the kids.”

“Are the other animals here at the store?”

“Most of them are. Tina the cat is usually playing on a carpet-covered climbing structure in the kitty section. And Herb the parrot is perched in the bird aisle.”

Mike scanned the interior of the pet store. “I can see why you like to stop in and visit.”

“Can you?” she asked. She’d always thought animal lovers were a bit…over the top. But that was until she met the Baxters—and adopted Woofer. The big, goofy dog had really grown on her. She suspected that was because she and the mutt had a lot in common.

“Honey,” a man’s voice rang out. “I’m back.”

“That’s Fred.” Simone nodded to the short, heavyset man who’d entered the store through the back door. “I’ll introduce you after we finish stocking up on supplies.”

Ten minutes later, they’d filled the cart with a doggie bed, chew toys, puppy food, a pet carrier, leash and collar.

“Hey, wait.” Mike threw in a bulky piece of knotted rope and a rawhide bone. “We don’t want Woofer feeling left out.”

She figured the toys would all become community property eventually. “You don’t need to worry about Woofer.”

“Maybe not, but my sister Kari just had her second baby—a boy. And she bought a doll and a toy stroller for his big sister. She didn’t want her little girl to be jealous of the new baby.”

See? Simone knew nothing about that sort of thing, which was another reason she would make a lousy mother, if given the chance.

“You know,” Mike said as they approached the checkout counter, “speaking of kids, this kind of feels like we’re preparing a doggie nursery.”

The hint of a chuckle tickled the tone of his voice, but Simone didn’t find anything warm or amusing in the words.

They weren’t co–dog owners.

And there wasn’t anything parental about their relationship, even though a child they’d created was growing in Simone’s womb.

A sense of uneasiness settled over her as she thought of giving up the baby. But the child deserved a loving home with two parents, a couple who would lovingly prepare a nursery in anticipation of the child they’d always wanted. And she tamped down the momentary discomfort.

Simone glanced at Millie and recognized a soulful longing that whisked across her face, a momentary stab of grief.

It wasn’t likely that Millie and Fred would ever have the chance to decorate a nursery. And the shame of it all was that they’d make great parents. If given the opportunity, they’d welcome a new baby…

Simone’s musing took an interesting turn.

Maybe Fred and Millie would want her baby.

Wouldn’t it be easier to give the child to people she knew? A couple she trusted?

It was certainly something to consider. And she hoped that Mike would see the wisdom in it—when the time came to tell him that during their one night together they conceived a baby.

She sure hoped he wouldn’t give her a hard time about the decision she’d made.

Still, her tummy tossed and turned.

What if Mike didn’t agree? What if he didn’t let up on her and tried to push her into something she knew was wrong—at least, for her?

“That will be a hundred and twenty-seven dollars and sixteen cents,” Millie said, drawing Simone from her musing.

Mike whipped out his credit card in a blur. Or so it seemed.

Simone blinked, feeling a bit dizzy and light-headed.

Whew. All she needed to do was to pass out. The dedicated paramedic and the dutiful suitor in Mike would have a field day with that.

Uh-oh.

A buzz filled her ears, and she reached for Mike’s arm, felt the bulge of muscle tense.

He turned and caught her eye, his smile morphing into a frown. “What’s the matter?”

“I…” Damn. She didn’t want to tell him. But if she didn’t, he was going to figure it out all by himself. “I think I’m going to…”

Her knees buckled before she could finish the thought.

Chapter Three

Mike caught Simone in his arms just before she crumpled to the pet-shop floor.

As much as he wanted to hold her close, to cling to the citrusy scent of her bath soap and shampoo, he gently laid her down and knelt beside her. He might be medically trained and competent in an emergency, but he wasn’t at all prepared for Simone’s collapse.

“Oh my gosh,” Millie said, hurrying around the counter to see what was going on. “Is she okay? What happened?”

Mike didn’t know for sure. “I think she fainted.”

Simone’s vulnerability damn near sent him reeling, and he took her hand, checking her pulse while assessing her respiration. He placed a hand on her forehead to gauge her temperature and found it cool, so she didn’t have a fever.

Her lashes, dark and lush against the skin that had gone pale, fluttered ever so slightly.

“Fred!” Millie called. “Come quick!”

Simone lifted her lids, blinking them a couple of times until her eyes searched Mike’s face, as though she was trying to focus.

When she tried to sit up, he stopped her. “Just lie still for a minute or two.”

“Okay.” She drew in a shaky breath, then slowly blew it out.

“How are you feeling?” Mike ran his knuckles along her cheek—God, he’d missed touching her.

“A little light-headed and buzzy, but nothing hurts.”

Again, she began to fold up into a sit. And this time, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently held her down. “I’m calling the shots, and you need to lie still a little longer.”

She offered him a wry smile. “I thought paramedics were supposed to yield to the nursing staff.”

“Yeah, well, not when the nurse is incapacitated.” He tried to shrug off his concern, but couldn’t. What the hell had happened? And why?

Damn. He wanted to do so much more than tell her to stay put and to remain quiet, but she was conscious. And he couldn’t find any of her vitals out of whack. So he relied on his training to tell him she was okay when his heart was telling him to call 911 and ask for backup.