The Army Doctor's Wedding (7 page)

George tripped and was straight
back up, chasing after the ball, grass stains on his knees. He was such a
bright, brave little boy, a credit to Olivia and Radley. He might carry
Cameron's genes but Radley was George's father in every way that mattered.

The familiar blend of guilt,
longing, and resentment stirred in his chest, but faded much faster than usual.
This visit he was simply pleased to see how happy his son was. Many times he
had wished he'd been a father to George, but that would have meant marrying
Olivia. She was a beautiful woman and a wonderful mother, but not right for
him.

You would never catch Olivia
doing something daring like working with nomads in the desert as Alice had. Not
many young women would. He admired Alice's courage and willingness to take
risks to help others. He understood it.

He passed the ball to George and
glanced up at the back of Radley's house, at the bedroom windows. Alice was up
there with Sami.
His wife and adopted son
. The thought sent a flash of
warmth and satisfaction through him. He had a chance to prove to his parents he
was not still the irresponsible, selfish son who shirked his responsibilities.
Alice and Sami needed him in a way he understood and could help with.

"Hey, Rad. Think I should go
up and make sure Alice and Sami have everything they need."

His brother kicked the ball
farther away and George dashed after it, his little legs pumping as if he were
in a race. Radley came closer. "Your news surprised me. It was a bit sudden
between you and Alice. You've only known each other a few weeks."

"It only took you a few
weeks to fall in love with Olivia."

Radley nodded thoughtfully.
"Point taken. But we didn't marry straight away."

When Radley gave him an
is-there-something-you're-not-telling-me look, Cameron glanced down. His
brother had always been too perceptive.

"You know how everything
seems different in a conflict zone, more urgent." He didn't want to tell
his brother he had only married Alice so they could adopt Sami. He wanted his
relatives to treat Alice and Sami as though they were really part of the
family. Being a husband and father roused his protective instincts. He liked
that they needed him. For the first time he understood why Radley was so
devoted to his family.

George dashed back, the ball
hugged to his chest. Radley gave his son a wry smile. "You're supposed to
dribble the ball back with your feet, pal. Picking it up is against the
rules."

"You kicked it too far away,
Daddy."

Both men chuckled.

George tossed the ball at
Cameron's feet. "Play with me, Uncle Cam."

Cameron crouched down to the
boy's level. "I need to go inside and see Alice and Sami. You haven't said
hello to them yet, but you'll see them later. Sami's very tiny; he's only a few
weeks old." He wanted George to like Sami and Alice. He wanted a photo of
George holding Sami to keep on his mobile phone.

"Will you play with me some
more later?"

"Sure thing." Cameron
ran a hand over George's head of thick dark hair, so like his own, and rose to
his feet.

He headed inside, a flutter of
nerves in his belly. He hadn't been nervous around a woman for years, yet the
moment he'd married Alice he'd started feeling like a teenager trying to summon
the courage to ask a girl out. Crazy, when she was his wife.

He sat on the second stair,
pulled off his boots, then climbed to the next floor. One of the bedroom doors
stood open. Inside, Olivia cooed softly to a baby.

"Hey, Livi, which room am I
staying in?" he asked.

"This one. Come in."
She had a bottle in her hand and leaned over a white lacy bassinet smiling at
Sami. "I sent Alice to shower and change. I was going to feed Sami but I
really need to go downstairs and get on with preparing dinner." She held
out the bottle.

Cameron had watched Alice feed
Sami numerous times, but had never done so himself. "Okay, I can do
that." He put the bottle on a table beside an easy chair and picked up the
tiny boy, now dressed in a blue all-in-one suit with little yellow ducks on it.
"Hey there, Sami. You hungry, bud?"

Under Olivia's watchful gaze, he
sat with Sami cradled in his arm and put the nipple in the baby's mouth. A
smile stretched his lips as the baby latched on and sucked hard.

"Boy, he's hungry,"
Olivia said with a laugh.

"He always is." Cameron
grinned down at the baby, pride swelling inside him. Sami was his son now, his
responsibility. It was a great feeling.

He barely noticed Olivia leave
the room he was so busy watching Sami, his tiny hands flexing as he sucked.

"You're a good boy,
Samikins. I like your ducky romper suit. You look real cute, you know. I bet
Alice thinks you're cute as well."

"You both look cute
together." He was so engrossed in the baby, Alice startled him.

His gaze jumped to the doorway.
Alice's damp blonde hair tumbled over her shoulders, a fluffy white towel
wrapped around her body. Her eyes were so blue against her tanned skin. She
appeared beautiful and fragile, her cast covered in a plastic wrap. It was hard
to believe this was the same woman he'd found in the desert.

