By the Heart Bride: Gabe (Matchmaking A Marriage Book 3)

by Joann Baker

  “Just taken up to delivery, doctor.”

  “Thanks, Jeanne.” Without breaking stride, she aimed for the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator. Again, with Gabe nipping at her heels, she burst through the maternity ward’s doors, forcing herself to slow to a quick walk. She turned to Gabe. “The waiting area is just through those doors,” she nodded her head. “I’m sure everyone’s there waiting anxiously. I’ll go check on everything for you and be out just as soon as the little bundle of joy makes his arrival.”

  “It’s a boy?” Gabe asked in wonder.

  Amelia grinned. “Don’t tell the others just yet. I think your brother wants that honor.”

  “Hot damn,” Gabe smiled. “I’ll try.”

  She moved toward the room where Georgia and Ryder were, a part of her very much aware when Gabe disappeared back through the swinging door. A nurse she hadn’t worked with before helped her into a gown and handed her a mask to put on. She walked into the delivery room, beaming at the tired mother-to-be and the anxious father. “I hear you’ve been holding out on us this evening.”

  She greeted the obstetrician that was at the foot of Georgia’s bed. Frank had introduced her to the man almost her first day here and they’d consulted on Georgia’s case. While Frank could deliver anything with two feet—or four—the town was lucky enough to have a full-time ‘woman doctor’ as her godfather liked to say. She’d been touched when Ryder and Georgia both had asked that, if possible, she be in the delivery room with them.

  “Oh, yeah,” Georgia puffed air in and out as Ryder performed the breathing technique taught in Lamaze class with her. “I didn’t want to miss Gabe’s ride.”

  “You should have said something,” Ryder admonished affectionately.

  “I’m okay,” Georgia huffed.

  “Good.” Amelia positioned herself at the foot of the bed next to the other doctor. “You’re crowning,” she crooned as Georgia groaned.

  “Take a deep breath and give me a big push,” the doctor ordered the laboring mother-to-be.

  It took a few more pushes and groans and some muttered curses from Ryder, but soon the nurse was placing a healthy baby boy in his mother’s arms. Amelia watched teary-eyed as both father and mother, awed by the beautiful child, counted fingers and toes and whispered how much they loved one another.

  It was a scene she’d witnessed several times before but this time, it was a family that felt almost like her own, so the feelings were a little more personal.

  “Thanks, Amelia.” Ryder came to stand beside her, a sappy look on his face as the newborn was removed from his mother’s arms and taken to be cleaned up. She nodded when the nurse indicated they were ready to do the same for the new mother.

  “I really didn’t do anything. You’re just on a happy high—as you should be. But thanks anyway.” She touched Ryder’s arm, gently steering him to a room down the hall where the mother and child would be taken.

  “You’re wrong, you know,” Ryder said solemnly, “my whole family thinks very highly of you.”

  Did that include Gabe, she wondered? Probably not, a little voice whispered. He’d left.

  They waited while they brought Georgia in, settling the new mother in the room. Another nurse followed carrying the baby. She handed him to Ryder who held his son close to his chest. “Can Pops and everybody come in now? I’m sure they’re chomping at the bit.”

  Amelia pushed the dreary thoughts away and turned her attention to Georgia. “Are you sure you’re not too tired?”

  “Nope, bring ‘em in,” Georgia grinned, her smile wide.

  “Good,” Amelia nodded. “Get ready for some company, then.”

  She retraced her steps, circling around the delivery room and entering the waiting area from the opposite side. Immediately, conversation stopped and everyone crowded around her.

  “Is the baby okay?” Pops asked anxiously.

  “Is Georgia alright?” Gramps added.

  “Did Ryder faint?” Cal grinned, earning himself an elbow in the ribs from his wife.

  “I’ll let…” Amelia began.

  “Is it a boy or a girl?” Pops asked impatiently.

  “Everybody shut the hell up and let Amelia talk.”

