Love And The Single Mom (Singles.... With Kids #1)

by C. J. Carmichael

  “What’s wrong?” She glanced around. About half the tables were occupied, no one was waiting in line. Everything appeared to be under control.

  “I’m thirsty,” Peter said, tugging on her hand.

  Robert gave him a pat on the back. “I’ve got a glass of water for you on the counter.”

  “But I want juice. And a cookie.”

  “Not just yet, pal.” Robert turned to Margo. “Can we talk in the kitchen for a minute?”

  She was getting really concerned now. Tension radiated from the man. Something was seriously out of kilter…only what? She followed him to the back room. “What is it, Robert?”

  “The doctor’s office called,” he said without preamble. “You were supposed to go back there after the blood test. Now they want you to take Peter straight to the hospital.”

  MARGO’S FACE PALED and she started to shake. Robert did what felt right. He hugged her.

  “Peter has diabetes. Doesn’t he?”

  Robert didn’t want to be the one to tell her. This shouldn’t be happening to Margo and her kid. They were a nice family who’d been through a lot. She definitely had enough to deal with without this.

  On the other hand, there was no denying the gravity he’d heard in the nurse’s voice when he’d been talking to her on the phone. “It does sound that way,” he admitted.

  Margo eased out of his arms and swayed. “I’ve got to get going.”

  Robert didn’t think it was a good idea for her to drive. “I’ll take you.”

  She glanced out the open door to where a new customer waited at the counter. “I’ll tell them you’re closing,” he said. “I can get this place cleared out in a few minutes.”

  She shook her head, then went to the sink and splashed her face with water. “I’m fine. Don’t worry. It was a shock, but I’m okay now.” She dried her face on a clean towel, then tossed it into the laundry bucket. “I’d consider it a big favor if you’d stay another fifteen minutes. Sandy should be here by then…I don’t know about Edward.” She grimaced. “He hasn’t been very reliable lately.”

  “I’ll stay,” he said. “Don’t worry, Em’s been keeping me in line.”

  “Thank you.”

  THE LAST THING Margo wanted to do was alarm her son. So while she longed to scoop him into her arms and hold him close, she forced a smile instead.

  “Hey, buddy. Looks like we have to go back and do a few more of those tests.”

  Peter had finished his water and had wandered to the counter to look at the baked goods on display. He scowled at her news. “Will they poke me again?”

  Margo’s heart twisted at those words. If Peter had diabetes, he was going to have to get used to having needles on a regular basis. She took his hand and gave him another smile. “Maybe, but there’ll be some fun stuff, too.”

  “Yeah?” Peter looked at her hopefully.

  Think fast, Margo. She couldn’t. Maybe she’d find a little gift at the hospital shop to help distract him from whatever lay in wait for them. “It’s a surprise. Come on, let’s get going so we can get these tests over with.”

  “Can I take a cookie with me? I’m hungry.”

  From behind the counter, Robert shook his head. He’d put on the apron again, and she felt a flood of gratitude that he was here to help her today.

  “Doctor’s orders are for no food,” Robert said.

  Margo nodded her understanding, then bent to face her son. “I’m sorry, Peter, but you’re going to have to be patient about this.”

  Peter didn’t cry often anymore, but at that moment he looked like he was going to. Then his hand went to his crotch in a telling little-boy mannerism.

  “You need to go to the bathroom first?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay, honey. I’ll wait right here.”

  Five minutes later they were back in San Francisco traffic, thankfully moving against the rushhour congestion. At the hospital, they were whisked through the admitting department and given instructions on where to go. Striding along the corridors at her son’s pace, Margo recalled the last time she’d been to the E.R. here. She’d been afraid Peter had a broken ankle. It had turned out to be a sprain.

  If only this visit could turn out to be a false alarm, too. Was it possible they’d made a mistake with the test? Read the results incorrectly? Gotten the results mixed up with someone else?

