by Nicola Marsh
She knew when the euphoria of Manny’s shock proposal died down she’d start second-guessing the wisdom of marrying a man she hadn’t known long.
But he was right about one thing. Logic didn’t come into it, not when she could hardly believe this was happening and she wanted to celebrate.
“What are you thinking?” His strong hands framed her face as he peered at her as if trying to read her mind.
“That we’re nuts, but I’m happy.”
“Me too.”
His hot, openmouthed, toe-curling kiss sealed it.
52
In true Izzy fashion, she refused to have her heart valve surgery at Manny’s hospital. He tried to convince her, using persuasive arguments from “I can visit you more often” to “I can get all the inside info on your condition.” Apparently, the latter was exactly why she didn’t want to be anywhere near his hospital.
He understood. He was overprotective when it came to his grandmother at the best of times, and now his concern had shot into the stratosphere. Not that he was showing her. He thought he’d masked it well, but she’d been reading him since he was a little kid, and he couldn’t get much past her.
At least he had some good news to tell her now, ensuring she’d fight like the devil to come through this surgery.
No way would Izzy not have a say in his wedding.
Manny entered her room, and in the second or two before she recognized him, he glimpsed exactly how terrified she was. Worry pinched her mouth, accentuating the fine lines fanning out from the corners, and she looked sad, like she expected the worst. All that changed when she saw him, and she visibly brightened, but her eyes didn’t lie. She was just as petrified as he was.
“You don’t need to be here while they take me in.” She waved him away. “The anesthetist will be here any minute to prep me.”
“That’s exactly why I’m here, to give the guy the third degree and make sure he hasn’t been drinking all night.”
She made a pfft scoffing sound, but he saw the slight upturning of her mouth. He knew what he had to say next would definitely make her smile.
“I’m also here to tell you some news.”
Her eyes narrowed as her eagle-eyed gaze swept over his face. “You look smug. What have you done? A crash course in cardiac surgery so you can replace my valves yourself?”
He grinned at her sarcasm.
“Better than that. What’s the one thing you want?”
“To not see a bright white light in the distance over the next few hours.”
He laughed. No surprises for guessing where he got his dry sense of humor.
“I’m engaged.”
Confusion creased her brow. “To do what?”
Maybe the nurses had given her a little pre-sedative, because it took another second or two for his words to sink in.
“To get married?” Her eyebrows rose so high the wrinkles of her forehead reached her hairline.
“Yeah, big news, huh?”
“Huh,” she said, staring at him like he’d lost his mind. “To that Harper woman, I presume?”
He nodded, unable to keep the goofy grin off his face. Even now, twelve hours since she’d said yes and they’d headed back to her place for the kind of celebration that invigorated in the best possible way, he could hardly believe it.
She’d understandably had reservations, and he shared them all, but as he watched Izzy process his news—the forehead wrinkles cleared, her eyes brightened, and she actually smiled—he knew without a doubt he’d done the right thing.
“You’re getting married,” she said, sounding wondrous and shocked and thrilled at the same time. “About time.”
“If that’s your way of saying congratulations, I’ll take it.”
“Come here.” She beckoned him over, and when he stood next to her bed she reached for his hand. “You know I only want what’s best for you, Manish, and if this Harper makes you happy, then I’m happy.”
“Thanks, Iz.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead, and she hugged him close for a moment before releasing him.
“Now I definitely have to turn away from any white lights so I can meet this fiancée of yours and make sure she’s good enough for my grandson.”
“I’m counting on it.” He winked, thrilled his news had perked her up. “Now that I’ve given you an injection of endorphins, any questions about the surgery I can answer?”
“My cardiologist has done all that. Tell me more about your wedding plans.”
Thankfully, the anesthetist entered the room at that moment, saving Manny from having to explain he hadn’t got that far. Getting Harper to agree to his outlandish proposal had been his focus, and now that he was engaged he’d get to the rest; when his gran recovered from this potentially fatal disease.
“George, this is my grandson, Manish,” Izzy said. “He’s head of ER at another hospital, and he was just leaving.”
George grinned and shot him a sympathetic look. “She’s not so keen on having you advise on this procedure.”
“You got that right.”
Izzy waved him away. “I’ll see you after the operation, Manish. Go. Be with your fiancée.”
Manny wasn’t going anywhere until his grandmother was safely wheeled out of the OR and into recovery, but he didn’t want to rile her.
“Love you, Iz. See you when you’re done.”
“Not done, done, I hope,” she said, making George and Manny chuckle.
Manny blew her a kiss, nodded at George, and left the room. He’d wait in his car. He didn’t fancy a long stint in the cafeteria, surrounded by equally worried people trying to pass time by consuming brightly colored Jell-O or sloppy meat loaf.
And in the car he’d have privacy to call Harper.
If anyone could calm his nerves now, she could.
53
“You’re what?”
Lydia stared at Harper like she’d lost her mind. “How can you be engaged?”
