Emergency: single dad, mother needed Read online

  Holly flung clothes out of her closet, trying to find something classy yet sexy to wear.

  Why didn’t she own a single item of clothing that made her feel sexy without being too obvious? Finally settling on a V-necked ruby-red sweater and a pair of black jeans, she barely had time to hide the mess in her closet when the doorbell rang.

  Taking a deep breath to calm her jagged nerves, Holly swiped her damp palms down the sides of her jeans and forced herself to walk slowly to the door. When she saw Gabe standing there, looking anxious, her nervousness faded.

  She opened the door with a shy smile. “Hi.”

  “Hi.” Holding a slender brown paper bag in the crook of his arm, Gabe stepped inside, bringing a cool gust of autumn air. “I brought wine.”

  “Great.” She took the bottle of wine so he could shrug out of his leather jacket. Wearing black jeans and a white shirt, open at the throat, he looked wonderful.

  She must have been gawking because he smiled as he reached for the wine. “I think I remember where your corkscrew is.”

  Following him to the kitchen, she remembered the last time he’d arrived on her doorstep, just a few nights ago. Back then she’d been running from her feelings.

  She wasn’t running from them tonight.

  The air crackled with tension as Gabe opened the wine and poured two glasses. Carrying them both in one hand, he drew her to the sofa, urging her to sit before handing her one of the glasses.

  “Here’s to us,” he offered as a toast. “To the beginning of something special.”

  Something special? Her throat went dry and she couldn’t speak as she took a sip of the fruity red wine. Did that mean what she thought it meant?

  “Holly.” Gabe reached up to cradle her cheek in the palm of his hand. “You’re so beautiful. I thought of you all day.”

  She wanted to tell him to stop, that he didn’t have to say nice things because she already wanted him. More than she’d ever wanted any man.

  Even Tom. Especially Tom.

  “Gabe,” she murmured, not sure of how to tell him, to express what she really wanted. And then she didn’t have to. Because he read her mind, taking her wineglass from her fingers and drawing her into his arms for a deep kiss.

  Yes. This was what she wanted. Gabe’s warm strength surrounding her, his mouth taking possession of hers. Reaching up she entwined her arms around his neck, pulling him closer against her. In a deft movement he lifted her up, pressing her back against the couch so she was stretched out beneath him.

  She reveled in the hard length of him pressing against her. He was strength and tenderness wrapped in one desirable male package. Gabe raised his head, his eyes desperate with need as he gazed down at her.

  “Holly, please, tell me you want this as much as I do.” His husky admission only fueled her passion. No man had ever looked at her with such desire.

  “Yes, Gabe. I want this as much as you do.” She swallowed hard and admitted, “Maybe more.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  GABE stared at her for a long moment. He was almost afraid to believe he’d heard right.

  “Please, be sure,” he murmured hoarsely. Every muscle in his body was taut with need. Never in his life had he wanted a woman as much as he wanted Holly.

  Her smile was seductive, sensual and she reached up to thread her fingers through his hair. “I’m sure. Kiss me, Gabe.”

  Gladly. He’d kiss her all day, every day, given the chance. Holding his weight off her with one arm, he leaned down to cover her mouth with his.

  Her sofa didn’t provide a lot of room, but as far as he was concerned they weren’t in a hurry either. He kissed her slowly but deeply, enjoying the wine-tinged taste of her mouth and the feel of her soft breasts pressed against him. He wanted to strip their clothing away, to see every creamy inch of her skin, but he held himself in control.

  Barely.

  Holly tugged on his shirt, sliding her hands underneath the fabric, her hands cool against his fevered skin.

  Shifting his weight off her as much as he could, he trailed a path of kisses to her throat. And then as far down as her V-necked sweater would let him go.

  “My bedroom,” she gasped, as he nudged the fabric aside and found the upper curve of her breast.

  “In a minute,” he whispered, pushing her sweater up and out of the way. He took a moment to admire the way her breasts looked in the lacy blue bra before making quick work of the front clasp.