  A nurse showed them into a communal room where the beds were separated by thick white curtains. She gave Peter a hospital gown to change into and he looked at Margo in dismay.

  Poor little guy. Once the nurse had left, Margo helped him slip into the gown and about a minute after he’d crawled under the sheet provided, his doctor showed up.

  Agata Shyleko had emigrated from Poland at least twenty years ago, but she still spoke with a slight accent. She was matronly looking, with kind hazel eyes and a warm, maternal smile.

  “I’m glad you could get here so quickly. I’ve ordered a fasting glucose and two hour PC, which means Peter can’t eat or drink anything except water for twelve hours.”

  Peter made a sound of dismay and Margo put her arm around him. “It’s not so bad, hon. Most of that time you’ll be sleeping.”

  “Depending on the test results, I’ll be referring you to an internist.” Dr. Shyleko smiled at Peter. “Don’t worry. Dr. Green is a very nice man. He’ll give you all the instructions you need on how to move forward.”

  She gestured for Margo to come talk to her privately.

  “You think Peter has diabetes?” The blood was pounding in Margo’s head so loudly, she could hardly hear the doctor’s answer. But there was no mistaking the nod of her head.

  “I know this is a shock for you, Margo, but it’s important we get Peter started on treatment quickly, without alarming him unduly. He will need to learn to respect his disease, but I don’t want him to be frightened of it. With good management, he can lead a fairly normal life.”

  Margo nodded because she couldn’t speak without bursting into tears. Why did this have to happen to Peter? He was such a great kid. So fun and full of energy. Would that change now?

  And how come she hadn’t realized something was seriously wrong with him? She had to be the worst mother in the world. Lately, all she’d done was worry about her business and fantasize about Robert when she should have been focusing on her children. Even Peter’s teacher had been paying closer attention to her child than she had.

  “I need to call his father.”

  Dr. Shyleko nodded. “First let’s get an IV line in. His blood sugar levels are quite high and I’d like to get him hydrated.”

  How ironic when all Peter did these days was drink. Margo took a deep breath, then returned to her son. In an effort to distract him, she suggested they play twenty questions. Peter was quickly drawn into the game, hardly noticing the nurse poking at his veins.

  “When do I get my surprise?” he asked plaintively when it was over.

  “Soon,” she promised. “First I need to call your daddy.”

  One good thing about Tom, he was always levelheaded in emergency situations. He listened calmly as she explained everything that had happened that day, then told her to hang tight. He’d be at the hospital shortly.

  Margo sat at Peter’s bedside, trying to amuse him with a few picture books a nurse brought to them. She wished she’d thought to throw a few of Peter’s favorite toys into a backpack.

  As he’d promised, Tom arrived within the half hour. What surprised her though, was that Catherine was with him, carrying a duffel bag.

  As soon as Peter saw the bag, he broke out smiling. “Did you bring Buzz Lightyear?”

  “We sure did.” Catherine set the bag on a chair, then pulled out Peter’s favorite toy. There were other toys in the bag as well as clothes and books and even a Ziploc bag with a toothbrush and toothpaste inside.

  Was it just luck that Catherine had known exactly what to pack? Or did she really know Peter that well?

  “Hey, buddy, how
are you doing?”

  Margo moved so that Tom could give his son a hug. She tried not to bristle when Catherine moved closer, as well, and planted a kiss on Peter’s forehead.

  Who do you think you are? Margo wanted to ask her. How dare she step in here as if she were on par with Peter’s real parents? Did she think she was impressing her new husband with this great show of maternal affection?

  Margo took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do Peter any good for her to get riled up about this. She turned to her ex. “Thanks for getting here so quickly.”

  “You can thank Catherine for that. She picked me up from work and drove me straight here.”

  “It was no problem,” Catherine assured her. “What could be more important than Peter right now?”

  Tom gave her a warm smile and patted her hand. When he turned his attention back to Margo, his expression was all business. “I’d like to speak to Peter’s doctor.”

