She would have willingly endured every question and been utterly persuasive if she actually knew Galen’s intentions and could faithfully cling to them.
Oh, he wanted her and had made that quite plain from the beginning. At odd moments, usually when they were in public and nothing could happen, she saw the fire burning in his eyes.
As much as she wanted to hear a vow of commitment, it simply had to come out of his free will rather than her brothers’ coercion. Galen might be working to prove his ability to be faithful, but she wondered if he understood that trust and faithfulness only worked on a foundation of love.
“My life is my own,” she said somewhat loftily.
“But it’s still subject to their approval,” he said. “I know you’re willing to buck them, but I’m not. I won’t be responsible for putting you at odds with your family, so let’s leave it at that, shall we?”
She was flattered by his insistence on doing the honorable thing, but during her weaker moments his refusal to move in with her seemed more of a sign that he had reservations about settling down with her than he’d originally claimed.
If she’d been smart, she wouldn’t have allowed herself to taste that forbidden and, oh, so addictive fruit without hearing him tell her that he loved her, but she hadn’t. They might be friends and now lovers, but she simply had to wait for him to say those magic words.
“Seriously, though,” he said slowly, as if testing her reaction, “I think you should consider what you’re going to do if Emma’s mother doesn’t return.”
“Don’t you think she will?”
He shrugged. “We’ve both seen a lot of sad cases come through the ER. It sounds so dramatic and a little romantic to think Alice was desperate and placed her daughter with someone responsible while she hid from the bad guys, but Emma may not have the happy ending you’ve pictured. And if she doesn’t…”
“Alice has made provisions for her,” Nikki said, recalling the letter.
“How can you trust a woman you don’t know so completely?”
She knew what he was really asking—how could she trust a stranger and not him? Maybe because any hurt that Alice might inflict by not keeping her promise wouldn’t come close to what Galen would do to her.
“Woman’s intuition. And don’t ask me to explain because I can’t.”
“And if you’re supposed to relinquish her to someone else? Could you do that?”
She’d purposely refused to consider that scenario. She’d hoped that if Alice didn’t return, she’d be granted permanent custody. “I’ll have to obey her wishes, won’t I?”
Suddenly she wondered if Emma’s fate had a direct bearing on her own. Before she could ask Galen if he’d mind being an instant father if that should be how things worked out, he pulled the bottle out of Emma’s slack-jawed mouth.
“Miss Piglet,” he said with his usual affection, “is finished, and just in time. If we leave now, we won’t be late for Annie’s concert at the fire department.”
Her discussion would have to wait. “I hope Emma doesn’t scream when she hears the bagpipes.”
“Annie’s quite good these days.” He grinned. “Even Jared, who thought she was being murdered when he first heard her, admits she’s come a long way.”
“So why hold her concerts at the fire station?”
“They’re really not official concerts,” he said as Nikki replaced the socks Emma had kicked off. “Annie’s a paramedic and bagpipes are often associated with fire departments. The story of her playing for the public is quite involved, so you should ask her for the details.”
He rose to place Emma in her carrier and strap her in. “Shall we go?”
Galen drove to Fire Station Number Three, pleasantly surprised to see so many cars parked nearby. “This is quite a crowd,” he said as he glanced around the yard and triple driveway where at least two dozen people had placed their folding chairs. Up and down the entire street, people were sitting on their porches or front lawns, clearly waiting for Annie’s performance.
Nikki sank onto the stadium chair Galen had unfolded. “Then she doesn’t always attract this large a crowd?”
“Not on the occasions I’ve been here.” He noticed Annie standing near the center set of garage doors and watched as Jared maneuvered himself on his crutches to a front-row chair next to the rest of the uniformed firemen. As soon as he was settled, Annie smiled and the music began.
She played for thirty minutes, but to Galen that half-hour passed quickly. He’d set their chairs close together so that he could easily snake his arm around Nikki’s shoulders in a casual embrace.
As the music filled the night air, his mind wandered to their earlier conversation. He knew that Nikki wanted him to move in with her and he was more than happy to do so, but his excuse about putting her at odds with her family was only partially correct. The truth of the matter was that he simply felt as if he didn’t measure up to her family’s high standards. At one time he’d been the sort of fellow they wouldn’t have welcomed into the fold, but he was determined to prove his worthiness to Nikki and her straitlaced brothers.
It was quite ridiculous for him to see himself in such an unfavorable light. He was a respected physician now, not the impulsive, footloose high-school and college student he had once been. Yet knowing that his entire future rested on these few weeks was enough to play on any man’s insecurities.
But, oh, how he wanted everything she was willing to give. As he traced small circles on her bare arm he felt her shiver, and his masculine pride swelled in his chest. He was the one who made Nikki melt and that was a weapon he intended to use every chance he could get.
Nikki listened to the music, although it was almost impossible to focus while Galen gently stroked her bare arm. His touch had always created an achy awareness inside her, but now it carried a heat that burned hotter and longer than before. She wanted to lean closer to him, to sit so that there wasn’t any space between them, but between the chair arms and the crowd around them it was impossible.
