26. Worried One
26
WORRIED ONE
“ Y ou’re going to have a baby?” his mother said with a massive grin on her face three days later.
“We are,” he said. His parents had been in Boston and returned on Tuesday. The first day he and Angel could share the news and invited themselves to dinner.
His mother rushed forward, he opened his arms for a hug, but she bypassed him and went to Angel.
His jaw dropped and he turned to see Angel’s stunned reaction while she was cocooned in his mother’s embrace.
“I’m so happy,” his mother said.
“Told you,” he said to Angel.
“Did you think we wouldn’t be happy?” his father asked and moved forward to give Angel a hug too.
His mother came to him next for a hug and kiss on the cheek.
“I knew you would be,” he said. “Angel was the one worried.”
“No reason to be worried,” his mother said. “I knew you two would be perfect for each other. I called it all along.”
Coy snorted. He wasn’t in the mood to hear his mother boast about how she predicted this.
“I’m not so sure perfect is the word I’d use,” Angel said.
“Please,” he said, waving his hand. “You’ve been in love with me for years.”
His mother laughed when Angel gave him a playful shove. “You seem to be the one catching up and passing me in the race though.”
“Coy wants you to move in with him,” his mother said. “Doesn’t he?”
He should have figured his mother would jump right to that. He needed his parents in his corner, not making things worse.
“He does,” she said. “I told him I need some time.”
“Angel has had years to get this in her head. She’s right. I’m catching up and passing her. But the truth is, I want to be there for her and can’t be if she’s not living with me.”
“Coy is impatient,” his father said. “But his heart is in the right place.”
“Not everything can be planned, Angel,” his mother said. “Not on this island.”
He rolled his eyes. He wasn’t so sure that he wanted that brought up just now.
“I’m learning,” she said.
“When are you due? How do you feel? We want all the details. Oh, and does your family know? Coy said you were telling Spencer this weekend about your relationship and I didn’t even get to ask how that went.”
“It went as well as could be expected,” he said. “Some anger on Spencer’s part. Lots of shock. They know about the baby also. I think by the time everyone left we were all in a good head space.”
“What does that mean?” his mother asked, laughing.
He looked at Angel. “We need to tell you some more, but I’ll let Angel answer your questions.”
“I’m due September fifteen,” she said. “I’m not very far along. I think in any other situation we might have held off telling people. I do feel good right now. Only my family knows about the pregnancy.”
“What situation?” his father asked, looking at him.
“You all know Angel had open heart surgery as a teen, right?”
He’d told them about it years ago.
“I do remember,” his mother asked. “Are there problems or concerns?”
“No,” she said. “I hope there won’t be. But when I went to the doctor last week, they said they wanted me under the care of a cardiologist at the same time, for obvious reasons. It came as a shock to me and shouldn’t have. I think for years I just thought I was good to go and cured. I do my routine checkups and move on. I hadn’t even gotten a doctor here yet, figuring I had time.”
“Do you have an appointment yet?” his mother asked.
“I do,” she said. “With Dr. Overturn in Boston in about two weeks. It’s the first appointment I could get. It’s right in the middle of the day so it will be one of those maneuvering around times that I’m getting accustomed to.”
“That gets easier,” his mother said.
“I golf with Kyle,” his father said. “We’re good friends.”
Coy hadn’t realized that. His father had a lot of colleagues. Along with his uncle Mitchell with all their business ventures.
“I have the appointment in my name,” she said. “There is no reason to give Coy’s name. Don’t worry.”
“Nonsense,” his father said. Coy was trying not to grind his teeth over Angel’s words, that she’d think he was embarrassed. He was happy his father had replied that way. “I can probably call a favor in and get you an appointment earlier if you want.”
“Yes,” Coy said right away. He looked at Angel and before she could say another word, added, “It will give us both peace of mind. Don’t you want that?”
“Or have us worrying more.”
“You’re going to worry regardless,” his mother said.
“I don’t need any favors called in,” she said. “Two weeks isn’t that far away.”
“Dad,” Coy said. “I’d appreciate it if you could see if you can get it earlier.”
He looked at Angel and saw her lips twisting in frustration, but he didn’t care.
His father pulled his phone out. “I’ll call him now.” They waited while the phone rang. “Kyle, how are you doing?” His father joked with his friend for a minute, then explained how excited he was to have another grandchild coming and what was going on with Angel. The phone was put to his chest. “Kyle said his office can call you in the morning for an appointment and that he’d get you in before office hours, if that works for you.”
