Christmas Babies (5 page)

“Where on earth did you get these
names from?”

Embarrassed of her blushing,
Madelyn bent over a warmer. “They are the ones I would have given my children
if I ever—”

“You, my dear friend, have been ignoring
the whole wide world for your work. You could be married by now and have a Liana
and a Celia to cuddle. Don’t wait too long. It gets more difficult with age.”

Too late. Her heart heavy with
pain, Madelyn cleared her throat. “Any news from Child Protective Services?”

“The hospital called them. They
have to contact the young dad. If he doesn’t want the babies, he’ll have to
sign an official release. The hospital is also waiting for information about Casey’s
mother and her location.”

“I see you’re well informed.”

“How could I not be? Everyone is
talking about this latest case.” Sandra shrugged. “The Clinic gossip functions
more swiftly than a wireless.”

Never forget that
. Madelyn
arched her eyebrows. Annoyance and panic engulfed her. The Clinic gossip would
operate at double speed for an interesting bit of news related to Dr. Ramsay
and her health.

“I’m done here. You can dress the
newbies. They’re doing great.” Madelyn typed her report on an electronic pad
and moved around the NICU to check the other newborns. On her way out, she
passed in front of the incubators. Wailing froze her in her tracks. Baby A was
crying.

Madelyn bent toward her, rubbed
her stomach, and stroked her cheek. The newbie turned her head. Soft lips
grazed Madelyn’s finger. Their touch sent her heart in a tailspin. She wanted
to hold and comfort the crying bundle and promise her she’d find a loving family.
Like Madelyn’s family. And a loving mother, as loving as Madelyn would have
been if she could have children. A sob gurgled in her throat.

“Sandra,” she called, “Please,
hold Liana. Don’t let her cry.”

Stunned, the nurse threw her a
shocked glance. “Don’t worry. I’m bringing bottles of water. I’ll feed both Liana
and Celia,” Sandra added with a knowing tone, her mouth curling at the sides.

“I know they’re in good hands. I
didn’t mean... Sorry. I’m leaving. Good night.”

Her emotions in a riot, Madelyn
sprinted out of the NICU, before she said another wrong word and hurt her best
friend’s feelings.

What a lousy day. First her hands
shaking in the OR, then Nick losing a patient and bursting out in irritation;
and now those two adorable babies abandoned in her NICU.

Don’t hug them, Dr. Ramsay
.
A doctor should not get attached to her patients. Especially when the doctor
was a pathetic mess who couldn’t have children of her own.

Life was so unfair. With angry
movements, she peeled off her scrubs, donned her skirt and shirt, and yanked
her purse over her shoulder to go rest at home.

As she reached the lobby, Nick
caught up with her. “See you in an hour.”

Her hand clenched on the straps
of her bag. “What? Why? We have another emergency?”

His face fell. “Oh? I thought you’ve
invited me for dinner. It’s okay if you’ve changed your—”

“Of course not.” A sigh escaped
her and she forced herself to smile. “I’m sorry I’m so distracted. I thought...
Never mind. See you at six sharp.” She waved at him and rushed to the parking
lot.

Would spending time with Nick
stress her even more? She’d have to be on constant alert. As a friend he
displayed an annoying clairvoyance she couldn’t always avoid. As if he could
see beyond her fake smile and guess her problems. So far, she’d been able to
divert his medical intuition. But flirting with Nick could lead to a dangerous
dead-end way.

What had she started?

****

Nick lowered the canopy of his BMWand
whistled the cheerful tune he usually hummed in the shower. Heavens had finally
smiled upon him. His promotion and Madelyn’s good disposition might bring a
welcome change and fill the emotional void in his life— a void he’d hidden
under a cover of hard work and superficial fun for years.

Not that he’d ever disregard his
resolution of no commitment, no marriage. Madelyn seemed to share his outlook
on life and, as far as he could tell, she too had avoided marriage, family, and
responsibilities unrelated to work. That should make them a good pair. His
whistling got louder as the rush hour traffic forced him to decrease his speed
to a crawl.

