Surprise Delivery Read online

  He shook the father’s hand, congratulated Amber, and swept out of the room.

  Now that he’d practiced two of his favorite ways to celebrate life — adventure and new life — he could go relax. He drove to his small bungalow, more of a cottage really, with two bedrooms, one bathroom and a tiny kitchen. Instead of coping with his old stove, he fired up the grill and made a steak.

  After eating a solitary dinner, but a relaxing one, he ran a bath to soak the bruises already forming under his arms from the parachute straps.

  Once in the bathtub, naked and slippery, he considered going out. It had been a while since he’d hooked up with anyone. Chel was his last partner, but she’d wanted to settle down and Casper hadn’t. He’d had his life’s great love. He was happy to date and enjoyed sex as much as the next guy — Sorry, Kage, but I can’t go celibate even for you — but he wasn’t looking for some happily ever after.

  He’d hooked up with a few men too, via apps, but he wasn’t in the mood to jump through the hoops necessary to get off quick and dirty with a stranger. Invariably, he clicked better with men, but they seemed more interested in one fast fuck, and Casper, while he didn’t want to get serious, did enjoy getting to know the person he was sleeping with. It made the sex better. As a result, he’d dated more women.

  His cock got a little harder as he thought about various sexual encounters — both female and male — and he wrapped a hand around himself, acknowledging he was too lazy to leave the house. He’d gotten his thrills for the day.

  He attempted to think of Kage, but it had been five long years since they’d slept together. They’d been so young. Not innocent — they were horny teenage boys — but not experienced. They’d fumbled their way through it, but the details of their encounters slid from his memory, as slippery as his soapy cock. He gave it up and let a reel of images play through his mind with no real focus as he stroked himself fast and hard to a mediocre orgasm.

  If nothing else, he needed to date again just so he’d have better spank bank fodder. Even porn wasn’t doing it for him these days. Taboo images heightened his arousal only so much. Lately, something always seemed to be missing.

  Chapter 3

  Eric shifted in his chair next to Olivia in the waiting room, feeling antsy. His niece scrolled through her phone, tapping out replies to texts or social media posts as she patiently waited for her appointment, while Eric squirmed.

  He could blame his discomfort on the environment. A gay man in a women’s health center wasn’t familiar territory. But other than the handful of patients in the waiting room being primarily women, and pregnant women at that, it looked like any other doctor’s office. Chairs in rectangular seating arrangements, with the occasional side table full of parenting, family and health magazines.

  He could blame his unease on the situation, of course. His niece’s whole life was about to change. For that matter, so was his. Helping a sixteen-year-old get through a pregnancy, much less raise a child, was life-altering. They hadn’t worked out all the details yet. Would he help her only for the first few years? Would he effectively be a father to this child for life? The storm with her parents might blow over, and he’d be back to normal in a matter of weeks. There was a lot to discuss, but he didn’t want to rush into anything knowing that emotions ran high for Olivia right now.

  Eric knew his nerves went beyond that, to a certain blond-haired, blue-eyed, sexy man named Casper Rollins. And it bugged the hell out of him that it was a factor at all.

  “I still don’t see why you didn’t let me recommend you a doctor,” he grumbled. “Why Dr. Rollins?”

  She hitched her shoulders up, and he immediately felt guilty. Livvie had a lot on her plate, and he shouldn’t be adding to it. Dr. Rollins was perfectly capable, he was sure. But he was also perfectly gorgeous, and Eric always felt an uncomfortable attraction to him. A sort of high school crush that made him hot and sweaty and awkward as hell. Add in the fact that Dr. Rollins had practicing privileges at Eric’s hospital, and his desires were not ideal, even if there were no policies in place prohibiting a relationship.

  The likelihood of that man batting for his team and being attracted to Eric were nil, so it hardly mattered. Outside of the whole hot, sweaty, embarrassing mess it made of him.

  “Kelly’s big sister went to him when she had her baby, and she loved him. Said he was the best doctor she’d ever had.”

  “Or the best-looking,” he muttered.

