by C. C. Gibbs
‘Happy to be of service, Mr Knight. Our best wishes on your marriage.’
Dominic’s smile was instant and dazzling. ‘Thank you. I’m looking forward to it.’
As Dominic exited the office, Giles Pitt-Ralston watched the young man who was known by reputation in London for his business acumen and his vices. Whether his second marriage would survive his profligate lifestyle was moot. But the hospital was getting a completely renovated entry hall, so Giles didn’t care how brief the marriage so long as Dominic Knight paid his fare.
Immune to both Pitt-Ralston’s speculation and possible censure, Dominic returned to Kate’s room, politely chatted with the nurse, then pulled a chair up to the bed. He chose Katherine’s right side since the IV was in her left arm, along with the blood pressure cuff and oxygen saturation clip on her finger. The chair was large, cushioned, comfortable; Dominic almost immediately dozed off.
‘Hey.’
At Kate’s whisper, Dominic came awake in a flash, sat up and smiled. ‘Hey, baby,’ he said, softly, leaning forward and taking Kate’s hand in both of his. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘Sad.’
‘Me too.’ He glanced over at the nurse. ‘Give us a minute.’
As the door closed on the nurse, Kate glanced at his knuckles and raised her brows.
‘I punched a brick wall.’
‘They look like they hurt.’
‘Not as much as all the rest hurts. It was a really nice dream, perfect in fact. You and me and,’ he stopped, took a small breath, ‘you and me is just fine.’
Kate’s eyes teared up. ‘You don’t have to marry me now that … all this happened,’ she said, avoiding the painful words too. ‘We can just go back to—’
He put his index finger over her mouth to stop the words. ‘You’re not getting away. No way, no how. So don’t start.’ He held her gaze for a moment, then dropped his hand.
‘I’m just trying to be polite and—’
‘And nothing,’ he said, flatly. ‘This is a stupid conversation.’
She smiled faintly. ‘Then if I don’t have to be polite, you have to marry me now because I’m so sad.’
His eyes widened slightly. ‘Right now?’
‘What if I said yes?’
He was pleased to see the tiny teasing glimmer in her eyes. ‘Then we’d do it. And freak out Mrs Hastings.’
‘You’re always so good to me – generous and … caring and,’ her voice broke at the last. ‘Oh God – I have to – stop crying.’
‘It’s just going to take time, baby,’ he whispered, wiping away her tears with the sheet. ‘And a helluva lot of mental adjustment. Since we’re both a little crazy,’ he added with a flicker of his brows and a faint grin, ‘it might take even longer than usual to crank up the mental adjustment circuits.’
She sniffled and gave him a shaky smile. ‘If you’re trying to make me feel better, it’s kinda working.’ She sighed. ‘Sorta, maybe …’
‘I’m trying to make both of us feel better.’ He swallowed, slowly inhaled, struggled for control. ‘I figure a minute, an hour, a day at a time.’ He rested his forehead on her hand for a second, then sat up again, his blue gaze steady. ‘You and me, babe. We can do anything, right?’
The world shrank and it was only them in their small broken paradise, Dominic’s strong warm hands cupping hers. ‘You and me,’ she said with a nod, when she didn’t feel like she could do much of anything right now. But she wanted to be good to him like he was to her, and he was asking for something when he rarely did. ‘Although, I have one not-so-small request if you don’t mind.’
He gave her a mute why-are-you-even-asking look. ‘Just for the record, I never mind. You can have anything. I’ve told you that before. The offer’s still the same.’
The small worry line between her brows disappeared. ‘Oh good. Then I’d like Nana at our wedding.’
Dominic grinned. ‘She should be landing soon. Or she might already be on her way in from Heathrow.’
‘No!’ Kate shrieked. ‘Really?’ Her face brightened. ‘Dominic, you’re incredible!’
He laughed. ‘Do I get a kiss for being incredible?’
‘You’ll get all the kisses I’ll ever have!’ Kate’s voice suddenly went soft and her bottom lips trembled. ‘How did you know I needed Nana?’
‘I just figured,’ he said, gently. ‘And in the way of my own not-so-small request, I’d like to go home after the wedding. Or whenever Dr Fuller gives the OK for you to fly.’ He saw her small flinch. ‘Just think about it, that’s all.’
