His voice trailed off at the unexpected sound of her laughter. “Personal hatred? I don’t think he remembers my name. Cameron, he’s on woman number ninety-two at least. He’s been married three times and he’s probably not smart enough to stop. Plus, I’m relatively sure he’s using drugs, drinking himself stupid…” She wound some spaghetti around her fork and put it in her mouth. “This is very good,” she said. “Does Brie really think if I obey my court instructions, I could get beyond this?”
“She does. And she’s willing to help if there’s a problem. Remember, he’s a rock star on tour. How much energy do you think he has?”
“What about his lawyers?”
“Well, that’s an issue. They could recommend more motions—if they want to make more money for themselves. Brie recommended a polite, legal letter bringing this whole business to a close. Let him get screwed by his lawyers and not by you.”
“Hmm. That actually sounds very sensible. What else is on your mind?”
“Then,” he said, leaning back a little, “after the debt is gone and you’re finished with that business, or so we hope, I’ll support you.”
“Oh no, I don’t want that….”
“Okay, I’ll carry the babies and you support me,” he suggested, winding his own spaghetti around his fork and grinning.
“Deal,” she said, rubbing her lower back.
He continued to eat his spaghetti and salad and while he did so, he talked to her, friend to friend. “Here’s the deal—we have stuff to handle. We have mothers—enough said. We have your prenup, which can be handled, but it’s making you tense and you don’t exactly need tension. That needs to go away. You can’t live on air—you’ll have to eat and cover your head, so you’ll need some kind of income. There’s furniture and supplies to buy. We have twins coming and I know you didn’t hand-pick me for the job, but I’m the dad. Bad break for you, maybe, but I could turn out to be a good dad for them—I know a lot about kids. And this pregnancy is not the usual thing. I’d like to be close to the situation, to keep an eye on you and the babies. I
am
a doctor—that can come in handy, y’know?” He lifted a brow. “We should be in close contact, daily, on these issues and others—like names. They should get names before they come. Don’t you think?”
She swallowed. “Well, I guess that’s a good idea. You have my number.”
“Why don’t we consider moving in together? While we head for this event?”
She gulped. “What?” she asked weakly.
“Let’s clear the debt, get Kid Crawford out of the picture, I’ll take on your upkeep rather than Vanni and Paul shouldering your food and board, and we’ll evolve into…” He cleared his throat. “We don’t have to explain anything. People will just say, ‘Dr. Michaels likes that nice pregnant girl.’ We’ll share a house. I’ll be your roommate. You’ll have your own room. But there will be late nights you’re worried about some belly pain or later, night crying from the babies. You don’t want to do that to Vanni and Paul and—”
“I was just going to go home to Seattle. To my mom and dad’s.”
“They have room for me?” he asked, lifting his fork and arching that brow.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” she said, slamming down her fork. “You can’t mean to say you plan to just follow me and demand to live with the babies!”
“Well, no,” he said. “That would be obsessive. But Jesus, Ab, I don’t want to miss out on anything. Do you know how much babies change from two to six weeks? It just kills me to think you’d take them that far away from me. I mean, they are—”
“I know,” she said, frustrated.
“Yours.”
“Yeah, sweetheart. And they’re also yours. And I swear to God, I will never try to take them away from you. That would be cruel.”
He had just aimed an arrow at her sense of justice. The shock of realization must have shown on her face, but he took another bite, had another drink of his beer, smiled.
“Live together?”
“Here’s how it’ll go if you stay with Vanni and Paul. Toward the end, when you’re sleepless, you’ll be up at night. You’ll be tired during the day, but there will be a toddler around, making noise and crying. And you’ll have all those late pregnancy complaints, worries. Then you’ll have a small guest room stuffed to the ceiling with paraphernalia. Then babies—and grandmothers as additional guests? Newborns, sometimes, cry for hours. They could have Vanni and Paul up all night, walking the floor with you. Nah, that wouldn’t be good. And besides, it’s not Paul’s job to help, it’s mine.”
“Where do you suggest we live?
Here?
”
“Here isn’t bad,” he said with a shrug. “But Mel and Jack offered us their cabin. It’s a nice cabin—two bedrooms and a loft, ten minutes from town. Ideally, we should hurry and look around for a place that can accommodate a man, a woman, two newborns, two grandmothers and…We don’t have to make room for the lawyers, do we?”
