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Phoebe walked with him out to the veranda At the steps he wrapped her in his ar her a kiss Letting her go, he hurried down the steps
“A little overdressed for a Saturday , aren’t you, dear?”
Phoebe smiled as Ryan threw up a hand and continued down the path “Good , Mrs Rosenheim Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
Phoebe waved as he pulled away
“I see you found a young man who’ll be around for you” Mrs Rosenheiardens
Phoebe waved and called, “I hope I have”
Ryan pulled up in front of his house, turned off the engine and banged his head against the steering wheel a couple of times
What had he done? He knew the answer and didn’t like it one bit He’d spent the night with his best friend’s wife Crossed the professional line and, worse, he’d started to think of Phoebe as o?
He’d even spentemotionally to offer Phoebe She needed souy He didn’t co in his life
He had no intention of pledging himself to a woman with a child Or to any woood at it Worse, didn’t even want to try He wouldn’t take the chance on heartache Fun while it lasted was all he’d ever wanted He’d had all the pain he illing to live with He’d see to the practical things, like getting the baby’s roo out
Some other man would take his place Phoebe was an attractive woh She was beautiful and smart, funny, with a quick wit, and so He was afraid he would hurt her, but over tiive her what she deserved Maybe in tiive him
He sat up and stared out theHis hands tightened on the wheel Soht s should be For her sake and the baby’s
Ryan opened the door of the car and clihthe’d found Phoebe on his doorstep Would he always think of her when it rained? No, he couldn’t let things go any further, but he worried they had already gone too far He’d enjoyed her body too h with, eat with, to look forward to seeing He’d never had trouble keeping hiet past his feelings for Phoebe
He needed to get into his shop, work Push her out of hison was the cradle He wasn’t even safe from her in his only sanctuary How had she invaded his life so completely in such a short time? Why had he let her? Because he’d fallen for her Cared about her more than he had anyone since JT How ironic was that?
Disgusted with himself, he cli for his front door
Maybe when he finished the cradle and Phoebe delivered, he would be able to get her out of histo happen
CHAPTER NINE
PHOEBE WALKED THROUGH the archway entrance of the hospital on Thursday afternoon on her way to her appoint sounds as she crossed the tiles on the floor of the lobby At the lift, she pushed the button for the sixth floor She could hardly contain her excite Ryan
Despite their plans, she’d not seen hi She’d only heard from him once That had been a quick phone call to say that he couldn’t make it to dinner It was a full moon and he’d been busy He needed to remain near the hospital
She understood When it was her turn to deliver she would want to knoas close He had asked how she was doing but otherwise the call had been short and to the point Still, she had to remember that he worked odd hours and had no control over when those would be
The doors to the lift whooshed open and she entered Would he kiss her? Probably not That would be very unprofessional during an antenatal visit Maybe he would take her out to eat or, better yet, home She hadand laughing with him
She was acting like a silly schoolgirl with her first crush Here she was aliddy over a man
The lift doors opened again and Phoebe stepped out and walked toward the clinic Inside, she signed in at theShe took a chair and looked at the pictures of thethe wall They included Ryan He looked handso like the ood sense of humor that she knew Besides hinized fro
“Phoebe”
It was Ryan’s voice She would have known it anywhere Every night she heard it in her dreaazes uarded Wasn’t he glad to see her?
Phoebe smiled “Hi”
He cleared his throat and said, “Hello Are you ready to come back?”
She moved to stand It took her a second more than she would have liked but Ryan hadn’t o he would have hurried to offer her help “Yes, I’m ready”
“Come this way”
What was going on? Maybe he didn’t want anyone to see him touch her or overhear them Still, this was a little much She’d always spoken in a friendlyaa friend there to help deliver her
“Follow me,” he said, and led her down the hallway to an exam room Once she’d entered he closed the door
She sat on the exam table