Sami finished his bottle and
released the nipple. Cameron shifted the baby to his shoulder and rubbed his
back to burp him. "I wanted to make sure you had everything you
need," he said, glancing away from Alice, suddenly aware she wore only a
towel and he'd been staring.

"Olivia loaned me some
clothes. Trouble is, she's about six inches taller than me." She sat on
the end of the bed and rested her cast on her knees.

"I better get out of here. I
expect you want to get dressed." In the hospital, Cameron knew exactly
what he was supposed to do. He had a purpose. Here he was uncertain how to
treat Alice.

"That's okay. I can wait a
few minutes. It's good to see you feeding Sami. I'd like you to spend more time
with him."

"You would?" Cameron
was surprised. He always got the impression Alice wanted Sami all to herself.

"Yes, it's good for him to
get used to a man. He must sense we're different."

"I guess." Cameron
finished burping Sami and laid him gently in his bassinet.

Water from Alice's wet hair
dripped down her shoulders. She grabbed a folded towel off the end of the bed
and tried to dry her hair one-handed.

"Let me."

"Let you what?"

"Dry your hair."

Alice's eyes widened but when he
reached for the towel, she released it. He sat on the bed beside her. She
turned and he gathered the long blonde strands into the towel and rubbed,
moving up to massage her scalp dry with the soft fabric.

Gradually her shoulders relaxed.
Her breath hissed out on a sigh of pleasure. The room fell silent except for
Sami's soft exhalations and the occasional sound of voices in the garden. After
the busy field hospital, it seemed strange being alone together in a private
room where nobody would intrude on them.

The side of Cameron's little
finger brushed Alice's shoulder. He repeated the move, enjoying the contact
with her smooth, warm skin. Long after he had done the job, he continued
stroking her head with the towel, inhaling the floral fragrance of her hair.

"You're tense. Let me help
you relax," he whispered, his voice gruff.

The wet towel hit the floor and
he gathered the damp strands of her hair aside to massage her neck and
shoulders. He wanted to touch her, to help her relax, to hear her breath rush
out as his fingers stroked her skin.

He wanted this to be a real
marriage.

Chapter Seven

Alice's eyelids drifted down as Cameron's fingers worked
magic on her weary muscles. Heat tingled through her and warmed her skin.

She should stop him. It was one
thing letting him dry her hair. A massage was another matter. Yet she couldn't
bring herself to murmur a word when his touch made her melt inside.

Was he really only being kind,
helping her relax because her arm was in a cast? She might almost think he was
enjoying this. Yet she wouldn't ask in case she made a fool of herself.

"I've been thinking,"
he said.

"Aha." Her murmur came
out soft and throaty.

"I think you might be stuck
with me for longer than you intended."

She frowned, her thoughts chasing
around, trying to make sense of things in her hazy, pleasure-filled mind.
"What do you mean?"

"We need to stay married
until the adoption is ratified over here. I'm the one who signed the adoption
papers in Sami's country of birth."

His words jerked Alice back to
the moment. She opened her eyes and stared at the white lacy bassinet. He was
right. In her mind, she had adopted Sami, but Cameron's signature was on the
forms not hers.

All her youth her father had
tried to control her by taking away the things she wanted or needed. One day he
had locked up all her shoes so she couldn't go out. Defiantly, she'd gone out
barefoot to show him she wouldn't be controlled like her mother.

Once she left home, she intended
to never get in the position where a man had power over her that way. Now
Cameron held control of the most precious thing in her life. She bit her lip,
the pleasure of his touch fading.

With a flash of disquiet, she
rose to her feet. "Thanks. That did help." Her brisk tone sounded
anything but grateful.

"You don't need to worry. I
won't let you down. I know how important Sami is to you. Together we'll make
sure you get to keep him." He firmed his lips, his expression determined.

Was she worrying over nothing?
Cameron had been helpful and dependable so far. She had no reason to think he
would let her down now. He had already gone far beyond the call of duty by
marrying her in the first place. He was nothing like her father.

"So we need to stay married
until the adoption is finalized," she said. "That might take six
months."

Cameron nodded. "Longer
probably." Uncertainty flashed across his face.

Did he regret being tied to her
for so long? Perhaps he would miss having a girlfriend?

"Is it going to be a problem
for you, being married to me?"

He frowned.

She wasn't making herself clear.
Alice sucked in a breath and tried again. "I don't want our arrangement to
restrict you. If you want to go out on dates, you should."

His brows drew down in obvious
annoyance. "That hasn't even occurred to me."

"Okay." Alice chewed
her finger. Something was definitely troubling him. If it wasn't that, she had
no idea what was on his mind. "I'm happy to keep pretending for as long as
it takes to make the adoption legal."

"Do we have to
pretend?"

Now she was confused again. Had
he changed his mind? "So you do want an annulment?" she asked
tentatively.

