Meant for Each Other

by Ginna Gray

  When Mike finished the examination he scooped the child up in his arms. “Way to go, Bethany! We whupped all those nasty germs and you’re good as new again! You know what that means?”

  “You’ll tell me a joke, like you promithed?”

  “You got it, cutie. Okay, how’s this? Knock, knock.”

  Bethany grinned from ear to ear. “Whoth there?”

  “Cows.”

  “Cowth who?”

  “Cows go moo, not who, silly.”

  The child giggled with delight, then wrapped her arms around Mike’s neck and gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek. “I wuve you, Dr. Mac.”

  “I love you, too, sweetie.”

  Leah sighed. Another female heart lost to Dr. McCall. Mike looked up and spotted her standing in the doorway. His eyes softened, caressing her without words, and she felt a funny little hitch in the region of her heart.

  “Well, look who’s here. Bethany, this pretty lady is a doctor, too. Only, she helps babies get born. Say hello to Dr. Albright.”

  Stepping forward, Leah smiled. “Hello, Bethany.”

  The little girl’s happy expression turned to suspicion. She looked Leah over in a surprisingly adult female fashion. Recognizing a rival, she glared and tightened her arms around Mike’s neck to a stranglehold and remained stubbornly silent.

  Leah fought back a chuckle. If Bethany had been an adult she would have probably gone for Leah’s eyes, claws bared.

  “Whoa, sweetheart. Easy there,” Mike squawked.

  “Here now, Bethany, you’re choking Dr. McCall.” The child protested loudly as her mother pried her arms loose and took her from Mike. “Now, now. Is that any way to thank him for making you well? Hmm?” she coaxed, bouncing her daughter on her hip.

  “I want Dr. Mac!” Bethany sobbed. “I want Dr. Mac!”

  The child kept up the litany, wailing and straining toward Mike while he introduced Leah and Thelma Harrison at a shout.

  Nothing Mrs. Harrison or Mike could do consoled the child or quieted her. Finally, escape was the only choice. He kissed Bethany’s tear-streaked cheek, shouted in her ear that he would come back the next day if she was good, hooked his arm around Leah’s waist and hustled her out

  Ah, blessed relief, Leah thought, a little frazzled by the tantrum. Bethany’s wails could still be heard in the hallway, but the decibel level had dropped to something a bit below earsplitting. With each step the child’s anguished sounds faded into the distance behind them.

  Leah glanced at Mike out of the corner of her eye. He seemed relaxed and content, totally unperturbed by his patient’s tantrum. When he felt her gaze on him he glanced her way and cocked one eyebrow. “What?”

  She gave him a droll look. “Chalk up another conquest for Dr. McCall.”

  Mike grinned. “What can I say? It’s my fatal charm that gets ’em.”

  He meant it as a joke, but it was true, Leah mused. What woman could resist a man like Mike? Without even trying, he cast a spell on every female he met, from nine months to ninety years. Was it any wonder she loved him? The truly amazing thing was that it had taken her so long.

  “Oh, really? And do all your female patients fall in love with you?”

  “Yep. Pretty much,” he admitted cheerfully, without a trace of modesty.

  It occurred to Leah that the mothers of most of his patients were young, nubile women in their twenties. Probably bored with the domestic life and feeling the pressures of motherhood, she thought sourly, experiencing a strange twinge. No doubt, more than one looked forward to her child’s checkups.

  Leah frowned. Now, where had that come from?

  “Why? You jealous?”

  She shot him a startled look, for an instant certain that he had somehow read her thoughts.

  “Of a two-year-old? Please.”

  “Why, Dr. Albright, you’re blushing. You are jealous.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  Mike threw back his head and laughed. which drew the attention of the nurses and several others. Embarrassed, Leah tried to shush him, but he surprised her by grabbing her hands and pulling her to a halt in front of him “Honey, trust me, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. My heart belongs to you and only you,” he murmured, and there, in the middle of the hallway, heedless of the nurses and visitors walking by, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

  Shock held Leah still. Pleasure set her head to spinning. Heat raced through her, turning her knees to mush, until all she could do was clutch at the lapels of his suit jacket and hang on.

