THERE WAS A knock at his door, and Henrik went to answer it. George was standing outside.
“Finally, you’re home,” George exclaimed.
“Come on in,” Henrik offered. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Labrador tea, if you have it,” George said, following Henrik into the kitchen.
“I do,” Henrik said, pulling down two mugs and a tin. “I thought you’d be back at your hotel trying to catch up on sleep.”
“There’s time to sleep,” George remarked sitting down. “How often do I see you?”
Henrik chuckled. “Not often. When are you flying back to Nunavut?”
“Tomorrow morning, and Samantha is happy.”
“How long have you two been married?” Henrik asked, flipping on the kettle.
“Seven years.” George pulled out a photo. “Most recent picture of the wife and kids.”
Henrik smiled. “Gorgeous. But how do you have a preteen kid?”
George chuckled. “Samantha was a widow and had a son.”
“Josephine’s a widow.” He regretted those words the moment they slipped out of his mouth, and he cursed under his breath as the kettle whistled. He poured the tea, bringing George a mug. He didn’t like talking about personal stuff with friends.
With anyone.
No one needed to know.
That was his and Josephine’s business.
George was smirking. “Oh, really? Is that so?”
Henrik rolled his eyes. “Drink your tea.”
“When are you going to get over whoever hurt your heart?”
“How do you know someone hurt my heart?” he asked. “I never told you that.”
“You looked pretty lost when I first met you. Believe me, I know heartache and pain when I see it. I watched my sister Charlotte go through it.”
Henrik sighed. “Her name was Melissa, and it was a long time ago.”
“So you’re over it?” George asked, but Henrik could tell George didn’t quite believe him.
“I am,” he replied stiffly. It was true, he was over her; what he wasn’t over was the way she’d hurt him. That was something he never wanted to experience again.
“Hmm,” George murmured. “It’s obvious you and Jo have some kind of connection, and it’s also obvious you’ve been together.”
“How is that obvious?” Henrik asked.
“She wasn’t drinking, remember? Doc Jo is so pregnant. Are you the father?”
Henrik fiddled with the handle of his mug. “Yes, but it was meant to be a one-night stand.”
George laughed. “That’s awesome.”
“No, it’s not awesome. It makes everything completely complicated,” Henrik muttered.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“She’s headed back to Toronto in a year. She’s not here permanently.”
“And you’re trying to hatch a plan to keep her here, I bet.”
Henrik frowned. “It’s annoying how you can read minds.”
George winked. “I’m sorry. I just know you, and I also know how it was with Samantha and me. All that denial and trying to fight our feelings.”
“Josephine and I are not you and Samantha. Our situations are different.”
George cocked an eyebrow. “Are they?”
Henrik stood up and took his empty mug to the sink. “Yes.”
“Okay.” George stood and brought his mug over. “I just want to see you happy, my friend.”
“I am happy,” Henrik stated.
What wasn’t there to be happy about? He lived where he grew up, in a family home. He loved his work and everything to do with his life on Fogo. There was a lot to be thankful for.
Is there?
Henrik shook that niggling voice away. The one that reminded him that he didn’t have family left. That he was alone.
That he was often lonely, but it was better this way. It was better for his heart. He was tired of losing people.
Yet, the time he’d already spent with Josephine and the thought of their baby made him realize that maybe being alone wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be.
But it’s too risky. You’ll be hurt.
And the pain of losing everyone he loved was fresh in his heart and mind again. It frightened him.
“Well, I’d better get back to the hotel.” George sent a message to his cab driver. “I’m flying out early. Hopefully it won’t be mauzey.”
Henrik chuckled and gave him a half hug. “Or foggy.”
George grinned. “It was good to see you. If you ever come back up to Nunavut for training, let me know. I’ll fly you up to Cape Recluse so you can see my childhood home.”
“I promise.”
George shook his hand. “Take it easy, bro.”
