by Laura Iding
Kat pasted a smile on her face, unwilling to let on how much she was hurting inside, as she made sure Juliet was comfortable.
She’d really, really, expected Miguel to show up here at the airport. And now that he hadn’t—she wasn’t sure what to think.
Had he changed his mind about wanting to be a father to Tommy? Did he regret making love to her? She wished she knew more about Miguel’s mother. He’d mentioned she’d died several years ago, when he’d still been in high school. Whatever had happened had made him determined not to become emotionally involved with an American.
With her.
Her heart squeezed with pain and tears pricked her eyes as she realized she’d foolishly fallen in love with Miguel.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MIGUEL strode into the hospital, knowing he was beyond late. He wasn’t due to work today but he knew Katerina would come to visit her sister.
He walked into room 202 and stopped abruptly when he saw an elderly man lying in the bed. He frowned and glanced at the room number, making sure he had the correct one.
After murmuring a quick apology, he spun around and went back to the nurses’ station. They must have moved Juliet to a different room for some unknown reason.
But, no, her name wasn’t on the board at all. With a frown he picked up the phone, intending to call down to the front desk, when he saw his colleague, Felipe. “Felipe, where’s my patient, Juliet Campbell?” he asked.
Felipe turned around. “Miguel, what are you doing here? I thought I was to cover your patients today?”
“You are, but I was actually looking for Juliet’s sister, Katerina. What room did Juliet get moved to?”
Felipe looked puzzled. “I discharged her, Miguel. Señora Horton from the study abroad program wanted her to be sent back to the U.S., so I went ahead and gave the discharge order.”
“What?” A knot of dread formed in his gut and he grew angry with himself for not anticipating that something like this might happen. He’d known the minute he’d given the orders to have Juliet transferred to a regular room that her time here was limited. “When? How long ago?”
Felipe shrugged. “I’m not sure, maybe two or three hours?”
Three hours? No! He struggled to remain calm as he glanced at the clock. It was almost eleven-thirty already. “Was that when you wrote the order? Or when she actually left?”
“I didn’t pay attention,” Felipe admitted. “Miguel, what’s the problem? Clearly, she was stable enough to travel.”
He forced a smile, knowing none of this was Felipe’s fault. “I trust your judgment. Excuse me but I need to catch up with them.” Before Felipe could say anything more, he left, lengthening his stride to hurry as he called Fernando, instructing his driver to meet him outside.
“We need to stop at home, so I can get my passport. From there we’re heading straight to the airport,” he said, the moment he slid into the back seat. A few days ago, when he’d reviewed flights out of Seville heading to the U.S., he’d noticed the last flight was at one o’clock in the afternoon.
He grabbed his passport, and not much else. He’d have to buy what he needed once he arrived in the U.S. Back in the car, he called the airline in an attempt to book a seat as Fernando navigated the city streets.
“I’m sorry, but we can’t book any more seats at this time,” the woman said. “We stop selling tickets two hours before the flight.”
He resisted the urge to smack his fist on the counter. “I need to get on that flight. I’m sure you can make an exception.”
There was a pause, and he held his breath. “I’ll check with my supervisor,” she finally said.
He tightened his grip on the phone, willing Fernando to hurry. But the traffic was heavy today, and they were moving at a snail’s pace. The airport was normally a thirty-minute drive, and he could only hope and pray that the traffic would break soon. He had to get there in time. He had to!
“I’m sorry, Señor Vasquez. We are not able to sell you a ticket.”
He closed his eyes and swallowed a curse. He forced himself to be polite. “Thank you for checking.”
“Problems?” Fernando asked, catching his gaze in the rear-view mirror.
He shook his head. “Just get to the airport as soon as possible. I want to see Katerina before she leaves.”
He’d have to buy a ticket in order to get past security, but at this point he was willing to do anything to see Katerina, talk to her one more time before she and Tommy boarded that plane. The panic that gripped him by the throat surprised him. He hadn’t realized until she was gone just how much he cared about Katerina.
It wasn’t just that he missed his son. Katerina would agree to share custody, he knew. But at this moment he didn’t care about custody arrangements.
He cared about Katerina.
* * *
When the airline attendant asked for all passengers needing help to board, Katerina stood up. “I think that means us. Are you ready to go, Juliet?”
“Sure.” Her sister already looked exhausted and they hadn’t even started their long flight. Kat couldn’t suppress a flash of anger toward Susan Horton for rushing Juliet out so fast. As Diana had said earlier, what was one more day?
Maybe she should have put up more of a fight, even though Susan Horton hadn’t been interested in listening to reason. Besides, it was too late now. She bent over to release the locks on the wheelchair and then pushed her sister forward, leaving Diana and Tommy to follow.
Getting Juliet safely transferred into an aisle seat was no easy task. The only good thing was that they were given a spot in the front row of a section, leaving plenty of room for her leg that was still in a cast. Juliet groaned under her breath as she used the crutches, favoring her right side where she had her cracked ribs.
They were both sweating by the time they were finally settled. Diana and Tommy were immediately behind them, which was a mixed blessing.