  Surprised at Gabe’s bluntness, the questions stopped abruptly. Amelia knew Gabe wasn’t being intentionally mean and a part of her somehow understood that beneath the sharp words, he was more worried than anyone. Her mouth curved into a smile meant to soothe and allay any and all fears. “Ryder and Georgia have a healthy seven pound, eleven-ounce baby. Mother, father and child are fine.” She grinned up at Cal. “And no one fainted.”

  High fives and relieved laughter met her statements.

  “Is it a boy or a girl?” Pops repeated his question.

  “I’m going to let the proud papa tell you,” Amelia smiled. “To see the newest addition to your family, just follow the nurse.”

  The older nurse who had followed Amelia to the waiting area, smiled professionally at the family as she led them from the room.

  “Aren’t you going back in?”

  Amelia fought a bleakness that surprised her. It was a time for joy.

  But it isn’t your joy, the irritating voice whispered again.

  Shaking her head, she replied, “It’s a time for family now.” She strove to keep a happy expression on her face as she looked up at Gabe. “I’ll check on them both again later.” She turned to leave.

  “Millie, wait.”

  The use of the shortened nickname and the feel of his calloused hand on her arm brought fresh tears to her eyes. Keeping her back to him, she feigned a carefree tone. “Can’t, Gabe. I’ve got charts to update.” That wasn’t true at all. She hadn’t had to work a shift in the ER this week because she’d been working at the rodeo. She took a step away, freeing herself from the warmth of his touch. A touch that was playing havoc with her breathing. “You’d better go before everyone gets a chance to hold the baby but you.”

  She made her departure through the waiting room, deliberately going left instead of right. Exiting through the opposite side, she passed the nurses’ station and headed for the stairs. She just wanted to get away to the solitude of her tiny house and try to make sense of the emotions building inside of her. Between watching Gabe risk his life four times in the last two nights and watching a new member of his wonderful family come into the world, Amelia knew that despite her best efforts, her heart was being broken all over again.

  And this time, it was worse, she thought, as she walked the short distance home. Ten years ago, she’d fallen in love with Gabe the moment she’d literally run into him in the park near her apartment. She’d been walking, enjoying the sunny day and a double scoop of chocolate ice cream she’d purchased to treat herself for having graduated college with honors. With her gaze focused on the fountain where she planned to stop a few yards ahead, she’d literally run into Gabe, who was purchasing a bottle of water from one of the many cart vendors scattered throughout the park. From the dampness of his hair and the slight sheen of sweat on his arms, she’d surmised that he must have just finished a run.

  Although she hadn’t been moving very fast, the slight impact had caused him to drop his water while her half-eaten cone of chocolate ice cream had landed on the chest of her white tee-shirt. His hands had reached out to steady her then automatically moved to brush the melting treat away as it ran down her shirt. He’d muttered a ‘sorry ma’am’ and grabbed a handful of napkins. As he’d rubbed at the sticky mess, they’d became simultaneously aware of just what lay beneath his careful ministrations. The instant, electrifying connection had caught them both unaware.

  Never having felt such an intense reaction before, Amelia had been giddy when the handsome cowboy had insisted on buying her another ice cream cone. They’d ended up spending the entire afternoon together and, for the next month, had been inseparable. He’d shared his background with her and even though she’d never met them, Amelia had begun to think of his family as her
family. When Gabe had asked her to spend the summer at his ranch, Amelia had agreed without reservation, having already lost her heart to him. It had meant giving up the chance to work that summer in a downtown clinic, earning money to live on during her first semester of medical school. But it would have been worth eating rice and beans for an entire year.

  When he hadn’t come for her on the day they were supposed to leave, she’d cried herself sick. Luckily, Andy and Mona had been there, making sure she ate and got the rest she needed. That summer had been the hardest part of her life. While her heart hadn’t completely healed, the cracks had gotten smaller and, over time, she’d learned to handle life again.

  Life without Gabe.

