CHAPTER 11
Everly was sitting in Granny Lou’s hospital room, fuming, frustrated, and maybe even a little hurt. Confessing her affections to Doc was a big step for her and now she almost regretted it. His constant affection, and doting was sweet to an extent, but his overbearing ways were starting to weigh on her.
He promised to take care of her, protect her, and he was making good on said promise to the point of overprotective. Doc continued to bring her every meal so she could stay at Gran’s side, but he brought what he thought
she should eat. She wanted something sweet, like a brownie from Baker’s, or fresh baked cookies, and Doc brought her a bowl of fruit.
Everly asked for a hot chocolate, or heaven forbid a cup of tea, and Doc brought her a glass of milk. Warm milk. When the girls stopped in to visit with a pizza, Doc showed up like pepperoni was on his radar…with a salad in hand, loaded with every vegetable in season. She found out that Doc had recruited BJ to make her healthy
meals and deliver them daily to the hospital.
It was all sweet in the beginning and she not only invited, but indulged his attention. It was nice to be taken care of for a change. When her boyfriend started feeling more like a babysitter, or worse, a parent…she had trouble seeing straight.
Her trips away from the hospital were only to shower, sleep, and change. That was a big step for Everly, leaving Gran alone overnight. Even that, however, came with Doc’s monitoring since he had officially moved into her house. She was sure there was a chart somewhere with her footsteps taken per day to make sure she wasn’t over doing it and a pie chart that reflected how much time was spent sitting and not stretching her legs because that required balance too, during pregnancy.
Doing rounds with the gang in the woods was no longer an option. Doc had plenty of support from their friends on that one. Carly volunteered to take her place there.
If hiking into the woods was a no, then winter Search and Rescue training with the O’Reilly brothers was definitely off the table. She couldn’t even go watch because apparently there weren’t any seats available at the edge of the cliff they were training on. Daredevil and risk taker were no longer her middle name – she was now Everly Knocked-Up Shaw.
Doc brought her endless books with marked paragraphs and chapters full of information on how to be pregnant
. If it wasn’t a book, it was a story from someone in the ER, offering advice. He expressed that he was torn between one breast pump from another and types of storage versus best practices in reheating of breast milk. He was obsessed.
At night though, or the wee hours of the morning, when he would pull up a chair next to her at the hospital, or crawl into bed at night next to her, he was a different man. He just held her. Pulled her into him, cradled her against his body, and kept her safe. With pregnancy hormones raging, it was all she could do not to pin the man down and have her wicked way with him. Even if she did, though, he wasn’t interested.
As annoying as he could be with all of his advice and hovering ways, he was sweet, and his actions endearing…and entirely too hot. Attraction wasn’t something they struggled with, it was instant with them. But pregnant, even his dark framed glasses that he wore on occasion made her body hum. More and more, Doc Charles was becoming her
muse, and his every step was another orgasm waiting to happen.
When he played video games, all she could think about was what game she wanted to play with him – naked – she’d play the bad guy and let him tie her up any day. When he got ready in the morning, in nothing but his superhero undershirt or ridiculous superhero boxer briefs, all she could think of was his man of steel.
When he was up late, strumming the guitar because working random ER shifts screwed with his sleep schedule, all she could think about was being strummed by the talented fingers of a dirty rock star. Doc was her rock star.
What’s worse is despite her shameless flirting and endless attempts to seduce him at all hours, she was shot down at every turn. Everly had become a hormone induced, sex crazed insatiable vixen. She was like a free classy prostitute, offering endless goods, and he wanted nothing to do with it. He wouldn’t touch her. He didn’t even look at her like he used to.
On a good day, her advances would earn her a kiss on the forehead, otherwise, she was at arms-length. Sure he smiled at her, watched her from afar, and went out of his way to either be with her or nearby when he wasn’t working, but there was still a distance between them. One that left her hot, bothered, and insecure.
She reduced herself to traipsing around the house in next to nothing. Then decided undressing and dressing was something for show. She noticed him watching, but nothing beyond that. Getting handsy and groping him in the middle of the night when she couldn’t take it any longer just caused him to turn them both to one side where he held her all night, rather than having his way with her. Even when she was in bed – naked.
Doc said nothing was wrong, he wasn’t upset with her at all, but it still didn’t add up. She didn’t understand the change between them. With a growing belly and changing figure, had she become unattractive? Was he no longer interested in her and only in it for the baby? She practically violated the man, doing things that could actually get her arrested, and to no avail. Despite the endless efforts on her part, he just wouldn’t touch her.
