Читать книгу Medical Romance June 2016 Books 1-6 - Lynne Marshall - Страница 13

CHAPTER THREE

CAMERON LET OUT a long cry full of dismay and fear, and Gabby held her hand tighter. “Hang in there, Cameron. Rafael’s getting his fingers under the cord.”

Gabby kept her voice calm and quiet but her chest squeezed hard when she saw the cord wasn’t just around the baby’s neck, it was wrapped round a full three times between her collarbone and her tiny chin. Dear God, this was the last thing a preterm newborn already bound to be in distress should go through.

Throat tight, she watched Rafael carefully wiggle his fingers between the cord and the baby’s neck. Gabby was pretty sure she didn’t breathe at all as the long, tense seconds passed while he worked gently to loosen it.

“What’s happening?” Cameron asked in a high-pitched voice. “Is...is she okay? Oh, God.”

“Working on it. Hold on.”

His fingers finally loosened the cord enough to slip it over the baby’s head, and air spilled from Gabby’s lungs in a relieved whoosh. “Cord’s clear now, Cameron. Get ready.”

“Looks like she’s been doing synchronized swimming in there to get so tangled up,” Rafael said as he flashed a quick grin.

How he managed to look so completely collected, Gabby wasn’t sure, and hoped she always exuded the same calm confidence whenever she had to deal with a tricky situation. “Rafael has her head and shoulders now. One more big push, okay?”

“Good. Perfect. And...here she is!” Rafael had the infant in his hands, his dazzling smile lighting up the room as he held her. “You were magnifico! Bravo!”

Gabby quickly laid a towel on Cameron’s chest so Rafael could briefly place the baby there for Cameron to see her for just a moment as the neonatal team swooped into the room. Cameron looked down at the tiny little face, not a good color yet, still too purple, but Gabby’s heart lifted when she saw the infant was already pinking up.

“My sweet precious,” Cameron whispered. Two wide eyes stared back at her, and the new mother promptly burst into noisy tears that pulled hard at Gabby’s heart. “I love you so much. Please be okay. Please be healthy and normal and not damaged because I didn’t eat enough and worked too much and squeezed my belts too tight when you were growing. Worrying about myself instead of you. Please, Skye. Please be the perfect angel I dreamed you would be.”

Skye. Cameron had airily claimed she had no idea what she’d name her baby, but Gabby had always suspected she just hadn’t been ready to share it. And as she looked at the tiny, scrawny baby’s blue eyes, she got choked up herself, knowing so well the guilt Cameron felt. Worries she hadn’t shared with Gabby. And she understood. Because she, too, didn’t share her guilt with anyone.

* * *

Skye was exactly the right choice for the new life in front of her. A pure and precious gift, like any baby was to its mother. Even those who never had their chance to grow up.

“Skye is a beautiful name.” Gabby gently wiped Cameron’s perspiring brow once more, thinking how the woman looked more beautiful at that moment than all the times her makeup was immaculate and her hair perfectly done by her professional stylists. Having worked so hard to bring her baby into the world, she looked vulnerable and scared and more like a real person than Gabby had ever seen her—not at all the ultra-confident screen persona and diva actress she projected to the world most of the time.

For a moment, she let herself watch a little longer. To see Skye whisked to the heat lamp by the neonatal team, a bulb suction quickly clearing her nose before the small oxygen mask was placed over her head. To marvel at the little body being cleaned up and swaddled tight as Gabby would have done if the baby hadn’t had the stress of the cord scare added to her being so premature.

Then she didn’t want to watch anymore. She turned to focus back on Cameron and caught Rafael’s eye. An eye that seemed to be searching right into her very soul, seeing far too much, and she quickly turned away from that unnerving green gaze.

“She is so beautiful, Cameron,” she said, wishing her voice wasn’t tight with unshed tears. “Hard work bringing her into the world, I know. But now she’s here, you can spoil her rotten.”

“Yes,” Cameron said in a wobbly voice as she watched the neonatal team take Skye from the room to the NICU. “Yes, I plan to do just that.”

* * *

“You did great,” Rafael said. “I’m not surprised that the real Cameron Fontaine is even more of a warrior than the parts you play.” The smile he gave the actress looked so sincere, Gabby wasn’t sure if he meant it or if he was as good an actor as their patient.

