The Army Doctor's Wedding

by Helen Scott Taylor

  Olivia angled her head to see Sami's face. "This little man is obviously the baby you rescued. He's very young to have flown so far. How'd he handle the trip?"

  "No problem at all. Although I think he's ready for a bottle. He woke up at the airport, but the car ride sent him to sleep again."

  Olivia glanced over her shoulder to where Radley had joined in the roughhousing with Cameron and George. "Remember, George is only five," she said to the men.

  "I'm six tomorrow, Mummy," the boy shouted.

  "Nearly grown up then." Cameron tossed the squealing boy in the air and caught him.

  "Come on," Olivia said, grabbing the baby bag from the trunk. "Let's leave the boys to play."

  The two women walked side by side towards the house, both cuddling their babies. Alice followed Olivia through the front door. A vase of lilies sat on a hall table and their fragrance filled the room.

  A wide staircase rose in the center of the hall. Olivia started up it. "Radley mentioned that you want to adopt Sami in the UK. I'm a lawyer and have worked on similar cases. It's actually against the law to bring a foreign child into the UK for adoption if you haven't been approved by an adoption agency, but I think Cameron's father has already smoothed that out." She glanced back with a conspiratorial smile. "It's useful having a father-in-law who works for the MOD. He has the ear of some very important people. All we need to do is get you an appointment with an adoption agency so you and Cameron can be approved to adopt. Until then, you should be able to foster Sami."

  Olivia made the adoption process sound easy. Alice hoped it would be. If anyone tried to take Sami away from her she wasn't sure what she'd do, but she wouldn't give her baby up.

  "Here you are." Olivia pushed open a door on the landing and led the way into a large, airy bedroom overlooking the back garden.

  Alice's gaze settled on the king-size bed and she swallowed. She would share that with Cameron. A shivery feeling swept through her and she turned away, trying to focus on anything except the bed.

  A lacy bassinet rested on a stand in the corner with a baby changing table underneath the window. This was a dream come true.

  "This is lovely. Thank you so much for everything. I don't have much for Sami, so the baby things are a godsend." Alice laid Sami on the bed, her shoulder aching from all the carrying.

  "Radley warned me you wouldn't have much with you." Olivia pulled out some drawers on the changing unit to reveal baby clothes. "These are newborn size so they should fit him. Emma is nine months now. We grew out of them awhile ago, didn't we, my big girl." She kissed her daughter's forehead, then turned and indicated some women's clothes folded on the chair. "I hope these will tide you over until you have a chance to pick up your own things."

  Tears pricked Alice's eyes. Cameron's relatives were so kind. She didn't deserve it.

  ***

  Cameron passed the ball to George, taking care not to kick too hard. His son ran after it and knocked it on to Radley. This was almost like old times—he and Radley knocking a ball around together in the back garden. Only time had marched on and things had changed so much he barely remembered the carefree boy he had been back then.

  George tripped and was straight back up, chasing after the ball, grass stains on his knees. He was such a bright, brave little boy, a credit to Olivia and Radley. He might carry Cameron's genes but Radley was George's father in every way that mattered.

  The familiar blend of guilt, longing, and resentment stirred in his chest, but faded much faster than usual. This visit he was simply pleased to see how happy his son was. Many times he had wished he'd been a father to George, but that would have meant marrying Olivia. She was a beautiful woman and a wonderful mother, but not right for him.

  You would never catch Olivia doing something daring like working with nomads in the desert as Alice had. Not many young women would. He admired Alice's courage and willingness to take risks to help others. He understood it.

  He passed the ball to George and glanced up at the back of Radley's house, at the bedroom windows. Alice was up there with Sami. His wife and adopted son. The thought sent a flash of warmth and satisfaction through him. He had a chance to prove to his parents he was not still the irresponsible, selfish son who shirked his responsibilities. Alice and Sami needed him in a way he understood and could help with.

  "Hey, Rad. Think I should go up and make sure Alice and Sami have everything they need."

  His brother kicked the ball farther away and George dashed after it, his little legs pumping as if he were in a race. Radley came closer. "Your news surprised me. It was a bit sudden between you and Alice. You've only known each other a few weeks."

