The Army Doctor's Christmas Baby (5 page)

Chapter Five

Kelly pushed the double stroller between the rows of cut
Christmas trees at the garden center and stopped beside Sean. He lifted out a
six-foot tree and shook it to spread the branches.

"What about this one?" He grinned at her from
beneath his woolly cap decorated in snowmen, a matching scarf wrapped around
his neck. He looked as excited as a small boy in a toy shop.

"Looks good to me."

Kelly crouched beside the stroller next to the little girls
and pointed at the tree. "What do you two think? Do you like this
one?" Both babies stared at her blankly.

"They don't understand what it's for," she said.

"They will when we get it home and cover it in shiny,
sparkly things they want to play with."

Zoe yawned and Annabelle grunted, tugging impatiently on the
safety straps holding her in the stroller.

"They're bored. Let's buy some decorations quickly and
get them home."

Sean passed the tree off to a member of the garden center
staff to take to the checkout, then they all traipsed inside the huge glass
building full of potted plants and other gardening accessories. They headed to
the section overflowing with glittering Christmas baubles, lights, and wreaths.
Tall pines dressed in a multitude of colors filled the area to entice shoppers
to try the designs.

"Let's go for a traditional look." Sean frowned at
a tree decorated with feathers, lace, and old-fashioned pictures of scantily
clad women.

"I agree." Kelly hadn't been Christmas tree
shopping since she was young. This trip with Sean and the girls was nostalgic,
taking her back to a time when her family had lived in England and she'd been
close to her parents and sister.

"What do you have at home in the way of Christmas
stuff," she asked, thinking they should match the colors.

"Nothing. Eleanor and I never bothered to decorate the
house. We were both too busy to give it much thought."

"Same for me. I'm normally working overseas during
Christmas." By choice, but she didn't say that aloud.

"This will be my first Christmas with the
children." Sean held up a fat Santa-shaped bauble. "I'm really
looking forward to it." Then he added softly for her ears only, "I
want a happy Christmas to blot out the memory of what happened last
December."

Kelly cast him a sympathetic glance and squeezed his arm.
Last Christmas was around the time his wife died. That must be a terrible
holiday memory. She was surprised he could bring himself to celebrate at all.

Sean lifted a wreath of holly and pine twined with shiny
gold and red beads. "This will look good over the wood-burning stove in
the sitting room area."

They filled a cart with garlands, baubles, and other
fripperies, checked out, and loaded everything in the car. Both girls fidgeted
and moaned, tired and fretful now, ready for lunch and a nap.

Sean fixed the tree to the roof of his SUV with the help of
the garden center assistant. The pine blew and bumped on top of the vehicle as
Sean drove home, its fluttering branches visible through the glass sunroof. Annabelle
cried and pointed at it, while Zoe screamed in distress.

An earsplitting noise filled the car, so loud Kelly couldn't
make herself heard as she tried to reassure the babies.

"Thank goodness we're only going two miles," Sean
shouted, wincing.

When they arrived home, they rushed the girls inside to
comfort them, stripping off their thick winter suits, hats, and gloves,
changing diapers, wiping noses, and dispensing kisses and hugs until peace was
restored.

Once the children were in their high chairs, Kelly hummed a
Christmas carol she remembered from childhood as she heated the twins' lunch
and prepared soup with warm crusty rolls for herself and Sean.

"You seem happy here, Kelly," Sean said.

"Yes, very happy. I love looking after the girls. And
you."

As she sat across the table from him, he reached over and
laid his hand on hers, his eyes sparkling with pleasure. "I enjoy having
you here. You know that, don't you?"

"I hoped so."

He stroked his thumb across the back of her hand, his
expression thoughtful. Was he about to ask her to stay on, or reveal he had
feelings for her?

With a sigh, he let her go and resumed eating. Kelly's
breath rushed out in disappointment. Maybe he was just grateful to her for
stepping in to help with his children. His mind must be on the anniversary of
losing his wife—not on starting a new relationship.