This was all her fault. She had pushed him away far too long and her little secret was the final straw. How could she blame him? Months and months of being together
without actually being together. Telling them they could never be more than a romp in the sack finally clicked and he believed it. She couldn’t give him her heart, but she gave him a baby? What message did that send? She got exactly what she wanted, only now, she didn’t want it. She wanted him, and he wanted the baby.
If he wasn’t charmed by any of her usual tactics, she would just have to concoct a plan that would remind him why he
wanted her
so bad in the first place. Quite certain she was dying a slow death from toxic levels of horny pregnancy hormones, she acted quickly. All of the aching and throbbing of her most intimate parts couldn’t be good for the baby, she thought.
Standing at the nurse’s station in the ER where she was supposed to meet Doc for a quick bite to eat, she found Owen Trent, one of her associates on the life flight team – something else she couldn’t do for a while. Owen had all of the check marks most women looked for. He was a successful helicopter pilot with a war hero’s past, easy on the eyes, a gentleman through and through, and the man was single.
Owen was the perfect prop. Never really having an interest in him other than professionally and perhaps friends, he was perfect bait. If Doc didn’t want her, there were plenty of men that did. Owen would help her prove that.
Everly engaged in a flirtatious conversation that had Owen biting instantly. It also had Doc’s attention from the other side of a desk where he was charting patient notes. Of course Everly saw his complexion redden, eyes squint, and arms cross from across the way, but that didn’t stop her, she just kept going.
“Nice, Shaw,” Owen replied to some random comment she had made about absolutely nothing of real interest. “Want to grab a drink one of these nights real soon? When’s your next shift on the helo?”
“Oh…uhhh,” Everly began to shift from one foot to the other, losing her confidence the minute he offered her a night of drinks. “So, uh, about that. I’m grounded for a while, won’t be going out on the chopper. Uh, can’t drink either. So, just until the baby is born, though, then its whatever goes!”
An uncomfortable chuckle escaped her as her own face reddened, she hadn’t thought this far ahead. “Supriiiise, I’m…pregnant.”
Owens straightened, losing his seductive stare when that surprise
fully registered. “Oh. Um, well, I gotta go.”
Backing away slowly, he put his hands together and pointed them at her belly. “So, good luck with that. Hope you and…the father…are happy.”
Owen was out of there like his ass was on fire. Everly’s ego was crushed. Doc had a pleased grin. That was until Evie’s next mark landed right in front of her.
“Hey, Jimmy! What’ve you been up to, hon?” she asked of the unsuspecting male nurse who made female patients hearts race.
“Hey, Ev…”
His words trailed off, lost on Everly as she watched Doc force his chair behind him and stomp off to places unknown.
“Ev?” he questioned. “Everly…you with me?”
“Oh! Sorry, Jimmy. What was that?” She slapped on a quick smile and popped out her hip for good measure, just in case Doc was still listening from somewhere out of her line of sight.
“I said, I’m gay,” He deadpanned.
“Oh. Yeah…” She waved a hand like she already knew. “That’s so great…for you. How’s that…going.”
Jimmy laughed at her, laying his hand on her shoulder. “He’s gone, I think it worked.”
Everly closed her eyes, a little embarrassed she not only hit on a gay man but that she was caught. “I’m sorry…I…you knew?”
“It’s okay. I get it. He’s hot, I don’t blame you. Congrats on the baby!” Before she could say another word, Jimmy was gone.
Everly stood there for a long moment, thinking to herself, I hope
Jimmy is right, and how did I not know he was gay?
With her head held low, and self-esteem even lower, Everly stepped off the elevator onto Granny Lou’s floor of the hospital. From the hallway, she heard a voice coming from inside Gran’s room, so she paused to listen. It was Doc. He must’ve left the ER and went right upstairs to vent to the one person who everyone went to when their world was off kilter.
It seemed the apple didn’t fall far from the tree because Everly found herself eavesdropping, unable to pull herself from what she knew was wrong. She couldn’t help it if the traits she inherited from her grandmother included such. With her hand resting on her growing belly and a surly scowl, she listened to him unload without an ounce of guilt for her intrusive snooping.
Doc ran his hands through his hair before resting his elbows on his knees to cradle his head. “Lou, I just don’t get it! I don’t know what else to do for her! She just frustrates the hell out of me! What am I doing wrong?”
