NOW, WHY HAD he gone and asked her if she had feelings for him?
Finn leaned his head back and sighed. It wasn’t like he wanted to pick up where they’d left off. It didn’t matter that they had chemistry and lots of it. In time, he’d forget about her sweet kisses and gentle caresses. He had to—she was better off without him.
He’d tried having a real relationship once. Talk about a mess. He wasn’t going to repeat that mistake. Not that Holly was anything like Meryl. Not at all.
“Holly—”
The exam room door swung open. The doctor strode in and closed the door behind him. He lowered his reading glasses to the bridge of his nose. His dark head bent over a piece of paper. When he glanced up, his gaze immediately landed on Finn.
“Oh, hello.” The doctor’s puzzled gaze moved to Holly.
“It’s okay. You can talk in front of him.”
The doctor hesitated.
Holly sent the doctor a reassuring smile. “Finn’s the one who insisted on bringing me here, and I just want to show him that he was overreacting.”
“If you’re sure.”
She smiled and nodded.
“Okay then. I have the results back. It’s what I initially suspected. You have morning sickness.”
“Morning sickness? You mean I’m pregnant?” Holly vocalized Finn’s stunned thoughts.
The doctor’s bushy brows drew together. “I thought you knew.”
Holly turned to Finn, the color in her face leaching away, but no words crossed her lips. That was okay because for once, Finn couldn’t think of anything to say, at least nothing that would make much sense.
A baby. We’re having a baby.
Disbelief. Surprise. Excitement. Anger. It all balled together and washed over Finn.
Holly stared at him as though expecting him to say something, anything. But he didn’t dare. Not yet. Not until he had his emotions under control. One wrong word and he wouldn’t be able to rebound from it. And to be honest, he was stuck on six little—life-changing—words.
I’m going to be a father. I’m going to be a father.
Holly turned her attention back to the doctor. “You’re sure? About the baby, that is.”
The doctor’s gaze moved to Finn and then back to her. The question was in his eyes, but he didn’t vocalize it.
“Yes, he’s the father.”
Finn realized this was another of those moments where he should speak, but his mind drew a blank. It was though there was this pink-and-blue neon sign flashing in his mind that said baby.
“I’m one hundred percent certain you’re pregnant.” The doctor’s forehead scrunched up. “I take it you have your doubts.”
“Well, I, um—” she glanced at Finn before turning back to the doctor “—had my period since we were together. Granted it was light.”
“Recently?”
“The week before last.”
“Was there any cramping associated with it?”
She shook her head. “None that I recall.”
“A little spotting is not uncommon. Have you had any spotting since then?”
“No. I’m just really tired. Are...are you sure everything is okay with the baby?”
“I’ll be honest, you’re still in your first trimester, which means the risk of miscarriage is higher. But I didn’t tell you that to worry you. I just want you to realize that taking care of yourself is of the utmost importance.”
“The baby.” Her heart was racing so fast. “It’s okay, right?”
“At this point, yes. I’ve arranged for a sonogram.” He moved to the counter to retrieve a stack of literature. “You might like to read over these. They’re about prenatal care and what to expect over the next several months. I’ll be back.”
Finn paced. Neither spoke as they each tried to grasp the news. Seconds turned to minutes. At last, Finn sank into the chair, feeling emotionally wiped out. His gaze moved to Holly but she appeared engrossed in a baby magazine the doctor had given her.
Where was the doctor? Had he forgotten them?
As though Finn’s thoughts had summoned the man, the door swung open. A nurse walked in. Her eyes widened at the sight of Finn.
The nurse handed Holly a pink gown. “The straps go in the front.” Then the nurse turned to him. “You might want to wait outside.”
“I think you’re right.” That was it. Finn was out of there. He had no idea what was involved with a sonogram, but he’d give Holly her privacy.
When he reached the waiting room, he was tempted to keep going. In here he felt as though he couldn’t quite catch his breath. Outside, in the fresh air, he would be able to breathe again. But he didn’t want to move that far from Holly. What if she needed him?
And so he remained in the waiting room. He picked up a baby magazine, glanced at the cover and put it back down. He picked up another magazine, but it was for women. He put it down, too.
The door he’d just exited opened. A different nurse poked her head out. “Mr. Lockwood.”