“Very funny,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Abby, we have things to work out every single day. We have to buy cribs, car seats, swings, layette items, lots of stuff—it’s going to take more than one trip to the mall. We have to let the families know there will be babies coming—it’s only fair. We should have dinner together every day, just so we can communicate, catch up. If there’s anything you need or anything you’re worried about, I want to be close so I can help. If you think I’m going to molest you while you’re huge with my babies—”
“You know, I’m getting sick of that word, huge.” She blinked at him. “Are you independently wealthy or something?”
“Nope,” he said, shaking his head. “Just barely got all the bills paid from med school and residency. I have a little set aside. Not too much. In fact, after the babies are a couple of months old, I’m going to try to find a second job in one of the bigger towns to supplement my income. Then I can live in or close to Virgin River so I don’t let these people down. I promised Virgin River a year. I’d hate to renege on that. They need a doctor here. But if you need me more…”
“You expect me to stay here while you give them that year?” she asked.
“Abby, I just hope I can take care of you and the kids well enough, help and make you happy enough, so you’ll give me some time before you spring some major change on me. Because I care a lot about all of you. I do. I’m trying everything I can think of. And, Abby—I wouldn’t run out on you.” He swallowed. “But,” he said with a shrug, “if you can’t stay here, for whatever reason, I’ll look for work wherever you and the babies go.”
Oh goddamn, she thought. She was getting teary. Why would she get teary? He was trying so hard. But, he asked her to be his roommate.
He’d also offered to help her with everything in her life, from her finances to her medical condition. And didn’t he suggest he’d walk the floor at night with screaming babies?
“The idea,” she said, “is totally nuts.”
“Not a first for us,” he agreed, grinning handsomely. “We’re not exactly running with the pack, you and me. Think about this. It could work. We could take care of each other and our kids real easy. Eat more of that spaghetti. I have a little cheesecake in the refrigerator.”
“When do you want an answer?” she asked.
Cameron hoped it didn’t show on his face that he was elated to have gotten this far. Realistically, he had expected to be wearing the spaghetti dinner just for the suggestion. But she was actually considering it? Amazing. “Take your time, Ab. There’s no emergency.” He glanced at her belly. “For a good week or two.”
“I think I’ve lost my appetite,” she said.
“Nah,” he laughed. “I didn’t do anything scary. I didn’t threaten or beg. I offered help. We’ve had a few rough spots, but we have good rapport. Abby, I really want to be part of this. You’re awful special to me. Keep eating and tell me about those fireflies you caught as a kid. Tell me about going to the lake with your family.”
She did. It took a couple of minutes before she loosened up, started talking about her childhood with laughter. She never expected it, but this was so much like their first night together, their
one
night together. They began as strangers and before an hour had passed they were telling their stories, their secrets, laughing, touching hands, like old friends. Like lovers.
She asked him about his childhood, about his family. He told her anything she wanted to know and she realized how much she had missed him since that fateful night. The only reason they’d spent the night together in the first place was because they clicked so well, had so many common feelings and experiences.
Then they picked up the dishes and began scraping and rinsing them. She pulled out the trash can from under the sink and before dumping her leftover sausage and meatball into the bin, she started to laugh so much she bent over her tummy. She stuck her fork into the opening of a discarded jar and lifted it out of the trash. She presented an empty jar of Ragú spaghetti sauce.
He grimaced.
“Old family recipe?” she asked, laughing.
“Well, they’re an old family,” he said. “Or so I heard.”
“Cameron,” she laughed. “You’re such a liar!”
Cameron not only made sense, he was being both reasonable and honorable. Whether they’d handpicked each other or not, they were having a set of twins. Children who needed parents. Parents who would have to rely on each other and should not only get along, but be familiar with each other. There was no better way to accomplish that than by being roommates. She looked down at her stomach. There was certainly no chance of them being lovers.
But there was more to it. As gracious as Vanni and Paul had been about her extended stay, they deserved a life of their own. After all, she hadn’t intended to impose for the duration—she had planned to rent something and go it alone. It took about five minutes to realize, going it alone was really not an option. She had to have a support system. She could live somewhere else and see Vanni every day if she wanted to. Not only did Vanni and Paul need their space, so did Abby. She wasn’t used to living with people. She’d had a roommate years back, but they had been very independent of each other. And there was that brief time with her husband—very brief. Other than that, she was used to solitude.
At Vanni’s house there was always someone around: a baby crying or squealing happily; Walt popping in regularly; Shelby and Luke dropping by, often bringing Luke’s helper, Art, along, sometimes for dinner. Most evenings the house was full and noisy or they were all going to Jack’s and got a little funky and worried if she tried to beg off and stay home. In the end, she always went along. She had almost no time to herself.
