"Kelly," he whispered.
A log crackled in the wood-burning stove and the soft sound of the babies' breathing filled the silence.
They both moved at once, arms sliding around each other, drawing close. He smelled of the outdoors, of crisp winter air and pine trees.
"I keep thinking about my birthday kiss," he whispered. "How it was over too soon."
"Maybe we can have a Christmas kiss," she said. "If we start practicing now, we should be really good at it by Christmas Day."
He chuckled, then his lips covered hers in the endless dreamy kiss she had longed for ever since she met him.
***
With the children in bed and the house silent, Kelly carried two mugs of hot chocolate out onto the deck. She and Sean snuggled together on one of the recliners, wrapped in a fleecy blanket. They stared at the speckled vista of a trillion stars, shining like diamonds strewn across the deepest navy velvet.
"So beautiful," she whispered, hardly daring to speak for fear of breaking this magical moment.
"Yes, you are." Sean pulled her closer and kissed her. She rested her head on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart as she sipped her chocolate, trying not to think of the future, content to enjoy this moment.
Earlier, sitting on the sofa in front of the log fire, she and Sean had kissed until the children woke. He had been a gentleman, not rushed her into anything more.
Although she told herself she was heading down a slippery slope towards heartbreak when she had to leave, just this once she wanted some fun without worrying about the future.
Deep inside she acknowledged she wanted more, but after one afternoon of kissing she could hardly ask Sean where he saw their relationship going.
If he just wanted a fling for a few weeks, she was okay with that, but if he wanted more, she would be ecstatic. She would relax and let things develop naturally, secretly hoping he wanted her to stay on. If he did, she could always work for the children's charity in London instead of going overseas.
Maybe, just maybe, she would get to live the life she had always wanted with a husband and children. Maybe this Christmas really would be magical and all her dreams would come true.
***
Sean hummed as he stepped out of the elevator and strode along the corridor towards the trauma ward. Thoughts of Kelly hovered in the back of his mind all the time, leaving him tingly and warm. Those he passed must think he was crazy because he kept smiling for no apparent reason.
All his fears of mixing business with pleasure were gone. Kelly would not let anything that happened between them affect how she cared for Zoe and Annabelle, not that he expected any problems between him and Kelly. He'd never met a more sympathetic and understanding woman. He was halfway in love with her and he'd only known her a couple of weeks.
"Good morning, sir," a nurse said as he entered the ward.
He acknowledged her with a nod and opened the door to Pvt. Ewan Tyler's room. His romantic thoughts faded as he assumed a professional demeanor. Sorrow tugged deep in his chest at the sight of the eighteen-year-old lying in the bed, his face a splotchy mass of healing cuts and bruises, his right arm covered in a pressure dressing, the arm Sean and Radley had operated on the previous week.
Private Tyler was little more than a kid, only a few months out of school and into his first tour of duty overseas. Now he was a casualty. More than anything, Sean wanted to give this young man a usable hand back again.
Sean's whole attitude towards the young service men and women who passed through his care had changed since he had kids of his own. Now he could identify totally with the parents he saw sitting white-faced with shock at their youngster's bedside.
Tyler lay awake, an iPod on his pillow, earbuds in his ears. He pulled them out with his good hand and fumbled to switch off the device as Sean approached.
"No hurry, Private. Take your time."
"Yes, sir."
"How are you feeling?"
"Well as can be expected, sir."
The young man had made incredible progress in such a short time. Often soldiers with severe blast injuries suffered from fungal infections due to contamination and the conditions they lived under, but Tyler had tested negative and his face was already healing well.
"Today's the day then, Tyler. You understand what's going to happen?"
"Yes, sir. You're going to take muscle and bone from my ribs to build me a new hand."
Sean nodded, with a smile to encourage the lad. "That's right. It will take a good few months to heal, but with patience and physiotherapy, you should be able to use your right hand for most tasks."
