Emergency: single dad, mother needed

by Laura Iding

  They obviously needed to have a talk. But when they returned to the living room, the phone rang. She froze, hoping the caller wasn’t Tom. She didn’t want the mistakes of her past to taint the possibility of the future. Especially now that she’d had a tiny taste of how wonderful the future could be.

  As soon as Gabe answered, though, she knew the caller wasn’t Tom. Especially when Gabe asked, “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  There was another long pause, then he responded, “Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll figure something out. You just take care of yourself, understand? And let me know if you need anything.”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked when he finally hung up.

  His expression was full of concern and he raked his hand through his hair. “That was Marybeth, JT’s babysitter. She’s in the emergency department over at Minneapolis’s Medical Center and needs surgery for an emergency appendectomy.”

  “Oh, Gabe.” Holly understood why he was so upset. “What are you going to do? Are you supposed to work tomorrow?”

  “Yes.” He sighed. “I’ll have to start making phone calls to get someone to cover my shift. And then I’ll need to hire a new sitter until Marybeth recovers from her surgery.”

  If she had been qualified to cover his shift, she would have offered. But she could help Gabe in another way. “I’ll stay here tomorrow.”

  “You?” He frowned. “Thanks, but if one of us is going to call off work, it should be me. He’s my responsibility.”

  “Gabe, I’m scheduled to work next weekend, so I’m off tomorrow.”

  “You are?” Hope filled his eyes. He came toward her until he was standing so close his male, musky scent clouded her brain, teasing her senses. “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”

  “I don’t mind.” And she didn’t. Watching JT wouldn’t be a hardship.

  “Holly, I have to be at work early, by seven in the morning.” Reaching up, he cradled her shoulders in his hands. “It might be easier for you to spend the night here.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  SPEND the night? Had he lost his mind? Had he really just asked her to spend the night?

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” The uncertainty in her eyes should have given him the perfect opportunity to back off. So he did. Sort of.

  “You can take my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch,” he said, knowing full well he’d much rather share the bed.

  With her.

  All night.

  Guilt free, as this was really for JT.

  “Gabe.” Holly’s voice was soft, as if afraid she’d wake JT. “You and I both know what will happen if I stay.”

  He hoped so. He really hoped so. No—wait—that was the wrong answer. Wrong, wrong, wrong. He couldn’t spend the night making love to Holly while JT slept blissfully in the next room down the hall.

  As much as he wanted to, and he really, really wanted to, it wouldn’t be right to let Holly stay.

  “Okay, you’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking.” Cool logic finally overrode his libido. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She couldn’t stay and that was the end of it. “Will you give me a minute to let JT know about Marybeth? I don’t want him to be shocked to find you here in the morning.”

  “Sure.”

  He walked back down the hall to JT’s room. The boy was asleep, but Gabe shook his shoulder and woke him up enough to let him know Marybeth was sick so Dr. Holly would stay with him the next day. JT mumbled something that sounded like “That’s good,” before he rolled over and went back to sleep.

  When he returned to the living room, he was disappointed to find Holly standing near the front door with her coat and her purse, ready to leave.

  Because he’d pushed. Too fast.

  “Thanks for dinner, Gabe.”

  Don’t go! “You’re welcome to come back, any time.”

  She let out a sigh of exasperation. “You need to make up your mind about what you really want. One minute you’re looking at me as if you’re not at all happy that JT wants me to tuck him in and the next you’re asking me to spend the night.”

  He swallowed hard, disconcerted that the inner war he’d waged had been so obvious. He knew what he wanted. Holly. In his arms. In his bed.

  But unfortunately he suspected that JT wanted something too. A mother. And he couldn’t start something with a woman just because JT needed a mother. Holly wouldn’t hurt JT on purpose but there were no guarantees. Anything could happen. Especially given the very complicated events surrounding JT’s adoption. What if his worst fears were correct? How would he explain to Holly?

  If he was right about JT’s biological father, he’d lose Holly forever.

