Valentine Babies (Holiday Babies Series) (12 page)

Roxanne couldn’t get herself to share his hilarity. The man
and his machine would intrude on her baby in a few minutes.
I hope you’re
doing well, my little one. We heard your heart.

An unexpected panic chilled her insides. What if the
ultrasound showed an abnormality?

“Okay, doc. Uncover her belly.” Suddenly serious, the
technician rubbed a gel on her skin. “Please plug it in for me.” Greg connected
the long electrical cord to the nearest plug and Math turned his machine on.
From her bed, she couldn’t see the monitor but Greg faced it.

Math set a wand on her skin, moved it around, and paused,
while Greg studied the monitor and she studied Greg’s blank features. No smile,
no frown, no scowl. Nothing to let her guess his thoughts. Damn it, they were
looking at her baby. She had a right to know what they were seeing.

She pulled on Greg’s sleeve. “Tell me please. Is he okay?”

“Shh. Yes, everything is fine, darling. Let the man do his
job.”

Greg pointed to the screen. “Go to the middle. Stop here.
Now to the right. Stop. Back to the left.”

“You were right, doc.”

“Right about what?” Roxanne snapped. “Tell me, damn it. Is
something wrong with my baby?”

“No ma’am. Everything is great.”

“Repeat the scan one more time.” A strange expression spread
over Greg’s face. Eyebrows arched. Lips tightened. He bobbed his head up and
down several times.

Roxanne closed her eyes. Something was definitely wrong.

“Roxanne, do you want to see the scan?”

 She bit her lip. “Not if there’s something wrong with
my baby.”

“Nothing is wrong, sweetheart.” He turned the monitor toward
her and grabbed her hand. “Look this little thing here is a baby.”

“So small. You sure he’s okay?”

Greg nodded. “As much as I could tell from the heartbeat, it
seems very healthy. We can’t tell yet if it’s a boy or a girl.”

“I’m sure it’s a boy,” she said with a smile. Everyone knew
it was a boy.

“Wait. Math, move to the left. Look here. You see the baby?”

“Yes, I can see him from the right and from the left. You
have such fantastic equipment.”

“Roxanne, you saw a baby on the right, and a baby on the
left,” Greg explained while Math moved the detector from the right to the left
and back.

The baby showed in the left, then disappeared in the middle
and reappeared in the right area.

Greg’s lips curled to one side.

“Oh my God, you mean...you mean. I’m seeing...” She had
trouble talking, breathing.

“Two babies, sweetheart. You’re the proud mommy of two babies.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widened and she stared at the monitor. Left.
Right. Left. Right. “Two babies,” she mumbled. “Two babies.” She smiled,
wanting to hug and hold her tiny babies.

It was wonderful.

It was terrible. How would she handle two babies?

And Greg? Had she lost him? Could she impose on him two
children that he hadn’t fathered?

“Ah.” Her head fell back on the pillows.

“Roxanne?” Greg tapped her face. “Damn it, she fainted.
Math, give me the alcohol flask.”

The strong smell irritated her nostrils. “Stop it, please.”

“I swear you’ll give me a heart attack at thirty-four. Not
an hour of boredom with you, my dear Roxanne.”

“Greg, I need to think it over.”

He opened his hands. “There’s nothing to think or discuss.
The two babies are here.” He pointed to her stomach. “And you’ll be very
careful from now on so that they can grow healthy.”

“I’m leaving now, doc. Our radiologist will send you a
report by email to confirm the results.”

“Thank you, Math. I appreciate you coming here today.”

“Greg, please, can you change my ticket? I want to leave
tomorrow instead of waiting till the day after tomorrow. I’m getting
claustrophobic in this apartment. I want to go home.”

“Roxanne, you need to understand that you’re supposed to be
on bed-rest for at least two weeks.”

“No, please. I can’t stay here. If anything happens again, I
may lose my baby. I mean my babies. Oh dear, I can’t believe it.” Tears welled
in her eyes. “How am I going to handle that now?” Soon she would balloon, but
she didn’t want him to see her enormous, waddling like a duck.

He squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry. You have your doctor
with you.”

“I want to go to Kentucky, stay at my mother’s. I’ll work
from home. Later, when I have the babies, she’ll help me. Mom is so good with
children.”

