Читать книгу Assignment: Baby - Lynne Marshall - Страница 7

CHAPTER ONE

AMANDA Dunlap prayed this wasn’t fate’s idea of a practical joke. It was the first day of her six-week statistical study on preventive cardiac care, which would comprise her first medical journal article. And there they were, the twenty carefully selected patients, each with three or four of the risk factors contributing to future heart disease—ticking time bombs, as her mentor had put it.

The participants sat quietly conversing amongst themselves, thumbing through the Mending Hearts Club syllabus and class outline, waiting for the evening to begin.

She glanced at her watch and a flutter of panic winged through her chest. After three months preparing every aspect of the curriculum for the pilot project, her bank account and her career were both on the line. If she achieved her patient goals, Los Angeles Mercy Hospital would use her health modification model for all three California Mercy hospitals, and her goal of a PhD in nursing would be waiting over the horizon. If she failed, she’d be stuck doing employee physicals and walk-in visits at the Serena Vista Clinic—and proving her parents right that she was reaching beyond her capabilities.

Yesterday, just her luck, all plans had come to a screeching halt when her mentor had dropped out for personal health reasons. Without a doctor to lend his name to the already promised medical journal article, her proverbial nurse practitioner butt was in a sling.

Thank heavens the Mercy Hospital medical director had found a replacement for their satellite clinic. Only one problem remained.

Where was her hero?

While destiny snickered, Amanda checked her watch again— seven-ten. Perhaps the replacement had gotten lost on the drive in or was wandering around trying to find the patient education classrooms? Whatever the reason for tardiness, she’d be forgiving, but she couldn’t wait a second longer. Having every minute of her two-hour introductory class mapped out, she owed it to the participants to keep her promise of starting and ending the sessions on time.

“Good evening, I’m Amanda Dunlap,” she said, and waited for everyone to face forward and quiet down. “I’m so happy to see all of you here tonight.” She went on to explain the purpose of the class.

A scuffle at the back of the room drew her attention from the faces in the front row. She glanced up in time to see the door swing open. An empty infant car seat was wedged to hold it open. Next a diaper bag was tossed into the back of the room, soon followed by a masculine thigh and shoulder pushing through.

A gurgling baby faced outward in a special carrier strapped across a man’s chest, drawing Amanda’s immediate attention. The child wore bright pink overalls and a patterned top, with super-white mock sports shoes made especially for feet that didn’t yet walk.

Amanda automatically grinned, and sweet warmth trickled throughout her body at the sight. Her substitute mentor was not only a hero but also a family man.

During her brief marriage, after never having had a maternal thought in her life, she’d missed a period, thought she’d been pregnant, and discovered a secret even she’d never suspected. She wanted a baby. Her husband had been thrown into a tailspin when she’d brought up the possibility. When it had turned out she wasn’t pregnant, her heart had already changed forever.

Now she didn’t know if she’d be able to have a baby of her own. She glanced at the bittersweet surprise popping through the door and gave a wan smile.

Her eyes drifted upward to the bearer of the bright pink baby package, and her breath stuck in her throat. She froze, and grappled to maintain her composure as a chill ran up her spine.

Hunter.

She hadn’t seen him in three years.

Bracing herself at the lectern until her knuckles went white, she recognized the sculpted cheekbones and the long jaw. Had he broken his nose?

Under thick, fox-brown hair and a strong brow were piercing though slightly apologetic brown eyes. They crinkled at the corners and his familiar mouth slipped into a tentative half smile. He followed it with a cautious nod.

Anxiety burst free in her chest, sending her heart into a gallop. She evened out her breathing and waited for her pulse to calm while continuing her death grip on the stand.

Hunter Phillips.

Fast as fireworks, thoughts exploded through her mind. She wanted to cry and point at his baby. That’s what I wanted and you wouldn’t let me have it!

When they’d married, they’d both agreed to pursue their careers at the expense of having children. Hunter’s parents had done a grand job of ignoring him and his sister in favor of their professions, and he’d vowed never to repeat their mistakes. Amanda had accepted his conditions, since she had wanted to become a nurse practitioner and one day achieve her doctorate in nursing.