  "It only took you a few weeks to fall in love with Olivia."

  Radley nodded thoughtfully. "Point taken. But we didn't marry straight away."

  When Radley gave him an is-there-something-you're-not-telling-me look, Cameron glanced down. His brother had always been too perceptive.

  "You know how everything seems different in a conflict zone, more urgent." He didn't want to tell his brother he had only married Alice so they could adopt Sami. He wanted his relatives to treat Alice and Sami as though they were really part of the family. Being a husband and father roused his protective instincts. He liked that they needed him. For the first time he understood why Radley was so devoted to his family.

  George dashed back, the ball hugged to his chest. Radley gave his son a wry smile. "You're supposed to dribble the ball back with your feet, pal. Picking it up is against the rules."

  "You kicked it too far away, Daddy."

  Both men chuckled.

  George tossed the ball at Cameron's feet. "Play with me, Uncle Cam."

  Cameron crouched down to the boy's level. "I need to go inside and see Alice and Sami. You haven't said hello to them yet, but you'll see them later. Sami's very tiny; he's only a few weeks old." He wanted George to like Sami and Alice. He wanted a photo of George holding Sami to keep on his mobile phone.

  "Will you play with me some more later?"

  "Sure thing." Cameron ran a hand over George's head of thick dark hair, so like his own, and rose to his feet.

  He headed inside, a flutter of nerves in his belly. He hadn't been nervous around a woman for years, yet the moment he'd married Alice he'd started feeling like a teenager trying to summon the courage to ask a girl out. Crazy, when she was his wife.

  He sat on the second stair, pulled off his boots, then climbed to the next floor. One of the bedroom doors stood open. Inside, Olivia cooed softly to a baby.

  "Hey, Livi, which room am I staying in?" he asked.

  "This one. Come in." She had a bottle in her hand and leaned over a white lacy bassinet smiling at Sami. "I sent Alice to shower and change. I was going to feed Sami but I really need to go downstairs and get on with preparing dinner." She held out the bottle.

  Cameron had watched Alice feed Sami numerous times, but had never done so himself. "Okay, I can do that." He put the bottle on a table beside an easy chair and picked up the tiny boy, now dressed in a blue all-in-one suit with little yellow ducks on it. "Hey there, Sami. You hungry, bud?"

  Under Olivia's watchful gaze, he sat with Sami cradled in his arm and put the nipple in the baby's mouth. A smile stretched his lips as the baby latched on and sucked hard.

  "Boy, he's hungry," Olivia said with a laugh.

  "He always is." Cameron grinned down at the baby, pride swelling inside him. Sami was his son now, his responsibility. It was a great feeling.

  He barely noticed Olivia leave the room he was so busy watching Sami, his tiny hands flexing as he sucked.

  "You're a good boy, Samikins. I like your ducky romper suit. You look real cute, you know. I bet Alice thinks you're cute as well."

  "You both look cute together." He was so engrossed in the baby, Alice startled him.

  His gaze jumped to the doorway. Alice's damp blonde hair tumbled over her shoulders, a fluffy white towel wrapped around her body. Her eyes were so blue a
gainst her tanned skin. She appeared beautiful and fragile, her cast covered in a plastic wrap. It was hard to believe this was the same woman he'd found in the desert.

  Sami finished his bottle and released the nipple. Cameron shifted the baby to his shoulder and rubbed his back to burp him. "I wanted to make sure you had everything you need," he said, glancing away from Alice, suddenly aware she wore only a towel and he'd been staring.

  "Olivia loaned me some clothes. Trouble is, she's about six inches taller than me." She sat on the end of the bed and rested her cast on her knees.

  "I better get out of here. I expect you want to get dressed." In the hospital, Cameron knew exactly what he was supposed to do. He had a purpose. Here he was uncertain how to treat Alice.

  "That's okay. I can wait a few minutes. It's good to see you feeding Sami. I'd like you to spend more time with him."

  "You would?" Cameron was surprised. He always got the impression Alice wanted Sami all to herself.

