Baby on Board

by Lisa Ruff

  “I have to see Patrick.”

  “Not tonight. It’s not safe to travel. Why don’t you just call him?”

  Kate shook her head fiercely. “I’ll take my phone and try to call in the car. But I have to see him in person.”

  “But—”

  “I have to tell Patrick the truth. About Steve and about how I feel. That I…I love him. I owe him that much at least.” Kate swallowed hard. “Then he can make his own decision. He’ll go. Or he’ll stay.”

  The two women’s gazes met and held. Molly must have read the determination in Kate’s eyes. She didn’t protest anymore. “Then let me drive. I won’t stay here and worry about you on a night like this.”

  “Thank you.” Kate laid a hand against her aunt’s cheek.

  “Wait here. I’ll get my car.” Molly patted Kate’s arm, then went across the room to where she had dropped her raincoat and slipped into it. As she pulled open the front door, a burst of wind slashed rain into her face. “We both must be crazy,” she muttered.

  Kate followed her to the hall and reached into the closet for a long raincoat. When the tan fabric wouldn’t button over her girth, she grabbed an umbrella for additional protection. Gathering up her purse and her keys, she went back into the living room, ignoring the glass under her feet, and peered through the window that looked out over the alley. When Molly’s red SUV appeared, Kate made her way back to the front door and went outside.

  The rain beat against her immediately and the wind whipped her hair around her head. She yanked the door shut behind her and opened the umbrella. A gust nearly ripped it from her hands. Taking a tighter grip on the handle, she angled it into the wind to protect her face. As she took the first step down, another gust caught the umbrella. The force pulled Kate off balance. Her purse tumbled out of her other hand, and her feet slipped on the wet wood.

  Kate grabbed for the railing, but it was too late. She fell heavily onto her side, twisting to keep the bulk of her belly from hitting the edges of the steps. A sharp pain stabbed through her and she cried out. Then her head hit something hard and the world turned gray, then slowly black.

  PATRICK RUBBED a hand over his face and pushed two fingers against his gritty eyes. Seated at the rear of the crowded plane, he was cramped, uncomfortable and tired.

  Mostly, he was heartbroken.

  He tried to ignore the empty feeling in his chest. His MP3 player kept a constant stream of rock and roll flowing into his ears. He thumbed through the stack of sailing magazines he had brought and studied his planning charts for the Indian Ocean. He reviewed the specs for the boat and the weather reports that Chris had e-mailed. He did all the things he usually did to prepare himself for a race. Nothing worked.

  The past few months had changed him more than he ever thought possible. How had he ever spent three months away from Kate and only had contact with her once? It was inconceivable. Now, three hours away from her seemed like an agonizing trial. And he had sold his boat and bought a house without one pang of regret. What more proof did he need? He was a different man whose heart was filled with a yearning for one woman and the child she carried. Bashing across the ocean, pushing for every ounce of speed a boat could give, placed a distant third in the things that mattered most to him.

  He fidgeted in his seat, anxious for the flight to be over. What difference it made, he didn’t know. He would just be getting on another plane for a longer flight when this one reached L.A. Kate was lost to him now. He loved her, but she would never know it. Soon she would marry Steve and start a new life. Patrick swallowed hard. The ache in his heart grew with every mile he traveled away from her. He would have to learn to live with that pain now; there was no hope of reprieve.

  Closing his eyes, Patrick tried once more to sleep, but all the things he wanted to say to Kate circled through his head, keeping him awake. What would he say? Mostly just the simple truth. He needed her. He loved her. He sighed, opening his eyes again, and reached for another magazine. He would have to get some rest on the long flight to Melbourne.

  When they landed in Los Angeles, Patrick filed off the plane with the rest of the passengers. As he followed them up the jet way, he turned on his cell phone and checked his messages. His heart started beating fast when he saw Kate’s number listed as a missed call. There was also one voice mail.

