"According to the doctor, if all goes along on schedule, the baby should be born January fifteenth."

Derek nodded. "January fifteenth," he repeated. "And is everything else okay? I mean, you're fine and all?"

Talli nodded. "I'm fine. The doctor gave me a few pamphlets on what to expect, what signs to look for as the pregnancy progresses. I think I left them in the car." Talli fumbled through her purse, trying to locate the pamphlets to show Derek.

"He does recommend that I have an ultrasound done in three months to a.s.sure that the pregnancy is on schedule."

Derek shook his head in agreement. "Whatever the doctor recommended we'll do. Right down to the very last word."

Talli pushed herself up from the chair. "Derek, I think I'm going to head on home now. I'm a little tired, and I do need to work with the dogs for a while today. They're getting a bit rambunctious at being inside with the weather being so cold and all."

Derek rose and was at her side in a split second. "Don't you worry about the dogs. You go on home and rest. That's the important thing right now. I'll take them out when I get home. I plan on leaving early today, so it won't be a problem. Is the Jeep downstairs?"

"Yes, in the parking garage," she confirmed.

"Good. Leave it there. I'll have Joseph take you home, and I'll drive the Jeep home myself tonight."

"Derek, I'm allowed to drive. The doctor didn't say that I'm an invalid just because I'm pregnant."

"I know, Talli." Derek put his hands on Talli's shoulders, one hand reaching out to tenderly cup her cheek. "Just humor me, okay? I'm about to become a father."

Talli stood frozen under his touch. Swallowing hard, she squared her shoulders, agreeing to his request.

Talli arrived at Cameron Manor amid a flurry of activity.

Maimie rushed out to greet the limousine as it pulled up to the front walkway. "Derek called. I'm so excited for you, sweetie." Talli listened as Maimie babbled on as she helped Talli from the car. "That boy is happier than a hound dog in a hub cap factory, that he is."

She pulled Talli into a warm embrace and brushed a soft kiss across the top of Talli's head. "You are going to be such a wonderful Mama, I just know it."

Talli let Maimie escort her into the house and up the stairs to her bedroom. "Now, I want you to kick off those shoes and climb into bed. You new moms to be need a lot of rest, and I'm going to see that you get it. Don't you shake your head at me, young lady. I'm in charge around here. Now, get on in there with you."

"Maimie, I'm not that tired. Besides I have work to do. The dogs need to be groomed and exercised." Talli tried to sit up, as Maimie pulled her left loafer off her foot, dropping it to the plush carpet below.

"Nope, you need to rest. Mr. Cameron said he would take care of everything when he got home. Now, move it young lady."

"Why won't anyone listen to me? I'm fine, really I am," Talli protested, as Maimie tucked the covers around her, her head fell back against the soft pillows.

"I'm only going to take a half hour nap. Then I'm getting up and doing what I have to do."

Maimie smiled down at the girl in the bed. "All right, just rest for a half hour, then."

Derek swept Talli up into his strong, sinewy arms, one hand curling tightly around her waist as the other buried itself deep in her long tresses. He bent to brush his lips gently to hers. Then he lingered, placing tingling hot wet kisses on her moist skin. His fingers slowly lowered her zipper as his hand grazed her bare skin. Deftly, he pushed the dress off her shoulders to fall noiselessly to the floor, his mouth moving slowly down her neck.

She nearly swooned from the ecstasy, as the intensity of their pa.s.sion mounted. Drawing nearer, she pressed closer, then closer still, eager to feel his lips on her bare flesh.

Suddenly, she felt herself falling - falling through the air to land heavily on her backside on the carpeted bedroom floor. Her eyes opened in surprise, as she glanced about her in confused wonder. What happened? One minute she was warm and secure in Derek's arms, the next she was flat on her b.u.t.t, with four wet, eager noses pressed against her neck and cheeks.

"Move," she croaked, pushing the dogs off her inert form. All four moved at the sound of her voice, more interested in the sounds coming from outside the closed bedroom door. Their noses wedged tightly against the crack at the bottom of the door, they inhaled deeply, trying to ascertain what was going on out there. Talli stood up and glanced at the clock on the night stand. Five-thirty! She was only going to sleep half an hour and here it was almost six and a half hours later. She had work to do.

Running the brush through her hair, she paused in front of the mirror. The same face stared back at her. She examined her features for any sign of her impending pregnancy, but couldn't detect a thing. Splaying her hand across her still flat stomach, she sighed.

