The Army Doctor's Christmas Baby (2 page)

The cold nipped Kelly's face as she hurried across the car
park beside Sean. He juggled the box, containing the remnants of his birthday
cake, and a couple of wrapped presents as he fished in his jacket pocket for
his car keys.

The locks popped on a silver SUV and he opened the door for
her to climb in. The interior smelled of children, the blended fragrance of
baby products that took her back seven years to her time working in pediatrics.

Sean jumped in beside her, dumping his cake and presents on
the floor in the back before rubbing his hands together. "It's darned cold
tonight. The forecast is for a white Christmas this year. I hope that's right.
My girls will love the snow."

As Sean started the car and cranked up the heat, Kelly
glanced over her shoulder at the two baby seats installed in the backseat.

"Cameron mentioned you have twins."

"I do, Zoe and Annabelle. They've just had their first
birthday and they're into everything." He grinned, his eyes twinkling with
pleasure in the streetlights. "They're the best thing that ever happened
to me."

"You're very lucky." Everyone around Kelly seemed
to be having children at the moment, as if fate insisted on taunting her with
what she could never have.

They fell into a comfortable silence as the car headed along
the narrow country lanes back towards Oxford. Headlights shone in Kelly's eyes.
She blinked drowsily as the car warmed up.

"So, you're in the medical corps?" Sean asked.

"No, the nursing corps." Kelly fiddled with a coat
button. "Actually, I resigned from the army awhile ago. I've nearly
finished working out my notice period. I have leave until after Christmas, then
I'll be back on Civvy Street."

She wasn't sure what made her tell a man she barely knew
something she hadn't revealed to her best friends. Cocooned in the dark car
with Sean, she felt strangely safe and relaxed. He had a polite manner and he
was easy to be with. After months of wondering if she had done the right thing
by resigning from the army, she felt at ease with her decision.

He flashed a curious glance her way before turning back to
the road. "What do you plan to do now?"

"I was a pediatric nurse before I joined up. Something
happened recently that made me realize how much I missed working with children."
The face of the dear little African boy Cameron had adopted came to mind. One
day of caring for that baby reminded her how much she missed her old job.

"I've given the army seven years of my life and gained
a huge amount of experience that I'd never have had working in a civilian
hospital. I want to put that knowledge to good use. I've decided to work for a
children's charity."

"Nursing?"

"Of course. I'm due to fly out to Africa in the New
Year. Conditions will be tough, but I'm used to working under pressure in
conflict zones. There are so many children out there who need help. I want to
be part of that effort."

"Sounds great, Kelly. I admire your principles."
He fell silent again, his lips pressed together while his fingers tapped the
steering wheel.

The car stopped at traffic lights, then turned beside the
building where her apartment was and drew to a halt.

Kelly picked up her purse and Sean swiveled in his seat to
face her. "Do you have any plans for the next couple of weeks?"

"Not particularly. Why?" A streak of excitement
burned away her drowsiness. Was he about to ask her out? She normally didn't
like casual relationships, but Sean was so easy to be with. It would be nice to
spend a little time with him before she left the country.

"The French au pair who usually looks after Zoe and
Annabelle is going to stay with her family for Christmas. I planned to put the
girls in the day care at the hospital while she's away, but I'd rather not.
Every time they go in there they come back with colds. If you're free, it would
be great if you could work for me for three weeks before you start your new
job. I'll pay you, of course."

He wanted to employ her! Disappointment flashed through
Kelly but soon vanished when she stopped to think about what he was
offering—three weeks of caring for his twin girls.

"I'd love to." She pressed her hands to her
cheeks, visions of all the things she and the two babies would do racing
through her mind. This was going to be so much fun.

He grinned. "That's fantastic. I'm sure you'll hit it
off just fine with my little monsters. Why don't you come over tomorrow and
meet them while Monique is still here. She can run through everything with you.
You can use Monique's room while she's away. It's next to the girls'
bedroom."

"You want me to live in? Okay." Excitement bubbled
inside Kelly. Instead of a lonely Christmas break on her own, she could spend
it with Zoe and Annabelle. And Sean, of course, when he was at home.