For a change he took the time to
observe the large boulevard and the maze of illuminated gardens and twinkling
topiaries. In spite of the balmy breeze and warm temperature, the holiday
season decorations
brightened streets and buildings. Tall
and majestic, the palms trees sparkled with spirals of colorful bulbs around
their trunks and twinkling garlands swayed between the palm fronds.

The
vibrant and crisp colors reminded him of home, years ago
when his mother and father still spent Christmas with their little boy like a
real family. When Dad requisitioned his help
to loop the
decorations around the big house and the lavish garden, and Mom issued
suggestions and compliments. The Christmas vacation in Connecticut always went
too fast. Shipped back to his boarding school in Boston, little Nicky never understood
why his parents were always too busy to keep him home like the rest of the kids
in their neighborhood.

You were not
like the other kids
. More precisely, Anne Lee Meyer
and Frank Davidson were not made of the usual parent material. Derision over
his self-pity eroded the pain of the past.

The
Blue
Lagoon
loomed in front of him and interrupted his musing, thoughts that depressed
him if he allowed them. But he’d learned years ago to put a lid on the memories
and the anger.

Ten to six. He’d made it on time
in spite of the slow-moving traffic. Madelyn had provided an incredible remedy
to his gloomy mood. At the reception desk where he signed in, the security
guard told him Dr. Ramsay expected him. A big grin widened his mouth.

Madelyn expecting him. Boy did he
like that.

She opened the door as soon as he
knocked. And she took his breath away. Sassy and lively in tight yellow capris and
a printed strapless blouse, her curls framed her face and her hair tumbled over
her naked shoulders the way she had styled it last night. Her floral perfume
wafted toward him and dazed his mind.

“Lovely,” he blurted. He could
have punched himself at his lack of control.
Don’t forget this is Dr. Ramsay
.
Yeah, but... she looked so different and he liked what he saw. “I mean— ”

But Madelyn burst out laughing
and pulled at his hand. “Come in. No time to waste. We have a lot of business
to cover.”

“Uh?”

“I’ll give you a tour of my place.
Then we’ll visit my neighbors. They are expecting us. Then we’ll have dinner.
By the way, I discovered my real estate agent is the same one you’re using.
Would you like me to ask her to come and meet us here?”

Now he recognized the Madelyn he
knew. Energetic and efficient. Not bad, as long as she kept the same upbeat
mood and the same smile. “I’d rather meet the real estate later.”
And not
spoil our tête-à-tête time
. “Thank you. You went to a lot of trouble.”

“Not at all. Let’s not waste
time. Help yourself at the bar. And then follow me.”

“What will you have?”

She gestured to the glass of
water on the table. “I already have mine.” He poured himself a Johnnie Walker
on the rocks and raised his glass. “Cheers. To your health.”

He caught the subtle stiffening
of her shoulders but thought he’d mistaken her reaction as she blinded him with
a radiant smile. “Cheers. To you.” She sipped her water, and then gestured
around. “This is my living and dining room combination.”

“You have a beautiful place and a
very nice taste in decoration.” He admired the modern off white leather sofa
and loveseat, and the matching chairs surrounding the brass and glass dining
room table. Similar corner tables ended the sofa and loveseat. An antique, wood
carved sailor chest acted in lieu of cocktail table and a couple of brown
velvet Louis XV armchairs added an old-fashioned accent to the room. Vibrantly
colored paintings adorned the walls and mirrors hung in strategic places to
reflect the ocean.

“What a view,” he said as he
walked to the balcony.

 “It’s the eighteenth floor. I
have an unobstructed view of the pool area, beach, and ocean.”

“Gorgeous. I’m convinced I want
it too.” His gaze flipped from the outdoor scenery to his companion. Oh yes, he
wanted it all.

He followed her to her bedroom.
Simple conventional off-white furniture with no specific decorations. Except
for the numerous picture frames on the night tables, the dresser, and chest of
drawer, and a wide silver-framed family portrait hanging on the wall.

“Your family?” It was a good
opportunity to learn more about his colleague.

“This picture was taken a year
before Dad got sick. Cancer claimed his life in less than five months. He died six
years ago.”

“I’m sorry. You must miss him a
lot.” The man appeared to be in his early fifties and had a confident and proud
expression.

