The Brooding Surgeon's Baby Bombshell

by Susan Carlisle

  “Who’re you?” her mother asked.

  Zoe couldn’t help but chuckle this time. She was asking herself the same thing. Was there another man like him? If there was, she’d never met him.

  “I’m Gabe.”

  “That’s right. Did you know that Zoe’s having a baby?” She looked at Zoe.

  Gabe looked at her as well. “Yes, ma’am, I see that.”

  “She’ll be a good mother. She’s a nurse, you know.” Her mother’s attention returned to her food.

  “I do know.” He continued to watch Zoe. “I also think she’ll be a good mother.”

  “Are you Zoe’s boyfriend?”

  “Mom!”

  Gabe’s eyes questioned her as if asking permission to answer. Was he wondering how much her mother knew? It was time to come clean. “Mom, Gabe is the baby’s father.”

  Her mother studied him closely. “You will get married.” That wasn’t a question but a statement.

  Embarrassment flooded Zoe. She couldn’t even look at Gabe. “Mom! You can’t go around telling men to marry me.”

  Her mother ignored her and went back to eating. “This is good,” she said, not missing a beat. As if she hadn’t created a cloud of tension in the room.

  It took a few minutes for Zoe to find the courage to even glance at Gabe. He seemed to have taken the exchange in his stride.

  After their meal Zoe settled her mother in her room to watch TV and returned to find Gabe had cleaned up the table. “I’m sorry about that. I don’t expect you to marry me. I’ve never thought you should.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said in an even tone. “I put some coffee on. I hope you don’t mind. It’s been a long day.” He hung the washcloth up.

  “I’m not surprised. You pretty much came in and made yourself at home.” She hadn’t meant to sound irritated, even though she was...a little.

  A shocked look came over his face. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intent. I hadn’t eaten since early this morning, having looked at houses all day. Plus, I knew you didn’t feel well and I guess I just got carried away.”

  Was she being too sensitive? He had her so out of sorts she’d not even thought about him, his needs. This situation couldn’t be any easier on him than it was on her. If she met him halfway then maybe it would be better. She could at least try. “Why don’t you go have a seat in the living room and I’ll bring you a cup of coffee. How do you like it?”

  “Black is fine.”

  With coffee in hand, she found Gabe sitting on the sofa, legs stretched out with his head back and his eyes closed. Was he asleep? Why did it seem so natural to have him in her home?

  He quickly straightened when she set the mug on the table closest to him. He ran his hands through his wavy hair. “Thanks. I’d rather do two transplants back-to-back than look at houses all day.”

  She settled in the chair facing him.

  Gabe took a sip of his coffee.

  “Did you find a place?” Was it nearby? Could she handle him being so close?

  “I did. It’s out in Vernon Landing.”

  Zoe breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t as local as she’d feared. The traffic alone would make him think twice before he just showed up. She wouldn’t allow that anyway. He was right—they needed to talk. They needed to at least agree on visitation guidelines before the baby was born.

  “I’m glad you found something.” She couldn’t help but ask, “When will you be moving in?”

  “Two weeks.”

  Her heart did a thump-bump. “That soon.”

  “Yeah. I’m to start my new position on the first of the month.”

  Zoe had hoped for more time to adjust to the idea of him living nearby.

  “I know this is going to be an adjustment,” he remarked as though he could read her mind. “Neither one of us planned how things have turned out.”

  That was an understatement if Zoe had ever heard one. Her hand went to her belly.

  “Zoe.”

  She looked at him.

  “I have no intention of taking the baby away from you. All I want is to be in his life. See him or her occasionally. Do my share financially.”

  That declaration did make her feel better. He sounded sincere, not threatening. Having him help financially would be nice, especially since her mother was going to require ever more costly care as time went on. However, she wouldn’t let Gabe think for a moment he could do as he pleased where the baby was concerned. “You know, you can’t just show up here unannounced.”

  He put his mug down, placing his arms on his knees with hands clasped between them, and leaned toward her. “I would never do that.”

  “We’re going to have to set rules and guidelines. I’ll be raising him or her.” How matter-of-fact she sounded pleased her. She was in control of this discussion.

  “Agreed. But big decisions like schools, medical care, moving out of town should be discussed with me.” Gabe’s dark expression warned of his unwillingness to negotiate.

  “Moving?” That he had given the future that much thought startled her. She was going to have to make a change of living space soon.

  His expression didn’t waver. “I won’t allow you to take him or her to the other side of the country to where it makes it hard to be a part of their life.”

  She appreciated his rights as a father, but she wasn’t going to build her world around his wants. She started to say as much but he cut her off. “When I get settled, why don’t I get a lawyer to draw up an agreement? That way we’ll both know where we stand. You can make a list and I will too. Then we can compare and come to a satisfactory compromise.”

  Zoe considered his suggestion with care. She had intended to tell him his role in their child’s life wasn’t to dictate how she would raise her child, but doing so would result in arguing about it. “All right. I can do that.”

  Gabe stood. “Then I’d better go. I have a bit of a drive to the hotel.”