After lunch, Sean fixed the tree on its stand and strung the
miniature lights around it. Kelly helped Zoe hang the baubles on the branches
while Sean assisted Annabelle, both of them lifting the babies so they could
reach the higher branches.

It took five minutes for the children to lose interest. They
toddled to the sofa, climbed up, and curled together, their thumbs in their mouths.
Then they drifted off to sleep, leaving Sean and Kelly to finish decorating the
tree.

Kelly grabbed her phone to take some photographs of the two
cute little girls cuddling up, her heart aching at the thought that in a few
weeks she would probably be many miles away. They would return to their normal
routine with Monique and these photos might be all Kelly had to remind her of
this wonderful time with the children.

While Sean was busy packing up the wrappings from the
decorations, Kelly surreptitiously snapped some shots of him as well—something
to dream over when she had a quiet moment.

As the babies slept, Sean dropped onto the sofa beside them
and opened a book on his lap, sketching diagrams and making notations.

Kelly slipped her phone back in her bag with a sigh. The
last few days he had been preoccupied with important medical problems while
here she was mooning over him like a love-sick schoolgirl.

"Thinking about your latest patient?"

He nodded. He'd explained the conundrum of the surgical
reconstruction he needed to do. For the last two nights he had pored over his
laptop, reading papers and reports of similar operations, studying plans of the
musculature of the human body, looking for inspiration.

Kelly brought him a cup of coffee and sat at his side,
examining his diagrams. "What about taking muscle from the ribs?"

"Yes." He pointed at his sketch. "I've
already discussed that possibility with Radley. The main problem is we need
some bones to reconstruct the supporting architecture of the hand before we can
graft on the soft tissue.

"Ribs?" Kelly said, her eyebrows raised in
question.

"Yes." Sean turned a thoughtful gaze her way.
"That's exactly what I'm contemplating. The ribs are the right size and
the patient won't miss a couple of them. As far as I can see, it's the only
option, but it's never been done before. We'd be pushing the boundaries."

"That's what boundaries are for." Kelly's voice
came out husky and intimate. Sitting so close to Sean, their shoulders and
thighs touching, she wanted to snuggle into his arms and kiss him. She wanted
to be with this man. If she didn't make the first move, she would never know if
he felt the same way.

"I want to push some boundaries with you," she said
softly.

Sean set aside his pad and turned to her, his hand lifting
to cup her cheek. She leaned into his touch, everything inside her melting.

"Kelly," he whispered.

A log crackled in the wood-burning stove and the soft sound
of the babies' breathing filled the silence.

They both moved at once, arms sliding around each other,
drawing close. He smelled of the outdoors, of crisp winter air and pine trees.

"I keep thinking about my birthday kiss," he
whispered. "How it was over too soon."

"Maybe we can have a Christmas kiss," she said.
"If we start practicing now, we should be really good at it by Christmas
Day."

He chuckled, then his lips covered hers in the endless
dreamy kiss she had longed for ever since she met him.

***

With the children in bed and the house silent, Kelly carried
two mugs of hot chocolate out onto the deck. She and Sean snuggled together on
one of the recliners, wrapped in a fleecy blanket. They stared at the speckled
vista of a trillion stars, shining like diamonds strewn across the deepest navy
velvet.

"So beautiful," she whispered, hardly daring to
speak for fear of breaking this magical moment.

"Yes, you are." Sean pulled her closer and kissed
her. She rested her head on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his
heart as she sipped her chocolate, trying not to think of the future, content
to enjoy this moment.

Earlier, sitting on the sofa in front of the log fire, she
and Sean had kissed until the children woke. He had been a gentleman, not
rushed her into anything more.

Although she told herself she was heading down a slippery
slope towards heartbreak when she had to leave, just this once she wanted some
fun without worrying about the future.

Deep inside she acknowledged she wanted more, but after one
afternoon of kissing she could hardly ask Sean where he saw their relationship
going.

