Chapter Three
That evening, Heather found herself watching the doorway to her room with a ridiculous impatience.
Jim Dyer didn’t owe her anything, least of all a visit.
He had just been kind earlier when he’d said he would drop by and check on her.
No doubt he’d had a chance to think about all they’d been through together and he’d decided that the situation had been too stressful and embarrassing and not one he wanted to relive.
Under the circumstances, she couldn’t blame him. He’d been a Good Samaritan, but now he’d returned to his regular life. She and her daughter would be fine on their own. Besides, it’s not as if he would have done anything but say hello, then leave.
But all the cheerful, determined, logical words in the world weren’t making her feel any better. She wanted to pick up the business card he’d left her and call him. She wanted him to walk into her room and tell her…
At this point, her imagination failed her.
What exactly did she want him to say? Nothing romantic.
She’d given birth that afternoon, and even if she was in a position to pursue a relationship, which she wasn’t, she’d sworn off men, at least for the next fifty years or so.
Besides, Jim might be married or engaged or simply not interested.
Not that she wanted him to be interested. She didn’t. She wanted…
“Hormones,” she muttered to herself. All the books on pregnancy warned that after she gave birth, her body would be awash with lots of hormones, most of which had the unfortunate side effect of making her emotions run wild.
She drew in a deep breath to calm herself.
She was a strong, capable woman with a beautiful new baby and a bright future.
The fact that she was feeling a little out of sorts was completely normal.
She would give herself a break. It was perfectly fine to want to see the man who had helped her through a difficult time, but it wasn’t all right to do something about seeing him.
That plan of action—or inaction—decided, she turned her attention to the sleeping child in her arms. The nurse had told her it was acceptable to let her daughter sleep in the bassinet pulled up to the side of the bed, but Heather liked the feel of the slight weight of her baby pressed against her.
When her arms got tired, she would put the child down, but for now, this was perfect.
Her eyes drifted closed and she might have slept. The next thing she heard was a faint knocking. She came to with a start and saw Jim standing just inside the door to her room.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said. “I can come back later.”
Her mouth went dry. It wasn’t supposed to, of course.
She told herself it must be the result of not having enough to drink or the air-conditioning in the large hospital.
It certainly wasn’t because of the man standing in front of her.
A tall, handsome man dressed in a shirt and jeans, which should have looked ordinary but instead made her think that he was too good-looking to be real.
“I’m awake,” she managed. Not exactly the brilliant conversational opening she’d been practicing earlier, but her nap had apparently cleared her brain of all coherent thought. She felt herself smiling. “Thanks for coming to see me.”
“No problem,” he said as he stepped into the room. “I’m visiting all my patients to see how they are. So how are you doing?”
“We’re great.” She nodded at her daughter.
“She had her first meal, and according to the nurse, it went well.” She grimaced, remembering the unexpected strength of the baby tugging on her breast. “Actually, it was easier for her than for me. Except for the excitement, she’s mostly slept.
I’ve had a bracing walk around my room and I ate dinner. All in all, a full and exciting day.”
“You look great,” he said, then swallowed as if he hadn’t meant to blurt that out.
“Thanks.” She touched her freshly washed hair. “They let me take a shower. I feel a lot better.”
“These are for you.” He set a large plant and an even bigger stuffed giraffe on the small table by the window.
It took Heather a second to remember her advice in the elevator to pretend she was a giraffe about to give birth. The silly gesture touched her and she felt herself tearing.
Jim held up his hands and took a step back. “Wait a minute. You promised you cried once every four or five years. I figured I was safe.”
She waved toward the chair next to her bed. “You are. It’s all of my hormones out of whack, I guess. I’m completely not myself. But I will struggle to maintain control. Thank you for the gifts. They’re incredibly thoughtful and you really didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to.” He settled in the chair and grinned.
“You should’ve seen the look the dry cleaner gave me when I dropped off my slacks.
I told him what happened, but I don’t think he believed me.
” He stared at her. “And to answer the question I know you’re thinking, no, you may not pay for the dry cleaning. ”
“If I insist?” she asked.
“I’ll ignore you.”