"That's settled then. I'll give you the address and the
PIN code to get in the gate." He scribbled on a piece of paper and handed
it across, then jumped out and came around to open her door.

She climbed out, grinning.

"It takes about thirty minutes from here. Come over
tomorrow morning when you're ready. I'm there all day."

Kelly nodded, her head spinning with the sudden change in
her plans. This just might be the best Christmas she'd had in years.

Chapter Two

The GPS on Kelly's phone directed her along a narrow country
lane beside the River Thames to a set of tall iron gates. A metal sign that
read
River View House
hung on the wall. She edged her car closer and tapped the PIN code Sean had
given her into the keypad. The gates swung open to reveal a drive that cut
across a neatly trimmed lawn.

Her car crunched along the gravel and around a corner. She
stopped, catching her breath at the amazing place. For some reason she had
expected Sean to live in a historic house like Cameron did, but this building
was ultramodern with lots of huge glass windows, sandstone walls, and a slate
roof. It sat on a hill above the River Thames. The views from the property must
be fantastic.

In a parking area outside the front door stood the SUV Sean
had driven the previous evening and a sports car. She pulled up beside them and
cut her car engine.

Climbing out, she grabbed a breath of chilly air, locked her
door, and surveyed the property. It really was a wonderful location, quiet and
peaceful with beautiful views in all directions. This close to Oxford with a
river frontage, the place must have cost a fortune, at least a couple of
million pounds. A colonel's salary had to be a lot more than she'd thought,
unless his family already had money. She really knew very little about Sean
Fabian apart from his military reputation.

Her heart pounded as she walked towards the front door. She
hadn't expected seeing Sean again to make her nervous. After all, she was only
working for him. They weren't dating. She sucked in a steadying breath and told
herself not to be so silly.

She pressed her thumb on the doorbell and waited. A few
moments passed before voices sounded inside, then the door opened. Sean beamed
his crooked smile at her, all dimples and white teeth.

A small girl with blonde curls rested in his arms, her head
on his shoulder, her chubby fingers clutching his shirt collar. Kelly's heart
skipped a beat, then raced on. If there was one thing better than a handsome
man, it was a handsome man holding a baby. Or in Sean's case, two babies. The
other twin sat on his foot, her arms and legs wrapped around his lower leg.

"Kelly. Hello. Great to see you again. Come in."
Sean shuffled back, one foot weighed down by his daughter.

"This is Zoe," he said, bouncing the baby in his
arms. He tried to sit the child higher so she could see Kelly, but the little
girl buried her face in her daddy's neck and hung on. "We're slightly shy
when we meet new people, but she won't take long to get used to you." He
kissed the top of the child's head. "This is Kelly. She's going to spend
some time with you while Monique's away."

"Hello, Zoe. It's nice to meet you."

The little girl peeped out at Kelly through huge blue-green
eyes fringed with long golden lashes just like her father's.

"And down here we have Annabelle, or Belles for
short." Sean lifted his foot off the ground and the child tipped back her
head, viewing Kelly upside down. "As you can see, Belles is not shy. I
think she takes after her mother and Zoe takes after me."

Kelly crouched down to Annabelle's level and smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Annabelle." The two little girls were identical
twins, both blonde and very pretty.

"Annabelle has a thing about riding on my foot at the
moment. It's like walking around the house with a lead boot on. By the end of
the day, I feel as though my leg is going to drop off. I'm sure I'll end up
with one thigh muscle twice the size of the other."

Kelly's gaze rose to his denim-clad thighs, exactly at her
eye level. They looked pretty good from where she was crouched. She stood
quickly, a flush heating her cheeks.

"I'm afraid Monique's already gone and there's a chance
she won't come back. Her grandmother isn't well, and she took a turn for the
worse. So I'll show you the ropes." Sean angled his head to talk to Zoe.
"Shall we give Kelly a tour of the house?"

Zoe peered shyly at Kelly and nodded, poking a thumb in her
mouth.

Kelly suppressed a smile as she followed Sean down a light,
airy hallway. He limped along with Annabelle on his foot, obviously a doting
father.

"The main living area is a semi-open plan to take
advantage of the view."

