pressure monitor interrupted the sweep of memories that always seemed to suck them in.
The sound gave Tessa the opportunity to turn away and check her watch. “I’d better go. If I start office hours on time, I might finish at a decent time. When I get finished, would you like me to bring you takeout?”
“That would be great. I probably won’t want to leave him.”
“I can imagine what you’re feeling, Vince, but when Sean naps, take a break. You need to take care of yourself, too.”
He was staring at her over his son’s crib, thinking about the two of them together…the two of them taking care of Sean together. Was that too crazy to hope for?
“Do you care if I take care of myself, Tessa? Do you care about Sean’s outcome as more than his doctor?”
They were in a corner of the recovery room with medical personnel stationed at the other end.
“Vince, this isn’t the place—”
“Isn’t it?”
Her eyes were wide with a vulnerability she rarely showed him.
“I care about you and Sean. Maybe too much.”
Tessa believed those were the words he needed to hear right now. Her denial had ended because they were true. Maybe after this crisis, they could figure out how involved they were going to be in each other’s lives.
Tessa peeked into Sean’s hospital room at nine o’clock that night, gripping two take-out bags. Vince had pulled a chair over to the crib and laid his hand on his son’s arm. The tableau touched Tessa deeply and she gripped the bags a little tighter. Just what had she admitted to Vince this afternoon? What had he deduced from it?
She entered the baby’s room now and spotted the recliner that had been rolled in so Vince could stay the night. He was unaware of her presence until she tapped him on the shoulder.
He went still for a moment, then rose from the chair. “I’m losing my instincts,” he said gruffly. “I should have sensed you coming.”
“All of your attention is on Sean. I can understand why you didn’t.”
He shook his head. “That’s no excuse.” He inhaled deeply and smiled at the bags in her hand. “Is that food?”
She grinned back. “I don’t know what’s going to happen if you eat enchiladas this time of night, but I know they’re your favorite. At least they used to be. You haven’t sworn off of them, have you?”
He laughed. “No.”
Handing Vince the bags, she went to the crib and looked down at the baby. “Has he been awake?”
“On and off. He fell back to sleep a little while ago. He’s been through a lot. I’m just grateful Rafferty thinks the surgery was successful.”
“Remember, the improvement will happen slowly.”
“I know. I’ll be patient about it. I have no choice.”
Tessa was close to Vince and she liked the sensation of her shoulder bumping his. Vince had always made her feel safe and protected and cared for. Until—
Until he’d been silent and uncommunicative when he’d visited her in the hospital. Until he hadn’t objected to her going home with her father.
She couldn’t help but lean over Sean and whisper in his little ear, “I hope you’re having sweet dreams, baby. You deserve good dreams from here on out.”
Tessa could feel Vince’s gaze on her and she swallowed hard. Turning toward him, she said, “I’m sorry I’m so late. I had an emergency and then patients got backed up.”
“You don’t have to apologize, Tessa. You don’t even have to be here.” He raked his hand through his hair. “Sorry, that didn’t come out the way it should have. I just mean…I cornered you in the recovery room today. I’m surprised you came back.”
She admitted she cared about him, but she wasn’t going to tell him she couldn’t keep away. “Come on, let’s eat. There’s a taco salad there for me.”
With a vinyl chair pulled near the recliner, they ate in the dimly lit room, the hospital noises outside the door seeming far away. A nurse came in to check on Sean and then departed once more.
After
The sound gave Tessa the opportunity to turn away and check her watch. “I’d better go. If I start office hours on time, I might finish at a decent time. When I get finished, would you like me to bring you takeout?”
“That would be great. I probably won’t want to leave him.”
“I can imagine what you’re feeling, Vince, but when Sean naps, take a break. You need to take care of yourself, too.”
He was staring at her over his son’s crib, thinking about the two of them together…the two of them taking care of Sean together. Was that too crazy to hope for?
“Do you care if I take care of myself, Tessa? Do you care about Sean’s outcome as more than his doctor?”
They were in a corner of the recovery room with medical personnel stationed at the other end.
“Vince, this isn’t the place—”
“Isn’t it?”
Her eyes were wide with a vulnerability she rarely showed him.
“I care about you and Sean. Maybe too much.”
Tessa believed those were the words he needed to hear right now. Her denial had ended because they were true. Maybe after this crisis, they could figure out how involved they were going to be in each other’s lives.
Tessa peeked into Sean’s hospital room at nine o’clock that night, gripping two take-out bags. Vince had pulled a chair over to the crib and laid his hand on his son’s arm. The tableau touched Tessa deeply and she gripped the bags a little tighter. Just what had she admitted to Vince this afternoon? What had he deduced from it?
She entered the baby’s room now and spotted the recliner that had been rolled in so Vince could stay the night. He was unaware of her presence until she tapped him on the shoulder.
He went still for a moment, then rose from the chair. “I’m losing my instincts,” he said gruffly. “I should have sensed you coming.”
“All of your attention is on Sean. I can understand why you didn’t.”
He shook his head. “That’s no excuse.” He inhaled deeply and smiled at the bags in her hand. “Is that food?”
She grinned back. “I don’t know what’s going to happen if you eat enchiladas this time of night, but I know they’re your favorite. At least they used to be. You haven’t sworn off of them, have you?”
He laughed. “No.”
Handing Vince the bags, she went to the crib and looked down at the baby. “Has he been awake?”
“On and off. He fell back to sleep a little while ago. He’s been through a lot. I’m just grateful Rafferty thinks the surgery was successful.”
“Remember, the improvement will happen slowly.”
“I know. I’ll be patient about it. I have no choice.”
Tessa was close to Vince and she liked the sensation of her shoulder bumping his. Vince had always made her feel safe and protected and cared for. Until—
Until he’d been silent and uncommunicative when he’d visited her in the hospital. Until he hadn’t objected to her going home with her father.
She couldn’t help but lean over Sean and whisper in his little ear, “I hope you’re having sweet dreams, baby. You deserve good dreams from here on out.”
Tessa could feel Vince’s gaze on her and she swallowed hard. Turning toward him, she said, “I’m sorry I’m so late. I had an emergency and then patients got backed up.”
“You don’t have to apologize, Tessa. You don’t even have to be here.” He raked his hand through his hair. “Sorry, that didn’t come out the way it should have. I just mean…I cornered you in the recovery room today. I’m surprised you came back.”
She admitted she cared about him, but she wasn’t going to tell him she couldn’t keep away. “Come on, let’s eat. There’s a taco salad there for me.”
With a vinyl chair pulled near the recliner, they ate in the dimly lit room, the hospital noises outside the door seeming far away. A nurse came in to check on Sean and then departed once more.
After
Similar Books
