“Surely the best thing is for her and Storm to come live with me, and I’ll look after them,” Ollie said.
“You need to hear Louise’s side of things and let her make her own decisions, and not feel pressured,” Suzie said.
Ollie rubbed his face with his hands. “OK. No pressure.”
“Good man,” Suzie said, walking back to the sofa. “Oh, she moved. Kit, is she waking up?”
“She is. Let’s get some warm fluids inside her.” Kit spoke to Ruby, who had appeared with two mugs of coffee. “Can you fetch the sugar too? She needs some energy. Suzie, if you check the cupboards in the kitchen, you’ll find some high-energy granola bars.”
Suzie scooted forward, hurrying to the kitchen where she rummaged through all of Kit’s well-stocked cupboards until she found a stash of energy bars. Taking a handful, she went back to the sitting room, and passed one to Ollie, before she handed the rest to Kit. “You look as if you need one too.”
“I might.” Kit looked tired. Suzie had the urge to place her hand on his shoulder. She wanted to reassure him, to lend him her strength, which was ridiculous since he was a big, burly bear shifter with muscles to die for. “It’s been quite a day.”
Suzie came to sit next to him as Louise stirred again. Glancing up at Ollie, she saw the concern etched deep into his face. He looked young and vulnerable as he focused on the young woman lying before them. “Is there anything else we can do?” Suzie asked.
“Not right now. She’s warming up and coming around. A little patience and we should be good. We don’t want to warm her up too quickly. She’s doing well. You did everything right,” Kit said reassuringly.
“Did you hear that, Ollie?” Suzie asked.
Ollie nodded. “Where’s the baby?”
“She’s upstairs having a feed. We can’t force Storm back into Louise’s life.” Suzie looked back at Louise. “One thing at a time.”
“One thing at a time,” Kit repeated to Suzie, the look in his eyes enough to melt the snow off the mountain.
Chapter Fourteen – Kit
“Hello, Louise, I’m Dr. Malvern,” Kit said gently to the young woman lying on his sofa when she opened her eyes.
“Where am I?” Louise tried to get up fast, and Kit placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her.
“You have to take it easy, you’ve had quite an adventure,” Kit soothed.
“I don’t understand,” Louise said, trying once more to get herself into a sitting position.
“You were lost in the snow. Do you remember that?” Kit urged. “Do you remember leaving Ollie’s apartment, and going out in the snow?”
“Ollie?” Louise said softly. “Yes. I had to leave.”
Kit felt Suzie stiffen by his side, as the same thought flashed through her head as was now taking up residence in his. They had trusted Ollie and taken him at his word. Hell, they had exposed the dragons to him too. Had they gotten it so wrong?
“Why did you have to leave?” Kit asked, his voice soft and gentle, coaxing her as if she were a three-year-old who wouldn’t take her medicine.
“I didn’t want him to get hurt.” Louise lay back down, her hand resting over her forehead as tears trickled down her face. “I was stupid to come here.”
“Calm down, Louise,” Kit said, aware that Ollie had come closer to the sofa.
“I left my baby…” Louise started to sob. “I have to go and get her back.”
“Your baby is safe, Louise,” Kit said soothingly.
“She’s better off without me. But it hurts so much.” The tears came hot and fast. “I’m no good. Not to her, not to anyone.”
“That’s not true, Louise,” Suzie said, stepping in to comfort the poor young woman, who was sobbing uncontrollably. “It’s OK, we’re here to help you.”
“I’ve messed everything up. I always do,” Louise said in a small voice.
“We all think that, Louise. But most of the time, it’s not true. There is nothing you can’t come back from.”
“I left my baby. What kind of a person does that?” Louise asked, full of self-loathing.
“The kind who is scared,” Suzie told Louise. “And I think you were very scared. And very alone.”
“I had to leave the hospital, they were asking all these questions,” Louise said. “But I had nowhere to go.”
“It’s OK. So you gave birth in a hospital?” Suzie asked.