The heat came in waves. One day stifling and the next smothering. Talli found herself staying inside the cool, air-conditioned house more and more each day. Her eagerness to be outside vanished with the onset of swelling feet and major bouts of nausea. She opened the back door, pursed her lips together and let out a piercing whistle. At the sound of her call, all four dogs stopped in their tracks and obediently trotted back inside to plop at her feet. Carefully lowering herself to the floor, she wrapped her arms around each dog in turn. Her affection for them was real, as she murmured soft endearments in their silky ears. Gracie pushed closer to Talli, her tail thumping madly on the tiles, eager for more. Talli caressed Gracie's soft ears, and buried her fingers in the folds of Gracie's neck. "Oh Gracie, if only life were as simple as you dogs have it," she whispered.

Gracie's long wet tongue licked Talli's cheek.

"Okay, guys. Time to take a breather. Everybody on their mats." Standing up, Talli settled the dogs on their rugs. "You guys be good for Maimie. I'll be back later."

"You make sure you get me pictures of this baby," Maimie declared, her head buried in the ma.s.sive refrigerator that covered almost one whole wall in the kitchen. "I want to see what this little peanut looks like."

"I will, I promise."

"Did you drink all your water like the doctor told you to?" Maimie questioned, her eyes scanning the instruction sheet Derek had posted on the refrigerator door.

Talli sighed. "Yes, I did. And if I don't get going, I'm going to make a big mess giving you back all that water right here on your clean kitchen floor."

"Oh, no you're not! Any messes made around here get cleaned up by the messee, and that's not me," Maimie stated emphatically. "Now, move it."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Okay. Before we start, I want you both to know that this is a very routine test. What we're going to do is make sure the fetus is developing normally. An ultrasound works by using a transducer to bounce sound waves off the baby's bones and other body tissues to construct pictures showing the shape and position of the baby in your womb. This is a very safe, non-invasive, meaning non-surgical, method. Over one million ultrasound tests are performed annually. Any questions so far?" The technician asked, lowering the lights in the examining room. "Okay, everybody ready?"

"Yes, I think so," Talli commented, squirming to find a comfortable spot on the cold metal table. Her bladder felt ready to burst.

"Let's begin then, shall we? The first thing I'm going to do is take measurements of the baby. This will give us an accurate idea of how far along you are and we can make adjustments in your due date if necessary. Talli, if the pressure gets too unbearable, I'll let you go to the bathroom and relieve yourself, but only a little, otherwise I have to have you fill back up with more water."

Talli grimaced as the technician squirted a colorless gel across her stomach. Placing the transducer against her lower abdomen, the technician announced, "Here we go."

As long as the technician didn't push too hard, Talli was pretty confident she wouldn't embarra.s.s herself by having an accident. She watched in fascination as a black and white image filled the monitor. She could see a lump almost at the center of the screen. A moving, breathing baby. Her baby. "Derek, look."

Derek sat in silence, his eyes searching the monitor. He watched the technician write down the measurements, then turn back to the screen and take a photograph.

"There's your baby. Ten fingers, ten toes. Best kind to have."

Talli felt Derek's fingers tighten around her own. "Our baby,"Talli whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Derek gulped, feeling the sting of unshed tears in his own eyes. Blinking hard, he turned to the technician. "Is it a girl or boy?"

"Well, let's see here. If we can get the little one to shift just a little more to the left, whoops too far. Come on, just a bit more. Right there." She pressed a b.u.t.ton, freezing the screen. "See for yourself," she said, pointing to the monitor.

Derek peered intently at the screen, squinting his eyes into narrow slits. "It's a boy," he stated, knocking his chair over in his haste to point to the tiny appendage on the monitor. "Look at that. We've made a baby boy."

The technician smiled apologetically, with a negative shake of her head. "That's an elbow, Mr. Cameron."

"Oh." Deflated, Derek stood the chair upright and dropped back down in it.

"Then, it's a girl?" Talli asked, her hopes soaring.

"Actually it is a boy, but what you were looking for happens to be over here." Picking up a pencil, the technician pointed to the far left of the screen. "At this age, we're not always lucky enough to have the baby in position to properly determine the s.e.x, but your son just happens to be sitting with his legs wide open for all the world to see. I'll have a picture for you to take home with you in just a minute."

"Modest, just like his father," Talli murmured, sneaking a peek at Derek.

A leer played on Derek's lips. "Funny, that's not what you said the night he was conceived. By the way, did I happen to mention how s.e.xy you look all covered up with that paper sheet?"

Tally averted her eyes from his, hoping the technician hadn't heard their exchange.

Derek turned back to the monitor. "My son. This is amazing. I'm actually looking at my son."

Talli let out a soft grunt of pain, causing Derek to turn his startled eyes to her. "Your son has a very healthy set of arms and legs. He can pack a wallop when he wants to."

"You can feel him?" Derek asked incredulously.

"Of course. Haven't you ever felt a baby kick?" Talli was surprised at Derek's negative response. "Here, give me your hand." Taking his warm hand in her own, she placed it over the sheet. "Don't move," she advised.

