His Pregnant Royal Bride

by Amy Ruttan

  “Is this it?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Yes. Everything I own fits into that suitcase and my purse.”

  He gave her a strange look. “Strange.”

  “It’s not strange. I travel a lot.”

  “Don’t you have a home in New Orleans?”

  “I have a place to stay, but it’s not much.” It was just a bed, a couple pieces of furniture. That was all. It was just a place to stay while she waited for assignments.

  “Good thing you’re moving in with me, then,” Dante said as they went outside and he handed her suitcase to the gondolier.

  “Why is that?” she asked.

  “Because every child needs a place to call home.”

  Shay’s stomach twisted in a knot and she resisted the urge to say something further. About how not every child was that lucky, but it wasn’t about that. He was absolutely right. Every child deserved a home and by agreeing to marry Dante, even if on paper only, she was giving her child something she’d never had.

  A home.

  Which was why she’d agreed to this marriage of convenience in the first place.

  And that was the most important thing.

  * * *

  Dante stood at the nurses’ station in the emergency department filling out a newly discharged patient’s chart. Soon Dr. Salzar would come and relieve him for the night shift. Dante wanted to make sure that everything was in order for the sign-off.

  He glanced up to see Shay leading a group of United World Wide Health Association trainees through the emergency room. He smiled watching her. She’d been so busy since they’d got married, he rarely saw her.

  It had been well over two weeks of just moving past each other like ships in the night. No more than a greeting and the odd quick meal. And then the last five mornings when he’d finished his swim she had already left, taking the first ferry across the lagoon. At night when he got home from his shift she was always fast asleep. She wasn’t totally at fault. He’d been busy preparing the contract for their marriage, and when the baby was born Dante’s inheritance left by his mother in trust would be his at last. At least now with the marriage his father couldn’t get his hands on it.

  Almost three weeks now without really talking to Shay made him realize that he missed her.

  What did you expect it to be like? It’s not a real marriage. You’re basically roommates.

  Still, he wanted to get to know the mother of his child. This marriage might be keeping her here for the sake of their baby, but he found that he liked spending time with her when he saw her. And on the occasions when they worked together with the trainees he enjoyed his time with her and he found himself wanting more.

  You can’t have more. She’s made it clear she doesn’t want more.

  Besides, the press were noticing the distance between them. He’d seen the headlines. He would have to talk to Shay later about putting on a better show of marriage. At least for the year. The last thing he needed was some kind of ridiculous headline to the effect that he was buying a baby or something.

  “Dr. Affini?”

  Dante turned around and his intern was standing behind him.

  “How can I help you, Dr. Martone?”

  “I have a patient in a trauma bay. I think you need to check his EKG.”

  Dante took the electronic chart from Dr. Martone and frowned when he saw the chart. The patient was a sixty-five-year-old man who’d presented with dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath and severe heartburn. The ST segment of the EKG was elevated.

  “What do you think?” Dante asked as he flipped through the tests. Dante had his suspicions, but he was teaching Dr. Martone, who was fresh out of medical school and a quick learner.

  “STEMI.”

  “Which stands for?”

  “Segment elevation myocardial infarction,” Dr. Martone answered.

  “Let’s go see the patient.”

  Dante followed his intern into the larger trauma bay. When he walked into the room, he saw the patient already had oxygen and that an IV was started. Shay walked into the bay on the other end of the open room.

  “Do you need a hand, Dr. Affini?” she asked as she came up beside him.

  “I do.” He handed her the chart and went up to the patient. “Buongiorno, I’m Dr. Affini and I’ll be taking care of you.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the patient said, his breathing labored. “I’m Giovanni Scalzo.”

  “Can you tell me what brought you in here tonight, Mr. Scalzo?” Dante asked as he listened to the patient’s chest.

  “Indigestion,” Giovanni said. ‘I don’t know what the fuss is all about. I was hoping for a prescription antacid.”

