“Maybe she wanted a place where the trial wouldn’t be big news? And perhaps the town’s name made it seem like the perfect place to stash her daughter for safekeeping. Protective custody doesn’t come with any guarantees.”
“No,” he agreed. “But none of your theories explain why she chose you.”
“Some things we’ll simply have to wait to figure out when the time comes. If I’m right, we’ll be seeing Alice Martin the day Arches is convicted.”
“Time will tell.” Galen’s skepticism was obvious, but Nikki didn’t feel like arguing with him over something that she couldn’t prove.
“And,” he added, with a broad grin, “if you’re right, I’ll even let you gloat with an ‘I told you so.’
She laughed. “It’s a deal.”
“And speaking of time, Emma’s been quiet. Is she asleep?”
Emma’s head was turned away from Galen, so Nikki peered around him to check. “Out for the count,” she whispered, stroking the fine wisps of hair off her tiny forehead. “Are you sure you didn’t drug her?”
“Only with my charming personality. I send out extremely calm, relaxed vibes, or haven’t you noticed?”
“Not at all,” she lied. “Then you’re used to women falling asleep in your arms?”
“Only those with special invitations.” His mouth curled into a wide smile. “Want one?”
Yes, she wanted to say. But only if I get the last one you’re issuing.
“On second thought, I rescind my offer,” he said.
The seeds of rejection started to sprout, but before she could marshal her thoughts and form a witty retort, he shook her equilibrium again.
“When you’re in my arms—” his voice sounded as smooth as melted chocolate and sinfully sexy “—we won’t be sleeping.”
Galen watched Nikki’s thoughts flit across her face, thoughts that ranged first from jealousy to disappointment and finally to embarrassed surprise. In hindsight, he wondered how he’d misread her so completely during those years of residency. Then again, it was easy to miss what one wasn’t looking for and he’d been too certain of his unsuitability to let himself dream.
Now he dreamed all the time.
Seeing that he’d thoroughly rattled Nikki’s composure, he would have liked to have demonstrated what he intended with her in his arms, but holding a baby made it impossible. “Where do you want me to lay her?”
Nikki’s mouth closed with a sudden snap as if she suddenly remembered the third party in this scene. “I was going to suggest her crib because she’s so worn out, but that means we can’t go…”
The dismay on her face nearly made him smile. Somehow he doubted if the idea of postponing dinner or skipping it entirely had caused her reaction. Most likely, it was the realization that they would be, for all intents and purposes, alone in her apartment. She would finally have to address those issues concerning him that she’d been avoiding and make a decision.
From the hesitation on her face he doubted if now was a good time to forge ahead. For tonight, and in case she’d forgotten, it was enough for her to know that those platonic touches were only a prelude to what he really wanted.
It would also give her something to think about until their official date on Friday.
He shrugged, opting for a nonchalant attitude when he was already planning his strategy for the upcoming days. “I don’t mind. I’m flexible.”
She led him into the spare bedroom and, as soon as he’d placed Emma on her back in her crib, covered her with a light blanket. Shooing him from the room, she followed and left the door slightly ajar.
If he hadn’t craved being in her company so much, he would have done the gentlemanly thing and offered to leave, but he looked forward to their evenings together and so he couldn’t.
“How long do you think she’ll sleep?” he asked instead.
“It’s hard to say. Susan said she’d been fussy for a while, so Emma has either worn herself out and will sleep for hours, or this is just a temporary lull.”
She bit her lip in obvious indecision. “Galen…” she began slowly, using the tone of voice that didn’t bode well for the listener.
He steeled himself to hear the worst. “I’m sorry if I spoke too soon, but I won’t apologize for wanting it. For wanting you.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” she said softly. “I’m flattered.”
Relief…and pure masculine satisfaction swelled in his chest. “Then you aren’t going to throw me out on my ear?”
“I should.” She softened her comment with a smile. “But it would require more energy than I have.”
“So what do you want to do?” He was curious, but didn’t want to appear over-eager when in fact, he was.
“Honestly?”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know.”
“Order a pizza with extra mushrooms, pop in a movie, put my feet up and let my hair down.”
He eyed her hair, still pulled away from her face and held at the back of her head with a clip. Her wish didn’t quite mesh with his, but he could afford to be patient. Besides, she had been through a rough day. When they made love, he didn’t want her to be physically exhausted before they started.
“I think we can handle all of the above,” he said.
While she channel-surfed, he took care of ordering the deluxe pizza that she requested, although he hated vegetables on his pizza and intended to pick them off.
When he joined her on the sofa, he brought her cherry-flavored cola and his Dr Pepper soft drink.
“Thanks,” she said, taking the glass. “You shouldn’t have.”
“I was in the kitchen anyway. So, what are we watching?”
“Nothing yet. The next movie doesn’t start for twenty minutes.”
He sat beside her, noticing that she’d unclipped her hair and smelled of gardenias and baby powder.
Maybe he should have left after all.