  Patrick stopped stock-still in the middle of the hallway and punched in the code to retrieve it. A man with a briefcase and a roller bag swerved around him with a muttered curse. Patrick passed through the gate, pushed only by the momentum of other passengers. He held his breath, waiting to hear Kate’s voice. A woman’s voice sounded, breathless and hoarse. But it wasn’t Kate.

  “Patrick. It’s Molly. Kate had an accident. We’re at Arundel Medical Center. Please call me back as soon as you get this message.”

  Patrick dropped the phone away from his ear as it beeped and the voice prompt asked him if he wanted to save the message or delete it. He stopped again, stunned by the report. People streamed past him on both sides, the airport concourse busy even at this late hour. He hit the redial button. Kate did not answer. Overhead, he heard a woman’s voice announcing a departure.

  “Flight five-two-two with nonstop service to Dulles International Airport is now in final boarding at gate C thirty-four. All passengers should make their way to gate C thirty-four now, for an on-time departure.”

  The voice over the loudspeaker sent a shock through Patrick’s mind. He looked up, wildly searching for the gate number he had just exited: C 11. Gate C 10 lay just ahead. Without leaving a message, he closed the phone and spun around, nearly plowing into a large man in cowboy boots and a Stetson.

  “Watch it, son!”

  “Sorry. I have to catch a plane!”

  The man’s answer went unheard as Patrick raced down the corridor, dodging people, luggage and carts as he ran. He heard another announcement for the flight just as he slid to a stop at the check-in counter. He shoved his phone into a pocket and pulled out his wallet, fumbling for his credit card. A burly man in a burgundy jacket and tie looked up at him over the top of his half-glasses.

  “Please, get me on this flight.”

  “Sir, we’re just about—”

  “Please,” Patrick interrupted. “I just found out that the woman I love was in an accident. She’s eight months’ pregnant. I have to get back to the East Coast as soon as possible.”

  The man stared at him for a moment, then his fingers began to tap the keyboard in front of him. He muttered a few words into a handheld radio before looking at Patrick again. “It’s gonna be expensive.”

  “I don’t care,” Patrick said, drawing in a deep breath.

  The man took his credit card, tapped, muttered some more and soon pulled a boarding pass out of the printer behind the counter. Handing it and the credit card to Patrick, he said, “Sign here.” Then he pointed to a woman in a blue nylon jacket speaking into another radio. “Give this to the lady at that door.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  The man smiled dourly and Patrick rushed to the gate agent. She scanned his pass and, minutes later, he was seated. He pulled his phone out and dialed Kate’s number again. There was no answer this time, either. His fingers tapped the armrest as he waited for the signal to begin his message.

  “Kate, I’m on my way home from LAX. The plane’s leaving right now. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He paused for a second as the flight attendant asked everyone to turn off their cell phones. “I have to hang up now. I love you, Kate.”

  He pressed the off button and the screen went black. The plane rolled onto the runway as he squeezed the small, gray device in his hand. Seconds later, he was airborne. All through the flight, Patrick held the phone like a talisman. Kate and the baby had to be all right. They had to be. He closed his eyes and willed the plane to fly faster.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The hospital room was dark except for the glow of the monitors. Kate lay on her side in the high bed. Wires connecti
ng her to the machines looked like a black web in the gloom. The small pads adhered to her stomach made her skin itch, but she ignored the irritation. Despite her tiredness and the ache in her head, she intently watched the screens at her bedside.

  One in particular held her attention: the monitor for the baby’s heartbeat. Each blip was a tiny reassurance, but Kate still had both of her hands spread wide over the mound of her stomach. Every few minutes, she slid her hands to a different place, hoping to feel the quick kick or soft pat of the baby inside her. A litany, a prayer, a desperate cry ran over and over in her head: please move. She blinked back tears when she felt nothing.

  The door opened and a figure came in quietly. Molly sat down beside the bed and laid one of her hands over Kate’s. “How are you?” she asked in a soft voice.

  “She still hasn’t moved.” Kate’s eyes remained trained on the monitors.

  “The doctors said the baby had a shock, Katie. That’s all. The heartbeat is still strong.” Molly squeezed her niece’s hand. “She’ll move when she’s ready.”