Kate sucked in her breath. ‘My job … Joanna.’
‘They’ll understand. I’ll talk to them.’
‘What about my contract? And Joanna can’t handle things alone.’
‘I’ll deal with the contract and Joanna. Let me do this, baby. Please?’
‘Home sounds really … wonderful,’ she whispered.
‘Talk to Nana. See what she says. We can go back to Minnesota or San Francisco. Either place is fine with me. And Joanna will understand. As for CX Capital, it’s a big fucking organization. They won’t remember your name in a week. We both know that.’
‘So you’re saying I can bail.’
‘I’m saying I’ll take care of it.’
There was the smallest pause. ‘Really?’
‘Just say the word.’
She shut her eyes for a second, then opened them and nodded. ‘OK.’
He didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath. ‘Let me check with Max on Nana’s ETA,’ he said on a slow exhale, intentionally changing the subject now that he’d been given permission to execute his plans. Texting Max, he waited for a reply, then held up his phone and smiled. ‘They’re on their way into London. Want to talk to Nana?’
Biting her lip, Kate shook her head, trying not to burst into tears. Nana had always been her comfort and solace when life went bad; she could make everything better or at least liveable. When she’d been young, Nana could make the hurt disappear just by saying, ‘Let’s make chocolate-chip cookies. Gramps will love them too.’ And by the time they’d be eating cookies warm from the oven, whatever childhood crisis had brought her to tears had vanished. ‘I’m so glad she’s almost here,’ Kate whispered, swallowing hard. ‘Oh God …’ Her words dissolved into a gut-wrenching sob and the tears brimming in her eyes spilled over in a flood of anguish.
Leaping up from the chair, Dominic quickly surveyed the usable space on the narrow bed, shoved the safety rail down, slid in next to Kate and avoiding the IV line, took her in his arms. Holding her as if she were made of glass, he dipped his head and brought his lips to hers in a feather-light kiss. Then he wiped her cheeks and said, quietly, ‘As soon as Nana arrives, I want to get married. No more waiting.’ He smiled his beautiful, patient smile. ‘You have to say yes.’
She nodded and sniffled and tried to smile back.
‘That’s not a tiptop smile – and it’s wetter than hell, but hey, I’ll take it. You’re not the only one who feels like crying.’ Bending his head, he kissed her cheek. ‘But it’s gotta get better, baby. It can’t get worse.’
‘I hope not … and I hope – you don’t mind a weeping bride,’ she said in a soggy hiccupy voice.
‘Cry buckets. I don’t give a shit just so long as you’re my bride.’ He gave her face another swipe of his shirt sleeve. ‘We might want to have a tear wiper standing by,’ he teased, ‘with a pile of handkerchiefs.’ He gently wove his fingers through hers. ‘Seriously though, let me give Mrs Hastings a call. Hurry her along.’
Kate glanced up, startled.
Dominic grinned. ‘I woke her at five this morning. She’s been hustling for hours already.’ Dominic saw a real smile that time.
‘Now there’s an image,’ Kate murmured.
‘Hey, don’t knock it. She was nice. Accommodating.’
‘And adding digits to her invoice as you spoke.’
‘Who cares? She’s doing it. Now I need a real kiss just to get me
through the next few endless hours until our wedding.’
Dr Fuller walked in on their real kiss and loudly cleared her throat.
Dominic looked up. ‘Good morning,’ he said, not moving.
Kate blushed. ‘Get off the bed,’ she hissed.
Slowly unwrapping his arms from around Kate, he slid off the bed and smiled at the doctor. ‘Katherine’s feeling better.’
‘I’m glad to hear that. We’ll check her over and if all’s well, she can be moved into a room.’ The doctor looked at the nurse who’d followed her in carrying a chart, then glanced at the bedside monitor. ‘Blood pressure normal,’ the doctor said. ‘Heart rate good, oxygen – excellent. Let’s check for bleeding.’ Her exam was brief and painless. ‘On the mend,’ she said, afterwards. ‘We can take off the patches and clip, the cuff. All your vitals are normal again.’ She smiled. ‘The resiliency of youth is amazing. Are you getting hungry?’
‘Starved.’
‘You can order what you wish from the menu. The kitchen here is quite good.’
