Читать книгу Baby's First Christmas - Cathy Thacker Gillen - Страница 8

Michael hadn’t known what to expect when he had tracked Kate down, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he would be so attracted to her, physically and otherwise, or be on hand to single-handedly bring their baby into the world in the back of a powder-blue delivery van. But all that had happened, and it had changed him—and probably Kate, too—forever. Just as the step they were about to take would change all their lives forever, too.

“I think it’s important for a lot of reasons that his birth certificate state the whole truth. So the answer is, yes, Kate,” he told her softly, “I do.” In fact, if the truth be known, he was now hoping for much more than that.

Kate looked into his eyes. Abruptly, she looked as overcome with emotion as he. It had been, Michael thought, one hell of an eventful day. “Then the truth it will be,” she echoed softly.

In the bassinet, Timmy squirmed beneath the white flannel blanket he’d been swaddled in and, his cherubic face pinkening, started to whimper. Michael and Kate turned in time to see his dark lashes flutter open to reveal a pair of big baby-blue eyes.

Michael smiled, amazed at the depth of the affection already welling inside him as he contemplated their newborn baby boy. “Looks like our son is waking up.”

Kate grinned, as eager to get more thoroughly acquainted with their baby as he was. “He’s probably hungry,” she stated, as a pink flush crept into her cheeks. Her glance cut briefly to Michael. “I haven’t breast-fed him yet.”

And, Michael knew, that was supposed to be done within the first five or six hours after birth. As soon as both baby and mother—who were usually exhausted from the birth—were up to it. Glad he was going to be around to witness this, too, Michael asked, “Do you want me to bring him to you?”

Kate pushed the button that raised the head of her bed until she was sitting up. Her green eyes glittered with excitement as she tucked the gently curving ends of her silky blond bob behind her ears. She shot him a grateful glance that made her seem—in his eyes, anyway—all the more angelically beautiful. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

Timmy’s eyes widened as Michael slid one hand beneath his head and neck, the other beneath his back and legs, and lifted him from the bassinet. Michael grinned as Timmy stopped crying immediately and blinked at him.

“Hey, there,” Michael teased in way of greeting. “Remember me? I brought you into the world.” Timmy cooed and gurgled in response as Michael lowered him gently and put him in Kate’s arms.

Kate stroked the straight, downy soft hair on Timmy’s head as Timmy regarded her with unabashed delight. “I think he does recognize you, Michael.”

Michael studied his son’s cherubic face, deciding Ted Montgomery was right—Timmy did have Kate’s chin. And nose. And eyes. Along with his daddy’s dark, straight hair. “I think he knows your voice, too,” Michael said.

“Probably.” Kate chuckled. “I’ve done nothing but talk and sing and read to him for the last nine months.”

Somehow, Michael thought, as he went to get a diaper from the corner of the bassinet, that didn’t surprise him. He had known from the first Kate was going to be one devoted mother.

He brought the diaper back and watched as Kate unwrapped the white flannel blanket. They changed him together, marveling over his tiny perfect form, as Timmy squirmed. Deciding to reswaddle him after he’d been fed, Kate lifted Timmy toward her. Abruptly, she looked unsure how to proceed. “I’ve never done this before.”

“And you’re feeling self-conscious and would like some help,” Michael guessed, finding that perfectly understandable. He touched her shoulder compassionately, then volunteered, “I’ll go see if I can round up a nurse.”

When he returned—alone—a scant minute and a half later, Kate had lowered one shoulder of her gown, draped the white cotton diaper over one shoulder and was cuddling a loudly protesting Timmy to her breast. Trying not to think how beautiful and sexy Kate looked, Michael shoved his hands in his pockets and announced as he neared, “They’re really swamped. Every baby on the floor has decided he or she is hungry now. They said maybe ten minutes.”

“I tried but I can’t get him to nurse.” Kate looked at Michael helplessly.

Knowing that wasn’t unusual for first-time mothers and their babies, Michael shut the door to her room to insure their privacy and crossed to her side. “Let’s see what we can do to get you more comfortable,” he told Kate gently, repeating what he had learned over the years as both a physician and an uncle.

