Daddy by Christmas (4 page)

“Then you'll have to leave while we examine her.”

“I'll be right outside,” he told Mia. “Just holler if you need me.”

Jarrett stepped back behind the curtain and found a row of chairs against the wall. That was as far as he was going.

 

For the next few hours, Jarrett watched medical personal go in and out of Mia's cubicle.

But no one told him a thing.

Finally they moved her down the hall to a room so they could keep monitoring her. Recalling the frightened look on her face, he knew he couldn't leave her alone. So he followed her and camped outside her room.

He glanced up from the newspaper someone else had left and saw Nola.

He stood as the older woman walked toward him. “Mr. McKane.” She gripped his hand with both of hers. “How is Mia?”

“I don't know any more than what I told you when I phoned. And the doctor won't tell me anything because I'm not a relative.”

Nola nodded. “I know, I fibbed and said I was her grandmother so I could come back here.”

He walked Nola to the sofa and sat down. “How did you get here?”

“One of the parishioners from the church,” she said.

“Joe can't drive at night, and Ralph doesn't have his license any more.” She shook her head. “Mia always takes us places we need to go.” The older woman blinked. “Oh, Mr. McKane, what if something is wrong with the baby?” Those watery hazel eyes turned to him. “She wants this baby so much.”

He already knew that. He'd never felt so helpless and he hated that. “Nola, the doctors here are good and her specialist is here, too. So try not to worry.” He put on a
smile. “And will you do me another favor? Please call me Jarrett.”

She beamed at him.

He'd broken one of his cardinal rules. Not to get personally involved when it came to business. A week ago if someone told him he'd be sitting here worried about a pregnant woman and a couple of dozen retirees, he'd have told them they were crazy.

An attractive blond woman in a white coat came down the hall toward them. “Are you waiting to hear about Mia Saunders?”

They both stood. “Yes, we are,” Jarrett said. “I'm Jarrett McKane, I brought Mia in. This is Nola Madison, her…grandmother. How is she?”

The doctor smiled. “Nice to meet you both. I'm Lauren Drake, Mia's doctor. She's fine for now. We managed to stop the contractions, but I want her to stay overnight as a precaution.”

“What about the baby?” Nola asked.

“The fetus is thirty-four weeks, so if Mia does go into labor, she could deliver a healthy baby. Of course the longer she carries it, the better.”

“Well, we'll do everything we can to make sure of that,” Nola said.

The doctor nodded. “I'm glad, because when she goes home, I want her to stay in bed for the next few weeks. She needs to avoid all stress and just rest.”

No stress,
Jarrett thought.
Great.
He'd dumped a truck-load on her. “Is that what caused the contractions?”

“We all have to agree that a lot has happened to Mia in the past few months,” the doctor echoed. “Losing her brother and sister-in-law was traumatic for her.”

Nola spoke up. “We've all been trying to help her through it.”

Dr. Drake nodded. “I hope that can continue, because she's going to need someone to be around more, or at least within shouting distance to check on her.”

“We can be there as much as she needs us,” Nola said and turned to him. “Right, Jarrett?”

Great, he was the last person Mia wanted around. “Of course. I live across the hall. I guess I could keep an eye on her.”

 

Thanks to the medication, Mia was feeling groggy. She didn't like that. For years, she'd avoided any and all drugs. But if it kept the baby safe, she'd do whatever it took.

Closing her eyes, she wondered how she was going to manage over the next few weeks. She had deadlines to make, and she needed the money.

Stop! Worrying wasn't good for the baby. She rubbed her stomach, knowing how close she'd come to delivering early. She wasn't ready for the baby. She didn't even have any diapers and very few clothes. The baby bed wasn't set up, either. She sighed. How was she going to do everything? How could she do everything and be a good mother, too? A tear slid down her cheek.

She thought back to her childhood. She'd always messed up. How many times had her father told her that? She couldn't please him no matter how hard she tried. He'd been too busy for her, but the one way she got his attention was being bad. Until he finally gave up on her altogether. No she couldn't let Brad down. She was going to be a good mother to his baby.

Mia glanced toward the door and saw Nola and Jarrett standing there. She quickly wiped away any more tears and put on a smile.

“Hi.”

Nola rushed in. “Oh, sweetheart,” she cried. “How are you?” Nola hugged her.

