Читать книгу The Cowboy's Family Plan - Judy Duarte, Judy Duarte - Страница 11

Chapter Three

Alex didn’t have any idea what was going on beyond the double doors that led to the obstetrics unit, but he was glad Selena was in there with the kids’ mother.

He’d always been uneasy in hospital settings, and even more so after Mary’s accident. In fact, when he’d entered the main lobby of the medical center tonight, carrying the takeout food, his gut had clenched and his steps had slowed. The memory of that rainy afternoon he’d rushed to the E.R. to be with his dying wife had slammed into him, knocking him off stride.

He’d shaken it off the best he could, telling himself he had a job to do, kids to feed. So he’d bypassed the hospital volunteers who guarded the lobby entrance and went right for the elevator. All the while, his heart had pounded like a son of a gun, but he’d pressed on.

Selena had told him she’d be in the waiting room just outside the maternity ward. And that’s right where he’d found her.

Once he’d entered the small room and seen Selena and the children seated together and watching some animal show on television, his pulse rate had slowed to a normal pace and the painful memory had faded away.

Selena had looked up and blessed him with a smile that had gone a long way in chasing off the bad memories and promising to create a new one. But before either of them could speak or move, a nurse in scrubs entered the room.

As soon as Alex heard her say “C-section” and watched Selena’s expression turn somber, all those dark memories he’d held at bay came flooding back.

Most people came to hospitals to get well, to heal. But some, like Mary, weren’t that lucky. And Alex couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that things weren’t going as expected in delivery.

Thank God Selena was in there now.

It was weird, though. He had no personal knowledge of Selena’s medical skill, yet just knowing she was with the pregnant mother provided him with an inexplicable sense of relief. For some reason, he was convinced the mother and her newborn were in good hands.

When it came time for his babies to be born, he hoped the doctor delivering them was a lot like Selena.

Alex glanced at the clock on the wall. How long did this sort of thing take? When would Selena come back?

He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten involved in all of this in the first place. He’d just been at the wrong place at the wrong time, he supposed.

Either way, he’d do his part by looking after the pregnant woman’s children. Only trouble was, he didn’t have a clue what to do with them, other than to feed them and let them watch television. So he’d just have to wing it.

At least they seemed to be good kids—quiet, obedient. But what did he know? They were probably scared, just like he was.

For a guy who was determined to be a father, he sure didn’t know much about raising children. Was he going to have to take some parenting classes, too?

Probably, although he had no idea where something like that would be offered. He’d have to ask Selena about it.

Again he looked at the clock. What was keeping her?

“Hey, look, Kimmie.” The boy pointed to the television screen, where a commercial for kitty litter filled the screen. “Doesn’t that cat look a lot like Whiskers?”

The girl looked up and nodded. “Only Whiskers has more white on his paws.”

Alex made his way to the oak coffee table, where he’d spread out the grilled cheese sandwich and the chicken fingers he’d purchased at the café. He spotted the bag that still held the coffee he’d brought back for him and Selena to drink.

Would she still want it? It would probably be cold by the time she returned.

He’d sure feel a lot better if she were here with him now. He reached into the sack, removed one of the heat-resistant cups and took a seat near the children.

So far, so good, he thought. But they’d be finished eating soon. Then what was he going to do with them?

God only knew. In the meantime he tried to focus on the television screen, rather than the slow-moving clock on the wall.

Hopefully, Selena would be back before word got out that he was completely out of his element when it came to dealing with kids.

* * *

At 9:47 that evening, Michael Allan Bedford entered the world, red-faced and squalling. Even at four pounds two ounces, the little guy seemed to be a fighter, which was a good sign that he’d have little trouble while in the new neonatal intensive care unit.

Selena had assisted the delivery which had been fairly uneventful, then she’d followed Shannon’s gurney into the recovery room, where she took note of the grandmother’s name, address and phone number.

“As soon as you’re taken to your room, you can give your mom a call,” she told Shannon. “But in the meantime, I’ll let her know that everything is okay—and that I’ll be taking the kids to her within the next hour or so.”

“I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve done for me, for all you’re doing.” Shannon’s eyes filled with tears.

“I’m glad I was there when you needed me,” Selena said.

“Me, too. You’ve been a real godsend, Dr. Ramirez.”

Selena had just done what most women or doctors would have done in her place. But she thanked Shannon just the same and said, “I’ll stop by to check on you tomorrow.”