  A guy had to like expensive lingerie. Some things were worth any price.

  Gently peeling the bra away, he freed her breasts. Annoyed with his own shirt, he ripped it off and then gathered her close, enjoying the feeling of her softness against him.

  Holly ran her fingers over his back, making him shiver. He loved the way she touched him, full of awe and wonder.

  “Did you say something about your bedroom?” he asked, lightly brushing a kiss over her mouth.

  “Did I?” Her eyes were glazed with passion. “Oh, yes, down the hall.”

  Down the hall seemed like miles, yet as much as he didn’t want to move he knew Holly deserved to be comfortable.

  He wanted this night to be special for her. JT was in good hands with his grandmother. He didn’t want to feel guilty for stealing these few hours alone.

  Tonight was for Holly. And for him.

  Peeling himself away from her, he held on to one of her hands as he stood, bringing her up beside him, unwilling to let her go, even for a moment. He didn’t bother trying to find his discarded shirt but led the way down the hall, figuring out which bedroom was hers by a process of elimination.

  He didn’t flip on the light switch as he entered the room, wanting to see her but not willing to make her feel self-conscious.

  It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. There was a little bit of light shining through the doorway, enough that he could make out the large bed in the center of the room. He paused at the edge of her bed and turned to face her.

  “There’s still time to change your mind,” he felt obligated to point out, although he hoped and prayed she wouldn’t.

  She didn’t answer, but grasped the hem of her sweater and lifted it up and over her head. Her open bra fell off her slim shoulders to the floor. When she stepped forward and reached for the fly of his jeans, he groaned and tried to hang on to the last vestiges of his control.

  Her fingers seemed to spend more time exploring him than getting rid of his clothes. When he couldn’t take her exquisite torture a moment longer, he shucked his jeans and boxers in a swift motion, and then reached for her. Lifting her up, he gently placed her on the bed, and then he peeled off her jeans and matching blue bikini underwear.

  Damn, she was beautiful. He wished the lights were on so he could explore every inch of her satiny skin, but there wasn’t time. Holly was already urgently reaching for him, her deft hands igniting small fires as they touched him everywhere.

  “Please, Gabe…”

  He couldn’t deny her, not when his pleasure depended on hers. He fished in his jeans for protection, and then returned the favor, stroking her skin, kissing her breasts until he could barely think. When she wrapped her legs around his hips he couldn’t hold off another moment, but slid deep, branding her as his.

  The strong feeling of possessiveness shocked him. As he made love to Holly, drawing out the sensation until they both reached the pinnacle of pleasure, he held her close, burying his face in her hair, knowing things had irrevocably changed.

  She belonged to him now. And he wasn’t planning to ever let her go.

  Holly held on to Gabe’s strong shoulders, her face pressed to the hollow of his neck, deeply shaken by the experience they’d shared.

  Gabe was a wonderful lover. Unselfish to the core, seeking to satisfy her needs before his own. Even after he shifted to the side, he gathered her close as if unable to bear leaving any space between them.

  She closed her eyes, relaxing against him, enjoying the moment for as
long as it lasted. He’d probably have to leave soon. She understood he wouldn’t be able to stay the night.

  JT needed him.

  A tiny part of her mind realized Gabe must have felt better about leaving JT with his grandmother than with a babysitter, even someone as responsible as Marybeth.

  But what would happen when Marybeth was released by the doctor to return to her babysitting duties and JT’s grandmother went home?

  The tumultuous thought wouldn’t leave her alone, even though she knew she was borrowing trouble.

  Best not to worry so much about the future. Gabe had claimed they needed to take things slow. Making love with him hadn’t exactly been slowly, but she figured he was really referring to her relationship with JT. That was the part they needed to take slow.

  Not this part. The being-with-him-in-her-bed part.

  Gabe didn’t leave. Several hours later he woke her up, making love to her again, this time languidly exploring her body as if they had all the time in the world.

  Eventually, she realized how late it had become. Dawn was just an hour or two away.

  She fell asleep again, waking up only when Gabe kissed her. “I have to go to work,” he whispered.