At least with Cam, he’d be at the clinic every day and wouldn’t pester her to death in the evenings. And she would have her own room to flee to if Cameron made her feel the least bit crowded.
Really, it made sense. It would just be so awkward.
And boy, was there going to be a lot of talk!
When she walked into the clinic, she found Mel in the reception area going over some paperwork at the counter. She turned and smiled at Abby. “Well, hey there. How are you?”
“Good, thanks. I’m here to meet Cameron. He wants to show me your cabin….”
Mel got an unmistakably wistful look on her face. “I hope you like it,” she said softly.
“If you’re absolutely sure it’s okay,” Abby said.
“Oh, I’m thrilled for you to use it. That little cabin changed my life. I lived there until I married Jack, then we lived there together until our house was finished. When the weather gets a little warmer, you’ll wake up to deer in the yard. New fawns with freckles on their backs. David was born there. Jack delivered him.”
Abby got a wild look in her eyes. “I’m not planning to get that far back to nature,” she said nervously.
Mel laughed. “I wasn’t either. I didn’t plan it,” she said. “And Jack certainly didn’t. But I wouldn’t worry—with Cameron hovering over you to make sure everything is all right, that won’t happen. I think you’re in good hands.”
“Mel,” she said tentatively. “I’m a little worried about…”
“What?”
She took a breath. “Gossip. Everyone talking about us.”
Mel’s eyes twinkled and she smiled. “Abby, you’re an unmarried woman pregnant with twins and you’ve been spending time with our pediatrician. He never misses a chance to sit by you at Jack’s. Surrender. The gossip is way ahead of you.”
Abby gasped. She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. “Do they think there’s something to us? Like a relationship?”
One of Mel’s light brows lifted in amusement. “They
hope.
”
“Oh God!”
“Yeah, I’ve been there,” Mel said. “The whole town had me married to Jack before I had my first really good kiss with him.” She waved a hand. “Ah, hell, go with it. At least they’re not malicious. Just very nosey. I got through it. You can, too.”
Heavy footsteps started down the stairs. “Hey,” Cam said cheerily. “You made it bright and early—thanks. I have some patients this morning. Ready to take a look at that cabin?”
“Sure,” she said uneasily. And she thought,
What the hell am I doing?
Ten minutes later they pulled into a clearing in the forest and she looked at a charming little cabin surrounded by huge trees. It had a peaked roof and a wide porch with Adirondack chairs. She could imagine the deer, colorful flowers bordering the porch. There was a beam of light that glanced through the trees and shone on the porch. And she said aloud, “What the hell am I doing?”
Cameron laughed at her. “Nesting,” he said. “Come on.” He got out of the car and went around to her side, giving his hand to pull her out.
He opened the door for her to walk into the house and what she saw was—a little cabin. One big room included living room, kitchen, breakfast nook and breakfast bar. There was only room for a sofa and overstuffed chair, ottoman and rocker surrounding a big stone hearth. A polished old chest served as a small coffee table in front of the sofa and there was one small side table and lamp. Back through the kitchen was a washer and dryer, water heater, pantry and stairs to the loft. It was shiny clean and quaint. Cute.
Small.
The bedrooms weren’t large, but big enough, with a bathroom separating them. And the loft wasn’t enclosed by any more than a rail. There was a queen-size bed in one bedroom, a double bed in the loft. “This will be your bedroom and I’ll take the loft,” Cameron said. “I’ll take a day off so we can go into Eureka and get some baby furniture for this room.” He pulled her into what had been Mel and Jack’s nursery, bare and ready for a couple of infants.
“Here’s an idea, if it works for you,” he said. “The first thing we do is get rid of that credit-card debt, get Brie to draft a letter saying you’ve paid your bill and don’t want any more alimony, or any more contact with the ex. I’ll set you up a bank account and get you a credit card.” He chuckled. “Try to remember I’m not a filthy-rich rock star, I’m a relatively poor pediatrician and family-practice doctor who gets paid in beans a lot. Then we finish furnishing this place with cribs, et cetera. Now—it’s out here a little ways, so if we find ourselves in a situation where you need bed rest or something, we’ll just stay in town. You can have the bedroom I use at the clinic and I’ll stay in the other room, so you’re not alone. Other than picking out names, we’re covering all the bases. If you think you can stand this little cabin, that is.” He looked around. “I actually like it. It’s cozy. Sweet.”
But when he looked back at her, tears were running down her cheeks.