“For the first few feedings, lying on your side may work best,” Michael told her with a reassuring smile. “So, the first thing we’re going to need to do is get you situated.”

Michael took a loudly squalling Timmy from Kate and cradled him against his chest. With his free hand he pressed the button that would lower the head of her bed. And then helped Kate—who was still moving a little stiffly after the delivery—into a reclining position. “And then pull your arm out of your gown entirely so you’ll have more freedom of movement,” he said.

“Right.” Kate flushed crimson.

“Okay.” Michael helped her free her arm while still maintaining her modesty as best as he could. “Can you shift onto your left side?” Keeping his actions as clinical as possible, he helped her do so. “Good. Let’s put this pillow beneath you.” He moved it longwise, so it cushioned her from head to breast. “And we’ll put your left arm up, like this, so you can rest your head on your upraised arm. And move this cloth aside.” Keeping his mind resolutely on the task at hand, he gently exposed her breast. “Now we’ll get Timmy in here—” Michael placed Timmy on his side, facing Kate, and brought the infant as close as possible to his mother “—and try again.”

Still crying and clueless about what to do next, the newborn turned away and wailed even louder. “See?” Kate cried, distressed, her whole body tensing at her son’s rejection.

Figuring the sooner mother and son connected, the better, Michael looked at Kate, asking to simply show her—through touch—what needed to be done. “May I?”

Flushing and looking a little shy, Kate nodded. Michael covered her hand with his and lifted her nipple toward Timmy’s lips. He touched the top of Timmy’s bow-shaped lips with the tip of Kate’s breast, then the bottom lip, then the top again, repeating the motion gently until Timmy’s mouth opened. Michael continued to help her as he explained, “Once Timmy’s mouth is open, place your nipple in the center so he can latch on.”

Kate’s gaze was fastened on both breast and baby. “He’s not doing it,” she said, obviously disappointed this was proving to be so difficult for both of them.

“Then let’s try it again,” Michael said, aware how silky and warm her skin felt beneath his fingers. “Upper lip. Lower.” Michael smiled as Timmy’s crying quieted and progress was made. “See, he’s starting to root around a bit. Yeah,” Michael said victoriously, as Timmy’s cheeks moved in and out in a clumsy attempt to nurse, “there he goes.”

“He’s nursing!” Kate said as Timmy stopped wailing and latched onto her breast with all his might.

“Darned if he isn’t,” Michael said proudly, feeling as contented and happy as Kate was that this first hurdle with their son had been climbed. “Now there are a few more things to watch out for,” Michael cautioned. He paused, wary of interfering too much. “If you want me to show you…”

Kate nodded and shot Michael a grateful glance. “Please,” she said, eager to learn. “Starting with how long I should nurse him.”

Michael repeated what the lactation nurse would tell Kate later. “For today, no more than five minutes on each breast. You can go ten minutes on each breast tomorrow. After that it’ll be fifteen.”

“How often will I nurse?” Kate asked, as she stroked the downy soft hair on the back of Timmy’s head.

A wave of almost unbearable tenderness moving through him, Michael advised, “Once your milk comes in, you’ll probably need to nurse him every three or four hours.”

Again, their eyes met. “What else should I know?” Kate asked Michael softly.

I’m drawn to you, and would be even if you hadn’t just unexpectedly borne me a son, Michael thought. Knowing, however, this was not the time or place for such a confession, Michael turned his attention to his nursing son. Briefly, he explained how to position Timmy to insure he had plenty of room to breathe while nursing, then said, “Make sure Timmy has a hold on the areola as well as the nipple—sucking on just the nipple will leave him hungry. And be sure he isn’t sucking on his own lip or tongue while he nurses.”

Her self-consciousness temporarily forgotten, Kate continued to nurse. She looked so beautiful and angelic it made his heart ache.

She bent to kiss the top of Timmy’s head, then asked curiously, “What happens if he does any of those things?”

“If he starts sucking on his lower lip, you can simply work it free with your fingertip while he continues to nurse. Otherwise, break the suction and start over again.” Michael continued to watch her another long moment, then glanced at his watch. “Ready to switch sides?”

