STARTING OVER (10 page)

Kate also accepted the fact that this, very likely, would be her first, last and only child. Even if she should meet another man she could love, by the time she would be free, both emotionally and legally, to marry him, she would be too old to consider another pregnancy.

Smoothing her hands over her taut skin, Kate smiled. This baby was created from the love she felt for Doug. At least she had this one precious memory that would last, hopefully, for the rest of her life. This one child would have to be enough.

The shower didn't relax her as she had expected. Instead, her restlessness increased. She tried to lie in bed, but even her favorite television show didn't keep her interest.

Finally, giving in to her discomfort, she got up and wrapped a robe around her. The kimono-style garment barely overlapped over her belly, and the belt could only be tied in a single knot, but it covered her enough so she felt her neighbors wouldn't be horrified if they saw her outside—not that they could see her over the six-foot fence unless they were being unreasonably nosy.

It wasn't until she was standing at the patio door, looking out at the glassy surface of the pool as it sparkled in the moonlight, that she admitted what had concerned her. Her neighbor's nocturnal habits didn't matter in the least. The person who had been keeping her from resting easily was now gliding through the water, barely disturbing it as his long, muscular arms pulled his almost naked body from one end to the other, then back for lap after lap.

Kate felt the tenseness that the heated massage of the shower hadn't relieved begin to ease away. He had come back. Not only had she worried—as she always did in spite of his assurances—while he was in the air, but she was glad to see him in her pool. In the three weeks she had known him, he had spent more time in that pool than Doug had since the day it had been installed. Her husband had viewed the backyard accessory as a status symbol, something around which he could
conduct a party but not something in which he wanted to submerge. But Rusty truly enjoyed the pool itself, and she enjoyed watching him.

If there was any chance that she might have been attracted to him as a man, she would have thought her pleasure was almost voyeuristic. Instead, she told herself it was nice that the pool was being used and that Rusty had found an activity that pleased him. She wanted him happy. She wanted him to stay.

A cramp, stronger and more painful than anything she had experienced, wrenched through her body. Kate's grip tightened on the patio door handle as she waited for the discomfort to pass. As quickly as it occurred, it stopped, and Kate sucked in a deep breath. Could it be the first sign of labor? Or could it be a gastronomical reaction to the big lunch?

Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her body suddenly felt chilled inside the air-conditioned house. Knowing it would be much warmer
outside, Kate unlatched the door and slid it open. The humid night air washed over her, making her skin feel even more clammy.

Rusty didn't notice her as he continued to slide through the water. She walked to the wrought iron patio table and sat down on one of the cushioned chairs.

As he surfaced after an underwater turn at the wall, he saw her and immediately swam to the side of the pool. He shook his head, flinging a spray of water out of his hair. "Did I wake you?" he asked. "I'm sorry. I tried to be quiet."

"No, I wasn't able to sleep. Have you been here long?"

"About half an hour. Did you eat dinner?"

Kate couldn't keep from smiling; "Nag, nag, nag. Are you sure you're not my mother in disguise?"

He braced his arms against the row of bricks that surrounded the pool and levered his body out of the water. The clear, glistening liquid streamed off his broad torso and down his long, athletic legs. "Do I look your mother? If I do, then she's one husky unattractive female," he said with a laugh.

The thought registered that there was no way her petite, slightly plump mother could be hidden behind the firm, tanned flesh of his tall form. She opened her mouth to flash back a teasing response, but instead of words coming out, a sharp gasp sucked in. Another pain, more intense and longer than the last one, twisted through her, and she wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"Kate? Are you okay?" Rusty crossed the last few feet of patio in record time and knelt in front of her.

"I'm . . . I'm not sure," she answered breathlessly.

"Oh my gosh, you're having the baby!" He leaped to his feet and paced in a tight circle as he muttered a string of curses she had never heard him use.

"I don't . . . know why you're . . . so upset," she panted. "You're not the one who has to have . . . this baby."

That didn't seem to calm him much. "Where's my watch?" he asked while reaching for his jeans and rummaging through the pockets.

"Why? Do you have a late night dentist appointment?" The pain had eased, and she was able to sit up and breathe normally again.

"Of course not. I thought maybe we should start timing the contractions or something."

"I thought you didn't know anything about birthing babies, and here you are talking like a pro," she teased. Now that the cramp had stopped, she was amused at his flustered actions.

He looked up and must have noticed the twinkle in her eye, because he flashed her a sheepish grin. "I don't have the faintest idea why I should time the contractions. But they always do that in the movies, so I assumed it was a necessary step."

Kate bit her lip as her muscles tightened in response to another agonizing spasm. "No, I think the only absolutely necessary step I need to take right now is toward the hospital. Do you think you're capable of driving me there?"

He jerked his clothes on over his wet swimsuit, helped her walk to his truck, then returned to the house for the suitcase she had prepared and her purse. As he backed the truck out of the driveway and screeched down the street toward the business section of town, he shouted, "Where the heck is the hospital? It's one of the places I haven't had an occasion to visit since I've been here."

"My doctor isn't in this area. I'm preregistered at the Women's Hospital in Houston."

"Houston! Good Lord, that's about fifty miles from here. I should have taken you in the helicopter. We could have landed on their roof, and—"

"Calm down. I don't think there's any reason to hurry. I've always heard that first babies take their time coming into this world." She gritted her teeth, swallowing back a groan so he wouldn't notice that she was having another contraction. He seemed to be taking them worse than she was.

For almost an hour they streaked through the darkness. At that time of night there was almost no traffic on the four-lane highway until they got close to Houston's city limits.

