His Best Mistake (16 page)

“We had about an hour together alone, Kevin. I thought you were going to stay home and get some sleep.” For the past five days, he’d kept vigil over their daughter almost 24/7 and the stress had begun to show in his dark eyes.

When Kevin sat on the sofa, Carly immediately rested her head on his shoulder and stuck two fingers in her mouth. Leah found that remarkable since she’d been squirming and fussing for the past half hour. Clearly now that her daddy was back, all was right with her world, and that gave Leah pause. If she moved back to Mississippi—correction,
when
she moved—Carly was going to miss him terribly. Then again, so would she.

“You must really be behind on your work,” she said, clearing all thoughts of August from her mind.

He nodded at the black case sitting on the nightstand. “I’ve been working on my laptop when she goes to sleep. I also convinced a unit clerk to log me on to the hospital’s wireless network, but don’t tell anyone. I don’t want her to get into trouble.”

Leah couldn’t help but wonder exactly what he’d done to convince her. “Did you promise her a little slap and tickle in the supply closet?”

He frowned. “I said please.”

She felt somewhat shamed over sounding like a snippy, jealous lover. Frankly, she
was
jealous. She’d seen the way women looked at him, from the lab techs to the ladies who delivered the meals. Every time she noticed one of those stealthy glances, she’d wanted to shout, “He’s mine, hands off.” Yet she had no good reason or right to do that.

When Kevin rubbed his eyes with his free hand, she said, “You look totally worn out. I’ll stay in the room with Carly tonight.”

“Since she’s going home in the morning, I’ll stay. I can tolerate this sorry excuse for a hide-a-bed one more night. You go home and sleep.”

Stubborn, sexy man. “You need the sleep more since you haven’t let me stay in here even one night.”

“No, you’ve stayed in the on-call room and made a trip in here every fifteen minutes. You’re the one who needs the rest because I’m not dealing with patients all day.”

“Maybe we should toss a coin,” she said.

“Maybe we should can the arguing and both stay. I’ll take the chair.”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s ridiculous. You’re going home to sleep in a decent bed and I’m staying. That’s final.”

He grinned. “Not if I beat you to the sofa first, and I’m already here.”

Obviously he wasn’t going to bend in this instance. “Fine. I’ll sleep in the chair.”

“Neither of you will be sleeping in the chair or on that sofa,” came from the vicinity of the door, specifically from Kevin’s mother, Lucy, who walked in with her jubilant, hulking husband.

Dermot stopped in the middle of the room and saluted, his grin almost as wide as his belly. “O’Brien parents, reportin’ for duty.”

Lucy approached Kevin and held out her arms. “Let me have this precious little one.”

Kevin stood, handed the baby to his mother and patted his dad’s back. “I didn’t expect to see the two of you again today.”

“We never left,” Lucy said. “Jenna’s in labor in the maternity ward.”

Dermot checked his watch. “She should be poppin’ out another O’Brien within the hour.”

“Then why aren’t you there?” Kevin asked.

Leah was wondering the same thing. “I’m sure they would love for you to be present when the baby’s born.”

Dermot looked as if he’d eaten something sour. “I am a firm believer in keeping watch in a waiting room, lass.”

Lucy strolled around the room when Carly began to fuss. “He faints at the sight of a blister. Besides, Logan knows we’re here with you, and he’ll let us know when we have our new grandson. In the meantime, Dermot and I decided that the two of you need a break. That’s why we’re going to take a shift and watch Carly so you two can spend the night at home.”

“What do you mean a shift?” Kevin’s tone reflected the same confusion Leah was feeling.

Dermot put both pinkies in his mouth and whistled, earning a scowl from Lucy and a trembling lip from Carly. On cue, the O’Brien siblings filed in—Devin in scrubs and lab coat, Aidan in suit and tie, Kieran in T-shirt and workout pants and, bringing up the rear, Mallory wearing business casual. They lined the wall as if they were ready to pass inspection.

“I’ve invited the clan here to help out with the baby tonight, and they will each do their part.” Dermot faced the children and assumed the role of master drill sergeant. “Children, your ma and me will stay until nine since my bones are too old to be sleepin’ on a sofa. Who will be next?”

