Unforgettable Christmas - Gifts of Love (The Unforgettables Book 3)

by Mimi Barbour

  Kay saw the sneer and realized what she thought she had meant. “He’s not that kind of customer! And you shouldn’t be so quick to judge. Now, can you speed it up and get me up to labor and delivery before I make a mess in this wheelchair.” Kay bent forward and started deep breathing. “Crap!” she said when her contraction was over.

  “You’d better do as she says. This is her first child, but her pains are coming every couple of minutes. I should know. Like I said, I just went through this two weeks ago with my wife. And even if she was a woman of the streets, this baby needs to come into this world with dignity, not derision. Now, snap to it, granny. Your bosses take customer complaints seriously, especially from contractors who are building the new wing.”

  “All this seems in order. Go right through the doors. You know the way.”

  “And she didn’t even say she was sorry,” Steve grumbled as he speed-walked to the nurses station. “They’re two minutes apart,” he told the nurse at the desk, “so just point out which room and I’ll get her in there.”

  “Mr. Stephanovich? Weren’t you here just last week?” she asked, coming around to take over pushing the wheelchair.

  “Yes, but that was my wife. This is someone who is very close to both myself and my wife, so I’d appreciate it if you let me hang around.” Steve pulled back the privacy curtain in the room so the nurse could help Kay get into bed. “You know I’ve been through the birthing classes and… shit!”

  Steve recognized the grimace on Kay’s face and grabbed the first thing he could find to contain the puke: the plastic-wrapped bed pan. He ripped it open and held it under her chin, supporting her back with his other hand. “It’s okay. Let it out…”

  When Kay was finished, she wiped her mouth with a wad of tissues. “Not exactly for the right end, but waste from one end or the other, captured and not running down the front of me…”

  Kay’s jaws clenched, and she leaned forward as another contraction hit.

  “Breathe, honey. In slowly, out slowly. That’s my girl. Nurse,” Steve squinted to see the name tag, “Donna, I may not have your experience, but I’d say she’s ready. Do you need any help?”

  “No, I got this,” she said, and helped her into the bed. “Here, do you need help changing into this gown?”

  Kay shook her head, but didn’t even try to talk. She pulled one arm out of her oversized tee shirt, then looked over at Steve.

  “Oops! Time for me to go. I’m going to leave the room so you can change, but I’ll be just outside the door. Holler if you need me, or need anything, or well, I’ll be right here.”

  Tears started flowing at his words. “I’m glad someone is here. I never thought I’d have a child, and even if that miracle happened, I didn’t want to be raising her alone.”

  “You won’t be alone. My wife and I may not be blood, but we’re family, just the same. And your little one will have a cousin waiting for her when she does show. Now, get changed, then lie back and do what the nurse tells you.”

  The nurse went ahead and helped her change, then got busy, taking blood pressure, temperature, and wrapping the fetal monitor belt around her. “Okay, you got a contraction coming. I’m going to check your dilation.”

  “Yeow!” Kay huffed and puffed and blew and almost cussed while the nurse performed her evaluation, but knew that breaking the breathing regimen would make the pains worse. Or so Mrs. Steve had told her.

  “Hold tight and don’t go anywhere,” the nurse said when she was done, hoping that her patient couldn’t see her nervousness. “Mr. Stephanovich, you can come in now. You were right. It won’t be long. I’m paging her doctor now.”

  “Ow! Son of a bitchin’ whoremongorin’…” Kay held her breath, but her mind went on and on with a string of swear words directed at the pain.

  “Go ahead and cuss some more if you want,” Steve said, holding her hand. “But stop holding your breath. Those deep breaths are pumping oxygen right to the baby, so stop holding her breath.”

  Kay panted quickly, then took a deep breath. “Why does it have to hurt so much?” she asked, tears streaming down her face.

  Steve looked down at his hand, red from when she had squeezed it during the last contraction. “It doesn’t hurt that much…”

  Kay let go of his hand and flipped him off, then started panting with another contraction.

