Читать книгу Maitland Maternity: Triplets, Quads and Quints - Kasey Michaels - Страница 18

Hunter took his time giving an answer. “I like to talk to adult members of a multiple birth. I think it helps give me perspective. After meeting Bri and Caleb, I’m really glad I finally get to meet you.”

“You think there’s something wrong with people of multiple births?” Adam demanded.

“Not at all. In fact, sometimes I envy the bonding that children do in the womb. It seems to last a lifetime.” He kept his gaze on Adam, but he could feel Bri bristling beside him. “Bri, for instance, is fiercely independent, but very close to both her brothers.”

“That’s true,” Adam agreed. “How you doing, sis? Are the babies all right?”

“They’re fine.”

“Is Dr. Callaghan going to handle the delivery?” Maggie asked.

“Yes,” Hunter said calmly.

“No!” Bri screamed at the same time. Adam and Maggie stared, and she hurriedly added, “Abby is my doctor. She’ll handle the delivery.”

Hunter smiled at her. “But I’ll be there, too. I intend to attend all the multiple births until I become very familiar with my staff.”

“You don’t have to worry about Abby. She’s the best.”

“I’m sure she is,” Hunter replied.

“I might have them at an inconvenient time,” she added, realizing she hadn’t convinced him.

“More inconvenient than three in the morning?” he asked, grinning. “That’s when these guys put in an appearance.”

“Who delivered them?” Bri asked.

“Dr. Beaumont. And he did a great job.”

“Didn’t he resent being watched?”

“I don’t think so. We had breakfast together afterward.”

“Bri,” Adam added, his voice calm and reasonable, which only aggravated Bri more, “I’m sure Dr. Beaumont understood. After all, Dr. Callaghan has a job to do.”

“You’re just siding with him because you’re a man! You and Caleb always did that!”

“Watch your blood pressure, honey,” Hunter said softly.

But not softly enough.

“Honey?” Adam asked, frowning again.

“I have to go,” Bri announced abruptly and left them all standing there, staring at her as she walked away.

When she reached her office, Lisa greeted her. “Hi, Bri. I didn’t know you’d met Dr. Callaghan before he arrived. Why didn’t you say so?”

Bri’s hands flew to her temples to massage the headache beginning to make itself felt. “We didn’t become good friends. We just met, that’s all. No big deal.”

“But I guess that’s why he’s so friendly with you. After all, you’re the only one he knew before he got here,” Lisa said, beaming at Bri. “So, I guess you’ve got the inside track.”

Bri stared at her. “The inside track for what?”

“Dr. Callaghan. Half the staff wants to marry him. But when they hear you knew him before, they may all give up.”

Bri took a deep breath. “Tell them not to give up, because I’m abandoning the track right now. I’m not exactly the shape for long-distance running.”

Bri started to walk past her, but Lisa raised her eyebrows and said, “The question isn’t your behavior but Dr. Callaghan’s. He already acts like he’s hooked.”

Bri rubbed her temples again. “Lisa, I don’t want to discuss this subject ever again. And do what you can to discourage anyone else from doing so. There is nothing between me and Dr. Callaghan. Okay?” Then she stomped into her office.

“Okay,” she heard Lisa say. She hoped Lisa meant that answer as a promise to help curtail the speculation about a romance. But Bri was afraid her agitated reaction might cause even more speculation.

And darn it! She still hadn’t thanked the man!

E-mail! She was going to deal with him through e-mail. She could be calm and reasonable when she didn’t have to talk to him.

She immediately wrote a gracious—well, not too gracious—note thanking him for keeping an eye on her. She reminded him that she was a professional and hoped he would treat her as one.

Then she lay back in her chair, taking deep breaths and closing her eyes. Her checkup with Abby was in half an hour. She didn’t want her blood pressure to alarm Abby.

“ABBY? This is Hunter. I’m planning on sitting in on Bri’s checkup. Helen told you, didn’t she?”

“Yes, of course, Hunter.”

“Look, don’t be alarmed about Bri’s blood pressure. And take it before you tell her I’m coming. I’m going to wait outside until she’s on the table, prepped for the ultrasound.”