  He was playing with fire by continuing to see her, but couldn’t seem to help himself.

  “I know what I want,” he admitted. “But you’re right, I am worried about how this will affect JT. I think we’d better take things slowly.”

  Slowly was going to kill him.

  She stared at him for a long moment and then nodded. “All right. I’ll research some nanny services tomorrow if you’d like.” She hooked her purse over her shoulder.

  He couldn’t let her do that. She was already doing enough by staying here on her day off. JT was his problem, not hers.

  “No, I’ll do it.” The more he thought about his situation, the more he realized he needed to call his mother. He’d avoided taking advantage of her because she’d experienced a difficult life with his father. Now that she’d found and married Hank, she was deliriously happy.

  He didn’t want to impose on her, but he needed help, at least for a few weeks. This wasn’t the best time to bring a new nanny into the picture. JT needed stability. Structure.

  Holly left after promising to return at six-thirty the following morning.

  Gabe stared out the window, watching her drive away, hoping he wasn’t being selfish to take advantage of Holly’s generosity.

  Finding Holly here the following morning was going to feel to JT as if she’d stayed the night.

  Scrubbing his hands over his face, he wished he could erase the image of Holly in his bed. He had to stop torturing himself.

  Using Holly as a surrogate mother for JT wasn’t smart. He needed to ask his mother to fly up to Minnesota, as soon as possible.

  Holly didn’t sleep well and it was all Gabe’s fault. His ridiculous suggestion to stay the night kept echoing over and over in her head.

  When she finally dragged herself out of bed next morning, she had dark circles under her eyes, betraying her restlessness.

  After doing her best to hide the effects of her long night, she headed over to Gabe’s house. Luckily her normally cheerful nature eroded her crankiness, with a little help from Mother Nature as the sun peeked over the horizon, the sky glowing in glorious pink and orange hues. Sunrises, especially in late fall, were breathtakingly beautiful.

  Going over to Gabe’s to watch JT was simply helping out a friend. She would do the same for Lisa if she were here. She wasn’t getting in over her head.

  She parked off to the side in Gabe’s driveway, leaving lots of room for him to back out of his garage. She couldn’t help shooting a wary glance over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching as she walked up to his front door.

  As soon as the thought formed, she became annoyed with herself. Why did she care what Gabe’s neighbors thought? She was here to watch his nephew, nothing more.

  Gabe responded quickly to her knock. “Good morning,” he said in that sexy, low voice of his. “Thanks again for coming over. I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem.” She hadn’t made any firm plans for her day off. Her mother could get a ride to dialysis. Sniffing the air, she homed in on the marvelous aroma of coffee. “Is that coffee?”

  Gabe’s husky laugh sent tingles down her spine. “Yes. Come on, I’ll pour you a cup before I leave.”

  Sharing coffee in Gabe’s kitchen was strangely intimate. She tried to get things back on t
rack. “Anything in particular I need to know about JT?” she asked, sipping the flavorful brew and hoping the caffeine would hit her bloodstream fast.

  “Not really.” Gabe looked comfortable wearing his dark green scrubs as he leaned against the kitchen counter. “I called my mother last night. She’s going to catch the first flight from Fort Meyers, Florida to Minneapolis today so you won’t need to worry about wasting any more of your days off.”

  Spending time with JT wasn’t a waste but she thought she understood what he was really saying. He didn’t want JT to become too attached to her. Trying to ignore the tiny flash of hurt, she nodded. “Let me know if you need me to pick her up at the airport.”

  “I will.” Gabe set his empty coffee-mug aside and pushed away from the counter. “Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”

  Holly followed him to the door and he hesitated for a moment, as if he were going to kiss her goodbye. He didn’t, but smiled crookedly as he murmured, “Thanks again, Holly. I owe you one.”

  Maybe, if she were the type to keep score. But she wasn’t. “Have a good day. Don’t worry about a thing. We’ll be fine.”

  Gabe hadn’t been gone for thirty minutes when JT cried out from his bedroom. Anxious, Holly hurried in.

