The Great Bedroom War

by Laurie Kellogg

  “Ex-wife,” Adam corrected. “And if you don’t mind, I’ll wait until she tells me that.” He stood and smiled at Ryan who was trying like crazy to pretend he wasn’t there. “By now Dani should’ve been able to change two or three times. Let’s go.”

  “One more thing, Dr. Chase.” Nick stopped him. “Would you mind giving my daughter hell for hiding her condition from us?”

  “I’d already planned to.”

  He and Ryan followed the doctor to the exam area, at the rear of the newly renovated ER, where the old curtained cubicles had been replaced with draped, glass-enclosed rooms. In Dani’s quarters, there were two chairs as well as a rolling stool. She already wore a gown, and the nurse was about to start an IV.

  Standing next to the gurney, Ryan held Dani’s free hand and grimaced. “Ugh. I hate needles.”

  “IVs aren’t bad,” she told him. “It’s the spinal taps and bone marrow biopsies I despise.”

  “We’ll only do one if we have to.” Adam smiled and scanned her chart. “Your temp is nearly 104. When do you think the fever started?”

  Dani stared down at the sheet covering her. “Maybe about five o’clock.”

  “And you didn’t tell your parents until after midnight?” He stuck a tongue depressor in her mouth and shined a penlight down her throat. “There’s definitely something going on there. How long has it hurt?”

  “Since, like, Wednesday morning maybe?”

  “Not good, kiddo. Your mom and dad aren’t mind readers. If you don’t speak up, no one can help you. You’re not a child anymore. If you want your parents to treat you like an adult, you need to take responsibility for your own health.” He stuck his hand out. “No more secrets?”

  She nodded and shook her doctor’s hand.

  Adam turned to Nick and Sam but looked only at her. “We’ll do some blood work and a throat culture, and I’ll be back as soon as I get the results. In the meantime, I’ll order something to bring down Dani’s fever and reduce the pain.”

  “Thank you.” Sam squeezed his arm. “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

  Adam shot a smug smile at Nick and then looked back at Sam. “I’ll talk to you in a bit.”

  As soon as Adam left, the nurse drew several vials of Dani’s blood, swabbed her throat, and took the samples to the lab.

  “Wow. Nothing like speedy, personalized service.” Ryan laughed. “When my mom was in the ER, we waited for hours.”

  “Most of the time we do, too,” Dani told him. “This is unusual.”

  Yeah, like ever since Sam started dating their daughter’s doctor.

  Nick sank into the chair next to his wife. “Dr. Chase was right, Princesa. If you keep us in the dark, we can’t take care of you. And tomorrow we’re going to have a long talk about when it’s appropriate for you to have sex. And I promise it’s not anytime in the near future.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Samantha champed at the bit, restraining herself from adding to Nick’s sermon about making responsible choices. Their child obviously needed to discuss the fears and insecurities that had prompted her to consider becoming intimate with Ryan. But her temperature and anxiety made this the absolute wrong time.

  “Nick, don’t you think we should wait until she feels better before we start lec—”

  “It’s okay, Mom. Getting a lecture is better than being ignored.”

  Nick stared at Dani open mouthed, looking as if he’d been sucker-punched. “What do you mean ignored? I moved back to Pennsylvania to spend time with you. I’ve been with you night and day since I came home.”

  “No, you’ve been with Ryan. I just happened to be there some of the time,” she argued. “Oh, except when you ran off to go to his band rehearsals without me.”

  “Dani, the main reason I’ve been shadowing Ryan is because I was concerned about the two of you being alone. What you did tonight proved I was right to worry.”

  “That’s garbage! You want a son instead of me.” Dani burst into anger-filled tears.

  “No.” Nick stood and wrapped his arms around her. “You’ve got it all wrong.”

  “No, I don’t!” She shoved him away. “The night Michael died, I saw you crying and ripping up that little Phillies T-shirt I picked out for him. I know you blame me for him dying.”