“Sorry, Roxanne. That’s not possible. We’ll leave the day
after tomorrow as planned, but we’re not going to the U.S. It’s too long of a
trip. I’ll call Colonel McGee and ask him to allow us to board the C-21
aircraft or any military planes heading back to Ramstein Base. You’ll have
another ultrasound there. Depending on the results, you may have to spend a few
days or weeks on bed-rest at the American hospital until you’re out of danger.”
Greg’s voice sounded cold and professional. He probably already considered her
a difficult case he had to treat before more complications arose.

Her jaw sagged and her eyes rounded. “A few weeks?”

Valentine’s Day in a hospital in Germany?

“Please, Greg,” she pleaded with her voice and her eyes.
“Any way I can go directly home?”

He shook his head. “I wish I could say yes, but it’s too
risky. Two lives are in the balance, now.”

She gulped down a quivering breath and grappled for control.
“I’ll do what you want, doctor.”

“Roxanne,” he started. “Talk to me. Share your feelings.”

“I don’t know how I feel.” She raised her hand to stop him
from saying more. “Leave now. I want to be alone and rest.”

Greg was a caring doctor, dedicated to his patients. But as
he’d said, she’d almost caused him a heart attack.

Should she give up on her dreams of a happy future with him?

Chapter Ten

Sitting on a chair by Roxanne’s bed, Greg watched her
carefully. He’d injected a light sedative in her IV bag to allow her to relax
and she’d finally drifted off. Last night she hadn’t slept all night, although
she’d closed the door and refused to sit with their group at the table.

 Leila had brought a plate of food to her room. Roxanne
ate very little. Later she’d pretended to be asleep when he came to check on
her. The news of a twin pregnancy had definitely overwhelmed her.

It had been a shock for him to hear two heartbeats. He
immediately understood the reason but didn’t want to tell her anything until
the ultrasound confirmed the diagnosis. She’d refused to discuss her emotions
with him and he hadn’t insisted.

To be honest, he needed to sort his own feelings, too. No
doubt about it, he loved her and had smothered his fear of flying to be with
her and rescue her baby. Their baby as he’d called it during his long trip.
Like a loving father, he’d decided to be present during the delivery and give
their newborn his family name. And then he’d make sure their child would have
the happy life Greg had missed so much after his father’s death.

With his mother now suffering from Alzheimer’s disease,
there wouldn’t be any doting grandparents on his side, so Greg didn’t mind if
the child visited the Diabs, in addition to Roxanne’s family.

To forget his fear of flying, Greg had concentrated on his
feelings for Roxanne and planned their future. The sudden appearance of a
second baby had taken him by surprise. Could he handle two children he hadn’t
fathered?

What’s the difference? If he’d accepted one baby, he
would accept the second.

He’d always dreamed of having a large loving family to make
up for his lonely childhood.

During the day, he’d paced the floor of the living room when
Roxanne refused to let him talk to her. Then he played with little Michael
while Steve and Leila went to the French and American embassies. The boy was
adorable. Roxanne’s babies would grow into adorable toddlers too.

Next to him, Roxanne sighed in her sleep. He bent and kissed
her pale cheeks. Tenderness and desire mingled in his heart. He glanced at the
door and tiptoed to the dark living room. Silence had settled in the apartment.
After preparing their suitcases, Leila had retired for the night in Michael’s
room and Steve occupied another bedroom.

Tomorrow was a traveling day for their group. Leila and
Michael had received their tourist visas from both embassies, thanks to Steve’s
effort, and would be flying to Paris to be with the older Diabs.

Greg returned to the master bedroom and locked the door
behind him. Without changing out of his day clothes, he stretched beside
Roxanne. Careful not to disturb her IV drip, he wrapped his arms around her.

“Greg,” she whispered and opened big eyes.

“Sleep, my love. I just want to hold you and our babies.”

“Our babies?”

“Yes, my darling. I did my best to save them. I think they
belong to me too now.”

“I belong to you too. I love you, Greg.” He kissed her lips
as softly as he could and caressed her hair until she drifted off. But he
couldn’t close his eyes for hours.

