Free The Christmas Bouquet by Sherryl Woods Page B

that the pregnancy is real. I’m the one who had to hightail it out of rounds today because of morning sickness.”
    He immediately regarded her with worry. “Are you feeling okay now?”
    “Perfectly fine,” she said, then gestured toward her empty bowl. “I’ve eaten every bite of stew and may have seconds.”
    “That’s good, then,” he said, his voice filled with relief. “Did you tell Dr. Davis you’re pregnant so she can cut you some slack while you’re on your pediatrics rotation?”
    “Absolutely not,” she said, horrified by the thought. “I’m having a baby. I’m not an invalid. Things are competitive enough in med school without me suggesting I be treated differently because I’m going to have a baby.”
    “I’m just saying it might be helpful if she knew,” Noah said.
    “So everyone at the hospital will know and can voice an opinion about what we ought to do? Do you really want the whole world to gang up on me? Trust me, it’s not the way to get me to see things your way.”
    He sighed. “That is not what I was suggesting and, believe me, I know all about how perverse you can be. If too many people start trying to push you into doing anything, you’ll do exactly the opposite.”
    She gave a nod of satisfaction. “Something you definitely need to keep in mind.”
    Noah met her gaze and held it. “There’s something you need to keep in mind,” he said evenly. “I love you, Cait. And I won’t stop fighting for us to be a family.”
    She regarded him with puzzlement. “I don’t understand how you can be so sure that marriage is the answer. You have dreams on the line, too, Noah. I’m not the only one who had the future mapped out.”
    “That’s true,” he said without hesitation. “But for me, you’ve been a part of that future practically from the moment we met. This baby?” A smile lit his eyes. “It’s just an unanticipated blessing. I’ll do whatever it takes to make everything work out for us.”
    She shuddered a little at the determination in his voice. If she knew little else about Noah, she knew this. He might bide his time, he might use subtle tactics, but he was a man who usually got his way. He’d won her heart against all odds, after all.
    * * *
    After Noah’s quiet declaration a few nights before, Caitlyn never did get around to making that call to her grandfather. Therefore she wasn’t all that surprised when she looked up from a patient chart at the hospital and saw him standing there, a frown on his face.
    “It’s a relief to see you’re still alive,” Mick O’Brien commented dryly.
    She winced. “Sorry I haven’t gotten back to you. I’ve been busy.” She came out from behind the desk and kissed his cheek. “I hope you didn’t make a special trip up to Baltimore. I’m on duty.”
    “But you can take a break,” he said with certainty. “I spoke with that lovely Dr. Davis and she assured me it would be fine.”
    “You spoke to my boss?” she said incredulously. “What were you thinking?”
    “That I need to have a conversation with my granddaughter, who’s about to have my first great-grandchild,” he retorted unrepentantly. “You slipped away from the house before we could talk and you’ve been avoiding my calls.”
    When she was about to protest, he held up a hand. “Don’t bother trying to tell me how busy you’ve been. You’ve never been too busy to talk to me before. I imagine you’ve been giving that caller ID thing a real workout lately.”
    Since she could hardly deny it, she opted to go on offense. Scowling at him, she said, “I hope you didn’t say anything about your great-grandchild to Dr. Davis,” she said. “My pregnancy is not your news to share, especially around here.”
    “Of course not. I know there are boundaries at work. Though she did seem to think you might have something on your mind.”
    Alarm flowed through Caitlyn. “She said that?”
    He nodded. “She said you’re one of the best students she’s