The Proposal Read online

  “No, I need to stay with him,” she protested as he eased her down onto the bed.

  “You can see everything that goes on from here.” He knelt down in front of her and brought his fingers to her wrist. “Your pulse is racing. You’ve got to calm down. Can I get one of the nurses to call your husband?”

  Emma winced. “I don’t have a husband.” When he started to open his mouth, she shook her head. “Or a boyfriend.”

  “I know you’re worried, but you have to look out for yourself and your little one.” His gaze dropped to her belly. “How far along are you?”

  “Twenty-three weeks,” Emma replied.

  “Ah, and do you know what you’re having?”

  “A boy.” Her hand went to her abdomen. “A very active boy from the way he’s kicking right now.”

  He chuckled. “That means he’s strong.”

  Emma rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if it’s so much a strong child or a strong willed child. He likes to let me know when he thinks it’s time for us to eat.”

  He opened his mouth, but he was interrupted by a nurse poking her head in. “Dr. Nadeen, we need you in Room Three.”

  He glanced over his shoulder and nodded. He then turned back to Emma. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”

  She smiled. “It was nice meeting you, Dr. Nadeen.”

  “No need to be so formal. I’m Alpesh, but you can call me Pesh.” He grinned. “Now I want you to lie back and put your feet up for a bit. Just take it easy, okay?” Jerking his thumb across the hall, Pesh said, “He’s going to be fine, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want you worrying in your condition.”

  Emma couldn’t help laughing. “My condition? I’m only pregnant.”

  He wagged a finger at her. “I mean it. I don’t want to see you up again until I come back. Got it?”

  “You’re awfully bossy,” she replied as she swung her legs up on the bed and smoothed her top down.

  “They teach us that in medical school,” he quipped before he headed out the door.

  Emma shook her head before taking her phone out of her purse. There was little rest between fielding texts left and right. Julia, Aidan’s second oldest sister, was on her way in from Alabama while Becky and Liz were packing up to cut short their Disney trip.

  A nurse peeked her head in and caused Emma to jump. “I’m sorry. Dr. Nadeen said I should—”

  The nurse smiled. “It’s okay, honey. I was just wondering why Dr. Nadeen had put down this room was occupied, but there was no chart.” With a knowing look, she replied, “But I can see why now.”

  “He’s very kind.”

  “He’s one of the best we have—the best doctor and the best bedside manner.” She winked at Emma. “And by far the best looking.”

  With her cheeks warming, Emma replied, “That’s nice.”

  “Take care then.”

  “Thank you.”

  The nurse hadn’t been gone long when Pesh reappeared in the doorway. Emma quickly tried to hide her phone. Especially considering the sign that warned no cellular devices was right next to her.

  She gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry. I had to let everyone know how he was.”

  Pesh laughed. “It’s okay, Emma. I’m not going to call security on you. I’m just glad to see you stayed put and aren’t back to pacing.” He strode over to the bed.

  Clumsily, she pulled herself into a sitting position. Her eyes honed in on the plastic bag in Pesh’s hand. When she gave him a puzzled look, he opened the bag to reveal a Coke, a bottle of water, a pack of peanut butter crackers and a bag of Doritos.

  “What’s all that?” Emma asked.

  “Some of my secret food stash to feed your hungry little guy.”

  An inferno burned across her cheeks and neck, causing her to twist the hem of her shirt. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “He’s hungry, isn’t he?”

  “Well, yes, but—”

  Pesh smiled. “Then here. I don’t mind sharing.”

  Instead of hunger pains, her stomach fluttered with butterflies as she took the crackers from him. “Ah, you must be a peanut butter fan, huh?” he remarked, as he sank down on the stool in front of her.

  “Yes,” she murmured, as she opened the package. Peering up at him through her lashes, she said, “I certainly hope I’m not keeping you from your patients.”

  “You’re in luck. It’s actually a slow day for us, considering most of the trauma patients get taken downtown.”

  Emma arched in her brows in surprise, considering all the rushing around she had seen earlier in the hallway. “Really?”

  He nodded. “Besides, you may not have been officially admitted, but with you almost fainting and your pulse, I’m concerned about you. Therefore, I consider this a consultation.”