  Closing and locking the door behind her, she breathed in deeply, hating the sob that rose to choke her. There was no one to see her tears now so she let them fall freely, hoping they would assuage the sadness that had overtaken her. The memories she’d so carefully put away burst forth, leaving her defenseless against the sobs that shook her.

  Being with Gabe had been magical. He’d made her feel things that no other man ever had—or ever would. Because she’d loved him so deeply, she’d given her whole being over to him, to being his. In her love-induced haze, she’d believed that Gabe was hers as well.

  And tonight, seeing the love between Ryder and Georgia, she couldn’t have stopped herself from asking the question that tore at her now. What would it have been like to have had his child?

  Her hands cradled her belly, imagining for a second that she carried his child. The image made her even sadder. Calling herself a fool, she pushed away from the door. Flipping on the lights, she dried her eyes and walked down the short hall to her bedroom. A good night’s sleep would make everything better.

  She hoped.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT, son. You ready?”

  Gabe took his gaze from the cold coffee in his cup and lifted his eyes to stare at Gramps. The last night of the rodeo had been the last thing on his mind. The first—and only—had been Amelia. Ever since he’d held his new nephew, he’d marveled at the fact that she had the knowledge to bring a newborn into the world. His Amelia was a doctor.

  His Amelia.

  He’d thought about it over the last forty-eight hours, and he’d come to the conclusion that she’d been right to break things off with him. Even if she hadn’t technically done the deed and had instead sent her roommate/possible boyfriend to the door to do it for her. He’d carried that heartbreak like a banner, nursing it religiously through the years.

  Oh, he could handle the fact that she’d believed being a doctor was more important than possibly becoming Mrs. Gabe Anderson. What still rankled was the fact that she hadn’t had the guts to tell him face to face. Had their relationship meant so little to her?

  And how could he still love her in spite of that?

  “Son?”

  “Yeah, Gramps,” he nodded, pulling himself from the thoughts that had plagued him for the last two days. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “I’m just sorry we missed you last night. Your best scores and not one of us there to see it, except Cal.”

  “You all had a great excuse,” Gabe grinned, actually feeling the emotion behind the action for the first time in a very long time. “That little guy is sure something. Heck, I’d have stayed home to play with him if I could have.”

  “Yep,” Pops agreed, taking a seat at the scarred kitchen table, “that Silas Michael sure is something.”

  Gabe hid his grin behind his coffee cup as Gramps huffed, “That draw was rigged if you ask me.”

  “Aw, don’t be mad ‘cause they drew my name first,” Pops soothed. “Cal and Kristen can’t be far behind with little Thomas Harvey.”

  “As slow as Cal moves,” Gramps sighed, “Gabe here will have a kid first.”

  Gabe choked on the mouthful of bitter liquid. Covering his mouth with a napkin, he coughed until he could draw a decent breath. “I’d need a wife first,” he wheezed. “And since pretty much every female in town thinks I’m a dog, that’s about as likely to happen as Cal doing something without thinking about it six ways to Sunday first.”

  “What about the new doc? She don’t know you that well yet,” Pops observed slyly.

  “And even if she’s heard about your reputation, she might be willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.”

  Gabe was shaking his head even before Gramps finished speaking. “There’s something you both need to know.”

  “Don’t tell us you’ve…,” Harvey’s voice trailed off as he looked at Silas with dismay.

  “Frank is going to kill us,” Silas muttered.

  “No,” Harvey shook his head, “He took an oath to save lives.”

  “Don’t matter. Amelia is his family.” Silas spoke with quiet conviction.

  “No,” Gabe hurried to correct the misconception. “Nothing has happened. This time,” he added.

  “What do you mean, this time?” Gramps frowned.

  As Gabe relayed the story of his past with Amelia, his grandfathers’ expressions ran the gamut of emotions from incredulity to joy, ending in sadness as he finished.

  “I don’t understand, son,” Pops leaned his elbow on the table and propped his chin in his hand, “why didn’t you just stay and ask her why she’d changed her mind?”

