Vince felt sick and sad and scared all at once. “Evan, I—”
The remainder of his words were cut short as a tall young nurse with a thick messy bun on top of her head approached the two men.
“Which one of you is Mr. Parcell?” she asked.
Vince quickly answered, “I am. Has Geena had the baby?”
The nurse gave him a patient smile. “Not yet. We have her settled in a room now and she’s asking for you. If you’ll come with me, I’ll help you get dressed.”
“Dressed?” Vince looked down at his T-shirt and jeans, then helplessly over to Evan, who’d started to chuckle. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”
Evan said, “The nurse will explain. You go. I’ve got to head home before Noelle puts an APB out for me. I’ll check back with you in the morning. Uh—I forgot, it’s already morning. In a few hours.” Grinning, he made a shooing gesture at Vince. “Go! Hop to it, Daddy!”
Not bothering to make a parting shot at his partner, Vince left with the nurse, and after she’d helped him cover his clothing, head and feet with protective gear, she guided him into a private room that felt even cooler than the waiting area, which had been downright chilly.
Geena was lying in a narrow bed with rails on both sides. Her head was propped on a single pillow, while the lower half of her body was covered with a thin sheet. Her face was incredibly pale and drawn, and as he drew closer, he was pierced with unreasonable fear. Women had babies every day, he mentally argued. It was a natural thing. There wasn’t anything for him to worry about. Yet if anything were to happen to Geena or the baby, he didn’t think he could bear it.
“Vince,” she said, her voice strained and thin. “I wasn’t sure you’d be out there waiting.”
He gave her a lopsided smile. “Where else would I be?”
She reached for his hand and as he wrapped his fingers tightly around hers, he noticed something different in her eyes, a sadness he’d not seen until this very moment.
“I’m not sure. I guess—” Pain suddenly twisted her features, and she squeezed his fingers tightly until it eased. “Frankly, I’m a bit surprised that you’re here at all.”
“What? Geena, they must have given you some sort of drug that’s clouded your thinking. You’re not making sense.”
Her gaze fell warily to the sheet lying across her breasts. “I’ve not been given any sort of drug. In fact, my thinking hasn’t been this clear since I had the accident.”
As soon as Vince had walked into the room and spotted Geena, he’d forgotten all about the news Evan had given him. Now it all hit him like a brick. But he couldn’t slap her with such news. She was still holding out a thread of hope that somewhere she had a family. He didn’t want to take that hope away from her until the baby was safely here and the time was right.
His expression guarded, he said, “Maybe you should explain what you mean by that.”
*
Geena lifted her gaze to his face and was once again amazed that she could have forgotten this man. How could the memories of her love for him have been locked out of her mind for all these days?
“My memory has returned, Vince. All of it.”
His brown eyes widened with disbelief. “Your amnesia is gone! When—how did this happen?”
No doubt he was shocked, Geena thought. She was still reeling from the sudden jolt of reality. There was no loving family searching for her. No husband or boyfriend. Even her mother had disappeared from her life. Somehow the deepest part of her had always known that. But her memory hadn’t wanted to face that lonely reality.
She said, “After you’d gone to admissions, the nurses were helping me get undressed and into bed. All of a sudden I started feeling strange and then it was like something tilted in my head and everything about my life came rushing in. The doctor tending me believes something about the labor pains must have triggered my memory. Anyway, the amnesia is gone, and now I feel worse than a fool. I don’t know what to say.”
Bending over the rail of the bed, he touched a hand to her forehead, and Geena’s heart squeezed with longing and regret. If only she’d not ruined her chances with this man all those years ago. If only she’d been mature and wise enough to realize what she’d been doing to herself and to Vince. But that was the past. She had to concentrate on her baby now.
“You don’t have to say anything. I already know. Evan has been talking with Megan, your friend in Pendleton.”
“Oh! You mean—you—” Another racking pain prevented her from finishing the rest of her sentence, and she bit down on her bottom lip as she waited for it to abate.
