by Mia Ross
Sliding the dead bolt, she opened the outer door halfway, ready to slam it shut if the mood struck her. “Jeff, what are you doing here?”
“I’m so glad I found you,” he replied, neatly sidestepping her question. “The clerk at the post office said you were staying here. I was visiting some of our old friends in Cleveland, and I came as soon as I heard about the baby. How are you doing?”
“Fine. Thanks for stopping by.”
She started to shut the door, but he stopped it with his hand. “I have to talk to you, but it’s freezing out here. Can I come in?”
“No.”
The classically handsome face that masked such a devious mind twisted in an expression that looked a lot like remorse. “I deserve that, and I don’t blame you.”
“How nice.”
“This might change your mind about me, though.” He reached a leather-gloved hand into the pocket of his designer dress coat and pulled out an envelope. When she didn’t move to take it, he held it closer. “It’s yours, and I want you to have it. For you and the baby.”
Her curiosity was humming, and she slit open the envelope while he waited on the porch. When she saw what it contained, she stared at him in astonishment. “This is a cashier’s check for an awful lot of money.”
“Everything I took from our joint account, plus what I would’ve put in there after I left.” Pausing, he swallowed and fixed her with a remorseful look. “Lindsay, I’m so sorry for what I did, leaving that way. I know it was wrong, and I hope you’ll let me make it up to you.”
She had to admit, that sounded intriguing. But she’d learned the hard way not to trust the smooth-talking man standing in front of her. “How?”
“It’s freezing out here. Can I please come in?”
Since he’d just handed her more money than she’d had in nearly a year, Lindsay decided it would be all right to hear him out in a warmer spot. Stepping back, she let him in and tucked the precious envelope into a drawer in the hall table before facing him. “You’ve got five minutes, less if you make me mad. I’d suggest you choose your words carefully.”
“Tough as ever, aren’t you?” Chuckling, he pulled off his gloves and slipped them into his coat pocket. “I always liked that about you.”
“You’re down to four and a half minutes. Get to the point.”
His dark eyes narrowed in obvious disapproval, but he quickly recovered. “All right, have it your way. Is this baby mine?”
His tactless question tripped every one of her childhood buttons, and she barely held back a scream. Furious beyond belief, she flung the heavy door open again. “Get out.”
“I’m sorry,” he backpedaled, holding up his hands in a calming gesture. “I just thought it was best to know for sure.”
“I was never unfaithful to you when we were together. Can you say the same to me?” He didn’t touch that one, and his evasion gave a little boost to her confidence. “That’s a shame, really it is. It proves to me that I was right.”
“About what?”
“You’re not the kind of father I want for my daughter.”
“It’s a girl?”
His eyes went to her stomach, and she realized that she’d rested her hands protectively over her unborn child. She regretted giving him even that much information, but she couldn’t go back and un-say it, so she kept going. “Yes. But you don’t have to worry about us. We’ve gotten along just fine without you, and we’ll keep on doing it after you leave.”
“That’s not what I want,” he insisted. “I want us to be together, the way we should have been all along. I know I haven’t handled this right, but I promise you I’ve changed. I’m a sales rep for a big pharmaceutical company now, and I’m making really good money. It won’t be like it was before, scraping to get by all the time. I can take care of you and our daughter the way a man is supposed to do.”
At one time, she’d wished over and over for him to come back and tell her just that. But now that she’d rediscovered her independence, she had no intention of giving it up. “That’s not going to happen. You had your chance with me, and you blew it. You don’t get another one. And your five minutes are up, so I’d appreciate it if you’d leave before I have to call the sheriff.”
“I’m not going anywhere until we work this out.”
He reached for her hands, and she pulled away to avoid his touch. Something stopped her momentum, and she looked back to find Brian standing behind her. He gently rested his hands on her shoulders, his normally warm blue eyes steely with anger.
“The lady asked you to leave,” he said in a deadly calm voice. “I suggest you do what she says.”
At first, Jeff didn’t seem to recognize him. When he did, he assessed Brian’s grimy work clothes with a smug look. “Brian Calhoun. Still playing blacksmith?”
“You’re trespassing on my grandmother’s property. I’m gonna ask you one more time to leave.”
Jeff took a threatening step toward him. “Or what?”
In one blur of motion, Brian stepped in front of Lindsay and folded his arms in an unmistakable warning. The two of them glared at each other, and she held her breath, wondering which of them would back down first. If they refused to break it up before things got physical, she wasn’t sure what she’d be able to do.
Finally, she’d had enough of the macho display and put herself in between them. “Jeff, there’s really no point in you being here. You need to go.”
“We have to iron a few things out first,” he insisted in a tone that told her he meant business. He gave Brian a haughty look. “In private.”
“This is my grandmother’s house,” Brian reminded him curtly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Oh, knock it off, you two,” she scolded them, glowering from one to the other. “If you want to fight, take it outside.”
Brian looked over his potential opponent with a cocky grin. “I don’t think that’d end well for you.”
“Try me.”