  Sam clapped her hand over her mouth to smother her gasp. She’d had no idea Dani felt responsible, just as, before that evening she’d had no idea Nick had grieved more than the slightest bit.

  After he’d brought her home from the hospital, he’d matter-of-factly confined her to bed to recuperate and made all of the arrangements for the funeral without seeming to release a single tear. It appeared as if he couldn’t wait to erase all evidence that Michael had ever been conceived, moved inside her, or taken his first breath.

  Nick claimed he didn’t her to be reminded by the baby’s things, but now, it was crystal clear he hadn’t been able to bear looking at them, either. Imagining the intense heartbreak that must have driven him to rip that tiny shirt to shreds caused her throat to swell shut.

  “Why on earth would you think I blamed you, Danita?” Nick dried her face with the sheet.

  “Because I heard you tell Uncle Justin that Mommy was exhausted from taking care of me, and she never should’ve thrown a birthday party while she was pregnant.”

  “Oh, Dani, no!” Sam catapulted out of her seat and shoved past Ryan to hug her little girl. “It wasn’t your fault, baby. It was mine. You were so sick, and I was terrified it would be the last birthday party you would have. If your father blames anyone, it’s me, not you.”

  Nick stood there watching them, his jaw set. All at once, he exploded. “Stop it! Both of you! It was no one’s fault. If the two of you want to point fingers, turn them toward me. I should’ve taken time off from work so your mom didn’t have to push herself so hard. You’re right Dani. I did want my son, but no more than I want you.”

  His face crumpled as he plainly tried to hold his emotions in check. “That night I was terrified I would lose your mother, too. The only thing that kept me from driving into a tree on the way home was knowing that, if your mom died, I’d be the only one left to take care of you. Don’t you know how much I love you both? How scared I am of losing you, even now?”

  Shocked by Nick’s revelation, Sam grabbed the railing on the gurney to steady herself. Whenever he’d objected to her getting pregnant, he’d never shared any of his fear of losing her. All she’d heard was that he wasn’t going to jeopardize her life because Dani needed her.

  “No.” Their daughter shook her head. “Lately, it seems like the only thing you care about is your stupid job and Mommy.”

  “Oh, mi Princesa bonita,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms and kissing the top of the head. “You’re way more important to me than my job.”

  “Ryan played that song you wrote at the dance.” She raised her gaze to the ceiling. “I was so happy at first because I thought it was about me. Then Ryan told me he switched the lyric from Mom’s name to mine.”

  Sam turned and stared at him in awe. “You wrote a song about me?”

  “He wrote a lot more than one,” Ryan interjected. “In fact, a full CD.”

  Nick’s face became a thundercloud as he turned toward the boy. “Where the hell did you get my music? Did you swipe it out of my guitar case?”

  “Umm....no.” Ryan glanced at door almost as if he was deciding whether he needed to start running. “Uhh, Bethany has been playing your CD for my mom. Wasn’t she supposed to have it?”

  “Oh.” Nick’s shoulders relaxed as he closed his eyes and nodded. “That’s right. I forgot I told her she could burn a copy. I didn’t realize she went ahead and did it.”

  “Well, I liked the songs so much I asked Bethany who the artist was,” Ryan continued. “I was blown away when she told me it was you. I borrowed the CD and played Sammy’s Smile for the band, and they loved it, too. We figured out the notes so we could perform it for Dani at the dance
. I hope you don’t mind, but I changed it to Dani’s Smile.”

  “So what you’re telling me is you stole my music?”

  “He told the audience you wrote it,” Dani said, defending Ryan. “It was amazing. Cindy and Bethany made a rock video of Ryan singing Dani’s Smile and posted it on the Internet. You wouldn’t believe how many hits it’s gotten.” She leaned over the gurney’s railing and snagged her purse off the counter. After digging out her smart-phone, she did a search for the video to show them.

  Sam was too busy listening to the sweet lyrics to pay much attention to the creative video on the tiny screen. And she didn’t care if the kid stole the song or not. She wanted to hear the other songs that Nick must have spent hours composing—all about her.