After her missed period and the newfound desire to be a mother, she’d pressed him on the topic. He’d accused her of being so wrapped up in work and school that she’d be too busy to care for a houseplant, let alone a child. That had stung to her core, and it still hurt to recall his lack of confidence in her. Just like her parents…

She stared at the gurgling baby. He’d moved on, found someone else and had the family he’d told her he’d never in a million years want. Pain seared her side as if he’d stabbed her. Could Hunter be so cruel? She thinned her lips and tried to hide the sadness coiling in her heart.

Moisture prickled in her eyes. Feeling betrayed, she bit back emotion, swallowed hard and forced her face into a professional expression, praying that somehow she’d make it through the night. Then, first thing tomorrow morning, she’d call the medical director and demand a new mentor. She’d wing it by herself, work doubly hard—whatever it took until he found another replacement. No way would she work with Hunter.

She shook her head. Unbelievable as it was, her savior had turned out to be her ex-husband, in a wrinkled business suit with a bright pink baby surprise strapped to his chest.

Everyone in the classroom watched and waited. She couldn’t stand there dumbfounded for one more second, so she took a deep breath to introduce him.

Oh, God.

“Good evening, everyone. Sorry I’m late,” Hunter said, realizing they were all staring at him and Mandy hadn’t yet been able to make her mouth work.

With everyone watching, he bent to pick up the baby carrier and almost bumped heads with Sophie. Could things get any more awkward? Even though he’d rehearsed and prepared for this moment the entire drive over, the depth of pain at seeing her again almost took his breath away.

After three years of hell and soul-searching since their divorce, the last thing he’d wanted to do was face her again under these unusual circumstances. But it seemed there was no way out. If he didn’t help Mandy, the class would be history. And though he wasn’t sure what her stake in it was, he was certain of his motivation.

Joel Hersh, the man who’d made sure Hunter had gotten a staff position at Mercy Hospital after his residency, had contacted him just that morning.

“You’ve heard about Charles Beiderman?” Joel had said.

“Yeah. Poor guy. And so unexpected.” He’d been diagnosed with lymphoma.

“Charles was set to mentor one of our nurse practitioners on a community outreach program at our Serena Vista Clinic,” Dr. Hersh had gone on to explain in detail.

“Sounds interesting.”

“Yes, her approach to reaching patients long before they require surgical cardiac intervention is the way of the future. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Absolutely. Preventive care is the best offense.” If only his father had thought the same, maybe his stroke could have been averted.

“I’m in a bind. The patients have already been lined up and everything is set to go. It would be cost-effective if you stepped in.”

It was the first favor Joel had ever asked of Hunter. “Hey, I’d be glad to help,” he said, straightening his tie. Since his father’s recent death, he’d made it a personal goal to enlighten his patients about blood pressure and heart health. This would be an opportunity to reach more people.

“Good, then. I’ll let Amanda know she can proceed with the study.”

His shoulders had stiffened at the name. “Amanda?”

“Yes. Amanda Dunlap.”

Hunter’s heart had stumbled. His fingers had clutched the knot in his tie just above the similar knot that had formed in his throat. Mandy? As in his ex-wife, Mandy? Obviously the medical director didn’t know. This couldn’t have come at a worse time for him, but he couldn’t very well weasel out now. And he did owe the man a major favor…

Now, placing the carrier on a nearby table, Hunter looked around the room filled with middle-aged faces, ignoring the painful reminder at the head. “Don’t mind me.” He waved his hand, pretending to have everything under control, while still reeling from the earthquake in his gut at seeing Mandy again. If he felt this shaken up, he could only imagine what must be going through her mind. “Go right ahead.”

“Class, this is my ex-hu…er…Dr. Phillips,” Mandy said, with a corrected businesslike tone. She blushed crimson at her near mistake, which turned her blue eyes almost neon and softened the effect of her curt introduction. Obviously she was no happier to see him than he was to be here.

He’d missed those fiery eyes, even though they looked boggled right about now, as though she’d just been caught out on reality TV. He could only imagine how he must look.

“We were getting ready to have a quick anatomy class on the heart,” she said, obviously trying to hide her true reaction to his showing up in her classroom. “Why don’t you do the honors?”

