Page 13
Over the next few days he planned to make sure Heather didn’t have anything to worry about. He’d made that decision the previous evening. When he got home, he hadn’t been able to sleep. All through the night he’d found himself thinking about Heather and what they’d shared. He’d never imagined what it would be like to help a woman give birth. Even though he’d always had the vague idea that one day he would have children, it wasn’t something he’d allowed himself to dwell on. Too many unhappy memories, he thought. But if the situation ever came up, he now had some experience.
He headed to the maternity wing and found Heather up and dressed, sitting in the chair beside her bed, holding Diane. The tiny infant was asleep, and the sight of her cradled in her mother’s arms hit him like a sucker punch to the belly. All his air rushed out and he was left gasping for breath.
It should have been like this for him. The unwelcome thought came unbidden. He’d pushed the past so far back in his mind that he hadn’t thought it could possibly find its way to the light. But it had. It should have been like this for him, he thought again. But Carrie had never given him the chance.
At that moment, Heather glanced up and saw him. “Hi,” she said with a smile. “Right on time, but then I guess she’s the only one around here who’s chronically early,” she added, nodding toward her daughter.
Heather wore a loose-fitting dress and sandals. There was a lot less tummy than before, although her midsection was still a little out of proportion compared with her thin arms and legs. Her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail and her face was bare of makeup. She looked young and excited, as if she was beginning the most wonderful adventure.
“Morning,” he said. “I see you’re all packed.”
Several shopping bags stood by the door, as did an infant car seat. “My apartment manager stopped by my place on her way to work and got me a few things,” she told him. “Including the car seat. Although I have to warn you, I’m not exactly sure how to strap it in. The directions are in the box.”
“I’m sure I can figure it out.” He grabbed the infant seat in one hand and scooped up the shopping bags in the other. “I’ll head out to the car, then come back and get you.”
“The nurse said they had to wheel me out, so we’ll meet you out front.”
He nodded and left. After stowing the bags in the trunk, he removed the car seat from its box and glanced at the directions. They seemed simple enough to him, and fifteen minutes later, the seat was firmly secured in the back. He straightened and turned to see Heather and Diane being wheeled out of the main entrance to the hospital.
As they approached, she caught sight of the car seat in place. “You’ve got the thing installed already,” she said, her voice accusing.
“Of course.”
“It must be a guy thing. I really hate that. It would’ve taken me an hour to figure it out.”
He stepped back to let her put Diane into the carrier and strap her in. “The point is, you would have figured it out eventually. It doesn’t matter how long it takes.”
“Easy for you to say, Mr. I-Can-Fix-It-In-Seconds.”
He grinned. “Some of us have it, and some of us don’t.”
“Very funny.” Heather closed the rear door and turned to thank the nurse’s aid. Then she slowly lowered herself into the passenger seat.
“Still sore?” he asked.
“Yeah. In places I didn’t know could hurt this much. But the nurses all tell me it will get better quickly.”
He made sure she was settled before he circled around to the driver’s side. There was something intimate about picking up a woman and her newborn from the hospital and taking them home. Something that screamed “family.” The sensation didn’t bother him. If anything, he was enjoying his chance to pretend that this was all his. He would take care of Heather for a while, then return to his solitary life. It was what he’d always done.
“Nice car,” Heather said as he started the engine. “It’s a BMW, right?”
“Yes, a 540, their midsize sedan. I also have a truck, which I drive most of the time, but I figured you and Diane would be more comfortable in this car, not to mention its having a trunk.”
Her big green eyes widened slightly. “A truck and a BMW. The helicopter business must pay well. I didn’t realize my baby was being delivered by a tycoon.”
“Tycoon is a bit of a stretch, but the business does do well. Executives and rock stars like to travel by helicopter and that don’t come cheap.” He rested his hands on the steering wheel. “Where to?”
She named two cross streets in the southwest part of the valley and he headed that way. Traffic was relatively light. Heather leaned back in her seat and sighed. “This is nice. I could doze off right here.”
“Did you get any sleep?”
“Not much. Some of it was discomfort, but mostly I think I was too excited. What with being a new mom and all. I figure I’ll be back to work in about two weeks.”
“What? You can’t be serious. That’s too soon.”
She looked at him. “Not the factory. I have a three-month maternity leave from them, and if everything goes as planned, I’m not returning for several months after that, or even at all. I meant my bookkeeping business. There’s an accountant who sends work my way, and I’ve found a few clients on my own. The practice is small, but it’s growing. I work out of my home, so it’s just a matter of shuffling to the computer and working on the books. I’m hoping to pick up a couple more clients, then I’ll only need to get a part-time job to supplement my income. I would prefer to stay home as much as possible with Diane.”
“You have it all worked out.”
