by Laura Iding
“Your sister’s condition is serious, but stable. She responds to pain now, which she wasn’t doing at first. She does have a subarachnoid hemorrhage that we are monitoring very closely.”
A subarachnoid hemorrhage wasn’t good news, but she’d been prepared for that. “Is she following commands?” Kat asked.
“Not yet, but she’s young, Katerina. She has a good chance of getting through this.”
She gave a tight nod, wanting to believe him. “I know. I’m hopeful that she’ll wake up soon.”
“Katerina, I have to get to surgery as I have a patient waiting, but I would like to see you again. Would you please join me for dinner tonight? Say around eight-thirty or nine?”
She blinked in surprise and tried to think of a graceful way out of the invitation. She knew he was asking her out from some sense of obligation, because they’d spent one intense night together.
But she needed time to get the fog of fatigue out of her mind. Time to think about if and when to share the news about Tommy. Obviously Miguel deserved to know the truth, but what about Tommy? Did he deserve a father who didn’t want him? A father who’d made it clear he wasn’t looking for a family?
She didn’t know what to do.
“I’m sorry, but I’m sure I’ll be asleep by then,” she murmured, averting her gaze to look at her sister. “I just flew in today and I’m a bit jet-lagged.”
She steeled herself against the flash of disappointment in his eyes. Juliet’s well-being came first. And Tommy’s was a close second.
As far as she was concerned, Miguel Vasquez would just have to wait.
* * *
Miguel couldn’t believe Katerina Richardson was actually here, in Seville.
He allowed his gaze to roam over her, branding her image on his mind. She wasn’t beautiful in the classical sense, but he’d always found her attractive with her peaches and cream complexion and long golden blonde hair that she normally wore in a ponytail. Except for that one night, when he’d run his fingers through the silk tresses.
To this day he couldn’t explain why he’d broken his cardinal rule by asking her out. Granted, he’d been devastated over losing their patient, but he’d been determined to avoid emotional entanglements, knowing he was leaving when the year was up. He knew better than to let down his guard, but he’d been very attracted to Katerina and had suspected the feeling was mutual. That night he’d given up his fight to stay away.
But then the news about his father’s stroke had pulled him from Katerina’s bed the next morning. He’d rushed home to Seville. His father’s condition had been worse than he’d imagined, and his father had ultimately died twelve painful months later. His mother was already gone, and during his father’s illness his younger brother, Luis, had started drinking. Miguel had been forced to put his own dreams on hold to take over the olive farm, which had been in the Vasquez family for generations, until he could get Luis sobered up.
His visceral reaction to seeing Katerina again stunned him. He hadn’t allowed himself to miss her. Besides, he only had three months left on his contract here at the hospital and he’d be finally free to join Doctors Without Borders.
And this time, nothing was going to stop him. Not his brother Luis. And certainly not Katerina.
He shook off his thoughts with an effort. Logically he knew he should accept her excuse, but he found himself pressing the issue. “Maybe a light meal after siesta, then? Certainly you have to eat some time.”
There was a wariness reflected in her green eyes that hadn’t been there in the past. He wondered what had changed in the four and a half years they’d been apart. He was relieved to note she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring even though her personal life wasn’t any of his business. He couldn’t allow himself to succumb to Katerina’s spell—he refused to make the same mistakes his father had.
“You’ve described my sister’s head injury, but is there anything else? Other injuries I need to be aware of?” she asked, changing the subject.
He dragged his attention to his patient. “Juliet was hit on the right side. Her right leg is broken in two places and we had to operate to get the bones aligned properly. She has several rib fractures and some internal bleeding that appears to be resolving. Her head injury is the greatest of our concerns. Up until late yesterday she wasn’t responding at all, even to pain. The fact that there is some response now gives us hope she may recover.”
Katerina’s pale skin blanched even more, and his gut clenched when he noted the tears shimmering in her bright green eyes. They reminded him, too much, about the night they’d shared. An intense, intimate, magical night that had ended abruptly with his brother’s phone call about their father. She’d cried for him when he’d been unable to cry for himself.