Vince said, “She told Evan that your marriage had been annulled and that you were moving here to Carson City.”
She panted in an attempt to regain her breath enough to speak. “That’s right. I’ll be starting a job this fall. Teaching art—at a private school.” Shaking her head, she looked at him and silently prayed he’d understand. “Vince, I had no idea you lived in this town. I didn’t come here with plans to intrude on your life. I hope you’ll believe that—because it’s true.”
Frowning, he smoothed her hair back from her forehead. The gentle touch of his hand was everything she needed at this moment.
“Hush, Geena. None of that is important now. The baby is coming. That’s all that matters.”
As if on cue, a pair of nurses entered the room. Vince was forced to move out of the way while they took Geena’s vitals and made sure she was as comfortable as possible. Once they left the room, he moved back to the bedside and took her hand. The caring gesture brought stinging tears to the backs of Geena’s eyes.
“How much longer do they think it will be before the baby arrives?” he asked.
She tried to smile, but another giant pain was gathering in the middle of her back and radiating like a crushing band to the front of her belly. “The doctor says I’m progressing quickly—especially for a first baby. From what the nurses told me, I’ll be moved to the delivery room pretty soon.”
His hand was still in her hair, and she had the crazy urge to turn her head and press her lips to his palm. What would he think? That the labor pains were making her delirious? Oh, God, she couldn’t let him know that she’d never quit loving him. She’d already caused the man enough misery in his life to put him through more.
“That’s good,” he said, then gave her a gentle smile that lit his brown eyes. “I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty excited to see him or her.”
“I’m pretty excited, too,” she said, then, biting back a groan, she turned her face away. “I guess Megan explained about the father.”
“Only that the marriage was annulled.”
She swallowed hard. “It only lasted a month. When I unexpectedly turned up pregnant, he got cold feet and decided he didn’t want any part of me or the baby. An annulment was granted on grounds of desertion.”
“You mean he just took off and never came back?”
The incredulous tone of his voice had her turning to look at him. “That’s right. But not before I made sure he signed away all his parental rights to the child.”
His expression grim, he straightened to his full height, then stared at a spot on the opposite side of the room. “I’m sorry, Geena. Sorry things didn’t work out for you.”
“I’m not. Brad was a jerk. I misjudged him badly, and marrying him was a mistake. But I’m not sorry about the baby. I’ll never be sorry for having my child.”
He turned back to her, and she was surprised to see his features had suddenly softened. “I’m glad to hear you say that.”
“Vince, I—” Her jaw clamped tight as she fought back another wave of excruciating pain. “I remember everything about us—our marriage. And I remember why you ended it. That’s the thing I’m truly sorry about.”
Bending over her once again, he touched a hand to her cheek. “Don’t think about any of that, Geena. It’s over and done with. You’re a different person now and you’re starting a new life with a new bab
y.”
Yes, she thought, a new life with a new baby. That had to be enough.
*
A half hour later, Vince was wondering if he was crazy or the biggest coward that ever walked the earth. When the nurses had finally wheeled Geena into the delivery room, he’d willingly gone along, believing that she needed his support and believing that seeing a child enter the world wouldn’t be that difficult. After all, he was a strong man. And being a detective, he’d dealt with all sorts of horrific sights, many of which he would carry in his mind for the rest of his life.
But seeing the agony twisting Geena’s slight body, hearing the suffering in her groans was almost too much for him to bear. He wanted to run from the room and away from the torturous sight. Still, Geena had once been his wife and the woman he’d loved. That fact was enough to keep his feet planted to the floor and his hand wrapped tightly around hers.
“You’re doing great, Geena. The baby is almost here. Give me one more big push.”
The doctor’s instructions prompted Vince to glance down just in time to see the baby’s head emerging. The sight left him light-headed, and for a moment he thought he was going to hit the floor in a dead faint.