A huge bright room lay before her, the front wall made up of
sliding glass doors. As she'd suspected, the room had incredible views of the
river and surrounding countryside.

Contemporary white leather sofas and easy chairs filled one
section of the room, while an oak and stainless steel kitchen with a granite-topped
island occupied one back corner and a semi-screened dining area with oak table
and white leather chairs another.

Kelly wandered across the space and stared out as a boat
drifted past. Wooden decking provided an outside seating area, elevated above
the river. "This is a stunning view, Sean." She glanced over her
shoulder as he shuffled closer, wincing at the weight of Annabelle on his foot.

"I love it here. I'm a bit of an introvert. I need to
retreat somewhere peaceful after a busy day at work to recharge my
batteries."

"Yeah, this place would be ideal for that." She
didn't think of herself as an introvert, but she did like some quiet time alone
after a hectic spell in the field hospital. Being an army medic could be
incredibly stressful, often dealing with multiple cases of severe trauma in a
short period of time.

Just because Sean was not overseas in a conflict zone didn't
mean he was under any less pressure than she had been. The most severe trauma
cases were shipped back to the hospital at Brize Norton for Sean to take care
of with the help of Cameron's brother, Radley.

Day in, day out, Sean operated on the most severely injured
service personnel from British army theaters of operation all over the world.
That would put any surgeon under pressure.

"Let's go upstairs. I'll show you your room and where
the twins sleep." He placed Zoe gently on the ground. "Come on,
angel. Big girls walk on their own feet, don't they." She clung to his arm
as he tried to let her go.

With difficulty, he lifted Annabelle up and stood her on her
feet as well. She leaned back against his leg, staring up at Kelly beneath her
lashes. Sean offered each child one of his hands and they toddled along beside
him.

"They've been walking for a few weeks. It's a bit of a
mixed blessing now they're more mobile. They can move like greased lightning
when they want to. I need about ten hands sometimes."

"Well, you have two more now."

He glanced over his shoulder and she held up her own hands
and wiggled her fingers.

His amused grin made her heart do a little jig. There was
something incredibly attractive about Sean Fabian and it wasn't just his
handsome face. She liked him, really liked him. She would have to be careful
not to forget she was only here to do a job.

They made slow progress up the stairs as the two little
girls climbed on all fours in front of him. When they reached the top, they
both dashed into a room and Sean followed. Kelly stopped in the doorway of what
was obviously the nursery. A wooden crib was set on each side of the room and a
baby changing unit sat against the glass sliding doors overlooking the river.

She would even have a lovely view when she changed the
girls' diapers.

A colorful mat covered the main section of the polished
wooden floor. Both girls sat down there and fished toys out of a toy box in the
center.

Annabelle toddled over and held up a doll to Kelly. She was
definitely the more confident twin.

"Thank you. What a pretty dolly. Is she yours?"
Kelly kneeled and Annabelle sat on her lap.

"I seem to have made a friend," she said, glancing
up at Sean.

"Zoe will take a little longer to accept you, but
she'll get there. She takes time to trust people."

Sean sat cross-legged on the floor amid the toys and built a
tower of bricks for Zoe, which she promptly knocked down. Kelly joined him near
the toy box. Annabelle fetched toy after toy, giving them to her, until she had
a whole heap.

Sean's phone chimed. "Excuse me a moment," he
said, pulling it out of his pocket. He checked the display and answered.

He chatted with someone who obviously wanted advice on a
change of medication for a patient. As soon as he ended the call, he rose to
his feet. "Let me show you to your room so you can settle in."

They went next door to a beautiful bedroom with light oak
furniture and floor and a white bedspread. All clean lines and no fuss. The
front wall was made up of glass sliding doors that opened onto a balcony over
the river.

"Amazing. I should be paying you to stay here!"
Kelly unlatched the doors and stepped out. Despite the chill the view was
fantastic. The balcony was edged with frameless glass panels to prevent the
babies from falling over.

"You won't say that after a few days with the
monsters." Sean lifted Annabelle up and blew on her belly, making her
laugh. "Okay, you pong. Time for a diaper change. This is where the extra
hands come in useful."

