The Christmas Baby Bump Read online

  No sooner had he said it than Claire breezed through the door. The tall, slender, honey blonde had a mischievous glint in her eyes. “It’s called carpooling.”

  “Ah, right.” Phil said, then glanced at Stephanie. “Learning curve.”

  “Morning,” Claire said.

  Stephanie nodded. She’d met the clinic nurse practitioner the other day in a bright, welcoming office that came complete with aromatherapy and candles. She was Jason’s wife, and seemed nice enough, but Stephanie hadn’t let herself warm to anyone yet.

  “So, Robbie didn’t want to go with his group after driving to the preschool with Gina talking his ear off,” Claire said. “Gina’s my daughter,” she said for Stephanie’s benefit. “He looks so cute in his glasses. When did he get them?”

  Phil grinned. “Beats me, but I found them in his things, so I talked him into wearing them.”

  “See, you’re a natural.”

  He refilled half of his mug. “That’ll be the day. Two nights, and I’m already planning to scope him for that cough of his. How does Roma manage?”

  “Like all mothers. We follow our instincts. Give it a try.” Claire winked at Stephanie, as if they belonged to the same secret sorority. If Claire only knew how wrong she was.

  Stephanie took another swallow of coffee, wishing she could fade into the woodwork.

  “Do you have any kids?” Claire asked.

  “No.” Stephanie couldn’t say it fast enough. She stared deeply into her coffee, trying her best to compose herself. Phil watched her. “Well, I’d better prepare for my first patient. I have a lot to live up to, filling René’s shoes.” She reheated her coffee and started for the door, needing to get far away from all the talk of children. Maybe it had been a mistake coming here, but she’d committed herself for the next two months, and she’d live up to her promise.

  “You’ll do fine,” Phil said with a reassuring smile. “I’ve got to take off, too. Need to make a run to the hospital this morning.”

  She peeked over her shoulder. He stopped and poured the rest of his coffee into the sink, then glanced at Stephanie. Eye contact with Phil was the last thing she wanted, so she flicked her gaze toward her shoes. What must he think of her and her crazy behavior? But, more importantly, why did she care?

  On her way out the door she passed the cardiologist, Jon Becker, and nodded. He gave a stately nod then headed for the counter and the nearly empty coffee pot.

  “Hey,” he said. “I made the coffee and now all I get is half a cup?”

  Hunching her shoulders, Stephanie took a surreptitious sip from her mug and slunk down the hall. How many more bad first impressions was she going to make?

  “Make a full pot next time,” she heard Claire say. “Quit being so task oriented,” she chided, more as if to a family member than a business colleague. “If you’re going to be a stay-at-home dad, you need to think like a nurturer.”

  “Claire, all I wanted was a cup of coffee, not a feminist lecture on thinking for the group.”

  Stephanie couldn’t resist it. A smile stretched across her lips, the first one in two days. Jon looked at least forty, and he was going to be a stay-at-home dad?

  She’d been so isolated over the past three years, and had no idea how to have a simple conversation with coworkers. Maybe it was time to make an effort to be friendly, like every other normal human being.

  A familiar negative tidal wave moved swiftly and blanketed her with doubt.

  You don’t deserve to be alive. She could practically hear her ex-husband’s voice repeating the cutting words.

  On her way back to the extended-stay hotel that night, Stephanie realized how famished she was. On a whim, she stopped at a decent-looking Japanese restaurant for some takeout.

  After placing her order, she sat primly on the edge of one of the sushi bar stools. She sipped green tea, and glanced around. Down the aisle, there was Robbie, grains of rice stuck to his beaming face like 3-D freckles. Across from the boy, with his back to her, sat Phil. A jolt of nerves cut through her as she hoped Robbie wouldn’t recognize her. He might start crying again. How soon could she get her order and sneak out? Just as she thought it, as if sending a mental tap to his shoulder, Phil turned and saw her, flashed a look of surprise, then waved her over.

  She couldn’t very well pretend she hadn’t seen him. She waved tentatively back then shook her head as Phil’s ever-broadening gesture to join them was accompanied by a desperate look.