  "Yes, it's good for him to get used to a man. He must sense we're different."

  "I guess." Cameron finished burping Sami and laid him gently in his bassinet.

  Water from Alice's wet hair dripped down her shoulders. She grabbed a folded towel off the end of the bed and tried to dry her hair one-handed.

  "Let me."

  "Let you what?"

  "Dry your hair."

  Alice's eyes widened but when he reached for the towel, she released it. He sat on the bed beside her. She turned and he gathered the long blonde strands into the towel and rubbed, moving up to massage her scalp dry with the soft fabric.

  Gradually her shoulders relaxed. Her breath hissed out on a sigh of pleasure. The room fell silent except for Sami's soft exhalations and the occasional sound of voices in the garden. After the busy field hospital, it seemed strange being alone together in a private room where nobody would intrude on them.

  The side of Cameron's little finger brushed Alice's shoulder. He repeated the move, enjoying the contact with her smooth, warm skin. Long after he had done the job, he continued stroking her head with the towel, inhaling the floral fragrance of her hair.

  "You're tense. Let me help you relax," he whispered, his voice gruff.

  The wet towel hit the floor and he gathered the damp strands of her hair aside to massage her neck and shoulders. He wanted to touch her, to help her relax, to hear her breath rush out as his fingers stroked her skin.

  He wanted this to be a real marriage.

  Chapter Seven

  Alice's eyelids drifted down as Cameron's fingers worked magic on her weary muscles. Heat tingled through her and warmed her skin.

  She should stop him. It was one thing letting him dry her hair. A massage was another matter. Yet she couldn't bring herself to murmur a word when his touch made her melt inside.

  Was he really only being kind, helping her relax because her arm was in a cast? She might almost think he was enjoying this. Yet she wouldn't ask in case she made a fool of herself.

  "I've been thinking," he said.

  "Aha." Her murmur came out soft and throaty.

  "I think you might be stuck with me for longer than you intended."

  She frowned, her thoughts chasing around, trying to make sense of things in her hazy, pleasure-filled mind. "What do you mean?"

  "We need to stay married until the adoption is ratified over here. I'm the one who signed the adoption papers in Sami's country of birth."

  His words jerked Alice back to the moment. She opened her eyes and stared at the white lacy bassinet. He was right. In her mind, she had adopted Sami, but Cameron's signature was on the forms not hers.

  All her youth her father had tried to control her by taking away the things she wanted or needed. One day he had locked up all her shoes so she couldn't go out. Defiantly, she'd gone out barefoot to show him she wouldn't be controlled like her mother.

  Once she left home, she intended to never get in the position where a man had power over her that way. Now Cameron held control of the most precious thing in her life. She bit her lip, the pleasure of his touch fading.

  With a flash of disquiet, she rose to her feet. "Thanks. That did help." Her brisk tone sounded anything but grateful.

  "You don't need to worry. I won't let you down. I know how important Sami is to you. Together we'll make sure you get to keep him." He firmed his lips, his expression determined.

  Was she worrying over nothing? Cameron had been helpful and dependable so far. She had no reason to think he would let her down now. He had already gone far beyond the call of duty by marrying her in the first place. He was nothing like her father.

  "So we need to stay married until the adoption is finalized," she said. "That might take six months."

  Cameron nodded. "Longer probably." Uncertainty flashed across his face.

  Did he regret being tied to her for so long? Perhaps he would miss having a girlfriend?

  "Is it going to be a problem for you, being married to me?"

  He frowned.

  She wasn't making herself clear. Alice sucked in a breath and tried again. "I don't want our arrangement to restrict you. If you want to go out on dates, you should."

  His brows drew down in obvious annoyance. "That hasn't even occurred to me."

  "Okay." Alice chewed her finger. Something was definitely troubling him. If it wasn't that, she had no idea what was on his mind. "I'm happy to keep pretending for as long as it takes to make the adoption legal."

  "Do we have to pretend?"

  Now she was confused again. Had he changed his mind? "So you do want an annulment?" she asked tentatively.

