Wilder Hearts: Once Upon a Pregnancy

The hint of a chuckle tickled the tone of his voice, but Simone didn’t find anything warm or amusing in the words.

They weren’t co–dog owners.

And there wasn’t anything parental about their relationship, even though a child they’d created was growing in Simone’s womb.

A sense of uneasiness settled over her as she thought of giving up the baby. But the child deserved a loving home with two parents, a couple who would lovingly prepare a nursery in anticipation of the child they’d always wanted. And she tamped down the momentary discomfort.

Simone glanced at Millie and recognized a soulful longing that whisked across her face, a momentary stab of grief.

It wasn’t likely that Millie and Fred would ever have the chance to decorate a nursery. And the shame of it all was that they’d make great parents. If given the opportunity, they’d welcome a new baby…

Simone’s musing took an interesting turn.

Maybe Fred and Millie would want her baby.

Wouldn’t it be easier to give the child to people she knew? A couple she trusted?

It was certainly something to consider. And she hoped that Mike would see the wisdom in it—when the time came to tell him that during their one night together they conceived a baby.

She sure hoped he wouldn’t give her a hard time about the decision she’d made.

Still, her tummy tossed and turned.

What if Mike didn’t agree? What if he didn’t let up on her and tried to push her into something she knew was wrong—at least, for her?

“That will be a hundred and twenty-seven dollars and sixteen cents,” Millie said, drawing Simone from her musing.

Mike whipped out his credit card in a blur. Or so it seemed.

Simone blinked, feeling a bit dizzy and light-headed.

Whew. All she needed to do was to pass out. The dedicated paramedic and the dutiful suitor in Mike would have a field day with that.

Uh-oh.

A buzz filled her ears, and she reached for Mike’s arm, felt the bulge of muscle tense.

He turned and caught her eye, his smile morphing into a frown. “What’s the matter?”

“I…” Damn. She didn’t want to tell him. But if she didn’t, he was going to figure it out all by himself. “I think I’m going to…”

Her knees buckled before she could finish the thought.

Chapter Three

Mike caught Simone in his arms just before she crumpled to the pet-shop floor.

As much as he wanted to hold her close, to cling to the citrusy scent of her bath soap and shampoo, he gently laid her down and knelt beside her. He might be medically trained and competent in an emergency, but he wasn’t at all prepared for Simone’s collapse.

“Oh my gosh,” Millie said, hurrying around the counter to see what was going on. “Is she okay? What happened?”

Mike didn’t know for sure. “I think she fainted.”

Simone’s vulnerability damn near sent him reeling, and he took her hand, checking her pulse while assessing her respiration. He placed a hand on her forehead to gauge her temperature and found it cool, so she didn’t have a fever.

Her lashes, dark and lush against the skin that had gone pale, fluttered ever so slightly.

“Fred!” Millie called. “Come quick!”

Simone lifted her lids, blinking them a couple of times until her eyes searched Mike’s face, as though she was trying to focus.

When she tried to sit up, he stopped her. “Just lie still for a minute or two.”

“Okay.” She drew in a shaky breath, then slowly blew it out.

“How are you feeling?” Mike ran his knuckles along her cheek—God, he’d missed touching her.

“A little light-headed and buzzy, but nothing hurts.”

Again, she began to fold up into a sit. And this time, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently held her down. “I’m calling the shots, and you need to lie still a little longer.”

She offered him a wry smile. “I thought paramedics were supposed to yield to the nursing staff.”

“Yeah, well, not when the nurse is incapacitated.” He tried to shrug off his concern, but couldn’t. What the hell had happened? And why?

Damn. He wanted to do so much more than tell her to stay put and to remain quiet, but she was conscious. And he couldn’t find any of her vitals out of whack. So he relied on his training to tell him she was okay when his heart was telling him to call 911 and ask for backup.

Deciding upon a compromise, he said, “As soon as you feel up to moving, I’ll take you to the hospital and get you checked out.”

“No, that’s not necessary. I’ll be okay.” She closed her eyes, but only for a moment. “This isn’t serious, Mike. Besides, it was my own fault.”

“What do you mean?”

“I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday at lunch, and I really should have grabbed a snack on our way out the door.”

He hoped she wasn’t dieting; she didn’t need to lose weight. She was in great shape. And even if she could stand to lose a couple of pounds, she ought to know that starvation wasn’t the way to go.

“I got a little light-headed and—” she shrugged her shoulders “—I passed out.”

She could say that again.

He watched the color slowly creep back into her face. “Why haven’t you been eating?”

“I was tired when I got home from work last night and decided to stretch out on the sofa and watch a little television before fixing dinner. The next thing I knew, it was morning.” She slowly sat up and leaned her back against the counter. “And when I woke up, I…Well, I just got busy. That’s all.”

And then he’d dragged her shopping for pet supplies. Great.

By this time, Fred Baxter came running to their side, his breathing heavy and more labored than a short, indoor jog should have caused. “Oh my goodness! Simone. What happened?”