Pregnant Nurse, New-Found Family

by Lynne Marshall

  “I need a wheelchair,” she said.

  He looked around for the usual left-behind wheelchairs but found nothing in view. “What’s wrong?”

  She went still, her wide green eyes betraying her alarm. “Beth’s bleeding.”

  “Where is she?”

  “She’s in the car.”

  “Let’s go,” he said, racing behind her.

  Bleeding? The babies. A jolt of fear slammed into his chest. He wanted those babies as much as she did.

  Patrick tried to keep up. “Is Beth all right?”

  In the car Gavin saw Beth crumpled over her lap, her hands over her ears, sobbing. His heart wrenched at the sight.

  “Stay there, Patrick,” he said to his son trying his best to sound calm. He turned and directed Jillian. “Call Dr Scott to meet us in the ER.” He handed her his cellphone.

  Gavin knelt beside Beth. “Come on, sweetheart. Let me help you get up.”

  “I can’t go through this again,” she whimpered. She removed her hands from her head and glanced at Gavin, her face contorted with sorrow.

  It finally clicked why she’d pushed him away—no man had ever stood by her when it had counted. Well, at this most crucial time he was not about to let the woman he loved down.

  “We’ll do whatever it takes to save these babies, Beth. I promise.” He reached for her hands. “Come on, now, let me help you up.”

  She gazed gratefully into his eyes as he lifted her to her feet. The air caught in his chest from touching her again.

  Patrick rushed to her and threw his arms around her neck. Tears squeezed from her eyes when she hugged him back.

  “I don’t want you to be sick,” Patrick said.

  “Thank you, sweetheart. That means so much to me.”

  Gavin realized Patrick was crying, too, and his heart clenched at the sight of the two people he loved most in the world holding and consoling each other.

  “Are you in any pain?” Gavin asked.

  “No. Just my back from all the lifting I’ve been doing.”

  “You’re not cramping?”

  She shook her head. “I just have to go to the bathroom all the time.”

  Gavin didn’t wait for a wheelchair to appear out of thin air. He lifted Beth up, and for the second time in two months carried her through the emergency department doors in his arms.

  “We need a room. Now,” Gavin said to Carmen as he rushed by.

  Carmen pointed to room four, and Gavin made a beeline for it.

  Beth took comfort in his arms, and having him near helped her quell the fear roiling inside her. More tears leaked out when she considered the possibility of another miscarriage. As if he could read her mind, he gently placed her on the ER gurney and cupped her face with his warm hands.

  “We’ll do whatever it takes to stop the bleeding, then I’ll bring you home and take care of you.”

  “Gavin, what if—?”

  He placed a finger over her mouth to stop her from saying what she feared most. “We’re not going to let that happen.”

  He paced back and forth on the other side of the curtain

  She loved him for that. For being strong when she wanted to fall apart. But, then, she’d loved him all along.

  “You OK?” he asked, jumping to the sink and dampening a cloth.

  “I’m not in pain, if that’s what you mean.”

  “Yeah. Well, that’s something.” He sounded optimistic as he dabbed at her forehead with the cool cloth. “I’m glad you’re not in pain.” He glanced into her eyes and briefly she could see the worry and fear he’d been hiding from her.

  Karen appeared with Carmen at her side. Both looked concerned. “What’s going on?” Karen asked.

  Gavin explained everything.

  Carmen did a quick temperature check. “Low-grade fever,” she noted, before applying the blood-pressure cuff.

  “I want a urine sample. Then I’ll do a pelvic exam. If necessary, I’ll do an ultrasound.”

  “Could you do one regardless?” Gavin asked.

  Karen nodded.

  Gavin glanced at Beth as if asking whether he should leave while the doctor examined her. She could tell he wanted to stay. She didn’t want him to leave either, so she grabbed his hand for support before she lay back and put her feet in the stirrups. His grip was tight, and tension poured from his eyes. Rather than stare at the ceiling, she watched Gavin. He smiled reassuringly, but she noticed a tiny twitch at the corner of one eye.

  When Karen had finished her examination, she

  Beth shook her head.

  “I suspect the bleeding is nothing more than a whopping case of cystitis. I can treat that easily enough with an antibiotic that won’t harm the babies.” She folded her arms and looked over the exam table. “You do seem to be showing early and minimal signs of dilatation of the cervix, though.”