She let out an exasperated breath. “Don’t be stupid, guys. I was just kidding.” Turning to her champion, she smiled. “Thanks for coming to my rescue, but I’ll be fine.”
“Yeah,” he replied, drawing out the word as if he was coming up with a decent argument against her suggestion. “I’m starving, so I’m gonna go fix myself a snack.”
He traded wary looks with Jeff, who shrugged. “Fine with me.”
Relieved that his reasonable nature had prevented a potentially dangerous confrontation with her ex, Lindsay rewarded Brian with a quick peck on the cheek as he moved past her.
And then, a single breath later, everything changed.
* * *
Lindsay gasped, jerking away from him in a startled motion that sent Brian’s heart into panic mode. “What’s wrong?”
Pressing a hand to her side, she held up a finger for him to wait. Pain contorted her face, and she sagged, leaning against him for several long seconds. When she recovered a little, she looked up at him with terrified eyes. “I think my water just broke.”
“You think?” Jeff demanded.
“I’ve never done this before,” she shot back angrily. “So I’m not really sure, but that’s what it felt like.”
She doubled over again, and Brian helped her over to sit on one of the wide oak steps. Feeling completely helpless, he offered her a hand, and she proceeded to crush it in a grip that could’ve strangled a good-sized moose.
“Okay, that’s good enough for me,” he decided, unwilling to take any chances. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”
“I’m not due for two weeks,” she protested breathlessly.
“I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure Taylor decides when it’s time to be born. It looks like she’s gonna be impatient like her mama.”
Saying the baby’s name was a stroke of genius, he realized, as the fear in Lindsay�
��s eyes gave way to a blend of love and determination. “You’re right, we shouldn’t take any chances.”
“My truck’s out front, so we’ll get going and I’ll call folks from the road.”
“She’ll be a lot more comfortable in my car,” Jeff argued.
A few choice words came to mind, and Brian actually bit his tongue to keep them to himself. Fortunately, Lindsay settled the matter in her usual logical way.
“Brian knows the way, so I’ll go with him. Jeff, you can follow us if you want, but you’re not getting past the waiting room.”
Satisfied, Brian watched Jeff trudge out to his fancy foreign sedan. After helping Lindsay into her coat, he paused for what he now realized was a for-real contraction, not the practice ones she’d experienced before. Trying to stay as calm as a guy could in this situation, he held her steady until she relaxed. Gazing down at this brave, strong-minded woman, he gave her a smile of encouragement. “Ready?”
“I hope so.”
He managed to help her into his truck and get under way before the next contraction hit. They seemed to be coming pretty quickly, and he glanced at the dashboard clock each time she went into her breathing routine. He didn’t have the first clue about how to deliver a baby, so he did the only thing he could.
Please Lord, he prayed silently. Let us get to the hospital in time.
While he followed the winding detour that led to the highway, he put his phone on speaker and called the hospital to let them know Lindsay was on her way. When he called Holly, his very practical sister-in-law reacted just the way he’d expected.
“You hang in there, Lindsay,” she ordered in the upbeat way that had enchanted Sam the first time they met. “I’m just a few minutes behind you.”
“Will you say a prayer for us?” Lindsay asked, sounding more scared by the second.
“Already done.”
With that assurance, she hung up, and Brian shut off his phone to save the battery. From what he’d read about childbirth in Lindsay’s parenting books, he had a feeling they were all in for a very long day.
Waterford was a good half-hour trip, but he wasn’t sure she’d last that long. Pushing the speed limit as much as he dared, he glanced over at his grim-faced passenger. “Doing okay?”
She nodded, but the tension in her back and shoulders told him otherwise. Hoping to distract her, he turned on the radio and kept up a fairly mindless stream of chatter all the way to the hospital.
When they arrived, the receptionist at the front door was taking down Lindsay’s information when Jeff stormed in behind them. Clearly startled, she blinked up at him and asked, “May I help you?”
“I’m the father,” he answered, a little out of breath from his run in from the parking lot.
The woman’s eyes went to Brian. “I thought you were the father.”
“It doesn’t matter who the father is,” Lindsay informed her through clenched teeth. “I’m the mother, and I’m pretty sure this baby’s getting ready to be born right here in the lobby.”
That got everyone’s attention, and a wheelchair appeared from thin air to whisk her in the direction of the elevators.
As he was watching her go down the wide hallway, Brian felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.
“Thanks for your help,” Jeff said in the smooth tone of a professional salesman. “We’ll take it from here.”
“I promised Lindsay I’d stay.”
“Well, I’m here now, so that’s really not necessary.”
From down the hall, he heard a screech. “Brian!”
“That’s my cue,” he said, jogging to catch up with Lindsay. He wouldn’t have minded the chance to get in a parting shot at Jeff, but right now his focus was on keeping the soon-to-be mother as calm as possible.
He’d anticipated leaving the delivery room once she was settled, but she had a death grip on his hand. Resigning himself to staying until Holly could get there, he searched his memory for what birthing coaches were supposed to do. “Want some ice chips?”
“Yes, but I don’t want you to leave.”