“Yes, I do.” Her eyes misted. “He
wanted us all around him as if he felt things would change soon. Mom too
changed after his death. Now she’s continuously afraid something may happen to
one of us.”

He counted the pretty heads in
the picture. “How many sisters do you have?”

“We’re five. I’m the oldest.
Roxanne is two years younger but very independent. Mom gave up on reining her.
She’s a reporter for CNN. Heather is three years younger, married to a farmer.
She already has four kids, four adorable and noisy boys. Claire just graduated
from Harvard, School of Architecture, and is staying in Boston for an
internship. Tiffany is still in college in Kentucky, not too far from home.
She’s not sure of what she wants to do.”

“Wow, five girls and no boys.”

“We had a brother, between Roxy
and Heather. He died at three, hit by a car as he was running after a ball. Mom
almost lost her mind after that. We cried for months. A horrible accident.”

“I can imagine it was very hard
on all of you.” Coming from a big loving family it was logical that Madelyn
would want to have children too. How come she never got married? “So except for
one sister, none of the others are married?” He hoped to get his answer through
subtle questions.

“Roxy has a boyfriend she sees
when she’s not running around the world. Claire is engaged and will be married
next June. Tiffany was ready to marry her high school sweetheart, but we
insisted they both should finish college first.”

The hell with subtlety. “And
Madelyn?” he blurted.

She shrugged. “Never had time for
that stuff. I was committed to my career.”

A woman after his own heart. He
grinned. “Exactly what I did. But having a career doesn’t preclude fun.”

“That’s what I realized recently.
From now on I’ll have fun too.” Her jaws clenched together as if she’d just
decided to undergo surgery.

Nick made the resolution to do
everything on earth to keep her smiling and have her share his type of fun.

 “The other room is my office and
guestroom.” She walked him to the next room. Here a desk and computer sat under
the bay window overlooking the view of the Intracoastal and the intricate
pattern of canals crossing the main waterway. A couple of bookcases displayed
heavy medical books and stacks of journals. A sofa bed and TV completed the
furniture.

“They’re all good size rooms,”
Nick remarked. “I would love something similar, on any level from the tenth and
above.”

“Come let’s go to Mrs. Fontana. She
lives in a one bedroom and is my next door neighbor.” Madelyn led him to the
building corridor and knocked on a door.

A white-haired woman opened and
greeted them with a smile. “Madelyn, my dear, come in.” A warm scent of
potpourri welcomed them.

“Maria, this is my colleague and
new boss, Dr. Nick Preston.”

 “Just colleague and friend,”
Nick corrected. He hated when Madelyn insisted on the formality of their new
business relationship.

“Ah a friend? Come in, doctor.”
Did he have the impression the old woman’s voice had cooled down several
degrees? “See I have this small apartment. Probably too small for you. I’ll
show you.” She rushed them through her bedroom, waved to the bathroom and stood
at the entrance of the kitchen. “Just enough for me. But probably not what you
want.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Fontana. I
really appreciate you showing me your place,” he said when they came back to
the living room.

“Maybe you can hang a painting
for me?”

“Of course.” Anything to thaw the
frigid atmosphere around them.

“Madelyn dear, can you get your
hammer and nails, please.” Mrs. Fontana almost shoved the young woman out of
her apartment.

As soon as Madelyn was out of
hearing, the old neighbor turned to face him. “I saw the way you look at
Madelyn. She’s not your type, doctor. My niece’s son is in love with her and
can’t wait to marry her. His brother is already married to her sister Heather.
They are good girls. Not your type.”

Nick almost scrubbed his ears to
make sure he’d heard her correctly. “Ma’am, I have no bad intentions toward
Madelyn. We just work together.”

“She said you’re her boss. And
you call her a friend. But I saw how you look at her. In a workplace, that’s called
harassment.” The irascible woman jerked her finger in his chest. “She’s not for
you. She needs a good husband and children. Madelyn takes care of me and I’m a
friend of her mama. She comes from a big loving family.”

 That was a low blow. It struck a
raw nerve. He came from a small almost nonexistent family. “Rest assured I
respect Dr. Ramsay and I won’t bother you again.”