Although she didn’t recognize any of Annie’s tunes, she recognized the song he was playing on her…the song promising a time of making their own beautiful music.
She stole a glance at him and caught him doing the same to her. To the general public he looked quite calm and relaxed, but she saw his heavy-lidded eyes, the barely imperceptible movement of his lips, and the way his throat worked as he swallowed.
Heat began to build inside until she wished Emma would wake up and act as the proverbial cold bucket of water that would force her to yank free of his magnetic pull. As if on cue, the baby ended her nap but, rather than fuss, she sat quietly in her car seat and listened, wide-eyed. Occasionally she waved her hands and threw in rattle music as accompaniment, but otherwise she couldn’t have been a more model three-month-old.
After Annie ended her repertoire, the people clapped enthusiastically, a few of the firemen whistled, and the gathering slowly dispersed. Nikki, however, was certain her hair was standing on end from the electricity flowing between Galen and herself. Certain he would see how his presence had affected her and give her that knowing masculine smile he’d perfected, she deliberately avoided his gaze and focused on Annie.
“She was wonderful,” Nikki exclaimed. “I never realized how emotional bagpipe music is.” Of course, her feelings might have had something to do with the present company, but even if Galen hadn’t been with her, her heart would still have been deeply moved.
“You can tell her that in person.” Galen guided her through the group until they reached Annie, who had now moved to stand beside Jared.
“You played beautifully,” Nikki told her.
Annie laughed. “Oh, I still hit a few wrong notes, but I’m coming along. Right, Jared?” She placed a hand on his shoulder and he grabbed it.
“She’s made remarkable progress.” He gazed up at her fondly. “Didn’t I tell you that you simply needed incentive?”
“He’s the one who started this
concert thing,” she told Nikki. “He’d told the guys that I played the bagpipes, so they dared me to play for them one night. I did.”
“And it grew into this.” Nikki waved her arms.
“Yeah.” Annie’s face took on an embarrassed but pleased pink tint. “I sat outside and played, and before I knew it a few of the neighbors came out of their homes and the pedestrians stopped to listen. Next thing I knew, I had more than just my crew for an audience.”
“How long have you been playing?”
“My grandfather tried teaching me when I was little, but I wasn’t really interested. It wasn’t until after he died, and I realized how much I needed this connection to him, that I bought a few books, dredged up what I could remember of his advice from memory, and started.”
“You were great,” Nikki told her. “Those must have been Scottish songs because I didn’t recognize any of them.”
“Gaelic,” Annie corrected. “The pipes belong to the Gaelic culture and the pieces I chose included ‘My Home’, ‘Highland Laddie’, and ‘The Road to the Isles’. Those were Grandpa’s favorites, so I always include them.”
“Your grandfather’s teaching must have taken a stronger hold than you think if you can play so well with only books as your instructor.”
Annie laughed again. “He probably would be pleased, too. I just tried to remember the things he told me…to relax and blow regularly. And, of course, ‘Seinn air a’phiob’, which roughly translates to, ‘Sing on the pipes rather than play them.’”
Emma squealed and arched her back as her signal that she was tired of her current view. Nikki hefted her charge onto her shoulder and the baby smiled when she looked in Galen’s direction.
“So this is Emma?” A soft look appeared in Annie’s eyes. “Galen’s told us so much about her. She’s quite a charmer.”
“She is. And Galen is her buddy. At times he’s the only one she wants.” Nikki understood completely. She suffered from the same affliction.
“He’s a good guy,” Annie said simply. “I owe him a lot.”
“What do you mean?”
Without warning, the alarm sounded. Like a well-rehearsed drill, people hastily grabbed their chairs off the driveway while the firemen raced to their trucks.
“Gotta run. See you later,” Annie called as she hurriedly placed her pipes in a safe place and jumped into the passenger side of the ambulance.
Jared hobbled onto the grass and as Emma began to cry at the noise, Galen took her to cuddle. A few minutes later the trucks pulled out of the station and headed west, their sirens and flashing lights fading into the distance.
“At least Annie got to play her full session,” Jared remarked.
“Does this happen often?” Nikki asked.
“About every other week,” he admitted cheerfully. “Everyone’s learned to expect it…and hope it won’t happen the next time. I hear you’ve been busy, Galen.”
Nikki could tell from Jared’s expression that he missed being a part of the ER excitement.
“There haven’t been any dull moments,” Galen answered. “Thank goodness we have Nikki to take up the slack.”
Jared nodded. “This is coming off in two weeks,” he said, motioning to his ankle cast. “I wanted to come back full time, but Thompson says the most he’ll approve is light duty, part time. I think he’s going to stick me behind a desk.” He finished on a definite sour note.
Nikki realized that she was a little more than halfway through her time in Hope, which also meant that if the Martins didn’t return for Emma before then, she would have to take Emma with her. That part didn’t bother her, but she knew how Galen doted on the baby and how well the baby had bonded with him. Could she cut those ties for her own convenience?
Or did Galen care? Was she worrying over nothing?
“Don’t rush it, buddy,” Galen said. “As I said, Nikki is doing well and is a darn sight prettier to look at. Sweeter disposition, too.”