  When it was over, Steve stood up, “I’ll be right back,” then rushed to the nurses station. “Someone with some skills better come in here quick or I’m going to have to catch this baby.”

  Three nurses leapt up while the fourth remained on the phone. “I’m trying to find the doctor now. She’s supposed to be in the hospital, but no one knows where.”

  Steve nearly ran into the red-haired woman when he turned into Kay’s room. “Who are you?” he asked the lady dressed in culottes and a tank top.

  “I’m her doctor. Grab me one of those gowns, would you, and I’ll scrub up.”

  Steve pulled the gown from the cabinet and put it over his arm and went back to hold Kay’s hand through another contraction. “He doesn’t know what he’s missing,” he said. “I promise you, she’s going to be beautiful. Thank you for letting me be here with you.”

  Kay huffed and puffed again, then leaned forward. ‘Bed pan,’ she whispered hoarsely.

  Steve stood up to grab the correct container as the doctor grabbed the gown from his arm.

  “You’re okay. Barfing’s good. It just means it’s time. How’s it looking there, Doc?”

  While Kay had been puking, the doctor had gloved up and was performing her examination. “She’s ready. Are you the father? You sure look familiar.”

  “No, I’m a close friend. The father couldn’t be here. Do you have enough light?”

  “I got this,” the nurse who had just come in the room said. “Would you move over to the other side, please? Kay, I’ve set up this mirror. Can you see her head yet?”

  “Oh, my God! Is that her? Oh, crap! Again…” and she started panting.

  “Work you magic, Doc. I got this end,” Steve said as he wiped Kay’s brow with a damp washcloth. “Just another minute…”

  The nurse looked up and noticed the beginning of a swoon. “Hey, Mr. ‘I’m not the dad but just a friend,’ you need to breathe, too.”

  Steve took a deep breath and looked down at Kay. “Don’t take this wrong, but God, you’re beautiful.”

  “All new mothers are,” the doctor said. “And….here she is,” and held the baby up for a quick look. “The cord was wrapped around her neck, but she’s fine. Let us wipe her down and do a couple of checks, and then she’s all yours.”

  “All mine?” Kay gazed at the white vernix-covered baby and started sobbing. “She sure is. And you’re right, Steve. She’s beautiful.”

  Chapter 11

  Steve had fessed up the day after the baby was born. “I knew where he was up until about a month ago. He went to work for me out in Shemya. I made sure your phone number was pasted all over the office for when he needed to order parts. Or just talk to you. If I brought your name up in the course of business, like ‘Make sure you get these parts from Kay,’ he’d get all flustered and leave for some reason or another. When he did have a parts order, he made sure someone typed up the list before sending it to you. ‘I got lousy handwriting,’ he’d say. I know now that he knew you’d recognize his writing.”

  Kay shrugged at the admission, then went back to stroking her baby’s sparse hair.

  “He made me promise not to tell anyone he was working for me. He did have a valid reason, though. There was an assault on him before I gave him the job out of town. Word on the street was there was a contract out on him.”

  “What?” Kay said a little too loudly, startling the baby. “There, there, darling. I’m sorry. I just heard something that upset me. We’ll be fine.” She turned her attention back to Steve and lowered her voice, “Now what were you saying?”

  “Me and my big mouth. But I guess it’s moot now
. He’s gone so far off the radar, he might as well be working in another solar system.”

  “Or out in the Bush for cash,” Kay said. “I hear a lot of guys do that to keep from paying child support.”

  “Kay, did you ever tell him you were pregnant?”

  “You know I didn’t. I haven’t talked to him since the day we parted company at Indian, when Lumpy came back and kicked him out, telling him I could stay, pretty much on the condition that I’d put out.” She got up and put the baby in her bassinet. “Now, did you tell him I was pregnant? I mean, you pretty much knew about it before I did.”

  “No, I figured that was your business. I had no idea he’d stay incommunicado for so long. Actually, I thought he might have been calling you in the evenings, but just didn’t want anyone to know about it.”

  “Okay, I believe you, but do me a favor. If you see or hear of him, would you let him know I really, really need to talk to him.”

