Earning Her Love (4 page)

“I’m sorry. Let me go get you something for that pain.” She rushed out of the room.

Mia looked at Steph. “Thanks,” she rasped out, her throat dry from not talking much.

Steph smiled. “No problem. You’re really brave.”

Mia shook her head, wincing at the throbbing pain it caused. “I’m not. I’m so scared.”

Steph got out of her seat and came closer so she hovered over Mia. “Don’t be.”

The nurse came in, and Mia moved as she checked her name tags and then put some drugs into her drip. As she emptied the syringe, the nurse said, “They should take affect soon.” She checked the machines quickly before leaving the room again.

Steph moved back into her line of vision. “You have no reason to be scared. I’ve met one of your friends, Beth, and she is a great support, and you have us Douglases now. Even if you and my brother don’t work out, I can already tell you and me are going to be really close. So you’ll always have a Douglas.” She sighed. “We’re hard to get rid of.”

Mia chuckled, and then groaned when that caused pain too. She closed her eyes and let the drugs do their work.

* * * *

The next time she awoke Alex was sitting where Steph had been. Turning her head so she could see him better, she smiled. “Morning.”

He looked up from his book. “Hi. How are you feeling today?”

“Good.”

“You’re looking brighter. You have color in your cheeks.” Alex’s eyes held warmth as he smiled at her.

“Thanks. I think today I’m ready to start sorting things out. My head feels clearer, and I can’t stop thinking about all the things that I have to do and have missed while I’m here.” She reached up and massaged her temple. Everything ached, but she was strong, and it wasn’t as bad as yesterday.

Alex leaned in closer. “It’s only been five days. I’ve spoken to your work and tried to help you as best I could.”

Guilt weighed on her at all Alex had done for her and Zane. There was no way she’d be able to pay him and his family back. “I know, and there is no way I’ll ever be able to repay you for all you’ve done for me. You’ve become my guardian angel.”

Alex shrugged. “All I want from you is to get better. I’m glad I could help you in your time of need. I don’t expect anything from you.”

Mia felt heat rise in her cheeks as he said he didn’t expect anything from her. Was that true? She wondered why he’d taken her on as a responsibility and helped her with looking after Zane. “Why did you do it?”

“Do what?” His gaze narrow, his lips turned down, and he genuinely looked confused.

“Why did you lie and tell everyone I was your fiancée? Why did you help me? I mean, I wasn’t exactly nice to you when I met you.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Bullshit,” Mia muttered. She gasped, not believing she’d just said that to him. She may not have known Alex long, but she did know he wasn’t one to go into anything without a plan. He wasn’t the type of man to not know what he was doing and why. She pierced him with her best glare, which probably wasn’t very scary from a hospital bed.

Alex ran his hand over his head before sighing loudly. “There is something about you. From the first moment I laid eyes on you I haven’t been able to get you off my mind. You weren’t like the other women. Even after our coffee, you didn’t change. I became more intrigued. I looked into you and found out what I could. When I learned how young you are I promptly stopped. The problem is it didn’t stop me from thinking about you.” He gave a hollow laugh. “I know I sound like a dirty old man, but swear I’m not that or a stalker.”

Her heart was going a million miles an hour. She was surprised the monitors hadn’t started going off. Mia could barely believe what Alex was saying. He was interested in her… Mia Lexington? She giggled at his dirty old man comment. Ha, she didn’t think of him as that. God, he was anything but.

“I know you’re not any of those things,” she said.

“Ha, no you don’t.” He raised his eyebrow. “How old do you think I am?”

“Thirty, maximum thirty-two.” Mia felt heat rise on her cheeks. “I really hope I’m not insulting you.”

Alex gave a deep belly laugh. “Oh, you’re good for my ego.” He leaned closer and gathered her hand in his, rubbing circles below her knuckles. “I’m thirty-nine. I’ll be forty in a couple of weeks.”

“No way.” She stared at him, gulping as she noted that when the gene fairy was giving out things to those being born, she gave Alex everything, he was pure male masculine beauty, with great olive skin, dark blue eyes, and big, plump lips. This close he looked even younger. She’d bet her last dollar he was one of those lucky men who just got better with age.

