Smooth Irish (Book 2 of the Weldon Series) (29 page)

She opened the door. Her eyes and nose were reddened
from tears and he could see the depth of emotional pain etched upon
her face. “I saw a doctor today. I’m pregnant and to make matters
worse my gloxinia has botrytis.”

Jackson stumbled and nearly fainted on Nan’s
doorstep as shock drained the blood from his head. Why couldn’t he
help? Dawning pain hit him in the gut. She’d fainted at the
hospital party. Her exhaustion and the other times she nearly
fainted after then ran clearly through his mind. It all added up.
“I’ll be right back.” Jackson shouted and headed for his truck.
Brad Swanson had a lot to answer for.

On the way to Brad’s office, Jackson recklessly
pulled off the road three times wrestling with the overwhelming
desire to go back to Nan and beg her to marry him. He didn’t care
if she carried another man’s child. He loved her.

But then other things crept into his mind. His
mother was right. Hell he’d been in better shape to handle a child
at sixteen than he was now. How had his life ended up in such a
sorry ass state?

It wasn’t just Nan, there was a child involved and
that child deserved a chance to be with its father. God, if there
was any way he could have held his own baby… Jackson knew he would
have fought heaven and earth to do it. God had chosen otherwise and
Jackson didn’t think he’d ever understand. Now that he found love
again, he was losing that too. “It sucks, God. Do you hear me!”

Jackson found Swanson at his office. He grabbed the
man by the collar of his Armani suit and dragged him out.

“Have you completely gone insane, Weldon? What are
you doing? Call the police, Eleanor,” Brad shouted as Jackson
pulled him by the receptionist’s desk.

“Your boss has a family emergency. Cancel the rest
of his appointments. I’m taking you to see Nan and you damn well
better do the right thing.” He pushed Swanson into the truck.

“What’s wrong with Nancy? Does she need a
doctor?”

“No. She needs a man to be a man. Now shut up until
we get to her apartment. If you talk, I might just change my mind
and beat you up anyway.”

“You’ve finally gone over the edge, Weldon. I’m
going to prosecute you for this.”

“I said shut up.”

Brad said no more until they were at Nan’s door.
“Now what?”

“Do I have to spell this out? Knock on the damn
door.”

Brad knocked and to Jackson’s amazement Nan opened
the door.

“Brad? What are you doing here?”

“I’m wondering the same thing myself.”

Jackson poked Brad in the back. “He’s here to do the
honorable thing.”

“He
is?”
Nan said.

“I am?” Brad questioned.

“Yes, damn it. You got her pregnant. Now ask her to
marry you, or you’re going to wish you were dead.”

“Weldon. You need to go back to med school. A woman
doesn’t get pregnant from one kiss.”

“You mean you and she didn’t, uh…”

Nan frowned and pointed an irritated finger right at
him. “He’s not the father, you jackass. You are. Are you ready to
be a father?”

Jackson’s mouth opened and shut like a fish out of
water. Nan was pregnant with his baby? Joy and a truckload of fear
lodged in his throat.

“I didn’t think so. Let me tell you something. I
will never marry someone because they feel obligated.” Nan slammed
the door in their faces.

“Well, Weldon—”

“Shut up or die, Swanson.”

Jackson knocked on the door. She didn’t answer
it.

“I have to get back to my office.”

“Do you have a death wish or something? I’ve got a
family emergency here. Take my truck if you have to, but don’t bug
me. The spare keys are under the driver’s floor mat.”

His child! Dear God, he was going to have a baby!
Jackson knocked a little harder this time, sweating more than the
heat of afternoon sun called for. His guts were a whirling storm of
mixed feelings, and he only knew one thing for sure. He couldn’t
lose Nan, couldn't lose this second chance at life. “Nan, damn it.
We have to talk.”

“You might want to give her some time to cool down.
I think you just stepped all over those emotions she thinks are so
important.”

“Aren’t you gone yet?”

“I can’t possibly drive that thing. It doesn’t have
precision steering or anti-lock brakes. I’d probably wreck and
either cause myself or someone else harm.”