“When can she be transported back to the United States?” she asked.
The instinctive protest at the thought of her leaving surprised him. What was wrong with him? He wrestled his emotions under control. “Not until I’m convinced her neurological status has truly stabilized,” he reluctantly admitted.
Katerina nodded, as if she’d expected that response. “Are you my sister’s doctor? Or just one of the doctors here who happen to speak English?” she asked. Her gaze avoided his, staying at the level of his chest.
“Yes, I’m your sister’s doctor. As you know, I’m a surgeon who does both general and trauma surgery cases.”
“Do any of the nurses speak English?”
Seville didn’t have the same tourist draw as Madrid or Barcelona, which meant not as many of the locals spoke English. Miguel had originally learned English from his American mother, who’d taught him before she’d died. He’d learned even more English during his time at the University of Madrid. In fact, he’d earned the opportunity to live and study medicine in the U.S. at Harvard University.
There he’d ultimately become a doctor. And met Katerina. He dragged his thoughts out of the past. “No, the nurses don’t speak much English, I’m afraid.”
She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, as if she had a pounding headache. Once again he found himself on the verge of offering comfort. But he didn’t dare, no matter how much he wanted to.
“I would appreciate periodic updates on my sister’s condition whenever you have time to spare from the rest of your patients,” she said finally.
The way she turned her back on him, as if to dismiss him, made him scowl. He wanted to demand she look at him, talk to him, but of course there wasn’t time. Glancing at his watch only confirmed he was already late for his scheduled surgery. “I’d be happy to give you an update later today, if you have time at, say, four o’clock?” He purposefully gave her the same time he normally ate a late lunch, right after siesta.
She spun around to face him. “But—” She stopped herself and then abruptly nodded. “Of course. Four o’clock would be fine.”
He understood she’d only agreed to see him so that she could get updates on her sister, but that didn’t stop him from being glad he’d gotten his way on this. “I look forward to seeing you later, then, Katerina,” he said softly.
He could barely hide the thrill of anticipation racing through him, knowing he’d see her again soon, as he hurried down to the operating room.
CHAPTER TWO
“SO WHAT do you think? Do I really need to tell Miguel about Tommy?” Kat asked, after she’d caught up with Diana and Tommy at the park located right across the street from their hotel. The park was next to a school and seeing all the kids in their navy blue and white uniforms playing on the playground wasn’t so different from the preschool Tommy attended back in the U.S.
“I don’t think you should do anything yet,” Diana advised. “I mean, what do we know about the custody laws in Spain? What if Miguel has the right to take Tommy away from you?”
The very thought made her feel sick to her stomach. “Tommy is a U.S. citizen,” she pointed out, striving for logic. “That has to count for something.”
“Maybe,
maybe not. I don’t think you should say anything until we know what we’re dealing with. Miguel is a big important doctor at the largest hospital here. Maybe he has connections, friends in high places? I think you need to understand exactly what you’re dealing with if you tell him.”
Kat sighed, and rubbed her temples, trying to ease the ache. Lack of sleep, worry over Juliet and now seeing Miguel again had all combined into one giant, pounding headache. “And how are we going to find out the child custody laws here? Neither one of us can speak Spanish, so it’s not like we can just look up the information on the internet.”
“We could check with the American Embassy,” Diana said stubbornly.
“I suppose. Except that seems like a lot of work when I’m not even sure Miguel will bother to fight me for Tommy. During our night together he told me his dream was to join Doctors Without Borders. He made it clear he wanted the freedom to travel, not settling down in one place.”
“Except here he is in Seville four and a half years later,” Diana pointed out reasonably. “Maybe he’s changed his mind about his dream?”