  “JT? What’s wrong?”

  JT was staring at her blankly, as if he was still half-asleep. She crossed over to sit on the edge of the bed, hesitant to approach too quickly.

  “JT, do you remember me? Dr. Holly? I’m here because Marybeth got sick.”

  His expression cleared. “I remember.”

  Good, she thought with relief. “Are you all right? Did you have a nightmare?”

  JT nodded and moved closer. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and cuddled him close.

  “I have lots of nightmares about wild animals. They bite.”

  Wild animals? She frowned, wondering what kind of wild animals JT was afraid of. “Yes, I know. But there aren’t many wild animals around here.”

  “I saw a raccoon at the cemetery and my teacher at school says they’re wild animals.” JT seemed content to stay by her side. “I miss my mom. Sometimes, when I first wake up in the morning, I don’t know where I am. And I get worried when I don’t see Uncle Gabe,” he confided.

  She could certainly understand why the boy would have nightmares about wild animals and being abandoned. “I talked to your Uncle Gabe this morning before he went to work at the hospital. If you want to call and talk to him, I’m sure he won’t mind.”

  JT didn’t answer right away. “No, I’m okay here with you,” he said finally.

  Pleased that she’d been able to reassure him, she sat with him for a few more minutes. “Are you hungry? What would you like for breakfast?”

  He shrugged against her. “Pancakes?”

  “No problem.” At least pancakes were easy. She was glad he hadn’t asked for something more complicated.

  “You smell good, like my mom,” he said in a wistful tone.

  She caught her breath at his admission, glancing down at his dark blond head tucked against her. The poor kid had been through the wringer these past few weeks.

  Maybe Gabe was right to protect his son so fiercely.

  And she was wrong. Sitting here with JT cuddled against her, she realized she was already in way over her head.

  As the morning wore on, Holly grew more and more concerned about JT. She’d made him pancakes for breakfast, but he ate only a few bites. He also didn’t want to play outside, but asked if he could lie on the sofa to watch movies. Halfway through the first one, he fell asleep.

  JT’s lethargy and poor appetite bothered her. After a brief internal debate, she called Gabe.

  “Holly? What’s wrong?”

  “Sorry to bother you but I think JT’s sick again.” Holly went on to describe the boy’s symptoms. “Remember last time you asked me if he needed to be seen? Well, I think this time he definitely needs to be seen.”

  Gabe didn’t argue. “Actually, I was thinking the same thing. He just didn’t seem himself all weekend. I called his pediatrician first thing this morning and have an appointment for tomorrow, but I’ll see if I can’t get him in today.”

  Relieved he was with her on this, she added, “I think that’s best. Maybe it’s nothing but the fact he hasn’t been feeling well for a while makes me think there might be something more serious going on.”

  “I’ll call you back.” Gabe hung up.

  Holly watched JT sleeping on the sofa. He moved restlessly at times, as if he wasn’t comfortable. Should she move him to his bed? No, she’d wait to hear from Gabe first.

  He called back just a few minutes later. “I have an appointment for him this afternoon at two. I also found someone to cover the rest of my shift. I’m going to pick up my mother from the airport and then head over to get JT.”

  “We’ll be waiting.”

  Either the airport wasn’t busy or Gabe broke speed records getting there and back because he arrived home in just over an hour. Gabe’s mother was a plump, petite woman who wore her gray hair short and when she smiled she looked just like Gabe.

  “Holly, this is my mother, Isabella Brown. Mom, this is a friend of mine, Holly Davidson.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Holly murmured.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.” The speculation in Isabella’s eyes was hard to ignore. “And where’s my grandson?”

  “JT?” Holly called. The boy came out of the bedroom, smiling when he saw his grandmother. Still, he didn’t run across the room to greet his grandmother with a hug. She cast a worried glance at Gabe. “He’s been sleeping a lot and didn’t eat much for breakfast or lunch.”

  Gabe frowned. “Thanks for letting me know.”

