The Army Doctor's Wedding

by Helen Scott Taylor

  "I thought you'd like to see where Cameron will be working," Major General Knight said to her. "Sandra tells me if she can picture where I am and what I'm doing, it helps her cope when I'm away."

  "Thank you." He was thoughtful.

  "Each deployment will be very short, though." Cameron squeezed her hand.

  "A week at most," his father agreed. "On paper, your posting is here."

  They halted in the belly of the plane. Beds, monitors, stretchers, oxygen cylinders, and other medical equipment she couldn't identify surrounded them.

  Cameron released her hand and wandered about, opening metal units and checking everything out.

  His father turned to Alice. "The RAF has units that specialize in providing role-one medical support for overseas operations. I've been pressing for the army to have its own deployable aeromedical teams for rapid response support in conflict zones. We need it for the initial few days before we establish a field hospital."

  "So Cameron will take this mobile hospital oversees when a new war starts?"

  "In a nutshell. It will also be scrambled for use in natural disasters and any occasion where we need a medical resource on the ground quickly."

  "Sounds exciting." And dangerous, but no more so than working in a field hospital.

  Cameron came back, smiling and nodding. "Excellent. The facilities are first class."

  "You'll have a six-hour response time," his father said. "It'll require you to live nearby and be on standby."

  "Not a problem. The rental property is close anyway. When we buy our own place, we'll search within a thirty-minute radius of the airport."

  Taking her hand, Cameron led her around, showing her the equipment and explaining what some of it was used for. "What do you think, love?"

  "It's wonderful. You get to live at home." She gave a little squeal and bounced on her toes to kiss him, bubbling with excitement at having him back.

  "I get the best of both worlds, being with you and practicing my specialty where I'm most needed."

  "And you're ideal for this position. It plays to all your strengths. You're good at motivating a team in challenging and dangerous conditions. Combine that with your experience in battlefield trauma and you are the perfect man to take control of this unit."

  At his father's words, Cameron stood tall, eyes sparkling with excitement and pride. "Thanks for this opportunity, Dad. You really came through for me. I owe you one."

  Cameron shook his father's hand and the two men embraced.

  "You don't owe me anything, Cam. It's my pleasure."

  Alice glowed inside to see her husband happy. This was a new start for them, one that should satisfy the social workers.

  ***

  Cameron climbed from the limo in front of his house. His mother ran out the front door with a cry of joy, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek. "My darling boy, it's so good to have you home. I breathe a sigh of relief every time one of my boys comes home safely, especially you. You're the reckless one."

  "Not anymore, Mum. I have responsibilities now."

  "That's good to hear."

  His father passed him his bag and he carried it inside, Alice a few steps in front.

  "Sami, look who it is. It's Daddy." Alice dropped to the floor behind Sami on his play mat and lifted the baby to sit between her legs.

  Cameron couldn't believe how much his son had changed in the couple of months since he last saw him. He wore little denim dungarees, soft blue boots, and a matching T-shirt. His hair was longer as well. He gnawed on a bright pink and yellow toy in his hand.

  Chest tight with emotion, Cameron dropped his bag and sank to his haunches. He'd missed so much of Sami's development. Would his little boy even recognize him?

  "Hello, Samikins. Do you remember Daddy?"

  His son dropped the toy and stretched out both arms towards Cameron, his lips parting in a happy smile, revealing two white teeth.

  "Of course he recognizes you," his mother said.

  With almost painful relief, Cameron scooped the child into his arms for a cuddle.

  He kissed Sami's hair, then held him up above his head, jiggling him until he giggled. Drool trailed from the baby's mouth onto Cameron's shirt.

  Alice jumped up and wiped it away with a cloth. "Poor baby is teething. You'll get used to the drool. There's a lot of it."

  "Are my Samikins's toothies sore?"

  Cameron's father cleared his throat from the doorway. "Come on, Sandra. I think it's time we left these young people alone."