He fought the urge to glance over his shoulder, point to his own chest and mouth, Me? Instead, he forced an affable smile and said, “Sure.” She’d put him on the spot and given him no choice.

He could handle this. No problem. He glanced around wondering where to put the baby carrier, planning to buckle Sophie inside. That was if he could remember how to set it up outside of the car.

Sophie gurgled and cooed. One of the women students sprang up. “I’ll hold her. I’ve got seven grandchildren.”

“Oh,” he said, relieved. “Thanks.”

She lifted the child from the harness around his chest. As naturally as a penguin sheltering its young, she took the baby into her arms and grinned at her. Sophie didn’t seem to mind, so he nodded in gratitude.

As he approached the front of the class, Mandy rolled a cart to the center of the room for his use. Perched on top sat a larger-than-life plastic heart complete with arteries. She’d wasted no time getting him involved. Was this the price he had to pay for being late?

Doing a quick mental review of heart physiology, he stepped forward. He remembered the absurd harness and fought clumsily to remove it. After running his hand through his hair and straightening his shirt and jacket, he jumped right in on the mini anatomy lesson. He used his penlight as a pointer and made sound effects to explain the role of circulation and heart valves. Lub-dub. Thump-swish.

Sophie appeared fascinated.

Ten minutes later, Mandy cleared her throat…several times. He glanced up, stopped his long-winded lecture and noticed her squinting and nodding toward the students. Following the roll of her eyes, he saw the dazed look on everyone’s faces. Had he moved beyond layman’s terms? Possibly. At least it had kept his mind off his ex-wife for a while.

“Yes, well…that will be enough anatomy for today. Mandy? I mean, Ms. Dunlap, what’s next?”

With a subtle sigh of relief, she snatched up her notes and stepped to the podium, cutting in front of him. She still wore the same fragrance—some aromatherapy herbal body lotion. Inhaling, he didn’t feel inclined to step away, but he backed up just enough to give her room. She turned and glanced at him briefly before addressing the class. He averted his gaze rather than chance her seeing the surprising and pathetic hope he still harbored. Was he really such a glutton for punishment? He studied her dark brunette hair. She’d pulled the thick and shiny waves into her signature low ponytail, complete with long escaped strands around the ears.

Some things hadn’t changed about Mandy. Except now she looked borderline too thin, as if she’d been working hard and long and not caring for herself enough. So what else was new? When they’d been married they’d watched over each other, balancing out their tendencies toward personal neglect in favor of work.

Mandy tossed another warning stare over her shoulder. Okay. He got it. Trying hard to seem aloof and casual, he strode toward Sophie and, when the grandmotherly student offered, took the baby back. It was all a paltry show to prove he wasn’t the least bit shaken up about seeing Mandy. Now, if he could only convince himself…

The nine-month-old baby kicked her legs several times and squealed with glee. He quieted her down with a pacifier he dug out of his pocket, and found a seat at the back of the class with an excellent view of his ex-wife.

He’d known it would be difficult, but still he hadn’t expected to be this jarred by seeing her again. He’d spent a full year trying to put the pieces of his life back together after their breakup. How could she have walked away over a disagreement on kids? Why had he let her? He’d moped, drunk too much, even womanized briefly. Nothing had helped until he’d toughened up and gone back to the way of his parents: becoming a devoted workaholic. It hadn’t changed anything, but at least it had kept him from thinking about her. His gaze drifted upward to the woman he’d once loved and trusted—until she’d changed their game plan.

The topic turned to the importance of daily exercise. Mandy had everyone up and stretching. Hunter had a sudden memory of being in running gear with her. She’d worn a sports bra and silky short-shorts with slits up the sides. A lazy smile crossed his lips. Damn, he was a masochist.

“We’ll be doing this routine every morning. Isn’t that right, Dr. Phillips?”

What? He straightened in his chair and tried to appear halfway alert. “I’m sorry. I was distracted with the baby.”

“Class, you can all sit down.” Clearly giving him the benefit of the doubt, she gave a tolerant nod, but he detected something else in her eyes. “I was saying that after thorough physical examinations, we’ll be evaluating everyone here and dividing them into groups of walkers and joggers. I’ll handle the walkers and…” She glanced at Hunter and frowned. “Well, we’ll figure that out later.”