  Be strong. He’s the one babysitting. It’s not your responsibility.

  He stood, made an even more pronounced gesture with pleading eyes.

  The guy begged, but she couldn’t budge. She shook her head and mouthed, “Sorry.” He might think she was the most unfriendly woman he’d ever met, but no way was she ready to sit down with them, as if they were some little happy family. No. She couldn’t. It would be unbearable.

  She avoided Phil’s disappointed gaze by finishing her tea.

  Fortunately, the sushi chef handed her the order. After she paid for the food, she grabbed the package, tossed Phil one last regretful look, and left.

  Strike two.

  Stephanie walked her last patient of the morning to the door. The lady hugged her as if they were old friends. One of the things she loved about her job was telling people they were pregnant.

  “Have you got all the information you need?”

  The young woman’s head bobbed.

  “Any more questions?”

  “I’m sure I’ve got a million of them, but I can’t think of anything right now except…I’m pregnant!” She clapped her hands.

  Stephanie laughed. “Well, be sure to write all those questions down and we’ll go through them next time.”

  “I will, Doctor. Thanks again.” The woman gave her a second hug.

  Stephanie waved goodbye, and with a smile on her face watched as her patient floated on air when she left the clinic.

  “I was about to accuse you of being heartless, but I’ve changed my mind now,” Phil chided.

  Stephanie blushed. She knew exactly what he referred to.

  “How are things going with Robbie?” her nurse asked Phil in passing.

  “Just dandy,” he said, with a wry smile. “I finally figured out it’s a lot less messy to take him into the shower with me instead of bathing him in the tub by himself.”

  The nurse giggled. “I can only imagine.”

  Stephanie fought the image his description implanted in her mind, obviously the same one Amy had. He seemed to be a nice guy. Everyone liked him. Adored him. The fact that he was billboard gorgeous, even with ever-darkening circles under his eyes, should be a plus, but it intimidated her. And after the way she’d treated him and Robbie, she didn’t have a clue why he kept coming around.

  “You doing anything for lunch today?” he asked.

  Could she handle an entire lunch with this guy? “Why would you want to take me to lunch?”

  “Why not? You’re new in town, probably don’t know your way around…”

  His cell phone went off, saving her from answering him.

  “Cripes!” he said. “Hold on a sec.” He held up one finger and answered his phone.

  After a brief conversation, he hung up with a dejected look. “Evidently Robbie got pushed by another kid and skinned his knees.” He scratched his head, a look of bewilderment in his eyes. “He’s crying and asking for me, so…”

  “It’s a big job being a stand-in dad, isn’t it?”

  “You’re telling me. Hey, I have an idea, why don’t we have lunch tomorrow?”

  Swept up by the whole package that was Phil, including the part of fumbling stand-in dad, she answered without thinking. “Sure.”

  The next day, at noon, Stephanie found Phil standing at her door wearing another expression of chagrin. “I completely forgot we have a staff meeting today.”

  “Yeah, I just got the memo,” she said.

  “You should come. We’ve got some big decisions to m
ake.”

  “I don’t have any authority here.”

  “Oh, trust me, on this topic your input is equally as important as any of ours.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “We have to decide how we’re going to decorate the yacht for the annual Christmas parade.”

  “It’s not even Thanksgiving yet!”

  “Big ideas take big planning. Besides, have you been by the Paseo? They’ve already put up a Christmas tree. Huge thing, too. I took Robbie to see it last night.”

  His deadpan expression and quirky news made her blurt a laugh. When was the last time she’d done that? “Well, seeing I’ve never been on a yacht, not to mention the fact that I suck at decorating, I can’t see how I’ll bring a lot to the table.”

  “Come anyway. You might enjoy it.”

  I might enjoy it. Wasn’t that the pep talk she’d given herself the other day? Be open to new things? Start acting alive again?

  “It’s a free lunch,” he enticed with lowered sun-bleached brows.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “If you change your mind, we’ll be in the lounge in ten minutes.”