  Shay handed Giovanni an aspirin. “Mr. Scalzo, can you take this, please?”

  Giovanni grinned up at Shay and Dante couldn’t blame him.

  “Anything for you, cara.” Giovanni grinned again and took the aspirin.

  Dante chuckled. “Do you have a cardiologist, Mr. Scalzo?”

  Giovanni looked confused. “No.”

  Shay and he exchanged looks.

  “Mr. Scalzo, I’m going to page our cardiologist on duty, Dr. Fucci, to come and take a look at your labs.”

  “Is something wrong with my heart?” Giovanni’s monitors beeped as his blood pressure rose from panic.

  Shay stepped forward and placed a hand on the patient’s shoulder, instantly calming the patient down with the simple reassurance of touch.

  “Don’t worry, Mr. Scalzo, you’re in good hands here. Your EKG was a little elevated and I’d like to run it by a specialist if that’s okay with you?” Dante’s question also calmed down Giovanni.

  “Sì, that’s good.” Mr. Scalzo lay back against the bed. Dante watched his breathing become more labored.

  “Are you in pain, Mr. Scalzo?” Shay asked.

  “Sì, the heartburn burns my throat and my arms feel heavy.”

  “Give him some morphine,” Dante said. Then he turned to his intern. “Page Dr. Fucci and prep the cath lab for a percutaneous coronary intervention.”

  “Sì, Dr. Affini,” Dr. Martone said, taking back the chart.

  Dante left the trauma bay. The next ninety minutes would be crucial for Giovanni. His heart muscle was dying, as was evident from the labs drawn by Dr. Martone.

  Shay fell into step beside him.

  “That’s quite a way to end your shift, with a STEMI.”

  Dante nodded. “Dr. Martone is an excellent intern and Dr. Fucci will have the block taken care of in no time. When is your shift over?”

  “Now. I’m done as well.”

  Dante cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t think we’ve been off at the same time since we got married three weeks ago.”

  “You’ve been working late,” Shay said, and then she winced, holding her belly, instantly alarming him.

  “Are you okay? Is the baby okay?”

  “Yes, I’m just tired.” Shay smiled. “I’m fine. I think it’s just a Braxton Hicks.”

  “So early?”

  “I’m nineteen weeks pregnant now. Almost halfway there. Braxton Hicks can start in the second trimester.”

  Dante was going to make her sit down, when a code blue was called from the trauma bay where Mr. Scalzo was. They turned around and walked quickly back to his room.

  Mr. Scalzo was unconscious, ashen and in full-blown cardiac arrest. His heart was tachycardia, pumping too fast, and no blood was getting through. There was no blood flow to his brain or other organs. He would be dead soon. Dr. Martone was pumping on the patient’s chest hard, trying to get it back into a rhythm, but only the electrical shock would reset the cells of the heart to fall back into rhythm.

  “What do we do, Dr. Martone?” Dante shouted over the din as
he pulled on gloves.

  “Shock the heart back into rhythm and intubate.”

  Dante nodded and turned to Shay. “Get me an intubation kit.”

  A defibrillator was primed and wheeled over to the patient. The electrode path was placed on Mr. Scalzo’s chest.

  “Clear!” Dr. Martone shouted.

  They shocked the patient’s heart, his muscles twitching as the electricity moved through his body. Now all Dante could do was watch the monitors and wait for the heart, which was now flatlining, to jump back into rhythm.

  Come on.

  The monitor beeped as a rhythm started.

  Shay handed the intubation kit to Dr. Martone while Dante took the man’s pulse to confirm that the heart was back in rhythm. Then Dante guided Dr. Martone as he successfully intubated the patient. Once the ventilator was breathing for their patient, Dr. Martone wheeled the patient out of the trauma pod to go up to the cath lab, where Dr. Fucci was waiting. The room cleared and Dante finished his notes, breathing a sigh of relief that the patient wasn’t lost.

  “Dante...” Shay said, her voice trembling.