Hmm. He would play along for now, but once class was over, and he had Mandy to himself, he’d grill her on what exactly was expected of him and for how many hours a day. Since Joel Hersh had handily omitted those details. And if his suspicions were right that she planned to replace him, he’d put his foot down. As difficult as it would be, he owed his father and Joel at least that much.

He would have spent more time thinking about his Mending Hearts Club duties, but Sophie had a hold of his nose. She twisted it in an unnatural direction. When he looked up, for the first time that night a smile hinted at the corners of Mandy’s mouth. Until now she’d been ignoring them both. Settling for any possible headway, and feeling like the class clown, he shrugged, gingerly removed Sophie’s sticky fingers, and apologized with a smile. Looking flustered, Mandy reached for a loose lock of hair and nodded, before quickly looking away.

As the class went on, he surreptitiously read part of the syllabus—as much as was possible with Sophie trying her best to swat at the pages and rip them to shreds. Mandy had everything carefully analyzed and set up to perfection. To do anything less would go against her character.

An hour and a half later, the room had cleared of everyone but Mandy, Sophie and Hunter.

She tugged at her hair again and approached cautiously, slowly building speed and looking more confident. “No way are we going to work together,” she said.

“Yes, way. Because I’ve signed on and I’m not a quitter.”

“I’m calling Dr. Hersh first thing tomorrow morning and asking for a replacement.”

“And he’ll tell you exactly what he told me. ‘Good thing you’ve agreed, Hunter. I was about to cancel the class.’” After a brief, silent standoff, she said, “I don’t believe you.” “It’s true, so get over it. I’m here to stay.” One little white lie couldn’t possibly hurt their already strained partnership. Mandy stared him down with a defiant glint in her eyes.

“I’m your last resort. Take it or leave it,” he said.

Something changed in her demeanor. Was it acceptance of her rotten luck?

She walked back to the podium and shuffled some papers. “I almost had a heart attack when you walked into the room.”

Hunter followed her. “Then you were in the right class.”

“Don’t be a smart-ass,” she said.

“Believe me, no one was more surprised than I when Joel told me who I’d be working with.”

“Why did you agree to work with me?”

“Because you needed help,” he said quietly.

She glanced at him, but her eyes darted away before he could engage her.

Feeling a twinge of guilt, he continued. “That’s not completely true.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I didn’t know you were involved until I’d already committed.”

She tilted her head and quirked her mouth, looking neither disappointed nor surprised at his confession. “But you didn’t back out?”

“Nope.”

She shook her head. They stared at each other for a beat, and he thought he saw a hint of gratitude.

Drawing her brows together, she gazed at Sophie and asked with an acerbic flare, “Babysitter problems?”

The baby had fallen asleep halfway through the session, and had used his shoulder to lay her head and drool on.

“No. This is Jade’s daughter. I am the babysitter.”

“Jade had a baby?” Relief flashed on her face but she quickly concealed it. Amanda and Jade had become great friends while she and Hunter had been married. Unfortunately, after the divorce they’d drifted apart. Her shoulders relaxed and she seemed to breathe easier. “How wonderful.”

A surge of dread coursed through him. Of course—how else would it look? You jerk! What a heel she must have thought he was. “Oh, man, you thought Sophie was mine, didn’t you?”

She looked confused. “What was I supposed to think, Hunter?”

A sudden need to make sure she knew and understood his circumstances made him blurt out, “For the record, I’m not remarried or involved, and I don’t have any children.”

She lifted her brows, and after a long silence said, “I can’t believe Jade had a baby.”

“It wasn’t under the best circumstances. She’s a single mother and she’s been having a rough time of it since delivery. Truth is, she’s admitted herself to the hospital for treatment for severe postpartum depression, and I’m Sophie’s guardian for at least the next month.”

She looked him square in the face and he noticed a flicker of surprise in her eyes. “All the more reason for you to step down and let me find someone else…”

“We’ve gone over that already, Mandy.”

Subtle warmth spread across his chest. When he placed a hand on his shirt, he realized with chagrin that Sophie needed a diaper change. Now.