  Zoe rose too and followed him to the door. “Uh, Gabe, before you go, could I ask you about something?”

  He looked at her. “Sure.”

  “I hate to ask you this before you even started your new job, but I have a patient, Mr. Luther. He’s medically fragile and his liver is failing. He could really use your expertise. He can be a difficult patient but he’s getting sicker and sicker...” She’d had other patients sicker than Mr. Luther, so why was she so concerned about him? He would end up being like the other men in her life and just pass through—but she still wanted the best for him.

  “Email me his file and I’ll have a look.”

  “Thank you.” Why did she believe Gabe would make it all right? It would be so easy to lean on him in her professional life as well as her personal one. But could she count on him always being there?

  His gaze met hers, held. Heat built in her. That same effect he’d had on her during their night together was there, curling around her, tugging her closer to him. Gabe’s hand gently brushed a thread of hair away from her cheek. “You’re welcome. I should go. Take care of yourself. Please tell your mother I said ’bye. See you soon.”

  That sounded like a promise. Zoe couldn’t help but wish for more even as she told herself that was the last thing she needed. She closed the door behind him. Something about Gabe made her want to ask him to stay longer. Yet she knew those feelings, if she acted on them, would only make matters worse.

  CHAPTER THREE

  GABE STEPPED INTO an empty conference room at the hospital and tapped Zoe’s number on his phone for the second time that day. A couple of days had passed before he’d allowed himself to call her, convincing himself he should check on her, the baby. He could have texted, but for some inexplicable reason he was eager to hear Zoe’s voice.

  She’d sent the files as he had requested. He was still reviewing them, but he’d alre
ady decided to examine Mr. Luther as soon as possible. Why hadn’t Zoe at least called or texted him about the patient she was so concerned about?

  After a number of rings there was still no answer. What was going on with her? Had something happened to the baby? To Zoe? Her mother?

  He was thousands of miles away with no way of knowing. Why didn’t Zoe answer? He would try her one more time. If she didn’t pick up he’d call the police and have them stop by her place. Gabe touched the green icon and listened to three rings.

  On the fourth a breathless voice said, “Hello?”

  Relief flooded him, the tension ebbing away from his shoulders. “Zoe, I’ve been calling you all day.”

  “Gabe, I don’t need this today.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  There was an exasperated sound on the other end, and then Zoe said, “Mother decided to cook bacon. She left the pan on the burner. The kitchen caught fire. I’m at the hospital right now.”

  His gut felt like someone had it in their fist and was twisting it. “Is she all right? Are you?”

  “They’re treating her for smoke inhalation. She’ll be in the hospital at least overnight. The fire alarm went off and one of the neighbors called the fire department. They got there quickly or it could have been much worse.” She paused. “I’m fine and the baby is too.”

  He said gently, “It may be time to find your mother a place where she’ll have full-time care.”

  “I know, but that’s costly. I can’t afford an apartment and pay for a place for her to stay. Her insurance doesn’t kick in until she is fifty-nine and a half. That’s another seven months. I’ll just have to figure something out until then. The doctor has just come in. I have to go. ’Bye.”

  “’Bye.” He spoke into silence.

  Unable to stand not knowing what was going on any longer, Gabe took the first opportunity he had and called again around midmorning the next day. He tapped his pen against his desk in his apprehension about how she would react to his suggestion that she come and live with him. Zoe answered on the first ring.

  “How’re things today?” he asked.

  “Better.” She sounded tired.

  He wished he was there to hold her. Whoa—that wasn’t a thought he should be having, or the type of relationship they had. “That’s good to hear. I’m concerned about you. Are you taking care of yourself?”

  “I told you—the baby’s fine,” she informed him, as if he hadn’t just asked about her welfare.

  Did she think he was only concerned about the baby and not her? “I want to know about you as well. Have you been able to make some plans?” Would she consider his idea? For some reason it really mattered to him that she accept his plan.

  “A few. The doctor said Mom could stay in the hospital a week. That’ll give me time to look for an assisted-living home for her. I don’t want her to make any unnecessary moves. She’s already confused enough.”

  Strength and determination had returned to Zoe’s voice. “Can you go back to your apartment?”

  “No. It’s so damaged it’s uninhabitable. I’ll have to find a new place.”

  This was his opening to offer his solution. “I have something I want you to consider and I want you to hear it out before you say anything. Right now, your most urgent problem is twofold: finding somewhere your mother will be safe and that has adequate full-time care, and somewhere for you to live. Let me help.”

  “Gabe, I’m not taking money.” She sounded iron-rod strong. “I can handle things on my own.”

  “Please hear me out.” Why wouldn’t she let him help her? Zoe’s independence would get her into trouble one day. “I’m sure you can, but if you’ll listen, I think you might find my plan practical and helpful.”

  She huffed then said, “Okay. What do you think I should do?”

  “I think you need to move in with me.”

  “What!”

  He jerked the phone away from his ear.

  She came close to yelling, “That’s not going to happen. No way.”

