Lunch can be defined as marginally awkward. Dane keeps sliding worried looks my way and Ellen asks me everything but my bra size…she saves that jewel until the end.

“You’re really pretty,” Ellen says. “I love your hair. I saw some dark hairpieces just your color at the beauty supply store. Is that your hair or wig?”

“All mine.” I tuck my hair behind my ears. Does it look like I wear fake hair? Holy crud.

“Dane must like big breasted women.” Ellen continues and takes a large bite of her burger. She chews for a minute, then speaks around a bite of burger. “He likes the girls built like his mama. I bet you’re almost a size C. You can have surgery for that, you know.”

I don’t tell her that my boobs are almost a cup larger than a few months ago.

Dane turns a faint shade of purple which must be a result of restraining himself if his murderous look is anything to go by. “Josie’s perfect. But her body shape has little to do with it. It’s the inside of a woman that matters, don’t you think?”

Liar. Sweet mother, he’s such a liar. My lips twitch and I wiggle in my seat. Then he gives me an innocent albeit serious look.

And I blush.

Thank goodness we end the meal without any more embarrassing remarks from Ellen. If Dane wasn’t so horrified—as in I-can’t-believe-she’s-my-mother horrified— I’d tease him about her.

To say Ellen is different is like saying the moon is round. It’s an understatement that makes me chuckle instead of distressing me.

So the woman wants to make sure her son is the only guy banging me. Isn’t this what most mothers want but don’t say?

So she doesn’t like vegan food. It’s her prerogative. But man is she missing out.

So…her apartment smells like old cheese. God. I wish I knew what that’s about. Maybe it’s better left a mystery.

* * *

Next on the agenda, my doctor’s appointment. I’m using the same guy who is Kiley’s doctor, Dr. Mark Shaffer. Or as I now call him, Mr. Silver Fox.

Beautiful hair, sharp blue eyes, and a smile for days. But that’s not why I wanted him for my doctor. He’s actually the best doc in town according to all the awards he’s won. Although his new patient waiting list is a mile long, he took me because Kiley’s dad, my Uncle Ed, asked him.

“Thanks for letting me come with you,” Dane says and pilfers through the magazines on the table in front of us. New Mother. American Baby. Parenting.

Not a sports magazine to be found in a hundred-yard radius. Poor Dane.

Dr. Shaffer’s waiting room buzzes with activity as if to say, ‘Welcome to your new phase of life where zen is officially over.’ Several of the pregnant women have children with them. Noisy children who lack volume control, stomp with the force of a small brontosaurus and prove that humans—no matter what age—are social creatures.

“What’s your name?” A girl with sparkling eyes and deep dimples asks Dane. She’s a doll.

She places her hand on Dane’s knee when he doesn’t answer immediately. Lifting her one foot in some acrobatic stance, she tilts her body to one side and uses Dane for balance.

“Dane. What’s yours?” He leans in when he asks, his chocolate eyes glittering with amusement.

She beams at him, showing tiny pearl-like teeth. “Macey. I am going to have a brother. What kind of baby is she going to have?” The girl points at me in acknowledgment.

Smart kid. It’s surprising since I didn’t realize she’d even looked my way. All her focus seemed to be on him. Typical female behavior around Dane.

Dane shakes his head. “We don’t know yet.”

“I like you. How old are you?” She doesn’t wait for him to respond. “I’m four. I have a birthday soon and I’ll be five.”

She holds up her fingers as a visual aid for him. Then unfolds her thumb and gives him a wink. Good grief. The tiny harlot is hitting on him.

Dane laughs at this, his dimples framing a wide smile.

Little Macey giggles and twists her hips while her hand remains on his knee.

I can’t blame her. Dane is made of tall, dark, and muscles. When he’s amused, his eyes shine all warm and rich--like the center of my favorite Godiva chocolates. He wears a friendly expression that warms even the wariest introvert. Dane’s a chick magnet.

“I’m old. Twenty-six years old.” His dimples flirt with me without even trying.

“Leave the man alone.” Macey’s mother says in an amused tone that tells me that Macey is also a flirter. She puts her knitting on the seat next to her.