“I talked to Julia Whittaker this afternoon,” he commented, determined to think of something other than Nikki’s perfectly kissable mouth.
“I bet she was devastated to hear about her son.”
“Yeah. She was crushed. He’s at home, but he just made himself a part of the legal system.”
“Juvenile detention?”
“Probably not, but he’ll end up on some sort of probation. The juvenile judge is a proponent of community service, so he’ll most likely have something to do along those lines.”
“Counseling?”
“Definitely.”
“I hope it helps.”
“I do, too.” He stretched his left arm along the top of the sofa, behind her back, as he made himself comfortable. “The only problem is, once he’s in the system, they’ll dog his steps for a long time.”
She shifted positions. “Speaking of being in the system, I can understand why Mrs Martin prepared all the paperwork for Emma. If she’d just left her, Emma would have ended up in foster-care and she might never have gotten her back.”
“True. But I’m curious…you never did explain why you agreed to her scheme when you didn’t know the woman.”
“I thought I did.” She spoke lightly, but he’d felt her stiffen.
“You said that you didn’t want Emma to be passed around like a package, but you didn’t explain why you thought she would be. It doesn’t really matter one way or another to me, because your decision just proves how kind and generous you are.” He grinned. “Just like Cal warned me.”
“Why is it that the men in my family are the only ones who make kindness appear as a negative trait rather than a positive one?”
“Because you have a tendency to over-extend yourself. You might be this tough-as-nails ER doc, but underneath that armor you’re pure marshmallow.”
She poked him in the ribs. “I am not.”
“OK. Then explain to me why you kept Emma when you didn’t have to.” He narrowed his eyes. “Or is that part of the secret?”
He heard her
slight hesitation. “It’s not a secret,” she said. “At least, it doesn’t have anything to do with Emma’s situation.”
“Oh?”
“You probably don’t know that I was adopted.”
Hating to see her fingers clenched together, he slid his hand between hers until she was holding his hand rather than her own. “No. Lots of people are adopted. It’s no big deal.”
“I was ten when I went to live with the Lawrences. I was so scared of everyone. They were all so much bigger than I was. It took me a while to get used to being in a houseful of rowdy boys.”
He pictured her at that age, small, elfin, and probably as cute as any little girl could hope to be. “I can imagine.”
“Then you didn’t have any other siblings before you moved in with your adoptive family?”
She shook her head. “If I did, my mother probably got rid of them the same way she did me.”
A warning flag began to fly. “What do you mean?”
“She left me on the steps of the Catholic church like a piece of unwanted luggage on my eighth birthday.”
Galen had asked for the truth, but he hadn’t expected this sort of revelation. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she said kindly. “I spent the next two years in foster-care until the Lawrences took me. I know that Emma’s situation isn’t like mine, but I couldn’t pass her to the next person on Mrs Martin’s list like she was simply a box being delivered.”
“Did you realize you were being abandoned at the church?”
“No. She said she’d come back, but she never did.”
He suspected that the pain might have faded, but from her far-away expression the memory had not.
“Maybe she couldn’t.”
She shook her head. “When the authorities found her, she immediately signed relinquishment papers so she wouldn’t be prosecuted for endangerment of a child. Which makes her promise to me rather empty, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I’m sorry,” he repeated.
“Don’t be.” She shrugged. “If I’d stayed with her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Becoming part of the Lawrence family was the best thing that could have happened.”
“No wonder they’re over-protective of you.”
Nikki smiled. “I don’t know how I would have managed if not for them. I can’t tell you how many times the boys got in a fight because someone teased me.”
“Defending your honor?”
“They were my guardian angels,” she said simply. “As time went on, they taught me to defend myself, but it didn’t stop them from smoothing the way for me whenever they could. Which is how Cal got involved when I went off to residency. Of course, I didn’t mind knowing that we were connected in some small way through my cousin.”
And he’d blown his opportunity. He was lucky she hadn’t told her brothers that the two of them had made it to third base that night and had been on their way to home plate or he’d be wearing dentures and walking with a permanent limp.
“Do you ever hear from your mother? Your birth mother, that is?”
“I saw her two years later in passing. When I was twelve, we got word that she’d overdosed.” She squeezed his hand. “And now you know why I kept Emma. I couldn’t not take her.”
The summary of her early childhood explained so much. He understood why she’d been so hurt by his honorable intentions and why she didn’t believe his sudden change of heart. If she’d learned not to trust her own mother’s promises, then she wouldn’t give her trust easily to anyone.
He’d lost far more that night than he’d realized. Regaining the ground wouldn’t be as easy the second time around, but if her brothers had earned her faith and adoration, then there was hope for him to succeed as well. It would simply take time.
“If you run through our patients this fast every day at the same time you’re helping with ER,” Lynette told Nikki on Friday, “they’re never going to believe that we need more than two physicians to staff our emergency department.”
“Sorry,” Nikki said, unrepentant. “I just want to get out of here on time.”
“Big plans for the weekend?”
“Just for tonight,” she admitted. “Galen and I are going to dinner and a movie.”