Then she went to find Alex and the kids.

When she reached the doorway to the waiting room, she spotted little Kimberly stretched out on the small love seat in the corner, sound asleep. Tommy and Alex were sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, a coloring book and crayons spread out before them.

So Alex truly was daddy material. A smile stretched across her face, and she remained in the doorway for a moment longer, taking it all in.

As if sensing her presence, Alex glanced up. His gaze immediately sought hers, seeking an answer to the question he hadn’t needed to ask.

She nodded and offered him a weary smile, letting him know that the mother and baby were both doing fine.

“Hey, Tommy,” Selena said, as she made her way into the room. “Your mom wanted me to tell you that your baby brother has been born.”

“Cool.” The boy scrambled to his feet and hurried to Selena. “Can I see them?”

“Not yet. Your mom will be in recovery for another hour or so, and the doctors are still examining the baby. But he looks good. They both do.”

If all went well, the pediatrician might even release little Michael within the next week, although the jury was still out on that.

She wondered if it would be difficult for Shannon to leave her newborn in the hospital of a strange town and go to her mother’s house, which was more than an hour away. Probably. Most new mothers wanted to keep their babies close. But there wasn’t anything Selena could do about that. Right now, she had a promise to keep—to see that the children were delivered to their grandmother.

“I’m going to need that ride back to my car at the wellness center,” Selena told Alex. “I have to drive the kids to Oakville.”

“Do you have an address?” he asked.

“Yes, I do.”

“Good. We can take my car. I’ll drop you off at the wellness center when we get back.”

“You want to go with me?”

He flashed a smile at her that lit up every raw spot in her heart, exposing every pain and disappointment she’d ever had—at least, in her own mind.

Torn between the wisdom of traveling with him and the desire to have him come along for the ride, she asked, “Are you sure? You didn’t sign on for all of this.”

“Neither did you. Besides, it’s getting late. There’s no reason for you to go all that way alone.” His gaze sought hers, creating a connection she could almost feel, she could almost...trust.

She pondered his offer, but only for a moment. Why insist that she could handle the drive on her own when she had someone willing to go with her? And not just anyone, but a handsome cowboy who threatened to turn her heart every which way but loose.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll take you up on that.”

“Good.”

Was it? She certainly hoped so.

“Tommy,” Alex said, “if you’ll put those crayons and coloring books back where we found them, I’ll pick up your sister and carry her to my truck.”

“Will we all fit?” Selena asked.

“It’s a dual-wheel Dodge with a king cab. So we’ll be fine, although we’ll need to transfer that car seat.”

As Alex tenderly scooped a sleeping Kimberly up in his arms, triggering visions of home and heart and family, he said, “Let’s not keep Grandma waiting.”

For the briefest of moments, Selena wondered what it would be like to have a family, but she brushed off the thought as quickly as it had sparked.

The cowboy had a family plan already in place, and it didn’t include her.

* * *

In spite of the late hour and a minimal amount of cars on the road, the drive to Oakville took nearly two hours, so Alex and Selena would be pulling an all-nighter before getting back to Brighton Valley. But Alex didn’t mind. He liked having the pretty doctor ride shotgun with him, sharing her company as well as a smile or two.

On the way to Oakville they hadn’t done much talking. When they did speak, they kept their voices down so they wouldn’t risk waking the children who slept in the backseat.

Once they’d reached the small tract home on Blue Ridge Court, Ruth Morgan had welcomed them inside and showed them to the spare bedroom, where the coverlets on two twin beds had already been turned down, awaiting her grandchildren.

After Alex had carried the kids from the car and they’d been tucked in, Ruth had thanked them again for making sure her daughter got to the hospital and for bringing the kids all the way to Oakville.

“I would have jumped in the car and met you in Brighton Valley,” she said, “but I’m having some vision problems, and the doctor won’t allow me to drive at night.”

“I’m glad we were there when Shannon needed us,” Selena said. “Maybe after you talk to her in the morning, the two of you can figure out a way to pick up her car. She’ll also need a ride home from the hospital in a couple of days. In fact, because she had surgery, she won’t be allowed to drive either—at least for a few weeks.”

“I’ll call my church first thing in the morning,” Ruth said. “I’m sure I’ll find someone who can help out.”