“It’s true. So now you know I’m way too old to be interested in you.” He let her hand go.

Maneuvering in the bed, careful of her cords and IV, she turned to him. “Say what? I’m confused. Why would you be interested in me? Not only am I a struggling single mother, I’m not exactly model material.”

“What does looking like a model have to do with me finding you attractive and wanting to date you?”

“You want to date me?”

Alex groaned. “Yes, isn’t that basically what this whole conversation has been about?”

“Yes… No. I don’t know. I’m confused now.” A headache formed, and Mia rubbed her temple again.

“How about we start again? Mia, would you consider going on a date with me? I know we can’t do it now with you in here, but we can spend this time getting to know one another.”

Mia chewed on her bottom lip and studied the man before her. Should she give him a chance? She obviously trusted him in some way or she wouldn’t have let her son stay with him, or let him speak with the doctors about her condition and sign things on her behalf as if he were her next of kin. Could she trust him with her heart? The last person she’d let in left her pregnant and without a family. Her family, her parents, who were supposed to love her unconditionally, disowned her. Mia’s own father wouldn’t even look at her after she told him about Zane.

“Get to know me while you’re in here.” Alex’s eyes pleaded with her. “I promise if you don’t like what you learn, when you get out I will leave you alone and won’t bother you again.”

Zane would be devastated if she yanked him away from his newfound family. Alex had done so much for her, he deserved a chance. “Sure. But only if we agree to stay friends in the event that it doesn’t work out.”

Alex smiled and Mia swore her heart missed a beat. “Great. Now that we’ve talked about that, what did you want to sort out today?”

“Lots of things. I need to ring Centerlink and explain the change in my work situation to see if I can get some help so I can pay some bills. I need to cancel daycare as I won’t be working and can’t afford it, and figure out a way to put speech therapy on hold until I have money again for that.”

“Your friend Beth told me about speech therapy. My parents have taken Zane and will take him again this week.”

“Oh no, they can’t do that.”

His brows furrowed. “Why?”

“Well, I don’t have money for it now for starter. Second, that’s a lot to ask of your parents.”

He shrugged. “It’s no problem. They offered. And don’t stress about money. We have you and Zane sorted.”

“No. I can’t have you paying for things I haven’t got money to pay you back for.”

He sighed and leaned forward. “We’re not concerned about you paying us back. Look, let’s worry about money and all that later. You concentrate on getting better first, and then we’ll discuss all this again when you are.”

Glaring at him, she silently made a promise that she would do anything she could to pay back this amazing family. Giving up trying to win the glare-out with Alex, she groaned in defeat. “Fine. Well, I also need to cancel swimming lessons. He’s already missed two, and he’ll miss another this Friday.”

“Zane hasn’t missed any. He’s been going.” Alex’s cheeks reddened. “When I went to your apartment I got him his swimmers along with some of his other things.”

“Who’s been taking him?” Mia knew Alex hadn’t because he’d been at the hospital with her at least one of the times she remembered.

“Lockie is taking him or Owen.”

“Oh, that’s just cruel.”

“Huh.” His eyes narrowed on her. “Why is it cruel? They like Zane. He’s a great kid. Zane loves swimming lessons.”

Mia giggled, and it felt so good. “I know Zane loves swimming. It’s cruel to the other children in the class. Between Olivia and Zane, with two Douglas men...” She shook her head. “Have any children drowned yet?”

Alex rolled his eyes. “It’s not that bad.”

“Um…yes, it is. You don’t notice because you’re focused on your niece. You and your brothers are…” Closing her eyes, a vision of his brothers came up, Lockie with his cover model looks and Owen with his thick, muscular body and blond hair. Then there was Chad, the rugby star, with his athletic body and dimpled smiles. He was married and off the market, but he was still dream worthy.

Alex growled, and she laughed at the sound. It was so manly. “You better not be picturing my brothers now.”

Her giggle turned into a laugh, and her cheeks heated. She opened her eyes and smiled at Alex and winked at him. “Now why would I need to think about them when I have you here?”

* * * *

They were slowly getting to know one another, and the more Alex learned about Mia, the more he liked her. She was a kind and caring person and always put her son first. She had a couple of close friends, and her best friend Beth, Mia would do anything for and helped out as much as she could.

