Dr Scott had assured Beth that at twenty-eight she was in great shape and she shouldn’t worry about miscarrying. It was enough to keep Beth optimistic that she’d actually go through the whole pregnancy this time. Deep in her heart she didn’t think she could survive losing another baby.
“December. Huh. That’s great,” he said, seeming to relax a bit and almost smiling. “A Christmas baby…just like me.”
“Really?” Why did that bit of information, something as simple as a father and child sharing the same birth
He nodded, and dug into his white coat pocket. “Here.” He thrust a bag at her. When she looked inside she saw three bottles of prenatal vitamins. “Be sure to take these every day. That should last you awhile.”
How sweet of him. She didn’t have the heart to tell him she’d already filled a prescription from Dr Scott. Feeling a new and positive spin on their circumstances, she almost kissed his cheek, but remembered, just in time, where she was. He’d come all the way up from the ER to ask about her appointment and to give her vitamins. Downright charming. If that didn’t prove he cared about the pregnancy, what did?
On a whim she asked, “Would you like to come to my next appointment? Dr Scott is going to do an ultrasound.”
His expression shifted from surprise to contemplation to a smile. “You know, I think I would.”
“Great. It’s the Thursday after next at two.”
“I’ll put it on my calendar.”
A timer went off, and a patient called out, “Nurse?”
“I’ll be right there,” she answered, and turned back to Gavin, whispering, “And I’ll see you on Saturday around noon.”
He smiled, put his hands in his pockets and brushed by on his way toward the exit. “See you then.”
She inhaled and savored his woodsy aftershave. “Hey, Dr Riordan?” she called.
He stopped and turned.
“When are you planning to start your allergy shots?”
He shrugged. “Next week?”
“Sounds good.” She heard another timer go off, then remembered one more thing. “Have you picked up your EpiPen yet?”
He’d already pushed through the clinic doors.
Beth arrived at Gavin’s house as planned at noon on Saturday. He opened the door with a big smile, wearing a T-shirt and sports shorts showing off muscular legs lightly dusted with hair. She tried not to ogle him, and was glad to be wearing sunglasses, but he looked fantastic and the man deserved a little admiration.
“Hey,” he said. “Come in while I get Patrick organized.” He stepped back from the door to allow her to enter, and gave her a quick once-over. It was the first time he’d ever seen her in shorts, too.
The fact that her breasts had really blossomed with her pregnancy hadn’t gone unnoticed. She felt suddenly shy and adjusted the brim on her ball cap and ran her hand over her ponytail.
Gavin, battling over staring too long, made a poor attempt to look into her eyes. He cleared his throat. “You look really hot today.”
Warmth sprang to her cheeks. “Thanks.” She was glad she’d chosen a buttercup yellow top and khaki shorts instead of the cropped pants she’d considered.
He cupped his hand to his mouth and called down the hall. “Patrick!” He glanced back at Beth. “That kid. I swear he stays holed up in his room every chance he gets. Patrick? He doesn’t have a computer in there either. I won’t let him.”
Beth heard a door slam and clumpy footsteps trotting along the hardwood hallway floor.
Patrick soon appeared dressed for his soccer match mildly breathless with a bright smile on his face. “Hi, Beth.”
“Hey.”
“And where are your shinguards?” Gavin asked.
The boy looked surprised that he’d forgotten. He coughed.
“Go back and get your equipment. And hurry so we won’t be late for warm-up.”
“OK.” He gave another dry cough, and ran off.
Gavin and Beth smiled at each other while they waited.
“So, you all ready for your big date tonight?” he teased.
She lifted her chin. “As a matter of fact, I’m looking forward to it.”
“I bet you are.”
A few seconds later Patrick was back with everything he needed. “I’m all set, Dad. Can we get pizza after the game?”
Beth heard a familiar sound as he spoke and went on alert. She’d heard the same wheezy tone in many a child with asthma when it first started to tighten the airway.
“We’ll see,” Gavin answered.
Patrick coughed again.
“Have you used your inhaler today?” she asked.