Kate nodded.

Timmy protested at the interruption, but only half as vigorously as before. “This isn’t as hard as I thought it would be,” Kate murmured. Michael noted she was beginning to look and act as completely exhausted and drowsy as their infant son.

“And it’ll get easier every time,” Michael assured her.

Kate grinned. “How do you know?”

“I’ve got four sisters.” Michael pulled a chair up beside the bed, turned it backward and straddled it. “They all have kids, and all of them nursed. It was hard for all of them in the beginning. Even for Winnie, who’s an obstetrics nurse by profession. But my mom, who’s also a nurse, coached them through it, on the phone and in person. So I know the drill—and then some.”

“Plus you have experience as a doctor.”

“Right again.”

In contented silence, they watched the baby nurse at her breast. “I think he’s falling asleep,” Kate noted, yawning.

Michael picked up Timmy’s tiny fist and kissed the back of it. “Poor fella. He’s probably all tuckered out.” Just like his mother, Michael thought. “Want me to put him in his bassinet?” he asked, when Timmy’s jaw went slack.

Kate yawned. “I think you’d better,” she said drowsily.

Michael lifted him away from her. He wrapped Timmy in the white flannel blanket and settled him on his side in the Plexiglas crib. By the time he turned to Kate, she was just as he’d left her, fast asleep. His heart going out to her, Michael slipped her arm into her gown and tucked the covers around her.

“Timmy wasn’t the only miracle today,” he murmured. Knowing she needed her sleep, he gently touched her cheek. Wishing he could kiss her, he slipped from the room.

“YOU’RE LOOKING chipper this morning,” Lindy said as she came in at ten o’clock the next morning with a brimming shopping bag in one hand, a coffee and bake shop bag in the other.

Kate knew that was true. “Maybe because I feel almost human again,” she said. She’d had a long, hot shower and shampoo and changed into her own robe and slippers. Sitting up in bed, she was smoothing the silky blond ends of her hair with a cordless curling iron. She shot Lindy a grateful glance. “Thanks for bringing my stuff over last night, by the way.” It would be a treat to face Michael Sloane in something other than maternity clothes or a hospital gown. “I don’t remember you coming in.”

Lindy opened the decaf cappuccino she’d brought for Kate and put it on the bed tray. “That’s because you were sound asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you.”

Kate nodded, grateful for the extra sleep. “I only woke to feed Timmy.”

Opening her coffee, Lindy kicked off her shoes and settled in, cross-legged, at the foot of Kate’s hospital bed. “Why isn’t he still in here with you, by the way?”

“He will be later. Right now he’s down in the nursery, getting his own bath. They’re going to keep him there for a while.” She had to force herself to remain calm as she took a sip of cappuccino and admitted, “He’s being circumcised this morning.”

Lindy groaned in sympathy.

Kate nodded. “Yeah, I know,” she commiserated with her sister. “It sounds like it hurts to me, too, but Michael and Timmy’s pediatrician swear he won’t feel any discomfort. They’re going to use a local anesthetic, and Michael will be with him the whole time the procedure is done. And,” Kate sighed, “in the long run, it’s supposed to be better, health-wise, so we’re going to stick with tradition and have it done.”

Lindy pulled two light and flaky Danishes out of the bag. “This was a joint decision?”

Finding she was famished, Kate accepted one of the flaky buns. “Uh-huh.” The only surprise was how good it had felt, sharing that decision with Michael. What she’d thought would turn into an utter disaster had instead turned into something good.

Lindy took another sip of coffee. “I stopped by the nursery on my way to the room, and I have to tell you, I saw the name on Timmy’s bassinet.” Lindy leveled a warning look at Kate. “I don’t know what Mom will say, but Dad is going to flip when he sees it.”

Kate had figured as much. It didn’t change anything.

“It’s one thing to be grateful,” Lindy said sternly, for once being more sensible than hopelessly romantic. “It’s another to link lives with him this swiftly.”

