Chapter Six
The day after his daughter’s first birthday party, Cal sat across from his two medical practice partners—Mitch Tenney and Jake Andrews. Once a month they got together for a status meeting and normally he looked forward to it. Not today. The problem was, his mind was working less on the professional and more on the personal.
After Em had left his house with Annie, he and his dad had a long talk. Ken had told him he needed to put the past away for good and concentrate on his daughter. Forgive and forget.
“Not happening,” Cal mumbled.
“Are you paying attention?” Mitch Tenney demanded.
Cal sat up straighter. “Yes.”
“You’re lying,” his partner accused, dark blue eyes intense. But that wasn’t cause for alarm. Mitch was always intense so it was situation normal. “Otherwise you’d be on board with holding up your end of responsibility in this practice when Mercy Medical Center opens the third hospital campus next year.”
“What are you talking about?” Cal asked.
He looked across the mahogany table at Jake Andrews, his other friend and the man responsible for pulling he and Mitch into this trauma group. The three of them were more than partners. They’d met when Cal and Mitch began their residency in trauma intervention at the county hospital in Las Vegas. Jake had been finishing up his surgical residency at the facility and they all clicked.
Jake came up with the idea of pooling their talents for the practice and their business association began. Cal and Mitch contracted their services to Mercy Medical Center to staff the E.R. and Jake was called in when surgical intervention was necessary to save a life.
Mitch pointed to the typed agendas on the table. “Pay attention. We have things to discuss.”
“Yes, Mother,” Cal said, saluting sharply.
Not so long ago Mitch Tenney had been a bullet point on the monthly agenda, in hot water for his no-holds-barred, straightforward, take-no-prisoners style of practicing medicine. He said what he thought and let the chips fall where they may. Arnold Ryan, Mercy Medical’s hospital administrator, had made a lot of noise about not renewing their contract. The situation had since been resolved with conflict-resolution counseling.
“Stand down, guys,” Jake said, gray eyes serious.
They called him Dr. GQ, and not just because of his beach-resort tan and tautly toned abs. You could fry an egg on the sidewalk outside, but Jake Andrews didn’t know the meaning of casual. He wore a crisp white dress shirt, an expensive red silk tie and black slacks that could be Armani. Every dark brown hair was in place thanks to haircuts in the four-hundred-dollars-a-pop range.
“We’ve got business to discuss,” he added. “And the next order of business is recruiting for the practice. With the new Mercy Medical campus opening, we need to find a couple of quality docs or kiss a personal life goodbye.”
Cal’s personal life wasn’t in the best shape anyway and a kiss goodbye could be a good thing. Then again, time with Annie was a priority now. “The county hospital where we trained is a good place to start looking.”
Jake nodded. “I agree. So who’s going to take the lead on that?”
“I thought you were.” Mitch pulled his pager out of his blue scrubs shirt pocket and checked the display, then replaced it. “After all, you showed impeccable judgment with Cal and I.”
“And it’s a good thing humility wasn’t the decisive factor.” Jake tapped his Mont Blanc pen on the legal pad in front of him. “Maybe one of you could step up and take point on personnel? Mitch? You’re not on probation anymore.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake. Am I ever going to live that down?”
“No,” his two friends said together. Jake added, “It’s carved in stone on our agenda.”
“Look,” Mitch said, resting his forearms on the table. “That particular problem is old news. I’m making nice with everyone at the hospital from staff to the administrator.”
“It helps,” Cal pointed out, “when the administrator in question is your father-in-law.”
Mitch grinned the grin that made women far and wide regret that he was off the dating market. “He isn’t such a bad guy.”
“Since when?” Jake wanted to know.
“Since he’s going to be a grandfather any day now. Sam put him on notice. If he wants a relationship with his daughter and grandchild, he has to be on his best behavior.”
“So you’re hiding behind a woman’s skirts?” Cal clarified.
“As long as my wife is wearing it, you bet I am,” Mitch declared. “I’m going on record here—impending grandfatherhood has mellowed Arnold Ryan.”
Samantha Ryan Tenney had been Mitch’s conflict-resolution counselor and during those first few weeks they did more than discuss his attitude. The two had only been married a couple of months, but were expecting their baby any day now.
“How is Sam?” Cal asked.
“She’s retaining enough water in her ankles to float the largest aircraft carrier in the Pacific fleet,” he answered. “Her words, not mine.”
“Wow.” Cal stared in amazement. “She’s really good at her job, isn’t she? There’s no other explanation for this diplomatic streak you’ve got going.”
“Bite me,” Mitch said grinning. “Seriously, she’s healthy and Rebecca—”
“Rebecca Hamilton? The ob-gyn?” Cal wanted to know.
“Yeah. She says the baby is fine and will come in his own good time.”
“It’s a boy?” Jake asked.
“Of course.”
Cal looked at him. “Do you know for sure?”
“Sam wants to be surprised. But I know,” he said.
“Because?” Cal pushed.
“I want a boy.”
“What’s wrong with a girl?” Cal demanded.
“Absolutely nothing. But Sam knows that my preference is a boy first.”
