The Millionaire and the M.D. (16 page)

“Hi, kiddo. How are you?”

“Fine.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

His father came forward and shook his hand, urging him farther into the room. “It's good of you to come by.”

There was no judgment in the words, but Gabe still felt guilty. He looked at his sister. “I'm sorry I haven't been to see you sooner.”

She shrugged. “No big deal.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“You've been busy. I understand.” She clutched the bundle in her arms tighter to her chest.

They'd grown close since she'd insinuated herself into his life. He hated this distance and wanted back what they'd started to build.

“It wasn't because of work. It's me. I've been going through some stuff—” He stopped when he saw movement from the blanket in her arms. Suddenly he saw an impossibly small fist waving in the air. Then there was a series of squeaks and grunts followed by a newborn cry.

The pitifully weak wails of his daughter were carved forever into his mind and heart and he knew the difference. This child was healthy and strong, full of life.

“It's because of Lilly, isn't it?” Amy asked.

He met her gaze and nodded because he didn't think he could get words past the lump in his throat.

“I'm so sorry, Gabe,” she said. “I didn't mean to bring back bad memories for you.”

“I know you didn't,” he said quickly. “It's not your fault. It's just—” he remembered Rebecca's words “—fate.”

His father put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Fate has not been kind to you, son.”

He glanced from the sympathy on his father's face to the guilt on his sister's. “It hasn't been kind to any of us Thornes.”

“It pretty much sucks,” she admitted. “But thanks to Rebecca I've been talking to a crisis counselor here at Mercy Medical and things feel a little better.” She glanced at their father. “Dad has made arrangements for me to see someone at home, too.”

Gabe stood at the foot of her bed and folded his arms over his chest. “Sounds like a good idea.”

“I'm also going to get my GED and apply to colleges. Dad's going to help me,” she added.

It was almost as if she was telling him she didn't need him any longer. Telling him she was sorry she'd inconvenienced him. And he felt like the world's biggest jerk.

“Look, Amy, I know you came to me because you didn't believe you had anywhere else to go. I wish you'd never felt that way. I wish I could go back and have a do over. I wish I could have gotten it right the first time.”

“It's okay, Gabe—”

“No, it's not.” He moved beside the bed and looked down at her. He watched her take the tiny waving hand tenderly into her own and saw the love in her eyes for this baby that she hadn't wanted. He knew Rebecca was right about miracles. His family had finally gotten one within the walls of Mercy Medical Center.

“I've been a complete ass.”

“Not complete,” she said, one corner of her mouth curving up. “Only half.”

“Okay.” He laughed. “From now on, we talk things over that are bothering us. Deal?”

She nodded. “That's what I'm learning. Rebecca said she's still learning, too.”

Hearing her name made his chest go tight. He remembered the disappointment in her eyes when she'd left his office last night. He'd let her down and despised himself for that.

“Learning is good.” He glanced down at the infant and finally let himself really look at the baby's face. “I think he's got your chin.”

Amy beamed down at her baby. “That's what Rebecca said.”

Gabe remembered. Just before she'd insisted Amy hold the little guy—He didn't even know what she was going to call the child. “Have you picked out a name?”

“Matthew Gabriel.” When his gaze locked with hers, doubt crept in. “I hope that's okay.”

“Better than okay,” he said, and heard his voice crack.

“Do you want to hold him?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yeah.”

“He's small, but Rebecca says he's tough,” she said, gently settling the baby in his arms when he leaned down.

Gabe snuggled the tiny, warm body close and marveled at the wonder of new life. His nephew. His family. He could almost feel his heart start up again, as if he'd been existing in suspended animation. This child wasn't the only one with new life. Gabe felt as if he'd been given another chance to live.

He wasn't sure what to do with that information since he'd made such a mess of everything with Rebecca. But come hell or high water he felt whole again, and she was the one who'd put him back together.

“So what do you think of your namesake?” his father asked, staring at the infant who was quietly looking up at Gabe.

“He's definitely a Thorne.”

“If it wasn't for you, Gabe—” Amy stopped and caught her top lip between her teeth. “I can't thank you enough for what you did for me.”