  “Okay,” she murmured groggily.

  “I’m going to borrow your shower.”

  She nodded, yawned and stretched while Gabe disappeared into her bathroom. Her alarm wouldn’t go off for another half-hour, but she climbed out of bed anyway, to make Gabe some coffee before he left. Seemed like the least she could do after the wonderful night they’d shared.

  She pulled her robe on and padded to the kitchen. Did Gabe eat breakfast? She wasn’t sure. Truthfully there was a lot she still didn’t know about him.

  Although she already knew the important stuff. Like what a great lover he was. And what a wonderful, unselfish father he was to JT. Family was important to him, too.

  He’d spent the whole night with her. Somehow she hadn’t expected he’d do that, even with his mother at his house, watching over JT.

  Gabe walked into the kitchen fully dressed in the clothes he’d worn last night. “Good morning,” he said huskily, pulling her close for a kiss.

  “Good morning.” She was breathless when he finally let her go. As he reached for his mug of coffee, his cellphone rang.

  Gabe frowned as he pulled open his phone. “Hi, Mom. What’s up?”

  His face paled and his expression turned grim as he listened on the other end of the phone. “I’ll meet you at the hospital,” he said in a terse tone.

  The hospital? “Gabe? What’s wrong?”

  “She called 911 for an ambulance because JT’s having seizures. I need to go.”

  She could only watch as he spun on his heel, grabbed his coat and bolted out the door.

  He never should have gone to Holly’s house last night.

  He never should have left JT alone.

  He’d never be a good father.

  The self-recriminations echoed over and over in his mind as he barreled through the streets of Minneapolis, cutting the normally short drive to the hospital in half.

  How long had JT been having seizures? All night? His gut clenched with pain. What if JT suffered irreversible neurological damage as a result?

  Guilt swelled, choking him. Dear God, JT had to be all right. He just had to be.

  Gabe beat the ambulance to the hospital. He paced the center of the ED arena but then belatedly realized he was scheduled to work. Inwardly swearing, he headed off to find Mike Johnson, the physician who’d staffed the ED overnight.

  He found Mike sitting in front of one of the bedside computers, finishing his chart documentation, and quickly explained what had happened with JT.

  “Hey, it’s all right,” Mike said in his normal, easygoing manner. “I’ll stay and make a few phone calls to find someone to cover your shift.”

  Gabe was grateful his colleague was so willing to help out. “Thanks.” He glanced down, realizing his hands were shaking.

  What was taking the ambulance so long to get here? Had something happened to JT on the way? His mind easily painted the worst picture, imagining the paramedic team running a full-blown respiratory and cardiac resuscitation on JT during the trip to the hospital.

  Then suddenly he saw JT’s name listed on the arena’s census board. The doors from the ambulance bay burst open and a team of paramedics wheeled JT in, his mother hurrying alongside.

  “What happened on the way?” Gabe asked, gazing down at JT, who appeared to be asleep. No breathing tube had been placed, thank heavens. But clearly the boy wasn’t very responsive to his surroundings.

  “We gave him a dose of Versed and the seizures stopped. But he’s still pretty lethargic. His vital signs are stable, except he’s running a fairly high fever—102. 8 Fahrenheit.”

  Had the fever caused the seizure? “Get him on the monitor and then draw a full set of labs, including blood cultures. We also need a chest X ray.”

  The nursing staff stepped up to take over JT’s care from the paramedic team that had brought him in. Gabe stared at JT’s peaceful face, wondering what was going on in the boy’s small body. A virus of some sort was the obvious answer, but what kind? And if it was Guillain-Barré syndrome, that didn’t typically cause seizures or a high fever.

  “Get a neurology consult, too,” he added, remembering the pediatrician’s recommendation. “And I want a CT scan of his head.”

  Someone tapped him on the arm. “I’m officially taking over as the physician of record here, Gabe.”

  He glanced down to see Dr. Tara Irwin standing beside him. Mike must have called her to cover his shift. While he was grateful, he was also a little annoyed. His feelings must have shown on his face.