Mia relished the feeling, the love and compassion. “I'm doing better now.”

The older woman pulled back. “We were so worried about you.”

Mia looked at Jarrett. “I didn't want you to worry.”

Nola frowned. “Of course we'd worry. You are special to us. We love you.” She fussed with the blanket, smoothing out the wrinkles. “And we're going to take good care of you. Aren't we, Jarrett?”

“Looks that way,” he said, feeling awkward standing in the room.

“I can't impose on either of you.”

“You're not imposing on any of us. We're happy to do it. You need someone around to help you. Jarrett and I volunteered.” She clutched her hands together. “Oh, I need to go and call the others. I'll be right back.”

“Here, use my phone,” Jarrett said, handing it over to her. They both watched the woman walk out of the room.

Jarrett turned back to Mia. “So how do you really feel?”

“Scared, but good.”

“You need to stop that. Your doctor said you need to relax and avoid stress.”

“Did you tell her that you lived across the hall?”

He fought a smile, but lost. “Yes. Did you tell her that you and your friends brought me there?”

She met Jarrett's gaze. Her heart sped up and the monitor showed it. “So, I guess we're stuck with each other for a while.”

T
HE
next day, Mia arrived home the same way she'd left. In Jarrett's car. He pulled into a parking spot at the front of the building. There were two heating-and-air-conditioning-repair trucks there, along with several uniformed workers.

“Looks like we'll have heat soon,” she said.

Jarrett turned off the engine and glanced out the windshield. “It's just in time. There's a snowstorm coming in tonight.” He looked at her. “Soon you'll be tucked into your warm bed. But be warned, Nola is heading a welcome-home committee.”

“Oh, I don't want them to go to any trouble.”

“I doubt they think you're any trouble. Too bad she and her group don't run this town. A lot more would get done.” He climbed out of the SUV and walked around to her side.

He pulled open the door and the cold air hit her. She shivered as she tried to climb out, but he wouldn't let her.

“Remember what the doctor said? Bed rest.”

“I will as soon as I get to my apartment.”

“No, as soon as I get you to your apartment.” He scooped her up into his arms.

“Please, you can't carry me all the way upstairs.”

“Of course not. Once I get you inside, Joe's going to take over.”

She made a face at him. “Very funny.”

Mia refused to admit she liked being taken care of by a big, strong man whose mere presence made her aware she was a woman. The way he smelled, his rock-solid chest and arms. She bit back a groan. Hormones. It was all just hormones.

She had to think of Jarrett McKane as the man who would be kicking them all out of their homes in a few months. Nothing more.

Sylvia held open the door to the building so they could come in. “Welcome home, Mia.”

She got more greetings from a group of tenants waiting in the lobby.

“Thank you everyone. It's good to be home.”

“Okay, let's get you upstairs.” Jarrett continued to the stairway to her apartment.

Nola was waiting there and motioned him toward the bedroom. “Bring her in here.”

“No, I can stay out here on the sofa for now.”

Jarrett stopped, then said, “Doctor's orders are to put you to bed.” He continued through the short hallway and into her room.

Mia blinked as they entered the bedroom. It didn't look like the same room she'd left yesterday. The dingy walls had been painted a soft buttery yellow. The furniture was rearranged and her bed was adorned with a pastel-patterned quilt.

She turned around and saw the white baby bed that had been Brad and Karen's last purchase for the baby assembled. It was decorated with yellow-and-green sheets and an animal mobile hung overhead.

Tears flooded her eyes. “Oh, my.”

“Do you like it?” Nola asked. We were going to give you the quilt for Christmas but since you're going to be spending so much time in bed now, we decided not to wait.” The older woman pulled back the covers so Jarrett could set her down on the snowy-white sheets.

“Oh, it's beautiful.” She examined the intricate work.

“How could you get all this done? I've only been gone overnight.”

Nola exchanged a look with Jarrett. “We knew we had to. The scare yesterday made us realize that you've been working so hard for us, you put off getting ready for the baby.” She helped Mia take off her shoes and put her feet under the blanket. “So we hope this helps you to stop worrying so much.” She stood back. “And when you've rested I'll show you all the baby clothes we've collected.”

Nola walked to a small white dresser. “Joe found this for you. He sanded and painted it last week and Jarrett helped bring it up. Sylvia and I washed all the baby things and put them inside. If you don't like how we arranged them, you can change it.”

