The Proposal (10 page)

Both Aidan and Casey snapped their gaze from Connor
and stared at Emma. Their attention caused her cheeks and neck to flush.

Aidan’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, Em. I don’t
want to upset you. I just want…” He ran his hand through his sandy hair. “I
just want you to let me take care of you and Noah.”

The sincerity in his words sent her heart fluttering
again, and she hated herself for it. After nibbling on her lip, she questioned,
“What about your job? You can’t possibly travel like you have been and take
care of me.”

“I’ll just take a leave of absence like you are.”

Emma couldn’t help widening her eyes. “You would do
that?”

“Of course I would. You need me,” Aidan said, edging
closer to the bed.

“But with your position, will they even consider
granting you one? I mean, it’s not like we’re married.”

Aidan shrugged. “If they don’t, then I’ll just quit.
You and Noah mean more to me than a job.”

Casey crossed her arms over her chest in a huff.
“And what if your libido kicks in one night after seeing some slut in a short
skirt? Are you just going to run out on her again?”

“Case,” Emma pleaded at the same moment Aidan
snarled, “Don’t fucking go there!”

“I cannot believe you’re honestly considering
letting him do this. He broke your heart, Em!” Casey cried, throwing her hands
up in frustration.

Emma sighed. “Yes, I’m well aware of what he did.
But at the moment, I don’t see any other choice but to accept what he’s proposing.”
She then turned her gaze to Aidan. “My house is a wreck with the move. I’d have
to stay with you.”

His beaming smile thawed a little of the remaining
chill towards him in her heart. “Of course you can. I’ll put you up in my
bedroom since its downstairs and the bathroom is closest.”

“Thank you. I’ll need some of my things. Casey, can
you go with Aidan and help him pack up what I’ll need?”

Casey’s eyes bulged like Emma had just asked her to
help Satan achieve world domination. “I can’t stand being in the same room with
him, least of all help him paw through your things!”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Fine then, be an immature ass
about it. I’m sure Connor will be happy to do it.”

“Sure thing, Emmie Lou,” Connor replied, stepping
forward to thump Aidan’s back. From the way he winced, Emma was sure Connor had
hit him a little harder than necessary.

“I appreciate that Connor,” Emma replied. Staring
pointedly at Aidan, she said, “Just the essentials. I won’t be staying very
long.”

The corners of Aidan’s lip curled into a
self-satisfied smirk. “We’ll see.”

“You’re impossible,” she muttered.

“Okay, then, guess we better head out and get
started.  That way everything will be ready for you when they discharge you in
the morning,” Connor said.

Aidan nodded. “Sounds good.”

After a long, drawn out sigh, Casey said, “Fine.
I’ll go with you.”

“Seriously?” Connor and Aidan said at the same time.

“Yes,” she snapped.

Connor held his hands up. “Fine. It’s your funeral.”

“Let’s face it. Considering I’m the only one out of
the three of us who has a vagina and knows what Em would want, you’re going to
need me.”

With a snort, Connor said, “Yeah, well, I’ve known
her longest and—”

“You’ve practically got a vagina?” Casey teased with
a smile.

“Har, fucking, har!”

Emma laughed. “Would you guys knock it off and get
going?”

“Man, you’re already bossing us around,” Connor
said, with a grin. He nudged Aidan. “You’re in for a fun two weeks, Slave Boy.”

Aidan chuckled. “I don’t mind. Emma can use and
abuse me to her heart’s content. As long as she’s happy and healthy, I’ll do
anything she pleases.”

Connor stared at Aidan for a moment and then shook
his head. “Yep, you’ve got the love-bug bad, dude. Very, very bad.” He turned
back to Emma and winked. “See you tomorrow, Emmie Lou.” He leaned over and gave
her a hug and a kiss. Before he pulled away, he whispered in her ear. “Work him
hard, Em, but give him a chance too.”

“I’ll try.”