Henrik opened the door and watched as George got into his cab. He sighed and went back to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
He’d forgotten how perceptive George could be, and Henrik couldn’t help but wonder if others were noticing a connection between him and Josephine. Had any of the locals guessed her condition?
He smiled, thinking about Jo and remembering the taste of her kisses and how she’d felt in his arms.
Stop thinking about her. Friends only, remember!
The best thing he could do was avoid Josephine. He was working a lot, and he knew from checking the rosters that she was no longer on emergency duty this week, which should mean fewer surprise run-ins. Except that he had promised to take her to L’Anse aux Meadows in his ploy to get her to stay. A trip to Newfoundland’s most northern tip was a long way to go, but it was still worth it to convince Josephine she loved it here, which was what he wanted, wasn’t it?
Still, he had to be careful. And as he flipped through his calendar, he groaned when he saw that tomorrow, bright and early, he was supposed to meet Josephine at the hospital because she was having her first ultrasound.
He rolled his eyes. Most of the staff at the hospital used discretion and wouldn’t divulge personal information. As long as Lloyd or Hal didn’t see him making his way to Ultrasound with Josephine.
There was a part of him that told him not to go.
To avoid the situation. Only that was cowardly, and he was anything but. This was his child, and he intended to be there.
Every step of the way, as long as Josephine let him.
Henrik was at the hospital early. Josephine had managed to get an appointment first thing for her ultrasound because she had patients to see, and he was glad of that. It meant that he got there before Hal, and he wouldn’t have to take time off his shift.
Josephine was in the waiting room of Radiology when he got there.
She was calm and flipping through a magazine on crochet. Her hair was done up in a bun, and she looked put together, like she was heading to a fancy business lunch in Toronto. The only thing off was the crochet magazine. It was a quirk.
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Learning about hooking?”
Her eyes widened, and then she smiled, a pink blush rising in her cheeks as she set down the magazine. “I’m never going to get used to that.”
“I’m teasing.”
“As a matter of fact, I am learning how to crochet. Baby Jo’s mother is teaching me,” Josephine said proudly. “I figure I’ll crochet a baby blanket.”
Henrik cocked an eyebrow. “How is that keeping a low profile if you’re having a local teach you to crochet baby blankets?”
“She thinks it’s for a friend,” Josephine said, slyly.
“Sure.” Henrik wasn’t convinced as he sat down in the chair across from her and nerves had him tapping his foot. Josephine watched him.
“You nervous?” she asked.
“Well, you wanted to keep this situation quiet, until after the first trimester.”
“I do, but no one is going to notice anything here. We have an early-morning appointment, and the technician won’t say anything to anyone. That breaks all kind of patient-confidentiality rules.” She reached across and placed a hand on his knee. It was comforting.
“I’m sorry. I’ve never been in this situation. I’m not that good with babies.”
“No siblings?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I’m an only child. My parents died when I was young, and my mother was my gran’s only child. I’ve held friends’ babies and helped in emergency situations involving children, but this is different.”
“Yes.”
“You have any nieces or nephews?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, I don’t. Only child too. And my late husband was as well. As for friends’ babies...well I was always working and didn’t see them or their kids much, but it’ll be fine.”
“Right.”
“Dr. York?” a technician called out, reading her clipboard.
“Here,” Josephine said, tucking her crochet magazine into her bag.
The technician smiled and then recognized Henrik. “Henrik...do you have an appointment?”
“No, Sally. I’m here with Dr. York,” he said, clearing his throat.
Sally nodded. “Sure. No problem. Follow me.”
Henrik followed Josephine and Sally into the ultrasound room and stood there awkwardly as Sally helped Josephine lie down.
Sally turned to Henrik, her cheeks a little red. “You might want to wait in the hall. Dr. York is not that far along, and we have to do a transvaginal ultrasound, with a probe. I’ll let you know when it’s okay to come back in.”
Henrik nodded. “No problem.”
Somewhat relieved, he stepped out into the hallway.