“Is something wrong?” Abby asked cautiously.

“She got upset this morning. She felt her brother sided with me on something and it upset her.”

“She seems particularly sensitive to—well, to you.”

Hunter couldn’t think of what to say.

“I heard she met you at a conference.”

It was Hunter’s turn to be silent. He hadn’t realized she’d told anyone that. “Uh, yes, briefly. We didn’t really get to know each other.”

“Which conference did you meet at?”

“I don’t know. I’d have to check my calendar. Does it matter?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer. “Look, she’s embarrassed to have me observe the checkup because we’re acquaintances. It’d be like having your brother-in-law watch you undress. We just need to keep her calm. When you’re ready to start the sonogram, knock on the door. I’ll be waiting just outside.”

“All right, fine.”

He waited until five minutes after Bri’s appointment time before he slipped into Abby’s outer office in the main hospital. Bri wasn’t in the waiting room.

The receptionist assured him Bri was already in an exam room, so he asked to talk to Abby’s nurse. As he’d hoped, Abby had left instructions.

“She said you were going to wait outside the door. Peggy, the other nurse, is with the two of them.”

“Just show me which room they’re in,” he said softly.

He felt sure Abby had planned the ultrasound for the last part of the checkup. He was eager to see his daughters.

He stood at the door for several minutes, hearing the murmur of feminine voices. Then a soft knock informed him he could enter.

Stepping into the room, he nodded to Abby and walked to the head of the table. Bri was staring at the monitor, probably assuming he was another nurse. But something must have alerted her to his presence, and she shrieked and dove for the sheet, trying to cover her stomach.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded in a hoarse whisper.

“I want to see the ultrasound, both to check the babies and to evaluate the quality of the machine. Abby agreed.”

“Well, someone should’ve asked me. I don’t want you here.” She turned to Abby. “Please, Abby, make him leave!”

Abby stepped forward and took her hand. “Bri, you’re all covered up except for your stomach, and I’m sure Dr. Callaghan has seen pregnant stomachs before. Just relax before your blood pressure gets too high. Your babies need more time in the womb. Take deep breaths.”

Hunter spoke softly to the nurse and she left the room.

“Do you need something?” Abby asked, frowning.

“Yeah, something to bring down the blood pressure,” Hunter said.

“I don’t think medication—” Abby began as the nurse came back into the room carrying a towel and a bottle of lotion.

“Of course not. But a foot rub will do the trick,” he said, pouring cream into his hand.

“What did he say? What’s he doing?” Bri asked, trying to raise her head high enough to see over her stomach. Then she sighed as he began rubbing cream on her feet. After a moment, she remembered to protest. “Hunter, you shouldn’t—”

“Relax, Bri. Abby’s going to show us those three little girls. Let’s have a look-see.” Then he nodded to Abby as he continued to massage Bri’s feet.

He only stopped once, when the picture first clearly showed his three little girls. “They’re beautiful,” he murmured, and received an enthusiastic agreement from Abby.

Bri, lying more relaxed on the table, blinked away tears, but her gaze was focused on the screen that showed three squirmy babies jockeying for position in their limited space.

After a quick look at Bri, Hunter began massaging her feet again, silently giving thanks that Bri had decided to keep their children and try to manage on her own. She was a courageous woman. Even if she wanted nothing to do with him after the babies were born, he felt sure she wouldn’t stop him from seeing the girls.

“Everything’s all right?” Bri asked Abby, sniffing away the tears.

“Oh, they’re doing beautifully, Bri. And if you give birth now, they’ll make it just fine. But the longer you carry them, the faster they’ll go home from the hospital.”

“I’m being careful.” Then, she flashed her gaze to Hunter and back to Abby. “I’ve already hired a lady to help at home, so I can get plenty of rest.”

“Oh, good. I’d been worrying about how much you were trying to do. Good decision.”

Bri’s gaze returned to Hunter. “Yes. I appreciated the concern that—I got some good advice.”

Slowly, he grinned, knowing that was her way of thanking him. Pretty magnanimous, since he’d been interfering where he had no right to interfere. Maybe she would accept his protection a little more readily in the future.

