Rachel Bailey - Return of the Secret Heir

“But if it happened again and you were driving or in the bath, it could be worse.”

A horrible vision rose of her slipping in the bath and falling, bringing on another miscarriage. And she wasn’t taking a single risk with this baby. “I wonder how long waiting lists are for specialists?”

“A couple of guys who work for me have had babies recently. I asked them who the best specialist was.”

“You didn’t mind interrupting their sleep?”

He smiled. “It wasn’t too late when I was thinking about a specialist. They gave me some names and the top person on each list was the same. I’ll ring first thing tomorrow and get an appointment.”

From the corner of her eye, she watched him add pepper to his eggs and take another mouthful. Threads of heat spiraled down her spine and out to her fingers and toes. Even watching this man eat sparked too much sensation in her body. The muscles working under the tan, hair-dusted skin of his forearms. The way his Adam’s apple bobbed down then up as he swallowed. Her cheeks caught fire and she determinedly cut into a tomato.

“This omelet is really good,” she said, hoping her voice was even. “You’ve learned to cook.”

“I was seventeen when you knew me.” He arched an eyebrow.

Of course he’d changed, he was a man now. A man whose gaze across the table held a deeper confidence and assurance than he’d had at seventeen. A man who’d proven only weeks ago he could make her writhe in unparalleled passion. A man who was staking a claim against his biological father’s billion-dollar will-that she was administering. Her shoulders lost a little of their poise.

“How’s your claim coming along?” she asked, to remind them both of the dangers of their involvement.

He scrubbed a hand across his smooth, shadowed chin. “Philip Hendricks is putting the final touches to the paperwork. We’ll lodge it soon.” His face became more solemn. “Are you going to tell your parents about the baby?”

During the night, she’d imagined their horror when she announced she was once again pregnant by JT Hartley. And once again, was unmarried while pregnant by JT Hartley. The last thing she needed now was more stress, and their judgmental attitudes and potential interference would definitely cause that. They’d have to know at some point, but the longer she had to get her own head around the news, the better.

“Not yet,” she said, watching her plate to avoid meeting his eyes. “Are you going to tell your mother?”

His mother had been thrilled for them last time. Worried because they were so young, but she’d offered all the help she could give. Tears sprang to the back of her eyes, remembering Theresa Hartley’s clucky excitement about her first grandchild. Another person Pia had hurt when she’d caused the miscarriage. She’d apologized to Theresa several times since, but Theresa, the sweet woman, always made her feel like it wasn’t her fault.

Eyes guarded, JT gave a sharp shake of his head. “Not yet. It’s probably best to keep this between the two of us for now.”

Not telling her parents yet was one thing. Theresa was a different story. Even though the right to pry into JT’s reasoning was something she’d forfeited years ago, something inside told her there was more to his reluctance.

She chose a slice of melon and chewed slowly, watching JT from under her lashes. Then she turned away. There was enough to worry about without getting involved in the workings of JT’s mind.

She had a precious baby coming soon. And a promotion to salvage.

JT walked into the doctor’s plush waiting room, gripping Pia’s hand. Medical suites weren’t his favorite places at the best of times, but being here over a possible health risk to his baby? That had to be the worst imaginable reason to visit one. His body was clenched so tight that it was difficult to breathe.

Pia leaned close and whispered in his ear, “Tell me the truth, do you think there’s something wrong with me? Something that explains the fainting and the miscarriage?”

He reached for her other hand and clasped them both firmly. The fingers on the hand he hadn’t been holding were cold, so he rubbed them between his palms. “I’ve always thought you were perfect,” he said, dodging the question.

She gave him a tremulous smile and they stepped up to the reception counter.

“Pia Baxter to see Dr. Crosby,” he said to the woman behind the desk.

The receptionist’s smile included them both as she handed Pia some forms. “Just take a seat and start on these while I see if the doctor’s ready for you.”

As the receptionist disappeared behind a swinging door, they sat on the upholstered bench seats. Pia was so still, so silent that he gave her the most reassuring smile he could muster and murmured, “It’ll be okay,” and hoped like hell he wasn’t lying. She nodded and began filling out the forms.

He’d got them in with the city’s best specialist in two days. He’d wanted sooner, but this appointment before official opening hours was the best they could do. Of course, it was a hell of a lot better than anything they had first time around. Back then, his mother had taken him and Pia to a free clinic. The staff had been nice and put Pia at ease, but what if they’d missed something that had contributed to the miscarriage? A band of steel clamped around his chest. He’d make sure nothing was missed this time. This time, he could afford the finest health care in the country and his baby would receive the best possible medical attention.

He glanced over at Pia as she filled in the forms with her neat, even handwriting. They’d talked about the possibility of being seen together visiting Dr. Crosby, but decided they’d have to be pretty unlucky to run into someone who recognized them both on one quick trip together. And if they did…

It was a risk they just had to take-he couldn’t countenance her coming to this appointment alone.