I study the blue baby blanket she’s working on and wish I had more of the traditional mothering skills in place. Knitting. Trying to tie gift wrapping makes me sort of sweaty.

“I’m Grace,” the flirting four-year-old’s mother says. “Macey usually stays with a sitter during my appointments. But today we have an ultrasound, and she begged to come along.”

“The doctor will take pictures of Mommy’s belly.” Macey never takes her eyes off Dane. “And guess what?”

“What?” He leans down and lifts his eyebrows.

“I have a va-gi-na.” This sentence comes out at a volume equivalent to that of an auctioneer at a sale barn. Her excitement and showmanship evident in the way she draws out the last word in perfect enunciation.

The air in the room grows impossibly still.

“And you’re a boy, so you have a—” Macey announces, one breath away from impressing us with more of her knowledge of anatomy.

“Macey,” her mother cuts in. “Over here. Now.”

Dane grabs the nearest magazine with a baby on the cover and becomes quickly engrossed in an article. Goodness. His cheeks are slightly flushed.

I silently chuckle at his unexpected embarrassment. One time at the bar, Dane listened to a 200-pound guy cry and confess his love for him. The guy jumped on the stage and recited a poem of adoration. Oh how he loved the way Dane’s strong forearms flex when he mixes drinks.

I giggled for days over that one, but it never fazed Dane. He’d smile. Yeah. But it was just another day at Dastardly Bastards Bar. Another smitten client.

But today, forty pounds of child talking human anatomy makes Dane blush.

Fatherhood is going to be great for this guy.

The door from the back of the room opens, and a nurse dressed in blue scrubs pokes her head through the doorway. “Josie.”

I grab my purse from the chair next to me and stand, raising my hand like a kid in class. The nurse acknowledges me and holds the door wider so I can follow.

Dane hops to his feet—either he thinks I’m leaving him behind or he’s escaping the little cutie across the waiting room.

The nurse steps aside so we can enter the hallway. “Sorry you had to wait so long.”

“No problem,” I respond and start down the familiar path toward the patient rooms. It’s my third trip to see Mr. Silver Fox. One trip a month seems excessive, but maybe not considering I already have things to ask.

When it comes to pregnancy, I like to hear my answers from the man who gets paid to be my human search engine.

We stop briefly in the hallway so I can step onto the scale. The nurse records my weight on her clipboard and motions ahead. “Examination room two,” she says.

I walk inside and sit in one of the chairs against the wall. It’s a very small room, seeming smaller with Dane inside. He takes the chair beside me and watches while the nurse slips the blood pressure cuff onto my arm.

“Are you enjoying your second trimester?” she asks.

“Yes. Barfing every day sure put a damper on life and I’m so glad to be over that.” The cuff monitor beeps and I glance down at my arm as it deflates.

She laughs. “The nausea is common in the first trimester. Now that you’re over that, are you feeling good? Anything going on health wise?”

Dane rests his hand on my knee. “She was dizzy last night. Is that normal?”

“Pfft,” I say and grin. “It wasn’t a big deal.” Okay…the kissing was a big deal, but the dizzy feeling passed quickly. Leave it to Dane to jump right in and make sure to ask about it.

“I’ll put it in my notes. Let’s get your urine sample and get you ready to see Dr. Shaffer.” She hands me the tiny cup and marker. “You know the drill. Leave it inside the little silver door with your name on it. The doctor will be in after you leave the urine. After he talks with you, he may decide he wants to do some blood work as well.”

“Do I take my clothes off and put a gown on?” I notice Dane’s fingers curl around my knee, then relax. He’d better get used to a lot more of this kind of thing if he’s going to hang around with me in the doctor’s office.

She shakes her head. “No. Not today. We won’t do that again until your next visit for the ultrasound.”

I nod and take the cup and marker. “Got it. Thanks.”

When I return from leaving my urine sample inside the little silver box in the wall, Dr. Shaffer is already in the patient room talking to Dane. They don’t stop speaking when I enter but continue deep in conversation.

“She’ll be fine. It’s normal to be concerned about a pregnancy,” Dr. Shaffer says, “Everyone worries. Josie is extremely healthy. First trimester nausea and vomiting happens to a lot of my patients.”