“Tell you what, Swanson. Why don’t you go and stand
in front of it, then I’ll get in and show you how it works.”

“No need to be sarcastic, Weldon. I’m only here
because you screwed up, twice in fact.”

Jackson pounded on Nan’s door again, this time
picturing Brad’s face in front of him.

“You’re determined to screw up a third time, aren’t
you?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Logic points to the fact that
she’s never going to believe you aren’t trying to
do
the honorable thing
until you can prove differently.”

“How?”

“You obviously got to know her a whole lot better
than I did. Considering her mind set, I don’t think a simple
marriage proposal will do. You’ll have to figure out something
bigger than that. Meanwhile, take me back to my office.”

Jackson stomped to his truck. He either had to take
Swanson back now or face murder one. Considering Nan was pregnant,
he’d best stay out of jail.

“Why’d you quit medicine back in Chicago, Weldon?
Not that I believe them, but there were reports that you were the
best ER doctor on the staff.”

“Why in the hell do you want to know?”

Brad shrugged. “Just curious as to why a man would
spend years achieving something and then walk away.”

“I put my career first and that choice killed my
pregnant wife. You might want to change your ways before you have
to pay such a price.”

“I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” Shock replaced Brad’s
usual supercilious frown, and he didn’t say anything else all the
way back to his office. A police cruiser sat out front.

“Why don’t you drop me off in the back?”

Jackson wisely swung the truck around to the back of
the building.

“How did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Nan is such a sensible woman. How did you make her
fall in love with you?”

Jackson thought back to the weekend he had spent
with Nan, remembered their passion, and realized that in those
moments she had become everything to him. “For just a short time,
when I was thinking clearly, I made her my world, and nothing but
her mattered.”

Brad left, shaking his head, and Jackson doubted the
man would ever understand. But thank God he did. A baby. His Nan
was going to have a baby. Nope, not exactly his Nan yet. As Jackson
drove back to his parent’s house to take a shower, an idea began to
form.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

He was back at Nan’s two hours later. This time when
he knocked on the door, she answered.

“Thank God,” he said, looking her over. Her eyes and
nose were red, but she’d stopped crying. He took that as a good
sign. He leaned over to kiss her, and she backed away.

“Don’t touch me. You’re only here to talk, to plan
what part you are going to have in this baby’s life.”

A twitch began in his right eye. A plan. Had she
already planned him out of her life? Planned every detail of their
child’s life?

Jackson drew a deep breath and roped back in his
emotions. Who was he to complain? He really hadn’t given her many
options and what else could he expect her to do when faced with a
crisis? She was a planner, and he’d known that long before he loved
her. He would just have to learn to take it in stride. “I’ve got a
plan for you to see.”

Nan blinked. “What kind of plan?” she said
suspiciously.

“This kind.” He held up the blueprints he’d borrowed
from Jared and James. “A house. It’s really something.” He walked
into the kitchen and laid them out on the table. “See the sunroom
for your plants and the huge kitchen?”

“I hate to pop your enthusiasm, but I think we need
a reality check here. What does a house have to do with making
plans for this baby I’m carrying?”

He noticed she didn’t say our baby. She said this
baby. “Nan. This is for the baby and us to live in. I can have it
built by the time he’s born.”

“He or she,” Nan corrected, placing her hand over
her abdomen. “It won’t work. You’re only doing this because I’m
pregnant. I refuse to be an obligation.”

Jackson turned grabbed her shoulders. She had to
understand. “It’s not just because of the baby. I picked these
plans out before all of this. I saw them and knew you’d love
them.”

Tears welled in her eyes and she shook her head. “I
don’t want a house with you. I don’t want to tie myself to a man I
can’t count on to be there in a crisis. Have you forgiven yourself
yet? Are you ready to make a commitment? And what happens the next
time the past grabs you by the gut? Are you going to go off the
deep end, or tell me to get lost?”

“No, I…” What could he say? How could he make her
believe him? And did he even know himself the answers to her
questions? “What if I said I don’t know but I’m willing to
try?”

“I’d say let’s be friends and see. Only time will
tell.”

