Читать книгу A Match Made by Baby - Karen Smith Rose - Страница 9

Chapter Three

In the Sacramento hospital, Kaitlyn kept her attention focused on her four-year-old patient who was doing much better. She was grateful for that. The little girl had been mighty sick, and Kaitlyn hadn’t let that worry show to the parents.

But now as she read Mary Lou’s chart on her electronic tablet, she was hopeful her patient would be going home soon.

She’d just turned away from the nurses’ desk when she heard her name called. Valerie Tremont waved from the sitting area. She had a cup of coffee beside her and Kaitlyn guessed she was taking a break. A nurse here, Val had been keeping to herself lately, and Kaitlyn suspected why. A divorce. Kaitlyn knew firsthand how that could tear up a person’s life.

Glad for any distraction from Adam and his niece, Kaitlyn approached Val with a smile. “How are you?”

“Surviving,” she said with an attempt at cheerfulness.

“Are Chrissy and Craig okay?”

“We’re all adjusting. It’s not as if David had been home the past few years.”

Her husband, David, had been a medic in the marines and deployed several times. Over a year ago, he’d decided to walk away from his marriage. Although Val lived in Fawn Grove, she worked at the hospital in Sacramento because the pay and benefits were better than anything she could find locally.

“Do you see David?”

Val shook her head. “After that last deployment, his discharge and the divorce, he said he just needed time for himself. The last I heard, he was taking a hostel trip through Spain. I think he just saw too much in his service, and he’s trying to escape the memories.”

Kaitlyn sat down beside her. “How’s the apartment working out?”

“The Mommy Club did a great job recommending one. It’s on the first floor of an old house. I still don’t have an upstairs neighbor, which is nice because the kids have the run of the yard anytime they want it. And I can’t believe how reasonable the rent is. I think my next goal is to find a job nursing in Fawn Grove so I don’t have to commute. Mom and Dad need a life, too, outside of babysitting.”

“I’ll keep my ears open.”

“Thank you. How are you?”

Today she was a bit disconcerted, but other than that... “I’m good.”

“Are you going to The Mommy Club fund-raiser at Raintree Winery next week?”

Kaitlyn had to smile. “The bachelor auction? I don’t know. I’ll help Sara and Jase get the word out, but the event itself isn’t quite my cup of tea.”

Because the thought of a dinner date threw her into a tizzy? She’d never been much of a dater, not with her med school workload and meeting Tom. When she looked back at her marriage, she wondered if she and Tom had settled for each other because it had been convenient, because they’d both wanted a family. But her miscarriage and the reason behind it had ended that possibility in Tom’s mind.

“Are you going to the fund-raiser?” Kaitlyn asked with a twinkle in her eye.

“No,” Val returned with a firm shake of her head. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to think about dating again.”

“You need more time.”

“And a fairy godmother,” Val said with a laugh.

Did all women really have dreams of finding Prince Charming? On that score, Kaitlyn’s dreams had dissolved into something much more practical—a thriving practice where she could help the kids she saw every day. She didn’t need anything else.

However, as Kaitlyn was driving back to Fawn Grove, she felt an inexorable pull toward Adam’s condo to see how he was faring with his niece. After all, she’d told him she’d check in on him. She told herself that picking up some Chinese on the way was mostly for her sustenance. She’d skipped lunch. She’d also told herself as she rang the doorbell, chemistry and a doctor’s busy lifestyle simply didn’t mix.

That maxim held water until Adam opened the door. This time he was wearing the baby sling with Erica in it, but his niece was wailing again.

Adam seemed unreasonably glad to see Kaitlyn, yet unsettled, too. Was he pleased she was here to help? Or because...

Or because he couldn’t forget about their kisses, either?

Without preamble, he said, “A mother wearing this contraption and me wearing this contraption are entirely two different things.”

“Do you want me to come in, or do you want me to leave with my Moo Goo Gai Pan?”

* * *

“Moo Goo Gai Pan?” The thought of hot food was the one thing that might bring him a little pleasure. Well, maybe there was more than one thing that would, but they’d concentrate on the food.

“Sweet and sour chicken, too,” she added.