Jo was a doctor, and she should’ve remembered that a first ultrasound this early on would involve a very delicate situation that Henrik might not be comfortable with, but when she’d booked this test, she didn’t know that she would be working so closely with him.
And she really didn’t think when she’d invited him to come. To her, inviting him to attend was the right thing to do.
Which it was, but right now she felt kind of silly about the whole thing.
Sally made extra sure that she was draped properly before turning on the screen.
“Can I call Henrik back in now, Dr. York?” Sally asked, carefully.
“Yes. It’s okay.”
Sally went to the door and motioned for Henrik to join them. Henrik looked uneasy and was keeping his eyes averted, which Jo was grateful for. He took a seat on the other side of the monitor in the small, dimly lit ultrasound room.
“We won’t see much, as you’re only about seven weeks now,” Sally said, checking the file. “But your obstetrician, Dr. Marks, wanted this dating ultrasound.”
“Sounds good,” Jo said, nervously.
The last time she had been on a table undergoing an ultrasound like this was when they were trying to check her ovaries for follicles, to see if she had eggs to harvest after her first round of in vitro fertilization medication.
She had been so hopeful, only to find out that there was nothing for the fertility doctors to use. Jo had been so crushed in that moment, but David had been with her there, holding her hand.
Jo swallowed the lump that formed in her throat as that memory faded from her mind. She was now feeling terrified that something happened to this baby. That the pregnancy test and the blood work she had done since then were lies.
“You won’t usually be able to hear a heartbeat this early,” Sally said as she brought up the image on her monitor. “But we certainly can see it!”
Jo craned her head and saw the tiny embryo. It was too early to even be considered a fetus yet, but it was there. The beating of its little heart.
She gasped, and a tear slipped from her eye. “That’s it.”
Sally smiled. “Yes. Looks good. It’s not extrauterine, and everything is looking healthy. Dr. Marks will want another ultrasound at around sixteen weeks, but when you next see the doctor, which will be at about eleven or twelve weeks, you’ll be able to hear the heartbeat on the Doppler by then.”
Jo wiped tears from her eyes and then felt a warm hand slip into hers. She looked over to see Henrik smiling broadly at the screen. It made her heart skip a beat, and she squeezed his hand back, acknowledging him.
“It’s wonderful,” Henrik said, softly. “It’s a clever-looking embryo.”
She laughed. “Clever already?”
Henrik grinned. “Big and good-looking.”
Sally was laughing too. “Best kind.”
“Yes, b’y,” Henrik agreed.
Jo chuckled. “As long as it’s not too large when I go to deliver it.”
“I was ten pounds,” Henrik announced proudly.
Josephine groaned. “G’wan with cha.”
Henrik laughed out loud. “That’s not bad.”
Sally finished taking her images and then printed out a picture. “Here you go. A nice first picture.”
And indeed it was. Her heart was so happy she felt like she was going to burst. Henrik leaned over, and his blue eyes were sparkling, a smile on his face.
“Beautiful,” he whispered.
“It is, isn’t it,” she said.
Henrik squeezed her shoulder. “Family.”
The word caught her off guard, and she felt a little dizzy as she gazed up at him. They were a family, in a certain way.
“I’ll just remove the probe, and you can leave when you’re ready, Dr. York,” Sally said.
Henrik turned away as the probe was withdrawn, instead of stepping out of the room. Sally cleaned up and then left.
“How are you feeling?” Jo asked.
“It wasn’t what I was expecting.”
“Me neither.”
“I have an hour before my shift. Would you like to get a coffee?” Henrik asked. “It’s a fine sunny day. We can sit outside.”
“I’d like that if you can just let me get dressed first.”
Henrik flushed. “Right. Sorry.”
He slipped out of the room, and Jo cleaned herself up and got dressed. She headed out into the hallway where Henrik was waiting.
“Where are we getting this coffee?” she asked.
“The cafeteria. Then we can head outside.”
“Lead the way.”