Swallowing hard, he drew in several bracing breaths and fixed his gaze on Geena’s face. Sweat drenched her forehead and upper lip while dark pink color stained her cheeks and throat.
Gripping her hand, he urged in a hoarse voice, “Hold on, Geena. It’s nearly over.”
Vince had barely finished speaking the words when the baby slipped into the doctor’s waiting hands. A huge breath rushed out of Geena and her head fell limply back on the pillow.
“It’s a girl,” the doctor announced.
The infant made a small mewing noise that quickly turned into a loud, healthy cry.
“Sounds like she has a strong set of lungs,” one of the attending nurses spoke up.
“But not much hair,” another nurse joked.
The doctor gently placed the baby on Geena’s chest and she lifted her hand to cradle the tiny head against her breast.
“A girl,” she murmured weakly. “My girl.”
It took Vince a moment to realize the stinging at the backs of his eyes was tears. Blinking back the foolish display of emotion, he touched fingertips to the baby’s back, then bent and placed a kiss in the middle of Geena’s forehead.
“Congratulations,” he whispered. “You have a daughter.”
*
The midmorning sun was streaming through the window of the hospital room, bathing Geena and the baby in warm, golden light. Several hours had passed since she’d given birth to her daughter, yet the wondrous glow of being a mother was still putting a wide smile on her face.
“Up to some company?”
The question had her glancing around to see Marcella’s face peeping around the edge of the door.
“I’d love some. Come in!”
The nurse, wearing hunter green scrubs and her hair in a single long braid, hurried over to the bed. “I’m on break so I only have a few minutes. I always check the nursery, so when I saw your name I knew the little one had arrived. How does it feel to be a mommy?”
Geena laughed softly as she cuddled the nursing baby closer to her breast. “I feel like I’m dreaming.” She motioned for Marcella to come closer. “Look at her. She’s beautiful. Of course.”
“Of course,” Marcella said with a knowing grin. She leaned close enough to inspect the baby’s face. “I wouldn’t expect her to be anything but beautiful. And she definitely is.”
“What little hair she has is light like mine,” Geena said. “Do you think it will stay that way?”
Marcella touched her finger to the girl’s fine golden hair. “She’s going to be a knockout no matter what color her hair turns out to be. She looks like you, Geena. You must be in heaven.”
“I never dreamed it was possible to instantly fall in love, but it happened the moment the doctor laid her in my arms.”
“Looks like you both came out of the delivery just fine. Was the labor tough?”
“It wasn’t easy. Thankfully, Vince stayed with me the whole time so I didn’t have to go through it alone.”
Straightening away from the bed, Marcella slanted her a curious look. “The detective must be one in a million. I suppose having a past husband with you is better than giving birth alone. It’s just too bad your present husband couldn’t have been located in time for your daughter’s arrival.”
By now the baby had fallen asleep. Geena straightened her gown, then shifted the weight of the baby to a more comfortable position. “That isn’t going to happen,” she said flatly. “I don’t have a husband.”
“You sound pretty certain of that. Has—”
“My amnesia is gone,” Geena interrupted, then quickly went on to explain how her memory had suddenly returned and she’d been faced with the reality of her present circumstances. “Silly of me, wasn’t it? To believe I had a family somewhere that was looking for me.”
“Geena,” the nurse gently scolded. “There’s nothing silly about wanting to feel connected—of wanting to belong to someone.”
“Well, even before I remembered everything, logic was beginning to tell me that I was a single mom-to-be.”
“So how did Vince react when you told him?”
She shrugged and tried not to think about how embarrassed she’d felt when she’d had to face him with the truth of the past.
“Incredibly, a call had come through to the sheriff’s office last night from one of my friends back in Oregon. Vince learned the details about my life about the same time my memory returned, so it didn’t surprise him.”
“That’s not what I was talking about,” Marcella said with a shake of her head. “How did he react to you being single?”