“And when you say jump, Sam asks how high?” Jake wanted to know.
“Hardly.” Mitch laughed ruefully. “But we’ve talked about a boy first who can look after a little sister.”
Interesting, Cal thought. “You want more kids?”
“We have to get through this one,” Mitch said, intensity sneaking back into his eyes.
“You’re a nervous father-to-be,” Jake commented, sounding surprised.
“What’s there to be nervous about? I’m a doctor and childbirth is the most natural thing in the world.” Mitch checked his pager again. “Hell, yes, I’m nervous. I’ve never done this before—expecting a baby, I mean. I’ve delivered them. I treat patients who come into the emergency room and I’m pretty darn good at that. But the situation is different when you’re emotionally invested. Training, intelligence and common sense go right out the window when someone you love is involved.”
Cal knew exactly what he meant. His medical specialty was pediatric emergency intervention, but when it came to Annie, training didn’t take away the tightness in his chest. He wondered how he would have felt if he’d known Emily was pregnant with Annie. He’d have been there when his child was born. That much he knew. But Em had cheated him out of the chance to be excited ahead of time and he never had the opportunity to hand out cigars along with the news of his firstborn. The option of whether or not to find out if she was a boy or a girl had been stolen along with the experience of being surprised. Would he have been nervous? He’d never know.
“So,” Jake said to their partner, “you’re going to be a father soon. I guess you’ll be a little too busy to take on the project of adding docs to the practice.” He looked at Cal. “That leaves you.”
Cal nodded. “I’ll help out with that. But—”
“What?” Jake asked, eyes narrowing.
“You’re the heart and soul of this medical practice,” Cal said. “I’m a little surprised that you’re delegating.”
“Funny you should say that. I’ll be campaigning for the position of Trauma Medical Director at the new Mercy Medical campus.” Jake put the pricey pen down
and looked at them, waiting for a reaction.
Cal grinned at him. “You’re the best trauma surgeon in the valley. The medical board would be crazy not to appoint you.”
“I’m not the only candidate. There’s some talented competition,” Jake said.
“You’ll get it,” Mitch predicted. “And when you do this group’s standing in the medical community will do some serious kick-ass upward mobility.”
“Not bad for a boy from the wrong side of the tracks.”
Jake’s softly spoken comment probably wasn’t meant to be heard, and both Mitch and Cal didn’t question him. None of them talked much about what happened before they met. There was something about life-and-death trauma that made you live in the now.
“So,” Jake said, “you’ll both help with recruiting as much as possible?” When they agreed to that, he looked down at the notes in front of him. “Then I guess that about covers this meeting. Is there any other business?”
“Yeah.”
Cal looked at his friends. He hadn’t planned to talk about what was going on with him, but he had a child to think about and that would impact his available time for the “as much as possible” part of recruiting for the practice. His partners had a right to know. “I need to tell you why I’m reluctant to commit a lot of time for vetting new doctors.”
“You mean other than cutting into your time with the ladies?” Mitch said.
“One lady in particular,” Cal clarified.
“One? You’re abandoning the ‘axis of attraction’?” Jake asked, referring to their nickname at Mercy Medical Center. At least it had been.
“Technically, Mitch already deserted the bachelor ranks,” Cal reminded him. “And the female I’m talking about isn’t a lady yet. She’s my daughter and just turned one.”
It wasn’t often his partners were rendered speechless, but they were now.
Jake tugged on his ear. “I’m sorry. It sounded like you just said you have a one-year-old.”
“I do. Her name is Annie.”
“Does she have a mother?” Mitch asked.
“Emily Summers.”
The two of them speechless twice in less than a minute must be some kind of a world record.
“I always liked Emily,” Jake finally said.
“Me, too.” Mitch looked at his pager, then slid it back into his pocket. “And when things didn’t work out with the two of you, I wondered what you did to scare her off.”
“What makes you think it was me?” Cal demanded.
“Because you’re you. And Em is one of the good ones.” Jake leaned back in his chair. “Now that the two of you are together and you’re off the market, I’m the lone holdout. Single and—”
“Sassy,” Cal said sarcastically. “But here’s the thing—Em and I aren’t together. She came to me a couple weeks ago and told me that she had my baby.” Her medical reasons for doing it were private and not something he would share without her permission. “I’m waiting for DNA confirmation, but the resemblance to my side of the family is pretty convincing evidence.”
“I repeat that Em is one of the good guys,” Jake said. “And the fact that you’re thinking in terms of personal time management means that if not off the market, you’re at least embracing the spirit of it—being a father, I mean.”
“Congratulations,” Mitch said. “I can’t believe you beat me to it.”
And Cal couldn’t believe his friends hadn’t exhibited manly outrage on his behalf. He’d been lied to, but they seemed genuinely pleased that Em was back in his life. He was struggling with that himself because of some rogue gene that made him want her so badly, in spite of everything she’d done.
What to do with an ailing, aging parent was a social service that fell into Em’s sphere of expertise. She left the E.R. where she’d met with the patient and family, giving them information on skilled nursing and hospice facilities, as well as facts about finances and programs available to offset some of the cost.