“Thank you,” Cameron said, but without the preening she usually responded with when given a compliment. “But what if she’s not all right?”

“No worries until we have to worry, right? What is it you Americans say? Don’t borrow trouble?” Another flash of white teeth. “I will get you fixed up, then we’ll see if we can sneak you in to see your bebé, and ask the doctors how she is doing. Okay?”

Cameron simply nodded, her lip trembling, and Gabby wanted to distract her from her worries. Maybe distract herself a little too. “You must be hungry after all that hard work. How about I get you a bite to eat? What sounds good?”

“Just crackers or something. And maybe juice. Do you have orange juice?”

“You want it, we’ve got it.” Which was pretty much true, as the clinic had more different kinds of food and drinks to offer patients than the biggest restaurant in L.A.

Trying to think about food instead of everything else occupying her mind, Gabby could hear Rafael’s deep voice chatting with Cameron as she left the room. She’d already seen he was good with patients, seeming to know when they needed to be firmly told what to do, and when they needed comfort or distraction instead. And, yes, she’d also seen he wasn’t all arrogant, full of himself princely fluff. That might be a part of him, but there was no denying he was an excellent medical doctor too.

Which, dang it, were all unfortunate realizations, because it had been much easier to ignore the man’s overwhelming mojo when she’d thought he was just a handsome, royal jerk.

She concentrated on figuring out what might appeal to Cameron, to focus on work, which was how she always coped when something happened to yank her back in time. But how could she deny that concentrating on Rafael Moreno for a moment instead was an awfully appealing distraction?

Promising herself she wouldn’t look at said distraction as she walked back to the room with a tray, she stopped dead in the doorway. For one heart-stopping moment she thought Rafael and Cameron were in an embrace, and she stared as a horrifying thought followed. Which was that the man was taking advantage of his beautiful patient at a vulnerable time.

Then her heart jerkily started up again when she realized that Cameron was sobbing, tears streaking down her cheeks as she rested her head against Rafael’s broad shoulder, her hands clutching his scrub shirt. That his large hand gently stroking her damp hair back from her face was meant to comfort and soothe. Soft and beautiful Spanish words were coming from his beautifully shaped lips, and though Gabby’s knowledge of the language wasn’t as good as it should have been, she recognized them as words of praise and reassurance.

Oh. My. In her years as a midwife, working with doctors of all kinds, she’d seen many who were wonderful with patients. But this? This was something entirely new to her experience. This man was one lethal combination of excellent medical skill, patient care, and soothing empathy, with movie-star good looks on top of it all.

A sudden vision of his big, tanned hand pushing back her own hair, cupping her jaw before lowering those sensual lips to hers nearly stopped her breath. At that moment, he seemed to realize she’d come just inside the door and looked up. Still holding Cameron, patting her shoulder, his attention somehow seemed to be one hundred percent on Gabby as his eyes met hers. His lips curved in a slow smile, and his head inclined toward her ever so slightly in a subtle but obvious compliment. Giving her his respect and silent kudos that he thought she’d done a good job.

Somehow she managed to break that mesmerizing eye contact, breathe, and get her feet moving to the side of the bed. Her heart pounded hard in her ears, but thank heavens he couldn’t hear it. Could he?

She shook her head at herself and tried to keep her attention on just Cameron, but that was nearly impossible since her face was buried in Rafael’s neck, and she was hanging on to him like a barnacle to a rock. “I brought you a few different things to eat.” Other than Rafael. Gabby found herself momentarily distracted, wondering how, exactly, his neck smelled. Tasted. She’d bet pretty darned good on both counts. “Try a few, and if you think of something else you’d like to have, I’ll be happy to get it for you.”

Cameron slowly eased away from Rafael, her hands releasing his scrub shirt to swipe at the tears on her face. Rafael reached for a tissue to hand her and she gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you. Both of you. You’ve been just wonderful to me through all this, and I really, truly appreciate it.”

“It has been a privilege to be a part of it, Ms. Fontaine.” Rafael stood from his position by the bed. “I need to make a few notes and talk to the pediatrician about when we can see bebé. I’ll be right back.”

Gabby watched Cameron dig into her food with surprising gusto, considering how emotional she’d been a moment ago, and how she’d mostly picked at her food before then. “I’m glad you’re eating. It’ll help you get your strength back faster.”