“Tommy, stop kicking the seat,” she said for the third time, trying not to snap at him. “It feels like you’re kicking me in the back.”
“Sorry, Mama.”
“Do you want me to switch places with him?” Diana asked, leaning forward anxiously as if sensing her frayed nerves.
“No, he’ll only end up kicking Juliet.” She was tense and crabby but did her best not to let it show as her bad mood certainly wasn’t Tommy’s fault. Or Diana’s. Or Juliet’s.
She was upset because she’d really expected Miguel to come to the airport to find her. But for all she knew, he was still looking for his brother. She tried to tell herself that this way was for the better. Things had moved pretty fast between she and Miguel so a little time and distance would likely be good for both of them.
Yet regret at leaving Seville so abruptly filled her chest, squeezing her lungs. There hadn’t been time to say goodbye to Pedro. As the plane slowly filled up with passengers, she wondered how Miguel would manage to find her in Cambridge.
If he decided to come at all.
* * *
Miguel purchased a ticket to Madrid and managed to get through security in time to find Katerina’s plane had just started to board. He rushed over to the gate and swept his gaze over the group of passengers. After several long moments he was forced to admit they must have already boarded. Which made sense, as Juliet had a broken leg and had probably needed help to get into her seat.
He went up to the desk. “Excuse me, but I need to speak to passenger, Katerina Richardson. I think she may already be on the plane.”
“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do. You’re not allowed on the plane without a boarding pass,” the attendant said with a false smile.
So close. He was so close! “Just five minutes. You could ask her to come back out here and I promise she’ll be back on the plane in five minutes.”
“I’m sorry, Señor, I can’t help you.” The woman’s false smile faded and he could see a security guard making his way over. She glanced past him as if he weren�
��t there. “May I help you?” she asked the next person in line.
Miguel quickly left the counter, preferring to avoid the security guard. He still had a ticket to Madrid, and from there he was sure there would be a better selection of flights to the U.S. But considering his flight didn’t leave for two more hours, he knew there was no chance in the world of arriving in time to see Katerina or Tomas.
He called his police friend, Rafael, asking for help in finding Katerina’s address back in Cambridge. Rafael called him back within twenty minutes with the address. At least that was one problem solved.
With a heavy sigh he crossed over to his own gate and settled into one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. He wished more than ever that he’d spent more time talking to Katerina last night, rather than making love. Not that he regretted that part. He just wished they would have talked first.
He could only hope she would be willing to listen, to give him another chance, once he arrived in the U.S.
* * *
Nineteen and a half hours later Kat, Tommy and Juliet finally arrived home. Diana had gone to her own apartment and Kat couldn’t blame her friend for wanting to sleep in her own bed.
Kat was exhausted, but she was far more worried about her sister. Juliet’s pain had gotten worse the more they’d moved, and changing planes and then taking a train back to Cambridge had obviously been too much for her.
She was tempted to take Juliet straight to the hospital, but since the time was close to midnight, she decided against it. Rest would be the best thing for her sister, so she helped Juliet get into bed before giving her more pain medication. She’d have to arrange for follow-up doctor’s appointments in the morning.
Unfortunately, Tommy wasn’t nearly as tired. Just like on the way over to Spain, he’d slept on the plane and she wanted to burst into tears when he started bouncing on his bed.
After several minutes of fighting she gave up. “Okay, fine, let’s go downstairs and watch a movie.”
She put in a DVD and stretched out on the couch, holding her son in front of her, determined to get in at least a short nap. With any luck, Tommy would be tired enough to sleep after the movie was over.
Between Tommy’s messed-up sleep cycle and her sister’s pain, Kat only managed to get about four hours of sleep. Not nearly enough, but she would just have to make do. After making breakfast and encouraging Juliet to eat, she spent a good hour on the phone, making arrangements for Juliet to be seen by a doctor who specialized in head injuries.
Her sister was still slightly confused, but she was certainly better than she’d been when the breathing tube had been removed. At least she wasn’t asking about their mother any more.
There was a loud knock at her front door at ten-thirty in the morning, and Kat fully expected to see her friend Diana had returned.
When she saw Miguel standing there, she stared in shock, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her. She blinked, but he didn’t vanish. As she stared at him, she realized he looked as disheveled as she felt, indicating he must have been traveling all night. On one level she was glad to see him, but at the same time his timing couldn’t have been worse.
“Miguel? How did you find me?” She didn’t mean to sound ungracious, but lack of sleep made it difficult to think clearly. She was shocked to see him, but she couldn’t deny she felt a warm glow at the knowledge that he’d come all this way to find her.
“I just missed you at Seville airport. I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk before you had to leave.” He stared at her for a long moment as if trying to gauge her reaction. “May I come in?”
She smiled, although her eyes were gritty with lack of sleep. “Sure, but unfortunately, we’re just getting ready to leave. Juliet has a doctor’s appointment with a neurologist at Cambridge University Hospital.” She stepped back, allowing him to come into her home. She frowned when she realized he didn’t have so much as a suitcase with him.
For a moment her tired brain cells couldn’t make sense of it all. Was Miguel planning to stay here with her? No, it made more sense that he must have left his luggage back in his hotel room.