If he just wanted a fling for a few weeks, she was okay with
that, but if he wanted more, she would be ecstatic. She would relax and let
things develop naturally, secretly hoping he wanted her to stay on. If he did,
she could always work for the children's charity in London instead of going
overseas.

Maybe, just maybe, she would get to live the life she had
always wanted with a husband and children. Maybe this Christmas really would be
magical and all her dreams would come true.

***

Sean hummed as he stepped out of the elevator and strode
along the corridor towards the trauma ward. Thoughts of Kelly hovered in the
back of his mind all the time, leaving him tingly and warm. Those he passed
must think he was crazy because he kept smiling for no apparent reason.

All his fears of mixing business with pleasure were gone.
Kelly would not let anything that happened between them affect how she cared
for Zoe and Annabelle, not that he expected any problems between him and Kelly.
He'd never met a more sympathetic and understanding woman. He was halfway in
love with her and he'd only known her a couple of weeks.

"Good morning, sir," a nurse said as he entered
the ward.

He acknowledged her with a nod and opened the door to Pvt.
Ewan Tyler's room. His romantic thoughts faded as he assumed a professional
demeanor. Sorrow tugged deep in his chest at the sight of the eighteen-year-old
lying in the bed, his face a splotchy mass of healing cuts and bruises, his
right arm covered in a pressure dressing, the arm Sean and Radley had operated
on the previous week.

Private Tyler was little more than a kid, only a few months
out of school and into his first tour of duty overseas. Now he was a casualty.
More than anything, Sean wanted to give this young man a usable hand back
again.

Sean's whole attitude towards the young service men and women
who passed through his care had changed since he had kids of his own. Now he
could identify totally with the parents he saw sitting white-faced with shock
at their youngster's bedside.

Tyler lay awake, an iPod on his pillow, earbuds in his ears.
He pulled them out with his good hand and fumbled to switch off the device as
Sean approached.

"No hurry, Private. Take your time."

"Yes, sir."

"How are you feeling?"

"Well as can be expected, sir."

The young man had made incredible progress in such a short
time. Often soldiers with severe blast injuries suffered from fungal infections
due to contamination and the conditions they lived under, but Tyler had tested
negative and his face was already healing well.

"Today's the day then, Tyler. You understand what's
going to happen?"

"Yes, sir. You're going to take muscle and bone from my
ribs to build me a new hand."

Sean nodded, with a smile to encourage the lad. "That's
right. It will take a good few months to heal, but with patience and
physiotherapy, you should be able to use your right hand for most tasks."

"As long as I can hold my girlfriend's hand, that'll be
excellent, sir. She doesn't like holding my left hand. Says I don't hold her
right."

Sean smiled, his chest tight with emotion. He didn't usually
get this involved with his patients. His feelings for Kelly had stirred him up
inside and made him more sensitive.

"Tell your girlfriend she'll have to make do with your
left hand for a few months, then she can have the right hand back."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I appreciate what you're
doing for me, Doctor. Mum said this operation is something special."

"We're going to record it as a teaching aid for other
surgeons. We'll also have some visiting doctors in the viewing gallery during
the operation."

"I'll be the star of the show and sleep through it
all," Tyler quipped. The boy was incredibly brave and cheerful considering
what had happened to him.

"You certainly are a star, Tyler. You and all our lads
who risk their lives."

The young man's expression sobered. "Thank you, sir. I
appreciate your saying so."

"A nurse will be along shortly to prepare you. I'll see
you tomorrow to talk you through how things went. Okay?"

"Yes, sir."

Sean nodded and left the ward, heading back to his room to
change. Anticipation surged along his veins. He and Radley had planned
meticulously. Everything was in place. But there was no escaping the fact this
was a radical procedure, something untried and experimental. He prayed it
worked and that by next summer Private Tyler could hold his girlfriend's hand.

Chapter Six

Kelly didn't like to leave Zoe and Annabelle in the hospital
day care, but it was only for a couple of hours. She really wanted to watch
Sean operate. He'd bounced ideas off her before he discussed them with Radley,
so she knew exactly how he planned to reconstruct the patient's hand. He'd
invited her to join the visiting surgeons in the viewing gallery to watch the
idea put into action.