“I’d thought I’d felt starved before, all the times I’d hardly eaten, trying to stay skinny to get into my costumes. But this time I’m honest to goodness famished!”

“Anything else you want, just let me know.”

“I want to see Skye.” She put the fork down and tears welled in her eyes again. “Rafael said he’d get me there as soon as possible.”

“I’m sure they’ll let you go to see her very soon. They know how important it is for a new mother to be with her baby.”

“I hope so.” Cameron sighed, and this time it sounded less worried and more dreamy. “Rafael’s the sweetest, isn’t he? Just wonderful. Gorgeous. Edible.”

Edible? Apparently, Gabby wasn’t the only one who’d had that passing thought. Then immediately had a vision of Cameron nibbling on the man’s sexy lips. Lips she couldn’t deny any woman would like a taste of.

Was Cameron planning on making a play for him once she was out of the hospital? Gabby had to wonder if he’d be more than happy to take the A-list actress up on anything she might offer. Then again, she’d just given birth, so they wouldn’t...

She drew herself up short and stuffed down those ridiculous and plain awful thoughts. What in the world would make her start thinking about the sex lives of either one was beyond her. She didn’t do relationships anymore. Sex either, and maybe that was why it had come to mind at all. It had been a long time and, hey, she was only human, right? What warm-blooded woman wouldn’t think about sex at least briefly when sharing the same air as Rafael Moreno?

Thankfully, the man entered the room at that moment, so she didn’t have to respond to Cameron’s comment. Or maybe she wasn’t thankful, because her wayward thoughts sent her gaze straight to his lips and, yes, she couldn’t deny they looked very edible indeed. She quickly moved her attention to the bronze color of his throat visible in the V of his scrubs, then on to the broad, powerful chest stretching his scrub shirt taut.

His eyes met hers with something unnerving glimmering in that startling green, and she had that can’t breathe feeling again. Lord, did he know, somehow, she’d been thinking about his nibble-worthy lips?

“Has our patient had a bite to eat?” he asked in a low, rumbling voice meant for Gabby’s ears only. Also meant to make women swoon, if the shivers currently skittering down Gabby’s spine were any indication.

“Um, yes.” Gabby cleared her throat. “Did NICU say she could see Skye now?”

“Sí. They’ve given us the green light, and transport is coming to get her as we speak.” He turned to smile at Cameron, speaking louder now. “Ready to see your beautiful girl now?”

“Yes, I’m so ready!” Cameron shoved aside her food. “Is she okay? Is she going to be fine?”

“Be prepared that she is in an incubator, being given extra-special care. So don’t be scared when you see that a few tubes are attached to her. The neonatal specialist will talk with you, but I can tell you she is optimistic.”

Gabby noted that he stopped short of committing to the baby being fine, which was wise, considering how premature Skye was and the multiple wraps of the umbilical cord around her little neck. He moved to the bed to pat Cameron on the shoulder again, leaving his backside turned to Gabby’s view. A tight, prime backside that filled out his scrubs all too well. Not that she was looking.

“Well, what’s taking them so long to come get me so I can see her?”

Gabby hadn’t thought she’d ever welcome Cameron’s demanding tone, but this time she was glad to hear it. Far preferable to how upset and vulnerable-sounding she’d been earlier.

As if her imperious voice had commanded it, transport arrived seconds later. Gabby moved to help Cameron down from the bed into the wheelchair, but to her astonishment Rafael simply lifted their patient up and gently deposited her in it, as though she weighed little more than her newborn.

“Are you coming with me, Rafael?” Cameron asked, clutching his arm. Her blue eyes were wide and imploring, and her lips were quivering again. Gabby had spent a lot of hours with Cameron, and had a sneaking suspicion the woman was pulling out her acting skills.

Curious to see how Rafael would react, Gabby nonchalantly glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

“I will join you as soon as Gabriella and I finish up here.”

It must have been Cameron’s exhaustion that had her simply nodding instead of arguing. An evil part of Gabby that she hadn’t even known was inside her had her smiling, wondering how Cameron would react if she said, I’ll join you and Rafael as soon as possible too!

Then felt horribly guilty about that when Cameron reached for her hand, holding it until the transport guy had to stop wheeling her. “You’ve been so wonderful in every way, taking care of me and my little Skye long before she was born, and I’m so grateful. I hope you know that.”