Brian couldn’t manage both jobs at once, but an alternative came to mind, and he couldn’t help grinning. “I’ll send Jeff.”
“Whatever,” she muttered, arching her back as another contraction hit.
Brian had just sent Jeff on his errand when Holly left the elevator, all but running toward him. “How’s it going?”
“Fast. I thought this kinda thing was supposed to take all day.”
“Sometimes it does, sometimes it’s quick. How’s Lindsay doing?”
“Cranky,” he replied honestly. “Terrified.”
“That sounds about right.” Opening the door, she asked, “Are you staying?”
He hadn’t planned on it, counting on Holly’s presence to be more than enough support to get Lindsay through her labor. But to his surprise, he heard himself say, “If she wants me to.”
Holly rewarded his gesture with a bright smile. “You’re a good guy, Brian. I’ll go ask her.”
Jeff came back just as Lindsay’s unmistakable shriek settled the matter. “Brian!”
He almost said something to their unwelcome guest, but when Jeff’s shoulders slumped in a defeated motion, Brian almost felt sorry for him. So instead of gloating, he kept his mouth shut and went back into Lindsay’s room.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for his expectation of a short labor to go out the window.
Chapter Ten
“Here you go, Lindsay,” Holly cooed, handing her an impossibly small bundle wrapped in a soft pink blanket. “She’s all yours.”
Exhausted beyond words, from somewhere deep inside her, Lindsay found the strength to take Taylor in her arms. As soon as those blue-gray eyes squinted up at her, she was a goner.
Running a fingertip over the tiny chin, she marveled at the perfection of the little person she’d been waiting so long to meet. “I can’t believe she’s finally here.”
“She’s beautiful, just like her mama,” Brian commented. Chuckling, he added, “And she’s got a great set of lungs.”
“Everything looks good, Lindsay,” the nurse assured her, beaming as if this was the first child she’d helped to bring into the world instead of the latest of dozens. “You did a fantastic job.”
“Thanks,” Lindsay replied, dropping her head back against the pillows. “I’ve never been so tired in my life.”
“Get used to it,” the woman told her with a laugh. “You’re a mom now, and that’s part of the package.”
She left, and after a quick hug, Holly followed after her. When they were gone, Lindsay smiled down at her daughter, still hardly able to comprehend what had gone on today. It had all happened so fast, she hadn’t had a chance to let it soak in until now.
“I’m a mom now,” she repeated softly, ticking the delicately upturned nose with her finger. “And you’re my daughter. I guess that makes us a family.”
“Of course it does,” Brian said.
“But there’s only two of us.”
“Numbers don’t mean much outside of those spreadsheets you beat me over the head with,” he told her in that confident tone she’d come to rely on to bolster her spirits when they began to fall. “Love is what makes a family. As long as you’ve got that, everything else is just details.”
“It’s sweet of you to say that.”
“But you don’t believe me?”
“I’m not sure,” she confided hesitantly. “I want to, but it’s hard.”
“Lindsay.” When she looked up at him, his eyes twinkled with unmistakable affection. “You’re nothing like your mother, and you won’t make the same mistakes she did. You’re gonna be a great mom.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I know you, and you’ll do what’s best for Taylor. Even when it might not
be easy for you.”
The nurse returned and very tactfully suggested to Brian that it was time for him to go. Grinning good-naturedly, he dropped a kiss on the baby’s forehead.
“Taylor, it was cool to finally meet you.” Turning to Lindsay, he paused as if he didn’t quite know what to do. Then he leaned in and brushed a kiss over her cheek before murmuring, “Nice work, Holland. I’ll see you around.”
With that, he strolled from the cozy room as if he hadn’t just spent most of his day with her whining and crushing his hand. She’d do something nice for him later, she vowed as she tugged the blanket closer around her sleeping daughter. Right now, she just wanted to admire the perfect little being that had made her way into the world.
“I’m already in love with her.”
Startled by the sound of another voice, Lindsay looked up to find Jeff standing in the doorway, a huge bouquet of flowers in one hand and an enormous white teddy bear in the other. The stuffed animal had a pink satin ribbon around its neck and another around one fuzzy ear. Even though she wasn’t thrilled about seeing him again so soon, Lindsay had to give him credit: he’d chosen the ideal birthday gift for Taylor.
“I thought you left hours ago,” she chided him quietly to avoid waking the baby.
“I did,” he confirmed as he continued to hang in the doorway. “I stayed in the waiting room, just like the nurse told me to. When I saw Brian leave, I decided to try seeing my girls. May I come in?”
The way he referred to them as “my” girls grated on her nerves, but Lindsay figured that if she said no, he’d only come back tomorrow and try again. And again, until the whole routine would become aggravating to her and confusing to the poor maternity ward nurses. “Fine, but only for a few minutes. Taylor needs her sleep, and I’m beyond exhausted.”
“I can just imagine,” he said, easing the door closed so it didn’t make a sound. He sat in the bedside chair, angling his head to get a good look. “She’s beautiful. Just like her mama,” he added with an admiring look up at Lindsay.