  Beth’s heart dropped. How could she bring twins to full term if her cervix was already opening?

  “What do you mean?” Gavin spoke up.

  “She may have what we call an incompetent cervix. It’s the cause of a quarter of second trimester losses.”

  Beth’s hand shot up to cover her eyes, and she groaned with the horrible news that her cervix was weak. Was that why she’d miscarried twice before?

  “It’s not the end of the world, Beth. I can watch you closely and, if necessary, we can do a cerclage.”

  “Stitch my cervix closed?”

  The doctor nodded and patted Beth’s hip to tell her she could put her legs down. “It’s 85 to 90 percent successful.”

  Gavin extended the exam table so she’d have something to put her feet on while she shimmied back up the bed.

  “Before we go to that extreme, I want to see how things progress. The bleeding will clear up as we treat the urinary tract infection. But if, over the next few weeks, the cervix dilates to 2.5 centimeters, we’ll need to take action. In the meantime, I’m putting you on bedrest for the next week

  So did Gavin. He cleared his throat. Karen glanced at him. “About that ultrasound? I’d like to see our kids.”

  Relief washed over Beth, and hope replaced the dread she’d been feeling earlier. She’d worry about the logistics of the bedrest orders later.

  Our kids. She glanced at Gavin. He looked far more relaxed and smiled without the nervous eye twitch. She beamed from the depths of her heart.

  Gavin reached for her hand again, and held on tight.

  Karen prepared to leave the exam room. “I’ll go and write up the orders and be back with a prescription. And after we do the ultrasound, I’ll make an appointment to see you next week in my office.”

  Beth nodded. Gavin leaned over as if to kiss her, but he stopped abruptly. “You haven’t eaten any cantaloupe, have you?”

  Through tears of joy and love, she laughed. “Not today.” On a sudden, serious note she needed to know one more thing. “Can you ever forgive me for keeping Patrick’s secret from you?”

  “Of course. I can’t thank you enough for finding him that day.”

  She rubbed her stomach and dropped her head back on the gurney. “I want to be a mother with all of my heart, Gavin.”

  “And you’re going to make a great mom—I’ve seen you in action with Patrick, remember?”

  He had faith in her.

  She looked into Gavin’s warm gaze, then admired his strong jaw and the sexy cleft in his chin, and grinned. “You’re going to make a great dad, too.”

  His eyes came to rest on hers as he grew serious. “I promise to always be here for you and our kids, Bethany. I can’t imagine life without you.”

  A burst of tingles warmed her heart. Overwhelmed with emotion, she took a deep breath but couldn’t find her voice.

  “One more thing,” he said.

  “Yes?” She barely made a sound.

  “I’ve put this off long enough. I kept thinking I’d find the perfect time or place because I wanted it to be special when I told you, but look where it’s gotten us. From
one ER visit to another.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  His earth-brown eyes blazed into hers. “I love you, Bethany.”

  Her heart stumbled over the next few beats. “I love you, too, Gavin.”

  He bent and softly kissed her. Something broke inside and she let go of every doubt and fear she’d hoarded over the past three months. They would make it work. He’d promised to be there for her and he was a man of his word. She believed it to her core.

  Kissing Gavin, she knew they were meant to be together, and she’d never felt more positive about anything in her life.

  EPILOGUE

  BETH stretched out on the chaise longue in Gavin’s master bedroom, listening to the bustle in the house. Restless and eager to be taken off bedrest orders, she sipped the herbal iced tea Gavin had served her. Just one more day.

  “Put that over there,” he instructed the movers. “Oh, and that can go in the extra bedroom down the hall.”

  Patrick rushed in with a huge smile and a clear plastic ball with a hamster in it. He put it on the floor, grabbed the other hamster from his cargo shorts pocket and thrust it her way. “Here’s Muffy.”

  She grinned and welcomed both Patrick and the rodent into her arms. They snuggled together.

  He glanced up to her with adoring eyes. “I’m glad you’re all better.”

  “Me, too. But I’ll be even happier when I can get off my duff.”

  “What’s a duff?”

  “My backside.”

  “You mean your butt?” He giggled.

  She nodded and tickled her chin with Muffy’s silky

  “Your poor dad’s going to have to live on antihistamines with all these animals around here.”

