Return of the Secret Heir (7 page)

Ted drummed his fingers on his desk and looked intently at her. “I might regret this, but if you can promise there won't be even a whiff of a mistake, not even a spelling error on the paperwork, and if you impress me on the rest of the cases you have, you'll still be in the running for the partnership.”

“Thank you, Ted.” She swallowed the emotion that lodged in her throat over the fact that he was giving her a second chance. “I won't let you down.”

He pulled wire-rimmed glasses from his breast pocket. “I hope for your sake—and the firm's—that you don't,” he said and went back to his work.

 

Pia picked up the mint-green booties from the stand in the exclusive baby store and smiled. Seeing the pink lines on the pregnancy test had been a shock, but now that she'd had five days to assimilate, she loved this little person with everything in her heart. She hadn't been sure she could open her heart to a baby again, but she'd soon realized that loving him or her was the most natural thing in the world.

As she reached for a pale lemon pair, a wave of nausea crept up and she stilled to let it pass. Instead, the booties blurred before her eyes and the room began to swim. Panic flared as she realized her blood pressure must have dropped. She couldn't faint—not here. She crouched down on the floor, trying to remember the position she needed to be in to stave off a faint, lowering her head to her knees, but suffocating blackness descended.

She woke on the floor, a roll of something soft under her head, a woman above her who looked on the edge of panic.

“Honey, are you all right? Can I call someone?”

Pia closed her eyes and swallowed a couple of times to get her voice to work. Without thinking, she said, “JT. Call JT.”

She heard muffled sounds that she assumed was the sales assistant going through her handbag to find JT's number in her phone. Then she was vaguely aware of a conversation a little distance away.

Despite being groggy, she struggled to sit up, but the woman came back and said, “No need to get up. Your man said he'd be here in a matter of minutes. He said we shouldn't move you.”

“But I'm fine.” Except for the fuzziness and a bit of bruising that would surely come through on the aching
spots where she'd landed. But she wanted to get up from the shop floor.

Then in a blinding flash, it hit her—she'd fallen.
The baby.
Her pulse spiked and suddenly she was wide awake. Her hands went to her stomach but it felt the same as always. With her eyes squeezed shut, she momentarily laid her head back on the soft roll. Then she heard loud, sharp footsteps enter the store and she opened her eyes to find JT leaning over her.

“I'm here, Pia. You're fine.” His voice was calm, assured, if a little out of breath.

“I know,” she said because she wanted to get up, but a small flame lit inside her and glowed. JT was here—he'd fix things, keep her and their baby safe.

“Are you hurting anywhere?” He smoothed the hair back from her face. He was so close that she could smell the unmistakable scent of him and in that moment she wished they had the type of relationship that would allow her to reach up and wrap her arms around his neck, allow him to press a kiss to her lips, to take comfort from his strength.

He was scanning her face, waiting for her to reply, so she pulled her lips wide in what she hoped would be a smile. “My head was a little fuzzy, but it's clearing now.” It was the truth—there was nothing wrong with her, she was sure of it. But what about her baby? Had it been hurt when she fell?

He inched his hands under her shoulders and knees and lifted her in his arms. “Have you got a chair out back?” he asked the other woman.

“I can walk,” Pia said, but no one was listening. A couple of browsers were surreptitiously watching the commotion while looking at baby bonnets, but this sales
assistant had all her attention on JT and his instructions. JT had always inspired that kind of focus in women.

“Follow me,” the sales assistant said as she walked ahead. “We have a small staff room out here.”

Once through the doorway, he gently sat Pia in a plastic chair and she looked up into his eyes, luminescent green with his intensity. “You got here so quickly.”

“I was inspecting a building on the next block, so I walked.” She suspected he'd run the distance from the sheen of perspiration on his forehead, but his features were controlled and gave nothing away.

“I really am okay,” she repeated, embarrassed by the fuss. All she cared about was her baby. What had the first signs been of the miscarriage after she'd fallen at sixteen? Bleeding? She dug deep and dredged up memories of that sickening night. No, the cramps had come before bleeding. Mentally scanning her abdomen, she checked for twinges and found none. How soon had they started last time? She couldn't remember.

JT passed her a glass of water and she sipped, still trying to find the information in her memory banks.

“Have you got something sweet?” JT said over his shoulder.

The sales assistant appeared with a jar of candies. “We have these. You folks okay if I leave you for a few minutes?”

“We'll be fine. Thanks for calling me.” He unwrapped a candy and passed it to Pia. “How are you feeling?”

“A little sheepish for causing all the fuss,” she said, her voice unsteady. “And I'll have some bruises tomorrow, but I'm fine.” As long as she didn't start cramping. She pressed clammy hands to her stomach. “JT, the baby—”

“I'm taking you to Dr. Crosby's office. I'll call on the way.”

The relief of having someone take charge when she felt too fragile for the role was immense. “Thank you,” she whispered.

You'll be fine, little one. Don't give up.

He supported her weight with an arm around her waist as they walked out the front door and hailed a cab. His lean, muscled form was so strong, so reassuring against her that she melted into him. As soon as they were in, he punched in a number on his cell, explained their situation to the person on the other end, and told them they were on their way.

He hung up, slipped the phone into his pocket and turned to her. “The receptionist says Dr. Crosby was about to leave for her hospital rounds, but she'll wait till we get there.”

Pia sent up a silent prayer of thanks, and another that her baby would be unharmed. JT sat beside her on the cab's vinyl backseat, his arm loosely around her shoulders, his face turned to the passing scenery. What was running through his mind? Did he have the same bone-deep terror that she would lose the baby? Did he blame her? She clenched her fists tight and turned away to her own window.

When they reached the medical suites, the receptionist ushered them straight in.