  Confusion flooded her at the somewhat amorous feelings crisscrossing over her at Pesh’s thoughtfulness and care. After she bit into a cracker, he held out the Coke and water for her to choose from. When she reached for the Coke, he jerked it away. “Now Emma, you know better than that. Caffeine isn’t good for you.”

  “No fair,” she replied, with a grin.

  Pesh winked at her. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have tempted you with such an elicit substance.”

  Emma’s cheeks once again felt inflamed, so she took a swig of water to try and cool off. “How’s Patrick?”

  “Better. As soon as you finish eating, you can go see him.”

  “Really?” she asked, through a mouthful of cracker.

  Pesh nodded. “He’s been asking for you.”

  “He has?” She then crammed in another cracker as she stood up. Once she swallowed, she said, “Okay, let’s go see him.”

  With an amused shake of his head, Pesh said, “I should have known not to say anything until you had finished eating.”

  “How about I promise to finish the crackers while I’m with Patrick?”

  “I guess that sounds fair.”

  Emma grinned as they started out the door. “I can’t thank you enough for the food and for looking out for me…and for Noah.”

  Pesh stuffed his hands into the pockets of his lab coat. “Ah, so our strong little guy is going to be named Noah?”

  “Yes, after my late father.”

  He smiled. “He’s very lucky to have you for a mother.”

  Emma couldn’t help the heat that rose in her cheeks at his compliment. “Thank you. I’m going to try to be the best I can for him. I had a great role model in my late mother.”

  “You’ve lost both your parents?”

  She nodded.

  He shook his head. “So much sorrow.” His hand touched her shoulder. “But just from the look on your face and the love in your eyes, I can tell how much joy this child is bringing you.”

  “Yes, he is,” she murmured. She was almost overcome by the sincerity in his expression and voice.

  “Dr. Nadeen to examining room five. Dr. Nadeen to examining room five,” came a voice over the loudspeaker.

  “I guess you’d better go,” Emma said.

  He nodded. “No rest for the weary around here.”

  She smiled. “It was very nice meeting you.”

  Pesh took her hand in both of his, tenderly stroking her flesh with his fingertips. “The pleasure was all mine.”

  As hard as she tried, she couldn’t ignore the longing shiver that ran through her body at the touch of his hand on her skin. “Good-bye,” she mumbled before stumbling into Patrick’s room.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Aidan reached out his hand to flag down a passing nurse, but the sound of singing stopped him cold in the middle of the hallway. Strains of Danny Boy floated back to him—his father’s favorite song. Only second generation Irish, Patrick had grown up with the songs of the old homeland like Danny Boy and The Fields of Athenry. Aidan couldn’t remember a time in his life when his father wasn’t humming one of them.

  But it wasn’t his father singing. The sweet harmony of this voice cut thro
ugh to Aidan’s soul, causing him to flinch.

  It was Emma.

  Her voice drew him nearer and nearer like a siren leading a man to his doom. His steps slowed to a crawl as his eyes honed in on the door down the hall from him. The last time he heard her sing was at her grandparent’s Barn Dance. The night before he realized he was truly and completely in love with her—before he had broken her heart.

  Pausing in front of the doorway, Aidan tried to still the rapid acceleration of his heartbeat. His father reclined back with Emma perched beside him on the hospital bed. She held his hand that was tethered to an IV pole in both of hers. Although Patrick had oxygen tubes stuck in his nose, he appeared to be feeling fine and was enjoying his impromptu concert.

  When the last notes of the song echoed off the drab walls, Patrick applauded. “Beautiful, Emma! Absolutely beautiful!”

  Even though she ducked her head, Aidan could see her usual flush of embarrassment that tinged her cheeks. “You’re welcome.”

  “Without a doubt, you have the voice of an angel, sweetheart.”

  Emma leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You know there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, and that includes singing a song with impossibly high notes in the middle of the ER.” One hand flew to her abdomen while a smile spread across her face. “Noah must be a true Irish Fitzgerald. He’s going crazy dancing right now.” Taking Patrick’s hand, she brought it to her belly. “See?”

