Cathy Thacker - The Rancher's Christmas Baby

Amy shrugged. “I need to get the seeds in the planting mix if I want to have starter plants to sell to the nurseries, come February.”

Teddy nodded his understanding and ambled closer.

Trying not to think how handsome he looked in the suede jacket, the rim of his hat drawn low across his brow, she asked, “Did you have something you wanted to talk to me about?” Or were you just hoping to snag a few more kisses and see where they led?

Teddy settled on the edge of one of the heavy wooden planting tables. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and braced a hand on either side of him. “It occurred to me today when I was over helping my grandparents put the lights up on the outside of their house that you and I haven’t done anything to decorate our two places for the holiday.” Mischief glimmered in his eyes. “With less than three weeks to go until Christmas, that’s shameful.”

Yes, Amy thought, it was. Generally, she had a ton more Christmas spirit than she had this year.

Refusing to let him steer her into anything, however, she replied, “I usually just plug in this little pre-lit tabletop tree and stick a wreath on the door.”

His lips curved in understanding. “Well, you’re ahead of me because I’ve never even done that much.” He reached over to trace his fingertips from her elbow to the top of the glove on her hand. “I want it to be different this year.” He waited until she looked him square in the eye. “I want a tree and wreaths on the door in both places.”

As much as she was loath to admit it, his was not an unreasonable request. “Okay. We’ll work that in.”

“And I want something else from you,” Teddy continued, even more firmly. “I want you to go to the Laramie Community Hospital fertility specialist with me tomorrow afternoon.”

Again, the joy she should have felt was nowhere to be found. Amy tensed, cautioning, “We’re going to need an appointment.”

His cheeky grin widened. “We’ve got one.”

Amy narrowed her glance in surprise. “How’d you manage that?” she demanded.

“My grandparents helped start the hospital. I asked them to pull some strings for us, and they did.”

Finished, Amy took off her gloves and set them on the table, next to the spade. “You work fast.”

“Not fast enough.” Teddy stood and took her hands in his. He looked down at her so seriously that her heart fluttered. “Look, Amy, we’ve gotten off track. Let ourselves get distracted trying to set up the rules between us instead of focusing on the Christmas gift we want to give to each other.”

She drew in a quavering breath. “A baby.” His baby…

“Yes.” Teddy squeezed her hands companionably. He looked down at her, like the very good friend he had always been, and heaven willing, always would. “I figure the sooner we make that wish a reality, the sooner our life together will become as happy as we both know—deep down—that it can be.”

AS AMY EXPECTED, IT WASN’T easy explaining their plan to the newest obstetrician on the Laramie Community Hospital staff.

“Let’s make sure I understand,” the young and personable Donna Hudson said. She sat back in her chair and ran a hand through her short dark hair. “The two of you just got married last week. You want to have a baby. And you haven’t yet had intercourse.”

“Nor do we plan to—which is why we want to have our baby via artificial insemination,” Amy interjected, trying not to blush. Discussing such intimate subject matter in front of a member of the medical profession would have been difficult enough without Teddy sitting completely poker-faced beside her.

Dr. Hudson looked at Teddy, as if wondering if he, too, was okay with the plan.

To Amy’s relief, Teddy came through for her like a champ, explaining casually, “Our marriage is based on the kind of deep, abiding love that comes out of a lifelong friendship—not romance. We both want to have a family very much.”

“For a lot of reasons this seems like the right course,” Amy concluded.

Apparently Dr. Hudson was satisfied they both knew what they were doing, because her manner shifted from serious to cheerful. “Well, it can certainly be done. We’ll start by giving Amy a physical. Teddy, I suggest you get one from your family doc.”

“Just had one two weeks ago with Amy’s brother, Jeremy—he’s a family doc on staff here. I’m in perfect health.”

“Good. Then we’ll just take care of Amy. Once the exam is complete, the nurse will set her up with an ovulation-predictor kit.”

Teddy went to the waiting room, Amy to an exam room. After her physical was complete, the office lab tech came back in. She handed Dr. Hudson a slip of paper.

“Why don’t you ask Teddy McCabe to come back in?” Dr. Hudson said, after perusing the note.

Unease sifted through Amy. “Is anything wrong?” she asked from her perch on the exam table.

Dr. Hudson smiled reassuringly. “Quite the contrary.”

Teddy walked in, a mixture of concern and curiosity on his face. His glance slid over the pink cotton gown she was wearing and the matching sheet over her lap.

“We just tested the urine sample Amy gave us. Her luteinizing hormone has surged, which means she’s ovulating. You two have a thirty-six-hour window in which to get pregnant. So if you want to go ahead and try today, I can inseminate Amy.”

Joy bubbled up inside Amy.

Teddy looked equally thrilled and excited.

“Sure!” they said in unison.

“Amy, why don’t you hang out here, just read a magazine, and Teddy—you can go with the nurse.” Dr. Hudson grinned at Amy. “See you in a few minutes.”

Amy took a magazine from the shelf mounted on the wall and sat down to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

A half an hour went by.

Then another.

The more Amy sat there, the more nervous she became.

She wanted a baby with Teddy so much, but the circumstances were colder, more sterile, than she had expected.

Finally, the nurse came back in. “I’m sorry, Mrs. McCabe. It’s not going to happen today.”

“Wh-why?”

“You should ask your husband. Let him explain.”

The nurse gave Amy another sympathetic look, then slipped out of the exam room.

Amy’s knees trembled. She slipped off the table and began to get dressed.

Teddy was waiting for her in the reception area. His eyes gave nothing away.

She paid the bill for the visit, then walked out with him.

Their footsteps echoed on the polished linoleum flooring of the hospital annex, where the doctor’s offices were located. Teddy was flushed and tight-lipped. “What happened?” Amy asked as they reached the elevator.

Teddy took her elbow and followed her into the elevator. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Well, I do!” Amy said as the doors slid shut, wrenching free of him. “What in the world happened in there?” Why had everything that had suddenly been going right suddenly gone wrong?

Teddy leaned back against the opposite wall. “I changed my mind!” He pushed the words between clenched teeth.

Amy blinked. “About having a baby?”

Teddy gave her a droll look. “About doing it the new-fashioned way.”

It took a moment for the meaning behind his words to sink in. When they did, Amy felt heat well in her chest, before moving to her neck and face. “We agreed!” she whispered, stunned and dismayed. The fact they could have a baby together without actually ever having sex with each other was the entire reason they had risked their friendship and gotten married!

His handsome jaw took on the consistency of granite. “Well, now I’m un-agreeing!”

Amy stared at him in consternation, barely able to believe they had been so close to getting what they both wanted, what would make all their mutual dreams come true, only to have him chicken out! “Teddy—for this to work…for us to have a baby—you have to do your part!” she cried, just as the elevator doors slid open. The involuntary chuckles and gaping expressions on the faces of the people waiting on the other side let Amy know the onlookers had indeed caught every word of her last sentence.