“It wasn't anything really,” he said, fascinated by the tiny being in his arms.

“That's not true. You took me in. You took care of me. You found Rebecca.” She took a deep breath. “If not for her, Matthew might not be here. Or me for that matter.”

As it turned out, she had saved his sister's life, too. “The doc is pretty special.”

“I owe her a lot. And I owe my big brother.” Amy's eyes filled with tears.

“What is family for?” he said, looking down at her, then her child in his arms.

“Hi—” Rebecca walked in the room and stopped when she saw him holding the baby. “I didn't expect to see—” She glanced around. “I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll come back—”

“Don't go,” Carleton said. “Were your ears burning?”

“Excuse me?”

“We were just talking about you.”

“Oh?” Her glance touched each of them, then settled on Gabe and the baby. She smiled brightly, but it was her doctor face in place and didn't do anything to dispel the sadness in her eyes. “Should I be afraid?”

“Hardly. You are quite the heroine.” His father put an arm around her. “We've decided the Thorne family owes you a great deal.”

“No. It's my job.” She looked at Amy. “And how are you?”

“Can Matthew and I go home?”

“After I check you over one more time, I'll sign your discharge orders.” She looked at Gabe, then his father. “Gentlemen? If we could have some privacy?”

“Of course.” His dad walked to the doorway. “I need to talk to Gabe, anyway.”

Gabe settled little Matthew on his back in the isolette. He didn't want to leave. Partly because the family connection felt good. Partly because he hadn't seen that angry look in his father's eyes or heard that irritated tone in his voice since he'd been a rowdy teen picked up by the cops for underage drinking.

But mostly because he didn't want to leave Rebecca. And how much he didn't want to leave her scared the hell out of him more than his father ever could.

G
abe stood in the hall beside his father. They leaned against the wall and stared at the door to his sister's room for a few moments while hospital personnel walked back and forth. They were transporting patients in wheelchairs or moving beds or pushing sophisticated machinery that would give them information so vital to the treatment process. Miracles happened at Mercy Medical, and he'd just left one on the other side of that door.

The truth was he hadn't wanted to let go of the baby. It had felt so good to hold life in his arms and he missed the warmth. Rebecca was in there, too, and he missed her even more. He'd been missing her for a while now and was too stubborn to admit it.

He couldn't eat. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't work.

“So how are things at T&O Construction?” his father asked.

Someday he was going to have to ask the man how he did that, but not today. He was pretty sure his father wanted to discuss something Gabe didn't really want to think about, let alone talk about. Right now the opportunity to talk about anything besides his own personal issues looked pretty damn good. So, work it was.

His father was still a limited partner in the business; it made sense he'd want to know how the project was going.

“Things are good,” he answered. “The hospital expansion is on schedule and under budget, although with the rising cost of gas and materials that could change.”

“But you figured a generous profit margin into the bid.”

Gabe nodded. “The most significant revenue yield will be on the next campus for this hospital group. Adding on to this building was the best strategy to get our foot in the door and show them what we can do. I had a meeting this morning with the president in charge of Mercy Medical's southern Nevada market area. He's very pleased with our work ethic and the quality of construction.”

His father smiled. “Have I ever told you how proud I am of you, Gabe?”

He thought about it, and for the life of him couldn't remember ever hearing those words. His mother had said it often. He vividly recalled teasing her that she was his mom and had to tell him good stuff, but she'd denied maternal feelings had anything to do with her praise.

Carleton cleared his throat. “I must assume from your silence that the answer is no.”

“Yeah. It's no. I don't remember hearing that from you.”

His father stared at the floor for several moments, frowning. When he looked up his blue eyes were suspiciously bright. “I apologize for that. I haven't been a very good father to you or Amy.”

Gabe shook his head. “That's not true, Dad. You did the best you could—”

“Under the circumstances,” he finished.

“That's not what I was going to say.”

“Maybe not. But it's the truth.” His father suddenly looked old. “I think I did all right while your mother was alive. We always said we were partners, a team, but the truth is that she did everything—everything that was important, I should say. I was busy expanding the business, obsessed with making it enormously successful. Lillian took care of the house and raised you to be an exceptional man.”