  “Sì?” He glanced up just in time to see Shay’s knees buckle as she crumpled to the floor.

  He raced to catch her, his heart hammering. “Cara,” he whispered, but she didn’t respond. So he scooped her up in his arms and got her to the table.

  “Dr. Affini?” a nurse asked as he hit the call button.

  “Get Dr. Tucci here now!” he shouted.

  Oh, God.

  He took her pulse. It was low. And he couldn’t help her. He’d lost control over this moment and he hated this loss of control. Hated that he was helpless, that she brought this side out in him in this moment.

  He was in danger when he was out of control. And he didn’t like this one bit, but all he could do right now was cradle her.

  Protect her.

  Protect his child.

  Later he could bury the emotions. Right now he couldn’t keep them back even if he wanted to. He was only glad that Shay couldn’t see him like this.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  SHAY STARED UP at the ceiling tile in Dr. Tucci’s office, her hands folded around her belly as she took deep calming breaths. She was still feeling a bit shaky, but she felt fine; it was the baby she was worried about now. Dante was sitting next to her, which was a relief, because a moment ago he was pacing.

  “You know, Dr. Tucci wasn’t even on duty. He was at home,” Shay said. “This is very good of him to see me like this. We seem to keep paging him at odd hours. First the paternity test and now this.”

  Dante just grunted and then got up and paced again. “I thought you were going to make an appointment.”

  “I did,” she countered. “It was for next week. I’m only nineteen weeks, Dante. It’s not until I’m in my third trimester that I see an ob-gyn every week. You’re a doctor, you should know this.”

  It was a tease, but Dante didn’t take the bait. He shot her a look of frustration. He dragged a hand through his hair and glanced at the watch on his wrist. It was at that moment that Dr. Tucci walked in.

  “Scuse, I’m sorry that I took so long,” Dr. Tucci said. He saw Dante. “Dr. Affini, I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you were on duty.” Dante sat down muttering under his breath.

  “I’m the father. Nurse Labadie is now my wife, so I just went off duty.”

  Dr. Tucci’s brows arched at all the answers Dante was giving him, and then he grinned. “Congratulations. I guess I should call you Principessa now.”

  “You don’t need to,” Shay said quickly. “In fact, I’d rather not be referred to as that.”

  Dr. Tucci chuckled and Dante rolled his eyes.

  “So what happened, Shay?” Dr. Tucci asked.

  “She fainted,” Dante said. “Her blood pressure was low. I took it in the emergency department.”

  Dr. Tucci nodded. “How far along are you?”

  “Nineteen weeks,” Shay said. “I think I felt a Braxton Hicks.”

  “I think it’s too early,” Dante said firmly.

  “No, not too early. She’s nineteen weeks. They can be felt as early as sixteen weeks. Especially if the mother is tired or under stress.” Dr. Tucci shot Dante a knowing look.

  Shay couldn’t help but laugh. “So it was Braxton Hicks?”

  “Well, let’s have a listen to the baby’s heart.” He pulled down the Doppler monitor and lifted Shay’s shirt. “The gel will be cold, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m used to it.”

  Dr. Tucci squirted the gel onto her abdomen and turned on the Doppler. He pressed into her belly and Shay held her breath, waiting to hear that familiar rapid beat of the baby’s heart. Dante was frowning and she could see worry etched into his face.

  He hadn’t heard the baby’s heartbeat yet. He hadn’t even so much as touched her belly.

  Then the familiar thump of the baby’s heart sounded on the monitor and Dr. Tucci grinned at her. “Sounds strong, Shay.”

  She smiled and then glanced over at Dante. The frown of worry was gone and now wonder was spread across his face as he listened to the heartbeat from where he was standing.

  “Have you had any bleeding?” Dr. Tucci asked, wiping the gel off her belly with a towel.

  “No,” Shay answered. “I had some mild cramping.”

