The Proposal (4 page)

He chuckled. “That means he’s strong.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if it’s so much
a strong child or a strong
willed
child. He likes to let me know when he
thinks it’s time for us to eat.”

He opened his mouth, but he was interrupted by a
nurse poking her head in. “Dr. Nadeen, we need you in Room Three.”

He glanced over his shoulder and nodded. He then
turned back to Emma. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”

She smiled. “It was nice meeting you, Dr. Nadeen.”

“No need to be so formal. I’m Alpesh, but you can
call me Pesh.” He grinned. “Now I want you to lie back and put your feet up for
a bit. Just take it easy, okay?” Jerking his thumb across the hall, Pesh said,
“He’s going to be fine, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want you worrying in your
condition.”

Emma couldn’t help laughing. “My condition? I’m only
pregnant.”

He wagged a finger at her. “I mean it. I don’t want
to see you up again until I come back. Got it?”

“You’re awfully bossy,” she replied as she swung her
legs up on the bed and smoothed her top down.

“They teach us that in medical school,” he quipped
before he headed out the door.

Emma shook her head before taking her phone out of
her purse. There was little rest between fielding texts left and right. Julia,
Aidan’s second oldest sister, was on her way in from Alabama while Becky and
Liz were packing up to cut short their Disney trip.

A nurse peeked her head in and caused Emma to jump.
“I’m sorry. Dr. Nadeen said I should—”

The nurse smiled. “It’s okay, honey. I was just
wondering why Dr. Nadeen had put down this room was occupied, but there was no
chart.” With a knowing look, she replied, “But I can see why now.”

“He’s very kind.”

“He’s one of the best we have—the best doctor and
the best bedside manner.” She winked at Emma. “And by far the best looking.”

With her cheeks warming, Emma replied, “That’s
nice.”

“Take care then.”

“Thank you.”

The nurse hadn’t been gone long when Pesh reappeared
in the doorway. Emma quickly tried to hide her phone. Especially considering
the sign that warned no cellular devices was right next to her.

She gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry. I had to let
everyone know how he was.”

Pesh laughed. “It’s okay, Emma. I’m not going to
call security on you. I’m just glad to see you stayed put and aren’t back to
pacing.” He strode over to the bed.

Clumsily, she pulled herself into a sitting
position. Her eyes honed in on the plastic bag in Pesh’s hand. When she gave
him a puzzled look, he opened the bag to reveal a Coke, a bottle of water, a
pack of peanut butter crackers and a bag of Doritos.

“What’s all that?” Emma asked.

“Some of my secret food stash to feed your hungry
little guy.”

An inferno burned across her cheeks and neck,
causing her to twist the hem of her shirt. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“He’s hungry, isn’t he?”

“Well, yes, but—”

Pesh smiled. “Then here. I don’t mind sharing.”

Instead of hunger pains, her stomach fluttered with
butterflies as she took the crackers from him. “Ah, you must be a peanut butter
fan, huh?” he remarked, as he sank down on the stool in front of her.

“Yes,” she murmured, as she opened the package.
Peering up at him through her lashes, she said, “I certainly hope I’m not
keeping you from your patients.”

“You’re in luck. It’s actually a slow day for us,
considering most of the trauma patients get taken downtown.”

Emma arched in her brows in surprise, considering
all the rushing around she had seen earlier in the hallway. “Really?”

He nodded. “Besides, you may not have been
officially admitted, but with you almost fainting and your pulse, I’m concerned
about you. Therefore, I consider this a consultation.”

Confusion flooded her at the somewhat amorous
feelings crisscrossing over her at Pesh’s thoughtfulness and care. After she
bit into a cracker, he held out the Coke and water for her to choose from. When
she reached for the Coke, he jerked it away. “Now Emma, you know better than
that. Caffeine isn’t good for you.”

“No fair,” she replied, with a grin.

Pesh winked at her. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have
tempted you with such an elicit substance.”

Emma’s cheeks once again felt inflamed, so she took
a swig of water to try and cool off. “How’s Patrick?”

“Better. As soon as you finish eating, you can go
see him.”

“Really?” she asked, through a mouthful of cracker.

Pesh nodded. “He’s been asking for you.”

“He has?” She then crammed in another cracker as she
stood up. Once she swallowed, she said, “Okay, let’s go see him.”

With an amused shake of his head, Pesh said, “I
should have known not to say anything until you had finished eating.”

“How about I promise to finish the crackers while
I’m with Patrick?”

“I guess that sounds fair.”

Emma grinned as they started out the door. “I can’t
thank you enough for the food and for looking out for me…and for Noah.”

Pesh stuffed his hands into the pockets of his lab
coat. “Ah, so our strong little guy is going to be named Noah?”

“Yes, after my late father.”

He smiled. “He’s very lucky to have you for a
mother.”

Emma couldn’t help the heat that rose in her cheeks
at his compliment. “Thank you. I’m going to try to be the best I can for him. I
had a great role model in my late mother.”

“You’ve lost both your parents?”

She nodded.

He shook his head. “So much sorrow.” His hand
touched her shoulder. “But just from the look on your face and the love in your
eyes, I can tell how much joy this child is bringing you.”

“Yes, he is,” she murmured. She was almost overcome
by the sincerity in his expression and voice.

“Dr. Nadeen to examining room five. Dr. Nadeen to
examining room five,” came a voice over the loudspeaker.

“I guess you’d better go,” Emma said.

He nodded. “No rest for the weary around here.”

She smiled. “It was very nice meeting you.”

Pesh took her hand in both of his, tenderly stroking
her flesh with his fingertips. “The pleasure was all mine.”

As hard as she tried, she couldn’t ignore the
longing shiver that ran through her body at the touch of his hand on her skin.
“Good-bye,” she mumbled before stumbling into Patrick’s room.