Dane meets my eyes and exhales. “Sorry. I hope you don’t mind that I filled the doc in on some things.”

“Things?” I ask with an edge. I leave for a minute and they’ve talked about me. I look from Dane to the doctor. “I’d rather you wait for me to discuss me or the baby.”

Dr. Shaffer sits on a rolling stool and waves at the patient table. “We’re always happy when the father’s involved in these appointments. It shows a level of commitment that should be there. The mother may physically nurture the baby, but the father’s job is to care for the mother. It’s how nature made us.”

Dane and Dr. Shaffer exchange a look. Dr. Shaffer glances at his tablet and then returns his gaze to me. “You came in at 125 pounds and you’re at 125 today. Let’s talk about why you haven’t gained weight.”

“Because I was tossing my cookies for the first three months.” I raise my brows. “But I sense you’re going to say that’s not an excuse.”

“Sure it is,” he says.

Dane clears his throat as if he knows he’s going to be in trouble with me for butting in. “She’s always had an appetite…until now.”

I’m not usually a vocal feminist, but this man-club bullshit has to go. “I’m very capable of taking care of myself. I’m not some silly female who ignores the importance of good nutrition. I switched to a vegan-based diet a while back because I read about all the benefits.”

Dr. Shaffer nods and makes a note on his tablet. He pats the table. “Have a seat. Josie…The vegan diet is something we didn’t have in your health profile. Vegan, huh? From now on, no detail is unimportant. I’m responsible for giving you the best medical care for your pregnancy and today I’m going to make sure we get you back on track. You’re behind schedule on a five-pound weight gain to this point in the pregnancy. No one’s judging you. Why don’t you tell me about your dizzy spell.”

“It really wasn't a big deal." But maybe it is because he’s looking at me with his eyes full of concern.

“How many times has this happened? Were you having them before your last visit?” Dr. Shaffer asks.

I sit on the patient table. “I don't think so. And it’s not as if it happens every day. I was so sick before and it seems like nothing to have a dizzy spell every once in a while.”

“Just to be on the safe side, I’d like to do some blood work.” He examines the electronic tablet in his hands and flips the page. “Everything seemed to be okay on your last visit. Let’s just check it out and make sure everything’s still okay.”

It’s difficult to breathe all of a sudden. I don’t want to admit to anything, and it would be easier to confess if Dane weren’t in the room. I shove my guilt aside. “I’ve been stressed about work and the pregnancy. And when I’m stressed, I tend not to eat as much. I’m getting my appetite back.”

My Silver Fox turns to Dane. “This will be a good job for you. Make sure she eats enough.”

“I’m on it,” Dane says with the seriousness of a CIA agent. “I’ll get some instructions on food that’s good for a pregnancy.”

I’m not certain which man irritates me the most at the moment—Dane or the good doctor. They’re making me feel like I’ve abused my body or something. “I’ll monitor what I’m eating. No worries.”

The doctor turns to me and says, “Great! Let’s listen for a heartbeat. I’m going to use the Doppler fetal monitor. Lie back.”

I twist and drop back with my head on the pillow. This is my favorite part of the appointment.

The doctor motions at my top. “We don’t need you undressed, but push the bottom of your shirt underneath your bra and the waistband of you pants low. Good. That will work. Here comes the fun part.”

He smooths gooey ultrasound gel across a section of my lower belly and chuckles when I tense at the cold sensation. “We should really have a warmer for this stuff.”

I sneak a look at Dane. His eyes lock onto a wand attached to the monitor. A couple of swipes back and forth and the sound waves begin to fill the room—chug chug-chug, chug chug-chug.

Dane’s lips part and his eyes widen in wonder. God, he’s cute. I forgot that things like this during a medical examination make it seem more real.

Not that I was any different when Dr. Shaffer did this at my first appointment.

I close my eyes, imagining the baby snuggled up like he’s in a rabbit hole. When I open my eyes, I glance over at Dane who looks at me with such adoration, I’d swear we were more than friends.

A giant lump fills my throat making it hard to swallow.

“Good strong heartbeat,” the doctor says. “It’s always amazing to hear, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Thank you. Wow. Thank you.” Dane’s gratitude shines from his eyes. “I didn’t realize how worried I was.”