In the day care, two smiling young nursery nurses took the
babies' hands. "Hello, Zoe. We haven't seen you for a long time, have we.
Come along, Belles, are you going to play with the others?"

With only a moment's hesitation, Zoe toddled off beside the
young women. Annabelle didn't even spare Kelly a glance. She trotted away
chattering to herself and laid claim to a plastic rocking horse.

"I can see they're going to be fine here," Kelly
said to the supervisor.

"Yes, they fit in well. We don't have many tantrums
from Colonel Fab's little girls." The woman grinned at the mention of
Sean's nickname. Kelly suppressed an eye roll. She supposed she would have to
get used to women's reaction to Sean.

After checking the time on her phone, she headed across the
car park to the impressive space-age structure of the military hospital. Weak
winter sun reflected off the many windows, making the ultramodern building
glow.

The main doors swished open as she approached. She crossed
the foyer, climbed in the elevator, and selected the restricted access floor
where the operating rooms and the senior officers' suites were located. At the
beep, she scanned the security pass Sean had given her.

When the elevator stopped, she stepped out and glanced
around. She had never worked in the Brize Norton hospital, spending most of her
time overseas. This place was state-of-the-art, dedicated to military medicine
and staffed completely by joint forces personnel. She felt immediately at home
surrounded by uniforms. How would she cope working as a civilian? The reality
of leaving the army hadn't sunk in yet. At the moment she still felt like she
was on leave, and technically she was.

She followed the signs to the viewing gallery for the
theater where Sean and Radley would operate. Although she was early, the rows
of tiered seating in the glass enclosure were already filling up with visiting
surgeons and medical students. Kelly went down the steps and found the two
empty seats at the end of the front row.

Pieces of paper reading
Reserved by Colonel Fabian
were stuck on with
tape. She sat on one, aware of a few interested glances aimed her way. She
avoided the looks and stared down at the large high-tech OR where Sean would be
working.

Already the scrub nurses and the medical technicians who
monitored the equipment were there preparing.

A few minutes later, someone sat in the other reserved seat.
"Hello," Daniel Fabian said with a grin. "Remember me?"

"Yes." She could hardly forget him—the man who had
flirted with her the night of Sean's birthday party, despite the fact he had a
girlfriend on his arm. She'd felt sorry for the poor woman.

Daniel looked like a slightly tarnished version of Sean with
dark blond hair and grayish-blue eyes. He probably had no trouble finding
girlfriends to fuel his reputation as a womanizer.

"You're the bunny girl. I'm glad you and Sean got
together. You'll be good for him."

"Thanks." She didn't know what Sean had told his
brother, so she decided not to say much.

Daniel leaned forward to gaze around the OR. "Wow.
Impressive. I thought you army medics operated in bombed-out buildings with
equipment held together by string and rubber bands."

Kelly swallowed her laugh. To be honest, he wasn't far
wrong. She'd worked in terrible conditions overseas.

"Not in the UK," she said with raised eyebrows.

"Obviously not."

"Sean says you're a plastic surgeon as well." Sean
had mentioned his brother a few times with obvious affection.

"Yep. But I don't get to do anything nearly this
interesting. At the moment I'm selling my soul for filthy lucre." Daniel
glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice. "I do nose jobs and breast
implants for women who have more money than sense. I'm thinking of spreading my
wings and following in my big brother's footsteps."

"Spreading your wings, as in joining the army?"

He nodded.

"Wow. That will be a change of pace for you." And
a large drop in salary. According to Sean, Daniel was in partnership with their
father in an exclusive London clinic. That's where Sean had started out before
he joined the army. When he left, it had caused a family rift.

"I can recommend military medicine," she said with
honesty. She'd thoroughly enjoyed her time in the army.