  “He doesn’t care. He loves us.”

  She smiled and nodded at the beautiful direct logic of a nine-year-old boy confident in his father’s love. “Yeah. He does.”

  “Are the babies OK?”

  They’d finally told Patrick about his future siblings and he seemed cautiously curious.

  “Dr Scott says so, and I feel much better so I say, yes, the babies are fine.”

  Gavin entered with a tray of sandwiches. “I just got off the phone with my contact. Your mother is officially on the shortlist at Sunset Palms and they plan to open the new wing next month.”

  “That’s wonderful! I can’t wait to tell her.”

  “I already have, and when I told her the place came highly recommended by my grandmother, she sounded excited.”

  “Really?”

  “Hey,” he said, putting down the tray and lifting his palms with a shrug. “It’s me. Would I lie?”

  She shook her head, loving the cocky side of her man.

  “And when you’re ready to go back to work, there’s a great part-time position available as a triage nurse in the ER. In case you’re interested.”

  “Gavin, I’ve already got a job in Allergy.”

  “Doctor says you can’t work full time, remember?”

  “Maybe the allergy department can accommodate me?”

  “Of course they’d try, but Bupinder needs a full-time nurse. It wouldn’t be fair.”

  He sat beside her on the narrow lounger. “You won’t have to do lifting or bedside care. You won’t even have to stand for long periods of time. You’ll just assess the walk-in patients, take their vital signs and history, and decide if they belong in the ER or in Urgent Care. And sometimes, when people are having a really rough time, you can comfort the family members. You’re perfect for the job. And did I mention it’s only four hours three days a week?”

  She took the wet cloth he offered, wiped her hands, and quickly thought things through. She should still be able to counsel patients at the teen clinic, and why couldn’t she continue to deliver dinners for Senior Nutrition for a few more months? All Karen meant by restricted activity for the rest of the pregnancy was resting for a few hours each day and avoiding heavy lifting and cutting back on work. She’d talk to Bupinder before she made her final decision.

  Since Gavin had asked her to move in with him and Patrick, she’d be around for the boy when he got home from school when it started again in September. Maureen had decided to spend another semester in Oxford—she’d even found a job there. Things were definitely looking up.

  Gavin wolfed down a sandwich and jumped up to rummage through the top drawer of his dresser. “There’s something I need to show you.” He produced what he was looking for.

  “Your EpiPen?”

  “I’ve got to set a good example for my son. Hey,” he said to Patrick, waving the container, “have you taken your inhalers today?”

  “Yup. Did you take your antihistamine?”

  Gavin grinned. “Sure did. Listen, sport, could you give us a minute alone?”

  Patrick rolled his eyes. “Are you gonna kiss her again?”

  “Maybe. If I get lucky.”

  Patrick took Muffy from Beth’s lap and toed the rolling ball toward the door. “Can I have a sandwich?”

  “Of course, but wash your hands first.”

  Once he’d left, Gavin repeated, “Like I said, I’ve got to set a good example for my kids.”

  “With your EpiPen?” she reiterated.

  He tapped his temple with his finger. “You only think it’s an EpiPen.” He chuckled and sat next to her on the chaise longue, again. “When my grandmother left me this house, it was her way to ensure my happiness. So she gave me another gift to go along with it.” He opened the empty cigar-shaped cylinder and carefully tapped something out. A dainty gold ring with a delicate diamond popped into his hand. He held it up for Beth’s inspection. “This belonged to my grandmother. She wore it until the day she died.” He pressed his forehead to hers and gazed into her eyes. “There’s an old custom in the Riordan clan. You almost killed me, so you have to marry me.”

  She rubbed noses with him. “Not exactly the romantic proposal I’ve always dreamed about, but I like where you’re going with this idea.”

  “I love you, and I want to marry you, Bethany. Before we become parents.” The simple sincerity in his eyes took her breath away.

  She brushed his lips with her own and stared into his gorgeous dark-eyed gaze, eyes she longed to see every day

  “Is that a yes, Bethany?”

  A smile tickled across her lips. “Most definitely. Yes.”

  All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.

  All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II BV/S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  ® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

  First published in Great Britain 2008

  Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited,

  Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

  © Janet Maarschalk 2008

  ISBN: 9781408902332

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Excerpt

  About The Author

 
Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Epilogue

  Copyright