“I think that is a good idea,” Miguel was saying. “The doctors there will make sure she’s really okay. Is she still confused?”
“A little. Not as bad as before, though.”
“She probably just needs a little time.” Miguel fell silent and she wondered what he was thinking as he glanced around her small home. After her mother had died, she had taken over the house payments and promised Juliet her half when she graduated from college.
“Maybe we can get together later on?” she suggested, glancing at the clock. If they didn’t leave soon, they’d be late.
“I could stay here with Tomas, if you think that would help,” Miguel offered.
She opened her mouth to refuse, even though going to the doctor’s appointment would be much easier without dragging Tommy along. Tommy had only met Miguel twice and she couldn’t bear to leave him with someone he probably still considered a stranger. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” she said slowly.
Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed Tommy hovering in the kitchen doorway, staring at Miguel with wide eyes. He wasn’t crying, but he wasn’t rushing over to greet Miguel either.
“Please?” Miguel asked. “I think he’ll be fine. He doesn’t seem afraid of me.”
“Tommy, do you remember Mr. Vasquez?” she asked.
Tommy nodded, sticking his thumb in his mouth, something he only did when he was really tired. And suddenly, knowing that Tommy would probably fall asleep sooner than later, she made up her mind to take Miguel up on his offer.
“All right, you can stay here with Tommy. I would suggest you put a movie on for him as he’s probably going to fall asleep soon. His days and nights are a little mixed up from the flight home.”
Miguel’s smile warmed her down to her toes. “I think I can manage that.”
She forced herself to look away, trying not to think about the fact that Miguel was here for his son first and foremost. Obviously, Miguel wanted more time to get to know his son. But she couldn’t help feeling a pang of resentment that Miguel was acting as if the night they’d spent together hadn’t happened. “All right, we’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
Miguel helped her get Juliet out to the car, before going back inside. Leaving him in her house felt weird, but she kept her attention focused on her sister.
She could only manage one crisis at a time.
* * *
Kat was thrilled when Dr. Sandlow announced that Juliet’s head injury seemed to be resolving without a problem. After a long exam, blood work and a follow-up CT scan of her head, he’d decided Juliet was stable enough not to be admitted. “I’d like to see her back in a week,” he said. “And she also needs to start attending physical therapy three days a week.”
She tried not to wince, wondering how in the world she’d be able to return to work while taking Juliet to therapy three days a week. She still had at least another week of vacation time saved up, but after that was gone, she’d need to apply for a leave of absence.
Time to worry more about that later.
The appointment had lasted longer than she’d anticipated, which was fine, except that they’d missed lunch. She stopped on the way home and picked up a bucket of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and coleslaw in case Miguel and Tommy were hungry too.
She parked her car in the driveway, rather than pulling into the garage, so that it was easier to maneuver Juliet out of the front passenger seat. She was somewhat surprised that Miguel didn’t come out to help as she hooked her arms under Juliet’s armpits to help her stand.
“Are you okay?” Kat asked, as she grabbed the crutches from where she’d propped them against the door.
“Fine,” Juliet murmured, although her upper lip was beaded with sweat.
“Just a few more feet and you can rest, okay?” Moving around was obviously good for Juliet, but it was almos
t time for more pain medication. The way Juliet winced and groaned with every single swing of the crutches made Kat feel bad.
They managed to get into the house without incident and she immediately steered her sister towards the guest bedroom. Once Juliet was settled, she went back out to the main living area to look for Miguel and Tommy.
She found them on the sofa in the living room, both of them asleep. Miguel held Tommy close against his chest.
She stared at the two of them, father and son, feeling abruptly alone. The two had bonded while she’d been gone and Tommy clearly needed his father the same way Miguel needed him. She should be thrilled that they were together at last.
But she couldn’t shake the sense of desolation. All this time she’d told herself she wanted a family. But she’d had a family, with Tommy and Juliet.
Now she was forced to realize what she really wanted was for Miguel to love her as much as she loved him. But did Miguel have the capability of loving her the way she wanted him to? Would he stick by her and Tommy not just in the good times but through the bad times as well?
Or would he leave the minute things got rough, just like her father?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
MIGUEL felt a soft weight being lifted off his chest, and his arms tightened, instinctively holding on. He forced his eyes open and found Katerina leaning over him, her exquisite green eyes snapping with fury.
Confused, he tried to comprehend what he’d done to upset her. For a moment he didn’t even remember he was in the U.S., until he glanced down to see Tomas was fast asleep on his chest. Abruptly all the memories tumbled to the surface.
“Let him go, Miguel. I need to put him down in his bed,” Katerina said curtly. Still foggy with exhaustion, he released his hold so that she could lift their son into her arms. He instantly missed the warmth radiating from Tomas’ soft body.
She disappeared from the living room and he used the few moments alone to pull himself together. How long had he been asleep? He couldn’t remember.
With a guilty glance at the clock, he knew he’d slept longer than he should have. A part of him was disgusted that he’d wasted a good hour sleeping when he could have been making up for lost time with his son.