“Oh, Jesus, Abby,” he said, pulling her toward him. “Do you hate it?”
“No,” she sniffed, shaking her head. “I kind of like it.”
“It could be temporary while we look for something better. I just want to keep us in close quarters, so I can help.”
She shook her head and found words with difficulty. “What have you gotten yourself into?”
He wiped away a tear. “I know this is so hard for you. If you’d rather be at Vanni’s, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. But, Abby, I—Honey, I want to help, be a part of it.”
“I never thought I’d end up doing something like this. It’s so…so…
calculated.
Such a practical arrangement.”
“Abby, give me a chance here. I want to take care of you. I know you don’t like hearing that—you’re used to taking care of yourself.” He slipped a hand over her belly. “Right now that’s
not
practical. We have to think about your health. This isn’t an ordinary pregnancy.” He smiled sweetly. “It’s an extraordinary pregnancy.” She sniffed again and he pulled her close. “If there’s a better way, better for you, just tell me. I’ll do anything I can.”
She shook her head against his shoulder. She inhaled his scent, remembered the lusty night that had gotten them here. She closed her eyes. Such a sweet memory….
And he felt one of them kick him in her belly. He pulled her closer, tighter, wanting more of that. “There are a few problems with this cabin,” he said. “No TV, for one thing. Mel and Jack never installed a satellite dish. I hardly ever bother with TV. I catch the news at Jack’s, listen to music and read a lot.”
She pulled back from him just a bit and looked up into his blue eyes. “I have a portable DVD player. Vanni has lots of DVDs to loan. Maybe I’ll watch a movie sometimes, but I like to read. I go through a couple of books a week—lately most of them are about pregnancy and childbirth. I guess you already know all about that.”
“I’m pretty much up to speed. But I wouldn’t mind looking at what you’re reading.”
“Maybe, if you’re very nice, I’ll let you watch a movie with me.”
He smiled at her. “I bet they’re all girl movies that make you cry.” He used his thumb to wipe a tear away from her cheek.
“Cameron, everything makes me cry. Haven’t you noticed?”
“It’s pretty normal. Pregnant women cry a lot, whether they need to or not. When would you like to move? I don’t want you alone out here, so I’ll come at the same time. After I help you get your things transferred.”
“In a day or two? All I have is clothes. Are we going to have some kind of routine or something?” she asked.
“Yes,” he chuckled. “I’ll go to work, but my schedule isn’t demanding. I have a lot of free time when there aren’t patients, but I won’t hang around here and drive you crazy. You can do what you want—either stay here and relax, listen to music and read, or go hang out with Vanni. We’ll have dinner together when you feel like it. We’ll talk sometimes, like friends do. Pick names for the babies. When you give me permission, I’ll call my mother, who is going to freak out.”
“Oh God!”
He hugged her close. “It’s going to be fine. She might be a little put out that we’re not married, but the twins will mollify her. When you think I’ve earned the right, we’ll share a DVD.” He smiled at her.
“And after they’re born? When it’s time for me to get on with my life?”
“We’ll talk about what you’d like to do, where you’d like to be, and what you want will be a priority. I’ll see how I can fit in that plan as a dad. But, Abby, can we get to that later? One thing at a time? As long as I promise I don’t have any plan to screw up your life?”
“Sure,” she said. “One thing at a time. Aren’t you worried what people will think?”
“Hell no,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ve only been here a few months, but there are a million interesting little stories that verge on scandals in this town. People love ’em. If I had the slightest worry anyone would treat you meanly, I’d never have suggested this.”
“What kind of little scandals?”
“We have lots of time for me to catch you up on the local stuff, like Mel and Jack, Preacher and Paige, and I guess you probably already know about Vanni and Paul.”
Very suddenly, Abby felt relief flood through her. She knew that whole story—that Paul had been in love with Vanni for years, but she’d married his best friend. And then, after Vanni’s husband Matt was killed in Iraq and the way to her was clear, Paul had such guilt and shame about his obsession, he couldn’t act. If that wasn’t bad enough, he thought he had gotten a woman back in Oregon pregnant. “Does everyone know about that?” she asked in a stunned whisper.
“I doubt we could find anyone around here who doesn’t know at least a version of the story.” Then he shrugged. “Abby, you have to remember—the important thing is that you’re healthy, we’re working together to bring healthy twins into the world and we’re going to do the best we can to be good parents. Who’s gonna throw rocks at that idea? Only a petty fool. And I say, screw the petty fools.”
She grinned at him. There
was
a reason she’d gone to that hotel room.