The soft murmur of conversation in the viewing gallery
quieted as the patient was wheeled into the OR below, and transferred to the
operating table. The rest of the medical team followed. She recognized Sean
immediately from his tall, lean build, and his air of authority.

Her heart raced and then stalled at the sight of him in his
green gown, masked, and gloved with magnifying eye loupes on. What a crazy
stupid heart she had being turned on by that! It just proved she was a nurse to
the core.

Sean glanced up and met her gaze. A grin tugged at her lips.
Even with his face half covered, she could tell he smiled back. Her heart did a
little dance and she raised a hand to wave, not caring if everyone thought she
was another stupid female besotted with Colonel Fab. She was.

Both Radley and Sean wore microphones. Their easy banter
made it clear they were good friends and comfortable working together. They
started the operation, narrating the steps of the procedure, explaining their
thoughts and actions while cameras filmed from three angles, projecting the
images on screens in the gallery.

Silence fell as everyone watched, totally absorbed by what
was going on below. Daniel leaned forward, his chin in his hand, eyes fixed on
his brother.

Everything proceeded the way Sean had described to her with
only a couple of hiccups. Kelly wanted to stay for the whole procedure, but
after two hours, it was time to get the girls from the day care. She
reluctantly stood and tried to squeeze past Daniel. He rose and headed out as
well.

"You didn't need to come with me," she said when
they reached the corridor.

He pulled out his phone and checked the screen.
"Actually, I did. I have a flight to New York this evening. My phone
vibrated a few minutes ago to alert me it was time to leave. I'll walk you
out."

They headed to the elevator and climbed in. "So, what
did you think?" Kelly asked.

Daniel nodded slowly. "I wish I could stay until the
end. That's just the sort of work I should be involved in, using my skills to
make a real difference. I feel like I'm coasting right now, not sure which
direction to go. But I need to do something meaningful. I can't keep doing what
I'm doing for the rest of my life or I'll go crazy."

"So you've decided to join the army?"

"Probably. I want to talk to Sean about it first. My
father will go ballistic if I leave the London practice, but I can't live my
life to please him. Sean was strong enough to make the break and follow his
heart. I must as well."

The elevator's polite computerized voice announced the main
floor. They stepped off and headed across the marble and stainless steel foyer
to the exit.

"So, are you and Sean a hot item, then?" Daniel
cast her a mischievous smile.

"I guess."

"You don't sound certain." A hint of disapproval
crept into his voice. "Sean's been hurt badly. Don't mess with him."

"I'm not planning on doing that." If anyone ended
up hurt, she was pretty sure it would be her. "The thing is, I'm not certain
Sean's ready for a long-term relationship. Isn't he still in love with his
wife?"

Daniel laughed without humor, the sudden harsh sound
surprising her. "You need to ask him about Eleanor."

Kelly stared at him, wishing he would elaborate.

"Seriously. Ask him," he said, stopping beside a
very expensive sports car with the license plate FAB 1.

He obviously wasn't going to tell her about Eleanor. With a
sigh, she admired the car.

"Very nice. Almost worth the price of your soul."

He chuckled. "I used to think so."

"Good luck with your career-changing decision,"
she said. "I really do recommend the army. I loved it and so does
Sean."

With a burst of anticipation, she hurried across the car
park to pick up the babies. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. She couldn't wait to
see the girls' cute little faces when they visited Santa Claus in the
afternoon. Taking her children to see Santa was a fantasy of hers. Zoe and
Annabelle might not be hers, but she was starting to love them as much as if
they were.

***

Kelly leaned into Zoe's crib and tucked the little girl up,
kissing her forehead. "Night night, sweetie. Sleep tight." As she
crossed to Annabelle's crib for a final kiss, she heard the front door open
downstairs.

"I hear your daddy."

So did Annabelle. She sat up, gripping the wooden bars of
her crib, and shook the side. "Dada," she shouted.

"Hang on, poppet. I'll go and fetch him."

Buzzing with anticipation, Kelly headed for the top of the
stairs.