  Margo knew it was a reasonable request, and yet she found herself resenting it. She’d already spoken to Dr. Shyleko—and shared all the information with Tom over the phone. She shrugged and moved closer to her son, gently squeezing Catherine to the other end of the bed.

  “How are you holding up?” Catherine laid a hand on her shoulder. “This must be hard on you.”

  Margo shifted a few inches away. “I’m fine.”

  Surprise, then disappointment registered in Tom’s eyes at her curt response. What did he expect? That she and Catherine would become instant friends? Couldn’t he see that his new wife’s sympathy was too much for her to handle right now?

  Aware that her emotions were spiraling out of control, Margo excused herself and went to find the washroom. As soon as she was in the corridor, her tears started to fall. No wonder Tom had looked at her that way. She was being a jerk. Worrying about her feelings when the only person who mattered right now was Peter.

  In the washroom, Margo splashed water on her face for the second time that day and tried to pull herself together. The more people who cared about Peter, the better. That was the way she had to look at the situation. She ought to be grateful that Catherine had had the presence of mind to put together a bag of Peter’s belongings for him.

  She felt stronger when she slipped behind the curtain around her son’s bed five minutes later. But her new composure didn’t last long.

  “I’ve spoken to the doctor,” Tom said. “And it sounds like everything is under control. But where is Ellie?”

  Margo’s gaze flew to a clock on the wall, and immediately she felt sick to her stomach. She’d completely forgotten that she was supposed to pick her daughter up two hours ago.

  CHAPTER TEN

  IF THERE WERE an incompetent mother of the year award, Margo figured she’d be a shoe-in. Tom and Catherine had agreed to stay with Peter while she backtracked to Stephanie White’s house to get her daughter.

  On the way she called the Whites. Allan answered. “Don’t worry. Ellie called home and one of your employees told her what was going on. When you didn’t show up at the expected time, I wasn’t surprised.”

  “Still, I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

  “Not at all. I just hope your son is okay.”

  “He’ll be fine,” Margo assured him, wishing she could believe this herself. Right now she felt as if nothing was going to be right in her life ever again.

  Fortunately Ellie wasn’t upset about being kept waiting for so long. As soon as she’d scrambled into the car she asked, “Does Peter really have diabetes?”

  “I’m afraid so.” There was a child in Ellie’s class who had the disease so Ellie had some comprehension of what her brother faced.

  “Poor Peter.” Ellie stared ahead grimly. “I’d hate to have to take those needles all the time.”

  “I know.” And there’d be much more to contend with than just the insulin injections. This diagnosis was going to require close monitoring of Peter’s diet and activity levels. She thought of all the cookies, muffins and scones they normally ate. His consumption of treats would have to be carefully controlled.

  “Can we go see Peter now?”

  “Yes. I just need to stop at the bistro first. While we’re there, you should pack a bag. You may be spending the night at your father’s.”

  Margo parked out front of the bistro, hoping to make it a quick stop. While Ellie grabbed her things, she would make sure Sandy was okay and that Edward wasn’t goofing off again. But when she and Ellie walked in the front door, it was clear that even though it was two hours into his shift, Edward still hadn’t shown up.

  Robert was still there, though. He was behind the counter with Sandy, dealing efficiently with a small lineup of customers. He noticed her entrance right away and, without breaking stride, gave her a warm, concerned smile.

  Margo stopped in her tracks, not sure of what she was feeling, only that it was powerful. She’d been half expecting chaos in the bistro. Instead, everything was running smoothly and it was because of Robert, she knew. Though he hadn’t known her long, he was turning out to be someone she could really count on.

  Which, in itself, was amazing enough. Yet when she thought of his kiss, and the weak, hungry feeling that had followed in its wake, she knew that with Robert, much more was possible.

  If they dared to try.

  But romance wasn’t topping her priority list today.

  Sandy passed a coffee to the last customer in line, then stepped out from behind the counter to clear tables. Margo went to help. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”

  “Yes. Thank goodness you’re here now.”