  Gabe interrupted, using his giving-order-in-the-OR voice. “Just listen. You need to find a place for your mother. Money is an issue. If you stay at my house, where I have plenty of room, you’d be able to pay for a place for her while you wait for her insurance to start.”

  “Thank you, but I don’t think so.” Her words sounded as though they were coming through clenched teeth.

  “Why not?” He’d offered a practical solution. Couldn’t she see that?

  “Because you don’t need to be involved in my problems, my private life.” She sounded as if he should have known that.

  “If it’ll make you feel any better, I’m interested in seeing that my child comes into the world with a mother who hasn’t been sleeping on a couch in someone’s living room. Who isn’t stressed out over finances. It’ll just be for a few months. We’d only be housemates. You can pay rent if you like.”

  “I appreciate your offer, but I don’t think it would work.” Her voice had calmed, but her resolve was loud and clear.

  What was that supposed to mean? It was a practical solution. “Just think about it.”

  “I have to go. Mother’s calling me. Her nurse has just come in.”

  Silence filled his ear. He wasn’t surprised that she’d shot the idea down and ended the call. If nothing else, he’d learned Zoe was stubborn.

  * * *

  Zoe resisted the impulse to kick something. How dared Gabe think that she would move in with him? She didn’t even know him. Just because she was having his child, it didn’t mean he had any say over her life.

  Up until a week ago they hadn’t really talked, and even then all they’d done was agree to make lists of what they wanted. And have a lawyer make it legal. She mustn’t forget that part of his idea. She should have rejected his idea outright and told him what he could and could not do when it came to his rights. Instead she’d meekly agreed to avoid an argument.

  Now he was trying to move her around like a pawn on a chessboard. She wasn’t having it. Taking care of her mother, her baby and herself was her job, her decisions to make. She didn’t need or want him butting into her life anytime he pleased. Besides, if she started letting him make major decisions about her life, what would she do when he got tired of playing daddy or didn’t have time for her when the next crisis cropped up? One thing she had learned was that she must be careful who she depended on.

  * * *

  Two days later Zoe wasn’t feeling nearly as confident. Since she couldn’t return to her apartment, her renter’s insurance was paying for a hotel room until she found a place to live or for fourteen days, whichever came first. Her priority over the weekend had been to locate a place for her mother to live. That had turned out to be more difficult than anticipated.

  She’d visited every assisted-care facility in the immediate area. Responsibility weighed heavily on her about having to put her mother in a home. She had found one that would be suitable, but it was way beyond her budget. Guilt squeezed her heart.

  Between searching for facilities for her mother and her full-time job, there hadn’t yet been time to look for a place for herself. Her apartment manager told her that there wasn’t an empty apartment available in the complex. Since her lease was almost up, Zoe would have to look elsewhere. Fourteen days in which to see to her mother’s needs and find a new home for herself, not to mention getting packed to move. There simply wasn’t enough time. She was almost at her wits’ end.

  Her workload was heavy, but she’d managed to squeeze in checking on Mr. Luther. He’d been discharged from the hospital, where he’d been treated for stomach pain and fatigue. These were just symptoms of a larger issue that wouldn’t get better without a transplant. It was time he be admitted to National Hospital for a transplant workup. Thankfully he wasn’t so sick he couldn’t go home until that time, but that
wouldn’t be the case for much longer. When she could think straight again she must talk to Gabe about him.

  That night at the hotel while Zoe sat eating takeout food, her phone rang. It was Gabe. She hated to admit it, but his unwelcomed suggestion was starting to look like the only answer. “Hello.”

  “It’s Gabe.” He sounded unsure. Was he afraid of her reaction after his last call?

  “Hi.” She was so tired and disheartened she was glad to have someone to talk to, and Gabe was a good listener.

  “How’re things going?”

  She loved the deep timbre of his voice. There was something reassuring about it. “They could be better.” Zoe sounded as down as she felt. She refused to show weakness. Appearing needy wouldn’t help her either. Gabe was already making plans regarding the baby she’d not counted on.

  “Your mother?”

  “She’s actually recovering well.” For that Zoe was grateful.

  “What, then?”

  “I’ve been out looking at homes for her.” Her hand cradled her baby bump. The weight of her responsibilities was growing.

  “And?”

  “They were awful. I can’t stand the idea of putting Mother in one. I hate myself for having to do it.” Why was she spilling all of this to him? What was it about Gabe that made her want to lean on him? Their relationship was nothing like that, yet she was becoming more deeply involved with him each time they talked.

  “What’s happening with your mother isn’t your fault. You know for her health and safety she needs to be in professional care where she’ll be safe and well cared for. What occurred a few days ago proves it. You’re not abandoning her. You’re doing it because you love her.”

  His voice was gentle and reassuring, washing over her tight nerves like a warm balm. “Thanks for saying that. I just wish it wasn’t necessary.”

  “You didn’t find any place you liked?”

  “I found the better of the evils.” If only she had the money to put her mother there. Even if she emptied her savings she’d still be short. It was just as well there was no room available. She’d have to settle on one of the other places that weren’t as nice as Shorecliffs House.