"As long as I can hold my girlfriend's hand, that'll be excellent, sir. She doesn't like holding my left hand. Says I don't hold her right."
Sean smiled, his chest tight with emotion. He didn't usually get this involved with his patients. His feelings for Kelly had stirred him up inside and made him more sensitive.
"Tell your girlfriend she'll have to make do with your left hand for a few months, then she can have the right hand back."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I appreciate what you're doing for me, Doctor. Mum said this operation is something special."
"We're going to record it as a teaching aid for other surgeons. We'll also have some visiting doctors in the viewing gallery during the operation."
"I'll be the star of the show and sleep through it all," Tyler quipped. The boy was incredibly brave and cheerful considering what had happened to him.
"You certainly are a star, Tyler. You and all our lads who risk their lives."
The young man's expression sobered. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate your saying so."
"A nurse will be along shortly to prepare you. I'll see you tomorrow to talk you through how things went. Okay?"
"Yes, sir."
Sean nodded and left the ward, heading back to his room to change. Anticipation surged along his veins. He and Radley had planned meticulously. Everything was in place. But there was no escaping the fact this was a radical procedure, something untried and experimental. He prayed it worked and that by next summer Private Tyler could hold his girlfriend's hand.
Chapter Six
Kelly didn't like to leave Zoe and Annabelle in the hospital day care, but it was only for a couple of hours. She really wanted to watch Sean operate. He'd bounced ideas off her before he discussed them with Radley, so she knew exactly how he planned to reconstruct the patient's hand. He'd invited her to join the visiting surgeons in the viewing gallery to watch the idea put into action.
In the day care, two smiling young nursery nurses took the babies' hands. "Hello, Zoe. We haven't seen you for a long time, have we. Come along, Belles, are you going to play with the others?"
With only a moment's hesitation, Zoe toddled off beside the young women. Annabelle didn't even spare Kelly a glance. She trotted away chattering to herself and laid claim to a plastic rocking horse.
"I can see they're going to be fine here," Kelly said to the supervisor.
"Yes, they fit in well. We don't have many tantrums from Colonel Fab's little girls." The woman grinned at the mention of Sean's nickname. Kelly suppressed an eye roll. She supposed she would have to get used to women's reaction to Sean.
After checking the time on her phone, she headed across the car park to the impressive space-age structure of the military hospital. Weak winter sun reflected off the many windows, making the ultramodern building glow.
The main doors swished open as she approached. She crossed the foyer, climbed in the elevator, and selected the restricted access floor where the operating rooms and the senior officers' suites were located. At the beep, she scanned the security pass Sean had given her.
When the elevator stopped, she stepped out and glanced around. She had never worked in the Brize Norton hospital, spending most of her time overseas. This place was state-of-the-art, dedicated to military medicine and staffed completely by joint forces personnel. She felt immediately at home surrounded by uniforms. How wo
uld she cope working as a civilian? The reality of leaving the army hadn't sunk in yet. At the moment she still felt like she was on leave, and technically she was.
She followed the signs to the viewing gallery for the theater where Sean and Radley would operate. Although she was early, the rows of tiered seating in the glass enclosure were already filling up with visiting surgeons and medical students. Kelly went down the steps and found the two empty seats at the end of the front row.
Pieces of paper reading Reserved by Colonel Fabian were stuck on with tape. She sat on one, aware of a few interested glances aimed her way. She avoided the looks and stared down at the large high-tech OR where Sean would be working.
Already the scrub nurses and the medical technicians who monitored the equipment were there preparing.
A few minutes later, someone sat in the other reserved seat. "Hello," Daniel Fabian said with a grin. "Remember me?"
"Yes." She could hardly forget him—the man who had flirted with her the night of Sean's birthday party, despite the fact he had a girlfriend on his arm. She'd felt sorry for the poor woman.
Daniel looked like a slightly tarnished version of Sean with dark blond hair and grayish-blue eyes. He probably had no trouble finding girlfriends to fuel his reputation as a womanizer.