Dr. Crosby was calm and reassuring as she did the examination. Once they were sitting at her desk again with JT, the doctor made some notes, then turned to them.

“I can't find any signs to indicate a problem. You're in the first trimester and the baby is well insulated in your womb at the moment, but if you have any spotting or cramping, call me immediately and get to a hospital.”

“Do you think that's likely?” JT asked, his voice grave,
and Pia was glad he'd asked the question that had been on the tip of her tongue.

“It's hard to say,” Dr. Crosby replied. “Occasionally these things surprise me, but I'd say you should be safe because it wasn't a heavy fall and everything looks fine.”

Pia let out a pent-up breath that felt like every last bit of air in her lungs escaped. Her baby should be fine. She smiled at JT, giddy with relief.

“This might be a good time to discuss your first pregnancy, Pia.” Dr. Crosby laid a hand flat on the desk and her expression grew solemn. “I've reviewed your medical records—the trauma you suffered from your fall caused a placental abruption. This means you do have an increased risk of the problem reoccurring—probably about a ten-percent risk. I don't want you to worry unduly but it is important that you take extra care.”

Any traces of relief Pia had felt vanished as Dr. Crosby's words slapped her in the face. “Is there anything we can do to keep my…our baby safer?” she whispered.

“Keep up with the suggestions I gave you last time, like having enough fluids. And you need to get plenty of sleep. And because you've fainted twice, you might want to put some precautions in place until we see how your blood pressure responds in your second trimester.”

“Precautions?” JT said from beside her. His body stiffened and tension radiated from him.

Dr. Crosby smiled kindly. “Simple things—for instance, when you're showering, you should make sure the water isn't too hot, perhaps have a shower stool so you can sit down. Try to take showers when there's someone else around.”

Her fingers wrapped around each other tightly. She'd lived alone since moving out of her college dorm—how was it possible to have someone around when she
showered? She licked dry lips and decided to work that out later. In the meantime, there was another issue. “What about my job?”

“That's entirely up to you,” Dr. Crosby replied. “It depends on whether you feel safe there. Also, we want you to keep your stress level under control because of the potential effects it could have on your system.” She looked down at her notes. “You're a lawyer, aren't you?”

“Yes.”

“Is it mainly desk work?”

Meetings and appointments off-premises were fairly regular, but she could try to rearrange things to stay in her own office each day. “I can probably make it a desk job for the short term.”

“It should be no riskier than being at home, but it's hard for me to make that judgment without knowing the details of your schedule. Although something to consider is that your stress will adversely affect the baby, so we want you to be safe
and
to have you feel safe. You certainly don't have to stop working, but maybe you could take steps to balance your load. Only you know if the stress you're under now is too much. But keep in mind that if you have an episode of low blood pressure, you'll need to feel comfortable about managing that by lying down or at least putting your head down.”

Dr. Crosby's words replayed in Pia's mind during the cab ride home. Precautions needed to be put into place, no question, but how many? How much was enough? She desperately wanted the partnership at her firm, but never at the risk of losing another baby.

She laid her head back on the headrest behind her and closed her eyes. Four weeks ago, JT had been a distant memory and the partnership had been the most important thing in her future. Too much had changed too fast.

The cab pulled up in front of her apartment and JT paid the driver and followed her in without invitation. Which pretty much summed up their situation now—JT looking after things and being an unquestioned part of her life. And every time he came here, or they were out together, they ran the risk of being seen, of her career exploding in her face. Everything was spinning out of control, and in the midst of the mess, she had to ensure that keeping emotional distance from JT remained a priority. She would soon be a mother, and needed to keep her head straight, to be the strongest and best version of herself for the baby's sake. JT and keeping her head straight were not compatible.

He stood before her, dominating her living room, strong hands on his lean hips. “What will you do about your job?”

“Take time off,” she said. She'd turned the elements of the problem over and over on the ride home, looking from all angles, searching for a solution that would suit all her needs. But ultimately—no matter how small the risk her job was to her baby—there was only one plan she could live with. “It's not just the work but the commute, too.”

He cocked his head to the side, his eyes intent on her face. “I thought this promotion meant the world to you?”

“It did. It
does
,” she corrected. “But the baby means more. I'll have some files sent over and can work from home. There's not that long before the second trimester starts and, if my blood pressure is better, I'll go back then.”

Warm approval flared in his eyes. “And I'll be here at night.”

Her heart missed a beat, both at his words and the casual way he delivered them. “What makes you think you'll be here?”

“Dr. Crosby told us to minimize your time alone. I'll sleep on the couch and be here while you shower. While
I'm at work, you can do safe things. Work on your cases at the table, watch television. Sleep.”

“I won't be sleeping. I have a full caseload.” She'd have Arthur bring files and notes over straight away and she could log on to the firm's email server from her laptop. Maybe it wouldn't need to be classed as time off. Just working from home.

“Sure, as long as they're things you can do sitting or lying down.”

Was he questioning her commitment to the care of their baby? Her spine straightened. “Have no doubts, JT, I won't jeopardize this baby.”

He arched a brow. “Then you won't have a problem with my sleeping on the couch in case you faint again.”

Pia let out a breath. She'd been over and over this on the cab ride, too, and had to face that her options were fairly limited. She could stay with one of her sisters and her family, or she could stay with her parents. Both options involved moving back to her hometown of Pine Shores—too far from the office to have someone regularly drop off or pick up work.

Or she could accept this offer from her baby's father—a man who had as much to lose as she did if she fell and didn't have help. Why even hesitate? There would be minimal disruption to her work, and JT would simply be carrying out fatherly responsibilities. Of course, her work would have a problem with it if they found out, but it shouldn't be hard to conceal if she was careful.

She looked up at his darkly beautiful profile, into the depths of his dark-fringed eyes, at the small scar above his lip and her pulse began to jump madly.