"Oh no," Kate muttered. "I forgot to call my doctor. But I suppose he'll be able to make it to the hospital before the baby arrives if the nurse calls him as soon as we arrive...." In spite of her efforts to hide her pain, the sentence faded into a muffled moan.

Rusty cast a worried glance in her direction and pushed a little harder on the accelerator.

The nurse on duty at the emergency room desk took control of the situation from the instant Rusty and Kate walked into the hospital.

"Don't worry about a thing. I'll call your doctor's answering service. He's out of town, but his associate will be on his way as soon as we let him know it's getting close." The nurse pushed a wheelchair up to where Kate was sitting. "Now come with me, honey. Your husband can stay in the waiting room until we check things out and see if this is a false alarm or the real thing."

"But he's not..." Kate tried to explain, but a contraction that reached a new level of agony struck her silent.

A few minutes later, the nurse ushered Rusty into the birthing room. "I'll check back often. Just call me if your water breaks or if you want something for the pain," she said before leaving them alone.

"I suppose this means it isn't a fire drill," Rusty remarked as he approached the bed.

"No, it's the real thing." She tried to chuckle, but it sounded as weak as she was feeling. "It's the first time I've been early for anything in my whole life."

"I called your mom. She said to call her back as soon as it's born, and she'll be on the first plane to Houston."

"Thanks," Kate whispered.

"I probably shouldn't be in here with you. I think they only allow family members. Is there someone else you'd like me to call to go into delivery with you?"

She reached out and grasped his hand as another pain rippled from the bottom of her stomach and down the birth canal. No longer able to stifle the moans, she squeezed her eyes closed and tried to count the seconds until the contraction ended. They were definitely longer and closer together.

Kate felt
Rusty's fingers grip hers as if he were trying to pass some of his strength to her.

"I tried to tell them you weren't my husband, but that nurse hustled me in here so quickly, I didn't have a chance." She realized she had been squeezing his fingers tightly enough to cut off the circulation. Reluctant to let go of his hand, she loosened her grip but didn't release it entirely. "I
know this is asking a lot of our friendship, especially since we've known each other less than a month, but..." She paused and took a deep, shaky breath before continuing. "Would you consider staying here with me? I think I'd be braver with you . . . and there's no one else. I need you."

Her eyes were glazed with fear and pain. Her face was pale except for vivid spots of color splashed across her cheekbones. Her hand was incredibly small and delicate in his, and he could feel the trembling that shook her. Of course he would stay. How could he leave her at a time when she needed him the most?

With his free hand, he pushed her hair off her forehead. "I don't know how much good I'll be, but I'll stick around as long as you want me to."

"Thanks...." Her grip tightened and the muscles in her jaw clenched as she weathered another barrage.

He waited until she relaxed again before asking, "Aren't you supposed to be panting or something? Did you take Lamaze classes?"

"No. After Doug's death I didn't want to go alone, then . . . well, I just never went."

"I wish I had," Rusty muttered, frustrated that he couldn't relieve her. He watched her brace herself for the next contraction, and he wished he could absorb some of her agony.

The nurse returned, checked the baby's position and Kate's progress. "You're getting close, but it'll be a while longer, honey. It helps if you breathe like this." She demonstrated the panting technique Rusty had mentioned. "I'll be back soon."

Rusty lost track of the time. It seemed like days instead of hours as he sat next to her bed, panting and relaxing with her as if he, too, were experiencing the labor. Except Rusty knew he could never imagine the pain she was going through. It was wearing her out, making her weak. But she couldn't rest. The contractions were almost continuous.

"Where's that nurse?" He rose to his feet, intending to find the woman and drag her back to the room and demand that she do something to ease Kate's torture.

But a stifled groan brought him immediately back to Kate's side. "It's going to be okay, Katie. It can't last much longer."

Her fingernails dug into his arm. "Something's wrong. I just know it. Why doesn't the baby come out?"

Rusty was torn between getting help and staying with Kate. He couldn't remember ever feeling so helpless. He had no idea how it had happened, but this woman had pulled him into her life. His carefree detachment, which had served him well in the past, somehow was ineffectual around her. From the moment he met her, he cared. At first his feelings were like a brother for a sister, then gradually they evolved into friend to friend. Now he was witnessing the most intimate, exciting, emotional moment of her life, and the feelings he was experiencing were more possessive and compassionate than usually resulted from a friendship.

The door opened, and a doctor walked into the room. His manner was unhurried but efficient as he examined her. "Hello, Mrs. Cramer . . . and Mr. Cramer," he added with barely a glance in
Rusty's direction. It seemed pointless to explain the mistake, so Rusty merely nodded as the doctor continued, "I'm Dr. Clint Blake, and I'm going to be delivering your baby."

"Soon?"
Kate asked, her voice containing both hope and skepticism.

"Yes, soon. You're fully dilated, and I believe your little one is about to put in an appearance. Now don't go anywhere while I get the anesthesiologist and have the nurse finish prepping you."

"Medical humor, I suppose," Rusty grunted, unamused. "Exactly where does he think you're going to go?"

The anesthesiologist arrived, introduced himself,
then began the blessed task of dulling her pain for the delivery procedure. The shot took effect immediately, and Rusty could feel her muscles relax beneath his tense touch.

"I know this isn't how you planned on spending your evening," she said, her eyes clearer and more focused than they had been for hours, "Staying for the delivery is above and beyond the call of duty, and I'd understand if you wanted to leave now."

He studied her intently, searching for a clue as to whether she wanted him to stay or to leave. Her smile was shaky but sincere. However, behind the bravado he sensed a vulnerability, a forlornness that made him decide to remain by her side. This was not something she should have to go through alone, and although it was true that witnessing a childbirth had never been high on his priority list, he could do it for her.