"You're the bunny girl. I'm glad you and Sean got together. You'll be good for him."
"Thanks." She didn't know what Sean had told his brother, so she decided not to say much.
Daniel leaned forward to gaze around the OR. "Wow. Impressive. I thought you army medics operated in bombed-out buildings with equipment held together by string and rubber bands."
Kelly swallowed her laugh. To be honest, he wasn't far wrong. She'd worked in terrible conditions overseas.
"Not in the UK," she said with raised eyebrows.
"Obviously not."
"Sean says you're a plastic surgeon as well." Sean had mentioned his brother a few times with obvious affection.
"Yep. But I don't get to do anything nearly this interesting. At the moment I'm selling my soul for filthy lucre." Daniel glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice. "I do nose jobs and breast implants for women who have more money than sense. I'm thinking of spreading my wings and following in my big brother's footsteps."
"Spreading your wings, as in joining the army?"
He nodded.
"Wow. That will be a change of pace for you." And a large drop in salary. According to Sean, Daniel was in partnership with their father in an exclusive London clinic. That's where Sean had started out before he joined the army. When he left, it had caused a family rift.
"I can recommend military medicine," she said with honesty. She'd thoroughly enjoyed her time in the army.
The soft murmur of conversation in the viewing gallery quieted as the patient was wheeled into the OR below, and transferred to the operating table. The rest of the medical team followed. She recognized Sean immediately from his tall, lean build, and his air of authority.
Her heart raced and then stalled at the sight of him in his green gown, masked, and gloved with magnifying eye loupes on. What a crazy stupid heart she had being turned on by that! It just proved she was a nurse to the core.
Sean glanced up and met her gaze. A grin tugged at her lips. Even with his face half covered, she could tell he smiled back. Her heart did a little dance and she raised a hand to wave, not caring if everyone thought she was another stupid female besotted with Colonel Fab. She was.
Both Radley and Sean wore microphones. Their easy banter made it clear they were good friends and comfortable working together. They started the operation, narrating the steps of the procedure, explaining their thoughts and actions while cameras filmed from three angles, projecting the images on screens in the gallery.
Silence fell as everyone watched, totally absorbed by what was going on below. Daniel leaned forward, his chin in his hand, eyes fixed on his brother.
Everything proceeded the way Sean had described to her with only a couple of hiccups. Kelly wanted to stay for the whole procedure, but after two hours, it was time to get the girls from the day care. She reluctantly stood and tried to squeeze past Daniel. He rose and headed out as well.
"You didn't need to come with me," she said when they reached the corridor.
He pulled out his phone and checked the screen. "Actually, I did. I have a flight to New York this evening. My phone vibrated a few minutes ago to alert me it was time to leave. I'll walk you out."
They headed to the elevator and climbed in. "So, what did you think?" Kelly asked.
Daniel nodded slowly. "I wish I could stay until the end. That's just the sort of work I should be involved in, using my skills to make a real difference. I feel like I'm coasting right now, not sure which direction to go. But I need to do something meaningful. I can't keep doing what I'm doing for the rest of my life or I'll go crazy."
"So you've decided to join the army?"
"Probably. I want to talk to Sean about it first. My father will go ballistic if I leave the London practice, but I can't live my life to please him. Sean was strong enough to make the break and follow his heart. I must as well."
The elevator's polite computerized voice announced the main floor. They stepped off and headed across the marble and stainless steel foyer to the exit.
"So, are you and Sean a hot item, then?" Daniel cast her a mischievous smile.
"I guess."
"You don't sound certain." A hint of disapproval crept into his voice. "Sean's been hurt badly. Don't mess with him."
"I'm not planning on doing that." If anyone ended up hurt, she was pretty sure it would be her. "The thing is, I'm not certain Sean's ready for a long-term relationship. Isn't he still in love with his wife?"
Daniel laughed without humor, the sudden harsh sound surprising her. "You need to ask him about Eleanor."
