Since he’d never been in a wheelchair, it took him a few minutes to get the hang of maneuvering it. He bashed into the door, twice, but finally got out into the corridor. There was no sign of any of the agents, or Danielle, but he spotted a pay phone. He made a beeline to it, only to realize he didn’t have a wallet or any money.
Cursing, he was about to shout out Danielle’s name when he looked up the corridor and saw her walking toward him.
Was she real?
Or was this some hallucination brought on by the painkiller the doctor have given him?
“Please,” he mumbled, “let her be real.”
He wasn’t sure she was until she rushed toward him, and he readied himself to pull her into his arms. But then she stopped. And stared at him.
“Are you speaking to me?” she asked.
The relief was instant. Not only was she real, she also didn’t appear to be hurt. But this was only the tip of the iceberg.
“Is the baby all right?” he asked.
“Yes.” She nodded along with her response. “They did an ultrasound, and he’s fine.”
The painkiller might have been making him woozy, but Colin didn’t miss that. “He?”
Another nod, and tears sprang to her eyes. “I didn’t think they’d be able to tell the sex this soon, but they did. I hope it’s okay that I told you. I mean, I should have asked if you wanted to keep it a surprise.”
A son.
He was going to have a son.
“I’ve had enough surprises,” he mumbled.
Her lip quivered, the tears misted, and he realized she’d misinterpreted that.
“You’re angry,” Danielle said. “You have a right to be. I should have told you sooner.”
Oh, man. He didn’t want to put her through this. “You have a right to be angry, too.” Colin caught her hand and eased her closer. “I wasn’t a good husband to you. I put the job ahead of you. Ahead of us.”
She shook her head. “Because I was making your life hell with those fertility treatments.”
He eased her closer still until she was right next to him. “You never made my life hell.”
She stopped shaking her head and stared at him.
“Okay, maybe a few times, you did.” And because he didn’t want her to misinterpret his sick attempt at humor, he pulled her down for a kiss.
It was a simple touching of their lips, but it slammed through him and dulled the pain far better than any medication could have.
So, he kissed her again.
“Hey, you two, get a room,” someone called out. It was Dylan, and he was coming up the hall toward them.
Dylan glanced at both of them. “I’m guessing you’re both okay.” He tipped his head to her stomach. “And the baby?”
“He’s fine,” Colin announced. “He, as in a boy. We’re having a son.” And Colin grinned from ear to ear. In fact, he might never stop grinning.
Danielle smiled, too, and he hoped those tears streaming down her cheeks were of the happy variety.
“Congratulations,” Dylan said. “To all three of you.” He glanced behind him. “There’s someone who wants to see you both. Are you up to having a visitor?”
Dylan stepped to the side so Colin could see Luke. The little boy was at the end of the hall, and he was holding both his mom and dad’s hands.
“I’m up to seeing that visitor,” Danielle answered.
Colin felt the same way.
Dylan motioned for the boy to come closer, and Luke did. He practically sprinted up the hall, and his little face was beaming with happiness.
“Dr. Connolly and Agent Forester,” he said, enunciating Colin’s last name. He pointed to the pair who was slowly making their way to join him. “That’s my mom and dad. And I get to be with them now again ’cause of you.” He pointed first to Danielle and then to Colin. “Daddy said I should thank you, but I thought a hug would be better. Don’t you?”
“Much better,” Colin agreed.
Luke didn’t wait. He managed to maneuver himself around the wheelchair, and he gave Colin a fierce bear hug. He was gentler when it came to Danielle, and he pressed a quick kiss on her cheek. He turned, waved goodbye and hurried back to his parents.
“Thank you,” Griffin Vaughn mouthed. His wife did the same. Unlike their son, they were both obviously overcome with emotion.
Colin understood how they felt. Now that he had his own son on the way, he got that whole parent thing, and he knew just how thrilled Luke’s parents were to have him safely back with them.
“I need to get back into the office to deal with the paperwork,” Dylan said as they watched the Vaughns walk away. “Bobby O’Shea has volunteered to drive you anywhere you need to go, once the doctor has released you, of course. Oh, and you’re on medical leave.” He pointed to Colin. “Your boss says he doesn’t want to see you in the office for at least six weeks.”
“Make that two months,” Colin supplied. “And no more overtime.” He wanted to play catch up on all the things he’d missed in life.
If Danielle would let him, that is.
“Two months,” Dylan concurred, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smile. “Good job, both of you. You rescued the hostage, took out a Mob hit man, and you’re both still in one piece. Well, sort of.” He shook hands with Colin and left.
And that left Danielle and him in silence.
She was nibbling on her bottom lip, something he should be doing, so Colin decided to do a major air clearing.
“I’m not mad at you,” he said. “In fact, I’m in love with you, Danielle.”
“You are?” Her voice was all breath, no sound. She grabbed him hard and kissed him. “Because I’m in love with you, too.”
Those words were pure magic, and a miracle Colin thought he might never hear again.
Smiling through the tears, she started to sit in his lap, and Colin braced himself for the pain, but she sat gingerly on the wheelchair arm instead.
“I swear, I’ll make things better in our marriage,” he promised.
“Things are already better,” she insisted. And she was so right.
She moved in for another kiss, but then she stopped. Froze. Her eyes widened. “The divorce.” She checked her watch. “It’s supposed to be final today.”
Danielle jumped up and reached for a cell phone, which obviously wasn’t there. Frantically, she looked around, but the only person in the hall was a tall brunette nurse.
“I need to use your cell,” Danielle told the nurse. “It’s an emergency. I need to call my attorney.”
Obviously alarmed, the nurse took a phone from her pocket and handed it to Danielle. She didn’t waste any time. With her hand trembling, she pressed in some numbers, and her attorney must have finally answered.
“Stop the divorce,” Danielle practically shouted into the phone.
Colin couldn’t hear the attorney’s response, but he saw Danielle’s face. And it wasn’t a happy expression.
She ended the call, handed the phone back to the nurse and shook her head. The tears started again. “I’m sorry. The judge signed the divorce papers about an hour ago.”
Colin rolled the wheelchair to her and moved to the edge of the seat so he could pull her into his arms. It hurt like the devil, but he didn’t care.
“We’ve divorced,” Danielle said. She dropped her head onto his shoulder and cried.
“So?” Colin challenged.
“So?” Her head left his shoulder and she stared at him with suddenly accusing eyes.
“So,” he repeated, “it just means I ask you to marry me again. And your answer is…?”
Danielle looked at him as if it were a trick question. Then, the smile started to lift the corner of her mouth. “Yes. My answer is yes.”
He’d expected to feel relief. And he did. He’d also expected to feel the love. He did. But he’d never felt it this strong and this unconditional.
“We’ll have another marriage ceremony,” she whispered. Then, her smi
le widened. “And another honeymoon.” She touched her tongue to her lip and winked at him.
“Oh, I love your dirty mind. Actually, I love everything about you. And you,” he added. He lifted her up a little so he could kiss her stomach.
And their unborn child.
“There’s only one condition,” he said. He pulled her back down to him and looked right into her eyes. “This time, it’s forever.”
“It always has been,” Danielle promised him.
And Colin knew that was true.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-3604-6
SHE’S POSITIVE
Copyright © 2009 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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*Five-Alarm Babies
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**Texas Paternity
†Texas Paternity: Boots and Booties
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She’s Positive Page 17