  Gabe sighed. “Because I was young and stupid.” He shook his head, amazed at just how much the change in Ryder’s and Cal’s lives had affected his own thinking. Dammit, he’d actually grown. Both of his siblings had found the loves of their lives and were happier than he’d ever seen them. For a while, he’d feared that finding their wives meant that he’d be alone again. That he would feel abandoned as he had when his parents had died. The opposite had happened. He’d gained two sisters who had made all of their lives richer. He was happy.

  Well, he was happy for his brothers.

  “So you were in love with her.” Gramps nodded approvingly. “Have you spoken to her about it since she’s been in town?”

  “No. It’s a subject best left in the past.”

  “Are you crazy, boy?” Pops demanded, straightening. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. That girl don’t have a mean bone in her body.”

  While Gabe agreed, a part of him couldn’t let go of the past hurt. “She was done, Pops. There’s no point in dredging up the past.”

  “Aw, bullshit,” Gramps slapped a hand on the table, causing the salt and pepper shakers to rattle. “You were scared to ask her, weren’t you?”

  Gabe inhaled deeply, the pain that always came with the most honest answer surprisingly duller than usual. “I was. And maybe I still am.” He shrugged. “I honestly never thought I’d see her again.” He figured there was no point in telling them about the trip he’d taken three years ago.

  “And now that you have? Do you still have feelings for her?” Pops asked curiously.

  Gabe skirted a direct answer. “She’s changed. I’ve changed. I’m not sure what good it would do now anyway.”

  “You won’t be able to let go and move on until you know. I think you need to talk to her—and soon.”

  “I agree,” Gramps seconded. “Remember what our conversation about how fast time goes by?”

  “I remember,” Gabe nodded, aware of a lessening of the tension he’d carried around for so long. It still lingered, though, and would until he knew why Amelia had changed her mind.

  “If you still have feelings for that girl, then do something about it now. You don’t want to let ten more years get away from you, do you?”

  Gabe had been thinking the same thing himself. Seeing Amelia again had shocked him. He’d thought he could ignore her and go on with the life he’d been living. Two failed dates since she’d arrived in town had proven he’d lied to himself. There was no ignoring her. There was no ignoring the feelings she still roused in him.

  As much as he feared the answer, he had to know the truth.
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br />   “You’re right, Gramps.”

  “Gramps is always right.”

  Three sets of eyes trained on Cal as he came through the door, followed closely by Kristen.

  “Hmm,” Gramps grinned, “you must want something, boy. What is it?”

  “Actually,” Cal pushed Kristen ahead of him, “my beautiful wife has something she’d like to ask you.”

  Kristen slipped around the table, giving a quick hug to both Gramps and Pops.

  “Come on, honey, and sit by me.” Gramps patted the chair beside him, and Kristen slipped into it.

  “Have you all had breakfast?” Pops asked, moving to rise.

  “Yeah, we’re good.” Cal pressed a gentle hand onto his shoulder, urging him to remain seated. “Kristen had something she wanted to talk to Gramps about so we decided she’d drop me off on her way into work so she could.”

  “So, what’s on your mind, pretty girl?” Gramps turned to Kristen, a curious look in his faded eyes.

  “Well, I don’t quite know where to start. You see, Uncle Otis handles most of the accounts for the ranches in the area and now that he’s learned the new system, well,” she shrugged, “there’s just not much for me to do anymore.” She took a deep breath. “So I was thinking that maybe you wouldn’t mind if I took over running the store.” She rushed on quickly, “I mean, since you’re retiring and all. But if you’d rather sell…”

  “Oh, honey,” Gramps cut her off quickly, a look of pure joy on his leathered face, “you have made this old geezer one happy man. I can’t think of anything better than keeping the store in the family.” His eyes sought Gabe’s across the table. “Well, maybe one thing.”

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have the money from the sale?”

  “Sweetheart,” Pops poked his head over Gramps’ shoulder, “the old fart has enough money. I think I can say that we’d all be much happier having you there.”

  “Then I’d better get into town and let Uncle Otis know about my change of occupations.”