  “I tried so hard not to fall on her, but what if—”

  “Kate.” Molly lifted the hand she held and kissed it. “Don’t blame yourself. Things like this happen. She’ll be fine. Now you need to relax and rest. You’re not doing the baby any good by lying here and worrying.”

  “But—”

  “But nothing.” The older woman’s tone was firm. “Close your eyes and rest for a while. I’ll watch the monitors.”

  Reluctantly, Kate did as she was told. She knew Molly was right, but it was so hard not to worry when the baby had not kicked or squirmed since the fall down the steps. The doctors were keeping Kate in the hospital for observation. She felt helpless, lying in bed, waiting, hoping for a sign. She shifted to a more comfortable position, pulling the pillow farther under the weight of her belly. She wished she had Patrick to rest against.

  “Did you talk to him?” Kate asked, her eyes still closed.

  Molly didn’t have to ask who she meant. “Not yet.”

  The reply stabbed at Kate. “He’s probably halfway to Australia.”

  A tear slid from her eye to dampen the pillowcase beneath her cheek. When Patrick had not returned Molly’s first call, Kate had asked her aunt to call his brother. Ian told them Patrick was already on a plane. He promised he would get a message to him whenever he could. If all else failed, he could call Chris in Melbourne who would see Patrick when he arrived at the boat.

  The news lowered Kate’s spirits even further. She hadn’t caught him before he left. She wondered how long it would be before she saw him again. Maybe never. The longer he was gone, the less likely it was that she could reverse the damage her lie had made. She had smashed a thing precious beyond imagining.

  “I’m sure Patrick will call when he can,” Molly assured her. “Ian will get through to him.”

  “What if he doesn’t want to call?” The words burst out of Kate before she could stop them. She bit her lip and clutched her aunt’s hand tightly. “Oh, Molly. What have I done?”

  Leaning over the tall bed, Molly took Kate in a warm embrace. She stroked a hand over her niece’s tousled hair and, for once, had nothing to say.

  Kate nestled against the older woman, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed Patrick with her, now more than ever, but he was gone, heading for the other side of the world. She didn’t want to face the future without him. Especially a future that seemed so dark and hollow.

  AS SOON AS THE PLANE touched down, Patrick was on the phone. He checked his voice mail and found a message from Ian waiting.

  “Patty. Kate’s okay, but she slipped and fell on the steps outside her house and knocked herself out. No concussion or anything, just a bump on the head and some bruises. They’re keeping her in the hospital overnight for observation, just to be sure about the baby. I’m going to call Chris and leave the same message there.” Ian paused for a second. “Get on a plane home as soon as you can. You need to be here.”

  “I’m already here, bro,” Patrick muttered to himself.

  He closed the phone and waited impatiently for the plane to dock at a gate. As soon as the way was clear, he was running through the airport to the taxi stand. Once underway, he called Kate’s cell phone, but it went directly to voice mail. Molly’s did the same. He left messages on both, then called directory assistance and got through to Arundel Medical Center. No one would give him any information except that Miss Stevens was resting comfortably. They wouldn’t connect him to her room, either, since it was six-thirty in the morning.

  Patrick ended the call with a muttered oath. The cab slowed to a crawl as it hit the morning commute on the beltway around Washington, D.C. Patrick tried to be patient, dialing Ian’s number.

  His brother answered on the second ring. “Hey. Did you get my message? You need to get home—”

  “I know,” Patrick interrupted. “I’m there, or nearly.” He rubbed his bleary eyes. Running a hand through his hair, he looked at the maddening traffic around the taxicab. “I had to fly into Dulles and I’m stuck on the beltway. Have you heard anything about Kate?”

  “Not this morning. I was at the hospital last night and she was resting.”

  “And the baby?”

  There was a long pause. “I think it’s going to be okay.”

  “What are you saying, Ian?” Patrick’s throat tightened. “Is there a problem?”

  “I don’t know, Patty.” His brother sighed. “The heartbeat’s strong, but…the baby wasn’t moving last night.”