‘I’m having food brought in,’ Dominic said.
‘I see. Fine. And if you don’t feel dizzy, Katherine, you’re cleared to walk around with help. We’ll leave the IV in until that saline solution runs out. You might be a little sore for a while so I’ll leave a prescription for some pain meds. Do you have any questions?’
‘How soon can we try to have another child?’ Kate asked in a rush.
‘There’s no hurry.’ Dominic’s voice was brusque, his fear of losing Katherine too stark.
‘Dominic, I’d just like to know,’ Kate whispered, choking back tears.
‘Oh God, baby, I didn’t mean it.’ Quickly sitting back down on the bed, he cradled her in his arms. ‘Whatever you want, OK?’ For a man who’d made unilateral decisions his entire life, his willingness to yield to Kate on so significant an issue was a remarkable measure of his love. ‘You decide,’ he murmured, wiping away the tears sliding down her cheeks.
‘Most women feel the way you do, Katherine,’ Dr Fuller said, not unfamiliar with the scene. ‘It’s almost a universal desire. So as soon as you have one normal period, you’re cleared in terms of your recovery.’
‘There,’ Dominic said, softly. ‘That’s not so long.’
Kate managed a shaky smile. ‘We can decide together.’
‘Thanks, baby. I’m just a little worried, that’s all.’ He looked at the doctor. ‘Is there any way to know if Katherine will haemorrhage again?’
‘I very much doubt it,’ the doctor said. ‘But it’s impossible to offer a blanket assurance.’
‘Would it help if Katherine were less active if she becomes pregnant again?’ Dominic asked, wondering if Kate’s nearly sleepless schedule might have been a risk factor.
‘We don’t recommend strenuous exercise, but otherwise, a normal lifestyle is perfectly fine. Pregnant women need a modest amount of activity. I wouldn’t recommend any Olympic tryouts,’ Dr Fuller added with a faint smile.
He’d hire an OB/GYN to live onsite if Katherine became pregnant. He wasn’t taking any chances. But that conversation could wait. Dominic smiled at the doctor. ‘Can Katherine be moved into another room now?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘Do we have leave to fly home in the next few days?’
‘It shouldn’t be a problem.’
‘I have a doctor who travels with me on occasion. I’ll have him come along.’
Dr Fuller nodded. ‘Then I’m sure you needn’t worry. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
Once the doctor left, Dominic went out to the front desk and asked if Katherine could be moved into a transitional room to avoid the bustle of activity in the royal suite. By now, he expected that Mrs Hastings had marshalled a small army to bring in all the necessary supplies for their wedding.
Shortly after Kate was ensconced in her room, Martin arrived with the food that Quinn had prepared. The major domo didn’t mention the miscarriage. Dominic had warned everyone not to bring it up or offer condolences. And some time later, just as Kate was finishing a hearty meal of all her favourite foods, Nana walked in, dressed in her best navy-blue pants suit and sensible shoes.
‘I hear you’re getting married today,’ Nana said, giving Kate a wink. ‘I wasn’t about to miss that. Did Dominic tell you I’ve been packed for weeks?’
Kate felt her spirits lift as if by magic, like someone flicked a switch from the bad to good vibrations. She smiled. ‘Thanks for coming, Nana.’
Nana snorted. ‘As if you could have kept me away. And Dominic has orders to keep me up to date on your life when you aren’t in the mood to answer my questions.’ She handed her purse to Dominic as she approached the bed. ‘So fair warning, sweetie. I’m going to be fully informed from now on.’ She opened her arms and leaned over the bed. ‘Now give me a hug.’
Dominic’s mouth quirked faintly as he looked for somewhere to deposit Nana’s heavy purse. He wasn’t normally treated like a bell boy or valet. Walking over to the windows, he set the black leather bag on the wide marble ledge, then turned back to see Nana pulling a chair up to the bed. ‘Go and get some sleep,’ she said over her shoulder. ‘You look tired. I’ll sit with Katie.’
‘You should go home and rest for a few hours,’ Kate said, softly. ‘You’ve had a sleepless night.’
‘I’m not going home. I’m fine.’ Dominic moved towards the bed. ‘But if Nana’s here, I will go and make a few phone calls.’ When he reached Kate, he bent and kissed her. ‘I won’t be gone long, baby.’