“Oh, damn,” he said, holding the baby at a distance and letting the overflow drip to the floor. He’d have to send the suit to the cleaners. He was still on a learning curve with diapers— and everything else where his niece was concerned. Apparently he hadn’t sealed the diaper tight enough.

Sophie’s eyes opened and she fussed, fisted her hand and shoved it into her mouth. He strode to the nearby table and reached for the diaper bag, then dug inside with one hand while balancing the baby under his other arm, butt out and away from his suit. The diaper bag dropped to the floor. “Damn it.”

From the podium, Mandy shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Here, let me help you out.”

If he didn’t love Jade so much, he would never have agreed to take on such a responsibility. What was he supposed to do with a baby? But, through their parents’ neglect, the bond between him and his sister had been cemented. He couldn’t let her down.

Mandy approached, picked up the bag, reached inside and tossed him a cloth diaper and some baby wipes. After spreading out the small vinyl-lined diaper-changing pad on the floor, she reached for Sophie, who continued to protest. Mandy gently patted the baby’s head to help soothe her. “There, there. We’ll get you fixed up in no time so you can go back to sleep.”

The craziest thought occurred to him: he was thankful the baby didn’t have a diaper rash—as though it would reflect badly on his parenting skills. All three and a half days of them.

He couldn’t believe he still cared what Mandy thought, or that he was having such a mundane moment with the woman he’d never been able to get completely out of his system. Be careful, he warned himself. She can’t be trusted.

He’d stood still too long, and let things grow too quiet. She glanced up at him with questioning aqua eyes.

“So you’re working toward your PhD, I’m told.”

“Who told you?”

“Dr. Hersh. He seems very impressed with this study of yours.” Maybe she’d thrown herself back into her career and had given up on her baby fantasy?

She smiled. Sophie fussed again.

“I think she’s hungry,” she said. “Did you bring a bottle?”

He finished wiping his hands and removed his soiled jacket, wishing he could strip off his shirt, too. Mandy had always been so organized. Even now, when it was none of her concern, she seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. “Uh, yes. There’s a can of powdered formula and a bottle of water to mix it with somewhere in there.”

“You take care of the meal and I’ll change her diaper. Did you bring her jammies?”

“Jammies?” He paused. “Oh, pajamas. Yes.”

“Let me guess. Pink ones?” She smiled briefly and he thought daylight had broken through the night. Her finely pointed features had never ceased to amaze him, and right now the slant of her eyes and the turn of her nose captivated him. Through his eyes, Mandy had always been beautiful, and it appeared she’d only gotten better with time. But what was the point of entertaining those thoughts?

He glanced at his niece on the changing pad. How ironic. Mandy’s sudden desire to have a baby had driven them apart. Now a helpless baby was forcing them to drop the past and focus on the “right now.”

He needed to say something. Anything. Now. “Jade has this thing for pink…for such a staunch feminist it’s strange…” he mumbled, and fumbled with the can.

“Pink is just a color, not a political statement.” She looked up, a tentative look in her eyes. “She’s really a beautiful baby.”

“You think?” Truth was he didn’t have a clue how babies were supposed to look.

“How old is she?”

“Uh…nine months.”

Mandy kept staring at him, and he felt compelled to fill the silence. “Who’d have thought in a million years we’d be working together again?”

“If I can finagle it, we won’t be working together.”

He finally popped open the powdered formula can. “I told you—it’s a done deal,” he said. “Baby and all.”

Amanda pondered the incongruity of their current situation. When they’d married, they’d agreed to put their careers first and forever. And because she’d worked so hard the stress had caused her to miss a period. The fleeting possibility of being pregnant had changed her outlook on babies so drastically she’d known she could no longer agree to a life without children. Even though she hadn’t turned out to be pregnant, she’d already made that choice. She wanted a family, not just a degree. But Hunter hadn’t budged. “You promised you never wanted children,” he had repeated, over and over.

“Life is certainly full of surprises,” she said under her breath now, as she removed the soiled disposable diaper, thinking she couldn’t have made up a wilder story if she’d tried. She and Hunter working together while he took care of his niece? She shook her head. “Speaking of surprises, you’ll need to actually read my syllabus if you insist on being my mentor.”

