Page 51 of A Mommy for His Daughter

Evelyn was relieved when he dropped it. He didn’t need to know that Jocelyn had been going to marry her father. Or that her father had been killed on his way to visit her. Part of her felt guilty about the whole thing, because her father had gone out that night to propose and he’d died. But the adult version of her wanted to know more.

Her gut reaction to Jocelyn had been cold. Now she was ashamed with herself for her behavior. Would Jocelyn have said yes? Jocelyn had lost someone that night too.

They loaded the boat and headed back to Wolf’s Harbor. There was a fog over the water so thick it was hard to see, and she hoped that Martha’s family would be able to get her into the clinic.

Derek wasn’t saying anything to her and that was for the best.

She really didn’t want to talk about it.

When they got back to the clinic Evelyn dried off and got the exam room ready, prepping the ultrasound with Janet.

Thirty minutes later Martha Washington was brought in on a stretcher by the paramedics, who had been called and had been waiting for the Washingtons’ boat when it moored at the town’s docks.

Jocelyn followed Martha in, but didn’t look at Evelyn.

Evelyn couldn’t blame her. She was so embarrassed over her behavior. She’d acted badly. She deserved Jocelyn’s cold shoulder.

They got Martha transferred to the exam table, and when the paramedics had left Evelyn examined Martha. The bleeding had subsided.

“Give her another unit of packed cells, Janet,” Evelyn said as she covered Martha up and wheeled the ultrasound machine over.

“She’s stopped bleeding?” Jocelyn asked.

Evelyn met Jocelyn’s gaze and nodded. “Yes, you can see for yourself. Her color is returning to normal. Martha, how is your pain?”

“It’s a five now, Dr. Saunders.”

Evelyn smiled warmly. “Better than the ten it was before. I know your belly is tender, but I’m going to do an ultrasound. I heard a heartbeat on the Doppler and I want to confirm that you were indeed carrying twins and that the other twin is fine.”

Martha nodded.

Evelyn got the gel ready. “It’ll be cold… Here we go. Janet, can you get the lights?”

“Yes, Dr. Saunders.”

Janet dimmed the lights and Evelyn placed the wand on Martha’s belly. She soon found what she was looking for. There was the strong flutter of a heartbeat for the other twin. She grinned and turned the monitor.

“There you go, Martha. You were pregnant with twins. You lost one, but this one right here has a strong heartbeat.”

Martha began to cry, and Jocelyn bent down and kissed her daughter on the head.

“Now what, Dr. Saunders?” Martha asked nervously. “I don’t want to lose my other baby.”

“Bed-rest, and I’ll want to check on the baby tomorrow, so you guys should stay here for the night. I want to monitor your bleeding and do another ultrasound before you head back to the island. You’ll have to come in for regular check-ups for a while.”

“Can she do that on bed-rest?” Jocelyn asked.

“Yes, but she needs to take it easy and rest wherever possible.”

“We can stay in town, Mom, at our old house.”

Jocelyn bit her lip and then smiled nervously as she glanced at Evelyn. “Yes. Of course.”

“Well, it’s good you kept two residences.”

“Well, Mom didn’t marry my stepdad until I was ten. My real father was killed in an accident before I was born. In fact, come to think of it, we have the same last name, Dr. Saunders.”

Jocelyn’s eyes were wide with fear as Evelyn’s world teetered out of control. And as she looked at Martha for the first time—really looked at Martha—she saw her father’s eyes. Saw her father’s ruddy hair and freckles.

Evelyn favored her mother, and had missed out on her father’s freckles, but she’d inherited his hair. Except hers was auburn—red mixed with her mother’s dark. Martha looked like pictures of her late grandmother when she was young.

This was her half sister.

Oh, God. I ruined this girl’s life too.

She had to get out of here.

“Well, it’s a common surname. Now, I have to check on something—Janet will make sure you’re comfortable.”

Evelyn peeled off her rubber gloves and disposed of them as she quickly left the room.

Jocelyn followed her. “Evelyn, wait!”

Evelyn spun around. “No. We’re not talking about it.”

“I think we should talk.”

Evelyn was shaking—with anger, pain, and just about every raw emotion she could think of. She didn’t know what to think. What to believe. Everything inside her was telling her to run, which would save her from getting hurt.

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