  “Huh?”

  He shook his head, opting not to repeat himself. He was the one behaving like a teenager.

  A nurse opened the door, saving Eric from explaining himself. She glanced at the chart, and with a polite but distant smile, called out, “Olivia Isaacson?”

  Olivia stood up, and when Eric didn’t move quickly enough, she turned a panicked look on him. “You’re coming with me, right?”

  Eric stood, placing a steady hand on her lower back. “That’s why I’m here.”

  “Sorry, it’s just . . . what if they ask questions I can’t answer or start talking in doctor speak and I don’t understand anything?”

  Eric nudged her. “Doctor speak, huh? Is that a foreign language I don’t know about?”

  She rolled her eyes, looking more like a sixteen-year-old than she had in the twenty-four hours he’d known her. Jesus, he really didn’t know her yet.

  “You know what I mean,” she said.

  “I do,” he said as they reached the nurse. “That’s why I’m here, but you’re a smart girl. You’ve got this.”

  They went through the door, and the nurse asked Olivia to step on a scale. Once that was done, the smiling blonde woman — Lisa, her nametag read — led them to an open exam room. She entered with them, taking Olivia’s blood pressure and checking her pulse before sitting down on a stool with a tablet.

  “Okay, so what brings you in today?”

  “I’m pregnant,” Livvie blurted. She bit her lip, casting a look in Eric’s direction.

  “An over-the-counter pregnancy test was done,” he added.

  The nurse nodded. “Okay. And when was your last period?”

  Olivia blushed bright red. No teen wanted their uncle to think about that, he knew, so he turned away and perused the poster on the wall showing . . . female reproduction. Lovely. Appropriate, of course, and he was a doctor. He’d seen it all before, but he’d never specialized in this aspect of health care and he was perfectly happy not dealing with it on a daily basis.

  Behind him, Olivia fumbled through an explanation that she couldn’t remember exactly when her period was, and then took a guess that sounded completely random.

  And she wonders how this happened? he thought, before ordering himself not to be a misogynistic jerk. It’s not like he’d expect her boyfriend — ex-boyfriend now — to know when her period was, and it was hardly fair to lay all the responsibility on her.

  The nurse made a few notes and left. Eric blew out a breath and turned around.

  Olivia vibrated with tension where she sat on a paper-covered table, feet swinging to and fro. It reminded him of when she was much younger and too short to reach the floor. She used to sit at his kitchen table and swing her feet like that. Back when her parents still associated with him.

  “What?” she asked.

  He realized he was smiling. “Just remembering you as a tiny tot.”

  She shook her head. “Those were good times.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t be so jaded. You’re not old yet. There are more good times to come.”

  “I feel old,” she grumbled, and he had to admit she had a lot of adult responsibility on her shoulders. But she’d get through it. He’d help her, even if her parents wouldn’t. Shame it came to this to bring his niece back into his life, but he couldn’t be sad he got the chance to have a relationship with someone in the family.

  The door opened, and Eric forgot about family. Casper Rollins stepped inside, oozing charm as he stepped forward and offered his hand to Olivia with a smile.r />
  “I’m Dr. Rollins, but you can call me Casper. I don’t stand much on formality,” he said warmly. Then his eyes shifted to Eric, and he faltered. “Dr. Holtz,” he said, reaching out to shake his hand as well. “This is a surprise.”

  Eric clasped his hand, absorbing the strength in his palm and the warmth of his skin and the total absence of any sparks. Nope, no sparks here. Eric didn’t spark with doctors who had privileges at his hospital, especially not doctors who smiled at their female patients with the kind of charm that absolutely set off the alarms in Eric’s head: not gay not gay not gay.

  “Hello,” he managed, sounding frigid.

  Dr. Rollins withdrew his hand and crossed his arms over his chest, which emphasized his well-defined biceps. He was wearing a white doctor’s jacket, instead of the scrubs that brought out the color in those cool blue eyes. The long sleeves couldn’t hide his broad shoulders, though they covered the tattoos Eric had glimpsed from a distance.