The receptionist appeared again and showed them into a smaller room. As they entered, a dark-haired middle-aged woman with a stethoscope around her neck greeted them and asked them to take a seat.

“Thank you for seeing us on short notice,” he said.

Dr. Crosby smiled. “You’re a very persuasive man, Mr. Hartley,” she murmured and shook his hand. She turned a beautiful smile on Pia. “Ms. Baxter, I see you’ve finished the forms Amy gave you.”

Pia handed over the paperwork. “Please, call me Pia.”

Dr. Crosby scanned the forms, then frowned and pursed her lips. “This is your second pregnancy, Pia?”

“Yes. I… Yes,” she said, her voice drying up. JT squeezed her hand.

“You lost that baby?” the doctor asked gently.

JT smoothly cut in so Pia didn’t have to explain. “Pia had an accident when she was about halfway through that pregnancy. She fell from a window.”

“I see.” Dr. Crosby turned to Pia with compassion in her eyes and asked detailed questions. He watched Pia answer in a low voice, her eyes downcast, and he wished he could spare her these questions, too.

“With your permission,” Dr. Crosby said, typing something into her computer, “I’d like to request a copy of your hospital records for review. I want to make sure I have as much information as possible so that we know what we’re dealing with.”

“Of course,” Pia said.

“I’ll get Amy to organize a letter for you to sign. Now, you said you had a fainting spell?”

Pia nodded. “My blood pressure is normally on the low side, and I had troubles with it early in my first pregnancy.”

“She fainted once then, too,” JT said. That day down by the river, he’d come close to panic. He’d had no idea what to do and had never been so happy to see someone open their eyes again.

“Okay,” the doctor said, standing, “let’s get you on the scales, then into a gown for the exam. We’ll do a urine test to confirm the pregnancy, too.”

He gave Pia’s hand a final squeeze as she put her handbag on the floor and slipped away. Her eyes were too large-her fears written plainly on her face.

The doctor made a quick note on her computer and followed Pia behind the curtain.

Left alone, he looked around the pale blue room and tried to relax his shoulders, but the weight bearing down on them was too heavy to allow it. He would do everything in his power for this baby, but that guaranteed nothing-with a pregnancy, Mother Nature was in charge and he hated ceding control to anyone or anything, including nature herself.

And even if this baby lived to be born, then what? Fourteen years ago, he’d thought he’d known how things would play out. Even after Brianna died, he’d thought he and Pia would still have each other. Maybe one day start a family again. Not to replace Brianna, but new additions to their family unit. They could have waited until they were financially stable, had their own house. But it had never occurred to him that he and Pia wouldn’t be together. Fool that he was, he’d imagined they’d grow old side by side.

They’d made private vows to each other under the moonlight, words that had been sacred to him. Yet at the moment they’d needed each other the most, Pia had broken her promises and abandoned him.

No matter what happened now, how much it felt like they were on the same team, he’d never forget that she might cut and run when the going got tough. He couldn’t depend on her, couldn’t trust her.

But he would be here for her while she carried his child.

The curtain rustled and the doctor appeared, Pia soon after, and something in his chest eased a bit to have her back beside him, where he had some illusion of control of the situation. He gave her a tight smile which she returned as she sat back in the chair beside him.

Dr. Crosby made a few notes before looking up and smiling. “You seem in good health, Pia. We’ll send these blood samples off for testing, but I suspect because you said your blood pressure is on the low side, your fainting was a result of that. It’s a little low now, but nothing alarming.”

Pia shifted in her seat, her fingers knotted together. “But is it safe for the baby?”

“Low blood pressure is less of a risk than high blood pressure. I’m hopeful that yours will come into a more normal range in the second trimester. But for now, there are some measures I want you to take. Drink lots of fluids, especially water. Avoid standing for prolonged periods, particularly when it’s hot. And I want you to start on a regular program of exercise.”

JT looked from one woman to the other, imagining Pia fainting while she was out jogging or playing sport. “Exercise? Won’t that put the baby at greater risk?”

“I’m not talking marathons here.” The doctor turned to Pia. “Gentle exercise will help you prevent episodes of low blood pressure.” She handed them a sheet of paper. “Here are some more ideas.”

Unsatisfied with the answers and fighting the urge to wrap Pia and the baby in a nice thick layer of cotton wool, JT frowned. “What if she faints again when she’s driving or on a stairwell?”

Dr. Crosby turned back to him. “There’s no reason to expect more fainting. Keep an eye on it and feel free to call me if you have any concerns.”

That was it? He leaned forward in his chair. Sure, he knew he couldn’t expect Pia to be confined to bed rest for the next eight months, but to have her continue as normal?

He pinned the doctor with a stare. “How exactly will we keep an eye on it?”

“You can buy a home blood pressure monitor,” she said, turning to Pia. “Take it twice a day and keep a record.” She reached to some shelves above her head and extracted a pamphlet. “This has the healthy range that we’re aiming for.”