She told herself his assumption that she would offer to pay was just a natural extension of their conversation, but she couldn’t shake the odd feeling that he’d somehow read her mind.
He leaned back and rested one ankle on the opposite knee. The masculine pose reminded her that Jim was a stranger in her life. She didn’t know anything about him, yet she felt oddly connected to him.
“This is very strange,” she confessed. “I’m not sure what we should talk about or what I’m supposed to say. I want to keep thanking you for everything—”
“Please don’t,” he said quickly. “I know you’re glad I was with you and I’m glad I was there, too. End of story.” He gave a slight shrug. “But I know what you mean about the situation being unusual. I’ve never walked up to a woman and said, ‘Hi, I’m Jim Dyer. Let me help you give birth.’”
“You did a great job so I’m sure pregnant women will be lining up to have you there with them.”
He shuddered. “Once was enough. If I ever get married and have kids, I want them to make their appearance in the hospital surrounded by plenty of doctors and nurses.”
“Gee, that’s exactly what I want for my next baby, too.” She made sure her voice was calm and told herself the fact that he’d just told her he wasn’t married didn’t change anything. She wasn’t looking for a man. Not even one who’d been so sweet to her.
Jim glanced around the room. There was a huge bouquet of balloons tied to the foot of her bed. “You’ve had visitors?” he asked.
Heather shook her head. “Those are from my mom. I talked to her a couple of hours ago. She feels terrible about not being with me right now. I keep telling her everything is fine, but she worries.”
“Where is she?”
“Florida. Her husband, my stepfather, recently had heart surgery. He’s doing great, but she’s nervous about leaving him on his own. I keep telling her I understand. When I was growing up, she was always there for me, so I don’t mind doing this on my own.”
He frowned. “You don’t have anyone to stay with you when you get out of here?”
“It’s not a big deal.”
Jim shifted, placing both feet flat on the floor and leaning toward her. “When do they release you?”
“Tomorrow.”
He straightened. “That soon?”
“Yes. We’re both healthy and I’m ready to go home.” She wanted to get a start on spending time with her daughter, not to mention sleeping in her own bed.
He didn’t look convinced. “You don’t sound worried.”
“I’m not.”
“You’re a lot tougher than you look, but then, I already knew that.” He reached out and stroked her daughter’s arm. “You’ve got one determined mother there. Looks like you come from hardy stock.”
The baby opened her eyes and stared solemnly at Jim. “Do you want to hold her?” Heather asked impulsively.
Instantly, he pulled his hands back and shook his head. “That’s okay. I’m sure she’s more comfortable with you than with a stranger.”
“She was born less than twelve hours ago. I think we’re all still strangers to each other. Come on, it’s easy.”
He looked trapped as he rose to his feet and stood beside the bed. “I’m not going to be good at this,” he grumbled.
“Yes, you are. Now look at how I have her in my arms. You have to be careful to hold her head, but otherwise, don’t worry. Just cradle her gently and relax.”
She leaned forward a little. Jim bent toward her and took the baby, his arm brushing hers. He shifted the tiny bundle until she was secure in the crook of his left elbow. He looked big and awkward standing there, but the expression of sheer wonder on his face melted her heart.
“She’s amazing,” he said, his voice laced with awe.
“So perfect.” One big finger stroked the back of her tiny hand.
“Hi there,” he murmured. “Aren’t you the pretty one?
” He glanced at Heather. “She’s staring at me with that worried expression all babies seem to have.
Do you think they know they’re a big responsibility and are thinking that their parents might not be up to the task? ”
Heather laughed. “I have no idea what’s on her mind.”
He returned his attention to the infant. “You’ll be just fine, sweet cheeks. You have a great mom. You’re going to grow up to be smart and beautiful, but you better watch out for boys. They can be lots of trouble.”
Heather’s heart filled with pride and love for this child she’d brought into the world.
For a second, she felt a flash of regret that she was in this alone.
It would be wonderful to have a man sharing in her joy and love.
Heather would do her best to be all things to her daughter, but there would be times when the little girl would miss having a father.
Heather had from time to time, despite her mother’s support and kindness.