  Dr. Tucci frowned. “The baby’s heartbeat is fine, there’s no bleeding, so I just think you’re overdoing it. Let’s check, though.”

  “How?” Dante asked.

  “Ultrasound,” Dr. Tucci said. “Just to make sure the baby is doing well and there’s no internal bleeding from the placenta. I want to make sure it’s intact.”

  Dante leaned forward, staring intensely at the screen, and Shay couldn’t help but smile. He usually was so detached, but this was different. This was nice. He was so concerned about their child in this moment.

  Dr. Tucci squirted more gel onto her belly and placed the wand on her belly. The screen lit up and her breath caught in her throat at the grainy image of her child.

  Their child.

  Dante was beaming as he watched their child and tears stung her eyes at his reaction. Usually he was so guarded, but there was no sign of that now. Perhaps he wasn’t as cold as she’d first thought. Maybe she had nothing to really fear and he’d be there for their child.

  “No bleeding,” Dr. Tucci said.

  Dante reached out and gripped her hand, grinning at her as he squeezed it and whispering, “Good.”

  Dr. Tucci took some measurements and then shut off the machine, wiping her belly again. “You’re a nurse with the United World Wide Health Association program, sì?”

  “Yes,” Dante grunted, his smile instantly fading. “She’s running the simulation training as well as assisting me in the emergency room for the next nine weeks.”

  Dr. Tucci raised his eyebrows. “You’re overdoing it, then.”

  “I eat small meals. I rest—”

  Dr. Tucci shook his head, interrupting her. “You need a couple days to rest. I’m ordering it.”

  “Good,” Dante said. “I’ll take her home and make sure she rests.”

  “I’m on bed rest?” Shay asked, confused.

  “No,” Dr. Tucci said. “I want you to take three days off, and then you will go on light duty. Only half days. And that’s an order.”

  “Grazie,” Dante said. “And thank you for coming in on such short notice.”

  Dr. Tucci nodded. “I will see you next week and then for the scheduled ultrasound at twenty-six weeks. We’ll make sure everything is still going well and take some more measurements.”

  “Okay,” Shay said, but she wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of going down to half days. That wasn’t in her nature
. Work was the only constant thing in her life, except now that it wasn’t. What was she going to do with herself?

  Dante shook Dr. Tucci’s hand and then turned back to her when they were alone. “I’m glad the baby is well and that you’re well. That it wasn’t serious.”

  “Me too,” she said. She sat up slowly. “Told you it was Braxton Hicks.”

  “It scared me when you fainted like that.”

  “I’m glad you were there to catch me.” Then she blushed. “I’m okay.”

  He nodded and took her hand. “You will be. I’m going to take the next three days off as well and I’m going to make sure that you get rest. Proper rest. I’ll cook for you and take care of you both.”

  Warmth spread through her chest. No one had ever taken care of her before. The idea of Dante being there for her was nice.

  You can’t rely on him always taking care of you. Remember this is just for a short time.

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to do that.” He grinned. “Besides, I have some business to attend to in Tuscany and we can spend a couple days at my vineyard. It’s quiet there and I think you’ll get more rest there than you will here in Venice.”

  The idea of spending a couple days in Tuscany sounded heavenly, and if she couldn’t work, then she was going to do what she always wanted to do, but never found time for, and that was explore.

  “That sounds great.” Her stomach grumbled and Dante chuckled.

  “Let’s get back home and get you something to eat. It’s still early. We can hit a local bistro on the Lido if you’d like. I think we’ve both had a long, trying day.”

  “Now, that’s something I can really get on board with.” She took his hand as he helped her to her feet.

  They grabbed their coats and she had her purse. She informed the other United World Wide Health Association nurses that she was ordered by Dr. Tucci to have three days of rest. She left her simulation training in the capable hands of Danica, who could take over for her because Shay had made up copious notes and prepared the next several simulations.

  She and Dante then walked to the ferry pier and caught a ferry to the Lido.