“Yes. But they wanted my address, and I knew they wanted to take my baby. They thought I was an unfit mother. I could see it in the way they looked at me,” Louise sobbed.
“I’m sure they only wanted to help,” Suzie said gently.
“I should have left my baby with them. As soon as I left, I knew it was the wrong thing to do. I had no money. I couldn’t even buy diapers.”
“Shh, it’s OK, we are all here to help you and your baby.”
“I don’t deserve your help. I don’t deserve a baby.” Louise scrubbed at her eyes and sniffed loudly. “She is so perfect. And I’ll ruin her.”
“You won’t. You just have to give yourself a chance,” Suzie said. “You had a difficult start, we can help you.”
“I have to go. I was on my way back to get her. But it was so cold,” Louise tried to stand up, and then she caught sight of Ollie. “Ollie.”
“I’m not letting you go anywhere,” Ollie said fiercely.
“You have to. We both know I’m not your mate. We both know we don’t belong together.”
Ollie looked at Kit, his mouth opening to speak, and then he changed his mind. Instead, he came to the sofa and knelt down by Louise’s side. Kit took Suzie’s hand and pulled her to her feet.
“It’s a little crowded, why don’t we give Ollie and Louise some room?” Kit took her hand and led her to the side of the room, where Sapphi and Ruby were standing, watching the whole thing.
“Boys,” Ruby said in disgust.
“Wait until you find one you like,” Suzie said, running an appraising eye over Kit.
“Glad to hear you say that,” Kit said, sipping his coffee and breaking open an energy bar.
“I think you deserve some praise, it’s a good thing you did,” Suzie told him.
“Oh goodness, you two are mates, aren’t you?” Ruby asked.
“We are,” Kit said proudly.
“Which reminds me, we should check on Fiona and the baby,” Suzie said. “She was having twinges.”
“She was?” Despite their earlier words about the baby Fiona was carrying, both girls left the sitting room to go and check on their mom.
“Don’t I know how to empty a room?” Suzie asked.
“What are we going to do about those two? And particularly about Storm?” Kit asked. “We can’t keep them split up forever.”
“I know.” Suzie studied Ollie and Louise for a moment. “I think we need to ask Louise straight out.”
“About whether she wants the baby?” Kit asked. “She said she was going back to Bear Bluff to find her.”
“But Storm wasn’t in Bear Bluff. She was here, Ollie knew that.”
“Of course,” Kit said.
“I need to be sure about what she wants. I need to be sure she isn’t saying what she thinks we all want to hear. If she wants to be with her daughter, I’ll find a place for them both to stay; if not, I’ll find a placement for Louise, while we keep Storm here.” Suzie pressed her lips together. “If Louise needs time, that’s absolutely fine, but we need to have some idea of how to proceed.”
“You don’t think we need to give her more time?” Kit asked.
“If she needs it. But what if she doesn’t?” Suzie cocked her head on one side. “What if the best way to heal Louise, right now, is if she has a wriggling baby in her arms?”
“Good point.” Kit followed Suzie back to the sofa, where Ollie was smoothing Louise’s hair away from her face.
“How are we doing?” Suzie asked.
“Good,” Ollie answered.
“Louise?” Kit asked.
“Better.” She was sitting up, sipping Ollie’s coffee, and eating an energy bar. “I know what you are going to ask.”
“You do?” Suzie asked in return.
“About Storm.” Louise’s eyes flicked to Ollie’s face. “Ollie told me she is here.”
“You didn’t tell Louise that Storm was here before?” Kit asked Ollie.
“Nope, Louise was so upset, I didn’t speak about it,” Ollie admitted. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone, Louise.”
“It’s OK, Ollie,” Suzie told him, placing her hand on his arm. “It’s all OK.”
“I woke up in your apartment, I had no idea where you were. I tried texting you…”
“Phone is dead,” Ollie said apologetically.
“I didn’t know what to do. That’s when I decided to go back to the hospital and face up to what I’d done, and hope I could get my baby back.”
“We just needed to clear that up,” Kit told them both.