CHAPTER THREE

Aidan reached out his hand to flag down a passing
nurse, but the sound of singing stopped him cold in the middle of the hallway.
Strains of
Danny Boy
floated back to him—his father’s favorite song.
Only second generation Irish, Patrick had grown up with the songs of the old
homeland like
Danny Boy
and
The Fields of Athenry.
Aidan couldn’t
remember a time in his life when his father wasn’t humming one of them.

But it wasn’t his father singing. The sweet harmony
of this voice cut through to Aidan’s soul, causing him to flinch.

It was Emma.

Her voice drew him nearer and nearer like a siren
leading a man to his doom. His steps slowed to a crawl as his eyes honed in on
the door down the hall from him. The last time he heard her sing was at her
grandparent’s Barn Dance. The night before he realized he was truly and
completely in love with her—before he had broken her heart.

Pausing in front of the doorway, Aidan tried to
still the rapid acceleration of his heartbeat. His father reclined back with
Emma perched beside him on the hospital bed. She held his hand that was
tethered to an IV pole in both of hers. Although Patrick had oxygen tubes stuck
in his nose, he appeared to be feeling fine and was enjoying his impromptu
concert.

When the last notes of the song echoed off the drab
walls, Patrick applauded. “Beautiful, Emma! Absolutely beautiful!”

Even though she ducked her head, Aidan could see her
usual flush of embarrassment that tinged her cheeks. “You’re welcome.”

“Without a doubt, you have the voice of an angel, sweetheart.”

Emma leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You know
there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, and that includes singing a song
with impossibly high notes in the middle of the ER.” One hand flew to her
abdomen while a smile spread across her face. “Noah must be a true Irish
Fitzgerald. He’s going crazy dancing right now.” Taking Patrick’s hand, she
brought it to her belly. “See?”

Aidan sucked in a breath and staggered back.  What
the hell? His son had a name, and he hadn’t even had a part in it. How could
she do something as monumental as naming his child without asking him? He
shouldn’t have cared that Emma had bestowed her late father’s name on their
son, but he did. Anger pulsed through him. Stalking through the doorway, he
blurted, “Excuse me?
Noah
?”

Patrick and Emma both turned to stare at him. Emma’s
face reddened from her ivory cheeks all the way down to her neck while her
frantic gaze darted around the room as if looking for an escape. Scrambling out
of the bed, she backed as far away from him as she could.

Although his attention should have been on his
ailing father, Aidan couldn’t take his eyes off of Emma. Any anger he felt for
her quickly evaporated, and his heart constricted with love for her. God, he
had missed her. He didn’t realize just how much until she was standing right in
front of him like a vision. She could have been one of Patrick’s roses in
bloom. Her breasts were fuller, her stomach was rounder, and her hips wider. He
fought to catch his breath.

When Patrick cleared his throat, Aidan quickly gazed
over at him. Patrick smiled. “Yes, Noah Patrick, after his grandfathers. Don’t
you think that’s a fine name for your son?”

“Yes, it is,” Aidan murmured, glancing back at Emma.
When she finally dared to look at him, he bobbed his head. “Noah Patrick
Fitzgerald
is a very fine name.”

Her eyes widened at the insinuation of his last
name. Aidan braced himself for her to protest, but she started inching for the
door instead. “Um, I’m going to go get something to drink.”

“I’ll get it for you,” Aidan offered.

“No, no, I’m fine. You need to be with your father.”

When she swept by him, Aidan fought to keep his arms
pinned at his side so he wouldn’t reach out and grab her to him. Her perfume
filled his nostrils and invaded his senses. He closed his eyes in agony. Once
she was safely out the door, his shoulders sagged in defeat. “She really hates
me,” he croaked.

“No, son, she doesn’t.” When Aidan snorted with
self-contempt, Patrick shook his head. “As much as she would love to hate you,
she can’t. She’s just gun-shy about you right now because of the dumbass move
you pulled on her.”

“Actually, it’s me who should hate her.” He
grimaced. “Acting like I was diseased and naming our son without me!”

Patrick grunted. “Whenever you’re done with your little
tirade, might I remind you that I’ve been hospitalized?”

Aidan widened his eyes. “Shit, Pop, I’m so sorry.
Seeing Em again knocked me on my ass.” He closed the gap between them. “You
look okay, but are you? I mean, was it a heart attack?”

Patrick started to open his mouth when a knock came
at the door. A tall, dark-headed doctor smiled at them. After his eyes made a
quick sweep over the room, his smile faded a little. “Hello again, Mr.
Fitzgerald. You’re looking much better now than when I first saw you today.”

“I believe I have you to thank for that, Dr.
Nadeen.”

Dr. Nadeen strode into the room. “We have your test
results back. It appears that you have two arteries that are eighty percent
blocked. I’ve consulted with our head cardiologist, and just to be on the safe
side, we feel it’s best to keep you overnight and schedule an angioplasty for
the morning.”

Patrick grimaced. “Not one of those again?”

With a chuckle, Dr. Nadeen replied, “Yes, I noticed
from your records you had the procedure before.”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“You’re going to have to start taking better care of
yourself and maintaining a heart-healthy diet, so you won’t be back here
again.”

Aidan snorted. “Good luck with that one.”

Patrick chose to ignore him. “At least it’s not
something major like open heart surgery.”

Dr. Nadeen nodded. “I’m sure this news will make
your granddaughter feel better.”

Patrick’s brows furrowed. “My granddaughter?”

Dr. Nadeen ducked his head but not before Aidan
caught a faint smile on his face and gleam in his dark eyes. “Emma—the
beautiful redhead who almost passed out because she was so worried about you.”