“This morning.”
“What was your peak-flow reading?”
“Almost 300.”
“Do you feel like you could blow that now?”
“Maybe. I dunno.”
“You think you might need your rescue inhaler? I’m pretty sure that’s wheezing I’m hearing.”
“I’m OK.”
“Listen to the lady. She can tell you’re wheezing. Go and use your inhaler. Scoot. And bring it with you!” Gavin lifted his palms and gave Beth a baffled look. “He was fine all morning.”
“Does he always keep his bedroom door closed? Have you been in there lately?”
“I go in there all the time but, to be honest, I think he’s hiding something from me.”
“Hmm.”
Patrick appeared before they could finish the conversation. Beth watched him take a puff from his inhaler through a clear tubular aerochamber then they all walked to the car, loaded everything up, and a few minutes later he took the second puff. Within minutes Beth could hear a difference with his breathing. Patrick obviously felt it too, and talked nonstop all the way to the soccer field, not showing the slightest hint of being breathless.
An hour and a half later, Patrick’s team screamed and yelled, jumping up and down with their victory. After nonstop running she’d expect them to show signs of fatigue, but the boys seemed more pumped up than they had been before the game had started.
“Check it out.” Gavin grinned and pointed. “Patrick told me he wasn’t making any new friends, but look at that.” Patrick and a group of four boys had put their arms around each other and walked to the sideline as if they were long-lost buddies.
A few minutes later, when the cheers and screams had died down, he came running up to Gavin. “Can I get pizza with Chad and Matt? Their mom asked if I could go. Can I?”
“Sure. Let me talk to her.”
While Gavin spoke to the boy’s mother, Patrick fidgeted. “Did you see me score that goal?”
“I sure did. You were great.” She glanced down and saw unabashed pride on his face. It touched her heart. She ruffled his flyaway hair and he pretended to be annoyed but didn’t move away. The child must really miss his mother. Bending down, she cupped his cheeks with her palms and kissed him smack in the middle of his forehead. He looked surprised, but didn’t fight it.
“Are you going to be my dad’s girlfriend?”
She sighed. “I’m not sure what I’m going to be, Patrick. But one thing is certain. I’d like to be your friend.”
“OK.”
“Any more wheezing?”
He stopped, put his grimy hand on his chest, and took a deep breath. “Nope. I’m good.”
“That’s great. Now, go and enjoy your pizza.” He ran off, leaving a distinct sweaty boy scent. “And have a piece for me!”
Gavin willed himself to behave, and not bowl Bethany over with his strong desire for her. They’d sat thigh to thigh all afternoon and, frankly, it was very tough to act like a gentleman. Still, he’d promised himself he’d behave. But somewhere between walking from his car to her doorstep, and definitely some time after she’d gotten out of her own car, he forgot every one of his resolutions. He’d followed her home. Maybe that hadn’t been such a great idea.
He’d blame his heightened desire on her slim, though shapely legs and that jaunty walk of hers
as she trotted up
When he caught up to her on the porch, he swept her through the door, kicked it shut, and ravished her with a deep kiss. He danced her backwards around the room, showering her with kisses, caresses and whispered words. She giggled and half-heartedly protested, but that only spurred him on.
He would have continued to nip and nibble her ear and neck and jaw and lips had he not had the sudden need to…
He turned his head, covered his mouth—and sneezed. “Excuse me!” He sneezed again.
A pudgy gray tabby looked up drowsily from the couch to see where the noise was coming from.
“Are you OK?” Bethany asked.
“The cat.” He pointed.
She rushed to the kitchen on the other side of an open bar and rummaged through a cupboard for a bottle, snatched up a tissue, returned and handed both to him.
“Thanks.” He popped open the bottle and put a pill under his tongue.
“You really are allergic to cats?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t know.”
“You keep the bottle,” she said.
Nodding, he made his best effort at a smile before blowing his nose.
“Would you like some lemonade?”
