Fall for Me (Danvers #3)(27)
Beth parted ways with Ella at the reception desk and continued on to her office. She needed a few moments to come to grips with her doctor’s appointment before she had to face Suzy. But just as she finished the thought, the door burst open and her sister strode in. She carefully bit back the groan before it escaped her lips. Suzy perched on the corner of her desk and leaned in closer to Beth.
“So when did you get in?” Suzy asked.
“A few minutes ago. I was just coming to your office,” Beth lied.
“So, um, what happened at the baby doctor? Is it in the right place and all?”
Beth smiled at Suzy’s obvious discomfort talking about the pregnancy. You would think after Claire’s pregnancy that she would be used to it, but she still looked nauseous whenever babies were mentioned. “Yeah, they are just as they should be.”
Smiling, Suzy said, “Oh, well, good, glad to hear it.” Suddenly her head jerked up and she asked, “They? Shit, please tell me you didn’t say that word.”
Beth buried her face in her hands and mumbled, “You heard me right. I’m having twins; can you believe it?”
“Holy shit, how did this happen!”
Beth couldn’t help but smile at her sister’s question. “The usual way, I guess.”
Suzy stood up from the corner of the desk and slumped backward in the chair behind her. “My God, what are you doing to do? I mean—two babies? Hell, just one freaks me out. I’m not going to babysit, but I will at least pay for a babysitter on a regular basis for you, how about that?”
Beth chuckled. “Thanks, sis. It hasn’t really sunk in yet so I don’t know what we will do. I just need some time to think.”
Suzy jumped up and said, “Hey, I know just what you need: a distraction!”
This can’t be good. “What kind of distraction?”
“I need you to help me plan this wedding thingy. Apparently, Gray isn’t going to settle for living together forever. He wants to make it official. I told him it would be something simple. I am not walking down the aisle in a church in a gown bigger than I am.”
Beth clapped her hands in excitement. This was exactly what she needed to take her mind off her own problems. Of course, Suzy would probably give the term bridezilla new meaning, but it sounded like fun. Suddenly, another thought had Beth frowning. Unless we can pull this wedding together in a month, I’m going to look like a whale. Poor Beth, always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
While Beth was pondering that depressing thought, Suzy dropped another bombshell. “The parents are coming for dinner Friday night. I told them you would be there.”
“What! Have you lost your mind? I can’t see them now; they’ll know.”
“No, they won’t. I’m doing you a favor. We’ll get the dog-and-pony show out of the way before you start showing and if they decide to skip the wedding, we probably won’t see them again until after the babies are born. If it’s any consolation to you, Gray is sweating bullets. I tried to tell him that our parents aren’t the type to come in and try to defend their little girl’s virtue. As long as he has a good IQ, they will be thrilled.”
Beth snickered. “How will we know? Their facial expressions never change. If I didn’t know better, I would swear they got Botox. So, should I bring Nick with me?”
With an evil smile, Suzy said, “Oh, yeah, he’s not getting out of this. Gray probably needs the moral support, too. He thought we should meet them at a restaurant so we could all go our separate ways afterward, but I insisted they come to the house.”
Beth had to wonder where her sister’s head was. “Did you really think that through? Of course Nick and I can just go home after dinner, but you and Gray will be stuck with them until they decide to leave.”
With a grimace, Suzy said, “Shit, I didn’t think of that. If I get desperate, I’ll have to turn on the television and find one of the comedies. You know how much they hate meaningless shows. I blocked the science channel long ago, so we should be safe.”
Beth laughed as Suzy stood to leave. Just as she opened the door, Suzy said, “Hey, I loved the picture of you and Nick passed out on the couch after your night of babysitting. It looked brutal. You guys are in so much trouble—you know that, right?”
Beth flipped one of her sister’s favorite hand gestures back at her. Were there no secrets anymore? She didn’t think they had done too badly watching Chrissy. No one had to go to the emergency room and they had managed not to panic . . . much. Suzy is right; we are in trouble.
* * *
Nick sat in his office chair staring out the window. He was proud of how well he had held it together through the doctor’s appointment and the drive to work. Now that the shock was wearing off, panic was setting in. Twins? Dear Lord, what were they going to do? He could think of only one answer to the question. Mom, help! His mother always had an answer for everything and he sincerely hoped she would have some advice on fatherhood.
With that thought, he remembered the conversation he and his father had had when Gray thought he had fathered a child with Reva. His father had lectured him about safe sex and promised to revisit the conversation if he did something stupid. Now his father would have to break out that lecture again. How about not one grandchild but two? Oh, yeah, I have been a busy boy.
He had talked nonstop on the way to the office to fill the silence. He wasn’t ready to have an intense conversation with Beth over their future, and he always talked a lot when he was nervous. But now that he was gathering his wits about him, he realized that not much had changed. Sure, there was another baby now, but he was still in it for the long haul. Seeing the heartbeats on the ultrasound had made it feel so real. Beth was carrying his babies inside her. Babies they had created together. He was both scared to death and strangely excited. He was going to be a father, something he had never imagined.