  Her heart pounded as the truth became clear. That was not the pastime of a man who merely felt a sense of duty toward his child’s mother. He must really, truly be in love with her.

  “I can see why it’s getting so much attention,” Nick said. “Cindy and Bethany did an awesome job, and you sound great. Much better than my recording.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. R. I should’ve asked before I covered your song, but I was hoping you’d be there to hear it, too.”

  “It’s okay. I will be next time.”

  There was a sharp knock on the door right before Adam strode in, smiling. “Good news. Dani’s instant strep culture is positive.”

  Nick released a relieved breath. “I never thought I’d be happy to hear my kid has an infection.”

  “Wait a minute.” Sam held up one hand. “Didn’t you say when Dani got sick three years ago that the reason she had a sore throat was because kids with leukemia have weak immune systems? How do we know that’s not why she caught this bug?”

  “We don’t know for sure. I’m still waiting for the results of her blood test. But since her last count was normal only a few weeks ago, chances are this is nothing but a simple strep infection. We’ll know something more definitive in a little while. If her blood work looks good, I’m going to treat this with an antibiotic and do a follow-up count in two weeks.”

  “Thank you.” Sam smiled, grateful Adam’s explanation was so optimistic.

  “Is there anything I can get you to make your wait easier?” he asked. “A cup of coffee, something to eat?”

  “I’ll get my wife whatever she wants,” Nick told him.

  Adam glared at him. “Then why don’t you try getting some help, so you can give her what she needs for a change?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Ignoring the question, Adam turned on his heel and strode out of the room.

  Nick chased after him, both hands clenched. The door slamming echoed through the exam room and, no doubt, the entire hospital.

  Ryan and Dani’s gazes both snapped to Sam.

  “Aren’t you gonna stop him, Mom?”

  As Sam rose from the chair, Ryan grabbed her forearm. “No, don’t. Mr. R’s just gonna talk to him.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Dani asked. “He looked mad enough to pulverize Dr. Chase.”

  “Your dad knows your mom will flip out if he hits anyone. That’s the last thing he wants. He just needs Dr. Chase to back off. The jerk has been goading your father all night ‘cause he knows they’re getting back together.”

  Sam did a double take at Ryan. “We are?”

  “They are?” Dani said almost simultaneously.

  Ryan turned to Sam. “You really need to listen to Mr. R’s songs.”

  She would have if he’d ever played them for her.

  “He might not be good at sayin’ what you want to hear, but he’s real good at putting the words to music.”

  Before tonight, she’d blindly chalked Nick’s possessive machismo up to Latino pride, male competition, his need to dominate, or a hundred other reasons—anything but being in love with her. Evidently her friends were all smarter than she was. Actions really did speak louder than words.

  ~*~

  “Chase! I asked you a question, damn it!” Nick stomped down the hall after Dani’s doctor.

  Adam stopped and turned, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “What’d you mean by that crack about me getting help?” Nick asked. “I’ve always given my wife and daughter everything they need.”

  As the words left his mouth, Dani’s and Sam’s tears flashed through his memory. Clearly they’d been missing something from him. But he tried to show his wife in a thousand ways how much she meant to him. He didn’t just give her things. He listened and tried to help all the time—sometimes even when she didn’t want him to—like butting into her business even though it was the best thing for her.

  Had he made Sam feel as if he thought she was incompetent?

  “Have you really given her everything?” Adam snorted. “I don’t think Sam would agree.” Evidently she’d been talking to Chase about their marriage.

  “What’d she say about me?”

  “Why would I violate her trust and tell you?”

  “Because you care about her. And you want her to be happy.”

  “Yeah, so?” Adam shrugged. “And how does telling you what she said in confidence benefit her?”

  “Because you know damn well she still loves me. And she won’t be happy unless I figure out what she needs that I haven’t given her.”

  “You already know the answer. She’s told you a hundred times. Your wife divorced you for the same reason most women dump their husbands. You’re too damn worried about giving her things and trying to fix her problems instead of listening to what she needs.”