“She was something special,” Gabe agreed.

“When I lost her, it was like I died, too,” his father admitted. “I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't want to go on without her. Not even for you. Especially not for a baby girl I blamed for taking my wife from me. Besides, what did I know about raising a girl?”

“Dad, you don't have to—”

Carleton touched his arm. “Yes. I do. It's way past time I talked about this. I've kept things bottled up inside for too long. It nearly cost me my daughter. I shut down, and Amy paid the price. I'm lucky. I've got a second chance and I plan to make the most of it.”

“I guess the two of you have talked?”

“We have. She and the baby are coming home to live with me. That house is too big for one person anyway. It will be good to have a child there again to fill it with toys and noise and laughter.”

“She's going to school?”

He held his hands up. “Completely her idea. I'm just support staff.”

“How's that?”

“Babysitter.” The single word put the sparkle back in his eyes. “I'm going to take care of little Matthew Gabriel while Amy does whatever is necessary for her education. Her choice,” he said firmly. “I practically ignored her when she was growing up. This is an opportunity to make it up to her, and I don't intend to screw it up by being overbearing. She's so bright, Gabe. All she needs is a helping hand. How can I not finally give her that?”

“You're not the only one who failed her, Dad. I wasn't there for her, either. It was hard losing Mom, and I guess part of me blamed Amy for that.” He met his father's gaze.

“I found out hiding from the pain doesn't help.”

“All you can do is acknowledge what happened and move on, Dad.”

“I'm not talking about me, now. I was referring to you.”

“Me?”

His father looked grim. “Son, you and I are members of a club no one wants to join.”

“Dad, I don't want to talk—”

“Tough. It's way past time.
Not
talking is what we Thornes have always done. Not talking got us nowhere. It's the worst thing you can do. Trust me on that. If anyone knows how hard it was losing Hannah, it's me, Gabe.” He stared hard. “And you lost your child, too. I have no idea how much hurt that caused you. And we have a conditioned response to pain. When something hurts, you do your best to avoid it.”

Gabe could almost hear Rebecca saying pain is important. It's an indicator of something wrong. Then you go to the source and eliminate it. Ignoring pain is dangerous. But ignoring pain is exactly what he'd been doing.

“Gabe,” his father said, “don't make the same mistakes I did.”

“You're right, Dad. I have another chance to build a relationship with my sister and my nephew and I don't plan to blow it this time.”

“That's good to hear, but it's not what I meant.”

“Then I don't have a clue what you're talking about.”

“Don't you?” Carleton looked at him. “Son, any fool can see that you're in love with Rebecca.”

Gabe should have seen that coming, but he hadn't. Maybe because he didn't want to. “Dad, you've been here what? A couple of days? What do you know about it?”

“I have eyes, and they still work pretty well for an old guy. I saw the way you looked at her a few minutes ago. I know how it feels to look at a woman that way. I'm not so old that I don't remember.”

“Come on, Dad.” He looked up and down the corridor. No one seemed to be paying any attention to them, but this was a hell of a public place for this kind of discussion. And Rebecca would be out of that room any minute. How was he supposed to sidestep the discussion when his father had turned into Dr. Phil? “Can we talk about this later—”

“No.”

“Okay, then.” Gabe blew out a long breath. “I'm attracted to her.”

“It's more than that and you know it. Don't be afraid, son.”

“Geez, Dad.”

“It's not weak to acknowledge your feelings. The things that happen to us impact our lives, but they don't need to make us less than we are. Why is it so hard for you to admit you love her?”

Gabe met his father's gaze and knew the old man wouldn't let up until he said it. “Because I don't want it to be true. I don't want to care. I don't want to lose her and ever hurt like that again.”

“So you refuse to play the game?”

“There's no game to play.”

“That's where you're wrong, son. The game started the moment you saw her, and the stakes have gotten higher and higher every time since then. It's fate.”

There was that word again. Fate takes and it gives back again. Keeping balance in the universe.