  His looks and his profession were entirely at odds: Casper’s nicely built muscles, tattoos and sharp features screamed bad boy, while his role as an obstetrician called to mind nurture and gentleness. Which was the real man, Eric wondered.

  “So, Olivia,” Casper said, turning his focus to her. “Tell me about why you’re here.”

  “I’m pregnant,” she said. “At least, I think so. I took two over-the-counter tests, and they were positive.”

  He nodded, looking pensive. His eyes darted between Olivia and Eric. “Okay, so here’s what we’ll do. First, you’ll go to the lab, and we’ll confirm the pregnancy here. The over-the-counter tests are pretty good, but they’re not foolproof. So, we want to be sure before we move forward. Once you do that, you’ll return to the waiting room and when the results are in — and this kind of test won’t take long — we’ll call you back, and you and I will talk a bit more about your plan going forward. Sound good?”

  “Yeah, thanks,” she said.

  He smiled at her, gave Eric a more abrupt nod, and exited the room.

  ***

  Don’t make assumptions, Casper.

  He sighed and shook his head as he checked his appointments and went on to the next one while Olivia did the pregnancy test. He had been surprised to see Dr. Holtz in his office, to say the least. He’d never gotten the impression the Ashe medical director liked him much. Something about the set of his mouth whenever he looked at Casper.

  And you’re staring at his mouth, why?

  Eric Holtz had a certain appeal. He was always neatly groomed, somehow looking more clean-cut than many men even with a beard. He wore nicely tailored but conservative clothing, seemingly buttoned-up at all times. He wasn’t a lean man, nor was he a bulked-up muscle man. He was solid, substantial. Real.

  His hair, usually dark brown, lightened up in the summer sunshine, and Jesus — how did Casper even know that? How closely had he been paying attention when they passed by in a corridor or ran into each other at a fundraising event where their presence was required? He looks good in a tuxedo too, his memory supplied.

  Casper shook off the thought. Especially because Eric Holtz might be a sleaze who’d gotten a teenager pregnant.

  But maybe not. Maybe he was an older brother or ... father? He might be old enough to be her father, but Casper didn’t think that was the case. They didn’t interact like two people who knew each other well. They were slightly formal with each other, with Olivia looking to Eric for guidance or answers, maybe, but not with the kind of easy rapport a father and daughter might display.

  He shrugged it off and went in to do a quick annual exam while the lab processed the pregnancy test. The patient in question was uncomfortable with the exam, so Casper channeled his energy into entertaining her and putting her at ease.

  Being a man in the women’s health field could be challenging. There would always be patients who chose not to work with him solely because he was a man and not a woman. He couldn’t begrudge them that comfort.

  “I just delivered the sweetest baby boy yesterday,” he said, conversationally. “Reminded me of your son.”

  She brightened considerably. “You mean Dustin?”

  “Yep, full head of red hair.”

  “Poor boy,” she said, shaking her head.

  Casper grinned. “Nah, red hair is coming back into style. You just wait and see. Austin will be a hit with the ladies.” He paused. “Or whoever he chooses to love.”

  He busied himself with putting on gloves so he wouldn’t have to meet her eyes. As a general practice, he didn’t get into politics or personal beliefs with his patients. He kept a professional distance. No one needed to know his sexuality, and he didn’t need to know their thoughts on it. It wouldn’t help him do his job.

  While he was still interning in medical school, he’d let slip to a female patient that he had a boyfriend. Kage had been at home, on the verge of dying, while Casper went about his daily business none the wiser. He knew Kage wasn’t well, but his boyfriend had hidden just how far the cancer had spread when it reoccurred.

  Casper had intended to make the woman more comfortable about being examined by a man. Instead, she’d lost it, lecturing him about the evils of homosexuality. He’d had to calmly tell her he’d fetch another doctor to do the exam and leave the room before he responded unprofessionally.

  After that, he’d kept his sexuality to himself. Today, he really shouldn’t have made that comment about Dustin and whoever he chose to love. Luckily, Carolyn didn’t seem to mind, but someone else might.

