girl?”
Doctor Spanos shook his head. “It’s still too early for that. We’ll do this again in about four months. We should be able to tell then.” He flipped the machine off and handed the wand to the nurse. “Okay Abby, you can sit up now.” He rolled his stool to the counter and picked up her chart, looking through the pages.
“Everything seems to be right on schedule and the baby looks healthy and normal. However, you’re a little anemic and you’re also underweight. I’m going to give you a prescription for some vitamins with an extra supplement of iron. How are you feeling, generally?”
“Fine.” Abby was sitting up, holding the sheet tightly around her, but she hadn’t released Tate’s hand.
“She’s been getting sick and throwing up,” Tate added helpfully.
Abby glared at him, but he ignored her.
“That’s normal and should ease up soon. In the meantime, I’ll give you something for nausea that should help. Other than that, just eat well-balanced meals and rest when you feel tired.”
He wrote the prescriptions out and handed them to Abby. Tate took them away from her and stuck them in his shirt pocket.
The doctor stood. “One last thing. Most folks are usually too embarrassed to ask, so I always make it a point to tell them. Sex is fine right up until the end as long there’s no discomfort.” He smiled at both of them. “The nurse will give you your pictures and some reading material. Abby, I’ll see you in a month.”
The nurse handed them a bunch of pamphlets and the pictures. “These should explain what to expect over the next seven months, but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call us. Did you want to sign up for the Lamaze classes? They won’t come until you’re much farther along, but we usually have a pretty long waiting list. It’s better to schedule early if you want to be sure and get in.”
Abby looked at him blankly. Tate shrugged. “Sure. Sign her up.”
The nurse smiled at him then turned to Abby. “You can get dressed now. Just stop at the receptionist’s on your way out and she’ll set up your next appointment.” Taking Abby’s chart with her, she departed with brisk efficiency.
Abby slid off the table and reached for her clothes.
“I guess I should get out of here and let you get dressed.”
“It’s okay. Just turn around.”
Tate turned his back to her and gazed down at the pictures in his hand, wonder filling him all over again. His baby. The child they had made together. There was no way he could regret that, not ever.
“I’m done.”
He looked up from the pictures. Abby’s hair was mussed on one side and he reached out to smooth it down, his hand lingering as he gazed down at her. “It’s really real, Abby. A real baby.”
“I know.”
She smiled softly and Tate suddenly realized she was glowing. Before he even knew he was going to do it, he leaned down and kissed her gently. “Our baby.” He straightened and stepped away from her, embarrassed by the emotions that were running through him. “Did you see the way it was bouncing around? That doesn’t hurt does it?”
Abby laughed. “I can’t even feel it yet. I think it’s still too small.”
He took her hand again. “Let’s get out of here. We still have a lot to do. We need to get these prescriptions filled, run by the bank, then to the feed store. And we’ll stop and get a hamburger before we head back to the ranch.”
“What do you have to do at the bank?”
“Get you put on the checking account.”
He heard her gasp but didn’t even slow down. “There may be times I can’t come with you and you’ll need to be able to write checks yourself. Only makes sense. I can’t wait to show Buddy these pictures.”
They stopped at the front desk and Tate paid the bill while Abby made her next appointment. As soon as they were back on the street he headed for the drug store. “You know the room across the hall from yours? It’s still full of Mom’s
Doctor Spanos shook his head. “It’s still too early for that. We’ll do this again in about four months. We should be able to tell then.” He flipped the machine off and handed the wand to the nurse. “Okay Abby, you can sit up now.” He rolled his stool to the counter and picked up her chart, looking through the pages.
“Everything seems to be right on schedule and the baby looks healthy and normal. However, you’re a little anemic and you’re also underweight. I’m going to give you a prescription for some vitamins with an extra supplement of iron. How are you feeling, generally?”
“Fine.” Abby was sitting up, holding the sheet tightly around her, but she hadn’t released Tate’s hand.
“She’s been getting sick and throwing up,” Tate added helpfully.
Abby glared at him, but he ignored her.
“That’s normal and should ease up soon. In the meantime, I’ll give you something for nausea that should help. Other than that, just eat well-balanced meals and rest when you feel tired.”
He wrote the prescriptions out and handed them to Abby. Tate took them away from her and stuck them in his shirt pocket.
The doctor stood. “One last thing. Most folks are usually too embarrassed to ask, so I always make it a point to tell them. Sex is fine right up until the end as long there’s no discomfort.” He smiled at both of them. “The nurse will give you your pictures and some reading material. Abby, I’ll see you in a month.”
The nurse handed them a bunch of pamphlets and the pictures. “These should explain what to expect over the next seven months, but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call us. Did you want to sign up for the Lamaze classes? They won’t come until you’re much farther along, but we usually have a pretty long waiting list. It’s better to schedule early if you want to be sure and get in.”
Abby looked at him blankly. Tate shrugged. “Sure. Sign her up.”
The nurse smiled at him then turned to Abby. “You can get dressed now. Just stop at the receptionist’s on your way out and she’ll set up your next appointment.” Taking Abby’s chart with her, she departed with brisk efficiency.
Abby slid off the table and reached for her clothes.
“I guess I should get out of here and let you get dressed.”
“It’s okay. Just turn around.”
Tate turned his back to her and gazed down at the pictures in his hand, wonder filling him all over again. His baby. The child they had made together. There was no way he could regret that, not ever.
“I’m done.”
He looked up from the pictures. Abby’s hair was mussed on one side and he reached out to smooth it down, his hand lingering as he gazed down at her. “It’s really real, Abby. A real baby.”
“I know.”
She smiled softly and Tate suddenly realized she was glowing. Before he even knew he was going to do it, he leaned down and kissed her gently. “Our baby.” He straightened and stepped away from her, embarrassed by the emotions that were running through him. “Did you see the way it was bouncing around? That doesn’t hurt does it?”
Abby laughed. “I can’t even feel it yet. I think it’s still too small.”
He took her hand again. “Let’s get out of here. We still have a lot to do. We need to get these prescriptions filled, run by the bank, then to the feed store. And we’ll stop and get a hamburger before we head back to the ranch.”
“What do you have to do at the bank?”
“Get you put on the checking account.”
He heard her gasp but didn’t even slow down. “There may be times I can’t come with you and you’ll need to be able to write checks yourself. Only makes sense. I can’t wait to show Buddy these pictures.”
They stopped at the front desk and Tate paid the bill while Abby made her next appointment. As soon as they were back on the street he headed for the drug store. “You know the room across the hall from yours? It’s still full of Mom’s
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