He approached her, not having a clue what she wanted. “I’m Mr. Lockwood.”
“If you would come with me, sir.” She led him back to Holly’s exam room.
When he stood in the doorway, he found Holly lying on the exam table with a large sheet draped over her legs. He did not want to be here. He shouldn’t be here.
Holly held her hand out to him. “Come see our baby.”
He did want to see the baby. It would make it real for him. He moved to Holly’s side, all the while keeping his gaze straight ahead, focused on the monitor. He slipped his hand in hers, finding her fingers cold. He assumed it was nerves. He sandwiched her hand between both of his, hoping to warm her up a little.
In no time at all, there was a fuzzy image on the monitor. Finn watched intently, trying to make out his child. And then it was there. It didn’t look much like a baby at this point, but the doctor pointed out the head and spine.
“Wait a second, I need to check one more thing.”
The doctor made an adjustment. Holly’s fingers tightened their hold on Finn. Her worried gaze met his. Was there something wrong with their child?
Finn fervently hoped not. He just didn’t think he could go through all his parents had endured with his brother. It was an experience he’d never forget.
“Okay.” The doctor’s voice rose. “Here we go. Just as I suspected.”
Finn couldn’t be left in the dark. He had to know what they were facing. “What’s the matter?”
The doctor smiled up at him. “Nothing at all. You are having twins.”
“Twins!” Holly said it at the same time as Finn.
“Yes, see here.” The doctor showed them both babies.
It was the most amazing thing Finn had ever witnessed in his life. Twins. Who’d have thought? His vision started to blur, causing him to blink repeatedly. He was going to be a father—twice over.
He glanced down at Holly. A tear streamed down her cheek. His gut clenched. Was that a sign of joy or unhappiness? It was hard for him to tell. And then she turned and smiled at him. He released the pent-up breath in his lungs.
Holly squeezed his hand. “Did you see that? Those are our babies.”
“I saw.”
The doctor cleared his throat. “Well, you’ll want to see your OB/GYN as soon as possible. But in the meantime, you need some rest and lots of fluids.”
“Rest?”
“Yes and fluids. You have to be careful not to become dehydrated with the morning sickness.”
“Okay. Whatever you say. I still can’t believe I missed all of the signs.”
“You aren’t the first. Some women are in labor before they realize they are pregnant. These things happen.”
Finn followed the doctor into the hallway while Holly got dressed. When they reentered the room, Holly looked different. Was it possible there was a bit of a glow about her? Or was he imagining things?
The doctor went over some suggestions on how to minimize her morning sickness and gave her a bottle of prenatal vitamins to get her started. “If you have any problems while you’re in the islands, feel free to come back. I’m always here.”
“I was planning to fly to New York today or tomorrow. Would that be all right?”
“I’d like to see you rested and hydrated before you travel. Get your morning sickness under control first.”
Finn could feel everyone’s attention turning his way, but he continued to study the random pattern of the floor tiles. He had nothing to contribute to this conversation, not at this point. This sudden turn of events was something he’d never envisioned.
The door opened and closed.
“Finn, are you okay?”
He glanced up, finding that he was alone with Holly. “Okay? No.”
Her lips formed an O. “Can I say or do anything?”
He shook his head. He should be the one reassuring her, letting her know this was all going to be all right, but he couldn’t lie to her. He had no idea how any of this was going to be all right. He was the last person in the world who should be a father. In fact, up until this point, he’d intended to leave all of his estate to designated charities.
But now, wow, everything had just changed. He raked his fingers through his hair. He had to rethink everything.
Pull it together. She’s expecting me to say something.
He lifted his head and met her worried gaze that shimmered with unshed tears. That was the last thing he’d expected. Holly was always so strong and sure of what she wanted. Her tears socked him in the gut, jarring him back to reality. She was just as scared as he was, if not more so.
Oh, boy, were his children in big trouble here. Neither Holly nor himself was prepared to be a parent. They had so much to learn and so little time.
Finn stood. “Let’s go back to the island.”
Her worried gaze met his. “But what about New York?”
“You heard the doctor. You need to rest first.” He held his hand out to her.
She hesitated but then grasped his hand.
He didn’t know what the future held, but for now they were in it together. For better. Or for worse.