  “Don’t argue with me, Gabe,” she warned.

  At her determined expression, his annoyance faded. He stepped back, knowing Tara was absolutely right. He couldn’t be calm and rational, not when JT’s life was at stake.

  Especially when they didn’t even know what was wrong with him.

  He listened as Tara confirmed most of his orders and added a few of her own, including an infectious disease consult. JT woke up, crying a little when a nurse drew blood.

  “Shh, it’s okay, buddy.” Gabe pulled a chair close to JT’s bed, taking his hand. “I’m here. I love you, JT.”

  Shortly after they finished the procedure, JT fell asleep again. Gabe tried not to panic at the extent of his lethargy, as it was normal after a seizure.

  As the staff hurried to complete the orders, his mother came up to stand beside him. “Are you all right?” she asked.

  “Fine.” His words were clipped and he realized he was coming across as angry. And he was mad, but at himself, not at his mother. He’d made the decision to leave JT in her care while he went to Holly’s. This was his fault and no one else’s. “Sorry, I’m just worried about him.”

  “I know.” His mother laid a hand on his shoulder. “But stop beating yourself up, Gabe. JT was fine last night, I checked on him before I went to bed. This morning I heard him cry out as if he was having a nightmare so I hurried into his room. His body started to convulse, on the right side especially, so I quickly called 911 and then called you.”

  Gabe closed his eyes, relieved to know JT hadn’t been seizing all night.

  “Thanks for telling me,” he said finally. Maybe she was right, and nothing would have changed even if he had been there. Was it so wrong to take some time for himself? He didn’t really think so yet, no matter how illogical, he couldn’t get past the feeling he’d let JT down.

  Maybe he wasn’t cut out to be a father.

  “Dr. Martin?” One of the nurses poked her head into the room. “Radiology called to tell us they’re ready for JT. We’re going to take him over for his CT scan now.”

  “All right.” Gabe stood and moved back, so the transport team of the nurse and the radiology aide could disconnect JT from the heart monitor. Gabe watched, bereft, as they wheeled his son away.
/>   “Are you hungry?” his mother asked.

  He shook his head, knowing he couldn’t eat. “Go ahead, though. I’ll just wait here for JT to get back.” CT scans of the head didn’t take long.

  His mother seemed to hesitate, but then nodded. “All right, I’ll be back in a little while.”

  He sat back in the chair, cradling his head in his hands. JT had to be all right. They’d figure out what was wrong with him and they’d treat him. He’d be fine.

  He had to believe JT would be fine.

  “Gabe?”

  He raised his head at the sound of Holly’s voice. She stood in the doorway, as if unsure of her welcome.

  For a moment he longed to go to her, to take her into his arms, drawing comfort. But he couldn’t move. As much as he knew that none of this was her fault, he couldn’t get past how he’d selfishly gone over to her house, leaving JT home alone with his grandmother.

  “Where’s JT?” she asked, taking another step farther into the room. “How is he?”

  “They stopped the seizure but he’s still pretty out of it.” Gabe strove to keep his tone steady, although inside he felt as if he might shatter into a dozen little pieces. “He’s in Radiology for a CT of his head.”

  “I see.” Holly’s expression was wary, as if she could sense how he regretted the time they’d spent together. None of this was her fault either. She hadn’t asked him to spend the night.

  He’d made that decision on his own.

  “Thanks for coming to see him,” he said.

  She licked her lips and glanced away. “Actually, I’m here on consult.”

  That’s right, he remembered Tara requesting an infectious disease consult. He tried to pull his scattered thoughts together. To see Holly as a physician, not as the woman he’d spent the night making love with. “Do you think he could have viral meningitis?” he asked.

  Holly shook her head. “I checked the results of the LP they did on JT yesterday—there’s no evidence of meningitis.”

  Gabe sighed, unsure if that was good news. At least if they had a diagnosis they could formulate a treatment plan. “He was running a fever this morning. It could be that the seizure was related to the fever and not to anything neurological.”