  Cradling Sami in one arm, Cameron hugged and kissed his mother good-bye.

  Alice gave his mother a kiss as well. "Sandra, thank you so much for babysitting Sami so I could see Cameron's hospital plane. It looks very exciting."

  "You're welcome, dear. You know how much I love looking after my darling baby boy."

  Cameron passed Sami to Alice, then followed his parents outside. "Thanks again, Dad." He embraced his father. He seemed to be doing a lot of hugging his dad today.

  "Remember, you're meeting me in London tomorrow evening," his father said. "Sir Alistair Conway has a shock coming if he thinks he can interfere with my family."

  "I'll come up on the train in the afternoon. I need to visit Hatton Garden and do some ring shopping."

  His mother rested a hand on his shoulder and leaned close, her gaze moving to the door to check Alice wasn't listening. "Did you call the vicar?"

  "Yep. The church is booked."

  "Good. You'll have a busy week with the home visit from the adoption agency as well. But I'm sure that will be fine."

  Cameron stepped back inside his house and closed the door as the limousine pulled away. He paused for a moment and smiled at the sound coming from upstairs—Alice chatting to Sami as she changed his diaper and the baby boy babbling back. It really was so good to be home with the two people he loved most in the world.

  After his flight home, he should be tired and hungry. Yet all he hungered for was time with his family. He untied his boots, pulled them off, then grabbed his bag and ran upstairs, taking the steps two at a time.

  Sami had moved into the second bedroom. Alice had transformed the room with blue and yellow walls and stenciled cartoon characters. She'd even assembled the flat-packed wooden crib on her own.

  She'd discussed colors with him and sent him pictures of what she'd done, never making him feel guilty for not being here to help. She just got on with it. He gazed around, feeling like an outsider in her domain.

  When they moved into their own place, he would make sure they decorated the nursery together and shared everything. He longed to be a full part of their lives.

  "The room looks great, love."

  "Thank you. I'm really pleased with how it turned out." She finished securing the closures on Sami's sleep suit and picked him up. "He just needs his bottle then we can pop him in bed. Do you want to feed him?"

  "You do this feed. I'll take care of the next one. I need to jump in the shower." His skin was still sticky and gritty, and he longed to be clean.

  A little while later Cameron emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his hips, and headed to his bedroom.

  Alice lay on the bed in a silky blue nightdress, a plate of sandwiches and two glasses of wine on the nightstand. Cameron halted in the doorway, a grin pulling at his lips. It looked like his wife had the same idea he did. "Where's Sami?"

  "In bed."

  She rose and came to him, her sleek golden hair cascading over pale shoulders, her skin like polished ivory beneath the rich blue satin. How he had missed her, missed the gentle caress of her fingers, and the feel of her silky skin.

  Heat seared along his veins, the weeks of wanting her coming back in a rush of almost uncontrollable longing.

  She leaned in, her hair tickling his chest, and ran her fingertips over his pecs. "I thought we could have an early night. There are sandwiches if you're hungry."

  "Sandwiches are the last thing on my mind." Cameron
pulled her close, reveling in the feel of the woman he loved in his arms. He speared his fingers through her hair and cupped the back of her head as she stared up at him. "All I want right now is you."

  He lowered his head and kissed her gently, enjoying the taste and feel of her soft mouth under his. Then he trailed his lips down her throat to the smooth skin of her shoulder. Her floral fragrance stoked the fire inside him, a fire he had tamped down and tried to forget while he was away. Now it roared nearly out of control as he slid his hands over his wife's delicate back and pulled her tightly against him.

  Thank heavens for a home posting. He didn't want to be away from her again. Ever.

  ***

  Cameron strode along St. James's Street towards Piccadilly, his father at his side. The streetlights cast bright streaks across the wet road. A black cab passed, followed by a red double-decker bus with a gruesome advertisement for the London Dungeon on the side.

  He tapped a large manila envelope against his thigh as they waited to cross the road.

  "You're sure this will work?" he asked.