Connor swapped places with Casey who also gave Emma
a big hug. “When I’m done, I’ll come back and stay the night with you,” Casey
said.

Emma shook her head. “No, no, I’ll be fine. It’s
just one night. It’s not like I haven’t spent a few nights in the hospital.
It’s just I’m usually on the other side of the bed.”

“Are you sure? Nate’s pulling an all nighter
tonight, so I don’t mind.”

“I’m positive. You can come in the morning or to the
house tomorrow.”

Casey’s body went taut at the prospect of Aidan’s
house. “We’ll see.”

When Casey turned to go, she swung her massive purse
around, nailing Aidan in the balls. With a groan, he doubled over, puffing out
a few breaths and then sucking them in. Once he recovered, he jerked his head
up. His blue eyes narrowed into slits of fury.

Casey gave him a sweet smile. “Oh, I’m so sorry. My
bad.”

Aidan muttered under his breath, but he didn’t
challenge Casey. “Come on,” Connor said, taking Aidan’s arm. Once Aidan and
Connor had gone out the door, Emma called, “Case?”

Glancing over her shoulder, Casey said, “Yeah?”

Emma gave her a tight smile. “Be nice to him,
please?”

Casey sniffed a frustrated breath. “How can you ask
that of me? You know how I feel about that…douchenozzle!”

“I know, but there’s more to what happened than you
understand. So give him a little bit of a break.”

Whirling around, Casey threw up her hands. “Dammit,
Em, why do you have to be so nice and forgiving?”

“I didn’t say I was forgiving him. I just understand
more now.” At Casey’s continued doubtful expression, Emma said, “Just trust me
on this one.”

“Fine, I’ll be civil, but I can’t be nice.”

“Does civil mean you won’t nail him in the balls
again?”

Casey gave an evil grin. “It means I’ll try.”

“Try hard, okay?”

She nodded.

“Thank you.”

Casey blew her a kiss before heading out the door.
Throwing her head back against the pillows, Emma blew out a puff of air. Her
hand went to her abdomen as she continued gazing up at the ceiling tiles.
“Please God, please watch over Noah and don’t let anything bad happen to him.
Nothing else in the world matters as much as delivering him healthy into this
world at the right time.” Closing her eyes, Aidan’s face flashed before her,
sending her eyes popping back open. “And if Aidan is truly the one, soften my
heart to him…or give me a sign I should move on.”

Her prayers were interrupted by a nurse and an
orderly. “Time to move you upstairs.”

The orderly brought the wheelchair over, and Emma
swung her legs out of the bed. After she sat down, she smoothed the hospital
gown down over her legs. They took a quick trip up the elevator to the 3
^rd
floor. She couldn’t help but wonder which floor Patrick was on.  She made a
note of her room number, so she could text it to Casey…and to Aidan.

A sweet-faced middle aged nurse came in just as she
was getting settled in the bed. “I’m Connie, and if you need anything, you just
let me know.”

Emma smiled. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Once Connie and the orderly left, Emma turned on the
TV to try to get her mind off of things. She was enjoying some old reruns of
I
Love Lucy
when a gentle rapt came at the door.

“Yes?” she called, her brows furrowing at who would
possibly be knocking.

It cracked open before Pesh stuck his head in. “Hey
there.”

Emma inwardly groaned. He was the last person on
earth she expected to see. Shooting up in the bed, she smoothed her ruffled bed
hair and hoped she didn’t have leftover raccoon eyes from crying. “H-Hi.”

Wagging his finger, he made a tsking noise as he
stepped into the room. “Just couldn’t let Mr. Fitzgerald be outdone, huh?”

Emma laughed. “No, I don’t suppose so.”

Motioning to the chair next to the bed, Pesh asked,
“May I?”

“Sure.”

His jovial expression suddenly grew serious. “You
can’t imagine how horrified I was to see your name come across the computer
screen.” He shook his head. “So I was right in thinking you needed to take
better care of yourself?”