He had to wonder why she was doing this. After all, she’d run away before. “So now The Mommy Club delivers takeout?”

“So now a pediatrician with The Mommy Club was hungry and thought you might be, too. I didn’t see much food in your refrigerator.”

He didn’t have a comeback to that remark because it was true. He simply crossed into his living room where the swing stood, leaving her to close the door behind her. “The swing worked for about fifteen minutes.” As he transferred Erica from the sling to the swing, his gaze found Kaitlyn’s.

Darn if the room didn’t tilt again. Mini earthquake?

Although the aroma from the food was making his mouth water, he couldn’t take his eyes from Kaitlyn’s. Whenever she was around, his head practically spun. Or maybe that was just a lack of sleep.

With a mental shake, he settled Erica in the padded seat and cooed a bit to her as he wound up the mechanism so the swing would swing. For some reason his niece seemed to like cooing and gooing. Babies were as tough to read as women.

“I hope you brought your magic touch with you,” he suddenly said, “or that food’s going to get cold. I’m paying you, by the way.”

She looked startled, as if she hadn’t expected the offer. “You can pay me if you get the chance to eat any of it. We can split the cost.”

That made him straighten from his crouch and study her carefully. “You’re one complicated woman.”

Her eyes widened a bit. “And you’re an open book? One thing I’m not, Mr. Preston, is gullible.”

“Mr. Preston,” he scoffed. “After what we almost did, first name basis should be a given. So don’t try to put even more distance than the past year between us.”

Kaitlyn looked away, obviously not wanting to have that discussion now. But he did. If not now, then soon. He had to know what had made her bolt like a scared rabbit.

Erica seemed to be quieting with each pass of the swing.

“If we only have fifteen minutes, we should take advantage of it,” he decided. “I’ll find dishes. Some of each?”

She raised her hand in a “sure, why not” gesture. As she followed him into the kitchen, she asked, “Did you get the crib put together?”

“Who do you think I am? Superman?”

The way she studied him made him wonder if she was imagining him in that superhero getup.

* * *

A short while later, they were sitting on the sofa quietly eating their supper, the swing rocking back and forth, easing Erica into sleep, when Kaitlyn asked Adam what was foremost on her mind. “Did you try to call Tina again?”

He put down his fork. “Three times. I don’t even know if she’s getting my messages. I try not to sound panicked. I try to sound reasonable. But I’m worried about her.”

“I know you are.”

It was obvious to see, though she wondered how much of it was worry that he’d be stuck with Erica. She was afraid that’s the way he looked at it. She couldn’t tell yet if Adam was bonding with the baby, or just caring for her. There was a difference.

As they ate in silence for another few minutes, Kaitlyn took a deep breath. Having dinner with Adam wasn’t as easy as she’d thought it would be. That sizzle in the air...the way he looked at her sometimes...

“I’m going to drive to Tina’s apartment tomorrow,” he said, breaking the silence. “Maybe I’ll find a clue as to where she’s gone.”

“You’re taking Erica?”

“What choice do I have? Besides, I have to learn to handle her in and out of the condo. I can’t be stuck here twenty-four hours a day. No wonder new moms get cabin fever.”

“There’s no reason why Erica can’t go where you go. You just have to remember to take along everything you need.”

“Bottles, diapers and the kitchen sink.”

At least he was keeping his sense of humor. That could be tough in this situation. She’d liked his sense of humor that night—

“Kaitlyn, why did you run out on me that night at the winery?”

Back to that. “Because we didn’t know each other. Because we’d just met.”

“Did I read the signals wrong? You were flirting back. When I kissed you, you responded.”

She’d more than responded. Somehow, he’d lit the wick of passion that had been extinguished for two years. Her divorce had become final the week before.

Yes, she’d realized that Tom would never forgive her for losing their baby. She’d had no doubt the marriage was over. The night she’d gone to the wine tasting, she’d been trying to resurrect her own self-confidence. Whatever her goal that night, she hadn’t expected to meet Adam. She hadn’t expected that kind of chemistry. She hadn’t expected to go up in flames when he touched her.

But now she could see why he wanted to have this conversation. A dented male ego, maybe, but something deeper, too. He was afraid he’d taken advantage of her.

