Read Bearing It All Online

Authors: Vonnie Davis

Bearing It All (19 page)

BOOK: Bearing It All
6.49Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Anisa began removing her monitor clips. “Davina, I need you to put me in Ronan's wheelchair. Are you sweating? You look like you're having a hot flash.”

“Aye. That I am.” She lifted Anisa and placed her in the chair.

“Kendric, open the window so Davina can get some cool air. My mother used to say menopause was a bitch. Push the chair over closer to the window so I can get some fresh air, too.” Kendric opened it while he muttered about bossy women, and the dead woman's body flew out. “I need to be put back to bed now and a clean hospital gown put on.”

Ronan and Kendric's mouths dropped open and they rushed to the window to peer down. Kendric was the first to speak. “You can't do that.”

“I know. I'm too weak from the poisoning that dead bitch gave me. Leave the room, please, so Davina can hook me back to the monitors and get me cleaned up. Besides, that dead woman was going to kill my man. End of story.”

Anisa had to admit Kendric guided the whole proceedings with efficiency. What little she saw during her on-again off-again naps, there was little hospital drama. Both of the guards' bodies were removed, once the CSI team did their thing. While housekeeping mopped the blood in the hallway, the CSI people moved into Anisa's room to photograph the gory mess.

“This may sound heartless, but my nerves are so bad, I'm hungry.” Anisa glanced at Ronan. “If it's a slender woman you want, you'll never have it with me. I'm a nervous eater just like my Italian grandma was.”

“I'm too crazy over that hourglass figure of yours to look at anyone else. Brother Bear and I could both eat. Too much drama makes us ravenous.”

“I could use a wee snack, too. Good thing me two nieces are working in the kitchen and dining hall tonight. I'll call Lorna, she's in charge, and see what we can get this late at night.”

Davina glanced at both of them after talking to her niece. “They've got leftover soup or they can make pancakes and eggs. Which do ye want?”

“Order a double batch of pancakes for me and six eggs scrambled soft. Och, and honey fer the pancakes.”

“I'll have an order of pancakes with lots of syrup,” Anisa said.

Davina passed on their orders. “Lorna, darlin', make yer auntie two orders of pancakes with honey. And a pot of herbal tea fer all of us.” Davina glanced at Kendric. “You want anything?”

“With a body to collect three stories down? Nay thanks. Besides, I need some sleep.”

Not long after the cleaning crew and Kendric left, a knock came at the door. “Auntie Davina, I've got yer food. Are ye having a party in there?” Giggles floated in from the corridor.

Davina hurried to the door. “Och, there's me beautiful niece. Come give me a hug.” The two embraced and the young woman pushed in the overloaded cart.

“Me patients and I got a bad case of the munchies. Me hot flashes have me stomach stirred up, so they do. No need for ye to unload all this food. I'll do it. We'll eat and talk our way through it. Thank ye for going to all this work.”

Later, Ronan crawled out of bed and placed his dirty plates on the cart. He took Anisa's over, too. When he returned to her bedside, he leaned over, and caressed her cheeks. “I dinna like this danger ye always seem to be in. I canna lose ye, fer it would kill me. Creighton told me about yer applying for Scottish asylum, and that pleases me.” He kissed her good night and burrowed his face in the crook of her neck. “I love ye, Beauty.” Slowly, he crawled into his bed.

“Good night, me luv. Tired.” Heavy breathing rumbled from his chest.

“Now, if I can just get ye to sleep, young lady. I'll push the cart into the corridor and text me niece she can come get it.” Once she positioned the pushcart outside their room, she exchanged words with the new guards Kendric had stationed in the hallway. She closed the door as she came back in. “Ye need to sleep well tonight. Nay doubt, the doctor will run ye through a barrage of tests tomorrow to make sure all yer organs are working properly after the poisons.”

Chapter 19

The next morning, Dr. MacGuiness charged in with a folder in his hand. “Well, we ken the type of poison used on ye and I need to talk to that pink-haired woman. She was dead-on right. Copper-backed Broodfrog from Australia.” He shook his head twice. “How could she possibly ken that?”

“You'd have to ask her.” There was no way Anisa was telling the king of bedside manner that Effie was a witch.

Jaimie had just reported for duty and the doctor told her what anti-toxins to mix to add to Anisa's IV drip. He also gave Jaimie a rundown of tests he'd ordered before his white coattails flared out as he exited the room.

Ronan hobbled out of the bathroom, a hand pressed to his abdominal incisions. He looked pale. “Too many pancakes and eggs late at night.” He leaned over and kissed Anisa, his mouth a minty tang of toothpaste. “Och, the nightmares I had. Last night was too close fer comfort. When that bitch shot those police officers, I didna ken I could shift quick enough to protect ye. Fer ye are me life, sweetheart.”

By early afternoon, Anisa was exhausted from all the tests hospital technicians had put her through. She breathed a sigh of relief when she was wheeled into her room. To her surprise, a muscled man with ginger hair in braids and wearing a kilt leaned against Ronan's bed. A t-shirt proclaiming “I'm the Da” stretched across his muscles.

