All That It Takes by Nicole Deese

Author:Nicole Deese [Deese, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary Romance, Novels, FIC042040, FIC042100, FIC027270
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2022-04-04T18:30:00+00:00

18

Val

No one would have suspected that Nurse Charlotte hadn’t planned on coming back to the clinic this evening. Her movements weren’t rushed or agitated when she’d come through the door and apologized for running a bit behind schedule. There was no clipboard shoved at Carlee within the first three seconds of their introduction, and no list of intimidating medical jargon and procedures for her to wade through. There was just a kind middle-aged woman with brown skin and a bright smile to match her sunflower scrubs.

After shaking both our hands, she reached into the mini fridge and took out a full-sized Twix bar and offered it to Carlee. “I always reward the bravery of a young mother with a Twix. Because their bravery is not only for one, but for two.”

Carlee took it, fingering the foiled package. “Thanks.”

“You’re very welcome,” Nurse Charlotte said, giving me a wink before gingerly sitting knee to knee with Carlee on the oak coffee table in the waiting room. “Now, Carlee, I’d like to take you back to the exam room with me, but first I’m going to need a bit of medical information from you and a couple of samples if you’re willing to provide them. Does that sound good to you so far?”

“Will I have to put on a gown?” Carlee asked.

“Not if you don’t want to.”

Carlee seemed to contemplate this as her hand moved from her belly to the chair arm. “Will I . . . will I have to see it—on the monitor, I mean?”

“That’s completely up to you. I’d certainly like to have a thorough look at your baby, though, if you’re okay with that,” Nurse Charlotte answered sweetly. “But my ultrasound machine is also in the exam room.”

Carlee glanced at me. She hadn’t cried in the waiting room, and she’d been slow to share much about the broken home she’d run from, but there were pieces I could fit together on my own. “Are you going to come in with me?”

My heart raged hard against my rib cage at her question, but with as much of a reason as I had to say no . . . the wariness in Carlee’s eyes was an even bigger reason to say yes.

“If you’d like me to, I will,” I told her.

Carlee gave a shrug at my response.

Nurse Charlotte extended her hands to touch both of our knees as if the two of us were now a package deal like the Twix bar Carlee clung to. “I’m so glad you brought a good support system with you today. You might be surprised at how many young ladies change their minds in the parking lot before they ever step foot in the clinic.”

Carlee and I shared a covert look before I said, “I’ll wait out here while you go over your medical history, and Nurse Charlotte can let me know if you’d like me to come back once you’re situated, okay?”

“Okay,” she said, with a note of distrust.

The nurse assisted her to her feet, and I couldn’t help but notice Carlee’s height and curves.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.