“I'm sure it will be perfect.” Mia clasped her hands together. “I don't know what to say.”

“You don't have to say anything.” The older woman came to the bed and hugged her. “Just take care of yourself. We love you, Mia. You're like family.”

“I love you all, too.”

She'd tried for a lot of years not to get too close to people, except for Brad. Starting with her parents. Whenever she'd let people in, they'd ended up hurting her. She looked across the room at Jarrett standing in the doorway. She definitely had to keep this man away.

“Tell everyone thank you.”

“I will,” Nola assured her. “Now, you rest and don't worry about lunch. Sylvia will be here to fix you something.”

“She doesn't have to do that.”

Nola raised her hand. “She wants to. We all want to help.” The older woman went out the door, followed by Jarrett. Mia called him back. “Mr. McKane, could I speak to you a moment?”

Frowning, he came toward the bed as Nola left. “Suddenly I'm Mr. McKane again.”

“I appreciate everything you've done for me. It's better if we don't become too friendly…given the situation.”

He studied her for a moment. “The situation you are referring to is that you've already gotten to stay here until the spring.” He shrugged. “But, hey, I won't bother you again.”

He turned and walked out. The soft click of the front door let her know she was truly alone. She told herself it was better this way. She couldn't get any more involved with a man like Jarrett McKane. Not that she had to worry that he'd ever give her a second look.

She rubbed her stomach. All she needed to focus on right now was her baby.

 

Jarrett kept hearing a ringing sound. He blinked his eyes as he reached for his cell phone on the bedside table.

“Hello,” he murmured, running a hand over his face. It was still dark outside.

“Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you?”

It was Mia. He sat up. “Mia? Is there a problem?”

“No. No. I shouldn't have bothered you.”

“Wait, Mia. Tell me what's wrong. Is it the baby?”

“No, the baby's fine. I just need a favor, but I'll call back later.”

“I'll be right over.” He hung up, grabbed a pair of jeans and put them on along with a sweatshirt. He grabbed his keys and phone and headed across the hall. He let himself
into her apartment with his master key and hurried to the bedroom.

Mia was sitting on the bed, dressed in a thermal long-sleeved shirt that hugged her rounded belly and a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. Somehow she managed to look somewhere between wholesome and far too good at this time in the morning.

Was it morning? “What's the problem?”

She looked embarrassed. “I'm so sorry I woke you.”

“Well, since you have, tell me what you need.”

“Could you pull out the table and see if my cable is plugged in? I didn't want to move the table by myself.”

“You're on the computer at this hour?”

She shrugged. “I slept so much during the day, I'm wide-awake. So I thought I'd get some work done.”

Jarrett went to the bedside table and pulled it out. Seeing the loose battery cable, he knelt down and pushed it back into the outlet. “It's fixed.” He moved the table back and stood next to the bed. “You're really not supposed to be working.”

“I'm bored. Besides, if I don't work, I don't eat or pay my rent.”

The computer screen lit up and he asked, “What are you working on?”

She kept her focus on the screen. “A Web site for a Denver-based company.”

He glanced at the home-page logo. “Are you going back to law school?”

As she clicked the mouse and another program opened, she didn't show any surprise that he knew her history. “Not for a while, but I hope I can go back someday. It won't be easy with a baby.”

“I'm sure everyone here would love to help you.”

“We won't be living here…together,” she said.

When she looked up at him with her scrubbed-clean face, large sapphire eyes and her hair in a ponytail, she looked fifteen. “How old are you?”

Mia blinked at his question. “Don't you know you're not supposed to ask a woman her age?”

He shrugged. “You look like jailbait.”

“I'm twenty-nine. How old are you?”

“Thirty-seven.”

She studied him for a few seconds. “You look it.”

Frowning, he combed his fingers through his hair. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“What did you mean when you called me jailbait?”

“I meant it as a compliment. You look young for your age.”

“Thank you.” She sobered. “Are you really going to try and find us all a place to live?”

“I'm not sure I can find everyone a place, but I'll see what I can do.” Was he crazy? Where would he find affordable apartments for them all? He moved away from the bed. “Man, I'd kill for a cup of coffee.”

“Sorry, I'm off caffeine for a while,” she told him. “But I'd fight you for a jelly donut.”