“Friends, sugar? Now who needs a reality check?” He
covered her mouth with his in a searing kiss. Her response was
hesitant at first then the dam burst. He couldn’t touch her enough.
He couldn’t love her enough and she couldn't get enough of him. He
threaded his hands through her glorious hair, ran his lips and
tongue over her silky skin, and kissed his way to the buttons of
her shirt. Several buttons went flying in his haste to tear away
all barriers between them.

"I need you like I need air to breathe, lady. You're
under my skin, in my blood, in my mind, and sunk deep into my
heart."

"Jackson," Nan sighed, shaking her head as if she
didn't believe him.

"Believe me." He filled his hands with her breasts,
loving the luscious warmth of her and the pebbled excitement of her
nipples. "I love loving you, sugar.”

He cupped her, lifting her breasts to his lips,
laving attention with his tongue. Her breath panted in his ear and
she buried her hands in his hair, pulling him closer to her.

He suckled her, following each kiss on her nipple
with languid caresses down her body, stripping away her clothes,
bit by bit. Then he swung her up in his arms and carried her to the
couch.

"No," she said gasping, and sat up to leave. "Not
the couch. I won't have anywhere to sleep free of your memory when
you go."

Jackson gently pushed her back and nudged her legs
apart, looking down at her lush sex. Looking his fill, just as he'd
imagined. Then he knelt in front of her. "I'm not going anywhere
but right here, Nan." He slid her legs apart and pulled her bottom
to the edge of the couch. Spreading the folds of her sex, he bent
down and kissed her there as he kept his gaze locked with hers.

She moaned and her eyes grew misty with desire, but
she didn't look away. She watched him love her. Her breath came
faster, her back arched, begging him for more, and her gaze turned
needy. He ran his hands up to her breasts and plucked at her
nipples. She came apart for him, her body shuddering with her
release.

Jackson zipped down his fly and buried himself deep
inside her with no barriers between them. He felt the full effect
of her smooth, hot, passage as her inner muscles stroked and
squeezed him almost past the point of sanity. She lifted her hips,
taking him deeper.

“Don’t move. You feel just too damn good and I want
you to come again, this time with me. You make heaven such a smooth
ride, sugar.”

Nan shook her head. “This isn’t going to solve
anything, Jack.” But she didn't pull away from him. She pressed her
hips closer.

“Lady, whatever it takes, we'll work it out.” He
pushed deeper into her and started moving in a rhythm of sweet
music that only they could make together. She met his every move,
claiming more, and he stroked deeper until her sweet cry of heaven
sent them both over the edge. It wasn't just sex between them.
Never had been and never would be.

Jackson carried her to bed, wrapped her in his arms,
and placed his palm over her abdomen. His child grew there and the
wonder of it touched him deep inside of his healing soul.

"You have to believe me." He spoke close to her ear,
brushing a kiss there between his words. "I love you. I loved you
before my child began to grow inside of you."

Nan placed her hand over his. "I just don't know,
Jack. I know I want and cherish this life inside of me. Beyond
that, I just don't know."

He pulled her tighter, shut his eyes, and
concentrated on breathing. One breath at a time. God, don't let it
be too late. After a few minutes, Nan turned in his arms and
wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight.

Some of the pain inside him eased. "My father said
something a couple of weeks ago that's sort of stuck in my mind.
Said that life is mostly fixing things. Seeing what was wrong, what
wasn't working and fixing it, one day at a time, one thing at a
time. Ever since, I've been fixing a few things about myself and
now I'm ready to fix a few things about us, sugar."

"I want to believe, Jack. I just don't know if I
can."

He felt her tears fall against his neck. And he
leaned up on his elbow to see her and kiss her. "Take your time,
I'll be right here. Right here with you. But I've one question that
has been bugging me. I know I've been out of touch with the medical
field, but hell, I can't be this much in the dark. What is your
gloxinia and what in the hell is botrytis?"

Laughter lit Nan's eyes. "It's terminal, I'm
afraid."

Jackson narrowed his eyes. "Nan, this isn't funny.
What's going on?"