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He nodded, licked his lips and glanced nervously in the direction Maya had gone. Not seeing her, he looked back at Nancy again. “I was a twin. My mother hemorrhaged—they couldn’t save her.”
“I’m sorry.”
He held up a hand. “My twin brother was stillborn.”
“I see,” she said. “But, Caleb, that doesn’t mean—”
“That’s not all of it. My father was a twin, as well, and his brother didn’t make it, either.” He’d let his gaze sink slowly as he spoke, but now he lifted it again to see if there was any reaction in her eyes.
There wasn’t. She was a nurse, though, and trained to hide her emotions from frightened patients, he told himself.
“Listen to me, Caleb. In the years since you were born there have been more advances in neonatal care than you can even imagine. We have babies born under three pounds today. Babies so tiny I’ve held them right in the palm of my hand.” She cupped her hand to demonstrate. “Babies who did just fine. Now Maya’s had ultrasound exams done. We already know that both babies are of good, solid size, and that they’re healthy. Maya’s healthy, too. And you’ve got to take her family history into account as well as your own. Her mother gave birth five times—the first two when she was only in her teens. And within a few hours, she was on her feet telling the other new moms in the ward to stop their whining.”
He smiled at that. He couldn’t help it, it was such an accurate visual he was getting of Vidalia Brand.
“Maya’s strong. The babies are strong. There’s no reason to think they won’t be just fine.” She looked at him again, smiled. “But if it will make you feel any better, I’ll give Maya’s doctor a call and bring her up to speed on your family history. Okay?”
He nodded. “That’s good. I wanted to do it myself, but I didn’t want Maya to know any of this.”
Nancy nodded. “That’s for the best. No sense getting her as terrified as you are.”
“That’s what I thought, too.”
She nodded. “I’ll keep it to myself—at least until after your kids are born safe and sound.”
“Thanks. You’re a good woman, Nurse Nancy.”
She made a face, rolled her eyes. “Gee, that’s the first time I’ve been called that.” Her tone was sarcastic but teasing. Reaching up, she tucked the pamphlet into Caleb’s shirt pocket. “See you in the delivery room, Dad,” she said with a wink.
His stomach clenched all over again. “Bring smelling salts in case I pass out, all right?”
“Oh, you wouldn’t be the first,” she assured him.
For some reason, that didn’t make him feel any better.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Maya sat beside Caleb in the dining room, which looked as if it had been polished up for a royal visit. A photographer toyed with his camera at the far end of the table. Bobby sat in a chair, tucked away in the corner, lurking in the shadows like a happy frog who would snap into action if a fly happened by. And he didn’t seem the least bit concerned. He seemed as if he knew that everyone would fall easily into line with his plan and be better off for it in the long run. The guy had spunk.
She didn’t particularly like spunk today, feeling almost completely devoid of the stuff herself. Although the time she’d spent with Caleb at Nancy’s house had been…it had been bliss. That was not a good thing, she reminded herself. She couldn’t forget that this was a game. A political game. She would be Caleb Montgomery’s wife because that was the role she needed to play for the good of all concerned. It didn’t mean anything, and she couldn’t let herself slip into believing that it did.
Everyone else seemed to be lying low somewhere. Caleb’s lawyers, the Levitz brothers, were apparently still out at the boarding house. Vidalia and the others had gone out to order a wedding cake. The house was empty, except for the five of them. Dirk Atwater, the well-known reporter, was adding cream to his coffee in the kitchen, while his photographer frowned at the overhead light, and changed his camera lens.
“If you get confused, just follow my lead, okay?” Caleb said in a low voice, leaning close, squeezing her hand.
She nodded. But she felt sick with nerves.
“And remember, the closer we stick to the truth, the better.”
“Right.”
“If you get confused about any details involving the wedding or arrangements, just make them up.”
“I’m no good at making things up on short notice, Caleb,” she said quickly.
“Well…then don’t make it up. Fall back on what you dreamed about as a girl. Okay? Every young girl dreams about her wedding day and what her married life will be like, doesn’t she?”
“Well…yes, sure, but—”