His breath whooshed out in
frustration. "No. I want to give the marriage a shot. Make it real."

"Real!" Alice's voice
came out as a squeak.

Cameron's beautifully sculpted
lips flattened with displeasure. "Is that such a terrible
suggestion?"

"Not terrible. No. Of course
not." Surprising, though.

He rose to his feet in front of
her, and his hands settled on either side of her waist.

"If we're going to make this
real, we need to get to know each other properly." His fingers lifted to
raise her chin. She looked up into the warm depths of his brown eyes, and the breath
stalled in her throat.

"Who knows," he said,
his voice husky and soft. "We might find we're good together."

Then he leaned down and pressed
his firm, warm lips against hers.

***

Alice walked slowly down the stairs, the handle of Sami's
carry seat in her good hand. The rumble of male voices from the kitchen sent a
flash of nerves through her.

She hadn't seen Cameron since the
previous evening. She'd wound herself in knots of anticipation as bedtime
approached, expecting him to sleep in the bed with her. Then after dinner he
had announced he needed to visit his lodgings to get his belongings. As it was
late he would sleep there and return this morning.

He was obviously back.

She put down Sami's seat, checked
her face in the hall mirror, and smoothed creases from the green dress Olivia
had loaned her. It was baggy around the bust and too long. The weight had
dropped off Alice during her work with the nomads. Half the time she'd had a
bad stomach. When she didn't, the food was less than appealing. They ate all
parts of an animal including the brain, eyes, feet, and other unmentionable
bits that she just couldn't bring herself to eat.

The trouble was she'd always had
a boyish figure; now she had barely any shape. Certainly not the sort of
womanly curves a man liked. At least the bruises on her face had faded and her
nose had returned to normal size.

Male laughter burst from the
kitchen, and her heart stuttered. She picked up Sami's carry seat and headed
down the hallway. She was comfortable with Cameron when she wasn't worrying
about the sleeping arrangements, and Radley seemed like a nice guy. What
strummed Alice's nerves was the thought of meeting Cameron's father. A powerful
man like Major General Knight would surely be out of the same mold as her
father. For men like that, dominating women came as second nature.

Pasting on a smile, she walked
into the kitchen, her gaze immediately drawn to Cameron. He sat at the table
with George on his lap. They both stared at the screen of a tablet device,
obviously engrossed in a game.

"Morning, Alice. How did you
sleep?" Olivia's jaunty greeting meant Alice had to drag her attention
away from Cameron.

"Very well, thank you. It
was pure luxury to sleep in a proper bed."

Radley also sat at the table,
Emma beside him in a high chair. He spooned fruit puree into the pretty little
girl's open mouth.

"She's like a baby
bird." Olivia laughed. "At least our children eat well."

Alice only half listened,
distracted as her gaze strayed back to Cameron. He kissed the top of George's head
and ruffled his hair. He plainly adored the boy and she could see why. Bright
as a button and sweet natured, George looked up and grinned at her. He looked
so much like Cameron, but that wasn't surprising as Cameron and Radley were so
alike.

Cameron lifted George, stood, and
placed the child back on the chair he'd vacated. He rounded the table, relieved
her of Sami's chair, and set the baby carrier on the table. Faded denim jeans
clung to Cameron's hips and he wore a striped dress shirt with the sleeves
folded up to the elbows. It was the first time she had ever seen him out of
army uniform. She liked what she saw.

He took her hand and stepped
closer, lowering his mouth to her ear. "Sorry for deserting you last
night. Was everything all right with Sami?"

His warm breath sent a shivery
sensation racing through her. Distracted, it took her a moment to gather her
thoughts to answer.

"All fine. Sami got me up
about six for a bottle. He'll be ready for another soon, I guess."

Cameron turned and leaned over
the baby carrier, wiggling his finger in Sami's palm until the baby gripped his
digit. "Hey, little man, you hungry again?" He cast an amused glance
at Alice as Sami wedged his fist in his mouth and started sucking.

"The rate he's going he'll
double his weight in no time," Alice quipped, trying to ignore the
thumping of her heart. Cameron still held her hand, his fingers absently
stroking her palm. Part of her wished he would let go so she could think.

He dropped her hand and she
immediately missed his touch. She should be careful what she wished for.

"My turn to feed him, I
think." Cameron headed for the bottle sterilizer to prepare the baby's
milk.

"Sit down and have some
breakfast." Olivia pushed boxes of cereal nearer Alice's place setting on
the table. "We've all eaten. I hope you don't mind that we didn't wait. I
needed to get on with preparing lunch. Radley's parents will arrive soon."

Alice had just poured some muesli
in a bowl and added milk. At the thought of meeting Radley and Cameron's
parents, her appetite deserted her.