They made their way to the hospital cafeteria and Henrik ordered himself a large black coffee with a shot of espresso and a decaf London Fog for Jo. She was craving espresso and a really strong hit of caffeine, but it wasn’t good for the baby.
They made their way outside and found a bench. They could see the village of Fogo spread out on the rocks. Fogo Island used to be separated by little towns and still had their names, but the whole island was Fogo. All the little spread-out, colorful houses made her happy.
There was a warmth to the sun, and Jo was glad about the summer weather coming. They sat side by side in silence staring out over the water, but it wasn’t awkward. It was comfortable, just like it had been every time she’d been with him.
What was it about him, this man she hardly knew? She didn’t know, but there was a part of her that wanted to find out.
“That was amazing,” Henrik said, breaking the silence between them. “I mean, I knew you were pregnant, but it was still a sort of nebulous idea in my head, the idea of a baby.”
“I know what you mean. Before my husband died, we had gone through IVF in our efforts to have a baby, but we had no luck. To be honest, when I was on that table waiting for the ultrasound, I was having a bit of anxiety about the whole thing.”
“Oh?” he asked, gently. “You seemed so calm.”
“I was still worried.”
“You were?” he said.
Jo nodded. It was hard to talk about with him, because it was something she didn’t talk about with anyone. Only David, but even then she hadn’t really shared all her feelings, her worries about it.
How she’d felt like such a failure most of the time, which was silly, but that was how she’d felt.
“I was really worried that nothing was going to be there, that the baby was gone because I haven’t had a lot of symptoms, like the whole puking thing.”
Henrik laughed. “I’d think you’d be okay with not having that symptom.”
She grinned. “It’s true, but that symptom would also be a sign that it’s real. That I’m really pregnant. I never thought it would happen.”
Henrik reached out and gently placed his hand on her abdomen. “You are, though.”
Warmth spread to her cheeks, and his simple touch meant so much to her that she placed a hand over his. Their gazes met, and she could see the tenderness in his eyes.
“George said you’re a grump,” Jo teased.
Henrik frowned. “What? When were you talking to George?”
“He came to say goodbye to me.”
“Did he, now?” Henrik shook his head. “He’s a meddler.”
“A kind one.”
Henrik snorted. “Yes. I suppose.”
Jo glanced at her watch. “Oh, I better get back to the clinic. I have a patient in about forty minutes.”
Henrik nodded, and they stood up. They walked back to the parking lot together.
“So when are we going to go sightseeing?” Henrik asked.
“You tell me when you want to go.”
“I have this weekend off, which is kind of a miracle,” Henrik remarked. “Would you like to go on Saturday and we can come back late Sunday night? See the Viking site early Sunday morning, since by the time we get there it’ll be closed on the Saturday. Kind of a whirlwind trip, but what do you say?”
“Sure.”
She still wasn’t sure this was the smartest idea, but she wanted to be friends with Henrik, and he was offering.
They shared a child.
Like it or not, their lives were connected forever. And that wasn’t such a bad thing, was it? She wouldn’t mind being with Henrik.
The thought unsettled her.
This wasn’t part of the plan, but maybe it could be. Maybe she could open her heart again, even if she was scared to.
“It’s better to go before June hits and more tourists invade. It might still be somewhat quiet, and you’ll be able to enjoy it.”
“Maybe I’ll pack a lunch.”
Henrik grinned. “I’d like that. Thank you for including me in this moment.”
“Of course. I’m glad you were able to come.”
Henrik leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’ll message you later.”
Jo watched him walk back to the ambulance bay, and she took a deep breath. She was glad that he wanted to be so involved; she only hoped that he would want to continue to be when she headed back to Toronto.
Even though she was falling in love with Fogo Island and Newfoundland, she had to go back to Ontario.
Jo sighed. Toronto was her home. Except, the more time she spent here, the more attached to it she got, and she was starting to get worried about what next year would bring, when she would have to say goodbye.