Kelly came back inside and shut the doors. "I'm ready
and willing. I'll take Annabelle, since she and I have made friends."

"Good idea." Sean sat Zoe on his hip, then his
phone rang again. He sat on the bed and Kelly did the same, pulling Annabelle
into a hug. The little girl came into her arms, tucking her head into Kelly's
neck. She rocked the baby, her heart swelling with pleasure and contentment.
This was her dream come true.

"Hi, Cam," Sean said. "How's Alice?… A false
alarm. Oh, well, you won't have long to wait. The baby will arrive by
Christmas."

Kelly froze, listening closely.

"Yeah, last night was fun. Thanks… Actually, Kelly is
here now… No, she's working for me, looking after the girls."

Cameron had called Sean to ask about last night instead of
asking her. Pain twisted in her chest. He had been her best friend, but since
he married Alice he'd grown more distant. She and Cameron had been an item
once, many years ago. She had set him free, knowing she could never give him
children, thinking it was best to get out before their relationship got too
serious.

She'd thought it was enough to be his friend and work with
him. Too late she realized her stupid heart belonged to him. She had hoped he
would never find anyone else and one day they might get together again.

Kelly pressed her face against Annabelle's golden curls and inhaled
her sweet baby smell, breathing through the pain of a loss she should have
gotten over many years ago. It was time she moved on and left Cameron Knight in
the past.

***

Having a woman in his kitchen again seemed strange. Kelly
stood beside Sean, chopping up tomatoes as he washed a lettuce. No woman had
been in here since his wife—except Monique, of course, but he thought of the
twenty-year-old more as a girl than a woman. She was certainly far too young
for him.

"I didn't mean for you to have to look after me as well
as the children," he said.

"It's no problem." Kelly flashed him a grin as she
scooped up the tomato pieces and dumped them in the salad bowl. "I'm happy
to do everything Monique does. I can manage a little cooking and cleaning for a
few weeks. It'll be fun looking after your beautiful house."

Did she also think it would be fun looking after him? A
flash of awareness spread through Sean and he shoved it away, distracting
himself by putting the lasagna in the oven. Kelly was his employee now. That
put her out of bounds as surely as if she'd been an army medic. Nothing had
changed.

A little voice in the back of his head whispered that maybe
he'd made a mistake by employing her. Maybe he should have dated her instead.
But he'd been desperate for reliable help with his twins. The girls always came
first. Any sort of love life for him was way down the list near the bottom,
after his children and his army duties.

Kelly was heading overseas in a few weeks anyway. She was
unlikely to be looking for a relationship at the moment. Although Cameron had
suggested she might be interested.

Heck, this line of thought was getting him nowhere.

Kelly brushed her hands together and stepped back.
"We're about done here until the lasagna is ready." She glanced at
the pasta box for cooking instructions.

As she tilted her head, her mass of long reddish hair fell
forward, catching the light. Sean dragged his gaze away and tried to think of
something to say. Now the twins were in bed, the situation felt too intimate,
here alone with her in his house. Thank goodness he'd be at work during the
week. Most evenings he had paperwork to occupy him, so he should be able to get
through the next few weeks without succumbing to temptation. The secret was to
stay occupied and focus on what he was doing rather than who he was with.

"There are still some rooms you haven't seen. Would you
like to finish the tour?" he suggested.

"Good idea."

He strode along the ground floor corridor to the end.
"This is a wet room meant for when you've been kayaking or boating."
He pushed the door open, snapped on the light, and she put her head inside. The
kayak paddles rested on hooks on the wall and wetsuits hung on rails. "The
kayaks are stored under the house, if you're interested."

"Doesn't look as though you use this room much."

"I used to go out occasionally but I don't have time
now." That was the story of his life. About the only thing he managed in
the way of exercise was thirty minutes in the gym in the mornings if he woke up
early.

"This is a home cinema." He pushed open the next
door and turned on the light. A huge screen filled one wall and a couple of
rows of comfy chairs faced it. "It's also got a pretty good sound system.
I occasionally chill out and listen to music when the girls are in bed. Feel
free to come in here whenever you want."