“Quite easily, Mom. Manny asked; I said yes.”
“This is insanity,” Lydia muttered, shaking her head while Alec stepped forward to offer Harper a hug.
“Congrats, darling. If this is what you want, we’ll support you. Won’t we, Lyds?”
Lydia snorted, but her disapproving expression softened. “We haven’t even met this man. How do we know if he’s good enough for you?”
“Mom, I’m thirty. Don’t you think I’m old enough to make my own decisions?”
“Well, yes, but . . . we don’t know him; it’s not right,” Lydia blustered, her frown deepening. “And what kind of man doesn’t ask your father for your hand in marriage?”
“A man who’s forty, is worldly, and doesn’t live in the dark ages.” Harper rolled her eyes. “This is what I want. I hope you’ll support me.” She paused for emphasis, her gaze swinging between them. “Like I supported both of you through your separation.”
“Touché,” Lydia muttered, while Alec nodded.
“We’ve got your back, kid, one hundred percent,” Alec said. “So when do we get to meet this fiancé of yours?”
“He should be here any second,” she said, glancing at her watch. “He’s coming straight from the hospital.”
“He’s a doctor?” Her dad looked suitably impressed, her mom mollified with the reminder.
“Yeah, but he wasn’t working this morning. His grandmother had heart surgery, so he’s been with her.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yeah, she’s in recovery and doing well.”
Though Harper left out the details of how she’d spent an hour on the phone with Manny, trying to talk him down. He’d been wired with worry, and it broke her heart she couldn’t do more. If she had any doubts about her feelings, offering him whatever comfort she could, wishing she could be there for him, reinforced that what she felt was
real.
She’d fallen in love.
“But just so you know, he’s popping in for a quick intro and then we’re heading back to the hospital together.”
“That’s okay, we can celebrate later,” Alec said, at the same time Lydia said, “So we won’t even have time for a celebratory toast?”
“Mom—”
“Lyds—”
“Fine.” Lydia threw her hands up in the air. “We’ll wait for a more appropriate time to celebrate.”
The doorbell rang at that moment, and Harper said, “I’ll get it.”
She’d tried to talk Manny out of doing this today, when she knew he’d rather be by his gran’s side. But he’d insisted, and she admired his principles.
She opened the door, and her chest tightened with emotion. When he’d left her house in the wee small hours that morning, he’d looked happy and relaxed. Now fatigue ringed his eyes and worry furrowed his brow.
“You okay?” She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, tightening her hold when she heard his deep, long sigh.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“And your gran?”
“Doing as well as can be expected.”
That didn’t sound as positive as when he’d rung her an hour ago when his gran had reached recovery and he’d seen her.
Releasing him, Harper studied his face. “This endocarditis you mentioned. It’s more serious than simply having the heart valves replaced, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” He swiped a hand over his face. It did little to eradicate the tension. “But Izzy’s always been stubborn, and now that she knows she has a wedding to look forward to, she’ll fight to get better.”
Harper smiled and grazed his cheek with her knuckle. “Do you think she’ll like me?”
“How can she not?” His eyes darkened to pewter, his adoration sending a shot of warmth through her. “I fell for you quickly, and Gran will too.”
“Speaking of relatives approving . . .” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “I’ve told them I’m doing a quick intro and then we’re out of here because we have to head back to the hospital.”
His eyebrows rose. “It’s okay if we stay awhile.”
“You’re sweet, but you should be with your gran now, not sitting through an interrogation of monstrous proportions from my mom.”
“What about your dad? How did he take the news?”
“Dad’s cool. He’s a good buffer.”
“And we need a buffer because . . . ?”
“You’ll understand once you meet Mom.”
He smiled. “On that note, are you going to let me in?”
Slipping her hand in Manny’s, she led him into the lounge room, where her parents were standing on either side of the coffee table like sentinels.
“Manny, this is my dad, Alec, and my mom, Lydia.”
She liked that he didn’t release her hand as he shook theirs. “Pleased to meet you both.”
“Likewise, son,” Alec said, and Lydia shot him a death glare that had Harper stifling a giggle.
“You proposed awfully quickly, Manny.” Lydia gestured at the couch, and Harper wanted to laugh again as they all sat simultaneously. “Are you usually so impulsive?”
“Mom.” Harper shot Lydia a warning look that, predictably, her mom ignored.
“It’s not like Harper to make such rash decisions either, so we want to make sure you’ve both thought this through.”
Harper knew her parents loved her, but she wasn’t some naive teen sitting here with her first boyfriend being grilled. But before she could speak, Manny squeezed her hand and glanced at her, his smile calming her.
“I understand your reservations, Lydia. I truly do. As I’ve explained to Harper, I’m not one for making impulsive decisions. I base my decisions on facts, science; it’s who I am. But some things defy logic, and how I feel about your daughter is one of them.”
Harper melted, and she was pretty sure her mom’s sigh echoed hers, while her dad beamed.
