The Man Must Marry(48)

He straightened and took hold of her left hand, being careful of the IV   in the back of it. "There is one thing that I'm a bit concerned about,   so I've called in someone to have a look-see. Are you aware that you're   pregnant, Willa?"

She blinked at him.

"Just barely, though. About two or three weeks, near as I can tell," he   continued. "But I'm not an expert on female plumbing, so I've called in   an OB-GYN to check you out before you head up to the OR."

She couldn't have spoken if her life depended on it.

"If that handsome hunk of a man next door is yours," a female voice   said, walking up to the bed on Willa's right side, "I don't blame you   for calling out for him. If he were mine, I'd be shouting his name every   day and twice on Sundays. I'm Mary, and I'll be your in-flight   attendant until we hand you over to the OR jocks." She touched Willa's   shoulder. "Sam's well enough that they're threatening to strap him down   if he doesn't quit trying to come find you. I assured him you're doing   just fine, but I don't think he believed me." She looked over at the   doctor. "Could we let them see each other? It'll make our girl here feel   better, and I know it will make Sam a whole lot easier to deal with."                       
       
           



       

"I'll go talk to Malcolm," he said, heading out of the room.

"Dr. Seuss?" Willa called out.

He stopped and turned, letting out a heavy sigh. "It's Zeus , as in the handsome, powerful god."

"Sorry," Willa said, darting a glance at Mary, then back at him. "Um,   what you told me about … about my condition. Can we keep that just between   ourselves?"

He placed his hand over his heart. "Don't worry, it'll be our little secret."

Mary lightly patted her shoulder. "Sorry, but I'm one of the players   here, too. I ran your pregnancy test." She brushed Willa's hair back.   "Try not to worry, honey. I'm sure your baby is just fine. I know it's   no fun being in an accident, but now you'll be able to remember this day   as when you found out you were pregnant. Congratulations!"

Willa closed her eyes. "Thank you," she muttered.

Sam remained sitting on the gurney, refusing to lie down. He was so   scared he was shaking and so angry he was one second away from punching   Malcolm in the face. "You let me see her for a few minutes," he ground   out, "and then I'll go to X-ray. I have to be with her, to calm her   down. She doesn't like hospitals."

"If she was any calmer, she'd be in a coma," a man said, walking into   the exam room. He came up to Sam and gave him a quick visual assessment.   "Sam, I presume? I don't know why you've got all the women in a  dither.  You look like hell."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Dr. Zeus. I'm tending your lady friend."

"Tell this bastard to let me go see her."

Dr. Zeus looked at Malcolm. "Is there a reason you haven't stuck him with something to knock him out?"

"I did. He's overriding it."

Dr. Zeus looked back at Sam. "You are exactly why I always call first   dibs on the women. I tell you what, Sam. You give me your word to   cooperate with Malcolm when we get back, and I'll take you to her."

"I want to sit with her for a while."

"She's going up to the OR in half an hour. I'll give you until then."

"She needs an operation ?"

"Her wrist is broken. We're waiting for the surgeon to arrive." He went   to the corner of the room, got a wheelchair, and brought it back. "Your   word, Sam."

"You've got it," Sam said, sliding off the gurney. His knees nearly gave   out on him, but he grabbed the arms of the wheelchair and gingerly sat   down, stifling a groan when he thought his ribs were going to rip   through his sides. "Is she awake? Does she realize where she is and what   happened?"

"Nothing inside her head appears to be scrambled; she's awake and talking."

Dr. Zeus wheeled him out of the room and down the hall a short distance.   The chair stopped in front of a door, and the doctor stepped around to   face him. "A word of warning, Sam. She's probably feeling as bad as  she  looks, but you both must have had angels sitting on your shoulders   during that crash. The medics showed me digital photos of your truck.   But other than the wrist and a lot of bruising, she's pretty much   intact. So don't flip out on me when you see her, okay?"

"I won't."

Zeus started to step around to the back of the wheelchair, but Sam grabbed his sleeve.

"Will the operation make her wrist as good as new?"

"That will depend on whether there's nerve damage."

"Thank you," Sam said, resting his hands on his lap.

Zeus grabbed the back handles of the wheelchair and spun Sam around,   opened the door, and backed him into the room before wheeling him up to   the gurney Willa was lying on. Sam smiled at her, even though he felt   like crying. She looked so beat up, so hurt . And so very, very fragile.   "Hi," he whispered, reaching out and taking her hand in his, resting   them on the blanket so she wouldn't feel how badly he was trembling.

"Hi," she whispered in a raspy voice, her eyes drinking him in. "You   don't look any worse than you did when you stepped off the RoseWind ."

Relief bubbled up in the form of a chuckle. "My side of the truck didn't   slam into a tree." He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her   knuckles. "I'm sorry, Willa," he whispered, closing his eyes and holding   her fingers against his lips. "I am so damned sorry."

"Um … for?"

He took hold of the rail on her gurney and stood up. He leaned over her   as far as his ribs would let him and feathered his fingers over her   cheek, the only place that didn't appear bruised. "I'm sorry for damn   near killing you. I tried to veer right to take the blow to my side, but   I wasn't quick enough."                       
       
           



       

"From what I saw, you did a smashing job, Sam," Dr. Zeus said, appearing   on the other side of the gurney. "And your truck did its job  protecting  you. The angle of impact crumpled the front driver's side  nearly to the  firewall. Our girl here wouldn't have gotten a scratch if  the impact  hadn't pushed you into that tree."

The doctor ushered the nurse to the door. "We'll be close by. If you   need anything, hit the button marked Help," he instructed, gesturing   toward an array of buttons on the wall over Willa's head. Willa lifted   her left hand to touch his face. "Are you really okay? Nothing's   broken?"

"It feels like everything's broken." He very carefully leaned down and kissed her lips. "Don't get mad,"

he whispered close to her mouth. "But I love you."

"I love you, too."

He pulled away slightly and smiled. "I know."

"You do?" she squeaked, her eyes widening. "How do you know?"

"I saw it in your eyes last night, in front of the fire. Why do you   think I rushed us into the bedroom? I was afraid you'd panic and send me   away, so I decided to keep you … um … occupied."

She sighed heavily, her gaze locked on his. "I didn't want to love you, but it snuck up on me when I wasn't looking."

"God, Willa," he breathed, touching his nose to hers. "I nearly lost you. I am so damn sorry you got hurt."

"Quit apologizing," she rasped. "And sit down before you fall down."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, kissing her nose before he carefully lowered   himself into the wheelchair. He slid his hand, palm up, under hers lying   on the blanket. "Is that why you were looking for me this morning? To   tell me you love me?"

She gingerly turned her head to look at him, giving a slight wince. "I was actually coming to ask you to help me with Jennifer."

"Don't strain your neck," he told her. "I can hear you just fine when   you're looking up. What's the matter with Jen? Did the boy back out of   their date tonight?"

"No," she said, closing her eyes. "Jen came down to the cottage this morning, and … and we talked."

"About?"

"Can you reach that water on the table?"

He could reach it, but he had to stand up again to hold the straw to her   mouth. The whole thing took several minutes to execute, and Sam sat   back down with a sigh of relief. "Did they give you something for the   pain?" he asked when he realized whatever they'd given him was starting   to make him dizzy.