  "Absolutely," his father said.

  They approached the neoclassical facade of the front of the club they were heading for and entered through a discreet black door.

  The doorman met them. "Good evening, Major General Knight. It's a pleasure to see you, sir."

  His father removed his hat and wedged it beneath his arm. Cameron followed suit. They had decided to wear their uniforms, anything to give them an edge.

  "Can you tell me where Sir Alistair Conway is?" Cameron's father asked.

  "I believe you'll find him in the library, sir."

  "Thank you."

  Cameron rarely entered the stuffy, old-fashioned club. His father spent time here every week, in the bastion of male power, networking. It meant on occasions like this, he had the contacts to get what he wanted.

  They strode along the Victorian oak-paneled corridor to the hushed domain of politicians and civil servants. Groups of men dotted the room, seated in green leather chairs, relaxing with glasses of whiskey.

  "That's our man." His father nodded to the far end of the room where a distinguished man in a dark suit sat reading the Financial Times.

  Cameron swallowed hard as they threaded their way between the tables and chairs towards Alice's father. He had never met the man and didn't want to. But this had to be done. He would not lose Sami. He loved his baby boy, and Alice would be devastated if her father somehow kept them from adopting him.

  Heart hammering with tension, he drew in a breath and steeled himself in much the same way he did before jumping out of a helicopter to tend a casualty.

  They stopped near the man and his father cleared his throat. "Judge Conway?"

  Alice's father looked up at the sound of his name. He stared at them for a moment, his gaze passing over the insignia of rank on their epaulets.

  "I'm Major General Knight. I believe you met my eldest son the other day."

  Alistair Conway's expression flashed from caution to alarm. "What can I do for you?" He rose to his feet, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

  "I'm Major Cameron Knight." Cameron's voice came out gruff with nerves but he carried on, determined not to show weakness. "I'm your daughter's husband and Sami's dad."

  The man frowned, his blue eyes like Alice's yet so different. There was no emotion in those eyes at all.

  "I understand you don't want us to adopt Sami."

  The man's gaze shot around the room, gauging whether anyone had heard. "Let's discuss this elsewhere."

  Cameron held out the envelope. "That won't be necessary. This won't take long."

  Alice's father stared at the envelope for a moment, then taking it, sat down and pulled the contents out on the table before him.

  Cameron had hoped Conway's threats to interfere in Sami's adoption were nothing more than hot air, but according to his father, the judge was known to play dirty.

  The man scanned the few sheets of paper. His gaze jumped back to them, eyes startled. "This happened at college. The three girls all retracted their allegations against me."

  Major General Knight shrugged. "If the press gets a whiff of this, they'll send a reporter to find out the truth. Of course, if you didn't assault those women you have nothing to worry about."

  "This is blackmail."

  "No, this is defending my family. When Alice married Cameron she became a Knight. As far as I'm concerned, Sami is a Knight as well. The adoption paperwork is a mere formality."

  Cameron's father bent and tapped a finger on the three incriminating sheets of paper he had acquired from the archives at Oxford University. "Do not interfere with my family, Judge Conway. You will not come out on top."

  Cameron met the man's gaze and held his steady, following his father's example. After a few seconds, Judge Conway looked away. Cameron turned and strode from the library at his father's side, victory and relief flaring in his chest.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Alice held Sami up with his back against her chest so he could see the Christmas tree in the corner of Sandra and George's sitting room. Sami babbled, kicking his legs as if he wanted to get down and help decorate it.

  Cameron, Radley, and little George hung brightly colored baubles on the branches of the tree while Olivia chased around the room after Emma, who had just begun walking. She kept picking decorations up and running away with them, giggling.

  They had all gathered for a family dinner at Willow House, two weeks before Christmas, to celebrate the successful home visit the social workers had made to Alice and Cameron's place. The adoption agency had approved their home. Now Cameron was stationed in the UK for the next three years, they filled all the criteria to adopt. The only thing left was to make Sami's adoption legal in court. That would take place in a few months, when they could be fitted into the court schedule.

