Authors: Lisa Ruff
Tags: #American Light Romantic Fiction, #Romance: Modern, #Contemporary, #General, #Romance, #Romance - Contemporary, #Fiction, #Fiction - Romance, #Man-woman relationships, #Pregnant women
Baby on Board (18 page)
“Kate, I’m on my way home from LAX. The plane’s leaving right now. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He paused for a second as the flight attendant asked everyone to turn off their cell phones. “I have to hang up now. I love you, Kate.”
He pressed the off button and the screen went black. The plane rolled onto the runway as he squeezed the small, gray device in his hand. Seconds later, he was airborne. All through the flight, Patrick held the phone like a talisman. Kate and the baby had to be all right. They had to be. He closed his eyes and willed the plane to fly faster.
The hospital room was dark except for the glow of the monitors. Kate lay on her side in the high bed. Wires connecting her to the machines looked like a black web in the gloom. The small pads adhered to her stomach made her skin itch, but she ignored the irritation. Despite her tiredness and the ache in her head, she intently watched the screens at her bedside.
One in particular held her attention: the monitor for the baby’s heartbeat. Each blip was a tiny reassurance, but Kate still had both of her hands spread wide over the mound of her stomach. Every few minutes, she slid her hands to a different place, hoping to feel the quick kick or soft pat of the baby inside her. A litany, a prayer, a desperate cry ran over and over in her head:
please move.
She blinked back tears when she felt nothing.
The door opened and a figure came in quietly. Molly sat down beside the bed and laid one of her hands over Kate’s. “How are you?” she asked in a soft voice.
“She still hasn’t moved.” Kate’s eyes remained trained on the monitors.
“The doctors said the baby had a shock, Katie. That’s all. The heartbeat is still strong.” Molly squeezed her niece’s hand. “She’ll move when she’s ready.”
“I tried so hard not to fall on her, but what if—”
“Kate.” Molly lifted the hand she held and kissed it. “Don’t blame yourself. Things like this happen. She’ll be fine. Now you need to relax and rest. You’re not doing the baby any good by lying here and worrying.”
“But—”
“But nothing.” The older woman’s tone was firm. “Close your eyes and rest for a while. I’ll watch the monitors.”
Reluctantly, Kate did as she was told. She knew Molly was right, but it was so hard not to worry when the baby had not kicked or squirmed since the fall down the steps. The doctors were keeping Kate in the hospital for observation. She felt helpless, lying in bed, waiting, hoping for a sign. She shifted to a more comfortable position, pulling the pillow farther under the weight of her belly. She wished she had Patrick to rest against.
“Did you talk to him?” Kate asked, her eyes still closed.
Molly didn’t have to ask who she meant. “Not yet.”
The reply stabbed at Kate. “He’s probably halfway to Australia.”
A tear slid from her eye to dampen the pillowcase beneath her cheek. When Patrick had not returned Molly’s first call, Kate had asked her aunt to call his brother. Ian told them Patrick was already on a plane. He promised he would get a message to him whenever he could. If all else failed, he could call Chris in Melbourne who would see Patrick when he arrived at the boat.
The news lowered Kate’s spirits even further. She hadn’t caught him before he left. She wondered how long it would be before she saw him again. Maybe never. The longer he was gone, the less likely it was that she could reverse the damage her lie had made. She had smashed a thing precious beyond imagining.
“I’m sure Patrick will call when he can,” Molly assured her. “Ian will get through to him.”
“What if he doesn’t want to call?” The words burst out of Kate before she could stop them. She bit her lip and clutched her aunt’s hand tightly. “Oh, Molly. What have I done?”
Leaning over the tall bed, Molly took Kate in a warm embrace. She stroked a hand over her niece’s tousled hair and, for once, had nothing to say.
Kate nestled against the older woman, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed Patrick with her, now more than ever, but he was gone, heading for the other side of the world. She didn’t want to face the future without him. Especially a future that seemed so dark and hollow.
A
S SOON AS THE PLANE
touched down, Patrick was on the phone. He checked his voice mail and found a message from Ian waiting.
“Patty. Kate’s okay, but she slipped and fell on the steps outside her house and knocked herself out. No concussion or anything, just a bump on the head and some bruises. They’re keeping her in the hospital overnight for observation, just to be sure about the baby. I’m going to call Chris and leave the same message there.” Ian paused for a second. “Get on a plane home as soon as you can. You need to be here.”
“I’m already here, bro,” Patrick muttered to himself.
He closed the phone and waited impatiently for the plane to dock at a gate. As soon as the way was clear, he was running through the airport to the taxi stand. Once underway, he called Kate’s cell phone, but it went directly to voice mail. Molly’s did the same. He left messages on both, then called directory assistance and got through to Arundel Medical Center. No one would give him any information except that Miss Stevens was resting comfortably. They wouldn’t connect him to her room, either, since it was six-thirty in the morning.