Even as he was thinking such pleasant thoughts, her jaw firmed and her lips were pressed together. “But I’m an adult, and I can manage my affairs by myself.”

He had no intention of letting her try—no matter what she said!

THAT EVENING was again delightful. Alice joined Bri for dinner, and everything in her house was sparkling and fresh.

“You’re going to have to mess up more things, young lady, so I’ll have enough to do.”

“Oh, Alice, you shouldn’t be working so hard.”

“Well, I wanted to ask you about cooking ahead. Most things are good for six months, I think. I thought I’d bake some lasagna and freeze it. Maybe a cake or two, because you’ll probably have several visitors after the babies are born. We’ll need something to feed them when they visit.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Alice, if you don’t mind the extra work.”

“Well, I have the time now. If you don’t mind the added expense.”

Bri quickly assured her she didn’t. After dinner she took a shower. Abby had suggested it might be best to have showers now. Then she settled among the cushions on the sofa, turned on the television and relaxed. Alice brought her a cup of tea and some cookies.

“I’m not sure I should eat the cookies.”

“Dr. Callaghan said you need to fatten up a little so your babies won’t be too skinny.”

Bri froze. “When did Dr. Callaghan say that?”

“He told me today when he called to tell me your checkup went well. He knew I’d be worried and he was afraid you wouldn’t want to talk about it.”

Though she was fuming inside, Bri tried to make her voice calm. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think to tell you. But everyone’s fine.”

“I know,” Alice said with a smile. “Now eat your cookies and drink your tea. I put in cream instead of milk. It makes it taste wonderful.”

Alice was so pleased with her behavior, Bri couldn’t be mad at her. But she could be mad at Dr. Hunter Callaghan.

As soon as Alice left, she grabbed the phone. She wasn’t calling Hunter. Not yet. She had some other calls to make.

“Dad? Just wanted to let you know that my checkup went well.”

“Yes, I’m so glad. Hunter said the girls looked great. He thinks you may make it almost to term. I really appreciated his letting me know. I’ve been worrying about you.”

“So why didn’t you call me?”

After a moment of heavy silence, Jackson said, “I was afraid you’d get scared because I was worried. After what happened to your mother, you know.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I know, Dad. But it’s all right. We have better doctors and better equipment, thanks to you. Everything is going to be fine.”

“Yeah, Hunter assured me he’d take care of you and the girls.” He actually sniffed into the phone, as if he were hiding tears, as she had in the doctor’s office. “Hey, how about lunch again tomorrow?”

“Thanks, Dad, but with the appointment today, I lost a lot of work time, so I can’t go out for lunch. I’ll just have my assistant bring me something. I’ll take a rain check if you don’t mind.”

“Okay, but you let me know if there’s anything you need.”

“I will, Dad.”

When she’d disconnected, she began dialing Caleb’s number, but a knock on her door stopped her. She moved to the door to peek through the peephole. Dr. Hunter Callaghan, bossy doctor, stood there.

She was wearing her Hawaiian muumuu, so she swung open the door, a big glare on her face.

“Hmm, welcome as usual,” he said with a grin.

“How dare you!”

“I don’t know how I dare, since I don’t know what’s got you steamed this time. Unless it’s my sitting in on your checkup.”

“No! I’ve accepted that you have a right to do that, though I don’t like it.” She folded her arms across her chest, though they actually rested on top of her stomach. “But you don’t have a right to interfere in my personal life.”

He nudged her backward and stepped inside, closing the door. She was so wrapped up in her anger, she didn’t realize what he’d done for several minutes. “I didn’t invite you in!”

“But you should have. Grace would be appalled at your manners,” he assured her, still smiling.

“You think you’re so smart, but you wouldn’t be so popular if I told everyone you abandoned me after getting me pregnant!”

She immediately realized what she’d done when his eyes brightened and he took a step closer. “I didn’t mean you really—I meant what if I told them that! That’s what I meant. What if I lied to them?”

Somewhere during that speech, he’d switched to doctor mode, instead of father-to-be mode. “Your blood pressure is rising again. Come sit down. I’ll make you some more tea.”

“How do you know I want tea? Maybe I want a slug of whiskey, or a soda, or Kool-Aid! You don’t know me—or what I want.”

