the mattress. “Augh. This is ridiculous. Women have babies all the time without going on bed rest and having people hovering over them. I’m not a hothouse flower and am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” She drew in a shuddery breath and released it though pursed lips, her eyes beseeching him to understand.
Rio had seen the same look of frustration recently, when a famous football player had been felled by heat stroke and had to adjust his safari plans around his health. Accustomed to being at the top of his game, he’d been a wounded bear for the duration of the trip. Kate was a runner, active and athletic. She’d already adjusted her life to provide James and Allie with the child they so craved. Cutting back on the most basic of activities had to be difficult.
“Under ordinary circumstances, I’m sure you manage just fine,” he assured her. “This situation is anything but. Your body is giving off warning signs. You need to heed them, and I can help. It’s my responsibility.” The weight of it hung on his shoulders, thick and ropelike, but the more time he spent with Kate, the less heavy it became. Maybe he was getting used to his fate.
Kate studied his face, then nodded. Blinking rapidly, she looked away and reached into the drawer only to withdraw empty fingers. “Don’t mind me. It’s not that I’m not grateful. It’s just that no one has offered to take care of me in a really long time. Losing control takes some getting used to.”
“I get that. The last few days I’ve felt like someone jerked a rug from under my feet, and I can’t get my balance.” He felt especially off-kilter around Kate. Unfortunately, he couldn’t avoid her.
Kate shook her head, the ghost of a smile on her mouth. She reached into the drawer again and stuffed a handful of lacy bras in the corner of her suitcase.
He was curious about that smile. “Was it something I said?”
“No.” She shrugged. “I didn’t expect us to have things in common, I guess. You’re better at hiding what you’re feeling than I am.”
Yeah, he’d perfected his mask of indifference as a small boy.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to hit a nerve.” She turned her attention to stuffing panties in a front pocket of the suitcase, and he pretended not to notice.
“What makes you think you did?”
“When you’re stressed, a little vein in your neck stands out and sometimes your jaw tightens. Just now it was both. Not that most people would notice, but I’ve kind of trained myself to pay attention to little things like that.”
He wasn’t about to admit the difficult day had worn down his normal resistance and her nearness, coupled with her repeated forays into her underwear drawer, had his nerves stretched tight. If she kept going, a part of his anatomy would be swelling too.
He breathed easier as she zipped the case closed.
“There. All done. You know, I could use this as my go bag to the hospital. We can store it in the closet and forget all about this moving nonsense.”
“Nice try, but no dice.” He returned the drawer to its slot in the dresser, carried her bag to the waiting limo driver and returned for Kate.
“Ready?”
She turned serious dark eyes on him, eyes that saw too much. “I’m not sure either of us is ready for what lies ahead.”
Chapter Four
H awthorne House was beautifully furnished, the atmosphere restful but a little strained, and her bed comfortable. Kate couldn’t fault her surroundings for her restlessness or the baby’s. She attributed it to the certainty that she was somewhere she didn’t belong, doing something that not only could turn out badly, but would.
From day one, Allie and James had been friendly and kind but didn’t cross certain boundaries. Each understood their relationship with Kate would end when the baby made his appearance. She understood why they came to her OB-GYN appointments but looked to each other rather than her when discussing the baby with the doctor, why
Rio had seen the same look of frustration recently, when a famous football player had been felled by heat stroke and had to adjust his safari plans around his health. Accustomed to being at the top of his game, he’d been a wounded bear for the duration of the trip. Kate was a runner, active and athletic. She’d already adjusted her life to provide James and Allie with the child they so craved. Cutting back on the most basic of activities had to be difficult.
“Under ordinary circumstances, I’m sure you manage just fine,” he assured her. “This situation is anything but. Your body is giving off warning signs. You need to heed them, and I can help. It’s my responsibility.” The weight of it hung on his shoulders, thick and ropelike, but the more time he spent with Kate, the less heavy it became. Maybe he was getting used to his fate.
Kate studied his face, then nodded. Blinking rapidly, she looked away and reached into the drawer only to withdraw empty fingers. “Don’t mind me. It’s not that I’m not grateful. It’s just that no one has offered to take care of me in a really long time. Losing control takes some getting used to.”
“I get that. The last few days I’ve felt like someone jerked a rug from under my feet, and I can’t get my balance.” He felt especially off-kilter around Kate. Unfortunately, he couldn’t avoid her.
Kate shook her head, the ghost of a smile on her mouth. She reached into the drawer again and stuffed a handful of lacy bras in the corner of her suitcase.
He was curious about that smile. “Was it something I said?”
“No.” She shrugged. “I didn’t expect us to have things in common, I guess. You’re better at hiding what you’re feeling than I am.”
Yeah, he’d perfected his mask of indifference as a small boy.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to hit a nerve.” She turned her attention to stuffing panties in a front pocket of the suitcase, and he pretended not to notice.
“What makes you think you did?”
“When you’re stressed, a little vein in your neck stands out and sometimes your jaw tightens. Just now it was both. Not that most people would notice, but I’ve kind of trained myself to pay attention to little things like that.”
He wasn’t about to admit the difficult day had worn down his normal resistance and her nearness, coupled with her repeated forays into her underwear drawer, had his nerves stretched tight. If she kept going, a part of his anatomy would be swelling too.
He breathed easier as she zipped the case closed.
“There. All done. You know, I could use this as my go bag to the hospital. We can store it in the closet and forget all about this moving nonsense.”
“Nice try, but no dice.” He returned the drawer to its slot in the dresser, carried her bag to the waiting limo driver and returned for Kate.
“Ready?”
She turned serious dark eyes on him, eyes that saw too much. “I’m not sure either of us is ready for what lies ahead.”
Chapter Four
H awthorne House was beautifully furnished, the atmosphere restful but a little strained, and her bed comfortable. Kate couldn’t fault her surroundings for her restlessness or the baby’s. She attributed it to the certainty that she was somewhere she didn’t belong, doing something that not only could turn out badly, but would.
From day one, Allie and James had been friendly and kind but didn’t cross certain boundaries. Each understood their relationship with Kate would end when the baby made his appearance. She understood why they came to her OB-GYN appointments but looked to each other rather than her when discussing the baby with the doctor, why
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