“This must be the kickass woman who captured me brother's heart.” He extended his arms for a hug. “I'm the youngest of the Matheson brothers, Bryce. 'Tis good to meet the lady who has charmed both me brothers and me mum.” He held her close. “Me beloved's in labor. Can ye feel me shaking?” A disarming smile creased his face.

Anisa could sense his nervousness. Poor man was scared. But then Ronan had told her Bryce's first wife had died birthing their daughter, Colleen.

“Nurses are getting me wife ready fer delivery and told me it would be fifteen minutes before I could join her in the labor room.” He tucked two fingers beneath the neckline of his t-shirt and tugged several times as he spoke, as if he had to do something with his hands. “I came to get ye and Ronan, so the entire family can wait together. A new bairn is a wondrous event. I'll push Ronan's wheelchair. Jaimie, might I ask ye to drive Anisa's?”

As she was ambulated to the maternity ward, Anisa tensed. She hadn't expected to be included within the family unit so quickly. How many people would be there? Was it so terrible she just wanted to crawl into her bed and sleep?

Yes, it was. This was Ronan's family. She'd met both of his brothers and his mother. How many more could there be? Sweet mother of Prada, the entire waiting room was filled! The low chatter stopped when Anisa was pushed into the area and all eyes fixed on her.

A darling auburn-haired sprite, wearing a shirt that read “I'm the Big Sister” came charging over to Ronan. “Uncle Ronan!” She crawled onto his lap, and Anisa worried about the pain the little girl must be inflicting on him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he leaned his cheek against Colleen's. “I've been so worried about ye, so I have.” She planted a dozen or so kisses over his face. “Are ye going to be okay? Why is your head as bald as the Christmas goose? Is this yer intended, then? The one who dropped from the sky?” The child's slow perusal of Anisa went from her matted hair to her hospital slippers. “I'm guessing she looked a wee sight better at the time.”

“Mind yer manners, Colleen,” Bryce reprimanded his daughter.

She scowled at her da. “I will. I'm just excited about the baby. Canna ye give a kid a break?” She stepped in front of Anisa and held out her little hand. “Greetings. Me name is Colleen Matheson and I'm about to have a baby sister. We've decided on Linsey Fiona as her name. I hear ye're one of
those
French people, but since ye saved me uncle Ronan, we've decided to overlook that.”

Anisa laughed. “Well, I'm glad you did. I can imagine you're very excited about the new baby.”

“Och, I am. I've been practicing being a sister with Rory Creighton and Roslyn Effie. I never knew a woman who was in the army. Do ye shoot people and stuff? I heard ye kicked Uncle Ronan on his arse a couple of times, but I think maybe he deserved it.” She shot him a blaming glance, her tiny auburn eyebrows lowered into a V. “He gets testy, so he does.”

Ronan took Anisa's hand. “Did I mention we've spoiled this child?”

A nurse in purple scrubs decorated with pink and white storks entered the waiting area. “Bryce, we're ready fer ye. Come with me and I'll show ye where to put on yer scrubs.”

Colleen scurried to the nurse. “Make sure he gets pink ones. It's a girl we'll be having, ye see.”

Creighton and Ronan both laughed heartily and spoke at the same time. “Aye. Be sure he wears the pink ones.”

Bryce gave his brothers the finger behind his back as he followed the nurse. Ronan was pleased his wheelchair was parked next to Anisa's. Dark circles under her eyes told him she was exhausted. What a hellacious few days she'd just lived through but, thank God, she'd survived. He needed to thank Effie for naming the poison Anisa had been given. He'd buy her some pink beads and earrings as a thank-ye gift. Maybe he'd order some flowers for the nurse who responded so quickly to his beloved's needs that night. He grinned. With any luck, Kendric would see them and realize he needed to make a move and ask Jaimie out.

“Did Colleen hurt you when she crawled onto your lap like that?”

“Nay, shifters heal faster.” He entwined his fingers with Anisa's, lifted them, and kissed her knuckles. “Do ye remember the last time we had our fingers locked like this, luv?”

She batted her eyes at him and all was right with his world. “Yes, how could I forget, when you had me soaring over the earth.”

The woman had a way of making him feel ten feet tall. “Before I molest ye in yer wheelchair, would ye like me to point out who everyone is?” She nodded. “Ye ken me eldest brother, Creighton, holding his daughter, Roslyn. Beside him is his beloved, Paisley, holding their son, Rory. Effie, ye already ken, and Earnan, who was our veterinarian and doctor fer years. Have ye met me mum?”

“Yes, she stopped by and introduced herself before the woman with the poison arrived. We had a nice talk.”

“Good. She's verra protective of her sons.”

“Maybe I'll have a son one day to be proud of. Your son.” She batted her eyes again. “I hope we won't have to wait too long for that event.”

He had to glance away fer a beat fer his heart to catch up. “Aye. 'Tis something to talk about when we're healthier and this mess with the traitor charges is cleared up.”

A shadow crossed her beautiful face. “Sometimes I forget I have an awful situation to straighten up. I get so wrapped up in my feelings for you, I lose touch with the reality that lies ahead.”