I take a shaky breath. Hello, don’t make me cry in front of Mr. Silver Fox. Thanks a lot, Dane.

“We’ll do an ultrasound at the next visit,” Dr. Shaffer says.

“I can't wait,” I say, my voice a little wobbly.

Dr. Shaffer tugs my shirt down and steps back. "I'm going to send you to the lab where they can take blood. We do the lab work here, so it shouldn't take very long. I’ll check back in with you both after the labs are done.” The doctor returns the Doppler monitor to the counter and walks out the door.

“I’m worried about this weight gain issue,” Dane says. “If you’re too busy with the store, I’ll bring you food. And I can bring groceries to your house.”

I roll my eyes. The tender Dane is gone (thank heavens because my mascara is not waterproof), and the bossy one returns. “Do you really think that’s the issue? I have food. I just haven't been very hungry. But I’ll eat. I promise.”

“I’m worried about you. I see you bristling over there because I’m in your business. Maybe you just need a little help finding the things that make you hungry.”

“I’m not a toddler.”

In the lab, a male nurse draws a tube of my blood. It only takes minutes before I'm beside Dane in the waiting room. We’re silent as we both look at our smart phones.

I have an email from Webb Walters that says he received my signed papers for the partnership. Now that I’ve made my final decision, I really need to tell Dane. Webb plans to come over first thing in the morning to go over a transition plan.

This is my first step in relieving myself of some stress. If Webb can make some decisions that get me out of this financial black hole the bookstore seems to be in, then I can give up some control.

“Dad’s getting some things out of storage,” Dane whispers, looking up from his phone. “There’s a cradle and a crib if you’re interested. For some reason, they never got rid of that stuff.”

“Shoot, yes. Yes, I want it. Tell your mom and dad thanks.”

“You’d think my parents are having a baby. That is all my mom talks about. She is so excited to be a grandmother.”

My chest is full of a sweet, warm feeling. I may not have my own mother and father around for this baby, but I know Marty and Cece love me. “Can we bring the furniture to my house this weekend?”

“Sure, Butterfly. I’ll bring it whenever you want me to.” Dane leans to the right and bumps his shoulder against mine. “Hey. Thank you for sharing today with me. I don’t know if I’ve said this to you lately, but I think this baby will be the luckiest kid on earth.”

“Oh yeah?” I say and can’t help my smile.

“Yeah. This baby will have the love of Josie Jensen.” He grabs my hand and links his fingers through mine. Taking a deep breath, he exhales and gives me a shy smile. “There’s some things I need to say to you. I—”

“We have your labs back,” the nurse interrupts. “Follow me and we’ll get you back into a room with Dr. Shaffer.”

Dane’s forehead wrinkles as his eyebrows pull together. “We’ll talk later.”

We return to a patient room where Dr. Shaffer is waiting. He holds an electronic tablet with one hand and waves at the chairs in the corner. “Have a seat.”

Prickles of nervousness dance along my skin. “All good, right?”

“Actually, it’s a good thing that Dane mentioned his concerns. Your hemocrit—red blood cells—count is extremely low,” Dr. Shaffer says.

“Oh God.” It comes out a little more than a tiny croak drowned out by the sound of my banging heart.

“It’s going to be fine. Josie, calm down. Becoming anemic during pregnancy isn’t uncommon. That’s one reason you’re taking prenatal vitamins. But your results show you lack Vitamin B12. By looking at your previous labs, I suspect it’s a result of dietary habits. Vegan eaters must get certain vitamins and minerals in other ways. But honestly, I wish you’d reconsider that dietary restriction because it’s going to be a tough route. I’ve got some pamphlets on folic anemia and the best foods to eat—meat, eggs, and dairy.”

I gulp and put my hands in my lap to steady them. “All right. I can give up eating vegan. It’s not a problem.”

Dr. Shaffer gives me an easy smile. “Good. No need to worry right now. We’ll get your iron levels up. It simply means that your meal intake will be one of the most important things to focus on. Dane’s already planning your next meal. I can see it on his face.”

“Lovely.” I shut my mouth before I accidentally add a long list of expletives.