Alex was glad to know the woman had options. And because it appeared their job was through, he said, “We’d better hit the road.”

“All right,” Ruth said. “But wait here for a moment. I fixed you a snack to take with you—oatmeal cookies. And I prepared a thermos of coffee. It’ll help keep you awake on the way home.”

She’d been right. The caffeine and sweets had helped. So had a late-night radio station that played classic country music.

By the time Alex spotted a sign that claimed Brighton Valley was twenty miles away, the sun had begun to rise, painting streaks of orange and purple in the east Texas sky.

“Do you have to work today?” Selena asked.

“There’s always work to be done on a ranch, but I might find time for a nap. We’ll see.” Alex shot a glance across the seat at his lovely passenger. “How about you?”

“I have patients coming in from nine to five, so a nap’s out of the question. But at least I’m not on call today. One of my associates is going to have hospital duty, so I can turn in early this evening and catch up on my sleep.”

It was becoming clear to Alex that Selena was a good doctor—and that she had a great bedside manner.

For a moment, his sleep-deprived mind veered far away from hospital beds and gowns and medicinal smells. Instead, he wondered just what kind of bedside attention a man like him might get from a woman like her, what kind of silky sleepwear she might choose, what kind of tempting perfume. But he shook off the inappropriate thoughts and scolded himself for getting so far off base.

“Mary used to think the world of Dr. Avery,” Alex said. “So I was a little disappointed to learn that he’d retired. I didn’t know him very well, but I’d hoped his replacement was just as good.”

Selena turned to him, her expression suggesting that she was waiting for his assessment of her.

He tossed her a smile. “I was impressed with you tonight, Selena. You’re going to make a fine replacement for Doc Avery.”

A slow smile stretched across her face, lighting her eyes. “Thank you.”

He returned his gaze to the road, although he wished he could keep his mind on track just as easily. But it was hard to do when he couldn’t help thinking that Selena was an amazing woman. She’d stepped right in to help a laboring woman who wasn’t her patient, when she could have called in paramedics. Then she’d stuck around after the surgery and had lost a night’s sleep to see that Tommy and Kimmie were delivered safely to their grandmother’s house.

As something warm and tingly spread through the cab of his truck, he reached for a safe topic to tackle. One that wouldn’t have him tripping all over himself to sing her praises.

“Where did you go to college?” he asked.

“Baylor University. How about you?” She pointed at the shirt he wore. “Is it safe to assume you’re a Texas A&M alum?”

“Yes, I am.”

“So the cowboy hat, jeans and boots you were wearing last Tuesday night was just a prop?” she asked.

“Not at all. I’m a cowboy through and through.”

“Oh, yeah?”

His dad, if he’d still been alive, would have had the same reaction. But then again, his uncle had been more an of influence on Alex.

“So you grew up on a ranch?” she asked.

“Actually, I spent the first ten years of my life in Dallas. I never even rode a horse until after I moved to Brighton Valley.”

“How did you end up there?”

“When my dad died unexpectedly of a heart attack, my mom sold the house in the city and moved in with her brother. She’d been raised in the country and wanted me to have the same experience.”

“So the city kid morphed into a rancher?”

“That’s pretty much how it happened. It didn’t take long either. My mother always said I’d been born with a cowboy’s heart. And she’s probably right. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like had I remained in Dallas. It seems as if I was meant to be a rancher.”

In fact, he hadn’t even wanted to leave the Rocking B to attend college, but the details of his father’s trust had not only provided for an education, but had pretty much locked him into one, whether he wanted one or not. So while his dad—if he’d still been alive—might have insisted he attend law school or get an MBA, Alex had chosen to go to Texas A&M, where he got a degree in animal science, something practical he could use back on his uncle’s ranch.

They continued to drive in silence, and he wondered if they were both thinking the same thing. How had such a chance meeting turned into...well, whatever this was? A friendship, he supposed.

But just being with Selena this evening made him realize that he’d been living on the periphery of life ever since Mary’s death. And that maybe it was time to cross over to the real world again.

When they reached the turnoff to the wellness center, the sun had begun its slow rise. Alex followed the driveway into the parking lot, where Selena’s white Lexus was the only one left.

He pulled into the space next to hers, then shut off the ignition. It wasn’t necessary, he supposed, but he got out of the car anyway. He told himself it was to make sure that she got into her vehicle okay, that it started right up. That she wasn’t stranded in a parking lot while he was driving off to his ranch.