****

Roxanne woke up from a delightful dream where Greg had held
her in his arms all night. She shifted. The needle in her arm pricked her. Pain
jolted her memory. She hadn’t dreamed. Greg’s kisses had been real. Remembered
images flooded her mind. The ultrasound technician, the fantastic news of two
babies growing in her belly, her panic and worry that Greg couldn’t stomach her
already-made family, the lousy twenty-four hours she’d insisted on spending on
her own in that lavish bedroom. But then Greg had taken her in his arms, kissed
her, and held her until she slept.

Next to her, the large bed was empty. Had he left early?

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Did you sleep well?” Greg
walked toward her bed, clean-shaven, his hair wet. His happy smile brightened
the room better than the morning sun filtering through the shades.

“I slept well and had wonderful dreams.”

He brushed her lips with a light kiss. “Leila will help you
dress. Today is February 12th. Brian and Joe will take us to the airport in an
hour.” Greg disconnected the IV drip and removed the needle from her arm. “You
don’t need it anymore. I want you to eat every two hours and drink a lot of
fluid.”

“I’ll obey, Dr. Hayes. I promise.”

He chuckled. “I should have recorded your words. I hope
you’ll remember them in a few hours and don’t start being difficult again.”

“I won’t Greg. As long as you are with me, I’ll be as sweet
as honey.” He burst out laughing at her meek expression. “I need to stop by the
hotel to bring my stuff.”

“It’s all here. Leila and Steve already stopped there
yesterday on the way from the embassy, and Leila gathered your things and
packed for you.”

“Good morning, Roxy,” Leila said from the door. “I hope you
don’t mind that I took your key and collected your clothes. Greg told us you
were not feeling well yesterday and we should let you rest. I didn’t want to
disturb you.”

Had Greg mentioned her big news? Roxanne didn’t feel like
telling anyone she was expecting twins. It should remain their secret until
delivery day. “You did well, Leila. Thank you.”

“I have good news. We got the tourist visas for France and
the U.S.A. and we’re leaving today too. Steve is taking some vacation time and
coming with us to Paris. I’ll check on my parents and then I’ll probably
continue to the U.S.”

“Leila, my mother has a big house in Kentucky and would love
to have you and Michael around. He’ll be well-taken care of while you organize
yourself.” Roxanne dictated her mom’s address and phone number, and then Leila
helped her with a sponge bath and putting on her clothes.

“It feels so good to be back in street clothes and without
an IV.” Even though she couldn’t zipper her pants all the way up no matter how
she held her breath.

Leila secured the pants at the waist with a big safety pin.
“Your baby is getting bigger every day.”

Roxanne chuckled. “Soon I’ll be enormous, but who cares as
long as the baby’s fine.”
And Greg loves me.

Brian and Joe arrived in two separate Jeeps. After bringing
the luggage downstairs, her two bodyguards insisted on sitting Roxanne in an
armchair and carrying her all the way to the car. Leila hugged her and promised
to call and then boarded the other Jeep with Michael and Steve. Brian drove
them away and Joe followed with Greg and Roxanne.

At the airport, Joe took them to the terminal used by the
American forces. He brought her a wheelchair and hugged her. “It was a pleasure
to take care of you, Roxanne.”

“Thank you, Joe. I’ll write a very nice article about you,
and Brian, and all the boys serving our country here in Iraq. I’ll email a
copy. You have my card. Give me a call when you return home.”

An officer directed them through security and to the gate.
Greg excused himself and came back with a satisfied smile. “I just swallowed a
Xanax.
This medicine is a miracle.
I was so calm on my way to Iraq. Still I
want you to hold my hand during the whole trip as you promised in Fort
Lauderdale if I agreed to board a plane with you,” he added with a wink.

After takeoff, Roxanne asked Greg to hand her iPad over.

“You won’t get any Internet,” he said.

“I know. I just want to type my impressions. It’s my first
and probably last time on a military plane. I can’t miss such an opportunity.”

“You can’t type and exhaust yourself.”

Roxanne huffed. “How about I dictate and you type?”

“Are you kidding?”

Around them, guffaws started and escalated. Some of the
soldiers being evacuated had been interviewed by Roxanne and recognized her.

“Can we help you, Ms. Ramsay?”

“Shoot any questions, Ms. Ramsay.”

Greg gave up arguing and fetched her iPad from her handbag. “Go
ahead. I’ll type. Your promise to be as sweet as honey didn’t last one day,” he
muttered between gritted teeth.