“I know you don’t want to hurt your babies. Come sit down, Bri.”

He arranged cushions behind her back. Then he picked up her cup and took it to the kitchen. In no time he was back with a fresh cup of tea, with cream added, much as Alice had made.

“Do you still have cookies to eat?” he asked.

She glared at him and didn’t answer.

“Honey, we need to talk about what’s upset you so it won’t make your blood pressure go up. I promise I haven’t deliberately tried to rile you.” He sat on the couch, pressing against her legs as she lay there. “Now, tell me what I did this time.”

“You told Alice, my dad, and probably Adam, Caleb and Grace about my checkup.” She doubled up her fist and hit him in the arm, knowing it wouldn’t hurt him, but maybe it would let him know how angry she was. “Alice told me I needed to eat the cookies because you told her I needed calories.”

“Who else but your cook should I have told? And I had to tell her about seeing the babies, so she’d believe me.”

“And my father?”

“Well, I could tell, when we talked at lunch, he was putting up a front about everything being all right. He was scared to death you were going to die just as your mother did. I wanted to reassure him.”

Her eyes filled with tears, and she bit her bottom lip. “And my brothers?”

“Your father asked me to call and reassure them because they were worried sick about you, too. You’re the only female in the group. They don’t know if you’re just trying to reassure them, or if maybe you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“And they believe you because you’re a man!”

“No, they believe me because I’m a medical professional who’s delivered a lot of babies.”

“Did you call Grace, too?”

“Yes, because she asked me to. She said she didn’t like to ask you because she was afraid it would make you worry.”

She sniffed. She’d been sure the man had overstepped his mark, but there he was, explaining it all away, making her look like a hysterical woman. “I—I still think you should’ve at least told me you were going to—to interfere in my life.”

He leaned forward to pick up the cup of tea and then held it to her lips. “Take a sip.”

She did so, trying to ignore his body pressed against her stomach. His touch drove her crazy. It apparently affected the girls, too, because they suddenly began jumping around like five-year-olds playing soccer, running in all directions and kicking anything that moved.

After he set the cup back on the table, he looked at her and whispered, “May I?”

She didn’t have to ask what he wanted. She knew he wanted to feel her babies move. She nodded.

His big warm hands spread out over her stomach, acting like a lightning rod for the movement. One lump in particular caught his attention. “I think one of the girls is standing on her head.” He rubbed the lump and it shifted.

“They move around a lot, especially at night.”

“Bri, I want to thank you for having the courage not to terminate the pregnancy.”

“You’re wel—I mean, it has nothing to do with you! Nothing at all.”

With his hands still on her stomach, he stared at her, challenging her words.

“These are my girls, and no one, not their father or anyone, is going to hurt my girls.”

“Why would you think their father would want to hurt them?” he asked softly.

“Because he hurt me! He left me alone, wanting—wanting his love and—and my children are better off just belonging to me. I won’t hurt them.”

“Are we talking about the mythical boyfriend who split? Or are we talking about me?”

She looked away, refusing to give him an answer. “I’m tired. I want to go to sleep.”

He sighed. “Okay. Do you need a foot rub?”

“No! I can manage.”

“All right, but you need to understand, Bri, that I’m going to watch over you, try to care for you and the girls. I’m not trying to hurt you or trap you into anything, okay?”

“Fine.”

“Okay, I’m going to go turn down the covers. Take my arm while I walk you to your bedroom.”

“I can—”

“I know you can. Just let me help. Then I’ll lock the door as I leave.”

“Fine!”

They walked to her bedroom in silence. He pulled down the covers, then covered her up as she settled in the bed. As he turned away, she saw him pause by her dresser.

“What is it?” she demanded as he picked something up and looked at it. Frantically, she tried to think what he could’ve found. Whatever it was, he put it back in the ceramic bowl where he’d found it and told her good-night. The minute he’d left her bedroom, she knew what he’d found.

A black stud from a tuxedo—ripped from Hunter the night they’d made love. The one thing she’d found of Hunter’s the next morning.

And treasured. The one sign that what she’d experienced hadn’t been a figment of her imagination.

Even if he had left her.