sensitive enough to her body changes to know when to come in or call me. She wasn’t thrilled that I wanted to see her every month and flatly rejected seeing a doctor near her school. She goes to Buckley , doesn’t she? ”
He nodded.
“ I know a great guy whose office is less than two miles from campus, but I’m not sure she’d be comfortable with a male doc .”
“Sounds to me like you think she’s been badly treated by a man , or men . ” Joe l kept his eyes on the sizzling steaks.
Without commenting on his supposition, she asked, “Who does she trust? ” She looked at Joel . “What about you? Will she talk to you? And, what about Ben? What kind of relationship do they have?”
“Ben? I think they’ re just friends. N ot boyfriend/ girlf riend, just friendly with each other. I offered her an opportunity to share things , but she didn’t take the bait . And, I don’t want anyone thinking I’m the father . Y ou know how small towns are . I’ve met her dad and I can see why she might not want to confide in him. He stri kes me as a pretty conservative type. You know, m y way or the highway .”
Angela took the steaks from him and urged him into the house, where the table was set. “ Some times when she talks , she seems much younger than almost twenty-one . A t other times, more mature. She did come in when I asked her to. But, what’s she going to d o once she goes back to school ?”
“I don’t know, babe. What I do know is , this meal is too good to wrec k worrying about Danni . How ’ bout we sit down and eat, and then make mad , passionate love ?”
She laughe d. “You never change. Let’s eat, and we’ll see what happens after dinner. N o promises!”
Joel pull ed her down to his lap for a quick nuzzle .
“ Danni , i t’s Ben. Happy and I are going for a walk after I’m done at the clinic . Want to come? ”
“When?”
“In about an hour, along the beach west of the harbor.”
After checking with her mother, Dannilynn replied , “I’ll be here if you want to come get me. ”
“Great—see you soon.” He rubbed his hands together as he gathered up the leash for the dog. “You ’re a great chick-magnet, Happy. ”
The dog lifted his upper lip in a doggy smile and bounded outside . Ben pulled the old yellow cab around to the side of the house and brushed out the front seat. “Might as well get rid of as many dog hairs as I can. You’r e stuck in the back this time, old man. ” H e opened the back door for the dog.
While she waited for Ben , Danni sat in her room , glad her mom had gone to a meeting at the church and wouldn’ t want to talk with her . So many things I did wrong. She’d lost her virginity to a guy who was a jerk, someone who had told her he loved her when he’d really only used her. She saw that now. If only she’d realized it before. Now she was pregnant, something she’d never imagin ed happen ing to her un til she was married. She’d decided against an abortion and was glad she hadn’t gone through with it, even though Monica had said it would be the easiest solution.
But now she had to give up the baby. Would she be able to do it when the time came? She ran her hand over her stomach, the telltale bulge Ben had mentioned warm against her fingers. At the clinic, her smock hid things. If she stood up straight and pulled in her stomach muscles, she was sure no one could tell what was nestled in her womb . But the doctor had said it would be obvious by the end of next month, after she was in school. And Monica had said Danni’s breasts were bigger. She had to admit they sometimes felt tender. Would they stay that way for the entire pregnancy?
If only she didn’t have to decide. If only she somehow lost the baby. Monica’ s mother had had a miscarriage, but Danni couldn’t remember how pregnant she had been when it happened. Monica had only said it made her mom really sad. After that, her folks had stopped trying to have another
He nodded.
“ I know a great guy whose office is less than two miles from campus, but I’m not sure she’d be comfortable with a male doc .”
“Sounds to me like you think she’s been badly treated by a man , or men . ” Joe l kept his eyes on the sizzling steaks.
Without commenting on his supposition, she asked, “Who does she trust? ” She looked at Joel . “What about you? Will she talk to you? And, what about Ben? What kind of relationship do they have?”
“Ben? I think they’ re just friends. N ot boyfriend/ girlf riend, just friendly with each other. I offered her an opportunity to share things , but she didn’t take the bait . And, I don’t want anyone thinking I’m the father . Y ou know how small towns are . I’ve met her dad and I can see why she might not want to confide in him. He stri kes me as a pretty conservative type. You know, m y way or the highway .”
Angela took the steaks from him and urged him into the house, where the table was set. “ Some times when she talks , she seems much younger than almost twenty-one . A t other times, more mature. She did come in when I asked her to. But, what’s she going to d o once she goes back to school ?”
“I don’t know, babe. What I do know is , this meal is too good to wrec k worrying about Danni . How ’ bout we sit down and eat, and then make mad , passionate love ?”
She laughe d. “You never change. Let’s eat, and we’ll see what happens after dinner. N o promises!”
Joel pull ed her down to his lap for a quick nuzzle .
“ Danni , i t’s Ben. Happy and I are going for a walk after I’m done at the clinic . Want to come? ”
“When?”
“In about an hour, along the beach west of the harbor.”
After checking with her mother, Dannilynn replied , “I’ll be here if you want to come get me. ”
“Great—see you soon.” He rubbed his hands together as he gathered up the leash for the dog. “You ’re a great chick-magnet, Happy. ”
The dog lifted his upper lip in a doggy smile and bounded outside . Ben pulled the old yellow cab around to the side of the house and brushed out the front seat. “Might as well get rid of as many dog hairs as I can. You’r e stuck in the back this time, old man. ” H e opened the back door for the dog.
While she waited for Ben , Danni sat in her room , glad her mom had gone to a meeting at the church and wouldn’ t want to talk with her . So many things I did wrong. She’d lost her virginity to a guy who was a jerk, someone who had told her he loved her when he’d really only used her. She saw that now. If only she’d realized it before. Now she was pregnant, something she’d never imagin ed happen ing to her un til she was married. She’d decided against an abortion and was glad she hadn’t gone through with it, even though Monica had said it would be the easiest solution.
But now she had to give up the baby. Would she be able to do it when the time came? She ran her hand over her stomach, the telltale bulge Ben had mentioned warm against her fingers. At the clinic, her smock hid things. If she stood up straight and pulled in her stomach muscles, she was sure no one could tell what was nestled in her womb . But the doctor had said it would be obvious by the end of next month, after she was in school. And Monica had said Danni’s breasts were bigger. She had to admit they sometimes felt tender. Would they stay that way for the entire pregnancy?
If only she didn’t have to decide. If only she somehow lost the baby. Monica’ s mother had had a miscarriage, but Danni couldn’t remember how pregnant she had been when it happened. Monica had only said it made her mom really sad. After that, her folks had stopped trying to have another
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