“Sure.” He’d gladly suffer from an allergy to cats and agree to anything to stay in her company longer. He scanned the tiny living room, admiring her simplicity in decoration and the homey effect. “You’ve got a nice place here.”
“It’s a postage stamp compared to your house,” she said from the kitchen. “But I think it’s cozy.”
He went to the door, leaned on the frame, and looked into what could only be described as a kitchenette. “It’s very…quaint.” How would she have room for a baby here?
“Precisely.” Beth smiled while she poured their drinks.
Her cat paced back and forth by his leg, rubbing its side against his calf. He fought back another sneeze and dabbed at his watering eyes. “You know you need to be careful changing his litter-box while you’re pregnant.”
“I know, Doc. Toxoplasmosis. Don’t worry, I wear a mask.”
He distracted himself by once again checking out her great legs, really pleased she’d worn shorts that day. She handed him a glass with a hand-painted lemon on it and led him back to the other room.
“Are you going to be able to do this?” She gestured toward her cat.
“I’m tough.”
They plopped down onto a couch and drank lemonade, making eye contact over the rims of their glasses. Bethany grinned and accidentally dribbled on her chin.
“Oh, gosh, excuse me.” She used the back of her hand to wipe her jaw. “I’m such a slob.”
“Hardly.” Gavin put down his glass and moved closer, putting his arm around her. “I had a great time today. And I know Patrick liked having you there.”
“I liked being there, too. Thanks for inviting me.”
Spending the afternoon with Bethany at his son’s soccer game had been fantastic. He wanted to keep seeing her, to get a sense of how things might play out. He also wanted to make love to her again. Soon. He rubbed her shoulder and drew her closer.
But, damn it all, he couldn’t just have her over to spend the night, not with Patrick being so inquisitive. And it wouldn’t be right to palm Patrick off on Carmen just so he could spend the night here. Being a single father made things so complicated.
They’d have to get creative and steal time to be together—that was, if Beth wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her.
What if things didn’t work out? Patrick really liked Beth and he would have to suffer through the breakup, too. With all the changes his son was dealing with, Gavin couldn’t justify adding one more hitch. But the fact remained that he wanted to spend more time with Beth.
Then he remembered Beth had a date tonight anyway. Some lucky guy would get to spend the whole evening with her, and it bugged the hell out of him.
“What do I have to do to compete with this other guy?”
She gave a coy smile. “Nothing. He’s just a friend.” She took off her ball cap. “He was there for me after the breakup with my husband and all through the divorce.” She played with her ponytail and stared at the coffee table. “Like I said, we’re just friends.”
Right. Like men knew how to be friends with women. “Trust me, whoever he is, he isn’t thinking friendship when he’s looking into your pretty eyes.” He knew how
She frowned her disbelief. He edged closer.
“Is he someone from the hospital I might know?”
“Maybe. He’s the evening supervisor for the laboratory.”
“Larry, the lab guy—Rossmore?”
“That would be him.”
Tall. Skinny. Long hair that had never seen the inside of a salon.
Gavin took Beth by the shoulders and turned her toward him. “When Larry tries to kiss you tonight, and I know he will, I want you to remember this.” He leaned in and planted a soft, loving kiss on her lips. She took a deep breath as he moved closer and kissed her fully. His tongue ventured across her lips, into her mouth. She tasted sweet and tart, like lemonade. He found her tongue and toyed with it. She joined in the dance.
Her arms tightened around his neck. Obviously, she liked what he was doing. He decided to check out her pregnancy-enhanced breasts. Nice. Perfect for his hand. A quick sweep of his thumb across her nipple proved she liked his touch. He tightened his hold and deepened the kiss. She gave a sigh. Slowly, he claimed more and more territory, touching her stomach, her hip, her thigh. He threw his leg over hers and wedged her underneath him. Feeling no sign of protest, he forged ahead.
He pressed his lips to hers then explored the exquisitely soft side of her neck and nibbled her earlobe again. She
This isn’t fair. You’re seducing her when you know she has a date with another man tonight. She deserves better than that. Gavin wanted to beat the tiny voice in the back of his mind senseless to shut it up. He wanted to unbutton Bethany’s blouse and worship her breasts. He wanted to be inside her again, closer than sin. She deserves better than a quick roll on the couch.