  “Yes, ma’am. You have my word. And if he tries to weasel out of it, I have a Taser and I’m not afraid to use it. I’ll zap him and drag him to you if I have to.”

  Kay giggled. “Thanks. I needed that. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to take a nap. Or even if you do mind. Having a baby sure takes a lot out of you. I’m still exhausted.”

  “Before I go, if you’re not going anywhere today or tomorrow, can I borrow your car?”

  “Yeah. Sure. I don’t need anything at the store. I’m set. All I want to do is sleep, maybe eat one of those big man-sized TV dinners and have an apple for dessert, and take care of this baby.”

  “Well, I’m glad you let me forward your calls to my office for this week, at least. And remember to drink lots of milk.”

  “I know, I know. I have to drink milk to make milk. Or something like that. Good night, or good afternoon, or whatever time it is. See you in two days.”

  ***

  Knock, knock. “Are you awake?” Steve called softly.

  “Yeah, come on in. We’re just watching a movie.” Kay sniffed the air. “Ooh, what did you bring me. I know it’s something to eat. Fried chicken?”

  “Nope. Roasted chicken. It’s better for you. But I did splurge and picked up some twice-baked potatoes and a dish of custard for dessert. And a big container of carrot and raisin salad. Oh, and a loaf of fresh-baked multigrain bread. Except for the custard, you should have lots of leftovers, plenty for chicken sandwiches, too.”

  “Ah, Steve, you’re too good to me. I hope your wife knows what a treasure she has.”

  “I think so. She’s waiting in the car with the sleeping baby right now. Want to come out and say hi?”

  “Sure. Come on outside and get your daily dose of vitamin D, darling,” and picked up her daughter.

  Steve held the door for her and waited for her response.

  “You fixed it! No more Alaska winter modification. So that’s why you wanted to borrow it.”

  “Well, I couldn’t very well do it when you were using it every day. It took having a baby for you to take two days off work.”

  Mrs. Steve poked her head out of her window. “Let me see that baby. Good grief, she’s a newborn and already bigger than mine. Now, I want you to take at least the rest of the week off. Alice is more than happy to field your calls. If she can’t figure out where to get stuff while you’re on maternity leave, I’ll let her call you. Everybody’s in a hurry in the summer, but all your good customers know about the baby. Shoot, I think half the calls are folks just wondering if you’ve had her yet. Now, get back inside. I only came out to drive our car. That little Sonic of yours is cute, but I think you’re going to need an upgrade soon. But enough about that. I’m sure it’ll all work out.”

  ***

  Months later - Christmas Eve

  “Our first Christmas together. Well, I promise you that one of these days, you’ll have a father. Or not. Depends on if the right man comes around. Or returns.”

  Kay tried not to be bitter, but even though Steve had been trying for four months, there was no trace of Jay. The man had a beautiful daughter that he’d missed seeing turn over for the first time. If he didn’t hurry up, he’d miss that first tooth and sitting up by herself, too. Did Jay even suspect he was a father?

  No, she told herself for the kazillionth time; he thought he was sterile. He left town and there was no reason to look back. Yeah, right. What she thought was the beginning of a beautiful relationship, both business and personal, was just a ‘get your feet and other parts’ warm venture. A tumble in the sleeping bag. A ‘I’ll tickle your fancy if you tickle mine’ fest.

  “Stop it!” she said aloud. The baby startled and grasped the air, then went back to sleep.

  “Quit making excuses for both of you,” she whispered. “Steve said there was a contract out on him. He wasn’t the type to scare easily, so there must have been something to it. Give him the benefit of the doubt now that you know a little something. Yeah, well, very little.”

  Knock, knock, knock.

  Must be someone I know to be knocking so softly, she thought. “Just a minute,” she said aloud as she put on her fleece robe.

  “Hi.”

  Kay fainted.

  Jay dropped the cat carrier and rushed forward to grab her before she hit the floor. He held her close, cuddling her like the long-lost love that she was, glad that she had passed out and he could have this moment to hold her, feel her, smell her, without having to explain why he had been AWOL for the last thirteen months.

