Solitary Man(11)
Author: Carly Phillips

Feeling like a fool, Kevin made his way into the kitchen and lowered himself onto one of the bar stools. He’d obviously overreacted. Though his adrenaline still flowed fast and his heart still pounded against his chest, he forced himself to breathe deeply. Part of him felt like an ass, breaking into the apartment on a whim. And part of him still felt uneasy.

He ran his fingers through his hair, attempting to calm his raging nerves. So Nikki had gone out early. He was sure he could count a number of places open at this hour, but he couldn’t discount the nagging feeling in his gut that something was off.

He looked around the impeccably clean apartment, seeing nothing unusual or out of place. Until his gaze fell to the open telephone book on the kitchen counter.

Planned Parenthood.

His worst fear was confirmed.

When Nikki had found out about the pregnancy, she’d said she needed time to think. Kevin had convinced himself she meant about how to deal with her altered future. But what if she’d spent the weekend thinking about whether she wanted this baby at all? Though Nikki loved life and children, she’d suffered enough in the last few months to have a skewed perception of reality. And the one person she ought to turn to, the baby’s father, had already proved he couldn’t be trusted when things got heated or emotional.

What if, feeling alone and abandoned, she turned to the one option she’d surely regret later? The one option he regretted now? Planned or not, Kevin was responsible for the life growing inside her and he was responsible for Nikki as well.

With a second glance at the phone book and address, in a part of town he would never allow her to frequent alone, he jumped from the stool and left the apartment, hitting the street at a dead run.

* * *

Nikki wrapped the white sheet around her naked body and waited for the doctor’s return. The sterile room felt cold and empty, unlike her heart, which was warm and full of more hope than she’d had in awhile. She pressed a hand against her flat stomach.

A child. Kevin’s child, yes, but it was her baby, her hope. Her future. Once the shock had worn off, she’d examined the difficulties that lay ahead and despite the fear and uncertainty, she acknowledged a flurry of nervous excitement as well.

“Sorry, I had an emergency phone call.” The young female doctor entered the room, wheeling a small machine behind her.

Nikki smiled. “That’s okay. You already gave me the news I was expecting… I mean the news I was expecting to hear.”

The doctor laughed. “Either way, sounds about right to me. Your examination was fine. Nothing unusual. But I’d like to verify the due date and check some other things with an ultrasound.” Nikki wanted to tell her there was no need to worry about the accuracy of her due date. She’d been with one man, one time. And she’d never forget.

“Ready?” the woman asked with a smile.

Nikki was grateful for the doctor’s warm manner and youth. The sheer terror she’d felt upon entering the building for basic prenatal care had evaporated under this woman’s caring ministrations. Although she couldn’t say what she’d expected from a phone book-picked clinic, Nikki was thankful for what she’d found.

The doctor shifted the white sheet until the opening fell to Nikki’s back. “Before I do an ultrasound, I want to remind you, we’ve already discussed your options and though you’ve made your feelings clear, you need to remember something.”

“What’s that?” Nikki asked, although she could barely concentrate on anything except the thought of seeing her baby for the first time. Excitement and trepidation rippled in her stomach.

The doctor angled the machine closer to the examining table. “You have a limited window of opportunity, should you decide to terminate the pregnancy. Now…” She glanced at Nikki and smiled. “You ready?”

A loud knock sounded at the door. Nikki sat up straighter, grabbing for the sheet that covered too little.

Dr. Molloy shot Nikki an apologetic glance. “Must be an emergency. Let me just check.” She rose from her seat and walked to the door, opening it enough for her to slip outside.

Seconds later, the doctor returned. “There’s someone who insists on seeing you,” she said to Nikki.

“Who…”

“Nicole?” Kevin’s voice sounded in the hallway.

Shock rippled through her. Nikki glanced down at the sheet and, seeing she was as decently covered as she could be under the circumstances, she nodded to the doctor. Kevin barged around the doctor and Nikki found herself facing an obviously upset man.

Dr. Molloy placed herself between Nikki and Kevin, as though she believed Nikki needed protection. Given his flashing obsidian eyes, which would intimidate even on a good day, Nikki didn’t blame the other woman for her concern.

“This is highly irregular,” she said.

This whole situation was highly irregular, but her personal life wasn’t the doctor’s concern. “I realize that,” Nikki murmured.

“Who is this man?”

“He’s…” She sought for a diplomatic way to describe her relationship with Kevin. Somehow the term lover no longer fit, boyfriend was too immature for what they’d once shared, and future anything was out of the question… for many reasons.

“The baby’s father.” Kevin supplied the answer Nikki had both sought and fought to avoid at the same time. His words were a painful reminder she would be tied to him forever, but never bonded in love or caring. Merely out of necessity.

He took a step farther into the room.

“That doesn’t give you the right to charge in here.” The pleasant doctor had taken on the role of guard and protector, a part Nikki sensed the woman played often in this place.

Kevin drew a deep breath, searching for what Nikki believed was a semblance of control. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned that dark gaze her way.

Her stomach pitched, having nothing to do with morning sickness. The harsh angles and planes in his face and the razor stubble on his cheeks were enough to make any woman weak, but the look in his eyes struck Nikki in the heart. They reflected inner torment and pain.

She sucked in a startled breath. Heaven help her, but she was still dangerously drawn to this man and the vulnerable part of him he hid from view. The part she’d glimpsed so thoroughly their one night together.

“I can call nine-one-one.” The doctor glanced at Nikki.

Kevin’s gaze narrowed. “Tell her, Nicole.”

She clutched her fingers around the cold sheet, feeling more exposed and defenseless than ever before. “He’s the baby’s father,” she said, confirming his story.