Best of Three (Counting on Love) (31 page)

Jeremy nodded. “Guess so.”

Uh, huh. Nate felt a grin stretch his mouth. She couldn’t wait to see him? That was awesome.

“Have you been in to talk to her yet?” Nate asked.

Jeremy had been doing some of the prep work on the follow-up patients, going through their post-op questionnaire, asking about their pain and therapy program and such.

“No, sorry. Mrs. Waverly took awhile. She had a lot of questions about her pain medications.”

“No problem.” Nate suspected that Emma was there in something skimpy with nothing underneath. Her hip was doing very well. He could attest to her improved range of motion and decreased pain levels personally. He knew what feel-good prescription she was after. What would she do when someone else sat in on this appointment? “After you,” he told Jeremy, gesturing toward the door to room five.

“Miss Dixon?” Jeremy asked as he stepped through the door.

Nate was right behind him and saw her sit up straighter on the edge of the exam table in surprise. “Uh, yes.”

Her eyes flickered to Nate. She gave him a questioning look and he simply smiled and leaned back against the counter across from where she sat. It was a challenge. Everything in him screamed to go to her. He’d missed her so much it shook him.

“I’m Dr. Jeremy Kelson. I’m working with Dr. Sullivan this week.”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “How nice. A two for one deal for all of us
patients
, huh?”

Nate grinned behind Jeremy’s back. The younger man didn’t seem to pick up on her emphasis on patients. “Don’t worry, Miss Dixon,” Nate said. “Jeremy here is fully capable of handling any needs you have today.”

Both of her eyebrows were up now. Then she looked back at Jeremy and got a calculating look on her face. Nate settled in to watch how she handled this. She would have fun punishing him for this, he was sure.

“Is that right, Dr. Kelson?” she asked. “You can do anything for me that Dr. Sullivan can do?”

“Certainly not everything,” Jeremy said.

Nate smirked. The kid didn’t even know all of the things Nate had done for Emma but Jeremy still knew he wasn’t on the same level.

“But I’m happy to help however I can.”

Emma gave a soft laugh and the devious look left her face. “That’s great,” she said. “Now that you mention it, Nate hasn’t been as available as I’d like him to be. Can I have your pager number?”

Her words were flirtatious, but they lacked the usual playful tone and the mischievous twinkle in her eye was missing. Nate frowned. She didn’t seem like herself.

She’d already surprised Nate. She was dressed in black silky yoga pants and a fitted hot pink T-shirt. She wore white tennis shoes and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail. It was the most dressed down she’d ever been in his office. When she came to see him she always dressed her signature look—short skirt or dress and heels with her hair down. To torture him, he knew.

But she looked amazing to him now. He wanted her. Badly.

And the idea that something was actually wrong, that something had taken the sass out of her, made his stomach clench.

“I, um—” Jeremy was patting his pockets like he’d lost something. “I don’t have any…of my…uh, cards with me,” he told her.

Emma’s gaze met Nate’s and she gave him a little smile that seemed almost sad. “That’s okay, Dr. Kelson. I can’t imagine needing anyone more than I need Dr. Sullivan right now.”

Again, the words were sexy and Nate wanted there to be innuendo oozing from them—but it wasn’t there. Something wasn’t right. He loved hearing that she needed him, but he got the definite impression that the need wasn’t a do-me-here-and-now-or-I’ll-die need. It was a real, honest to goodness need.

And while his cock swelled at the idea of her needing him in the bedroom—or on the exam table in room five—something else welled up at the idea of her coming to him because something was really wrong.

“Jeremy,” Nate said simply, his eyes locked on Emma.

“Yes, Dr. Sullivan?”

“Leave.”

Jeremy turned and blinked at him. “What?”

“Leave. For the day. Go home.” Nate had felt possessive toward Emma. Now a strong protective instinct reared up and he wanted to grab Jeremy by the back of his collar and physically remove him from the room so Nate could take care of her. Whatever she needed.

Jeremy looked incredibly confused, but he followed instructions. The door shut behind him five seconds later.

“What’s wrong?” Nate went to her immediately.

“I’m—” Emma stopped and cleared her throat. “I—” She tried again. Then she pressed her lips together and shook her head.

Nate wrapped his arms around her and was relieved to feel hers slide around his waist. She rested her cheek against his chest. He lifted a hand, running it from the crown of her head down her back over and over.

Holding her felt good. She wasn’t naked. She was more covered than usual when he was around, and it still felt damned good. Part of it was also because Emma was strong and confident and determined. Seeing her vulnerable tugged at his heart, but it also pleased him that she would let those walls down around him.

After several minutes, he said, “Tell me what’s going on.”

He hated that something might be upsetting her, but honestly? This was great. He wanted her to need him, to turn to him, to confide in him.

While he’d been in Chicago it had become clear to him that he wanted her, completely and exclusively. He’d called Rebecca and broken things off the first night he was away from Emma. Rebecca had taken it well. In fact, if he wasn’t crazy about Emma he might have spent some time nursing a wounded ego over just how well Rebecca had taken it. But on their date he had planned to tell Emma that he wanted a relationship with her, all the bells and whistles, and that he wasn’t about to share her with anyone else. Her days of changing guys like she changed shoes were over.

She pulled in a deep breath and sat back. She looked at him for a few seconds, as if debating how to say whatever it was.

“I have a question about my pelvis.”

Nate straightened. She had a medical question? He’d been preparing to offer support for an emotional problem. Maybe a fight with a sister. Maybe something was up with her business. Maybe something that was going on with Dena. Hell, maybe even her brother finding out they’d slept together.

“What’s up?”

“I’m healing well, right?”

“Yes. Things are progressing nicely.”