“With Emma?”
Nikki grinned. “I splurged and found a sitter.”
“Ah, that explains everything. Have a good time.”
“I will.” She’d been eagerly anticipating this evening ever since the beginning of the week. After spilling her family history, she’d felt remarkably light, as if the weight of the world had lifted from her shoulders. If Galen had been worried about not being “worthy”, her story should have disabused him of that notion.
“I don’t mean to be speaking out of turn, but…” Lynette hesitated.
“What is it?”
“When he first came, he earned somewhat of a reputation with the ladies, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, yes,” she answered wryly. “I do.”
“The sad thing is, Dr Stafford doesn’t deserve a word of it.”
Yeah, right. And I’m related to the royal family! “What makes you say that?”
“I know he went out with a different woman every few weeks, but my George was considered a playboy, too, in his day. Trust me when I say that Dr Stafford hasn’t come anywhere near George’s exploits.”
Nikki had met the balding, pudgy George and, while he’d been quite personable and talkative, if he’d been the footloose character his wife claimed, then marriage had definitely changed him.
“Anyway,” Lynette continued, “several months ago, Dr Stafford more or less dropped out of circulation. Regardless of his history and for what my opinion’s worth, I think he’s a lot like George. Once he settles down with the right woman, he won’t stray.”
Lynette’s subtle hint wasn’t so subtle, but Nikki knew that the nurse thought the sun rose and set on Galen. It wasn’t any surprise. When her husband had suffered a heart attack, Galen had administered the clot-busting drug that had saved his life. As far as she was concerned, Galen could do no wrong.
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“Don’t let the rumors influence you,” Lynette said, “in case you’re having trouble deciding if he’s the right one or not.”
“I’ll keep your endorsement in mind if we should get to that point.”
But as she soaked in the tub and got ready for Galen and the babysitter to arrive that evening, she knew she was approaching that very point at light speed.
Galen had made his intention known on Monday night. To say that she didn’t want the same would be a lie, because she wanted him, too.
Desperately.
“The question is,” she told Emma, who was lying in the middle of her double bed while Nikki got dressed, “when my contract ends, can I walk away from him without being crushed a second time?”
Emma gurgled.
“I know, I know. He said he was ready to settle down, but what guarantee do I have that he won’t grow tired of me? I’m nothing at all like the women he’s dated.” She eyed her frame in the full-length mirror screwed onto the closet door.
“I’m short and remarkably average. He prefers tall and beautiful.”
Emma grunted.
“It’s true,” she added. “I’ve seen enough of them to know. If we hadn’t gone through residency together, and if he hadn’t been friends with Cal, Galen wouldn’t have given me a second thought.”
Emma dropped her chew toy and yelled her displeasure until Nikki placed it back in her little hand.
“He might seem laid-back, but he’s a hunter,” she informed her. “Once he catches a girl, it doesn’t take him long to lose interest.”
Why not enjoy what he’s offering? her little voice taunted. You know you want it. You have for a very long time.
“It would be one way to know if he’s sincere or not,” she mused aloud to Emma. “I’d either last longer than the others, or I wouldn’t, b
ut I wouldn’t be in limbo. And I know him well enough to recognize the signs of boredom. Wouldn’t it be better to see that before I give up my locum job?
“But can I survive if my love isn’t enough to hold him?” she asked, wishing Emma could answer. “I’m afraid that once I take this final step and things don’t work out, no one else will ever compare.”
But none do now, do they?
Stunned by her realization, Nikki sank onto the bed. Subconsciously she’d known that, which was why she didn’t bother dating and why she’d been determined after her trip to Hope to put Galen completely from her mind. She might use the excuse that she didn’t want a long-distance relationship, but the truth was painfully clear. Galen simply outshone every man she’d ever met.
“Tell me, Em, what should I do?”
Emma waved her arms in the air.
“You’re right,” she said, as she rose to spritz herself with perfume. “I’ll play it by ear. Things like this can’t be decided or planned ahead of time. I made that mistake once before. I won’t do it again.”
Then what was this evening’s emergency trip to the drugstore for?
Wishful thinking, she told her little voice loftily. Whatever happened would just…happen. And when it did, she simply wanted to be prepared.
She gathered Emma off the bed, and waited in the living room for her guests.
Fortunately, the sitter arrived a few minutes later and the opportunity to debate her alternatives passed. By the time she’d outlined her instructions to the sixty-five-yearold woman who lived on the first floor, Galen walked into her apartment.
“If you have any problems,” she told Ruby, “don’t hesitate to call. You have the number.”
“I won’t,” Ruby replied, holding Emma with an ease that spoke of her extensive grandmotherly experience. “Have fun.”
As the door closed behind her, Nikki hesitated.
Galen grabbed her arm and led her into the elevator. “Come on. Ruby seems to know what she’s doing.”
“Why do I feel as if I’m doing something I shouldn’t?” Nikki complained on the way down to his parked car.
The Baby Rescue Page 11