  He blamed Eric Holtz for knocking him off his game.

  ***

  Casper returned with lab results in hand to find Dr. Holtz and Olivia deep in conversation. Olivia had tears in her pretty brown eyes.

  Casper went into protective mode. “Olivia, I have your results. Are you sure you want Dr. Holtz here for this?”

  She looked surprised. Then worried. “Why? Are you going to tell me something weird like my boyfriend gave me an STD?”

  His eyes shifted to Eric Holtz, but there was no reaction other than a stoic sort of patience. He didn’t know what to make of the neutral expression. He’d expected anger, or at least irritation, when Casper suggested he’d throw Eric out of the room if Olivia preferred it.

  “No, nothing weird to report,” he said with a smile.

  She reached out and clutched Eric’s hand. “Then I want him to stay.”

  He nodded. “Well, you are pregnant. Based on your guess as to when your last period was, I’d say you’re about ten weeks along.”

  “Okay.”

  “Is this good news?”

  Tears spilled over. “It’s not a surprise.”

  He looked to Eric. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to see. Agreement? Comfort for this girl? Some explanation that wouldn’t make him a creep.

  “You have options,” he said. “Have they been explained to you?”

  He pulled out the variety of brochures he kept on hand to ensure each new mother was well-educated. She waved them away.

  “I already considered all that, and besides, Uncle Eric offered to explain everything already.”

  Uncle ...

  Oh, thank God. Eric Holtz wasn’t a perv. Well, not a perv who got teen girls pregnant. He didn’t know the man well enough to say whether he was pervy in some other way. Not that it was any of his business now that it didn’t concern his patient’s welfare.

  “So, you’ve already made your decision?” he asked Olivia.

  She nodded. “I want my baby. It’s scary, but Uncle Eric says he’ll help me.”

  “That’s a big responsibility,” he said, directing his words to Eric. “A baby will require a lot of time and dedication.”

  Eric frowned. “Are you questioning my commitment?”

  “Of course not, but sometimes people underestimate just how much a baby can change their lives.”

  Eric wrapped an arm around Olivia’s shoulders. “Livvie doesn’t have the best support. I’ll be there for her because I k
now what that’s like.”

  “Oh?”

  He didn’t mean to pry, but Eric was staring him in the eye as if trying to convey via telepathy some private message.

  “My parents don’t like him because he’s gay.”

  Eric broke eye contact to look at Olivia in exasperation. “Livvie, you can’t just go telling people personal information like that.”

  “Why? You’re not in the closet.”

  Ouch. Eric’s expression was a mix of embarrassment and pain. Casper instinctively tried to ease his discomfort.

  “Generally speaking, Olivia, it’s best to let a person share their sexuality if they choose to do so,” Casper said. “You don’t come out only once in a lifetime, but many times to many different people, and sometimes you might choose not to share that information if you don’t want someone to know for safety reasons or even professional ones.”

  “So, you’re gay too?” Olivia asked, with the tactlessness of youth. “Do you have a boyfriend because Unc—”

  Eric clapped a hand over her mouth, looking mortified. “You don’t have to answer that.”

  Casper laughed. “It’s okay,” he said, more willing to share his sexuality now that he knew Eric’s. Not to mention the added incentive that Eric might be interested. “I’m bi, and there’s no boyfriend or girlfriend. I don’t tell most of my patients because I don’t want it to interfere with my doctor-patient relationship, and unfortunately, it does make some people uncomfortable.”

  Eric dropped his hand from Olivia’s mouth after shooting her a warning look.

  “I was just asking,” Olivia said. “YOLO, Eric.”

  “YOLO?”

  “You only live once,” she clarified with a shrug.

  “What does that have to do with anything?” Eric asked, sounding exasperated.

  Olivia glanced at Casper, as if to convey the message, Can you believe this guy? Casper fought a smile at Olivia’s not-so-subtle matchmaking. He would have thought it was lost on Eric if not for the way the man fidgeted.