  The kiss ended as quickly as it had begun. Dazed, Leah gasped for breath and blinked at him. Mike’s eyes twinkled back. His face wore a self-satisfied expression that would have raised her hackles had she been able to shake off the miasma of passion still whirling through her.

  Vaguely, she was aware of the attention they were drawing, the twitter of chuckles and low voices all around, but she couldn’t seem to gather enough strength or presence of mind to do anything about that, either.

  Mike grinned. “What’s the matter, sweetheart? Cat got your tongue?”

  Leah opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, but no sound came out.

  “Never mind. We’ll talk about it later.” Seeming inordinately pleased, he slid his arm around her waist. “Now come along. We don’t want to keep Quinton waiting.”

  They were almost to her brother’s room before Leah gathered her scattered senses enough to protest. “Mike, what on earth were you thinking, kissing me right in front of the staff?”

  “Honey, I don’t think you’re ready to hear that yet.”

  “That’s not funny, Michael. We’re already the hot topic of conversation around here without you pulling a stunt like that.”

  “Exactly. So it hardly matters, does it?” He opened the door to Quinton’s room and, with his hand in the small of her back, nudged her inside.

  “It does ma—” Two steps into the room Leah jerked to a halt. “Dad! What are you doing here?”

  Peter Albright took his time rising from his chair. As he did, his gaze swept over them, zeroing in on Mike’s hand resting on Leah’s waist.

  “I came to visit my son. Is there anything wrong with that?”

  “No. No, of course not. It’s just that I didn’t expect to see you. You, um, you and Julia usually visit him in the afternoon.” Her panicked gaze darted around the room. “Where is she, by the way?”

  “I’m here alone. Julia isn’t feeling well.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad,” Leah said, but she almost sagged with relief.

  “Actually, that’s why I’m here now. I was just telling Quinton that his mother had one of her migraines this afternoon and had to take to her bed, which is why we missed our usual afternoon visit. Poor darling. You know how those things devastate her. She’s still sleeping off the effects of the medication, so I thought I’d pop in for a quick visit with my son.”

  “I see. Well, that’s nice. Not that Julia is ill, of course, but that you have some time to spend with Quinton,” Leah clarified in a flustered rush. Glancing at her brother, she saw that he was chewing his bottom lip, looking worried, his gaze swinging between their father and Mike.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” Peter asked.

  Before Leah could find her tongue, Mike stepped forward with his hand outstretched. “How do you do, Mr. Albright. I’m Mike McCall. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, sir. Leah has told me a lot about you. So has Quinton.” He glanced at the boy and grinned. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for months, but somehow our visits never seem to coincide.”

  The instant Mike revealed his name Peter gave a start. Throughout the pleasantries he stared at the younger man.

  “McCall, you say? You wouldn’t happen to be the Dr. Mike McCall who’s on staff here, would you?”

  “Guilty, I’m afraid.”

  “Then you’re the one who—” Peter broke off and cast a worried look at his son. “
That is...”

  “You don’t have to worry about Quinton, Mr. Albright. He knows that I’m his bone marrow donor.”

  “You told him?”

  “Don’t blame Mike, Dad. I guessed,” Quinton explained.

  “I see.”

  Leah held her breath, not sure how her father would react. He looked at a loss himself, but after a moment he recovered his composure. Smiling, he tightened his grip on Mike’s hand and shook it harder.

  “Well, this is a pleasure. I can’t tell you how very pleased I am to have this chance to thank you, Dr. McCall.”

  “That isn’t necessary, sir. I was happy that I could help. In my position, anyone would have done the same.”

  “Well, now, I’m not at all convinced of that. And you didn’t just help. You saved our son’s life. For that, his mother and I will be forever indebted to you.”

  The praise made Mike uncomfortable, and he glanced at Leah with an abashed half smile. “I really can’t take too much credit. To tell the absolute truth, there’s not much I wouldn’t do for your daughter.”

