Judy Christenberry - The Texan's Tiny Dilemma

“My mother will survive. We’ll tell everyone at the doctor’s office that I’m your brother. It’s almost true.”

That brother thing again, she thought. Why did he torture her with that? “No. Please back out so I can leave.” She turned and headed for her car.

Jim jumped out of his car and beat her to the door of her own. She thought he was being sweet and was going to open it for her. Instead, he leaned against it. “I’m not leaving.”

“Jim, you’re being unreasonable!”

“No, you’re the one being unreasonable. I just want to help you.”

“I don’t need your help.”

He stepped forward and put an arm around her shoulders. “You need someone’s help, and I’m the only one here. If your sisters had shown up, I’d back off. But they didn’t.”

“I told them I’d be fine. There was no need for them to take off work.”

“I agree. Come on, Teresa. Let me go with you.”

“Okay, you can drive me there, but you have to stay in the waiting room while I’m examined.”

“If that’s what you want,” he assured her as he opened his passenger door for her.

Once they were on their way, his gaze kept flitting to the side to catch a glimpse of her face. In a casual voice he said, “It seemed to me you were worried about what the sonogram might show. Am I right?”

“It’s going to be fine, I’m sure.”

He reached out and took her left hand in his, cradling it on his thigh. “Of course it is.”

When Teresa tried to withdraw her hand, he held it fast. Finally she stopped fighting him. After all, no one else could see, and it did give her some extra courage at the moment—and she needed that.

When they reached the doctor’s office, Teresa signed in, then sat down beside Jim. “It shouldn’t take too long. I’ll be his first patient after lunch.”

“That’s good. Does it embarrass you to be seen by a man?”

When she stared at him, he clarified. “I mean, the doctor is a man, isn’t he?”

“Well, yes, but…you know, the nurses drape me. He’ll only see my stomach today.”

“I’ve seen your stomach before, Teresa,” he whispered, watching her closely.

She turned a bright red. “Not like it is now.”

“Come on, Teresa, let me come in with you. I’ve never seen a sonogram before.”

“I—I don’t—”

“Miss Tyler?” the nurse called from the just-opened door.

Jim followed Teresa to the door. “I want to come in when the doctor does the sonogram. She’ll be properly draped, won’t she?”

“Yes, of course. But that decision is Miss Tyler’s, unless you’re the father?”

Jim looked from the nurse to Teresa, and she could feel her heart start to race. How was she supposed to answer that?

In Jim’s expression she could see how much she wanted to come in, to be a witness to the first sight of her baby. Their baby. Even though she couldn’t tell him he was going to be a father, she couldn’t in all good conscience deny him this opportunity. She swallowed the fear she tasted in her mouth and said to the nurse, “He’s just a good friend, but it’s okay with me if he comes in for the sonogram.” Then, without a glance in his direction, she headed down the hallway toward the examination rooms.

“All right, Miss Tyler, I’ll let the doctor know you’re ready. Are you excited?”

Teresa rubbed her damp hands on the white cloths covering her naked body as she lay on the exam table. “Yes…and a little apprehensive.”

The nurse reassured her. “I’m sure you have nothing to worry about. Shall I show your friend in now?”

“Oh, I—I—”

Before she could complete her thought, the nurse reminded her, “You did say he could come in, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but—”

“It will make you feel better to have him with you. I’ll go get him.”

She whisked out of the room, leaving Teresa even more alarmed than before. What if there was something wrong with her baby? The nurse said she’d gained quite a bit of weight, and the doctor might be concerned.

Now that she thought of it, she didn’t think it would be good for Jim to hang around. She might weaken and tell him it was his child. But she’d promised herself she wouldn’t do that. She didn’t want a man who had to be trapped. He should know about his child. But not now. Later, when she wasn’t pregnant.

The door opened and Jim came in smiling at her. “I appreciate you letting me come in, honey.”

Teresa tried to smile at him, but she didn’t quite pull it off.

He immediately came to her side and took her hand in his, as he had in the car. The warmth his hand provided began to seep through her. She would’ve been greatly embarrassed if his gaze had not remained on her face. But it did.

“It will be all right,” Jim promised.

She didn’t try to respond because the door opened again to allow Dr. Benson to enter, followed by the nurse.

“Mr. Schofield, if you’ll move to the other side of Miss Tyler, it will make our job easier,” the nurse assured him, smiling at him.

Teresa wondered if she was flirting with Jim. He was an attractive man, tall, muscular with dark hair and the most beautiful hazel eyes she’d ever seen. She could understand why the young nurse would be interested. After all, hadn’t he stolen her own heart when he wasn’t even trying. Foolish her.

The doctor began chatting about her pregnancy, and Teresa was forced to take her mind off Jim. But he continued to hold her hand.

“You’ve gained a couple more pounds than I expected, my dear. Have you been doing a lot of munching between meals? You have to watch that. We want a healthy baby, you know.”

“Yes, doctor,” Teresa said, biting her bottom lip.

He must’ve seen her uneasiness. “Well, now, I’m sure you’ll be careful. The nurse is going to put some petroleum jelly on your stomach so we can get a picture of your baby.”

Teresa clutched Jim’s hand as if it were a lifeline. She didn’t bother looking at him to make sure he wasn’t staring in disgust at her stomach. Instead she kept her eyes on the nurse’s movement. The jelly felt a little cold and a bit slimey. But she so badly wanted to see her baby and make sure it was all right.

“Now I’m going to press down on your stomach,” Dr. Benson said. “It may be a little uncomfortable, but it will ensure a good picture. You watch the monitor.”

Teresa fastened her eyes on the small screen. When the picture came through, they all watched closely.

“Well, well, well,” the doctor said a few moments later, beaming a broad smile at Teresa. “I see now why you picked up the extra pounds. I should’ve expected this. After all, you are a triplet.”

Good thing she was lying down, or the news might have knocked her to her back. Was he saying what she thought he was? “Dr. Benson, does this mean…Am I having…”

He nodded his head. “Twins.”

Not one baby, but two? What Tommie had feared about her relationship with Pete—a multiple birth—had come true for her.

She sobered suddenly as a fearsome thought hit home. Would Jim think he was the father? After all, he was a twin. She tried to remove her hand from his. After getting this profound news, she couldn’t face another pronouncement right now.

Thankfully she heard the doctor ask, “Do you want to know the sex of your babies?”

Jim squeezed her hand. She didn’t know what that meant, but she’d made her decision before she arrived at the doctor’s office. “Yes, I do.”

The doctor beamed down at her. “You’re having twin boys, my dear. Your life is going to be very busy.”

“Yes,” Teresa agreed, avoiding Jim’s gaze. Twin boys. She didn’t know anything about boys. No, she corrected herself, that wasn’t true. She had about fifteen of them every year in her kindergarten class. But sons? She was having two sons?