Patrick ended the call with a muttered oath. The cab slowed to a crawl as it hit the morning commute on the beltway around Washington, D.C. Patrick tried to be patient, dialing Ian’s number.
His brother answered on the second ring. “Hey. Did you get my message? You need to get home—”
“I know,” Patrick interrupted. “I’m there, or nearly.” He rubbed his bleary eyes. Running a hand through his hair, he looked at the maddening traffic around the taxicab. “I had to fly into Dulles and I’m stuck on the beltway. Have you heard anything about Kate?”
“Not this morning. I was at the hospital last night and she was resting.”
“And the baby?”
There was a long pause. “I think it’s going to be okay.”
“What are you saying, Ian?” Patrick’s throat tightened. “Is there a problem?”
“I don’t know, Patty.” His brother sighed. “The heartbeat’s strong, but…the baby wasn’t moving last night.”
“Does that mean—”
“Don’t even think it,” Ian said forcefully. “They’re both going to be fine. The doctors are monitoring everything and they’d have told us if there was a real problem.”
Patrick sat back and ran a hand over his face. He had an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach. “I hope you’re right.”
“Me, too.”
“Look, I’m going directly to the hospital. I’ll catch up to you after I see Kate.”
“I’m going there this morning, too, with Ma and Pop. They went last night, but the doctors wouldn’t let them stay long.”
“I bet Ma loved that.”
“Pop didn’t have to drag her out of there kicking and screaming, but it was close. She had that look she gets.” Ian chuckled. “I’ll see you later.”
“See you.”
Patrick closed the phone and leaned forward to put his head in his hands. He was exhausted from lack of sleep and worry about Kate. It sickened him that he had been on a plane when this happened. Ian’s words didn’t help as they whirled around in Patrick’s head, making him even queasier. Though he couldn’t have done anything to stop the accident, he still blamed himself for being gone when it happened.
Kate might blame him, too.
For the first time since he had decided to turn around and come home, Patrick forced himself to consider the fact that Kate probably wouldn’t want him there. She had banished him from her life less than twenty-four hours ago. It was unlikely that she had suddenly changed her mind. Yes, she had fallen, but that didn’t mean she needed
him
. No one had said, “Kate wants you to come home.”
Who was with her now? Molly certainly. Steve, too? The idea burned in Patrick’s heart, but he had to admit that it was probably true. He sat up as the cab turned a sharp corner and he finally saw the hospital looming ahead. Exhaustion fell away as adrenaline surged. The cab pulled up to the front door and Patrick paid the man, adding a generous tip, then dashed through the revolving door into the lobby. He decided that it didn’t matter who had been with Kate last night. What mattered was that
he
was going to be with her now.
T
HE DOOR MADE A SOFT HUSHING
sound as it opened. Kate kept her eyes closed. She didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. She had drifted in and out of sleep during the long tortuous night, without getting any real rest. The monitors still blipped beside her, counting out the steady heartbeats. The litany in her head had softened to a gentle plea that had gone unanswered. There was still no movement from the small life she carried within her.
A callused hand stroked over her cheek, pushing her hair away from her face. Kate’s eyes flew open to see Patrick standing next to her bed. She blinked once, then twice, certain she must be dreaming.
“But you’re in Australia!” she said, bewildered.
“No, I’m not.” He smiled slightly, his silver eyes capturing hers. “I’m right here where I belong, Katie.”
With a cry of welcome, Kate reached out her arms and was wrapped in his strong embrace. His heavily whiskered face scratched her soft skin and she pressed against him harder. She couldn’t believe he had returned, that he held her.
Patrick pulled back first. He put one hand gently on her stomach, fingers spread wide. “How is she?”
Tears welled in Kate’s eyes. “I don’t know. Oh, Patrick, she hasn’t moved since I fell last night. I’m so scared that—”
“No, don’t say it,” he said, pressing a finger to her lips. “She’s just resting. That’s what we have to believe. You must have taken quite a tumble.”
“I was coming to find you, to tell you I was…” Her words trailed off as Patrick paled and closed his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“It
was
my fault,” he whispered.
“No! It was an accident.”
“But if I hadn’t left—”
“Listen to me, Patrick.” Kate cupped one bristled cheek in her hand and turned his face to hers. “It’s no one’s fault.” She swallowed hard. “I’m trying not to blame myself, either. I know it’s hard, but I’ve been thinking about it all night. You were right. Accidents happen. That’s how life goes sometimes. I can’t stop the bad things. Neither can you. We can only keep praying that she’s going to be all right.”