  Leah’s heart sank. She almost groaned. That did it. Any hope she’d had of salvaging the situation flew right out the window with that remark.

  “And now that I know Quinton, the same applies for him.” Mike went on without the slightest inkling of the damage he was doing. He glanced at Quinton and grinned again, then lowered his voice to a conspiratorial murmur that the boy could not help but hear. “Don’t tell him I said so, but you’ve got yourself a great kid there.”

  “Aw, Mike,” Quinton protested, blushing scarlet, but his grin stretched from ear to ear.

  “Thank you, Doctor. We think so.”

  Peter’s reply was pleasant enough, though anyone who knew him well could detect the constraint in his voice. Leah could almost hear the wheels turning in his head, and she could see in his eyes that he was not pleased.

  “So...you have been visiting with my son?”

  “Yes, sir, I have. Most evenings I stop by to shoot the breeze with Quinton. I hope you don’t have a problem with that.”

  “No. No. But...isn’t it unusual for donor and patient to meet? My wife and I were under the impression that anonymity was the rule.”

  “Usually, that’s true. But in this case it never existed. I knew all along who the patient was.”

  “Ah, but my son did not know his donor.”

  “Aw, jeez, Dad!” Quinton groaned. “Why’re you making a federal case out of it? Me ‘n’ Mike are buddies. He knows all about fishing and hunting and building models and a whole bunch of really cool stuff. And he knows a ton of jokes. Anyway, why shouldn’t I know the guy who saved my life?”

  Why, indeed, Leah thought sadly, as she and her father exchanged a look.

  “I appreciate your concern, Mr. Albright,” Mike said. “But trust me, you don’t have to worry. I’m not some nut case who’s going to intrude into your son’s life. Added to that, Quinton seems to enjoy our visits, and I know that I do. To tell the truth, I’ve become quite attached to your son. We seem to have formed a special bond.”

  Leah and her father exchanged another apprehensive glance. Mike could have no idea how much that revelation had unnerved Peter, but she did. It had rattled her, too, when she had first learned that the brothers had met and formed a friendship.

  “However, if you would prefer that I stay away from him, I’ll understand and abide by your wishes. You are his father, after all.”

  “Daa-ad! Please! Mike is my best friend. Don’t send him away. Pleeeeeze, Dad!”

  Peter pressed his lips together and looked back and forth between his son and Mike. “Well, since it appears to have done Quinton no harm, I don’t suppose there’s any reason you can’t continue to visit.”

  “Yes! Yes!” Quinton cheered.

  Leah twisted her hands together. Their father was not pleased. She knew he had given in simply because he couldn’t think of a strong enough reason to ban Mike from seeing Quinton. At least, not one that wouldn’t make him appear to be a churlish ingrate.

  The whole thing was probably moot, anyway. Once he told Julia about this visit, all hell was sure to break loose.

  Mike stuck out his hand again, and Peter shook it.

  “You won’t regret it, sir, I promise you.”

  “Yes, well, I hope not. Now, if you will all excuse me, I’d better be going.”

  “Don’t cut short your visit on our account.”

  Mike slipped his arm around Leah’s waist again and the warm look in his eyes as he smiled down at her made her heart sink. No one could mistake his expression for anything but adoring.

  “Leah and I have dinner plans. We just stopped by to say good-night to Quinton before we left.”

  Peter said nothing for a moment. He merely gave them a long look. “Then by all means have a nice evening. Now, I really must be going. If Julia wakes and finds me gone she’ll be upset.” He smiled at Quinton. “Good-night, Son.”

  “Dad, wait.” Leah caught her father’s arm. “Dad, please. Could I talk to you for a moment? In private?”

  “I’m sorry, Leah, but I must get back. We’ll talk later tonight.” He glanced at Mike, then back at her. “After you get home from your date.”

  Feeling sick, Leah watched him stride away down the hall. She wanted to run after him and beg him not to tell Julia about her and Mike, but she knew she would be wasting her breath. Peter never kept anything from Julia. Leah knew that when she got home later that night her stepmother would be waiting to pounce.