Sean sat on the hall chair, pulling off his shoes. He stood,
hung his hat in the cupboard, and ran his fingers back through his golden hair.
She longed to charge downstairs and throw herself into his arms, but she didn't
know how he'd feel after a big operation. Over the years, she had worked with
many surgeons. Often they needed alone time to recover after a long and
difficult procedure.

"Hello. You're just in time to say goodnight to your
two little angels," Kelly said.

He glanced up, a smile on his face. "Wonderful. I hoped
I'd make it home before they went to sleep."

"How did the op go? I had to leave halfway through, I'm
afraid."

"As planned. It was a gamble, but it paid off. I'm
relieved for the young patient."

"You're a brilliant surgeon." Kelly grinned down
at him.

"Thank you. But I can't take all the credit."

He trod up the stairs in his socks, unbuttoning his jacket.
"The whole team planned meticulously. Success is down to teamwork and good
preparation."

"Which takes great leadership. As I said, you're a
brilliant surgeon."

He wrapped her in his arms and she slid her hands inside his
jacket to massage the tight muscles in his back. He kissed her and leaned his
forehead against hers. "I am
so
tired. All the research and
planning has taken its toll. I feel as though I could sleep for a week."

She tried to step back but he held on to her. Small lines
formed between his eyebrows. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Of course not. I just don't want to crowd you. It
sounds as though you need some space."

He laughed a low, amused chuckle that rolled across her
senses. "Kelly, love, you
are
my space, you and the girls and this
house. Just crossing the threshold helps me relax. I've always loved coming
back to this house and the twins. Since you arrived, I can't wait to get home.
The moment I leave in the morning, I start looking forward to seeing you
again."

Kelly snuggled closer to his chest and pressed some kisses
to his neck and jaw. He really was an easy man to live with.

"That's better," he whispered. "Now, let's
say good night to my two angels."

He held Kelly's hand as he headed to the babies' bedroom, only
releasing her to lean over Annabelle's crib and pick up the wide-awake baby.

"Aren't you sleepy, young lady?"

"Dada, Dada," Annabelle kept repeating.

"Daddy is very pleased to see both his beautiful
girls." He smiled at Zoe, then kissed Annabelle's cheeks, making her
giggle before he deposited her back in her bed. "Time to sleep now,
munchkin."

He crossed the room to Zoe, caressing her cheek before leaning
down to kiss her. She lay cuddling her teddy, her thumb in her mouth. "How
are your teeth, angel? Are they better?"

"I think so," Kelly said. "Her temperature's returned
to normal. I wouldn't have left her in the day care if she'd been fussy."

"Good night, angel. Sleep tight." Sean stroked the
blonde curls back off Zoe's forehead, gave Annabelle another kiss, then put his
arm around Kelly and led her from the room.

"I'll go and check dinner while you change," she
said.

"Okay." He kissed her again, releasing her
reluctantly. With a thoughtful glance over his shoulder, he headed to his
bedroom.

Kelly went downstairs, checked the peanut chicken she had
put in the slow cooker earlier, and set some water to boil for the rice.

Sean wandered in wearing faded jeans and a polo shirt, and
sat on a stool at the kitchen island. Kelly poured two glasses of wine, setting
one in front of him.

"Thanks." He took a sip. "So, you sat beside
my disreputable brother today. Did he flirt with you?"

She grinned. "I know you said he has a reputation with
the ladies, but I like him."

"So do I. We've always been close. He's my best friend
as well as my brother."

Kelly tipped the rice in the boiling water and placed a lid
over the pan, then turned, her arms wrapped around her middle. Speaking of
Daniel reminded her of what he'd said about Eleanor. She didn't want to upset
Sean, but she had to raise the touchy subject.

"He mentioned your wife."

Sean twirled the stem of his wineglass between his fingers
on the granite countertop. "What did he say?"

"That I should ask you about her."

He nodded. "Okay."

Kelly waited while Sean took another sip of wine. The fire
crackled and the lights on the Christmas tree sparkled, reflecting off the dark
windows.