“She will be. She has to be.” Patrick pressed a soft kiss to her lips, then went around to the other side of the bed and dropped the steel gate. Kicking off his shoes, he tossed his jacket to the floor and climbed up onto the mattress with her. There was barely enough room, but they managed, Patrick curling around Kate and pulling her close. Once he was settled, he kissed her and fit her head onto his shoulder. A large hand caressed her belly.
Kate savored the warmth of his embrace. She felt that a piece of her had finally slid into its rightful place. With Patrick home, holding her so sweetly, she began to believe that somehow they would be all right. Whatever happened, she had a family, right here in this bed.
Pulling back a little, she searched his eyes. “Will you forgive me? I lied about marrying Steve. I haven’t even
seen
him in weeks. I thought that if I pushed you away I wouldn’t get hurt, that I’d be happier, but I wasn’t. I’m never going to be happy without you.”
Patrick took her mouth in a soft kiss. “There’s nothing to forgive. Last night, alone on that plane, I realized how much you mean to me, too. I love you, Katie. With all my heart.”
His words took her by surprise. She closed her eyes tightly for a second, then opened them to see if her fantasy had really come true. “Oh, Patrick. I love you, too.”
He kissed her again, harder this time. Kate was breathless, returning every kiss and caress, unable to believe that he forgave her and loved her.
“I wanted you here,” she whispered between kisses. “I needed you, Patrick.”
“I’m glad,” he said quietly, his eyes dark. “I was afraid you wouldn’t want me.”
“I’ll always need you with me,” Kate said. She stroked a hand across his cheek and back into his curling hair. “But I know you need to go away sometimes, too. I’ll wait for you.
We’ll
wait for you, as long as it takes.”
Their fingers laced together on top of her stomach. Just then, a hard thump hit their palms, sending a vibration through Kate’s soul. She turned wide eyes to Patrick. He looked just as shocked. Then a grin split his face. When he laughed, she joined him. Happiness flooded her, joy making her delirious. Another push from the baby inside sent tears cascading down her cheeks.
“She’s awake and happy you’re home.” Kate’s voice was thick with tears of joy.
“And she knows that’s where I’m going to stay.”
“Patrick—”
He stopped her words with a kiss. “I love you, Kate. More than
anything.
”
His mouth dropped to hers again. His kiss promised love and fidelity. It was punctuated by the small kicks from the life they had created together. Kate’s heart swelled. She would never be alone again, not as long as Patrick loved her. The future was theirs. Together.
With a splash, the anchor dropped off the bow of the boat and into the water. Patrick signaled her to reverse the engine and Kate pulled the control lever carefully. Minutes later, he gave her a thumbs-up, signaling that the anchor had dug in and she put the engine in neutral, then turned it off. The peace and quiet of the tiny anchorage was broken only by the sound of a dog barking on shore and a happy babble from the baby in a car seat across from her.
Patrick stepped into the cockpit and sat down next to Kate. He gave the baby a kiss and a tickle, making her giggle and squeal.
“What is this?” Kate complained. “I’m the one who drove us in here and she gets all the attention?”
Patrick grinned. “Piloted, sweetheart, not ‘drove.’” He kissed Kate lightly, sliding his arms around her, then drew back a little to look into her eyes. “You did a great job.”
“Thank you.” Kate preened a bit, patting herself on the back in mock congratulation.
With a laugh, Patrick hugged her close. “You deserve a reward.”
One of his hands came up to tangle in her hair, dragging her head back for a much longer, much more complicated kiss than before. Kate leaned into him, running her fingers over his shoulders, feeling the muscles flex and bunch. Her arms twined around his neck as she lost herself in his kiss and his touch. The baby’s howl brought his head up. They looked over at their daughter, frowning at them with a tear trembling on one lash.
Patrick kept one arm around Kate and reached out a finger that was immediately clasped. “Jealous, Betsy-Wetsy?”
“Don’t call her that,” Kate said, but she couldn’t help laughing at the nickname sometimes. “She’ll hate you when she’s a teenager.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” he said. “Evan will have thought of something much worse to call her by then.”
They both laughed, thinking the same thing: poor Evan.
The extremely reluctant godfather was at a complete loss around the baby. He had agreed to play the honorary role at Patrick’s request, but refused to actually have anything to do with the small, wriggling girl. He had taken one look at her, cocked a blond eyebrow and declared that he would be affectionate from a distance. A safe distance of about twenty yards.
His vow had no effect at all on his goddaughter. Elizabeth Elaine Berzani adored him. No one could figure out why, but, whenever Evan was around, the baby fussed and squirmed until he picked her up. The first time he did so, he discovered that she had a very wet diaper and he had christened her with Betsy-Wetsy.