It seemed like the eighty-eight-year-old’s son and his wife were more at peace than when Em had first entered the room and they hadn’t any idea where to turn for help. Knowledge was power and she knew from firsthand experience that having no power over a situation could be a black pit of despair.
Walking down a long, tiled corridor away from the E.R. toward the elevator, she heard footsteps behind her.
Then a man’s questioning voice. “Emily?”
She slowed her step and turned, recognizing the doctor instantly. That’s when she braced herself. “Jake. Hi.”
He stopped in front of her. “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah.” Had he stopped her to tell her off? Cal’s partners were protective of each other. Did Jake know she’d kept the information about Cal’s child from him? His expression gave no clue to his state of mind.
Jake Andrews had Hollywood looks and could play a doctor on TV if he wasn’t the real thing in real life. He was tall, dark and handsome with eyes that were both serious and mysterious. Most physicians dressed casually when making rounds at the hospital, but not Jake. He was wearing a dark charcoal suit, gray shirt that matched his eyes and a black and silver silk tie. Em had always wondered what his story was. He was too nice, too good-looking, too perfect. And too alone.
She knew something about isolating oneself to keep secrets. The same instincts that made her a good social worker told her that Dr. Incredible was hiding something.
“How long have you been back to work at Mercy Medical Center?” he asked.
“Just a couple weeks.” Since not having to avoid Cal any longer.
“Cal, Mitch and I were just talking about you.”
“Oh?”
She shouldn’t mind what Cal’s friends thought, but that didn’t stop her. During the time they’d been together, she’d spent a lot of time with Mitch Tenney and Jake Andrews, long enough to like and respect the two dedicated docs. Long enough to talk herself into believing that a man who hung out with the good guys could be one himself. One who could care about her. Learning she’d been wrong had been a bitter pill to swallow.
Jake slid his hands into his slacks’ pockets. “I hear congratulations are in order for you and Cal. So…Belated congrats on your daughter.”
“Thank you.” Defensive words marched through her mind, but she managed not to let any of them out. “Annie is a blessing and a joy.”
“One you didn’t see fit to share with her father. Until now.” Disapproval hardened his jaw and mouth. “What the hell were you thinking, Em? That’s something a guy needs to know.”
“I understand that. Now.” She drew in a shuddering breath. “But when I tried to tell him I was pregnant, everything he said convinced me that he didn’t want kids. The words stuck in my throat.”
“How come now?”
Obviously Cal hadn’t told his partners about her health concerns. It was her information to share and she did. “I have a lump in my breast. Something like that makes you realize stuff happens and if I wasn’t around, Annie would be alone.”
“I see.” He was quiet for several moments, processing her words, deciding what to say. “Have you had it checked out?”
She nodded. “I’m scheduled for an ultrasound this Friday.”
“Good.”
“Look, Jake, I know now that it was a bad idea to keep Annie from Cal. I have my reasons, but that doesn’t justify not telling him he was going to be a father. All I can do is my best to right the wrong.”
“Okay.”
“It’s hard not to judge, I know.” She shook her head. “But put yourself in my shoes.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “Anatomically speaking, I can never walk in your shoes.”
“Right. Let me elaborate. I was drowning in hormones, morning sickness lasted twenty-four hours a day, all of which made me an emotional wreck.” She sighed. “Anyway, I handled it badly and Cal is resentful. Great with his daughter, but not so much with me. Although I can’t really blame him.”
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“Look, Em—” Jake touched a hand to his impeccably knotted tie. “I’ll deny saying this if anyone asks, but Cal isn’t as tough as he pretends.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t give you specifics partly because he’s my friend. Mostly because I don’t know any.”
She folded her arms over her chest as she looked up at him. “He’s your friend and you have no details?”
“I’m a guy.” He shrugged. “We don’t talk about everything or pry into each other’s lives. I just know that he was going through a rough time when I first met him.”
“What kind of a rough time?”
“Like I said, I have no details and wouldn’t give them up if I did. But when he started his residency at the county hospital, his wife was brought into the E.R.—”
“Wife?” she interrupted. What his dad said had been the first she’d heard about Cal’s previous marriage. Since then curiosity about it had been her new best friend.
“Look, all I know is that he had personal problems before the divorce. So don’t be too hard on him.”
“Maybe you should do the same and not be too hard on me?” she asked. “For the record I want to be a guy and not talk about stuff.”
He grinned. “Fair enough. It’s really good to have you back, Em.”
“Thanks. I’ve missed Mercy Medical Center.”
“The feeling is mutual.” For the first time, warmth crept into his eyes. “And you’re a mom.”
“Yeah. Can you believe it?”
“Absolutely. What’s hard to wrap my head around is Cal Westen being a dad.”
Tenderness welled up inside her. “He’s so wonderful with Annie. She was standoffish at first, but persistence is his middle name.”
“I’ve noticed that about him.”
“He bought out the toy store and that got his daughter’s attention in a big way.”
Jake laughed. “I bet it did.”
“He was very up front about spoiling her rotten in his campaign to win her affections.”
The Doctor’s Secret Baby Page 8