Kelly stared at him, wishing he would elaborate.
"Seriously. Ask him," he said, stopping beside a very expensive sports car with the license plate FAB 1.
He obviously wasn't going to tell her about Eleanor. With a sigh, she admired the car.
"Very nice. Almost worth the price of your soul."
He chuckled. "I used to think so."
"Good luck with your career-changing decision," she said. "I really do recommend the army. I loved it and so does Sean."
With a burst of anticipation, she hurried across the car park to pick up the babies. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. She couldn't wait to see the girls' cute little faces when they visited Santa Claus in the afternoon. Taking her children to see Santa was a fantasy of hers. Zoe and Annabelle might not be hers, but she was starting to love them as much as if they were.
***
Kelly leaned into Zoe's crib and tucked the little girl up, kissing her forehead. "Night night, sweetie. Sleep tight." As she crossed to Annabelle's crib for a final kiss, she heard the front door open downstairs.
"I hear your daddy."
So did Annabelle. She sat up, gripping the wooden bars of her crib, and shook the side. "Dada," she shouted.
"Hang on, poppet. I'll go and fetch him."
Buzzing with anticipation, Kelly headed for the top of the stairs.
Sean sat on the hall chair, pulling off his shoes. He stood, hung his hat in the cupboard, and ran his fingers back through his golden hair. She longed to charge downstairs and throw herself into his arms, but she didn't know how he'd feel after a big operation. Over the years, she had worked with many surgeons. Often they needed alone time to recover after a long and difficult procedure.
"Hello. You're just in time to say goodnight to your two little angels," Kelly said.
He glanced up, a smile on his face. "Wonderful. I hoped I'd make it home before they went to sleep."
"How did the op go? I had to leave halfway through, I'm afraid."
"As planned. It was a gamble, but it paid off. I'm relieved for the young patient."
"You're a brilliant surgeon." Kelly grinned d
own at him.
"Thank you. But I can't take all the credit."
He trod up the stairs in his socks, unbuttoning his jacket. "The whole team planned meticulously. Success is down to teamwork and good preparation."
"Which takes great leadership. As I said, you're a brilliant surgeon."
He wrapped her in his arms and she slid her hands inside his jacket to massage the tight muscles in his back. He kissed her and leaned his forehead against hers. "I am so tired. All the research and planning has taken its toll. I feel as though I could sleep for a week."
She tried to step back but he held on to her. Small lines formed between his eyebrows. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Of course not. I just don't want to crowd you. It sounds as though you need some space."
He laughed a low, amused chuckle that rolled across her senses. "Kelly, love, you are my space, you and the girls and this house. Just crossing the threshold helps me relax. I've always loved coming back to this house and the twins. Since you arrived, I can't wait to get home. The moment I leave in the morning, I start looking forward to seeing you again."
Kelly snuggled closer to his chest and pressed some kisses to his neck and jaw. He really was an easy man to live with.
"That's better," he whispered. "Now, let's say good night to my two angels."
He held Kelly's hand as he headed to the babies' bedroom, only releasing her to lean over Annabelle's crib and pick up the wide-awake baby.
"Aren't you sleepy, young lady?"
"Dada, Dada," Annabelle kept repeating.
"Daddy is very pleased to see both his beautiful girls." He smiled at Zoe, then kissed Annabelle's cheeks, making her giggle before he deposited her back in her bed. "Time to sleep now, munchkin."
He crossed the room to Zoe, caressing her cheek before leaning down to kiss her. She lay cuddling her teddy, her thumb in her mouth. "How are your teeth, angel? Are they better?"
"I think so," Kelly said. "Her temperature's returned to normal. I wouldn't have left her in the day care if she'd been fussy."
"Good night, angel. Sleep tight." Sean stroked the blonde curls back off Zoe's forehead, gave Annabelle another kiss, then put his arm around Kelly and led her from the room.
The Army Doctor's Christmas Baby Page 5