“You didn’t read the signals wrong, Adam. I thought I could flirt and have a good time. I didn’t expect everything that happened when you kissed me. After we ended up undressing and I realized what we were doing, I knew I wasn’t ready.”

Of course, that’s the word he latched on to. “Ready?”

“That’s all I really want to say about it. You didn’t take advantage of me. I never should have let you kiss me the second time.”

He cocked his head and studied her hard. “You don’t go to many parties, do you?”

“No.”

“You don’t usually flirt with men.”

“No.”

“So why that night? Why me?”

Wasn’t that a very good question? She knew why she’d done it that night, but why she’d done it with Adam was still a puzzle.

“Maybe it was because Jase introduced us. I’m not sure.”

“Something happened,” he guessed.

“Adam, that’s enough. I don’t want to talk about it. If I could have gotten another doctor to come this morning, I would have.”

“To avoid an awkward situation.” He was trying out that statement to see if it sounded true.

“Yes.”

“Or...to avoid the idea you might still be attracted to me if you saw me again.”

“No.”

“You answered that one much too quickly. Maybe you need to think about it a little more.”

She pushed her food around on her plate. “I don’t need to think about it at all. I’m not looking for a relationship. And if I were, it wouldn’t be with someone like you,” she said honestly.

“Someone like me, meaning what?”

“Someone who’s never around. You said yourself you don’t believe in commitment, that family life isn’t something you even know. We’d be incompatible, from start to finish.”

“It depends on what we’d be starting, and what we’d be finishing.”

His words on their own weren’t seductive, but they made her blush, because the underlying message was clear. He was thinking about sex.

“Tell me your fondest dream for five years from now,” he suggested.

She never thought that far ahead anymore, not in her personal life. “I don’t have that dream worked out.”

“I think you do. Close your eyes.”

“Adam.”

“Do as I say. Close your eyes.”

So she did.

“Five years from now, where are you living?”

That stopped her for a few seconds, and then she realized this was a dream. “Somewhere outside of town where I’d have some open space. I want a fireplace for cold nights that I can sit in front of with someone I love, and a porch that would be large enough for a very nice swing that my kids could enjoy, too.”

“How can that ever happen if you’re too busy with your practice and The Mommy Club doesn’t leave much time for parties or a social life?”

Her eyes popped open.

“Your goals are divided. On one hand you want to save the world, on the other you want to find somebody to love.”

“Adam, you don’t know me. We had...what? A half-hour conversation?”

“And a half-hour make-out session. Do you think I can’t tell from that how a woman feels, what she might find important? We did talk, Kaitlyn. It wasn’t earth-shatteringly personal. But we talked. And believe it or not, I listened. You enjoy being part of a group practice, not only because you’re not always on call, but because you have camaraderie.”

He had been listening. He didn’t stop there. “Jase introduced us because he said you and his wife were good friends. He pointed to the wine you liked best and said I might like to try it, too. When we tasted it together, you said you like visiting Raintree, walking through the vineyards—”

She held up her hand, like the stop sign it was meant to be. “All right. You proved you listen.”

“Did you?” he asked.

Uh-oh. Her mind had been filled with regrets and recriminations that night, wanting to prove herself in a way she hadn’t in a long time. Just how much did she remember from before their kiss?

“Jase mentioned you met him in Kenya, that the famine wasn’t the only problem, that the water in the refugee camp was tainted and the children were getting sick from that, too. You were trying to find a good water supply and convinced the villagers that your team could engineer it.”

“Score one for you,” Adam said, as if he expected no less.

“You also said you were on layover for two weeks, and you didn’t mention you had a sister.”

“I had dinner with Tina on that trip back here, but it wasn’t high on my mind that night.”

“You weren’t wearing a ring.”

“You weren’t, either, but you had worn one at one time. The skin on that finger was lighter. It had been a wide gold band.”

Kaitlyn suddenly pushed her dish away. “I think we should stop with the questions now. If you want to get the crib put together, now’s probably a good time. I can watch Erica if she wakes up.”

“You’re running again,” he said.