‘Good,’ she whispered. ‘Because I was mostly being polite.’
He grinned from close range. ‘You’re still weak. It’s affecting your bossy gene.’
‘Then enjoy your short holiday from bossiness,’ she whispered.
‘I intend to.’ He winked. ‘Gonna miss me?’
‘Like crazy.’
‘There you go. That’s what I need. Your kind of crazy.’
As the door closed on Dominic, Nana asked, ‘Who won that fight? Those are some bloody knuckles.’
‘A brick wall won. I cry when things go wrong and Dominic hits things. Things, Nana, not me,’ she quickly added as Nana’s eyes narrowed. ‘He’s so good to me I feel guilty most of the time because I can’t possibly give him as much as he gives me.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Dominic really wanted this baby, we both did. This would have been something I could have done for him. He’s never had a real family.’
‘I’m so sorry, sweetie. But life doesn’t always go according to plan. Wouldn’t it be nice if it did? But even the best laid plans go awry. We can’t control everything.’
‘Tell that to Dominic.’
‘I think he knows that now if his knuckles are any indication. As for life dealing blows, I’ve had my share of unhappiness – you know that. First, losing your mother, then Gramps. But I’m not here to give you a lecture on bucking up when your heart is breaking. Although, I can offer you a little ray of sunshine if you’d like.’
‘Please. All I do is cry. I’ll take even a tiny ray.’
Nana patted Kate’s hand. ‘It’s OK to cry, sweetie. You probably will for a long time. I had a miscarriage before I became pregnant with your mother, so I know a little about what you’re feeling. But in my case, Gramps took it as a sign – a bad one, because so many of his friends he’d served with in Vietnam were having deformed babies. His friends knew Agent Orange was to blame. The government knew. They just wouldn’t admit it. In fact, they fought the veterans’ claims for years while all these damaged babies were miscarried or born with serious health problems. Even when the government finally lost in court, they only paid about three thousand dollars to each veteran affected.’
‘Jesus, Nana,’ Kate breathed. ‘How awful.’
‘You bet your life it was awful – for a whole lot of families. Gramps didn’t care about the award money. His business was always good. But he didn’t want a child of his to suffer because he’d spent a year in a country that was regularly s
prayed with Agent Orange. So after my miscarriage, he was even more adamant about not having children. ‘No more babies, Lori Lee, he said. When he called me both names like that I always knew he meant it bone deep.’
Kate’s eyes opened wide.
‘You’re right,’ Nana said, bluntly. ‘I didn’t listen. I felt that I had a say in the decision too. So when I became pregnant with your mother, I didn’t tell your grandfather until almost five months later. I was always on the thin side and Roy worked long hours so I thought I might get by with it.’
‘Wow, Nana. What did Gramps say when he found out?’
‘He didn’t say a word. He just turned around, walked out of the house and I didn’t see him for two weeks. He slept down at the store. He came back early on a Sunday morning. I’ll always remember it. It was summer, the busy time for him, but he stood in our bedroom doorway, looking at me with the saddest eyes I’d ever seen. “Vinnie’s covering for me,” he said, as if I’d asked. Then he went on in that quiet way of his – you know your grandfather never raised his voice. He said, “I love you, Lori. I wouldn’t have come back from Vietnam if I hadn’t loved you so much I refused to die. So if you want this baby, I do too. If something’s wrong with the baby, we’ll just take care of it. That’s it. We don’t have to talk about this again.” And we never did. Your mother was beautiful and healthy. Roy gave away cigars for nearly a year he was so happy. Now the reason I’m going on about this for so long is because I don’t want you to think what happened means it’s going to happen again. And I’m guessing if you talk to other women who have had miscarriages, most of them have perfectly fine families now. I’m not saying you shouldn’t grieve for this loss. It’s only natural. But it’s not the end of everything.’ She suddenly smiled. ‘And I’m pretty sure Dominic isn’t going to say he doesn’t ever want any children like your Gramps did. So that’s one less hurdle, sweetie.’
‘Between you and Gramps no wonder I’m so stubborn.’
Nana winked. ‘I like to think of stubbornness in positive terms – like persistence and strength.’
‘And wanting your own way,’ Kate murmured.
