Healing Dr. Fortune Read Online Free PDF Page B

reveal his surprise, Jeremy reached out his hand to introduce himself to the baby’s father. “Hello, I’m Dr. Fortune.”
    â€œMax Allen. Are you here to examine Anthony?”
    â€œNo, I…” Jeremy glanced at Kirsten, wondering if she had any idea why he was actually here.
    Hell, how could she? He was still struggling to make sense of the thoughtless blunder himself.
    He returned his focus on her husband and tried tomake light of it all. “Actually, I met Mrs. Allen in the parking lot yesterday. She’d spent a lot of time in the waiting room and hadn’t been seen, so I wanted to make sure she got in quickly today.”
    Max stiffened. “Yeah, well, she shouldn’t have done that.”
    Done what? Left without seeing a pediatrician? Talked to a man in the parking lot?
    â€œExcuse me?” Jeremy pressed, picking up some negative vibes and hoping he hadn’t gotten her in trouble.
    â€œKirsten brought Anthony here yesterday without my permission.” Max tossed a frown her way.
    Now it was Jeremy’s turn to tense and give out some negative vibes. What kind of man controlled his wife like that?
    â€œMaybe I’d better explain,” Kirsten said. “First of all, I’m Max’s sister. And I was babysitting his son yesterday.” She turned to the young man beside her. “I shouldn’t have taken it upon myself to bring the baby for a checkup without getting Max’s okay.”
    Jeremy was still struggling to understand what Max’s problem was, but that didn’t stop him from realizing that Kirsten wasn’t married to Max and being relieved at the news.
    Just then, the door opened, and Jim Kragen, a pediatrician, stepped into the now crowded room. “Sorry. I was told to come to exam room four.”
    â€œYou’re in the right place,” Jeremy told his colleague. “I just stopped in here for a minute. I’ll leave you to your patient.”
    As Dr. Kragen stepped inside, Jeremy made his way to the door.
    â€œExcuse me a minute,” Kirsten said to her brother and to the pediatrician. “I’ll be right back.”
    Was she following Jeremy out?
    Apparently so. And he couldn’t help feeling a rush of pleasure. That was, until he glanced at Max, who seemed to be annoyed at her departure.
    If Jeremy didn’t know better, he’d think that Max was sizing him up and finding him lacking. But maybe that was only his imagination.
    When Kirsten and Jeremy left the small room and shut the door behind them, she said, “Thank you for coming to check on us.”
    â€œNo problem. I knew you were worried about the baby, so I wanted to make sure you finally got to see a doctor.”
    â€œActually, I kind of panicked yesterday, thinking Max wouldn’t get around to making an appointment for the baby himself. But Anthony is really sweet, and he’s eating well. So Dr. Kragen will probably say he’s doing fine.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a small diamond stud. “You probably think I’m a worrywart, but I’ve never really been around small children before. And up until a few days ago, Max didn’t even know he was a father. His ex-girlfriend just dumped the baby on him—well, on us, actually. Max is living with me for the time being. So we’ve had a crash course on child care and still have a lot to learn.”
    â€œHow long will your brother have Anthony?”
    â€œPermanently, I guess.” Kirsten blew out a soft sigh. “And I’m sure that’s for the best. His girlfriend isn’t very maternal.”
    Was Kirsten maternal? Was she the kind of woman who’d make a good partner for a man like him?
    It was hard to say without knowing more about her.
    â€œIf I’d done more babysitting as a teenager,” she added, “I might not feel so out of my league. But I’m…well…my brother and I are both