Dr Di Angelo's Baby Bombshell by Janice Lynn

her.
    â€œI’m worried about Mom.”
    Both relief and concern filled Darby. “What about her?”
    â€œShe’s not been herself for the past few days.”
    â€œBecause of her shingles, you mean?”
    Jim scratched his blond head. “Maybe. I’m not a doctor, but I think something more is going on than her rash.”
    â€œWhat makes you think that?”
    â€œShe hasn’t acted right.”
    â€œIn what way?”
    â€œI’ve seen her pressing her hand to her chest and wincing.”
    His words caused Darby to wince. Her mother was having chest pain? “What does she say?”
    â€œThat she’s fine, and I should mind my own business.”
    Sounded just like Nellie Phillips.
    â€œI’ll talk to her and see if I can convince her to go in for a check-up on Monday.”
    â€œI’d appreciate it. Dad doesn’t say much, but I can tell he’s concerned, too. Yesterday she had to come inside and lay down for a while.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œYep, and she’s been snapping at him.”
    Her mother didn’t snap. She gave orders, expected them to be obeyed, and tolerated no disobeying.
    â€œI’ll corner her before Blake and I leave and find out what’s going on as best as I can.”
    â€œWhat’s going on with you and this guy, sis? I like him, but there’s something about him that doesn’t sit well.”
    â€œIt’s probably just because he’s dating your baby sister.”
    â€œPossibly.” Jim glanced toward where Blake sat, surrounded by the Phillips womenfolk. “Are you serious about him?”
    How did she answer? She couldn’t lie to Jim. Not directly. “He’s my business partner. Would I risk messing up our partnership if I wasn’t serious about him?”
    Her brother’s mouth twisted and his gaze went back to Blake. “Possibly,” he repeated. “With what happened with Trey, I don’t want to see you hurt.”
    Darby swallowed. Her whole life wasn’t measured by what had happened with Trey. Sure, she hadn’t trusted a man until Blake, and that had taken years, but that was because she’d learned a valuable lesson, not because she’dbeen traumatized by Trey’s betrayal. “That was over ten years ago.”
    â€œTen years in which I’ve not seen you with another guy.”
    She’d dated. Rarely, and never for long enough to get close to any of them, but she had dated.
    â€œWe live in different states. You don’t know how many guys I’ve been with.” At Jim’s scowl, she added, “Besides, Blake’s a good guy. The best.”
    Her oldest brother shot another uneasy glance toward where Blake sat with the Phillips women. “He seems crazy about you.”
    Crazy being the key word.
    Â 
    Darby snapped her seatbelt and kept her smile pasted onto her face. No doubt lots of eyeballs stared out the front windows. She’d wait until they were out of sight before she tore into Blake, possibly dismembering him and tossing him into one of the chicken barns for what he’d done.
    â€œThat went well.”
    Darby inwardly scowled at the pleased-with-himself man pulling out of her parents’ driveway. Was he insane?
    Her entire family now expected her to announce that Blake was “the one”, they were getting hitched, planned to buy the old Donahue place down near the lake, set up practice, and raise a family of their own.
    She glanced into the side mirror to make sure her brothers hadn’t jumped into a pick-up and followed them. Not only were there no headlights, but she could barely see the house or the four long barns off in the distance.
    â€œI’m going to strangle you,” she warned, curling her fingers into tight fists.
    â€œI thought I did better than that.”
    â€œBetter? There was no reason to put on a show in front of my parents, my family. You acted like a