“Unfortunately yes. But it’s not only today though.”
Emma glanced down at the standard order hospital blanket. “The last three weeks
have taken their toll, I suppose.”

“Does it have anything to do with your relationship
with Mr. Fitzgerald’s son?”

Emma jerked her gaze from the blanket over to Pesh.
“W-Wait, how did you…”

He gave her an understanding smile. “It’s a long
story.”

“So is mine,” she replied, with a mirthless laugh.
At the tension in the air, Emma desperately sought to change the subject. “I
thought you had gone home for the day. When I was brought in, I was hoping you
would be my doctor. Dr. Pendleton’s bedside manner is quite lacking.”

“I apologize for that.”

“It’s not your fault he’s so gruff.”

“No, but it’s my fault that you had to see him.”

“What?”

A sheepish grin curved on his lips. “You were
assigned to my caseload, but I asked him to see you instead.”

Emma gasped. “But why?”

Ducking his head, Pesh replied, “Because I knew I
wanted to see you personally in the future, and that would be too uncomfortable
for both of us if I had to…” He drew in a sharp breath as pink tinged his tan
cheeks. “Well, if I had to examine you physically.”

Understanding crashed over Emma as she thought of
how thoroughly Dr. Pendleton had examined her. “Oh,” she murmured.

He leaned forward in his chair, his dark eyes taking
on a pleading glint. “I don’t want you to think I’m a creep or something for
wanting to get to know you better. It was Mr. Fitzgerald who first broached the
subject.”

Emma widened her eyes in horror. “He actually did that?
I’m going to give him a piece of my mind when we’re both better!” When his
shoulders sagged in defeat, Emma felt terrible that he appeared insulted by her
words. “Oh Pesh, I’m so sorry. It’s not that I wouldn’t want to go out with
you.”

His dark eyes lit up with hope. “Really?”

“Yes. I just can’t believe that Patrick would do
such a thing.”

“Because of what was once between you and his son?”

“Yes that and the fact he was laid up in the
emergency room. It’s not the most opportune time to be playing matchmaker.”

“I guess I planted the seed when I called you
beautiful.”

Emma’s cheeks warmed at his compliment. “Thank you.”

Staring down at his hands, Pesh said, “I want you to
know that taking your phone number from Mr. Fitzgerald, saying that a total
stranger is beautiful—that’s not who I am. I’m sure none of my colleagues would
believe I had done such a thing.”

“Really?”

Pesh nodded. “The truth is I haven’t reacted to a
woman like I did with you in a long, long time.”

“Oh?”

He peeked up at her through his long, dark lashes.
Sorrow radiated in his eyes. “Eighteen months ago I lost my wife to an
aneurysm.”

Emma gasped. “I’m so sorry.”

“You can’t imagine what a helpless feeling it is to
be a physician, and you can’t save the woman you love most in the world.”

“How old was she?” Emma tentatively asked.

“Only thirty-five.”

“That’s so young.”

Pesh nodded. “Jade was adopted when she was just
three. Her adoptive parents didn’t know anything about her medical history.
From what I’ve been able to gather, it could have been preventable had we known
the signs and symptoms of what to look for.”

At his anguished expression, Emma reached out for
his hand. With a grateful smile, he slipped it into hers. “I know what it’s
like to lose the love of your life.”

Pesh’s dark brows arched in surprise. “You do?”

She nodded. “Five years ago my fiancée was killed in
a car accident.”

“I’m so sorry.” An awkward silence filled the room.
Finally, Pesh gave a short shake of his head. “Hmm, between your lost fiancée,
your breakup, and me being a widower, I suppose we would make a tragic pair,
wouldn’t we?”

“People do move on,” she said softly. But when she
uttered the words, she was thinking more of Aidan than of Travis. Was Pesh the
sign she had prayed about? Or had everything that had been thrown at her in the
last three weeks just confused her too much?

“In the eighteen months since I lost Jade, I could
never imagine ever wanting to date another woman again.” He smiled at her.
“Until today.”