“I know. If it had been anyone else coming into the shop yesterday, telling me something like that, I probably would have panicked and felt the need to get a whole team of lawyers immediately. But it was Michael, and he was so…reasonable in the light of such a complete and utter disaster.”

“Not to mention the fact he later delivered your baby and got you both to the hospital.”

Kate recalled how kind and wonderful and good Michael had been as he coached her through childbirth and showed her how to nurse. “And that experience brought us together very quickly,” Kate explained. It had also left them feeling unbearably close, despite the fact they were virtual strangers to each other.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I really can’t explain why I trust him as much as I do, I just do.” And somehow she knew, in her heart, that was not going to change. Even if her romantic past was telling her to proceed a lot more cautiously.

Lindy studied her. “Maybe you don’t have to explain it, maybe you just need to go with your instincts.”

Unfortunately, Kate thought, as she watched Lindy retrieve the shopping bag with a Thanksgiving turkey and a popular area mall insignia on the front of it, her instincts regarding the people closest to her had failed her more than once. But she didn’t need to think about that now.

“What have you got there?” she inquired.

Lindy beamed. “Gifts, of course, for you and the baby, from your employees at the shop. And a sample gift catalogue from Dulcie. She said you need to check this over and make sure it’s the way you want it because you need to give the printer final approval by Friday if you want the catalogues in the mail before Thanksgiving. And she also said to tell you they finished the deliveries that were supposed to be done last night, and retrieved the van, which was still in perfect shape.”

Kate thought about the upcoming holidays. Though she had planned well for the season and her very brief maternity leave, as she thought about Thanksgiving, which was roughly two weeks away, and Christmas, which was another six, she felt a little daunted. “How are things at the shop this morning, by the way?” she asked curiously.

“Busy. Can you believe you had fifty more orders for semester exam care baskets in yesterday’s mail alone? Sending out brochures to the parents of students was a great idea.”

Kate did some rapid calculations. “This brings the shop total to well over a thousand.”

“Dulcie thinks that given the increase in holiday business and your being out on maternity leave, you may want to hire some more seasonal help.”

Kate nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll call the newspaper and get an ad put in immediately.”

“Someone else could do that for you, you know,” Lindy chided. “You just had a baby.”

Kate grinned at her baby sister’s protectiveness. “As well as a great night’s sleep. I feel fine. Really. In fact, I’m raring to go home.”

Lindy frowned. Her green eyes grew troubled. “Just don’t push too hard, okay?”

“I agree with you there.” Michael pushed the Plexiglas bassinet into the room. He picked up Timmy, who was wide awake and wrapped in a blanket, and put him into Kate’s arms. “New mothers need a lot of rest.”

Lindy sighed contentedly at her new nephew. “He is so precious,” Lindy enthused while Kate held her baby close and glanced at Michael questioningly.

“The circumcision is done. He didn’t cry at all.”

Kate breathed a sigh of relief.

Lindy rose reluctantly. “Well, I better get going or I will never get that doctorate in mathematics.”

“Kate said you were a teaching assistant at Chapel Hill.”

Lindy nodded happily. “It’s a family tradition, haven’t you heard?” Lindy grinned as she bent to kiss Timmy’s cheek. “My mom and dad both went there. So did Kate.”

“So did I,” Michael said. “For undergrad and med school, which makes it even better.” Before either woman could say anything, he held up a staying palm. “Wait here a second.”

He left and came back carrying a white teddy bear with a powder-blue felt shirt emblazoned with the Carolina logo and a huge bouquet of flowers. “For you.” He handed the flowers to Kate. “And for Timmy.” He took the flowers, put them on the bureau, and put the teddy next to Kate.

“Nice,” Lindy said.

“Very nice,” Kate agreed as Timmy studied the teddy bear with wide baby-blue eyes.

“I’ll talk to you later.” Lindy gave Kate a one-shouldered hug and was off.

Kate and Michael looked at each other. Kate found herself wishing he could stay. “Do you have to work today?” Kate asked.