“Oh, Cameron.” The sweet words touched her, especially coming from someone who’d seemed oblivious to many of Gabby’s ministrations throughout these long hours. “It’s been my pleasure and honor. And of course I’ll be checking on you and Skye while you’re still here at the clinic.”

Cameron squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back just before the wheelchair moved on out of the room. She thought of the new mother seeing her baby again, touching her small body through the incubator ports, and knew exactly how overwhelming that maternal love felt. The only kind of forever love, no matter what the circumstances.

She turned to see Rafael Moreno studying her, his eyebrows twitched together questioningly. She wondered what he was seeing, and put on a bright smile. “Congratulations, Dr. Moreno! You dealt with everything very impressively. So scary that the cord was wrapped around her neck three times—I’ve rarely seen that. She pinked up fast, though, so I think you got it handled before she’d suffered any oxygen deprivation.”

“I hope so. We’ll see what the blood gases show.”

“Are you worried?” The man looked oddly serious, and Gabby wondered for a second if he’d seen something more alarming than she had.

“No. I agree with you that she looks remarkably good, considering everything. But I owe you an apology.”

“For what?” The intense way he was staring at her made her stomach feel strangely twisty and her skin warm and tingly. Hoping he wouldn’t notice, she tried for a joke. “Telling me I’m a lousy housekeeper?”

A slight smile alleviated some of the ultra-seriousness from his face. “Yes. And also that I implied you were incompetent.”

“Less of an implication than a statement, Dr. Moreno. I believe you said the condition of the room was obvious evidence you had to take control of my ward and care of my patient.”

“And I was wrong. Something that rarely happens.” His smile grew wider. “I have seen you are excellent at what you do, both with patient care and medical care. I was glad to have you working with me today, keeping me informed of the variables on the monitor, which had me looking for complications when baby’s head had barely crowned. Cameron and Skye have much to thank you for.”

“Well.” What was it about this man that sent her breathing haywire with a simple compliment? Or was it more the way those green eyes caught and held hers? “I appreciate you saying that. And I’ve seen you are an excellent doctor.”

And wasn’t standing there giving one another kudos beyond awkward? Gabby quickly turned to tidy the room. “I’d better get to that housekeeping before you report me to James,” she said lightly, hoping to get back the equilibrium he seemed to throw out of whack every time she was near him.

“What I will report to James is that you are exceptional at dealing with patients like Cameron Fontaine. He did well to hire someone like you for a clinic catering to the rich and famous.”

A club he doubtless belonged to very comfortably. “Thank you again. Likewise.” Fumbling with the equipment, she managed to drop the suture kit, and items skittered in every direction across the floor.

Lord. She crouched to gather everything, feeling like a teenager hanging out with the high school football star, utterly clumsy and tongue-tied. When would the man leave so she could finish and go home to finally get more than a couple of hours’ sleep? Maybe then her brain would function better around Rafael Moreno, instead of strangely short-circuiting.

Then she had a complete brain freeze when he crouched next to her, his thick shoulder bumping hers as he helped her to pick things up. “Do I make you feel nervous, Gabriella? If so, I’m sorry.”

The soft rumble of his voice drew her gaze to his. She couldn’t move as she stared at the closeness of his lips. At the sculpted cheekbones and jaw. At the interesting gold and brown flecks within the green staring back at her. As she breathed in the scent of him—a mix of masculinity and antiseptic soap that on him smelled so sexy, her mouth went dry.

“Nervous? No, of course not.”

“I think that’s a lie. That needs to change, though, as it looks like we’ll be working together for the foreseeable future. So we will have dinner together, and you can educate me more about how the clinic and the maternity ward run.” He dropped the items onto her tray, then gently stroked his fingertip beneath her eye. “See if you can get in a short nap before your shift ends. That’s at six, sí? I’ll be back here at seven.”

Before she could formulate a single response to his astonishing suggestion he was gone, leaving her to stare openmouthed after him. When she’d gathered her wits, she stood and studied herself in the mirror, twisting her lips as her finger slowly traced the skin he’d just touched. Nothing like being told, basically, that you looked like a baggy-eyed wreck.

A wreck completely unready for a dinner date with a prince.