  “Okay.”

  His smile started at those shocking blue eyes, traveled down to his enticing mouth and wound up looking suspiciously like victory. The guy was one smooth operator.

  After he left, Stephanie surprised herself further when she brushed her hair, plumped and puffed it into submission, then put on a new coat of lip gloss before heading to the back of the building for the meeting. She stopped at the double doors, fighting back the nervous wave waiting to pounce. The place was abuzz with activity. Claire called out various types of sandwiches she had stored in a huge shopping bag, and when someone claimed one, she tossed the securely wrapped package at them. One of the nurses passed out canned sodas or bottled water. Another gave a choice of fruit or cookie.

  “I’ll take both,” she heard Phil say just before he noticed her at the door. “Hey, I saved you a seat.” He patted the chair next to him. “What kind of sandwich do you want?”

  “Turkey?”

  “We need a turkey over here,” he called to Claire.

  Stephanie ducked as the lunch missile almost hit her head before she could sit. A smile worked its way from one side of her mouth to the other. These people might be crazy, but they were fun.

  “Sorry!” Claire called out.

  “No problem.” She had to admit that she kind of liked this friendly chaos. It was distracting, and that was always a good thing. When her gaze settled on Phil, he was already watching her, a smile very similar to the one she’d seen in her office lingering on his lips.

  “I’m glad you decided to come.”

  If he was a player, she got the distinct impression he was circling her. How in the world should she feel about that? Lunch was one thing, but what if he asked her out? Hearing how he struggled with Robbie had shown her another side of him. This guy had a heart beneath all that puffed-up male plumage, she’d bet her first paycheck on it. She wasn’t sure she could make the same claim for herself.

  “Okay, everybody, let’s get going on this.” Jason stood at the head of the long table, his mere presence commanding attention. Dark hair, pewter eyes, suntanned face, she could see why Claire watched him so adoringly. “Last year we came in third in the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce Christmas Ocean Parade, and this year I think we have a fighting chance of taking first if we put our heads together and come up with a theme.”

  “You mean like Christmas at Christmastime?” Jon looked perplexed by the obvious.

  “He means like Santa and his helpers, or Christmas shopping mania, or the North Pole,” Claire shot back.

  “How about trains?” Jon said. “Boys love trains at Christmas.”

  “What about trains and dolls?” Jon’s nurse added, with a wayward glance.

  “How about Christmas around the world?” Stephanie’s nurse, Amy, spoke up. “We could cover the yacht with small Christmas trees decorated the way other countries do, and the mast could be a huge Christmas tree all made from lights.”

  The conversation buzzed and hummed in response to the first ideas. It seemed everyone had a suggestion. Everyone but Stephanie. She particularly liked what Amy had suggested.

  What did she remember most from Christmas besides the beautifully decorated trees? Santa, that’s what. “Could we have a Santa by the big tree?” She said her thought out loud by mistake.

  “Yeah, we need a Santa up there,” Phil backed her up.

  “And I nominate you to be Santa,” Claire said, pointing to Phil with an impish smile. “You’d be adorable.”

  “Me! You’ve got to be kidding! I scare kids.”

  “Oh, right, and Robbie doesn’t adore you. Yeah, I think you should be Santa and Gina and Robbie can sit on your lap.” Claire wouldn’t back down.

  “No way,” he said, with an are-you-crazy glare in his eyes. Out of the corner of his mouth he said, “Thanks a lot,” to Stephanie.

  “Great idea,” one of the nurses blurted across the table, before a few others chimed in. “Yeah.”

  “But I am the un-Santa.” He glanced at Stephanie again, this time with a back-me-up-here plea in his eyes.

  Not about to get involved in the debate, she lifted her brows, shrugged and took a bite of her sandwich.

  “Look,” Jason said. “We need to get more people involved on the yacht, and you haven’t been much help the last couple of years.” There was a sparkle in Jason’s eyes, as if he enjoyed putting Phil on the spot. “Should everyone be elves?” he asked, his mouth half-full of sandwich.