“Is there anything that might…slow that down? Or even cause a problem? Set me back?”

He frowned. “Anything like what?”

“Anything,” she repeated. “Is there
anything
that could happen to that part of my body that would cause a problem? Specifically to
that
part of my body?”

Nate crossed his arms. He had no idea what was going on, but he was her doctor. He’d answer her question. “At this point, other than another blow—a car accident, falling while skiing, something like that—there’s nothing that’s going to cause a problem.”

“Nothing could happen
inside
of me in
that area
that would be problematic?”

“Emma, what the hell are you talking about?” Was she having an issue he should know about? His heart rate kicked up. There were, of course, things that could happen. There was an almost-zero chance of any of them being true for her, but she could have a cancerous tumor or an infection. “What’s going on?”

“What if I gain weight?” she asked quickly. “If I put on some pounds, would that stress my pelvis? Cause pain or problems healing?”

He nodded, not sure if he felt relieved, but glad for a more specific concern he could address. “That could cause some pain. Depending on how much weight. A significant gain would stress all the bones and joints in your lower extremities. Why? Planning on going up a weight class?”

“I wasn’t exactly
planning
on it, no,” she muttered.

“Emma,” he said, frustrated. “What’s going on? You seem…off. And these are weird questions. Are you okay?”

She sighed. “Yes and no.”

“Are you sick?”

“I’m pregnant.”

Nate had no idea how long he stood there staring at her. Those two words rattled around in his brain but for several seconds he could have sworn she spoke them in Chinese, because his mind simply refused to make sense out of them. But eventually he’d replayed them so many times that the second one finally registered.

Pregnant.

He wet his lips, feeling the need to say
something
but completely unable to decide what it might be. He stepped back from her.

“Nate?” Emma finally asked. “Are you going to pass out? Because that will piss me off.
I
didn’t get to pass out and I’m the one who is going to have to buy new jeans soon.”

Finally he forced himself to speak. “You can’t take your pain pills if you’re pregnant.”

She blinked at him. “
That’s
going to be the first thing you say about this? That’s your biggest concern?”

“As your doctor, that should be my concern.”

“Uh, huh.” She leaned closer from the edge of the table. “How about as the baby’s father?”

He swallowed hard, feeling his throat threaten to close off. “You’re sure?”

Her expression instantly changed to you’ve-got-to-be-fucking-kidding-me. “Oh, good, I was hoping we’d get to have the you’re-a-slut-so-how-can-you-be-sure-I’m-the-father conversation.”

He looked at her, then sighed. She wasn’t the type to not be sure. She also might enjoy men, but she enjoyed them one at a time. If she was sleeping with him—and she most definitely was—he was the only one.

Emma was pregnant. With his baby.

He shook his head, amazed. “Unbelievable. Three times. Three fucking times.”

“What?”

“I’ve fallen for three women in my life and I got them all pregnant.”

She stared at him “Seriously?”

“Yes. Stacie, Trisha, and now this baby.”

Emma shook her head. “No, I mean…you’ve fallen for me?”

Not at all the way he’d planned to tell her. “Yes. And I got you pregnant.” Maybe if he kept saying it eventually he’d believe it.

“I’ve fallen for you too,” she said.

If his system was capable of any emotion beyond shock, he would have loved hearing that. “And you’re pregnant.”

“We used condoms,” she said. “It’s not like I planned this.”

He nodded. “I know.”

Her eyes narrowed. “And the condoms weren’t from nineteen ninety-nine or something, right?”

He frowned. “Of course not.” If nothing else, he had easily used up any condoms he’d bought fourteen years ago. He’d hardly been a monk.

“And you
do
know how to put them on correctly?”

God, she was such a smartass. He cocked one eyebrow. “Of course I know how to put them on.”

“Well then, you could’ve told me that you have superhero sperm. Good lord. That stuff should come with a warning label.”

“What modern day, promiscuous woman doesn’t have a birth control method?” he asked, the thought occurring to him.

“First of all, promiscuous is an exaggeration. So, thanks for that. Second of all, I have a birth control method. Condoms.”

“Condoms are more effective when combined with another form of birth control.”

She rolled her eyes. “No shit. That’s like saying your locked door is more effective in not opening when you use three locks instead of just one. But guess what? Someone can still knock the damned thing down if they really want to.”

“I don’t have super strength sperm, Emma.” Or did he? Hell, it sure seemed that way. “But why aren’t you using something besides condoms?”

“Because I’m a modern woman who gets sick from every shot and pill she’s ever tried and who recently had a bad incident with an IUD.”

“You shouldn’t have had sex with me then.” Even as the words came out, he regretted them.

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m starting to think of some other reasons too.” She slid off the exam table and pulled her purse strap up on her shoulder. “Tell you what. You process all of this—quietly and without saying stupid, insulting things to me—then give me a call when you’ve got your shit together and we’ll talk.” She started for the door.

“Emma—”

She turned. “Nate, stop,” she said, holding her hand up. “I’m going to keep you from being an asshole right now by advising you to not talk. At all.” She watched him carefully for a moment, then dropped her hand.

He made a decision right then and there. “You’ll move in with me, behave, and take care of yourself.”

“Not taking the not talking advice, huh?” she asked.

“We’ll get married.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Uh, no. And to the moving in thing.”

She had to. It was that simple. He’d missed all of Michael’s pregnancy, been robbed of two others. He
was
going to be there for this one. “You said you’ve fallen for me,” he pointed out.

“But I didn’t hit my head when I fell,” she said. “Geez, Nate. You’re overreacting. We’ve both known about this for about ten minutes. Let’s just think. And talk. Later. Rationally.” She was watching him with mild trepidation. “Maybe with other people around.”