Ian glanced up then, meeting Tessa’s gaze as she extended her hand towards him. He gave it a reassuring squeeze, then returned his attention back to the monitor.
“Well, I’m pleased to tell you that the baby is a boy. And developing very nicely at this stage of the game. Everything looks perfect, just as it should be at the five month mark.”
Tessa was smiling in delight. “That’s wonderful news! And I knew, just knew, it was going to be a boy. I’ve felt different with this pregnancy so far, just some subtle things, but I took that as a sign that the baby was a boy. Ian, isn’t this fantastic?”
He squeezed her hand again, careful not to jostle Gilly, who seemed a little intimidated by all of the monitors and machinery surrounding her mother. “It’s wonderful news, darling,” he told her gently. “And perhaps there’s something to Sasha’s so-called ability to read auras after all. She certainly called this one right.”
The technician began to clean off the gel she’d squirted over Tessa’s belly for the sonogram. “I’d hold off on getting dressed for a bit until Dr. Reeves comes in,” advised the tech. “It’s not time for your regularly scheduled pre-natal visit, but while you’re here he may want to give you a quick lookover. I’ll leave the sonogram image up at the front desk for you. And congratulations to both of you, Mr. and Mrs. Gregson. Now you’ll have a boy as well as your beautiful little girl.”
Ian thanked the woman as she exited, then helped Tessa up to a sitting position on the edge of the exam table. She pulled the cotton exam gown down over her thighs, placing a hand over her belly as she did so.
“I’m so pleased,” she told him, her smile so dazzling it nearly blinded him. “We’re going to have a son, Ian. A little boy who’s going to look exactly like his gorgeous Daddy.” She reached up to cup his cheek in her hand. “Liam. After your maternal grandfather. Is that still okay with you?”
He captured her hand, pressing a kiss to the palm. “Of course it is,” he assured her. “My mother will be thrilled.”
Gilly began to wiggle against him then, holding out her arms towards Tessa. “Mummy,” she said plaintively. “Want Mummy.”
Gilly may have been, first and foremost, a Daddy’s girl, but there were plenty of times when all she wanted was her mother. This evidently was one of them, and she went into Tessa’s arms happily, snuggling her tiny blonde head under her mother’s chin.
Tessa pressed a reassuring kiss to her daughter’s forehead. “I think all of this equipment is freaking her out a little bit,” she explained to Ian. “And maybe seeing Mummy being examined. Everything’s okay, baby girl. And Daddy and I have some very happy news for you.”
Gilly gazed up at her mother with big blue eyes that were identical to Tessa’s, and Ian marveled yet again at how much the two of them resembled each other.
“Do you remember when Mummy and Daddy told you that you were going to have a baby brother or sister soon?” At Gilly’s nod, Tessa continued. “Well, we just found out that it’s going to be a brother. In a few months we’ll have a brand new baby in the house, and he’ll grow up very fast so that you’ll have someone to play with.”
“Bruver?” asked Gilly. “Gilly have bruver?”
“Yes, sweetheart. Gilly is going to have a brother. A little boy, just like Justin and Noah.”
Ian rolled his eyes. “God help us all if our son turns out like those two terrors. You will need a nanny if that ever happens, Tessa. Perhaps two of them.”
Tessa patted his arm reassuringly. “I keep telling you that the boys aren’t all that bad. Whenever they’re around me, the twins are actually very well behaved. And our son will be as well mannered and gentlemanly as his father. In fact, he’ll probably pop out of the womb wearing an Armani suit and a Hermes tie.”
Ian was laughing heartily, causing Gilly to giggle right along with him, when the door to the exam room opened and Jordan Reeves sauntered in. The handsome OB/GYN looked around at the happy, smiling family, and grinned himself.
“Well, you all look delighted about something,” he commented. “Guess the news that the newest Gregson is going to be a boy was well received.”
Tessa glanced over at Ian. “Actually, I think Ian was secretly hoping for another girl.”