His words felt like a sharp hot dagger to the back. The audacity to express such strong opinions, when clearly he was the non-interested party in this little thing between them, was mind boggling.
“You’re
frustrated with me
? Are you serious?” Her words were like fire to his icy stare.
“Um, yeah! What the hell were you doing down there, Ev? Trying to land a date? Newsflash, I don’t share!” He kicked the chair behind him as he stood, taking his place at the window.
This felt all too familiar to Everly and she was starting to get that inkling in her gut that maybe she was wrong…again.
“Why do you even care, Mason? You don’t want me, so why not put myself out there?”
“I don’t want you? Ev…why would you even say that, especially now?” His face softened and his hand extended, gesturing to her belly.
Oddly, the change in his tone and demeanor ignited her anger. “Are you serious? Are you really going to make me say it?! This is ridiculous! I get it, don’t worry. You’re off the hook, okay? I won’t keep the baby from you, but we don’t have to be a package deal.”
Shocked by her words, Doc took a step back tilting his head while the hurt in her words washed through him, leaving him more confused than before. A near whisper, and perhaps a bit hurt, his reply was desperate. “What do you mean, Ev? I don’t want to be off the hook. You’re all I have wanted since…since I don’t know when. Why would you even say that? Do you mean it? You don’t…want this? Don’t want…us?”
“If you want me so bad, why do you avoid me? You barely look at me, much less touch me. Sure, you bring me food and check in…on the baby…but that’s why you’re still around, right? I have paraded around the house NAKED
, and you barely notice. Not feeling very wanted.”
her rant faded in a near whisper as she watched her words assault him to the point of sadness and what appeared to be pain.
“Ev…you have it wrong. Sooo…wrong. I want you more than anything. Everything I’m doing is for us. I made you a promise
, to protect you, and the baby… That’s what I’m doing. Or at least I thought I was.”
“It all sounds good, but you know what they say about actions and how they’re louder than words and all…Doc, you don’t touch me…at all. I can’t get a hug, much less anything else. I know I am starting to look different, but…”
“You’re beautiful…stunning. I can’t see any other woman but you…the rest just don’t exist. You have ruined me for anyone else, Ev. You know that? You consume my every thought, and I can’t see anything but you when I think of days ahead. I don’t know how I made you feel any less than my everything, but I’m sorry.”
Perfect words from a perfect man, Everly couldn’t hold back the lone tear that trailed her cheek. If that was how he felt, then why did
she feel so neglected and abandoned? He had been attentive, just not in the way she was used to with him, or in a way she desired. She didn’t have all of him and she needed to communicate that with him but couldn’t find but one word that she would blame entirely on hormones.
“Sex. Okay. You won’t touch me! Why won’t you have sex with me? It’s us, it’s what we do…and we are really
good at it! So good we made a baby doing it! Remember that? The sex? How can you say all of those things about me and then not want me in that way?” She covered her mouth with both hands, shocked by her own outburst.
“Is that what this is all about? We haven’t…you know
? Is that all this has been for you, because it’s much more than that to me. And of course we are…good at it
. There’s a reason for that...it’s called love, Ev.”
Still saying all of the right things, she was beginning to feel like an ass until she realized he was deflecting. He was completely avoiding the why.
At this point, she had nothing to lose, it was all out there, and she wanted a real answer, even if her being upset over no sex was starting to feel cheap.
“Then why, Mason… You still haven’t said why. If you love me so much, and find me so irresistible…then why?”
Pacing now, he looked to the floor as if the answers laid there. Rubbing his chin, he became very uncomfortable and his cheeks began to redden. “The baby, okay? You have no idea how many cold showers and long runs I have taken just to shake the need – especially when you walk around…naked! I’m afraid…to hurt you…and the baby. I don’t want to hurt the baby.”
Stunned by his confession, Everly’s jaw dropped in surprise. Playing his words over and over in her mind, she tried to wrap her mind around what Doctor
Mason Charles just said. Disbelief and flat out hilarity overcame her, and she burst out in laughter. She tried to cover her mouth and muffle her amusement, but Doc dropped a bomb she was not at all prepared for…a ridiculous one.
Too overwhelmed by humiliation to withstand the spotlight he had drawn to himself, Doc threw his hands in the air and rushed out of the room, leaving Everly alone in a hysterical fit.
Funny how the truth can set you free from so many things. Everly suddenly didn’t feel rejected any longer, quite the opposite in fact. Doc loved her so much he would take endless cold showers…for her.