Patrick turned back to Kate and rested his forehead against hers. “Looks like I’ll have to reward you later, when the baby’s asleep.”
A shiver slid over her skin at the promise in her husband’s eyes. “I can’t wait to get my prize,” she said with a smile.
With one final squeeze, Patrick slipped away. He rose and started coiling lines in the cockpit while Kate reached over to lift Beth from her car seat. She and her daughter had both done well today out on the water. Of course, Beth had no fears to overcome. She loved being so close to her parents and the constant rock of the boat kept her dozing most of the time.
Patrick was careful with them both, too. He and Kate had been out several times for gentle sails near the marina. Granny Elaine had been more than happy to look after her latest grandchild for an hour or two. Slowly, Kate had come to understand why Patrick loved the water so much. She didn’t think she would ever want to ride one of the beasts he was so fond of over the middle of the ocean, but she feared much less for him when he did.
His “beasts,” as she called them, weren’t quite so large these days. Patrick had given up long-distance racing, even though she had tried to talk him out of it. He told her that he needed to be at home with her and Beth more than he needed the open sea. Their argument ranged back and forth until he told her he wasn’t giving up racing completely, just the longer ones. He was now active in local one-design racing and had plans for a bid at a national title. Evan was one of his partners on the boat and they had already blasted most of the nearby competition out of the water. Kate shook her head resolutely every time Evan invited her along. His wicked grin was enough to keep her far from any boat he was sailing.
Patrick, she trusted. She had discovered he was a careful and attentive sailor at all times. Watching him move effortlessly around the boat, she was awed by his easy skill. And aroused. She had even seduced him one warm spring afternoon on the boat, much to his delight. He teased her about it often, offering, with a wink and a nudge, to take her sailing. Kate laughed and blushed and sometimes took him up on the offer.
This was their second overnight outing on the boat. The weather was perfect and the winds gentle enough that Kate felt comfortable having Beth with them. Buckled into her car seat, which was lashed to the bench in the cockpit, she wasn’t in any danger. Nonetheless, Patrick let Kate’s comfort level determine their plans. If she didn’t like the weather or seas, they stayed in harbor. She was grateful to him for that. He had turned out to be the husband she had dreamed of—the very one she had planned for all those months ago. Kate sometimes mused that if she hadn’t made her plans, they might have gotten to this happiness much sooner.
Their wedding at Christmas had been lovely and huge. Kate had focused on her new baby and let Molly and Elaine orchestrate the entire event. The two women had done a wonderful job. The entire Berzani clan attended, along with Patrick and Kate’s many friends. Kate’s father and mother had flown in for a few hours, but were gone before the cake was cut. Patrick was furious, but Kate wasn’t. She simply kissed her husband and told him she had all the family she needed now. Antonio and Elaine had chosen that moment to sweep up and claim a dance from the newlyweds. Kate laughed and mouthed a
see-I-told-you-so
to Patrick as she spun away with her new father-in-law. Patrick shook his head and led his mother out onto the floor, as well.
Steve had forgiven her and attended the wedding, too. Grateful for his kindness and deeply sorry for the hurt she had caused, she was relieved when he and Suzanne from the coffee shop hit it off at the reception and danced the night away. The pair were dating now and Steve was happier than he had ever been with Kate.
Cockpit tidy, Patrick disappeared down below. Just as Beth began to fret, he handed up a bottle of warm milk. Kate was unsurprised by his prescience. As good as he was at being a husband, he was a better father. He was usually the first up in the middle of the night, sometimes before Kate even heard Beth fuss. He also liked to take the baby with him on errands, tucking her securely in a belly pack or into the car seat in his truck and talking to her all the while.
She cuddled Beth into the crook of her arm and popped the nipple in her mouth. Unfortunately, Kate hadn’t been able to produce enough milk, so she used a bottle and formula after the first few weeks. Beth slurped down dinner as Kate leaned back with a sigh of contentment.
Patrick reappeared with an open bottle of wine and two glasses. “A bottle for the mother, too, my dear?”
Kate murmured her agreement and he poured them each a glass. Setting the bottle aside, he settled into place beside her, and Kate leaned into his embracing arm. Beth watched them both solemnly as they touched glasses, kissed and then sipped the mellow wine. The sun dropped slowly behind the trees as the boat gently rocked them.
Kate sighed and nestled closer to Patrick, feeling the joy and happiness that seemed to flood her almost every day. Love, spun as fine and beautiful as one of her glass orbs, annealed in the heat of adversity, sparkled all around them. Together, they would keep a fire burning in the crucible of their hearts, shaping and strengthening their love into a beautiful creation.