Who was he kidding? He wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye. At least, not from inside his truck.

“I see you’re chivalrous, too,” she said.

“Too?” Had she been keeping a list of his qualities?

She flushed, then glanced down. “I’m sorry. Just a little slip of the tongue.”

He knew she was talking about her choice of words, yet the thought of tongues slipping set his imagination soaring.

There he went again, veering dangerously off course.

“I guess the lack of sleep makes you say and think all kinds of things,” he said.

“You’ve got that right.” She reached into her purse, then pulled out a set of keys. “Oops. These are Shannon’s. I should have left them with Ruth.”

“Since her car is still parked in front of the hospital, we probably ought to give them to Shane Hollister,” Alex said.

“The sheriff?”

“Wouldn’t you hate to see Shannon get a parking ticket?”

Selena nodded. “Poor thing. She’s really got her hands full. That’s the last thing in the world she needs right now.”

Alex didn’t respond.

He didn’t move either. He just stood there, watching as Selena fumbled around in her purse again.

After a moment, she broke into a beautiful smile and removed her hand, dangling another set of keys. “Good news. I found mine.”

For the life of him, he couldn’t manage to agree. That it was good that she’d found her keys. That it was time to say goodbye.

How could he? He wasn’t quite ready to see her drive away and end a most unusual—and surreal—day.

So how in blazes did he go about prolonging it when they were both tired, when they both needed to go home and get ready to face a new day?

In spite of his better judgment, in spite of the fact that sleep deprivation led to accidents, he placed his hand on her cheek. “It was an interesting evening—and so much better than watching TV. I’m glad I spent it with you.”

Then he did something he’d probably live to regret—or, after getting some shuteye, he’d wake to regret.

He lowered his mouth, intending to brush a kiss on her cheek, yet finding her lips instead.

* * *

The last thing in the world Selena had expected from Alex had been a goodnight kiss, but she’d been too surprised by the move to stop it.

As his mouth met hers and she caught his musky scent, she held not only her breath, but every thought and whisper and dream she’d ever had.

Who was this man?

And what was he doing to her?

As the kiss deepened, as their lips parted and tongues touched, she thought she might swoon. So she gripped the fabric of his T-shirt and held on for dear life.

The kiss was amazing. What began soft and sweet evolved into the kind that could make a woman lose her head. Her mind spun out of control as she tried to make sense of it all—the allure of his kiss and the effect it had on her—but it was over before she knew it, leaving her stunned and speechless.

And yearning for more.

Alex straightened and blessed her with a boyish grin. “I meant to aim for your cheek.”

“You missed.”

“Yeah.” His grin deepened to a full-on smile. “Sorry about that.”

Was he? Because she darn sure wasn’t.

And shouldn’t she be?

“Drive carefully,” he said.

Yeah. Right. Her cue to leave and to segue from the awkward to the familiar. She needed to get into her car and drive away. Yet something held her here. Lack of sleep, she suspected. And maybe the easy camaraderie they’d shared on the trip back from Oakville. Yet there was something else going on, too.

Selena hadn’t been that unbalanced by a kiss in a long, long time—if ever. But she did her best to steady herself, to get back on track and pretend that they’d reached that level of friendship where an affectionate parting was the norm.

Eager to escape the confusion, she reached for the door handle, using the keyless entry, and slid behind the wheel. “Thanks for riding with me and helping with the kids.”

“My pleasure.”

“Have a good day,” she said as she reached to pull her door shut.

“You, too.”

She didn’t know about that. Her day was already off to a surreal start. How was she going to keep her mind on her work and on her patients when she’d be reliving that kiss for the rest of her waking hours?

Then there’d be those bedtime hours, when it was sure to come back and haunt her dreams.

After shutting the car door, she pressed the button to start the engine. Then she slowly backed out of the parking space, trying to put a little distance between her and the man who’d set her off course.

Once she reached the exit and prepared to pull out on to the street, she glanced in the rearview mirror and spotted Alex still standing by his truck.

But she feared that neither of them was in the same place they’d been before they’d started out last night.

That unexpected kiss had linked them in a way she hadn’t anticipated and set off a slew of romantic thoughts and yearnings, which was too bad.

The last thing in the world she needed to do was to imagine herself playing house with a handsome cowboy who was still in love with his late wife.