Ian shook his head, giving her hand a squeeze. “Perhaps a bit,” he admitted. “I love my girls something fierce, after all, and I’m not sure I really want to share them with another male. But I’m very, very happy to know we’re going to have a son. And especially to learn that the baby looks extremely healthy.”
Tessa beamed at him. “We’ll have another girl next time,” she told him sweetly.
Ian imagined the shock he felt at her words must have been evident on his face, judging by the way Jordan laughed uproariously.
The affable doctor patted Tessa on the shoulder, still grinning broadly. “You know, Tessa, you may be the only patient I’ve ever had who was holding one baby on her lap, had a second one growing in her tummy, and was still sitting there with a smile on her face talking about having a third. I should film you exactly like this, use it as an advertisement for the practice.”
“I think you’ve already got more patients than you can handle,” retorted Ian. “You don’t need my wife to do your hawking for you. As far as a third baby goes, darling,” he told Tessa, “let’s see how things go with number two before making that decision, hmm?”
“Okay,” agreed Tessa happily.
Jordan, meanwhile, was plying his charms on yet another female - chucking Gilly beneath the chin teasingly and then grinning as she giggled. “Hey, there, sweetie,” he said gently. “You are the prettiest little thing, aren’t you? Just like your mommy.”
Gilly shook her head. “Mummy,” she insisted in a rare display of temper. “My Mummy.” She burrowed her face against Tessa’s breast.
Ian chuckled, then lifted his daughter back onto his lap so that Jordan could give Tessa a brief exam. He watched the proceedings carefully, well aware that the flirtatious doctor was attracted to Tessa, even though Jordan did his best to hide that fact.
And Ian was far from the only person to have noticed. Both Matthew and Nathan had nudged him in the ribs on different occasions, whispering that he should really keep an eye on the amorous OB/GYN, because it was pretty damned obvious that Jordan had a real thing for Tessa. Not that Jordan didn’t flirt with nearly every attractive female under the age of fifty who attracted his attention, whether she was married or single. But what made it all different with Tessa was the fact that he didn’t flirt with her. With Tessa, he was uncharacteristically gentle and kind, treating her with the sort of care and gentlemanly solicitousness that one typically only showed to his wife or serious girlfriend.
“Well, I’m pleased to tell you that the baby is a boy. And developing very nicely at this stage of the game. Everything looks perfect, just as it should be at the five month mark.”
Tessa was smiling in delight. “That’s wonderful news! And I knew, just knew, it was going to be a boy. I’ve felt different with this pregnancy so far, just some subtle things, but I took that as a sign that the baby was a boy. Ian, isn’t this fantastic?”
He squeezed her hand again, careful not to jostle Gilly, who seemed a little intimidated by all of the monitors and machinery surrounding her mother. “It’s wonderful news, darling,” he told her gently. “And perhaps there’s something to Sasha’s so-called ability to read auras after all. She certainly called this one right.”
The technician began to clean off the gel she’d squirted over Tessa’s belly for the sonogram. “I’d hold off on getting dressed for a bit until Dr. Reeves comes in,” advised the tech. “It’s not time for your regularly scheduled pre-natal visit, but while you’re here he may want to give you a quick lookover. I’ll leave the sonogram image up at the front desk for you. And congratulations to both of you, Mr. and Mrs. Gregson. Now you’ll have a boy as well as your beautiful little girl.”
Ian thanked the woman as she exited, then helped Tessa up to a sitting position on the edge of the exam table. She pulled the cotton exam gown down over her thighs, placing a hand over her belly as she did so.
“I’m so pleased,” she told him, her smile so dazzling it nearly blinded him. “We’re going to have a son, Ian. A little boy who’s going to look exactly like his gorgeous Daddy.” She reached up to cup his cheek in her hand. “Liam. After your maternal grandfather. Is that still okay with you?”
He captured her hand, pressing a kiss to the palm. “Of course it is,” he assured her. “My mother will be thrilled.”
Gilly began to wiggle against him then, holding out her arms towards Tessa. “Mummy,” she said plaintively. “Want Mummy.”