"Don't worry, they won't
bite," Radley said, obviously catching her expression.

"Mum will love Sami,"
Cameron added, coming back with a full baby bottle. He lifted Sami and sat with
the baby cradled in his arm and put the nipple in his mouth.

"Sandra and George are
really nice." Olivia placed a rack of toast in front of Alice with some
butter and spreads. "They both love children."

She met Cameron's reassuring
gaze. Her nerves abated but didn't go away. His relatives had welcomed her, but
it was impossible to shake off her fear. Growing up with her father had
conditioned her to expect the worst of men. Cameron had shown her some men were
considerate and trustworthy. But older men, men in positions of authority and
power, still made her wary.

***

"Hello. We're here." A woman's voice from the
hallway made Alice turn from the salad she prepared at the kitchen counter,
while Olivia finished up the beef burgers and chicken kebabs for their
celebratory barbecue.

"That's Sandra, Cameron's
mother," Olivia said, grabbing a tea towel to wipe her hands.

Alice followed Olivia out the
kitchen door and halted beside the stairs. An attractive older woman in a
floral sundress and sandals with dark hair and glasses turned to greet Cameron
as he came out of the games room, where the boys had been playing snooker.

Ordinary in a nice way, she was
relaxed and confident without being too primped. Unlike Alice's mother who
either resembled a fashion model or a train wreck.

"Cameron, darling, it's so
good to have you home in one piece." His mother threw her arms around him
and hugged tightly, then took half a step back and examined him critically,
smoothing her hand across his cheek. "You're very tanned."

"It's hot there, Mum."

"I know. I hope you're
careful not to overdo the sun."

Cameron and Radley exchanged
long-suffering looks, and he squeezed his mother's shoulders. "I'm old
enough to look after myself now, you know."

"You'll always be my little
boy. I worry about you."

She turned as George raced out of
the room, and scooped him up. "How's the birthday boy?"

"Have you got me a birthday
present, Grandma?"

Glancing over her shoulder,
Sandra checked the open front door. "Granddad will bring it in when he's
finished fiddling with the car. He thought he heard a noise in the engine, so
goodness knows how long he'll have his head under the hood. Not that he has a
clue what he's looking at. Engines have never been his thing." The casual
way Sandra talked about her husband gave Alice goose bumps. Her mother wouldn't
dream of criticizing her father in front of others.

Sandra hugged Radley next,
patting his cheek affectionately, then it was Olivia's turn for a kiss. Alice
waited in the shadows beside the stairs, poignant emotions filling her. This
was the sort of family life she had dreamed of when she was a little girl.

"Where's my little sweetie
girl?" Sandra glanced around.

"Emma's napping,"
Olivia said. "I'll get her up in a few minutes."

Sandra's curious gaze found
Alice, clearly surprised to see a stranger. "Hello, there."

"Hello, Mrs. Knight. It's
lovely to meet you."

Cameron threaded his way through
the group to Alice's side and put his arm around her waist. "Mum, this is
Alice Conway, the woman who rescued the baby."

"Oh, my goodness, George
mentioned he arranged an emergency visa for an injured newborn. You're very
welcome here, Alice. I can only imagine how terrifying it must be over
there." Her gaze settled on the cast covering Alice's arm. "I admire
you for being so brave." She stepped forward and kissed Alice's cheek.

Alice returned the brief embrace
awkwardly. "Sami wasn't injured. He just has a cleft lip. Cameron says
it's easily fixed."

"Over here it's routine. Do
you have the little one with you?" Sandra's eyes gleamed in anticipation.

"He's in the kitchen."

Before Alice could say more,
Sandra hurried down the hall. Alice followed, the rest of the family on her
heels.

"Oh, he's a darling,"
Sandra exclaimed, leaning over the baby seat.

Sami's intelligent brown eyes
tracked the movement of the people crowding around him. He flapped his arms and
kicked his legs, grunting with excitement.

"Would you like to hold
him?" Alice asked, already unfastening her baby from his seat, sure of
Sandra's answer.

"Absolutely." Sandra
lifted Sami against her chest and rocked him gently. "You are adorable. Do
you know that, little one?" She glanced up. "Did you say his name is
Sami?"

Alice nodded. Sandra was such an
easy person to talk to and be around. The nerves that had plagued Alice all
morning faded.

"I adopted him."
Alice's love for Sami bubbled up, making her grin. Sandra would understand her
feelings. "He's such a good little boy. I can't believe how lucky I am to
have been there in the right place at the right time to save him."

Cameron moved to her side and she
grasped his hand enthusiastically. "Cameron was wonderful. I don't know
what I'd have done without him."

Cameron's arm slid around her
waist and she leaned into him, basking in the warm glow of this close, loving
family.