36. Play A Part In It
36
PLAY A PART IN IT
“ I s it true?” Maria asked, coming into their office two days later.
“Is what true?” he asked, frowning. Angel was at her desk typing and looked up. Patients would be arriving soon if they weren’t in the office yet.
Maria walked in and shut the door. “That you’re having a baby?”
“I’m not having a baby,” Coy said smartly.
He looked at Angel who had snorted at him.
“Is your wife having a baby?” Maria asked all but jumping in place. Her excitement was contagious.
“His wife is having a baby,” Angel said.
“Oh my God, I’m so excited,” Maria said. “You two work fast. You’ve only been married for about two months. You can’t be that far along.”
It was as if the words were out of her mouth that it hit her. “We are having a boy,” Coy said, smirking.
“Oh,” Maria said, her smile not fading in the least. “So you’re really far along.”
“We found out on Wednesday. We hadn’t figured out how to tell everyone,” Angel said.
“You’ve been hiding it well because you’re just a tiny thing. Can I see your belly?” Maria asked. “Not lifting your shirt, just pulling it tight.”
Angel stood up and lifted the top of her scrubs. She always had a fitted tank top on under it and his son was showing well but not so much that many would have noticed anything in her work attire. It was more like a major food belly that he picked on her about.
“It’s so cute,” Maria said. “When are you due?”
“September fifteenth,” she said. “Or thereabouts. When Junior wants to make an appearance. How did you find out?”
It was going to be his next question. Coy knew for a fact his cousin Garrett wouldn’t have said anything when they ran into him a few days ago.
Both sides of their immediate family were thrilled with the news and would keep it quiet until he was ready to let it out. Maybe his mother was bugging him to find out when that time would be and it seemed to be now.
“Abby is telling everyone that she heard yesterday.”
He looked over at Angel. “Not sure why she couldn’t come ask rather than just spread it. Did she say how she found out?”
“She said one of her friends was in the waiting room when you two left together and you had ultrasound pictures in your hand,” Maria said.
Shit. They’d been so excited that he didn’t think to have her put them in her purse.
But he was sick of keeping it quiet too.
“It’s out now,” Angel said, sighing. “Might as well gather the troops and let them all know.”
He knew that she had dreaded this. She hadn’t said she was embarrassed she’d gotten pregnant, but deep down she sort of was.
Not of him, but the situation.
Though she’d been just as excited as he was lately.
She stood up and he did the same.
Many were in the break room already getting drinks or putting lunches away.
“Everyone gather for a minute,” Coy shouted. He knew he’d be heard.
There were people coming out of offices, rooms, and from the front and going into the break room.
“What’s going on?” Abby asked. She was smirking and it only pissed him off, but he wasn’t going to let it be shown.
“I’m sure you know,” he said. “Since you ruined our surprise by telling everyone.” Her smile dropped even though he’d kept his in place. His subtle dig. Angel only rolled her eyes.
“It’s true?” Abby asked.
“You’d think you’d ask that before you told everyone, don’t you?” Angel asked with her head angled.
She wasn’t smiling, but she wasn’t frowning either.
“As you’ve already heard, I’m sure. Yes, Angel and I are going to have a baby. Well, she’s having a baby, but I did play a part in it,” he said.
There was some laughter to that.
“When are you due?” Sarah asked.
“September fifteenth,” she said. And he saw everyone doing the math, not that it was hard to figure out she was pregnant before they got married.
“It’s a boy,” he said. “We found out a few days ago. I guess I can call my mother now and let her know she doesn’t have to sit on this news any longer.”
“Congratulations,” Sarah said, hugging Angel. Most of the staff loved her. At least they showed they did. What was there not to love?
“Now we need to get ready for the patients,” he said. “And we don’t need to be telling them either.”
Not like Abby had when she introduced Angel as Dr. Bond rather than Dr. Jansen.
Angel walked out first and went to their office, him behind.
“That wasn’t horrible,” she said. “But not ideal.”
He wasn’t going to shut their door but walked over and hugged her. “It’s out now. It’s been stressing you and there was no reason for it. Don’t retreat on me.”
“What does that mean?” she asked quietly.
“It means that we can’t change anything that is happening and I wouldn’t. Not everything gets planned all pretty, but it’s sure looking beautiful now. Go with the flow.”
“I guess when you put it that way,” she said, smiling, then leaning back and kissing him.
“You two are just so stinking cute together,” Miranda said. She worked with Angel more than anyone as a dental assistant and the two got along great. “Sorry to interrupt, Angel, but your patient wants to see you first before I even get her in the chair. Not sure why.”
“Going to be one of those days,” she said.
He gave Angel one more kiss and then moved to his first patient also.
An hour later, he was walking out of an exam and heard Abby talking in another room with someone and stopped outside the door.
Angel came out and stopped, then frowned.
“That has to be why they got married. It all makes sense now,” Abby said.
“So what if it does,” Emma said. “Who cares? Does it matter?”
He was happy that at least one of his staff didn’t care about those things.
“That is a good way to land a Bond,” Abby said. “Come on now. And the fast wedding. I wonder which one pushed it. Probably Angel. Her brother would be livid or something.”
“Again,” Emma said. “Not sure it matters or why you care so much.”
He grabbed Angel’s arm to pull her away when he saw her eyes fill with tears.
“I’m going to take care of this.”
“No,” she said. “Don’t. It will only make it worse.”
“It needs to be stopped,” he said. “It’s my practice. It doesn’t matter if it’s me, you, or someone else that she is gossiping about. I want it to end.”
“Don’t do it today,” she said. “Please. I just want to be a better person. She’s jealous. She wanted you and didn’t get you. You know it and I know it. She thinks that is the only way I could get you.”
“We know otherwise,” he said. “Guess you’re being the smart one.”
But by the end of the day, he’d heard the talking some more. Abby almost getting more worked up over it and he’d had enough.
“Dr. Bond,” Abby said when he went into her room. The door was open and there were other staff walking around and could probably hear. He didn’t care he was in with her alone at this point.
“Abby,” he said. “Do you have a problem with Dr. Jansen?”
“What?” Abby said. “No, why? The patients love her.”
“That’s right,” he said. “They do. So do you have a problem with my wife ?”
Abby frowned and then her face flushed. “No,” Abby said. “Has she said that I do? I don’t want to cause any problems. I just want to do my job.”
“Then do your job without running your mouth about other people’s lives,” he said.
Her jaw dropped. He’d never talked to her or any staff like that before. Never lost his cool or been that firm.
He’d like to think he was a fair boss but could be professional on top of it.
Maybe he should have put his foot down before.
“Got it,” Abby said and put her head down to finish cleaning her room.
He went to the bathroom quickly and then to their office. He and Angel were normally out of there within ten or fifteen minutes after everyone left now since they had a good routine going.
She looked up from her notes, her face red. “Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yep,” she said and went back to typing her notes.
Sure, it was, but he wasn’t about to call her a liar either.