Gilly may have been, first and foremost, a Daddy’s girl, but there were plenty of times when all she wanted was her mother. This evidently was one of them, and she went into Tessa’s arms happily, snuggling her tiny blonde head under her mother’s chin.
Tessa pressed a reassuring kiss to her daughter’s forehead. “I think all of this equipment is freaking her out a little bit,” she explained to Ian. “And maybe seeing Mummy being examined. Everything’s okay, baby girl. And Daddy and I have some very happy news for you.”
Gilly gazed up at her mother with big blue eyes that were identical to Tessa’s, and Ian marveled yet again at how much the two of them resembled each other.
“Do you remember when Mummy and Daddy told you that you were going to have a baby brother or sister soon?” At Gilly’s nod, Tessa continued. “Well, we just found out that it’s going to be a brother. In a few months we’ll have a brand new baby in the house, and he’ll grow up very fast so that you’ll have someone to play with.”
“Bruver?” asked Gilly. “Gilly have bruver?”
“Yes, sweetheart. Gilly is going to have a brother. A little boy, just like Justin and Noah.”
Ian rolled his eyes. “God help us all if our son turns out like those two terrors. You will need a nanny if that ever happens, Tessa. Perhaps two of them.”
Tessa patted his arm reassuringly. “I keep telling you that the boys aren’t all that bad. Whenever they’re around me, the twins are actually very well behaved. And our son will be as well mannered and gentlemanly as his father. In fact, he’ll probably pop out of the womb wearing an Armani suit and a Hermes tie.”
Ian was laughing heartily, causing Gilly to giggle right along with him, when the door to the exam room opened and Jordan Reeves sauntered in. The handsome OB/GYN looked around at the happy, smiling family, and grinned himself.
“Well, you all look delighted about something,” he commented. “Guess the news that the newest Gregson is going to be a boy was well received.”
Tessa glanced over at Ian. “Actually, I think Ian was secretly hoping for another girl.”
Ian shook his head, giving her hand a squeeze. “Perhaps a bit,” he admitted. “I love my girls something fierce, after all, and I’m not sure I really want to share them with another male. But I’m very, very happy to know we’re going to have a son. And especially to learn that the baby looks extremely healthy.”
Tessa beamed at him. “We’ll have another girl next time,” she told him sweetly.
Ian imagined the shock he felt at her words must have been evident on his face, judging by the way Jordan laughed uproariously.
The affable doctor patted Tessa on the shoulder, still grinning broadly. “You know, Tessa, you may be the only patient I’ve ever had who was holding one baby on her lap, had a second one growing in her tummy, and was still sitting there with a smile on her face talking about having a third. I should film you exactly like this, use it as an advertisement for the practice.”
“I think you’ve already got more patients than you can handle,” retorted Ian. “You don’t need my wife to do your hawking for you. As far as a third baby goes, darling,” he told Tessa, “let’s see how things go with number two before making that decision, hmm?”
“Okay,” agreed Tessa happily.
Jordan, meanwhile, was plying his charms on yet another female - chucking Gilly beneath the chin teasingly and then grinning as she giggled. “Hey, there, sweetie,” he said gently. “You are the prettiest little thing, aren’t you? Just like your mommy.”
Gilly shook her head. “Mummy,” she insisted in a rare display of temper. “My Mummy.” She burrowed her face against Tessa’s breast.
Ian chuckled, then lifted his daughter back onto his lap so that Jordan could give Tessa a brief exam. He watched the proceedings carefully, well aware that the flirtatious doctor was attracted to Tessa, even though Jordan did his best to hide that fact.
And Ian was far from the only person to have noticed. Both Matthew and Nathan had nudged him in the ribs on different occasions, whispering that he should really keep an eye on the amorous OB/GYN, because it was pretty damned obvious that Jordan had a real thing for Tessa. Not that Jordan didn’t flirt with nearly every attractive female under the age of fifty who attracted his attention, whether she was married or single. But what made it all different with Tessa was the fact that he didn’t flirt with her. With Tessa, he was uncharacteristically gentle and kind, treating her with the sort of care and gentlemanly solicitousness that one typically only showed to his wife or serious girlfriend.