“I’m so sorry. I thought if I could find where she was…” Ollie hung his head in shame.
“Don’t, Ollie, I owe you so much.” Louise reached out for him, and took his hand. “I’d have died out there without you.”
“Do you want to see Storm now?” Kit asked, breaking Ollie out of his guilt trip.
“I do,” Louise said quickly.
“Then we can decide on a plan,” Suzie said.
“They can both stay with me,” Ollie said firmly
“Do you think that’s the right thing for you to do?” Suzie asked Louise.
“No,” Louise shook her head. “But I have nowhere else to go.”
“Louise, I can look after you,” Ollie insisted.
“We are not meant to be together.” Louise looked at Ollie and then lifted her hand to his face. “You are a good man. But I’m not the one for you.”
“So, what if we found you a placement here in Bear Creek?” Kit asked. “You and Storm.”
“For real?” Louise asked.
“I know someone who might take you in.” Kit caught the look Suzie sent him. “Dean Capel. He’s on your foster parent list. Fiona will vouch for him.”
“OK, you know best, although I’m assuming Storm isn’t a shifter. So we don’t specifically need a shifter foster parent.” Suzie would never have met Kit if this news had come out sooner.
“No, the guy was a regular dumbass.” Louise looked longingly at Ollie for a split second before she looked down at her hands.
“Lou, you know if there was any way…” Ollie began.
“Hey, I know,” Louise lifted her hand and stroked his cheek, her fingertips lingering on his lips before she pulled away. “But let’s not torture ourselves. I want to be your friend, Ollie, more than anything I want you in Storm’s life, but no more.” A small sob hiccuped out of her. “I need to leave all the drama behind me. All of it.”
“I get it.” Ollie leaned forward and hugged her tight. “I get it.”
“OK.” Suzie got up and wiped a tear from her eye. “Why don’t I go and get that sweet baby of yours?”
“Yes, please,” Louise said.
“You stay right where you are,” Kit told Louise when she tried to get up and follow Suzie. “Doctor’s orders. You have to take it easy. And tomorrow, one way or another, I am going to get you to the hospital and let the maternity unit give you and Storm a thorough exam.”
“OK.” Louise blew air out through her lips as if she were trying to calm herself. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” Kit said. “We all want the best for you.” He didn’t add that they would all also protect her and Storm from any harm. Shifter or not, she was part of their lives now.
“Here she is,” Suzie said, coming back into the room with Storm in her arms. Behind her came Fiona, Harlan, Sapphi, and Ruby. They all gathered around while Suzie placed Storm in Louise’s arms. “Here, she’s just had a feed, and Fiona managed to rock her to sleep. So you two snuggle, and keep each other warm.”
“Oh, Storm, I am so sorry, so very sorry,” Louise repeated over and over again, her voice cracking as tears came again.
“We are going to go home,” Harlan said. “I think we’ve had enough excitement for one night.” He turned to Fiona and spoke to her bump. “But if you decide to come out, I won’t say no to a little more excitement.”
Fiona smoothed her hand over her stomach. “Me neither.”
“Thank you so much,” Suzie said, hugging them each in turn.
“Yes, thanks, although I have one more favor,” Kit asked.
“Which is?” Harlan’s expression said he wasn’t sure if he was going to like it.
“As you leave, is there any way you can melt some of the snow on the road, so that tomorrow I can drive out of here?”
Harlan laughed. “Fiona always says I’m full of hot air, so I guess I can give it a try.”
“Thanks,” Kit said, and the family of dragons left the house.
“Call me as soon as you go into labor,” Suzie told Fiona.
“Don’t worry, we are going to broadcast it to the whole town,” Harlan said jovially.
“You are not,” Fiona said sternly.
Harlan turned around, winked, and mouthed, “I am.”
“Bye,” Suzie called, and Kit wrapped his arms around her to keep the chill out, and because he wanted to hold her close. And one day be the proud husband, waiting for his child to be born.