“ 'Tis a subject fer us to talk about later, luv. Fer now, let me get back to naming off who all is here. The lady next to Mum is Cook Edweena. Beside her is the woman who helped raise Kenzie, her aunt Una. She weaves our clan's plaid and is also a witch who makes healing potions and casts spells.”

“Is…is Kenzie a…” She cast her blue eyes on him.

“Aye. She's a member of the Protectors' Coven like Effie. The young woman is Mary Kate, Effie's cook and Kenzie's best friend.”

“And they've all assembled here for the birth?”

He brought her hand to his mouth again for another kiss. “Aye. As ye know, Bryce's first wife died having Colleen. Kenzie's had two miscarriages, thanks to an abusive husband, who has since died. So, we're all a bit fearful.”

“I understand.” She squeezed his hand again. “I'm sure you're worried, too.”

He leaned his shoulder against hers. “Aye. Bryce went to a dark place after his first wife died. They were young, deeply in love. I didna think he'd ever work his way out. Part of his healing was caring fer Colleen. She was premature and required extra attention. He's a damn fine father. But it was a long time before we got the whole man back again. Not until the day he married Kenzie.”

People slowly came over and introduced themselves to Anisa, making an effort to get to ken her. Once she seemed comfortable in the various conversations, Ronan wheeled his chair around to talk to the men and then his mum, who handed him a few items. He studied them, chose one, and gave the rest back to her.

After four hours of quiet conversation between the adults—Colleen bugging everyone by asking how long her da had been gone, and people taking turns to go for coffee and tea—the doors from the delivery area swung open.

Bryce, in pink scrubs, grinning from ear to ear, pushed a fussy bairn in a plastic bassinet through the doorway. “Family, meet Linsey Fiona, seven pounds, two ounces of healthy beauty. She's got red hair just like her older sister.” He wiped a tear. “And Kenzie is fine. I spent an extra hour with her to be sure. The doctor assures me she'll be okay.”

Everyone gathered around to get a glimpse at the baby and proclaim her a fine Scottish bairn. Colleen gently trailed a finger down Linsey's cheek. Linsey quieted and fisted her tiny hand around Colleen's finger. “Look, Da, she kens me already! She kens I'm her big sister.” She leaned and pressed a kiss to the bairn's forehead. “I'll take care of ye. I willna let anyone hurt ye. I love ye more than all me dolls and I've got a lot, but we can share.”

Bryce placed his hand on Colleen's shoulder. “I have to take Linsey to the nursery. Do ye want to come along? Ye may tell the nurses yer sister's name so they can enter it in the records.”

She puffed up with pride. “I know how to spell it, too, Da.”

“Well, ye're so smart I had nay doubt.” The two pushed the bassinet toward the nursery.

Effie tucked her hand in Earnan's arm. “I don't know about any of you, but I think Bryce looks good in pink.” She pursed her hot pink lips. “Pink looks good on anyone.” She eyed Earnan.

“Nay. Dinna even think about it. Let's go to Mathe Restaurant fer supper. I'm in the mood fer a good piece of fish.” He glanced around. “Anyone want to join us?”

Ronan's guts had just recently calmed down from all the pancakes and eggs in the wee hours of the morning. All Ronan could think of was chicken broth and toast. Maybe he could entice Anisa to sleep in his big bed once visiting hours were over. He wasna up fer sex, but he'd delight in wrapping himself around her during the night. To absorb the warmth of her body and hear her gentle snoring.

When Anisa and Ronan were wheeled into their room, Kendric and a somber man in a black pinstripe suit were there waiting for the couple.

Kendric spoke first. “We were told ye were waiting fer Kenzie to birth her bairn. Did all go well?”

Ronan glanced at Anisa. Her face was pale. Even the color had drained from her lips. This was nay good. “Aye. Bryce has a healthy girl bairn. Kenzie came through the delivery just fine. Who is this man ye've got with ye?” Ronan's nose twitched at the gent's heavy use of cologne.

Anisa's cold hand reached for Ronan's and tightened so hard it was as if she were afraid she'd be torn from him. “Honey, this is the French Minister of Defense, Chasen Laroche. He's come to interrogate me.”

“More than interrogate, Anisa Brosseau.
Much
more than interrogate.” The man had the audacity to glower at his woman.

Ronan's heart stuttered several painful beats. “Ye canna take her. She's seeking political asylum. Kendric, didna ye tell him? Besides, I plan to marry this woman.” After all they'd been through, this couldna be happening. Could the French government come onto Scottish soil and take away his intended, his beloved, his heart? Panic slid over him like a sheet of ice peppered with nails and began to pierce the life out of his being.

BOOK: Bearing It All
6.49Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

The English Girl by Margaret Leroy
Murphy & Mousetrap by Sylvia Olsen
Collision of The Heart by Eakes, Laurie Alice
The Wisdom of Hair by Kim Boykin
Prince of Wolves by Loftis, Quinn
The Knife's Edge by Matthew Wolf
The Sword Dancer by Jeanne Lin
The Zen Diet Revolution by Martin Faulks
The Lost Labyrinth by Will Adams