“I will,” Devin said. “I’m manning the E.R., but not until midnight. But I need someone to take my place fifteen minutes before that since I have to drive to my hospital.”

Mallory raised her hand. “I’ll come back then, but I promised Whit I wouldn’t be home much later than 2:00 a.m., like he’ll really be up then.”

Aidan chuckled. “Oh, he’ll be up, all right, since you’re baby-making.”

“Watch your mouth, young man,” Lucy scolded.

Kieran took a step forward. “I’ll be here at two. I’ll stay as long as I need to since I’m not sleeping much these days.”

“Pre-wedding jitters?” Kevin asked.

“Erica’s withholding sexual favors until the wed
ding,” Aidan said, earning a sneer from Kieran and a stern look from his mother. “If you can stay on until six, Kieran, I’ll stay until nine. Corri should be through throwing up by then.”

Mallory leaned forward and stared at Aidan. “Pregnant again?”

“Yeah.”

A round of mild congratulations followed, and Leah found it remarkable that the family treated pregnancy as an everyday occurrence. Obviously it was for them.

“Then I believe we’re set,” Lucy said. “We’ll be back in the morning so the two of you can sleep in a little later.”

“Do we have any say in the matter?” Kevin asked. After they all responded with “No,” in perfect unison, he sent Leah an apologetic look. “Are you okay with this?”

How could she protest such a kind gesture? She couldn’t, even if it meant being alone with Kevin for the first time in a week. That concept made her both foolishly excited and extremely wary. “It’s fine, as long as it’s not going to be too much trouble for everyone.”

Dermot slid his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. “No trouble a’tall. But first, I have a story to tell you, Leah.” When all five offspring groaned simultaneously, he held up one hand and silenced them. “Kevin’s ma landed in my county in Ireland many a year ago, and when I set eyes on her, I knew I could never be without her again. That is why I traveled across the ocean to this great country, leaving my ma
and da behind, to make her my bride. I can only imagine how sorry my life would be without her.”

“Is there a point to this, Dad?” Kevin asked, his voice laced with impatience.

“Yes, son. The point is, get your head out of your arse and don’t let this lass get away.” That prompted a few chuckles from the onlookers before he continued with his directive. “You take her home, talk to her and once you’re done foosterin’—”

“Leah, I know that sounds dirty,” Lucy interjected, “but it means wasting time.”

“As I was sayin’,” Dermot continued. “If you haven’t convinced her to be your bonnie bride with talk, then do the rest of your talkin’ in bed.”

Lucy scowled at him. “You could have gone all day without saying that, old man.”

Aidan laughed. “Looks like you’re going to sleep on the sofa anyway, Dad.”

Dermot wrapped his arm around Lucy’s shoulder. “My love, when we’ve had our spats in the past, the makin’ up between the sheets was the best part, even if each time we made one of these ruffians.”

She sent him an affectionate smile. “If that were true, Dermot, then we would have at least six hundred children, not six.”

“Too much information, Mom,” Mallory muttered. “May we be dismissed now before we’re subjected to any more disturbing commentary on yours and Dad’s love life?”

“Not so fast.” Logan rushed into the room, camera
in hand and a proud look on his face. “I want you all to see Patrick Avery O’Brien. Eight pounds, five ounces, and the best-looking kid in the universe.”

Everyone gathered round to see the newest O’Brien on the digital screen, except for Leah and Kevin. She was still reeling from the shock of the stories and the offer, and the hint of regret in Kevin’s eyes indicated what was holding him back. When he took the baby from his mother and held Carly close, he confirmed Leah’s conjecture. He needed to have his own child in his arms to remind him of what he already had, not what might never be. She sensed he was hurting more than he would ever let on, and that was still a problem. If only he would let her in, then maybe there could be a chance for them. But following Carly’s surgery, he’d established his determination to deal with his feelings on his own when he’d left the hospital without any explanation.

Realizing she’d forgotten her manners, Leah crossed the room and held out her open palm. “Can I take a look?”

Logan grinned and handed her the camera. “My pleasure.”

Leah studied the digital image of the sweet, dark-haired, round-cheeked baby boy who looked none too happy about being thrust from the safety of his mother’s womb into a brightly lit and foreign world. “He’s beautiful, Logan,” she said as she returned the camera to him. “Tell Jenna congratulations.”