He nodded. “I know. And I will.”

“I’ve got everything broken down day by day,” she said, trying her hardest not to think about how wonderful it felt to hold a real live baby in her arms. “Like I said, we’ll start with physical examinations tomorrow. I’ve arranged for two exam rooms on the first floor. You can do the men and I’ll do the women.” She concentrated on Sophie, cleaning her porcelain fine skin with a moist baby wipe, trying not to succumb to her charm. “We need to get labs drawn and EKGs.”

Back then all she’d wanted was Hunter and a baby…and an advanced degree. Wast hat too much to ask? And here they were.

“We’ll do stress tests on Thursday, and by Friday we should have our group divided for the physical training portion.” If only things could have been different. This could be their baby and they could be working as husband and wife… Where was she now? She didn’t dare look into his eyes.

“Oh, and you’ll have to follow the diet while you’re involved. I know how you like your double-double cheeseburgers, but that’s out of the question for now.”

He nodded while fiddling with the formula can and half- heartedly measuring out a scoop for the bottle. “As far as my eating is concerned, you’ve got me all wrong. Since Dad died from a stroke I’ve opted to change the one thing I have control over. My diet.”

“I’m so sorry to hear about your father, Hunter. Did you ever have a chance to work things out?”

He somberly shook his head.

Amanda had finished the diaper change and now sat yoga- style. Hunter attempted to join her and almost spilled the formula. His knees were high off the floor and his back was hunched awkwardly. Completely unnatural, and obviously in pain, there he sat. She tried not to think how silly he looked, and almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

Without being asked, Amanda took the scoop from his hands and read the label. Sophie, tired of playing with her toes, rolled over and crawled across the floor.

Amanda mixed the powdered formula into the water and studied Hunter. Why not state the obvious? “It’ll be tough working together.” She sighed. “But we’re adults, Hunter. And if you insist on staying, I’ll just have to get used to it.”

Shaking the bottle, Amanda tried to get Sophie’s attention. When the baby noticed, she immediately crawled over and sat. She grabbed the bottle with both hands and stuck it into her mouth. Amanda tried not to react to how cute that was. Glancing at Hunter, she noticed an apathetic glaze in his eyes. Obviously his mind was elsewhere, and he was no more interested in babies today than he’d been when they were married.

It being tough to work together was the understatement of the century. Mandy watched him with her sea-blue eyes and he remembered how he’d never gotten tired of looking at her when they were a couple. Being around her day after day would be torture.

He wished that things hadn’t gone so sour between them. But, like she’d said earlier, life was full of surprises. Like when she’d had a sudden change of heart about wanting babies. Both being young and stubborn to a fault, and compromise being a foreign word, they had foolishly lost everything.

And here they were.

She stood up and dusted her hands on her workout pants. His knees cracked when he joined her. Her pants seemed baggy. She clapped her hands together and stared him smack in the face.

“Have you lost weight?”

“Did you break your nose?”

They asked the questions in unison.

“Yes.”

They shared an awkward moment at having spoken at the same time twice. Eyeing each other suspiciously, they let their respective questions lie for another time.

Sophie dropped her bottle, crawled between them and slapped at Hunter’s pant leg.

He picked her up. “It’s way past her bedtime,” he said, letting his gaze linger an extra moment on Mandy’s face. Being this close put him off balance. “And I’ve got an hour’s drive home.”

She scratched her cheek and shifted her weight back and forth. “Right. Have you made childcare arrangements?”

He shook his head. “It’s going to be traumatic enough for Sophie not to have Jade around. I can’t bring myself to drop her off anywhere with strangers. My medical assistant and I have been working things out at the Mercy clinic.”

She nodded and lifted her chin. “Then we’ll just have to do our best to work around Sophie, too, I guess.”

Their eyes locked in benign accord. “Thanks for understanding.”

“No problem,” she said, and quickly glanced down. “Jade was my friend, too.”

But as far as Hunter was concerned, he did have a problem. A major problem. The very thought of being around Mandy day in and day out, with all the memories, concerns and longings it would dig up, made the monumental task of single-handedly caring for Sophie feel like a mere stroll in the park.