“And you’re being too nosy. Just because I came to help you, doesn’t mean—”

“It doesn’t mean that you’ll kiss me,” Adam filled in, with a twinkle in his eye. Then he pushed his plate away, too. “You’re right. I’d better take advantage of the quiet time and get that crib put together. We can only hope that someone with a Ph.D. can figure it out.”

Thirty minutes later, the crib was assembled. Adam had seemed skilled at putting it together even though he’d never done it before. Kaitlyn helped by fitting the sheet onto the mattress. Then Adam laid Erica on it.

“Are we sure she’s okay?” Adam asked her.

“She’s just as worn-out as you are.”

“If she sleeps this much now, she’s going to be awake at midnight, isn’t she?”

Kaitlyn gave a small laugh. “Now you’re catching on.”

“I’m a quick study. I’ll have to make sure I set more than one alarm at intervals so I wake up to check on her. Maybe I should buy one of those baby monitors the next time I go shopping.”

“Are you going to wheel her into the bedroom?”

They both looked in that direction and then at each other.

“Would you like to see how I don’t have it decorated?” he asked, with his brows lifting and lowering.

She laughed. “Not unless you need help pushing the crib in.”

He shook his head. “No, I’ll crash on the sofa tonight. I want to be near the bottles and formula, the diapers and anything else she’ll need.”

He was putting the baby’s comfort before his, and Kaitlyn admired that. She thought again about her responsibilities with The Mommy Club—her responsibility to make sure Erica got the care she needed, and Adam got the help he needed. That his sister did, too, for that matter. Families were what The Mommy Club was all about.

She had office hours tomorrow morning and a meeting at the hospital in the afternoon. She’d already be in Sacramento. The question was—did she want to get more involved or didn’t she? Adam could still have a rough night with the baby and that wouldn’t make tomorrow any easier for him.

“I’m going to try to call Tina again,” he said. “It’s almost nine. Maybe she’ll pick up.”

“You think her guard will be down because it’s later in the day?”

“Maybe.” He took his phone from his belt and left another message for his sister.

That call, and the expression on Adam’s face—as if bracing for a storm—had Kaitlyn say, “If you’d like, I’ll go with you to Tina’s apartment tomorrow.”

He came around the side of the crib to where she was standing. “You want to see where Tina lives in case she comes back?”

“That’s partly my reason.”

He was closer now, towering above her, sex appeal oozing from him. “What’s the other part?”

“It’s not as if you’re a complete stranger, Adam. I care about what happens to you.”

“Well, that’s an admission. Did you think about me this past year?”

Oh, no. She wasn’t going to admit that. “I really should be going, and you should catch a nap if you can while Erica is still sleeping. You might need it later.”

He narrowed his eyes and studied her. “You know, when Jase first introduced me to you, you seemed cool and hid behind a polite reserve. But once we started talking and laughing and joking, Kaitlyn, I saw what was underneath it, and you know I did.”

“You’re not what you seem to be, either, Adam. I looked you up on Google. I found photos of you with beautiful women on your arm at community and charity functions. I knew about that track scholarship to UC Davis. But I also discovered you were in an accident when you were in college and you were charged with reckless driving. The girl in the car with you was pretty seriously hurt. The custom-made suit and the boy-next-door flirting hid all that.”

She thought Adam might defend himself, that he might tell her what had happened because she knew as well as anyone there was never just one side. But he didn’t. His jaw tightened, the nerve in it worked and he stayed silent.

Finally, he broke the stalemate. “So that’s why you don’t think I’m fit to take care of Erica.”

“I want to make sure your care is the right care.”

“And if you don’t think it is, you’ll call in someone more official.”

She was a doctor. She’d have no choice.

“Fine,” he snapped. “Do you want to meet me there or do you want me to pick you up?”

She retrieved her purse. “I have office hours in the morning and a meeting at the hospital in Sacramento in the afternoon, so I can meet you at your sister’s apartment around three if you give me the address.”

Without a comment, he went to the table by the sofa where a cordless phone sat along with a pad of paper. He jotted down an address and tore the paper from the pad with a swift jerking movement that told Kaitlyn he was angry. He handed it to her.

Kaitlyn went to the door but he didn’t follow her. He stood at Erica’s crib looking down at her.

Kaitlyn let herself out.