“He looks a little like our former mailman, Mr. Finklestein,” Kieran said.

Logan gave his brother a look that could wither a wash pot. “Just wait until you have your first, Kieran. If he inherits your ego, his head will be twice as big as his body.”

Lucy flapped both hands and shooed them all toward the door. “Go and leave us all in peace, but be back on time. Logan, we’ll be down to see the baby before we go.”

Following their goodbyes, the kids quickly exited, exchanging barbs and banter on their way out.

Lucy made her way back to Kevin and held her arms out. “Now it’s time for the two of you to run along so I can give our granddaughter her bottle and put her to bed.”

But before she could retrieve Carly, Dermot took the baby into his beefy arms and turned her around. “You both must remember, this wee one is a gift. She brought the two of you back together twice now, first with her birth and then through a wretched sickness that should teach you both how fast life can turn like a spindle right before our eyes. She will suffer more if the two of you cannot grant each other grace and honor her with your love for each other.”

Lucy slipped her arm around Dermot’s waist. “Your father’s right, Kevin. She deserves that much.”

Dermot handed Carly back to Lucy, his expression still somber. “Leah, although he was a bit of a hellcat when he was a boy, Kevin has grown into a good man. And though he’s a slow starter, he loves you, lass. If you have any feelings for him, then it would be my
greatest wish that you tell him so that he will stop mopin’ like a wolfhound.” Dermot then pointed at Kevin. “You must eat your pride like it is an All Saints’ Day feast, boyo. And do not come back in the morn and tell me you’ve settled nothing.”

O
NCE THEY ARRIVED
at the house, Kevin wasn’t sure where to begin, but an apology for the coercion by committee seemed like a good place to start. “Sorry for the familial ambush.”

Leah toed out of her shoes, dropped onto the den’s sofa and crossed her legs on the cushions. “It’s okay. I found your parents’ story interesting. I don’t remember you telling me about how they met.”

Kevin took a chance and opted to sit beside her, keeping a decent space between them. “I’ve never thought much about it.” Until this evening, when the message hit home. “But I can relate to what my dad was saying.”

She grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it tightly. “How so?”

“I felt the same way about you the first time I saw you. I just didn’t realize it until recently. And that’s why I’d be willing to forget Atlanta and move to Mississippi if you just say the word.”

Her expression showed her surprise. “But what about your family, Kevin?”

“You and Carly are my family, Leah. And I love you both more than any job offer.”

“I love you, too, but I wonder if that’s enough. We still have other issues to deal with.”

“It’s a start.” Time to address those other issues. “The other day, after I saw Carly in recovery, I couldn’t get out of that place fast enough. That’s why I went outside and cried like a baby. I can’t even remember the last time I did that.”

She rested her palm on his arm that he’d draped over the back of the sofa. “Oh, Kevin, that’s what I’m referring to. You should have let me be there for you like you’ve been there for me during this ordeal.”

“I know, Leah. I’d never felt so alone as I felt in those moments. I never knew how much I needed you until then.”

She went back to the pillow and began twisting the corner. “Macy mentioned something to me the other day, and I realize she’s right. I’ve been so afraid of losing you again that I’ve set up a self-fulfilling prophecy. If I continued to believe you’re going to leave me eventually, then I would never have to face that loss. So I’m not exactly blameless in this situation, either.”

He took her hand and when she didn’t wrench it out of his grasp, Kevin considered that a small victory. “I promise you this. I’m going to spend every hour of every day until you’re through with your fellowship proving to you that I’m serious about not giving up on us. And if that doesn’t convince you, I’ll be in Mississippi every weekend, maybe even during the week, until you know for sure that I’m in this for the long haul.”

When she fell silent, Kevin held his breath until she met his gaze. “I’m still scared.”

“Honestly, so am I, Leah. But not scared enough not to fight for you.”

He witnessed the moment that her resistance faded when she smiled. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

She moved into his lap, framed his face in her palms and kissed him. Kevin couldn’t recall feeling so satisfied, so ready to take on the world.

After they parted, she said, “You’re going to love Mississippi.”

His joy came out in a grin. “Are you tired?”

“Not in the least.”

“Are you hungry?”