He nodded reluctantly. “I’ve got the noon-to-midnight shift in the emergency room downstairs. I’ll leave my beeper number here for you.” He handed her a card with the number scrawled on the back. “If you need me, don’t hesitate to give me a buzz. And I’ll be up to check on you and Timmy on my breaks. That is—” he hesitated “—if it’s okay.”

It’s more than okay, Kate thought. “I want you to be close to your son.” She wanted Timmy to have a dad. She wanted him to have Michael in his life. Not just for now, but for all the years he was growing up.

Without warning, Michael closed the distance between them all the way. He took her face in his hands and lowered his mouth to hers. Kate closed her eyes, anticipating the touch of his lips, the sweet soulfulness of a kiss that had been brewing for what now seemed a lifetime, and that was when they heard a pair of rapid footsteps screech to a halt and a very adult gasp of surprise behind them.

Reacting as if they’d been hit by a live wire, Kate and Michael broke apart and glanced automatically in the direction of the intrusion. A flush of embarrassment heating her cheeks, Kate looked at the fifty-something couple standing there. She’d never seen either of them before, but they looked familiar to her nevertheless. The woman had a head of thick, straight sable brown hair—like Michael’s—and was wearing a slim denim dress, cardigan sweater and flat shoes. The man had cropped salt-and-pepper hair. He was wearing a casual tweed sport coat, coordinating shirt and tie and slacks and had an air of gentleness about him.

“When we heard,” the woman began softly, pressing a hand to her heart.

“We didn’t believe it,” the man said for her.

“Michael!” The attractive woman propped her hands on her hips and demanded, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

IF THIS WASN’T a disaster in the making, Michael didn’t know what was.

“We didn’t even know you were dating this young woman!” Michael’s dad said.

That was because Michael had felt they had enough complications with just Kate’s family in the picture at the moment. But there was no helping it now. He strode forward amiably and brought his parents into the room.

“Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Kate Montgomery and our son, Timmy. Kate, my mom, Ginny, and my dad, Hugh.”

Kate greeted them both graciously. “Pleased to meet you.”

“The feeling is mutual, believe me,” Hugh said gently, smiling at Kate and the baby before turning to his son. “Michael, I’m still waiting for an explanation.”

“First, I want to know how you found out about this.” Michael gestured his parents to chairs and shut the door behind them.

His mother looked hurt. “You aren’t the only one from Hickory who works at this hospital, remember? Tina Delaney is a nurse in oncology. She heard it from someone in radiology, who heard it from someone in the ER. She called her parents last night and told them, and they called to congratulate us.” Ginny flushed, looking both embarrassed and incensed. “And of course we had no idea what they were talking about, so we called the ER this morning to talk to you and were told you were with your new son, and they weren’t yet sure if you were coming in today or not.”

Michael swore silently, though he could hardly blame the emergency room staff, who had no idea of his decision to delay telling his family.

Hugh shot Michael a glance riddled with disappointment. “Why didn’t you tell us?” he demanded sternly. “We waited all last night for a call.”

Noting Kate was looking pretty embarrassed and uncomfortable, Michael put his arm around Kate’s shoulders. “I wanted everything to be worked out first,” he told his parents. Briefly, Michael related finding out about the mix-up at the lab and the ordeal of Kate giving birth to their baby in the Gourmet Gifts To Go delivery van before the two of them had been given a chance to deal with the situation. “I didn’t want to call you until we knew how we were going to work all this out.”

Michael’s parents sat facing them in stunned silence. A knock sounded on the door. But at least, Michael realized, they were no longer angry with him for what they would have seen as highly irresponsible behavior.

“I didn’t really want to tell you anything unless I was going to be a part of the baby’s life,” Michael said as he went to open the door.

“And are you going to be part of Timmy’s life?” Ginny Sloane asked her son point-blank, looking as if she were unable to think about the alternative.

“That’s what we’d like to know,” Kate’s father said, as her parents unexpectedly walked in, one after the other, and joined the group.

FOR A MOMENT, silence reigned. Then introductions were made all around and Kate’s father took the floor. “Look, I know having a baby is a very emotional and exciting time in a person’s life.” Ted sent Carolyn a poignant look that spoke volumes about how much his daughters’ births had meant to him before turning to Kate and Michael. “And there is nothing more romantic than bringing that first baby into the world. But I feel the two of you are acting way too swiftly and emotionally for your own good.” He opened his briefcase.