Alex entered Mia’s hospital room, which she now shared with two other women. One had been in a similar situation as Mia, and the other was new and he wasn’t sure what she was in for. He had a surprise for Mia. He’d spoken with her doctor and he’d given Alex permission to bring in some food. Mia had been eating solids for a couple of days now and was starting to get her appetite back.

Mia was sitting up in bed now, hooked up to only the IV. She had a cast on her left leg to mid-thigh, but the bandages on the rest of her body, except her head, were off. The hospital gown showed the bruises on her arms, and you could see the scrapes and yellow bruising on her face. She smiled as soon as she spotted him. He was late today, coming in at lunch time and not his usual nine, nine-thirty.

“You’re here.” Mia sounded just as happy to see him as he was to see her, and that had his heart soaring. He groaned, because as he thought that he realized he sounded like the biggest pussy on the planet.

What was this woman doing to him? Not only had he had an instant attraction to her, the more he was with her the stronger his feelings got. The more he wanted to see her, spend time with her, and just be with her. He’d never felt this way about a woman. He was almost forty, and he’d never felt even half of what he had for Mia with anyone else.

An uneasy feeling settled over him. He hoped he wasn’t pushing Mia into something she didn’t want. He hoped she felt something for him, and not just gratitude for him helping her out. Alex was already so invested, and he didn’t want his heart broken. He didn’t want her to feel any guilt by giving him a chance. Fuck, he sounded like a pussy.

Setting the food on the bed table, he opened the container and got the spoons and forks out, placing them in the food. Alex handed hers to her and then got his own and went to the chair beside her bed and sat, moving himself closer so they could talk.

Waiting until she had taken a few bites, he lowered his voice so their conversation wouldn’t be overheard by the other patients. “I want you to know that if you want to be just friends, we can be. I don’t want you to feel pressured by me and feel you have to give me a chance because I’m helping you.”

She paused with a spoonful of mash potatoes to her mouth. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth hung open.

“Just because I’m older than you and a cop doesn’t mean you have to keep spending time with me. If you want me to go or you’ve had enough, just say so. I don’t want to push you into something.”

She shut her mouth and then blinked. Mia put the spoon down in the container. “I am grateful for everything you’ve done, not just for me, but for Zane. One thing I’ve learned though being a single mum, and even with this happening, is that I won’t be pushed around and forced to do things I don’t want to.” She sighed. “My parents wanted me to have an abortion. I stood my ground and said no. Then they wanted me to put Zane up for adoption. Again, I stuck up for what I wanted.” She looked him straight in the eyes. “I was a straight A student at the top of all my class...well, not PE, but the rest I was the top. I’m sure with my grades I would have easily gotten into any university course I wanted. Once Zane starts school, I’ll go back and finish my education, but I’m in no rush. I’m young, and I want to enjoy Zane. This path I chose. Just like I chose to spend time with you. To continue trusting you with me and my son.” She turned a shade of pink and her gaze moved from his. “I’ve been attracted to you since the first time I saw you. I didn’t think I ever really had a chance.”

Alex knew he was grinning like a loon as he looked at Mia. The doubts he had moments ago vanished, and his respect for Mia built. He was proud of her. To be sure and comfortable with your choices took guts. “You have more than a chance. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t taking advantage of you.”

Mia shook her head. “Nope. I think it’s the other way around. I’m taking advantage of you and your kindness. I mean, you haven’t been going to work. I haven’t gotten you in trouble, have I? You’re a cop?”

“I’m a detective. Now, why would you think you got me in trouble? I took three weeks leave.”

She shrugged. “For missing work? For,” she whispered, “telling them I’m your fiancé’ when I’m not. I don’t know, what else could you get in trouble for?”

Chuckling, Alex shook his head. “You have nothing to worry about, I have my job. I have a week and a half left of leave. When that runs out I have a bunch of holidays, sick leave, and so on that I’ve accumulated that I can take if I need.” Smiling at her, he relaxed back against the seat. “I barely take any time off. I don’t, or I should say didn’t, have a girlfriend or a family of my own, so I didn’t really need it.”