Chapter Fifteen – Suzie
“What an exciting day this turned out to be,” Suzie stated as she climbed into bed next to Kit. She was telling herself she had chosen to stay because it was better than trying to get home in the snow, but truthfully, she would have found some excuse not to leave, even if the dragons had offered to drop her off at her front door. She had only one twinge of guilt, and that was about her mom being home alone for a second evening.
Not that her mom had made her feel guilty about not going home. Although she did sound worried. Suzie had blamed work commitments, but she was certain her mom had seen through her thinly veiled lie. However, she did not want to tell her mom about Kit over the phone. This news had to be relayed face to face.
Suzie tried to push her fears to one side. How would her mom feel about Suzie moving out and leaving the town her mom was so attached to? Her mom suffered anxiety and battled to make herself leave the house. When Suzie was a child, she hadn’t noticed it so much, but as she grew up and became more aware, she realized her mom only went to certain stores and only visited a handful of places and people.
Slowly this awareness had led Suzie to understand why. Her mom had a birthmark on her face; it covered the lower part of her left cheek, and made her mom very self-conscious. New places and new people, who might stare at her, were situations she avoided as much as possible. To Suzie, her mom was beautiful, but her mom could never see it, especially when she looked in the mirror.
“It turned out better than I hoped,” Kit replied, getting into bed and resting his head on the pillow beside her.
They lay side by side, looking at the ceiling. Louise was in Kit’s guest room, with baby Storm in her crib by her side. Since they had been reunited, Louise had refused to let Storm out of her sight, except to visit the bathroom, and only then because Suzie had insisted on her leaving Storm with her or Kit.
“I hope Louise gets the rest she needs,” Suzie said, listening for the sound of a baby crying.
“She needs Storm more than rest right now,” Kit replied. “She needs to know she’s a good mom.”
“Do you think she’ll cope?” Suzie asked, her voice no more than a whisper.
“I think so.” Kit turned to face her, propping himself up on one elbow. “People can do remarkable things when they really want something.”
Suzie thought of her mom and how she had coped bringing up her child alone, while living with an intense need to hide her face away from strangers. “My mom proved that to me.”
“Your mom?” Kit turned to face her, resting hi
s chin on his hand. “You’ve heard about my family. I know nothing about yours.”
“There is not much to tell.” Suzie pressed her lips together, trying to decide what she wanted him to know. But surely, if they were going to make a life together, he should know everything.
“Tell me what you can,” Kit coaxed, as if he knew how hard this was for her.
“It’s just me and my mom.” Suzie thought back over her life. “She’s always been there for me. Always supported me. But it’s been tough for her.”
“No family?” Kit asked.
“She has family, but her experience mirrors Louise’s in so many ways. My mom met a guy, thought she was in love. Her parents warned her he was only after one thing.” She let the meaning go unsaid, sure Kit would know what she meant. “When she got pregnant, he dumped her, and all she got was an I told you so. And then they told her they would not support her and the baby.”
“They kicked her out?” Kit asked.
Suzie nodded. “She was seventeen.”
“What did she do?” Kit asked.
“Survived.” Suzie looked up at his perfect face and lifted her hand to stroke his cheek, his stubble prickling her fingers. “She was so brave. All her life she tried to stay in the shadows.”
“Why? Is she shy?” Kit asked.
“She is, because she has a birthmark.” Suzie pressed her hand to the place where her mom’s cheek was red, the skin not quite smooth.
“I’m sorry,” Kit said, his voice tight with emotion. “I’ve seen similar in kids. Usually, they fade.”
“I don’t notice it, but from what she says, it was very obvious as she grew up. She said her parents never really loved her. She was never as pretty or popular as her sister. She liked to hide behind books, to avoid the taunts from other kids. They thought she was awkward and anti-social.” Suzie stopped talking, letting go of the anger she felt inside every time she thought of how her grandparents abandoned their daughter when she needed them the most.
“I can see why you chose the career path you did,” Kit said, taking hold of her hand and raising it to his lips. “And when I meet your mom, I am going to congratulate her on raising such a remarkable woman.”
Doctor Daddy Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 8) Page 9