“Maybe.” She couldn’t argue Diana’s point. She still found it hard to wrap her mind around the fact that Miguel was here, in Seville. She’d stayed with her sister for another hour or so after he’d left, slightly reassured that Juliet’s condition was indeed stable, before she’d come back to the hotel to unpack her things. Seeing Miguel had made her suddenly anxious to find her son.
Tommy was having a great time running around in the park, chasing butterflies. As she watched him, the physical similarities seemed even more acute. She realized the minute Miguel saw Tommy, he’d know the truth without even needing to be told.
Although Miguel wouldn’t have to see him, a tiny voice in the back of her mind reminded her. Tommy could stay here with Diana and in a couple of days hopefully Juliet would be stable enough to be sent back to the U.S. Miguel didn’t need to know anything about their son.
As soon as the thought formed, she felt a sense of shame. Keeping Tommy’s presence a secret would be taking the coward’s way out. Diana was worried about the Spanish custody laws, but Kat had other reasons for not wanting to tell Miguel about Tommy. Being intimate with Miguel had touched her in a way she hadn’t expected. When she’d discovered she was pregnant, she’d been torn between feeling worried at how she’d manage all alone to secretly thrilled to have a part of Miguel growing inside her.
She knew he hadn’t felt the same way about her. Men had sex with women all the time, and lust certainly wasn’t love. She knew better than to get emotionally involved. In her experience men didn’t remain faithful or stick around for the long haul. Especially when there was the responsibility of raising children. Her father and Juliet’s father had proven that fact.
She gave Miguel credit for being upfront and honest about his inability to stay. He hadn’t lied to her, hadn’t told her what he’d thought she’d wanted to hear. It was her fault for not doing a better job of protecting her heart.
Telling Miguel about Tommy opened up the possibility that she’d have to see Miguel on a regular basis. If they were raising a child together, there would be no way to avoid him. She would have to hide her true feelings every time they were together.
Unless Miguel still didn’t want the responsibility of a son? There was a part of her that really hoped so, because then he wouldn’t insist on joint custody.
Now she was getting way ahead of herself. Maybe she could tell Miguel about Tommy and reassure him that she didn’t need help, financially or otherwise, to raise her son. She and Tommy would be fine on their own. The way they had been for nearly four years.
“Don’t agonize over this, Kat. You don’t have to tell him this minute, we just got here. Give me a little time to do some research first, okay?”
“I guess,” she agreed doubtfully. Diana was clearly concerned, but she was confident that Tommy had rights as an American citizen. “I won’t do anything right away, although I really think I’m going to have to tell him eventually. I tried to call him when I discovered I was pregnant, even tried to find him on all the popular social media websites. Now that I know he’s here, I need to be honest with him.”
“Then why do you look like you’re about to cry?” Diana asked.
“Because I’m scared,” she murmured, trying to sniffle back her tears. “I couldn’t bear it if Miguel tried to fight for custody.”
“Okay, let’s just say that the Spanish law is the same as the U.S. regarding joint custody. You mentioned he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, but we both know that doesn’t always mean much. Miguel might be married or seriously involved in a relationship. Could be the last thing on earth that he wants is to fight for joint custody.”
“You’re right,” she agreed, even though the thought of Miguel being married or involved with someone didn’t make her feel any better. “Okay, I need to get a grip. Maybe I’ll try talking to Miguel first, try to find out about his personal life before springing the news on him.”
Diana nodded eagerly. “Good idea. Meanwhile, I’ll see if I can call the U.S. embassy to get more information.”
Kat nodded, even though deep down she knew she’d have to tell him. Because Miguel deserved to know. Besides at some point Tommy was going to ask about his father. She refused to lie to her son.
The spear in her heart twisted painfully and tears pricked her eyes. As difficult as it was to be a single mother, she couldn’t bear the thought of sending Tommy off to be with his father in a far-away country. Although she knew she could come with Tommy, no matter how difficult it would be to see Miguel again.
If Miguel was truly planning to join Doctors Without Borders, maybe all of this worry would be for nothing. She and Tommy would go back home and continue living their lives.