  Cameron tickled Sami, making him squirm and giggle. "Do you like the Christmas tree, Samikins?"

  "You do, don't you, sweetie." Alice cradled her son's diaper-padded bottom in her right hand and braced her left across his chest, still hoping Cameron might notice her bare third finger. He seemed oblivious to the absent wedding ring. She had resolved not to ask for one. She knew Cameron loved her. A ring was only a piece of metal.

  He blew on Sami's tummy, then kissed Alice's hand, his gaze rising to hers as his lips touched her fingers. "What do you think about renewing our vows in the local church at Christmastime?"

  "Renewing our vows? Isn't that something people do when they've been married for years?"

  "The vicar says he can't marry us again. But if we renew our vows, we can have a ceremony in front of the family with the white dress, the flowers, and the cake. Would you like that?"

  For a few seconds, Alice couldn't believe her ears.

  "A proper wedding?"

  "As good as." Cameron stroked back her hair, his eyebrows raised in question.

  "Yes. Oh, yes." Excitement bubbled inside Alice. She leaned her cheek into Cameron's hand as he touched his lips to hers.

  "I've been doing a little organizing on the sly." Sandra rested a hand on Alice's shoulder with a maternal smile. "My dear daughter-in-law, who's managed the seemingly impossible task of pulling my youngest son into line, deserves the best. The service will be short, but the vicar can fit you in on Christmas Eve."

  Alice leaned into Cameron as he slipped his arm around her waist. He hadn't forgotten about her wedding ring after all. In fact, he'd done far more than simply buy a ring.

  Sandra took Sami from Alice and stepped back while Cameron fished a blue velvet box from his pocket and flipped up the lid. "I thought you'd like something sparkly as well."

  A beautiful sapphire and diamond ring winked at her in the firelight. She'd never owned expensive jewelry. Despite the fact her father was wealthy, she'd never owned anything much until recently.

  Cameron lifted the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger.

  "It's lovely, Cam. Thank you."
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, holding back, aware of the audience, when really she wanted to smother him in kisses. She'd have to do that later in private.

  Sandra and Olivia crowded around to admire the ring. Cameron's father rose from his leather recliner by the French door where he'd been reading the newspaper and came to have a look. "Alice, I think it's about time you called me George. Or you can call me Dad, if you'd rather. I promise I don't bite."

  Heat warmed her cheeks. She hadn't realized he'd noticed her awkwardness around him.

  Sandra passed Sami back to her. She cuddled up against Cameron with her baby, so happy she almost burst with the feeling. "This will be the best Christmas ever."

  "Ahh, Christmas." Olivia picked up a squirming Emma. "I love Christmas, especially in Sandra and George's house. It will always remind me of my first Christmas here six years ago, when Radley proposed to me."

  "He proposed on Christmas Day?"

  "At the dinner table."

  "That's nearly as romantic as renewing our vows on Christmas Eve." She pressed a kiss to Cameron's cheek and he went back to decorating the tree.

  "How did you meet Radley?"

  "He came home on leave a week after I'd given birth. I needed so much help. I cringe to think how useless I was. I couldn't pick little George up for six weeks."

  Alice opened her mouth, then closed it again, her brain processing. "You met Radley after George was born?" That didn't make sense.

  An awkward silence fell over the room. Radley glanced at Cameron, who stared at the bauble in his hand. Olivia bit her lip, then busied herself wiping a smear off Emma's cheek. "No more Christmas chocolate for you, young lady. Not until Christmas Day."

  She flashed an overly bright smile at Alice and headed for the door. "I need to check her diaper."

  "I'll help you." Radley scooped a complaining George into his arms and headed after her. His parents followed.

  The door closed behind them. The crackling log fire and the ticking clock were the only sounds left in the quiet room.

  "What did I say?" she asked Cameron, glancing over her shoulder at the closed door.