you mean like on a date?”
“Yes. I really like you, Ivy.”
The hope in his brown eyes crushed me. I’d never been so tempted to accept a date.
“Thank you for asking me,” I said. “But I don’t date.”
He let out a breath and looked at me apologetically. “If I misread the signals, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Didn’t . . . on which count?”
I smiled at his cute lawyer speak. “On both counts. You didn’t misread the signals or make me uncomfortable.”
He turned toward me, his brow furrowed with confusion. “So you like me, but you won’t go out with me?”
“I don’t date.”
“Is it because you don’t have a babysitter? Because my mom—”
I shook my head. “It’s for other reasons.”
A couple seconds of silence passed before he spoke. “Okay. I respect that.” He stood up from the bench. “I have to go, but it’s freezing out here. Are you sure you don’t want my coat?”
“I’m going back in, but thank you.”
He nodded and picked up the briefcase he’d set next to the bench.
“See you at lunch time,” I said.
“Sure. Bye, Ivy.”
I watched him walk to the courthouse, admiring the lines of his broad shoulders and his tall, athletic frame. I let myself daydream about a date with Reed. To have his full attention for an entire evening would be amazing, no matter what we did. And maybe he’d actually kiss me instead of just saying good night like he had at the barn dance.
Or maybe not, since I’d turned him down.
But I had to stay focused on Noah. Even if I indulged myself in a date, Reed didn’t realize who he was asking out. I was so inexperienced I was practically a virgin and I had a deep-seated mistrust of men. I was pretty sure that if I’d accepted, our date wouldn’t turn out to be what Reed was expecting.
With a sigh, I stood and went back to work.
THE NEXT AFTERNOON, I sat in the pediatrician’s office with a drowsy Noah in my arms. His daycare teacher had called me at work to tell me he was running a fever and I’d brought him right over to the doctor.
“Hi Ivy,” Dr. Stein said, closing the exam room door behind him. “What’s going on with Noah?”
“He has a fever and a bit of a runny nose. I didn’t notice the runny nose this morning but I guess it developed at daycare today.”
Dr. Stein scanned his small computer. “Low-grade temp. Let’s have a look, Noah.”
He checked his ears, nose, throat and chest. Noah, who was half-asleep, didn’t protest.
“Just a bit of a cold, I think,” Dr. Stein said, returning his stethoscope to its spot around his neck. “Rotate Tylenol and ibuprofen for the fever, give him plenty of liquids and let him rest.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“I don’t mean to harp, Ivy, but have you checked on your parents’ medical records? I’ve been telling you since Noah was born that given the nature of his paternity, we have to follow him extra close for developmental delays. Knowing his family medical history could be important at some point.”
I sighed and looked away. Dr. Stein had delivered Noah, and he was the only one I’d shared the truth with. It was protected medical information and he’d told me I was right to share it since children from parent-child unions had an increased risk of medical problems. He checked Noah thoroughly at every checkup and so far hadn’t seen anything abnormal.
“I still haven’t contacted my father about it,” I admitted.
“I know that is probably something you don’t want to face but please do. Noah is perfectly normal from everything I can see. He’s even a little ahead on some things. We’re past the point of serious concern, but we need to stay tuned in. And family medical history can be critical information for anyone.”
“Yes, you’re right. I need to get it.”
Dr. Stein smiled at me. “You’re doing a great job, Ivy. Keep up the good work.”
I thanked him and we said goodbye. The thought
“Yes. I really like you, Ivy.”
The hope in his brown eyes crushed me. I’d never been so tempted to accept a date.
“Thank you for asking me,” I said. “But I don’t date.”
He let out a breath and looked at me apologetically. “If I misread the signals, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Didn’t . . . on which count?”
I smiled at his cute lawyer speak. “On both counts. You didn’t misread the signals or make me uncomfortable.”
He turned toward me, his brow furrowed with confusion. “So you like me, but you won’t go out with me?”
“I don’t date.”
“Is it because you don’t have a babysitter? Because my mom—”
I shook my head. “It’s for other reasons.”
A couple seconds of silence passed before he spoke. “Okay. I respect that.” He stood up from the bench. “I have to go, but it’s freezing out here. Are you sure you don’t want my coat?”
“I’m going back in, but thank you.”
He nodded and picked up the briefcase he’d set next to the bench.
“See you at lunch time,” I said.
“Sure. Bye, Ivy.”
I watched him walk to the courthouse, admiring the lines of his broad shoulders and his tall, athletic frame. I let myself daydream about a date with Reed. To have his full attention for an entire evening would be amazing, no matter what we did. And maybe he’d actually kiss me instead of just saying good night like he had at the barn dance.
Or maybe not, since I’d turned him down.
But I had to stay focused on Noah. Even if I indulged myself in a date, Reed didn’t realize who he was asking out. I was so inexperienced I was practically a virgin and I had a deep-seated mistrust of men. I was pretty sure that if I’d accepted, our date wouldn’t turn out to be what Reed was expecting.
With a sigh, I stood and went back to work.
THE NEXT AFTERNOON, I sat in the pediatrician’s office with a drowsy Noah in my arms. His daycare teacher had called me at work to tell me he was running a fever and I’d brought him right over to the doctor.
“Hi Ivy,” Dr. Stein said, closing the exam room door behind him. “What’s going on with Noah?”
“He has a fever and a bit of a runny nose. I didn’t notice the runny nose this morning but I guess it developed at daycare today.”
Dr. Stein scanned his small computer. “Low-grade temp. Let’s have a look, Noah.”
He checked his ears, nose, throat and chest. Noah, who was half-asleep, didn’t protest.
“Just a bit of a cold, I think,” Dr. Stein said, returning his stethoscope to its spot around his neck. “Rotate Tylenol and ibuprofen for the fever, give him plenty of liquids and let him rest.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“I don’t mean to harp, Ivy, but have you checked on your parents’ medical records? I’ve been telling you since Noah was born that given the nature of his paternity, we have to follow him extra close for developmental delays. Knowing his family medical history could be important at some point.”
I sighed and looked away. Dr. Stein had delivered Noah, and he was the only one I’d shared the truth with. It was protected medical information and he’d told me I was right to share it since children from parent-child unions had an increased risk of medical problems. He checked Noah thoroughly at every checkup and so far hadn’t seen anything abnormal.
“I still haven’t contacted my father about it,” I admitted.
“I know that is probably something you don’t want to face but please do. Noah is perfectly normal from everything I can see. He’s even a little ahead on some things. We’re past the point of serious concern, but we need to stay tuned in. And family medical history can be critical information for anyone.”
“Yes, you’re right. I need to get it.”
Dr. Stein smiled at me. “You’re doing a great job, Ivy. Keep up the good work.”
I thanked him and we said goodbye. The thought
Similar Books