  He felt her shiver, and realized she was awake. “Can we go inside?” he asked.

  “Uh huh.”

  Jay let her get to her feet, but held onto her shoulders. “Are you okay, or should I carry you in?”

  Kay giggled at the suggestion, then realized that she wasn’t dreaming and began working on a scowl. “What are you doing here?”

  “Can we go inside and talk about it? It’s warmer in there, even with this door open.”

  “Oh, shoot. Yeah, come in,” she said, and rushed over to make sure the baby was out of the draft.

  “There, there,” she said, and patted her daughter’s back until she settled back into a deep sleep.

  “He’s a lucky man and doesn’t realize it,” Jay said.

  “Who is and what are you talking about?”

  Jay set the carrier down by the front door and started to take off his boots, then realized he should ask first. “Can I stay a while? I think we have a lot to talk about.”

  “Yeah, and hell yeah. As in, ‘Yeah, you can stay a while,’ and ‘Hell yeah, we have lots to talk about.’”

  “The baby’s father who ditched you. He was, or is, a lucky man, depending on whether you take him back or not. I guess doctors don’t realize it and think they’re something special. Was he good to you?”

  “I still don’t know what you’re talking about. My doctor was a lady, and yes, she was very good to me.”

  “Your husband, the doctor who left you, was he good to you?”

  “Jay, what have you been smoking? I have never been married to a doctor. Shoot, I haven’t been married to anyone in ten years.”

  “So, you two weren’t married. That’s fine. Was he good to you and the baby?”

  “Okay, I don’t know where you’re getting your information, or even why you’re here, but I was never married or in a relationship with a doctor. Now my turn. Why are you here?”

  “I heard you were married, so I backed out of your life. I heard you had his baby and then he got tired of you or found someone else—I heard it both ways—and that you were now on your own. I knew you never gave up your business, and I guess that’s a good thing since the jerk probably won’t pay child support…”

  “Jay, for the umpteenth time, there has never been a doctor in my life. You’re the baby’s father.”

  Jay collapsed into the seat he had been standing in front of. “No.” He shook his head several times. “No. I can’t be the father.”

  “Do you want a paternity test or w
ould looking at her do? Everyone who knows you says she looks just like you.”

  “A girl? I guess I just thought you had a son. But I’m sterile. She has to be someone else’s.”

  “We can have a test done on that, too, but you’re the only man I have been with for three years. And the last guy I was with before you was Hawaiian. Sperm doesn’t stay active in a woman’s body for a year and a half, and this baby is definitely not Pacific Islander. So, surprise! You’re a father.”

  As if on cue, the baby awoke, ready for her next meal. “Hey honey, guess who came to dinner? Your father. If he decides to stick around, maybe he’ll grow up to be a daddy.”

  Kay held the baby up to Jay, letting her fuss until she was wide awake. “Looks just like you, dear.”

  Jay rubbed his hand over the top of her head and smiled. “She’s gorgeous.”

  “Yeah, the one thing I couldn’t figure out and neither could the doctors: she doesn’t have a soft spot, or at least much of one. Feel it, it’s only about half an inch across.”

  Jay gently felt the top of her head. “Well, I guess we don’t need a paternity test. My mother said I was the same way. How much did she weigh?”

  “A whopping nine and a half pounds.”

  Jay shrugged his shoulder and laughed softly. “I had her beat there. I came into this world at ten pounds on the nose. I don’t think my mother ever forgave me for that.”

  “Here, I need to feed her or she’ll get real loud in a hurry.” Kay brought the baby close and sat down in the oversized recliner to nurse her.

  “Kay, I am so sorry. Really, I had no idea. I guess you believe me that I thought you were married to someone else and that you had his child. I came back because word got to me that you were alone again. And raising a child on your own. Shoot, I was ready to come back as soon as I heard you were single again, but to have a child, too? You needed to have someone at your side, to help you.” He looked around the spacious two-bedroom apartment. “But it looks like you’re doing great by yourself,” then sighed in frustration.