“I guess that's one of those crazy cravings, huh? Well, I'd better go.” He walked out, thinking a donut didn't sound so bad.

He retrieved his car keys and a jacket from his apartment and headed down to his car. The ground was covered in a dusting of snow. He climbed into his vehicle, missing the warm garage back at his house. Pushing aside his discomfort, he started the engine and the heater. He was on a quest for one hungry pregnant woman.

In every town there always seemed to be a twenty-four-hour donut and coffee shop and Winchester Ridge was no
exception. He picked out a couple of dozen assorted donuts along with a large coffee and an orange juice.

He returned to the apartment building just as dawn was breaking. Funny, this wasn't how he usually spent early mornings. He'd never shared breakfast with an expectant mother, either. With his offerings in hand, he returned to Mia's apartment and gave a loud knock before he walked in.

“It's me, Ms. Saunders. I've got something for you.” After hearing Mia's greeting he walked into the bedroom.

She was still working on the computer. “I thought you went back to bed.”

“Not after you talked about donuts.” He raised the box.

“Freshly made.” He opened the large box and the aroma filled the room.

Mia groaned. “Oh, my God.” She put the laptop aside and reached for one. He pulled back.

“I thought you were going to fight me for one.”

She looked confused.

“Of course, if we were on a first-name basis, I'd happily share. Especially if someone had been willing to get up before dawn and help out a neighbor.”

Mia was embarrassed by her actions. Yesterday after Jarrett had left, Nola had returned and told her how he'd stayed at the hospital and called everyone with any news. She was even more ashamed when she learned that he'd bought the paint for her bedroom.

“It does seem to be one-sided, doesn't it? I apologize. You have helped me so much. I don't know how I would have made it to the hospital without you.”

“Did I say I minded helping you? I just don't want to keep being treated like the enemy here. I can't change things that happened in the past.”

“I know. I'm sorry, Jarrett.”

He smiled. “What did you say?”

She sighed. He wasn't going to make this easy. “Would you be my friend, Jarrett?”

“You just want my donuts.”

She nodded. “And you'd be wise not to get between a pregnant woman and those donuts.”

He put the box down and her mouth watered as she eyed the selections. “There are so many to choose from.” She rubbed her stomach, feeling the baby kicking her.

He sat at the end of the bed. “Are you all right?” he asked as he nodded to her stomach.

“Yeah, he's just active and hungry.”

“Does he move around like that all the time?”

“Well, the baby's bigger now, so I feel it more.”

He handed her juice. “Here's something to wash down your donut.”

“Thank you.” She motioned to the box. “Aren't you going to have one, too?”

“Sure, but ladies first.”

“Wise choice.” She couldn't help but smile as she bit into the jelly-filled treat. “Mmm, it's so good.”

“You might not be able to have caffeine, but you're definitely getting a sugar rush.”

Mia watched Jarrett finish off a glazed donut in record time. He looked good even with his finger-combed hair and wrinkled clothes. There were just some men who couldn't look bad. He was one of them.

“I should let you rest.” He stood, but his gaze never left hers. “Is there anything you need me to do before I go?”

She hesitated to ask him anything else.

“Come on, Mia. What is it?”

“I can wait for Nola.”

“What for?”

“I need to take a shower, but the doctor said someone
should be close by.” She waved her hand. “Don't worry about it, Nola's coming in a few hours.”

He swallowed. “How close by?”

“Just in the apartment. In case something happens there'll be someone to help me.”

He stood there for what seemed like forever, and then he said, “Sure, what are friends for?”

 

Once Jarrett heard the shower go on, he took out his cell phone and began to check his messages. He had to get some things done today. One was to stop by the office for a few hours and check in with his agents.

Over the last couple of days, between the repairs here and keeping watch on one pregnant lady, he'd neglected his other business.

He was surprised at the next message. It was from Carrie Johnston. He smiled. The pretty blonde from Glenwood Springs he'd met at the real estate conference in Denver last summer had left him another suggestive message. She wanted to see him.

Jarrett should feel a little more excited. During their time together, the two had definitely set off sparks. So why wasn't he more interested in her invitation?

When it came to women, he'd always loved having variety in his life. So why suddenly did it seem too much trouble to make the effort? Maybe thirty-seven was too old to keep playing games.