  Chapter Nine

  Mike’s eyes narrowed. Leah looked worried. He also noted the nervous way she twisted her fingers together, the tautness of her body.

  Something had upset her—something about her father’s visit. Until they had walked into Quinton’s room she’d been fine—a little dazed by his kiss, perhaps, but not tense or worried. Yet the instant she’d spotted Peter Albright she had turned into a bundle of nerves. What had happened to upset her so? The visit had seemed amicable enough.

  True, Mike had been a bit surprised at their manner. In his large family they greeted one another with hugs and kisses and genuine affection, not that polite restraint that Leah and her father had exhibited toward each other. Hell, he’d seen strangers meet with more enthusiasm than that.

  Even so, nothing had been said or done during that brief meeting to cause her concern.

  But she was definitely upset about something.

  “Is anything wrong?” he asked quietly, moving to stand beside her.

  Leah glanced at him, and what he saw in her eyes increased his uneasiness.

  “No. No, of course not. Everything’s fine,” Leah replied brightly.

  Too brightly.

  He studied her in silence, and she shifted nervously. He wanted to challenge the statement, but he sensed that now wasn’t the time. “Well, that’s good. Are you ready to go to dinner?”

  “I...”

  She glanced again in the direction her father had taken. As Mike watched, she seemed to reach a decision that he suspected had more to do with her problem than his question. Squaring her shoulders, she tilted her chin and gave him a determined smile.

  “Yes. I’m ready whenever you are.”

  “Hey, sport, you don’t mind if we take off, do you?”

  Quinton looked anything but displeased. He lay propped up on a pile of pillows with his hands clasped behind his head, his expression as smug as a cat full of cream. “Nah. There’s a John Wayne movie on television that I want to watch tonight anyway. So go ahead.”

  Though she tried to put up a good front during the walk to the car and the short drive that followed, Mike wasn’t fooled. Leah’s side of their conversation consisted mostly of one-word replies to his questions and occasional spurts of desperately cheerful chatter, but in between she was quiet and preoccupied.

  “Here we are.”

  At the sound of Mike’s voice Leah jumped. “What? Oh, are we there already? I’m sorry. I must ha
ve been daydreaming.”

  Mike watched her as she looked around. The sun was beginning to set, giving the dim light a reddish glow. Through the gloaming, he saw her eyes widen.

  “Where are we? This isn’t a restaurant.”

  “No. It’s my house.”

  Her head snapped around. “Your house?”

  “It’s a town house, actually, but I call it home.”

  “But you said—”

  “That I was going to treat you to one of the best meals you’ve ever had. It will be, I promise.”

  “But you didn’t tell me we were going to your place.”

  “Yeah, well, I thought it was past time that one of us saw how the other lived.” The words blurted out before he could stop them, his voice tinged with resentment he could not hide.

  He saw the flash of guilt in her eyes, and immediately regretted the outburst. So she had used one flimsy excuse after another to keep him out of her home and to avoid coming to his. So what? She probably had a good reason for not wanting him there. After that stiff meeting with her father earlier, he suspected that it had something to do with him. Maybe Peter Albright had a drinking problem. Or maybe he and his wife didn’t get along, and Leah was embarrassed by their behavior.

  “Mike, I—”

  “Sorry,” he said, cutting her-off. “I shouldn’t have said that. Just forget it, okay. Shall we go in?” When she simply stared at him, making no move to get out of the car, he cocked one eyebrow. “Do you have a problem with me bringing you here? We’ve been going out for over three months, Leah. Surely by now you know you can trust me.”

  Smiling gently, he reached out and stroked her cheek with his fingertips.

  The feathery touch sent fire streaking through Leah’s body, making her shiver. She stared at him through the gathering dusk, her heart pounding.

  “You have nothing to worry about, sweetheart. This isn’t some big seduction scene. I have no intention of rushing you. I promise you, when we make love it will be because that’s what you want.” He tipped his head to one side and gave her a coaxing smile. “You do believe me, don’t you?”

  His voice was as soft and warm as velvet, caressing her, filling her with yearning. “Yes, I believe you,” she whispered.