“And to that end, it’s necessary for you both to protect your own interests, in a legal sense. So I’ve taken the liberty of having papers drawn up at my law firm this morning.”

Afraid Timmy, who had fallen asleep in her arms, would feel her distress if she continued to hold him, Kate gently leaned over and put him in the bassinet.

“This is a letter of agreement stating that Kate relinquishes all claims of financial support for herself and her son,” Ted continued as if this were the most logical thing in the world for them to be doing. “And though she clearly acknowledges Michael Sloane is—inadvertently—the father of her child,” he said with lawyerly ease, “Kate makes no demands on him, custodial or otherwise, as a parent, now or at any time in the future. In return, Michael will relinquish any and all rights to ever sue for custody of Timmy or make financial claims on Kate’s business or personal holdings.”

Kate stared at her father, aware he couldn’t have done more to extinguish the flame of attraction between her and Michael had he thrown a bucket of ice water on them. Which was, she realized belatedly, clearly his intent. “I can’t believe you did this,” Kate gasped indignantly, feeling hurt and angry beyond measure.

“Nor can I,” Ginny Sloane murmured, looking distraught as she lay a hand across her heart.

“I second that,” Kate’s mother said, staring at her estranged husband as if she’d never seen him before.

Ted held his ground. “You’ll all be grateful to me in the long run for taking care to protect both Kate and Michael from future legal action.”

“I think if these two kids should be talking anything, they should be talking marriage,” Hugh Sloane said, “if only for a short while, for appearance’s sake. Who knows?” Michael’s dad continued optimistically. “Maybe things would work out.”

For the past few hours, Kate had thought their future was ripe with possibilities—romantic and otherwise—too. But now, seeing the dissent among their families and her warring parents, she was less sure.

“At least then,” Ginny Sloane concurred as she looked at Michael and Kate, “you’d be able to tell Timmy you two gave it a shot.” Ginny shrugged. “If it didn’t work, it didn’t work.” But clearly, Kate thought, the hope was that it would work.

But she couldn’t force Michael into that. Any more than she would want anyone to force her into marriage because of something someone else decided. And having this baby had been all her idea. Michael had had no part of it until yesterday. “We’re not getting married just because of the baby,” Kate told Michael’s parents firmly.

“Agreed,” Michael said, backing her up. “There’d have to be a lot more between Kate and I for us to even consider taking that step.”

Not surprisingly, Kate noted, her parents looked abruptly relieved. “Then you won’t mind signing this document for Kate’s peace of mind, will you?” Ted asked, stepping forward.

Kate’s heart pounded as she watched Michael accept the legal documents from her dad.

“Sure I’ll sign them if it’ll make you feel better,” Michael said, grimly flipping to the last page and scrawling his name. “It’s true, anyway.” He finished writing with quick, angry strokes of the pen. “I have no intention of suing Kate, on any level, at any time now or in the future.”

Looking visibly relieved he’d bullied one person into doing what he wanted, Kate’s dad turned to her. “Honey?” he asked cordially. “Don’t you owe Michael the same peace of mind?”

Kate had to admit she didn’t want Michael to think she would ever come after him for financial support. Oh, hell. “Why not?” Kate muttered grimly, taking the pen from her dad. “I don’t have any intention of slapping him with a paternity suit, either.” Never mind asking him for money!

“If you’ll just witness the signatures…” Ted Montgomery turned first to his wife, then the Sloanes. Everyone signed on the dotted line. Finished, her dad put the papers away. “I’m glad we have that all worked out,” he said happily. “Now, about this business of the baby’s last name—”

Kate and Michael exchanged looks. On that, they were firm. “There’s no discussion,” Kate said resolutely, accepting the hand of support Michael offered her. “The name stays,” she announced as she and Michael tightly entwined fingers. “It’s Timothy Michael Montgomery-Sloane, hyphenated. He has two parents. He is going to carry both our last names. It will avoid confusion in the future.”