  “Does that mean—”

  “Don’t even think it,” Ian said forcefully. “They’re both going to be fine. The doctors are monitoring everything and they’d have told us if there was a real problem.”

  Patrick sat back and ran a hand over his face. He had an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach. “I hope you’re right.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Look, I’m going directly to the hospital. I’ll catch up to you after I see Kate.”

  “I’m going there this morning, too, with Ma and Pop. They went last night, but the doctors wouldn’t let them stay long.”

  “I bet Ma loved that.”

  “Pop didn’t have to drag her out of there kicking and screaming, but it was close. She had that look she gets.” Ian chuckled. “I’ll see you later.”

  “See you.”

  Patrick closed the phone and leaned forward to put his head in his hands. He was exhausted from lack of sleep and worry about Kate. It sickened him that he had been on a plane when this happened. Ian’s words didn’t help as they whirled around in Patrick’s head, making him even queasier. Though he couldn’t have done anything to stop the accident, he still blamed himself for being gone when it happened.

  Kate might blame him, too.

  For the first time since he had decided to turn around and come home, Patrick forced himself to consider the fact that Kate probably wouldn’t want him there. She had banished him from her life less than twenty-four hours ago. It was unlikely that she had suddenly changed her mind. Yes, she had fallen, but that didn’t mean she needed him. No one had said, “Kate wants you to come home.”

  Who was with her now? Molly certainly. Steve, too? The idea burned in Patrick’s heart, but he had to admit that it was probably true. He sat up as the cab turned a sharp corner and he finally saw the hospital looming ahead. Exhaustion fell away as adrenaline surged. The cab pulled up to the front door and Patrick paid the man, adding a generous tip, then dashed through the revolving door into the lobby. He decided that it didn’t matter who had been with Kate last night. What mattered was that he was going to be with her now.

  THE DOOR MADE A SOFT HUSHING sound as it opened. Kate kept her eyes closed. She didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. She had drifted in and out of sleep during the long tortuous night, without getting any real rest. The monitors still blipped beside her, counting out the steady heartbeats. The litany in her head had softened to a gentle plea th
at had gone unanswered. There was still no movement from the small life she carried within her.

  A callused hand stroked over her cheek, pushing her hair away from her face. Kate’s eyes flew open to see Patrick standing next to her bed. She blinked once, then twice, certain she must be dreaming.

  “But you’re in Australia!” she said, bewildered.

  “No, I’m not.” He smiled slightly, his silver eyes capturing hers. “I’m right here where I belong, Katie.”

  With a cry of welcome, Kate reached out her arms and was wrapped in his strong embrace. His heavily whiskered face scratched her soft skin and she pressed against him harder. She couldn’t believe he had returned, that he held her.

  Patrick pulled back first. He put one hand gently on her stomach, fingers spread wide. “How is she?”

  Tears welled in Kate’s eyes. “I don’t know. Oh, Patrick, she hasn’t moved since I fell last night. I’m so scared that—”

  “No, don’t say it,” he said, pressing a finger to her lips. “She’s just resting. That’s what we have to believe. You must have taken quite a tumble.”

  “I was coming to find you, to tell you I was…” Her words trailed off as Patrick paled and closed his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  “It was my fault,” he whispered.

  “No! It was an accident.”

  “But if I hadn’t left—”

  “Listen to me, Patrick.” Kate cupped one bristled cheek in her hand and turned his face to hers. “It’s no one’s fault.” She swallowed hard. “I’m trying not to blame myself, either. I know it’s hard, but I’ve been thinking about it all night. You were right. Accidents happen. That’s how life goes sometimes. I can’t stop the bad things. Neither can you. We can only keep praying that she’s going to be all right.”

  “She will be. She has to be.” Patrick pressed a soft kiss to her lips, then went around to the other side of the bed and dropped the steel gate. Kicking off his shoes, he tossed his jacket to the floor and climbed up onto the mattress with her. There was barely enough room, but they managed, Patrick curling around Kate and pulling her close. Once he was settled, he kissed her and fit her head onto his shoulder. A large hand caressed her belly.