The Doctor's Pregnant Bride? / The Texas Billionaire's Baby: The Doctor's Pregnant Bride? / Baby By Surprise

“Go fuel yourself,” he said as she stood. “I don’t want to see you for at least a half hour.”

“Breaks are fifteen minutes.”

“Are you arguing with your boss?”

“No, sir. I just don’t know how to take a half-hour break. I can do an hour for lunch, but a break? Can’t.”

He didn’t roll his eyes, but he might as well have. “Whatever.”

She laughed. “May I ask,” she said, getting serious, “if you and Chance have discovered something new? Something exciting? I couldn’t help but notice that you both seemed so intense.”

“Maybe. That’s all I can say at this point.”

The look in his eyes gave a different answer. “You did.” She squeezed his hand. “I won’t say anything, I promise.” Yet another secret to keep. She grinned at his caution-filled expression then she left the room, knowing he hadn’t shut the door yet and was watching her.

Her heart was lighter. Even though she’d hoped so much to see her mother’s folder, she knew it would have weighed on her, too.

It was better this way.

Ted waited until Sara Beth was out of sight then he grabbed his cell phone and made the call he’d wanted to make for years.

“Hey, Ted. How’s it going?” came the voice on the other end.

Caller ID had taken the element of surprise from phone calls, Ted thought. “Good. They’re going really good.”

A few beats passed. “Are you saying—”

“Nothing definite, you understand. But more hopeful than ever. Want to meet and talk about it?”

“You have to ask?”

Ted kept his gaze on the door, in case Sara Beth—or Derek—approached. Derek would be the last one Ted and Chance would tell.

“How risky is it, Ted?”

“If nothing else, it might actually make you healthier.”

A quick, deep laugh came across the phone. “Not a chance. I’ve been preparing for this, following every detail of the regimen you put me on months ago. Vitamins, lots of sleep, eating well, exercise, no hot tub. I’m so healthy I should be the poster boy for it. Hell, Ted, I’m even doing yoga.”

“Good. All those things help. But I don’t want you to worry about risk. The compound is all natural—vitamins, minerals, protein enzymes, amino acids.”

“Seems too easy.”

“I know. Guess we’ll find out in a few months.”

“Okay. Man. Okay. Thanks, Ted. You don’t know—”

“I do. Want to meet for dinner?”

“Yeah. How about six o’clock at Shots?”

Ted frowned. “Why there?”

“Noisy, anonymous.”

“We could meet at my place. I even have some furniture now.”

“Humor me.”

Ted was confused but agreed. He wouldn’t mind going out for dinner instead of having takeout. And he’d heard that Shots was the place to go. “You got it. See you then.”

He hung up then dialed Chance. “Six o’clock at Shots.”

“I’d prefer the Coach House. It’s much quieter.”

“His choice. He wants noise.”

Ted slid his cell phone into his pocket. Now that they’d come this far, he wanted instant results.

So much for patience being his strongest asset.

“This is good,” Lisa yelled into Sara Beth’s ear. “Thanks for dragging me away.”

“Purely selfish of me,” Sara Beth replied, a partial truth, since she really believed Lisa needed a break, but so had Sara Beth after the day she had. Shots was the answer.

They’d shouldered their way into the fray of happy customers, found a small table and landed there. Sara Beth had ordered a margarita in honor of her mother. Lisa was nursing a peach mojito. Burgers and fries would be up soon.

Sara Beth leaned back and surveyed the room. She always changed into street clothes before she went home, but plenty of people were wearing scrubs or at least the comfortable shoes they all tended to wear.

“We got a lot of work done today,” Sara Beth said, leaning close to her friend. “I can see an end to the investigation.”

“That’s great. I hope that’ll be it, and Chance and Ted can relax.” She hesitated. “Well. Look who just walked in.”

Sara Beth followed Lisa’s gaze, spotted Ted and Chance with a man she didn’t recognize. “Who’s that with them?”

“I don’t know. Attractive, though.”

Sara Beth studied the man. He was about the same age as Ted and Chance, not quite as tall, but attractive wasn’t a word she would use to describe him. Powerful and intense, yes. Alpha, yes. But, simply attractive? “They all seem really out of place. Doctors don’t tend to hang out here.” In particular, Ted didn’t fit, Sara Beth thought, wondering if he would notice her and what would happen because of it.

But the crowd was dense, and they found their own table as a couple got up to leave. The only one facing Lisa and Sara Beth was Attractive Guy, and he was only looking at Ted and Chance, at least until the waitress went up to take their order. Then he looked around, his gaze landing on her and Lisa and holding for a few long seconds, long enough to make Sara Beth squirm.

“Intense conversation going on there,” Lisa said as their burgers and fries arrived. They each took a big bite, nodded their heads at how good and juicy the burgers were, then Lisa picked up the conversation.

“So, what’s new with you?” she asked.

“I’m falling for Ted.” She hadn’t meant to say it like that. She’d meant to dance around the topic, get some general advice. But she and Lisa were best friends. There wasn’t much they didn’t share.

“Ted? Him, Ted?”