“Impressive speech, young man.” Alec’s gaze dipped to where Manny clasped her hand, before eyeballing him. “All we’ve ever wanted is for our little Harp to be happy, and we respect her decision. But if you hurt her, I’ll have to kill you.”
“Dad!”
Harper groaned but Manny laughed.
“I’ll take good care of her, promise.”
While Lydia’s expression had softened somewhat, her gaze remained shrewd. “You don’t have a ring yet?”
“I want Harper to have a say in what she wants.”
Manny leaned over on the pretext of kissing her, and whispered in her ear, “My little Harp.”
She elbowed him away, and they laughed together. Her dad had called her that when she’d been little, ever since she’d demanded a toy harp for Christmas one year. Now she knew Manny would never let her live it down.
When Harper glanced back at her parents, they wore matching expressions of surprise.
“You both look so happy,” Lydia murmured, her eyes misting.
“That’s because we are, Mom.”
Harper stood, and Manny rose alongside her. “We really have to go, but we’ll have that celebratory toast soon.”
“Okay.” Lydia nodded. “Please give your grandmother our best, Manny. Harper told us she’s recovering from heart surgery.”
“Thanks, I will.”
This time when Manny extended his hand to Harper’s dad, Alec pumped it enthusiastically, and when he did the same to Lydia, her mom swatted it away and embraced him in a quick hug. Harper didn’t know who looked more surprised, Manny or her dad, who knew Lydia took a while to warm up to new people.
After Harper bid farewell to her folks, she followed Manny out to his car, waiting until the front door closed before collapsing against his chest.
“I’m so glad that’s over.”
“Your parents are fine, they love you, you’re lucky to have them.” He placed a finger under her chin and tipped it up. “But I have to admit, I almost lost it when your dad called you his little harp.”
“Please don’t ever refer to that again.” She grimaced, not surprised to see a cheeky glint in his eyes.
“Why? I don’t mind a little harp, as long as I get to pluck it all night.”
A bubble of laughter escaped her. “You are so lame.”
“Only because you love my bad puns.”
“And the rest,” she murmured, unable to believe she could be this happy, this quickly. She wanted to say I love you, but it didn’t seem the right time while they were trading banter as usual and with her parents probably spying on them through the front window.
From his proposal last night to now, Harper had been floating, caught up in the fairy tale she’d always dreamed about. Gaining her parents’ approval had made it all the more real. She knew they had a lot to learn about each other, and they didn’t have to rush into a wedding anytime soon.
Because she still hadn’t revealed her secret to Manny, and she couldn’t get past the bone-deep fear that the last time she’d done it, the man she thought had adored her walked away.
Colin was nothing like Manny. They were worlds apart. But until she told Manny the truth, she couldn’t fully embrace the excitement of being engaged.
Now wasn’t the time, with his grandmother just out of surgery, but over the next few days she’d take the final step in trusting this amazing man with her heart.
54
It had been a long ten days.
Taking time off for that medical conference in Auckland, then tacking on extra vacation days, meant Manny was still struggling to get on top of his workload now.
It didn’t help that he spent his limited downtime at the hospital with Izzy. Not that he begrudged the time by her bedside—she was the only family he had—but it meant he was more
sleep-deprived than during his stint as a resident many years ago.
And it left him with no time for Harper.
She’d been incredibly understanding, but he still felt guilty they hadn’t been ring shopping. Nor had she met Izzy, but that was more his doing.
His grandmother wasn’t recovering well.
Physically, her cardiologist and registrar were pleased with her healing. After a few days in rehab, they would discharge her. But mentally, it was like Izzy had checked out. She didn’t smile at his jokes. She feigned interest in the soap operas she was usually glued to. She hardly touched her food, even when he brought in a tiffin carrier of dahl and rice he’d made especially.
The only time she showed any sign of life was when she grilled him about his engagement. How had he proposed, where, when, what had Harper said, when was the wedding, blah, blah, blah, on and on it went, and he was tired of ad-libbing.
Interestingly, in all her focus on his nuptials, she hadn’t asked to meet Harper beyond the first day, when he’d fobbed her off with a She wants to come but doctor’s orders say you can only see family.
He’d half hoped Izzy would refute his claim with Harper is going to be my family too, I want to meet her, but with his grandmother in this strange mood he’d rather wait to foist her onto his fiancée.
His fiancée.
Even though they’d barely seen each other lately, the thought of being engaged to Harper brought him a comfort he’d never experienced before. She grounded him. Not that he’d ever been particularly jittery, but she brought calmness to his life that he loved.
Izzy managed a half-hearted wave as he entered her room, and he knew she wouldn’t like what he had to say.
“Hey, Gran. A few more days in rehab and then you’ll be home.”
She mustered a weak frown. “Good. But I don’t need any of that home nursing rubbish. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
He’d expected this battle and had an argument prepared. “I know you are, but I was thinking of throwing a small engagement party at your place, just family and close friends, and I can’t expect you to do all the preparation, not when you’re still recovering.”