“Even if you're right, and I'm not admitting you are, that doesn't mean she feels the same way.”

“I saw the way she looked at you, too.”

They'd already established that he had pretty good eyesight for an old guy. “So, what if you're right?”

“I think you know how fond I was of Hannah. She was a firecracker as a little girl and she grew into a fine woman. The world is worse off for not having her in it. And she loved you with all her heart. That is how I know she would be the first to encourage you to embrace life and find happiness with a fine woman like Rebecca.”

Something cracked inside Gabe. It felt like walls tumbling down inside him, and he could finally see clearly what had been just beyond them. Or maybe he'd just been waiting for permission to let go. He'd been so focused on protecting himself that he never realized he'd started to care more about someone else than himself.

In the painful struggle of self-protection, he'd walked away from Rebecca just like the jerk who'd hurt her. But that guy had been so wrong. Rebecca wasn't too much trouble. Gabe had no trouble at all falling in love with her.

The door to his sister's room opened and he saw the woman he loved. Before she put on her doctor face, he thought he saw sadness in her eyes. Then she smiled.

“She's doing great, Carleton. I'm going to sign the paperwork now so you can take her and the baby home.”

“Thank you for everything, Rebecca.”

“You're very welcome.”

Gabe stepped closer. “Rebecca, if you have a minute—”

She took a step back. “Actually, I don't. I have patients to see. If you'll excuse me.” She glanced between them. “Don't hesitate to call my office if you have any questions. I told Amy the same thing. I have to run. Bye.”

Then she turned and hurried down the hall, turning right at the end toward the elevators.

Gabe stared at the empty space where she'd been just moments before. “About Rebecca, I've got a serious problem. She thinks I'm the world's biggest jerk.”

His father clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Every problem has a solution, son. But if you let her go without trying, you're lower than a jerk. You're a spineless coward who doesn't deserve her.”

In spite of everything Gabe grinned. “Don't sugarcoat it, Dad. Tell me how you really feel.”

“I'm on your side.”

“Thanks for clarifying. It was hard to tell.”

And it would be hard to convince Rebecca that he deserved another chance. She was smart. But so was he. And he would come up with something because failure wasn't an option. He'd lost too much in his life to give up without a fight.

And he'd been wrong about something else. Mercy Medical was the perfect place for this discussion with his father. It was a place of healing mind, body and spirit.

Rebecca walked along the sidewalk under the portico toward Mercy Medical's front door. It whooshed open, allowing her entrance to the two-story rotunda with the information desk on the right. She looked around. The floor was still marble tile. The yellow rose painting was still on the wall and artfully lighted. Over the arch, the same words were inscribed. Hospital personnel walked back and forth, working together for the patients.

Nothing looked different, but something was and she couldn't put her finger on what. Then she realized. The hospital no longer felt safe to her, because she'd changed after losing Gabe in this place.

Considering what she'd been through, she was finding it more difficult to believe that miracles happened within these four walls. At least, there would be no miracle for her. And if that wasn't enough of a personal pity party, today she was giving her monthly workshop on the risks and prevention of teenage pregnancy. There was no reason to believe the turnout would be better than any of the others she'd conducted.

She walked over to the information desk. “Hi, Sister Mary. How are you?”

“Dr. Hamilton.” The older woman looked up and smiled, then settled her glasses more securely on her nose. “I'm very well, thanks. And you?”

“Not bad.” Not good, but she didn't intend to talk to a nun about her loser love life. “I'm here for my workshop. I guess it's in the McDonald conference room?”

“Actually, no.” The sister looked down at a sheet in front of her. “We had to move you.”

To a broom closet? Rebecca wanted to ask. She'd never needed more room than that. In fact the last person to show up had been a couple months ago. She felt a sharp stab of pain in her heart when she remembered it was Gabe. And he'd come because he wanted information about his sister. Now he was out of her life.

“So where did you put me?” she asked before going straight to the bad place.

“You're in the St. Rose conference room.”

Rebecca stared at her. They'd moved her to the biggest meeting area? “Are you sure?”

“Yes. There were too many people for the McDonald room.