  “What if one person stood by each decorated country’s tree dressed in the traditional outfit?” Amy seemed to be on a roll. “You know, lederhosen, kilt, cowboy hat…oh, and what’s that Russian fur thing called? Ushanka? And what about a dashiki or caftan, oh, wait, and a kimono, or a sari or…”

  “That’s a fantastic idea,” Claire said.

  Revved up, Amy grinned, and Stephanie nodded with approval at her. Phil squeezed her forearm. Okay, everything was a great idea except for Santa.

  General agreement hummed through the room, and several people soon chimed in. Wow. I like that. Good idea.

  The receptionist, Gaby, wearing glasses that covered half of her face, took notes like a court reporter.

  “Did you get that?” Jason asked her.

  Gaby nodded, never looking up, not breaking her bound-for-writer’s-cramp speed.

  “Ah, then we shouldn’t need a Santa anymore,” Phil said, sounding relieved.

  “Of course we will,” Claire said. “One Santa unites them all, and Phil will be it.”

  Stephanie’s eyes widened and from the side, she noticed his narrow betrayed-looking gaze directed at Claire.

  “I say we take a vote on who should be Santa, the captain of the boat or me,” he said, just before his beeper went off. “Damn. It’s day care. I’ve got to take this.” He strode out of the room, the doors swinging in his wake.

  Jason snagged the opportunity. “Okay, everyone agree Phil’s Santa?”

  Everyone laughed and nodded. Poor guy didn’t stand a chance. Stephanie had to admit she sort of felt sorry for him.

  Phil stepped back into the room, half of his mouth hitched but not in a smile. “I’ve got to make a quick run over to day care. Robbie’s refusing to cooperate with nap time.”

  Jason nodded. “Let us know if you need to reschedule some appointments.”

  “It shouldn’t take long. I’ve just got to make the kid understand he has to follow the rules—” Phil snapped his fingers as if the greatest idea in the universe had just occurred to him “—or he won’t get afternoon snack!”

  Stephanie laughed. The guy was barely coping with this new responsibility, but he wasn’t griping. He seemed to catch on quickly, and, she had to admit, it made her like him even more. She glanced around the table at all the adoring female gazes on him. Okay, so she’d finally joined the club.
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  “So who’s Santa this year?” Phil asked, one hand on the door.

  Jason grinned. “You!”

  He flashed a glance at Stephanie, pointed, and mouthed, “You owe me.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  PHIL finished entering the list of orders in the computer for his last patient of the afternoon. His mind had been wandering between the appointments, and Stephanie Bennett was the reason. She was as guarded as a locked box. Then out of nowhere today this fun-loving Santa-of-the-world fan had emerged, and it had backfired and landed him on a date with a red suit.

  Something held her back from enjoying life, and he’d probably never find out in two months what it was, but romantic that he was, he still wanted to get to know her better. The time restraint was a perfect excuse to keep things casual and uninvolved. Just his style.

  But there was Robbie—a full-time job. No way could he squeeze in a romantic fling until his father and Roma came home.

  He pushed Enter on the computer program and shut it down.

  Good thing he’d lined up Gaby for child care on Saturday morning.

  Jason had asked him to stop by his office on his way out today, so he trotted up the back stairs to the second floor. Aw, damn, he’d caught Jason and Claire kissing. He stepped back from the doorway. They seemed to do that a lot and hadn’t even heard him. Yeah, they were newlyweds but, still, they were married, with children! He marveled at the phenomenon. Come to think of it, his dad and Roma did a lot of smooching, too.

  Maybe players like him didn’t corner the market on romance.

  He decided to talk to Jason later, then padded down the stairs and veered toward Stephanie’s office, a place he’d been drawn to like a magnet lately. Just as he passed Jon’s door he heard his name.

  “Hey, Phil, come take a look at the latest pictures.”

  Oh, man, he knew exactly what those pictures would be. Evan, his newborn son, seemed to be the center of Jon’s universe these days. Being just outside Jon’s office, Phil couldn’t very well avoid the invitation.