  “Just for a few minutes, unfortunately. Ellie’s grabbing some things then we’ll be on our way back to the hospital.”

  “Robert told me about your son. I’m so sorry. Is he okay?”

  “I think he will be. But what happened with Edward? Did he call?”

  Sandy shook her head. “Not a word. Frankly I’m just as glad. He’s been a real pain to work with lately.” She glanced back at the counter, where Robert was taking an order. “I like him, though. Think you can hire Robert as a weeknight regular?”

  Funny, I was just thinking that myself.

  Margo sidestepped the question. “Is there anything you’d like me to do before I leave?”

  “I don’t think so.” Sandy frowned. “Robert…we’re okay, aren’t we? We don’t need anything?”

  He glanced over the display case. “Maybe some more of those pecan-chocolate things.”

  “I’ve got plenty in the freezer.”

  As Margo headed toward the kitchen, Robert said, “I’ll come with you.” He followed her and closed the door behind them. “Margo?”

  She turned and the sympathy in his eyes was almost her undoing.

  “Are you okay?”

  She compressed her lips so she wouldn’t cry and nodded.

  He didn’t say anything else, just held out his arms, and for a minute she let him hold her. She closed her eyes and sank into the moment. Then, with a huge effort, she pulled herself back to reality.

  Her little boy was lying in a hospital bed, waiting for her. “I have to get back….”

  “Yes.” He let her go, willingly. “I know.”

  “There’s no way to thank you enough for all you’ve done. I could just throttle Edward for not showing up tonight of all nights.” She glanced at the phone to see if the message light was flashing. It wasn’t. “I don’t suppose he called?”

  “Not that we heard. But don’t worry. I don’t mind helping out. Sandy’s a good kid. That’s one employee you can count on, at least.”

  “Yes.” Margo sighed. “I’m really sorry I screwed up your evening.”

  “I had no plans. And if I had, what was happening here was more important.”

  “Offering free food just doesn’t seem enough anymore. Is there something I could do to help you? I know it isn’t much money compared to what you’re used to making, but could I pay you for your time, at least?”

  He looked at
her, clearly insulted.

  “Forget I said that. I do understand that you did this as a favor.” She swallowed. “One friend to another.”

  He tilted his head to one side and the intensity of his gaze increased. “A friend?”

  She stared down at her feet. “This is all happening too fast.”

  He reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Margo didn’t want to think about what she must look like right now. With all her cold-water face rinses, she probably didn’t have a trace of makeup left. And her hair was escaping from her clip, probably making her look even more harried than she felt.

  “We have time. We can slow things down for a while if that’s what you’d like. Certainly until you get Peter back home with you again.” His hand dropped from her hair to her shoulder. His touch was light, but warm, and she wanted more of it.

  Before Margo could respond to his suggestion, Ellie came dashing down the stairs with her stuffed backpack and Margo stepped away from him. “I have to go to the hospital—probably for the night.”

  “I’ll be glad to lock up for you.”

  “Sandy knows the routine. If you could help her, that would be great.”

  Ellie was listening to their conversation with careful interest. Suddenly, she tugged on Margo’s hand. “I’m hungry.”

  “I’m sorry, honey. Of course you are. Ask Sandy to make you a sandwich, okay?”

  When Ellie had left the room, Margo focused on Robert again. “If you have someplace to go, I wouldn’t mind if you and Sandy closed early.”

  “I have no place to go.”

  She let his words sink in, feeling implications that had probably not been intended. Or maybe they had. He took a step closer to her, and she was certain he was about to kiss her, but a clatter from the alley drove them apart.

  Robert gave her a questioning look.

  “I have no idea.” She peeked out the back door cautiously. A small, mangy dog was tussling with one of their black garbage bags. He’d somehow managed to pull it out of the metal bin.

  She glanced up and down the alley, but saw no one who might be the dog’s owner. Meanwhile the dog kept chewing at his prize.