  Watching JT with his grandmother made her realize Gabe had been right to bring his mother up from Florida. Maybe it was best for JT to have his grandmother close by, rather than her.

  Sensing she wasn’t needed anymore, she took a step back. “I’d better go.”

  “Thanks again, Holly.” Gabe walked her to the door.

  “You’re welcome.” She couldn’t help one last glance at JT contentedly seated beside his grandmother. “Will you let me know what the pediatrician says?”

  “Absolutely.” Gabe gazed down at her. “Actually, depending on what’s wrong with JT, I was hoping maybe we could get together later.”

  He was? A warm glow of pleasure wrapped around her heart. “I’d like that.”

  “I’ll call you.” Gabe’s low husky voice sent a ripple of tingling awareness down her spine.

  Holly couldn’t deny she wanted to spend time with Gabe. Yet it was a little disconcerting to realize Gabe wanted to see her alone, without JT.

  She hadn’t imagined the banked desire in his eyes. And she couldn’t help but anticipate what the evening might bring.

  Gabe and his mother took JT to the pediatrician’s office. The pediatrician was Dr. Cameron Feeney, a good doctor who Gabe knew fairly well from the Children’s Medical Center.

  “Gabe, I don’t know what to tell you,” Cameron said after he’d examined JT. “There are many possibilities. He could have a simple virus. Or a not-so-simple disease such as Guillain-Barré syndrome. I’d like to do a lumbar puncture here to check his spinal fluid, and then refer you to a neurologist.”

  “He doesn’t need to be admitted to the hospital?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Other than being tired, he seems fine. You could give him a protein drink in his favorite flavor until his appetite improves.”

  Gabe nodded, hoping JT didn’t have anything more than a virus. The possibility of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disease affecting the nerves of the muscles, causing weakness, had lurked in the back of his own mind, too. The lumbar puncture was rough, but JT was a trouper, getting through the procedure without too much crying.

  His mother had cried with JT and afterward declared they needed to stop for ice cream as JT had been so brave. JT polished off his entire ice-cream
cone, which made Gabe feel better.

  That evening, once JT was asleep and his mother was settled in the guest bedroom, she found him in the kitchen.

  “Did you call Holly?”

  He raised a brow at her. “Matchmaking, Mom?”

  “Maybe.” His mother propped her hands on her hips. “What’s wrong with a mother wanting to see her son happy?”

  He had to admit he’d been thinking about Holly all day. Only concern over JT had taken his mind off her. “JT’s sick. I should probably stay home.”

  “JT’s fine. You have an appointment to see the neurologist in a few days. Besides, I heard you tell Holly you’d call her.”

  Suppressing a sigh, he remembered why he hadn’t wanted his mother’s help with JT. She meant well, but her dogged persistence drove him crazy.

  Still, he had promised. “Okay, fine. I’ll call her.”

  Gabe called Holly’s cellphone, pleasantly surprised when she picked up after the first ring. “Hi, Gabe. How’s JT?”

  “He’s fine. The pediatrician did an LP and didn’t see any obvious signs of infection. He wants me to take him to see a neurologist.”

  “A virus? Guillain-Barré?” Holly guessed.

  “Maybe.” He hoped not, but knew it was a possibility. Guillain-Barré certainly wasn’t fatal, but it was a progressive disease that often got worse before it got better. Patients usually recovered fully.

  Thank heavens his mother was here to help.

  “Are you in the mood for some company?” he asked, trying not to betray how badly he wanted to see her.

  There was a pause and his heart dropped.

  “Yes. I’d love some company,” she finally said.

  He sighed in relief. “Great. I was hoping you hadn’t changed your mind.”

  The sound of her laugh reassured him. “No way. I’ve been waiting for you to call.”

  She’d been waiting for him. The thought sent a shaft of desire straight to his groin. “I’m on my way.”

  He hung up the phone and barely said goodbye to his mother before dashing out to his car.

  There was no reason for Holly to wait any longer.