Jared chuckled, but something in his eyes made her wonder if he didn’t see more than everyone else did.
“Enjoy it while you can,” he remarked.
Galen fished his car keys out of his pocket. “Do you need a lift?”
“I’m going to hang around here for a few more hours. Thanks for the offer, though.”
As they were driving away, Galen asked, “Do you mind if we stop by my place before I take you home? My landlord is having trouble with the timers on his sprinkler system and he asked me to make sure they shut down tonight. He left town today and won’t be back until tomorrow and doesn’t want to come back to a waterlogged lawn.”
“Go ahead. We don’t mind.” Then, because Annie hadn’t had time to explain her last comment, Nikki said, “Annie said that she owes you a lot. What did she mean?”
His eyes crinkled with his smile. “I may have played a part in them getting together.”
“Matchmaking?” She pretended horror. “I never would have guessed. You definitely have hidden talents.”
“It’s not like you think,” he protested. “Jared and Annie didn’t get along at first…she’d forgotten to pay her electric bill but because of an address problem the company cut off his power instead. He thought she needed someone to take her under his wing and he wanted me to do it.”
“You? Why you?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “I thought Annie was a special lady and we got along well.”
A twinge of jealousy attacked her but, because Annie was a friendly and unassuming individual and didn’t act as if she had designs on Galen, Nikki dismissed it.
He continued, “I simply told him that if he was worried about her then he should do it himself.”
Seeing the look the two had exchanged, Nikki guessed that, whatever their differences had been, they’d sorted them out. “He obviously did.”
“Oh, yeah. They’re going to get married. November, I think.” He turned a final corner and stopped next to the curb.
His apartment building had been built in the 1970s and showed distinct signs of wear. She was fairly surprised that he hadn’t moved into something more suited to his bachelor lifestyle, but she also knew that a doctor couldn’t pay off med school loans and live like a king at the same time.
“You can wait for me in my apartment,” he said. “It’s nothing fancy, but I’ve heard from a reliable source that my ancient leather recliner is comfy.”
“Don’t tell me you still have that same old chair,” she said, delighted. She’d spent many an hour curled up on it while they’d studied.
His lazy grin reappeared. “OK, I won’t say a word. I’ll let you be surprised.”
After helping her out of the car and unlocking the front door of his ground-floor apartment, he called out a cheery “Make yourself at home” and left.
His living space was infinitely more modern than the apartment he’d rented during their days at St Luke’s and, except for the chair he’d dubbed hers, a sturdy, Early American-style sofa and end tables had replaced his vintage garage-sale furniture.
Emma had fallen asleep in her carrier during the short drive, so Nikki placed it on the floor and began walking around Galen’s home to see the man he had become.
It was a single bedroom apartment, neat but a little dusty, and his kitchen didn’t appear overused. She knew he cooked, but he tended to stick to fast and easy basics, like frying eggs and bacon, grilling a sandwich, or opening a can of soup.
Lately, though, he spent most of his mealtimes with her, so he didn’t need much more than the carton of milk, a loaf of bread, a package of lunchmeat, and the beloved Dr Pepper soft drink that she found in his refrigerator.
Returning to the living room, she noticed a bookcase in the corner and she wondered if he was finally indulging his passion for military adventure novels. She found several shelves lined with them, including a few historical works and autobiographies of men who’d changed the course of medicine.
At the bottom she found what looked like an old photo album
. Curious, she picked it up, brushed the dust off the cover, and opened it. Inside, she discovered page upon page of photos of Galen as a baby, then a boy, and finally as a college graduate.
Unable to deny herself this unexpected treat, she carried the book to her chair and started at the beginning.
Galen had been a beautiful baby, she decided as she saw him grow from infancy to toddlerhood. Just as he aged, the people who posed with him did, too. At first he stood with his mother or father, and then he stood alone, presumably because his mother had taken the pictures after his father had deserted them.
Then he held his little sister. A cute little bundle who had dark hair, big eyes, and a big smile just like…
Emma.
Nikki held her breath as she looked across to compare the baby in the carrier to the baby sleeping in three-year-old Galen’s arms.
Other than the clothing, she would have sworn the two were identical.
Her hand shook as she turned the page in search of other pictures. Perhaps it was just a coincidence in the same way that all babies looked remarkably alike.
To her growing dismay, each picture only seemed to hammer home the similarities. This resemblance was not a fluke of the camera, not an aberration of the lens, but something that was evident in photo after photo. Not only did each picture distinctly capture Galen’s sister’s physical features, but also her lopsided smile, the dimple in her cheek, the way she squinted when laughing.
Exactly the way Nikki saw Emma do now.
Emma’s mother was Galen’s sister. She had to be.
For her safety, don’t tell anyone of her identity. The message Alice Martin had written couldn’t have been more plain. If, indeed, she was involved in a high-profile murder trial, Nikki understood about keeping Emma’s identity and whereabouts a secret. But to go to such lengths to put Emma in her care, to have watched her as the letter had claimed, Alice surely had known that Galen was in town.
Why hadn’t she given Emma to him for safekeeping, instead of relinquishing her to a total stranger?
The Baby Rescue Page 13