  Aidan sucked in a breath and staggered back. What the hell? His son had a name, and he hadn’t even had a part in it. How could she do something as monumental as naming his child without asking him? He shouldn’t have cared that Emma had bestowed her late father’s name on their son, but he did. Anger pulsed through him. Stalking through the doorway, he blurted, “Excuse me? Noah?”

  Patrick and Emma both turned to stare at him. Emma’s face reddened from her ivory cheeks all the way down to her neck while her frantic gaze darted around the room as if looking for an escape. Scrambling out of the bed, she backed as far away from him as she could.

  Although his attention should have been on his ailing father, Aidan couldn’t take his eyes off of Emma. Any anger he felt for her quickly evaporated, and his heart constricted with love for her. God, he had missed her. He didn’t realize just how much until she was standing right in front of him like a vision. She could have been one of Patrick’s roses in bloom. Her breasts were fuller, her stomach was rounder, and her hips wider. He fought to catch his breath.

  When Patrick cleared his throat, Aidan quickly gazed over at him. Patrick smiled. “Yes, Noah Patrick, after his grandfathers. Don’t you think that’s a fine name for your son?”

  “Yes, it is,” Aidan murmured, glancing back at Emma. When she finally dared to look at him, he bobbed his head. “Noah Patrick Fitzgerald is a very fine name.”

  Her eyes widened at the insinuation of his last name. Aidan braced himself for her to protest, but she started inching for the door instead. “Um, I’m going to go get something to drink.”

  “I’ll get it for you,” Aidan offered.

  “No, no, I’m fine. You need to be with your father.”

  When she swept by him, Aidan fought to keep his arms pinned at his side so he wouldn’t reach out and grab her to him. Her perfume filled his nostrils and invaded his senses. He closed his eyes in agony. Once she was safely out the door, his shoulders sagged in defeat. “She really hates me,” he croaked.

  “No, son, she doesn’t.” When Aidan snorted with self-contempt, Patrick shook his head. “As much as she would love to hate you, she can’t. She’s just gun-shy about you right now because of the dumbass move you pulled on her.”

  “Actually, it’s me who should hate her.” He grimaced. “Acting like I was diseased and naming our son without me!”

  Patrick grunted. “Whenever you’re done with your little tirade, might I remind you that I’ve been hospitalized?”

  Aidan widened his eyes. “Shit, Pop, I’m so sorry. Seeing Em again knocked me on my ass.” He closed the gap between them. “You look okay, but are you? I mean, was it a heart attack?”

  Patrick started to open his mouth when a knock came at the door. A tall, dark-headed doctor smiled at them. After his eyes made a quick sweep over the room, his smile faded a little. “Hello again, Mr. Fitzgerald. You’re looking much better now than when I first saw you today.”

  “I believe I have you to thank for that, Dr. Nadeen.”

  Dr. Nadeen strode into the room. “We have your test results back. It appears that you have two arteries that are eighty percent blocked. I’ve consulted with our head cardiologist, and just to be on the safe side, we feel it’s best to keep you overnight and schedule an angioplasty for the morning.”

  Patrick grimaced. “Not one of those again?”

  With a chuckle, Dr. Nadeen replied, “Yes, I noticed from your records you had the procedure before.”

  “Unfortunately, yes.”

  “You’re going to have to start taking better care of yourself and maintaining a heart-healthy diet, so you won’t be back here again.”

  Aidan snorted. “Good luck with that one.”

  Patrick chose to ignore him. “At least it’s not something major like open heart surgery.”

  Dr. Nadeen nodded. “I’m sure this news will make your granddaughter feel better.”

  Patrick’s brows furrowed. “My granddaughter?”

  Dr. Nadeen ducked his head but not before Aidan caught a faint smile on his face and gleam in his dark eyes. “Emma—the beautiful redhead who almost passed out because she was so worried about you.”

  “She almost fainted?” Aidan questioned at the same time Patrick replied, “Aw, bless her heart, I sure hate that I upset her so much.”

  “It’s okay. I got her to lie down for a while, and I got her little guy—I mean, her, something to eat.”