Tommy tripped and fell, and she leaped off the park bench and rushed over, picking him up and lavishing him with kisses before he could wail too loudly. “There, now, you’re okay, big guy.”
“Hurts,” he sniffed, rubbing his hands over his eyes and smearing dirt all over his face.
“I know, but Mommy will kiss it all better.” Holding her son close, nuzzling his neck, she desperately hoped Miguel would be honorable enough to do what was best for Tommy.
* * *
Kat returned to the hotel room to change her clothes and freshen up a bit before going back to the hospital to see Juliet and Miguel. She’d left Diana and Tommy at the local drugstore, picking out a few necessities for Diana to hold her over until her luggage arrived. They’d also picked up two prepaid disposable phones, so they could keep in touch with each other. After fifteen minutes, and with the help of one shopkeeper who did speak a bit of English, they had the phones activated and working.
The metro was far more crowded towards the end of the workday, forcing her to stand, clinging to the overhead pole.
At her stop, she got off the cramped carriage and walked the short distance to the hospital. The temperature had to be pushing eighty and by the time she arrived, she was hot and sweaty again.
So much for her attempt to look nice for Miguel.
Ridiculous to care one way or the other how she looked. Men weren’t exactly knocking down her door, especially once they realized she had a son. Not that she was interested in dating.
She hadn’t been with anyone since spending the night with Miguel. At first because she’d been pregnant and then because being a single mother was all-consuming. But she didn’t regret a single minute of having Tommy.
In the hospital, she went up to the I.C.U. and paused outside Juliet’s doorway, relieved to discover Miguel wasn’t there, waiting for her. Her sister had been turned so that she was lying on her right side facing the doorway, but otherwise her condition appeared unchanged.
She crossed over and took Juliet’s hand in hers. “Hi, Jules, I’m back. Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”
Juliet’s hand didn’t move within hers.
“Wiggle your toes
. Can you wiggle your toes for me?”
Juliet’s non-broken leg moved, but Kat couldn’t figure out if the movement had been made on purpose or not. When she asked a second time, the leg didn’t move, so she assumed the latter.
She pulled up a chair and sat down beside her sister, glancing curiously at the chart hanging off the end of the bed. She didn’t bother trying to read it, as it would all be in Spanish, but she wished she could read the medical information for herself, to see how Juliet was progressing.
She kept up her one-sided conversation with her sister for the next fifteen minutes or so. Until she ran out of things to say.
“Katerina?”
The way Miguel said her name brought back a fresh wave of erotic memories of their night together and she tried hard to paste a friendly smile on her face, before rising to her feet and facing him. “Hello, Miguel. How did your surgery go this morning?”
“Very well, thanks. Would you mind going across the street to the restaurant to talk?” he asked. “I’ve missed lunch.”
She instinctively wanted to say no, but that seemed foolish and petty so she nodded. She glanced back at her sister, leaning over the side rail to talk to her. “I love you, sis. See you soon,” she said, before moving away to meet Miguel in the doorway.
As they walked down the stairs to the main level of the hospital, he handed her a stack of papers. “I spent some time translating bits of Juliet’s chart for you, so that you can get a sense as to how she’s doing.”
Her jaw dropped in surprise and for a moment she couldn’t speak, deeply touched by his kind consideration. “Thank you,” she finally murmured, taking the paperwork he offered. Miguel had often been thoughtful of others and she was glad he hadn’t changed during the time they’s spent apart. She couldn’t imagine where he’d found the time to translate her sister’s chart for her between seeing patients and doing surgery, but she was extremely grateful for his efforts.
He put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her towards the restaurant across the street from the hospital. The warmth of his hand seemed to burn through her thin cotton blouse, branding her skin. She was keenly aware of him, his scent wreaking havoc with her concentration, as they made their way across the street. There was outdoor seating beneath cheerful red and white umbrellas and she gratefully sat in the shade, putting the table between them.