A sigh of resignation slipped out of her. “He felt sorry for me. That’s all. I didn’t want his sympathy. But he’s been kind about everything and that’s more than I would’ve expected him to be.”
Marcella smiled cleverly. “Kind. That’s a mild way of putting it.”
Geena frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing.” She glanced at her watch. “Oh! I’ve been here longer than I thought. I’ve got to get back to work. But before I go, what have you named your new daughter?”
Geena’s gaze fell lovingly to the baby in her arms. “I haven’t decided yet. I’m still trying to decide what suits her.”
Grinning, Marcella waggled her fingers and started toward the door. “I’ll check back in this evening. Maybe you’ll have a name by then.”
The nurse had barely disappeared through the door when it opened again. Geena’s heart thumped with reckless joy as Vince stepped into the room carrying a bottle green vase filled with pale pink roses.
Smiling, she said, “I thought you were Marcella coming back.”
“I practically bumped into her. She appeared to be in a rush.”
“She was in a hurry to get back to work.”
As he walked over to the bed, Geena noticed he’d changed out of the clothing he’d been wearing last night when she’d suddenly gone into labor. A pair of Levi’s covered his long muscled legs while a burgundy-colored shirt was tucked in at his lean waist. The man was just as fit now, she thought, as he’d been when they’d married eleven years ago.
“Is she working this floor today?” he inquired.
“No. She came by to see the baby.”
He placed the roses on the metal nightstand near the head of her bed. “She’s become quite a friend to you.”
“Yes. And I’m very grateful. For all she knew, I could’ve been an unscrupulous person. But she trusted me enough to be my friend. She’s a special woman.” She looked at the huge bouquet. The roses were the second bunch of flowers he’d given her since she’d arrived in Carson City, and though she would’ve liked to place some romantic importance on that fact, she didn’t. Vince was simply a thoughtful guy who wanted to show her a measure of kindness. “The ros
es are gorgeous, Vince. Thank you.”
Smiling faintly, he shrugged. “A woman deserves flowers after she gives birth.”
Flowers from the father, at least, she thought bitterly. But that would never happen. Clearing her throat, she said, “I hope you got some rest after you left the hospital this morning.”
“I slept a few hours. I’m fine. Evan is holding down the fort at the office. I’m heading to work as soon as I leave here.”
So that meant his visit would be short. She shouldn’t have felt disappointed at the news, but she did. Throughout their marriage, Vince’s job had come first with him. She’d always been second.
You’re being stupid, Geena. Sure, you just gave birth to a beautiful little girl. But Vince isn’t the father. This isn’t a special event for him. Besides, clinging and whining were the reasons you lost the man in the first place. Do you want to fall back to being that pitiful person again?
The accusing voice in her head made her even more determined to show Vince she was a different woman than the one who’d been his wife.
Giving him her brightest smile, she said, “I’m glad you stopped by. Would you like to hold the baby?”
*
Vince’s gaze dropped from Geena’s sweet smile to the pink bundle resting in the crook of her arm. Shortly after the doctor had cut the umbilical cord and the nurses had dried and wrapped the baby, he’d been allowed to hold her.
For as long as he lived, he’d never forget those few precious moments with the warm weight of the baby cradled against his chest. All at once, he’d felt like a mountain of a man, capable of slaying dragons for the tiny girl in his arms. Yet at the same time he’d felt incredibly humble. He still didn’t know what any of it meant.
“Sure. If you think it would be okay.”
She chuckled. “Why wouldn’t it be okay? You’re not going to drop her.”
“Not on your life. But I might wake her and start her crying.”
“I doubt that. Her tummy is full.”
Vince reached for the baby, and Geena carefully eased her over to him. With a hand carefully cradling the back of her head, he positioned the girl snugly in the crook of his left arm, then eased down in a plastic chair angled close to the bedside.
His Badge, Her Baby...Their Family? Page 9