  His breath whooshed out in frustration. "No. I want to give the marriage a shot. Make it real."

  "Real!" Alice's voice came out as a squeak.

  Cameron's beautifully sculpted lips flattened with displeasure. "Is that such a terrible suggestion?"

  "Not terrible. No. Of course not." Surprising, though.

  He rose to his feet in front of her, and his hands settled on either side of her waist.

  "If we're going to make this real, we need to get to know each other properly." His fingers lifted to raise her chin. She looked up into the warm depths of his brown eyes, and the breath stalled in her throat.

  "Who knows," he said, his voice husky and soft. "We might find we're good together."

  Then he leaned down and pressed his firm, warm lips against hers.

  ***

  Alice walked slowly down the stairs, the handle of Sami's carry seat in her good hand. The rumble of male voices from the kitchen sent a flash of nerves through her.

  She hadn't seen Cameron since the previous evening. She'd wound herself in knots of anticipation as bedtime approached, expecting him to sleep in the bed with her. Then after dinner he had announced he needed to visit his lodgings to get his belongings. As it was late he would sleep there and return this morning.

  He was obviously back.

  She put down Sami's seat, checked her face in the hall mirror, and smoothed creases from the green dress Olivia had loaned her. It was baggy around the bust and too long. The weight had dropped off Alice during her work with the nomads. Half the time she'd had a bad stomach. When she didn't, the food was less than appealing. They ate all parts of an animal including the brain, eyes, feet, and other unmentionable bits that she just couldn't bring herself to eat.

  The trouble was she'd always had a boyish figure; now she had barely any shape. Certainly not the sort of womanly curves a man liked. At least the bruises on her face had faded and her nose had returned to normal size.

  Male laughter burst from the kitchen, and her heart stuttered. She picked up Sami's carry seat and headed down the hallway. She was comfortable with Cameron when she wasn't worrying about the sleeping arrangements, and Radley seemed like a nice guy. What strummed Alice's nerves was the thought of meeting Cameron's father. A powerful man like Major General Knight would surely be out of the same mold as her father. For men like that, dominating women ca
me as second nature.

  Pasting on a smile, she walked into the kitchen, her gaze immediately drawn to Cameron. He sat at the table with George on his lap. They both stared at the screen of a tablet device, obviously engrossed in a game.

  "Morning, Alice. How did you sleep?" Olivia's jaunty greeting meant Alice had to drag her attention away from Cameron.

  "Very well, thank you. It was pure luxury to sleep in a proper bed."

  Radley also sat at the table, Emma beside him in a high chair. He spooned fruit puree into the pretty little girl's open mouth.

  "She's like a baby bird." Olivia laughed. "At least our children eat well."

  Alice only half listened, distracted as her gaze strayed back to Cameron. He kissed the top of George's head and ruffled his hair. He plainly adored the boy and she could see why. Bright as a button and sweet natured, George looked up and grinned at her. He looked so much like Cameron, but that wasn't surprising as Cameron and Radley were so alike.

  Cameron lifted George, stood, and placed the child back on the chair he'd vacated. He rounded the table, relieved her of Sami's chair, and set the baby carrier on the table. Faded denim jeans clung to Cameron's hips and he wore a striped dress shirt with the sleeves folded up to the elbows. It was the first time she had ever seen him out of army uniform. She liked what she saw.

  He took her hand and stepped closer, lowering his mouth to her ear. "Sorry for deserting you last night. Was everything all right with Sami?"

  His warm breath sent a shivery sensation racing through her. Distracted, it took her a moment to gather her thoughts to answer.

  "All fine. Sami got me up about six for a bottle. He'll be ready for another soon, I guess."

  Cameron turned and leaned over the baby carrier, wiggling his finger in Sami's palm until the baby gripped his digit. "Hey, little man, you hungry again?" He cast an amused glance at Alice as Sami wedged his fist in his mouth and started sucking.

  "The rate he's going he'll double his weight in no time," Alice quipped, trying to ignore the thumping of her heart. Cameron still held her hand, his fingers absently stroking her palm. Part of her wished he would let go so she could think.