  Aidan’s chest clenched not only at Dr. Nadeen’s familiarity with Emma, but the mention of Noah. This dude was getting under his skin and fast. Even though Aidan was a guy, he knew competition when he saw it. It wasn’t just the fact that Dr. Nadeen had the looks that made women’s panties ignite, but the fucker was kind and considerate. Throw in the fact he was a doctor, and he was a triple threat.

  Finally, Aidan found his voice. “That was very kind of you. I appreciate you taking care of her,” he said, trying hard to speak without gritting his teeth.

  A warm smile spread across Dr. Nadeen’s face. “I was happy to do it for her. Your sister is a kind young woman—her spirit shines from within.”

  Aidan’s mouth gaped open. What the hell? He thought Emma was his…sister? “Did you just say…?” Aidan sputtered.

  Patrick shook his head. “Emma isn’t my granddaughter, Doc.”

  “Oh, my apologies. You have a very sweet daughter then.”

  “No, no, she isn’t even related to me.”

  “Ah, I see. Well, you’re very fortunate to have someone in your life who cares that much about you.”

  Patrick glanced from Aidan to Dr. Nadeen. “Did I hear you call her beautiful?”

  Pesh’s expression turned apologetic. “I’m sorry. That was entirely too forward of me.”

  “It’s all right, Doc.” Rubbing his hands together, Patrick said, “Hmm, I can’t help but play matchmaker while I’m laid up here. Would you be interested in dating Emma? She’s single, you know.”

  Aidan glared at his father, which only caused Patrick to widen his grin. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Aidan hissed.

  “Forcing your hand.” A mischievous gleam burned in his eyes, and Aidan knew there was no stopping him. He didn’t know how after everything Patrick had been through that day he could still find the energy to goad his own son. He knew what a sore spot Emma was.

  At the moment, she was more like a gaping hole in his chest. “You better be damn glad you’re in the ER right now,” he muttered under his breath.

  Patrick ignored him and focused his attentions on Pesh
who was staring strangely at the two of them. “Whatcha say, Doc?”

  “Uh, well, I don’t normally pick up women in the emergency room, Mr. Fitzgerald,” Dr. Nadeen murmured, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

  “Oh please. This isn’t picking up. It’s a fix-up. That’s totally different,” Patrick argued.

  “Pop,” Aidan growled.

  With a hesitant smile, Dr. Nadeen said, “Maybe we’ll get a chance to talk again.”

  “She’s six months pregnant!” Aidan countered.

  Dr. Nadeen jerked back like he had been slapped. He cleared his throat before he spoke. “Yes, I’m well aware of that. It’s what concerned me most when I met her. I didn’t want her to get so upset in her condition.”

  Aidan grunted but didn’t argue.

  Dropping his gaze to the floor, Dr. Nadeen said, “After she assured me there was no husband or boyfriend to call, I thought I had surmised she wasn’t with anyone. I apologize if my assumptions were wrong.”

  “Don’t worry about my son, Doc.” Patrick stared pointedly at Aidan. “He has no claims on Emma’s happiness. Anymore.”

  A sense of understanding seemed to pass over Dr. Nadeen’s face. “Oh, well, when you see Emma again, tell her to call me.” He took a card out of his iPad case.

  Aidan snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “It’ll never happen. Em’s not the kind of girl who calls a man. She’s very old-fashioned.” His blue eyes narrowed at Dr. Nadeen’s dark ones, silently taunting him to give the card to Patrick.

  Dr. Nadeen smiled. He took a pen from his coat pocket. He then turned his attention to Patrick. “Mr. Fitzgerald, would you happen to have Emma’s number? I’ll be happy to call her myself.” He held up a hand. “But only on the pretense of inquiring about her health after today’s incident.”

  Patrick chuckled. “Why yes I do.”

  After Dr. Nadeen had scribbled the number down, he gave Aidan a fleeting glance before looking back at Patrick. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  With a sheepish, grin, Dr. Nadeen said, “Now I suppose we should get back to business.” He peered down at his iPad. “If you’ll hang tight for just a few minutes, we should be ready to transport you upstairs. Surgery is set for…” he scrolled through something on the screen before wrinkling his nose. “Bright and early at seven am.”