Derek looked at the monitor, then down at the swell of Talli's stomach. He was just about to ask what he should be feeling for, when a small kick nudged his hand. Derek's eyes flew to Talli's. A goofy grin split his face. "That was the baby?"

Talli nodded, feeling her insides turning to mush at the look on his face. "That was your son, Derek."

His hand lingered on the telltale bulge protruding from Talli's stomach. "My son," Derek whispered in awe, his warm breath fanning her face.

Talli closed her eyes, swallowed hard and bit back her tears. Our son, she thought sadly.

(BM) CHAPTER 8.

Summer drew to a close as the days turned cooler, autumn beginning its colorful descent. Talli found herself settled into a routine that appeased both Derek and Maimie. Her activities curtailed, she felt both bored and out of sorts.

She stood in the doorway of the nursery she so lovingly decorated. Her hand trailed along the pastel blue woodwork as she moved forward into the room. Considerable time and effort had been spent to ensure everything would be perfect for the baby.

Soft, cuddly white lambs and brightly painted yellow baby chicks cavorted across the pastel blue walls, a carpet of green gra.s.s waved below. A barnyard scene covered an entire wall of the room. Billowy white balloon valances decorated the window tops, giving a feel of eternal spring. Lowering herself carefully into the bentwood rocker behind her, Talli let out a sigh.

Only a matter of months and a precious little bundle would occupy the Jenny Lind crib gracing the alcove in front of her. Kittens and puppies scampered across the white b.u.mpers, soft pastel color ties securing the pads to the crib. Her eyes drifted shut at the feel of the yet unborn life beating a restless foot race inside her stomach.

"Talli, if you're free this afternoon, why don't you come with me to the Halloween party at the Children's Castle." Derek stood quietly at the door of the nursery, his eyes taking in everything before him, yet his words soft.

She shifted forward to push herself upward out of the rocking chair and gratefully accepted Derek's outstretched hand for a.s.sistance. "I'd love to. If it's not a bother, that is."

"Not at all. I'd like you to see it." He glanced down at his watch and noted the time. "The party begins at three, think you can be ready by two-thirty?"

Talli bobbed her head up and down. "I can be ready in five minutes if I need to be." She pressed her hand across her stomach and groaned. "Well, maybe ten minutes. I have to go to the bathroom again."

Derek grinned. He was slowly getting used to Talli's frequent bathroom breaks, had even taken to counting the times she stopped the day they went shopping for the nursery furniture.

A few minutes later, Talli reappeared in the doorway, a lightweight fall jacket tossed carelessly over her arm. "I'm ready."

Talli watched as Derek greeted each child by name at the Children's Castle, his affectionate banter drawing laughs and hugs from the children as he exclaimed over their homemade Halloween costumes. She watched him cower in mock fear as a five year old "lion" growled menacingly at him.

"Mr. D, Mr. D." Five year old Sarah shrieked, launching herself like an out of control projectile at Derek, her tiny arms wrapping tightly around his neck. "I missed you," she confided solemnly to Derek, snuggling closer into his embrace.

Derek's voice lowered as he felt his eyes grow misty. "I missed you too, Sarah."

Talli watched their tender embrace. How selflessly Derek gave of his time and energy to the children.

"I've got cookies from Maimie," Derek declared to the a.s.sembled group before him. The room erupted in noisy glee, each child clamoring to be first in line. As if sensing her eyes upon him, he looked up and dropped a tender wink in her direction.

Talli felt a warm glow go through her body at his look.

"Hi. I'm Sarah." A curly topped, red-haired little girl pulled her thumb out of her mouth with a soft plop, her free hand tugging at Talli's shirt tail.

"Hi Sarah. I'm Talli."

"Ssh, we have to be very quiet. Mommy is sleeping. She gets really mad if you wake her up." Sarah placed her fingers over her mouth and pointed to the baby doll lying on the bench.

Confused, Talli glanced at the doll on the bench, then back to Sarah.

"Are you Mr. D's friend?" Sarah asked in a whisper.

"Yes. I am." Talli confirmed, watching Sarah play with her doll, talking and rocking her "mommy."

"I like Mr. D. Are you going to marry him?"

"Sarah, it's not polite to ask grownups those kind of questions. I'm sorry, Miss Paxton," Mrs. Byrd spoke softly, smiling at Sarah as she approached the pair.

Sarah instantly popped her thumb back into her mouth and started sucking vigorously. "I'm sorry," she mumbled around the protruding thumb.

Talli knelt down on the floor in front of Sarah. "You know what, Sarah? If I do marry Mr. D, you'll be the first one I tell. Now, why don't you run over there and get some of Maimie's cookies before they're all gone?" Talli warmed to the little girl, so scared and alone in the world.