Damn! Couldn’t his conscience just shut up and back off for a few more minutes?
She deserves better. The thoughts ruined his amorous mood. Damn it all!
He broke away, but he saw how her eyes were closed, and how she had a look of near ecstasy on her face just from their foreplay. He had done that to her, and he loved the powerful feeling it gave him. He remembered her face when he’d last made love to her, and wanted to see that look again. He was still as hard as granite, but couldn’t do anything about it now. He kissed the tip of her nose and she opened her eyes.
“I’d better let you get ready for your date tonight.” He glanced at his watch. “You’re going to need some time to get rid of my beard burns.”
She remained limp and relaxed in his arms. He fought an urge to start kissing her again, especially between that sweet bit of cleavage popping out of her snug top.
“What time is it?” she sighed.
“Almost four.”
She shot upright and her head caught his chin. A sharp pain made him grab his jaw and grimace.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, rubbing her forehead.
He patted her shoulder and managed a painful smile. “It’s OK. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” She squirmed out of his arms. “You’re kidding about the time, right?”
He shook his head, still stroking his face. “Patrick has probably eaten his way through the pizza parlor by now.”
She jumped off the couch and gathered up the glasses from the table.
He reluctantly stood and straightened his clothes. “Well, it’s been really nice. Especially the last fifteen minutes or so.” He laughed at his own audacity. Get her all lathered up and then split. Good going, Riordan. Sudden concern about Larry reaping his reward for putting Beth in the mood made him take pause. Nah. She wasn’t like that. He smirked. Unless it’s with me.
; “I hope you have a great time tonight.” He headed for the door. “Thanks for coming along to Patrick’s game. And don’t forget about me later when you’re on your hot date with Larry the lab guy.”
Beth strode out of the kitchen and approached him with fire in her eyes. She grabbed his sore jaw and planted a rough kiss on his mouth. It hurt, but he liked it.
After she’d lit a firecracker under his shoes, she tore herself away abruptly. “And don’t you forget about me for one second tonight.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“WHY didn’t you get an EKG?” Gavin grumbled, and glanced at the clock in his office. It was twelve-fifteen a.m. He redirected a disappointed stare back to his resident. “How hard would it have been to draw cardiac enzymes with the other labs?” He peppered the cherub-faced Jablonsky with indignant blinks and tossed the stack of paperwork back at him. The young doctor squirmed in his chair. “How many hours has the woman been in our emergency department? The least you could have done was get an EKG. You were so focused on a gall-bladder diagnosis that you missed the bigger picture. The fact is, women present with heart disease differently than men. You’re a smart guy, you should know that.”
Gavin shoved back in his chair and tightened his lips. Maybe he was coming off too harsh. Everyone made mistakes. Jablonsky was no different. But working the ED required a person to keep on his toes, to consider all possibilities, and to rule out things one ailment at a time, like a medical detective. Jablonsky had used poor judgement, and now the patient would have to pay. “You’re not a med student any more, Richard—you’re a second-year ED
“Yes, sir. I’ll remember that in the future, sir.”
“For crying out loud, Richard, this isn’t the military. Call me Gavin.”
“Yes, si—Gavin.” Dismissed, Jablonsky snatched the paperwork up from Gavin’s desk and backed out of the office.
Damn. He’d just chewed out one of his best residents. He’d make a point of catching up with him later and apologizing. But right now he had paperwork to complete and Jablonsky had a patient to see to.
Rather than sitting at home alone, knowing Bethany was on a date, Gavin had come to the hospital at around nine to give Maguire a few extra hours off duty with his wife and new baby. Maguire’s relief would be in at one, and until then Gavin would catch up with some of the mountain of reports in his in-box. Unable to concentrate, he tossed his pen across the desk and decided not to think about what Beth might or might not be doing on her date. But the suspense was killing him.
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