  “That’s what she said?”

  “No. That’s what I heard. And if you pull your head out of your ass, you’ll hear it, too.”

  There was only one thing his wife had ever begged him for that he’d refused her. All because he was a coward. “You’re talking about the baby she wants, aren’t you?” He didn’t wait for Adam to answer. “Don’t you understand how scared I am another pregnancy will kill her?”

  “That’s not simple fear, Nick. No one can promise you Sam won’t develop the same problem if she gets pregnant again, but with the right prenatal care, the odds of her actually dying are relatively low—which makes your terror unreasonable.”

  “You’re saying I have a phobia?”

  “Basically. I think losing your son while dealing with the possibility of your daughter and wife dying, too, left you with post-traumatic stress disorder, and it’s manifesting itself this way. You need professional help if you want to stop letting your fear control you.” Adam pointed toward the ER desk. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to check on Dani’s lab results.”

  While Nick watched Adam stride down the hall, he mentally replayed everything the man had said. Maybe Chase was right about him having PTSD. He had let his love for Samantha and his fear render him powerless.

  No more. It was time for him to man up and face his demons.

  The words of reassurance Sam had given Dani on the way to the hospital that night reverberated through his mind. You must know your daddy and I would’ve been sick in your place if we could have.

  She’d spoken the truth. If it were possible, he would gladly lay his life on the line to save their daughter. Despite it going against every fiber of his being to help Sam risk her life, it was a decision he had to let her make. It was her right. He had to find the courage to support her choice—even if it meant seeing a shrink every day to do it. His dentist’s wife, Katherine Grant, had recently retired from a long career as a psychiatrist treating veterans with PTSD. Maybe Nick could talk to her.

  “You can relax,” Adam called to him from the ER desk. “Dani’s blood work is consistent with a simple strep infection. But I’ll follow up with further tests next week.”

  “Thanks.” Nick slumped against the wall. Dani was safe—for now. However, that didn’t mean the next time the news would be as good.

  If his carelessness hadn’t already gotten Sam pregnant tonight, by the y
ear’s end he would. He smiled to himself. And he would damn well enjoy doing it.

  ~*~

  By the time they arrived home, at a little after four a.m., Samantha was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. Even so, she wasn’t about to wait another second to hear the songs Nick had written about her.

  The moment Ryan drove away and Nick locked the front door behind them, Sam said, “All right, let’s hear that CD Ryan kept talking about.”

  “Yeah,” Dani agreed.

  “You know, I didn’t compose those songs for anyone but myself.”

  “And yet you gave them to Bethany,” Sam reminded him, hanging her purse on the coat tree.

  “I didn’t exactly give them to her. She helped herself.” He bent to pet Chewie whose tail thwacked Sam’s leg in his eagerness to greet them.

  When the dog turned his attention to Sam, she knelt and gave him a hug. “Did you miss us, good puppy?”

  “See?” Nick stared down at her wearing one of his self-satisfied smiles. “I knew you’d love Chewie if you gave him half a chance.”

  “You really ought to consider that job as a fortune teller, Nick.”

  “I simply want to hear you admit he’s a great dog.” He pointed toward the dining room where the remains of their dinner were still spread over the table. “Look at how well trained he is. He didn’t even touch the leftover steak while we were gone.”

  “You really are a good doggie, aren’t you?” Dani patted Chewie.

  “Okay, okay.” Smiling, Sam raised her hands in mock surrender. “He’s wonderful, and I was wrong to prejudge him because of a bad experience with dogs as a kid.” And she’d been just as wrong about her ex-husband. She’d allowed scars from her embittered, judgmental aunt to influence her and cloud her perception of him. Tonight, for the first time, she’d seen Nick clearly.

  Sure, he was still a bit jealous and inclined to take over, but it was only because he loved her. His hope to reconcile was about more than his pride and duty. He didn’t want her back only for the incredible sex they shared or because being with her was expedient for living with his daughter—although Sam was certain both of those reasons played a part in his desire to reunite.