“Yes,” Coy said right away. He turned to Angel. “Then you’ll be back on the island within a few hours after the practice opens. You won’t miss much.”
He knew that would appeal to her.
“Kyle,” his father said. “That is perfect. I’m going to let you talk to Angel quickly to get her number for your office. Text me a time for you and Michele to go to dinner. You know we don’t see each other as much in the winter.”
His father handed his phone to Angel, she gave her information and thanked Kyle, then handed the phone back. “Thank you, Scott. I appreciate it.”
“I can tell you’re not happy,” his mother said. “The Bond name carries a lot of weight. It’s a burden too. You’re part of the family now. Your child is going to be a Bond.”
“So is Angel once I talk more sense into her.”
His mother laughed. “We told you Coy is impatient. I thought he was more romantic than this though.”
“Romance only seemed to work to get a baby in her belly,” he said, smirking.
Angel gave him another playful shove and he was happy she was loosened up a bit that way.
“That’s not funny,” she said, but she was fighting back a grin. He could see it in her eyes.
“Nope,” he said. “It’s not. But it’s life. We have to make the best of it.”
“Are you going to tell your brothers?” his mother asked. “Your child will only be a few months younger than Drew’s.”
“I know,” he said. “Maybe they will be close when they grow up together. Something I didn’t get with my brothers.”
His father snorted. “You’re close now.”
“We are,” he said. “I’ll give them both a call tonight and let them know.”
“They will be happy also,” his mother said.
“They are going to bust my ass and you know it,” he said.
“Why?” Angel asked.
“Because they’ve always said Coy was the perfect one,” his mother said.
“And I ruined his reputation?” she asked, lifting her eyebrow.
“You didn’t ruin anything,” he said, pulling her close for a hug. “Don’t ever think that or say it. I mean it.”
“I was joking,” she said. “You don’t have to get so defensive.”
He was struggling because it felt like the last few weeks he’d been fighting an uphill battle with everything that came out of his mouth.
No one at work had said a negative word about his relationship with Angel that he was aware of and he didn’t care if they did.
Abby stopped flirting with him, which he was thankful for, and it seemed she wasn’t as friendly to Angel either, but that didn’t bother either of them.
They weren’t there to make friends but to do a job.
“Maybe I wouldn’t be defensive if everything wasn’t a fight,” he said.
“Here we go again,” she said, moving away from his side. “There is no talking sense into you.”
“He only cares,” his mother said, “but I understand too. You just have to listen to your heart. It seems to be doing well enough for you now.”
“I guess,” she said quietly.
“We all want to be here for you. During the pregnancy and after the baby is born. I’m going to assume you’ll be returning to work a few months after,” his mother said.
He loved her for saying that and not just assuming that Angel would be a stay-at-home mother. Neither of his sisters-in-law was, but it seemed Angel didn’t get it when he kept pointing that out.
“I am,” she said. “I worked hard to get where I am and am just starting my career.”
“Of course you did and are,” his mother said. “I expect that Coy is very proud of you. I know he’s thrilled to have you on board. Now for other reasons than lightening his load at work.”
“I told Angel I never expected her to not return to work, but if that was her choice, I’d support it.”
“It’s not my choice,” she said firmly. “Maybe once the baby is born I’ll want to stay home more than a few months. I don’t know. I’m not committing to anything but don’t want to leave Coy short staffed either.”
He smiled. It was the first she’d made that comment about her plans might change. “I’ve been handling my practice alone for years. I’ll be fine,” he said.
“Bode and Drew’s kids go to daycare,” his mother said. “That is something you’ll have to figure out too.”
“I think a nanny might be best for us,” he said. “Only because of our jobs and being on call though it doesn’t happen often.”
“It’s not going to be easy to find a nanny on the island,” his father said. “It’s not as if you’ve got a place for them to live.”
“No,” he said. “But I’m sure in time a house could open up on the island that we could cover if need be. Who knows, maybe my brothers wouldn’t mind all the cousins being together.”
His mother started to laugh. “Coy. Do you hear yourself and how unrealistic you’re being? One nanny isn’t going to watch two toddlers and two babies no matter how much you pay them.”
He frowned. Guess he hadn’t put much thought into that. Amanda only worked part time, but Sam was full time.
“We’ll figure it out,” Angel said. “Once I get my feet under me, we’ll tackle that next. There are a lot of other things I need to deal with first. Like eating. I’m starving.”
His mother laughed. “I ate like a pig for all three of my pregnancies. These Bonds just suck the energy and life out of you, literally.”
“So I’ve discovered,” Angel said, squinting at him.