Her Return to King's Bed by Maureen Child

Author:Maureen Child [Child, Maureen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-11-01T07:00:00+00:00

Seven

In fifteen minutes, the four of them were at the hospital and Melinda and Sean were taken away to the mysteries of the maternity ward.

Then time started ticking past so slowly that Teresa almost thought they’d stepped into some vortex where time had actually stopped.

The waiting room was long and narrow. It had mint-green paint, beige linoleum floors and the most uncomfortable chairs she had ever experienced. And why, she asked herself, did all hospitals smell the same? In America, Italy, even here on this beautiful tropical island, hospitals stank of antibacterial cleansers and fear. She wrapped her arms around herself, stood up and walked out to the light-filled hallway. Across from her was a nurses’ station, manned by one very tired-looking woman. Teresa didn’t bother to ask any questions, mainly because Rico had been plaguing the poor woman for hours now and Teresa just didn’t have the heart to bother her more.

During the long night, anxious husbands and excited grandparents had come and gone from this waiting room, and still she and Rico waited. Teresa took a seat in the narrow, nearly empty lobby, ignored the small television on the wall playing an old movie she had no interest in and stared instead at Rico, who hadn’t stopped pacing since they arrived. She could understand that.

She’d realized from the moment she met him that as a King, he didn’t accept inactivity easily. He was a man who took charge. Who stepped in to do what needed doing. It was part of his nature. His heritage. And now he was in the position of being able to do nothing.

Helplessness was not something he was even remotely familiar with.

“You might as well sit down,” she finally said. “This could take a long time.”

“It has already been hours.” Frowning, he glanced at her, then fired a hard look at a passing nurse. “How much longer? And how can we know if no one will tell us anything?”

Teresa took a chance and threaded her arm through his. When he didn’t shrug her off, she called it a win and smiled to herself. “Let’s take a walk.”

“What?” He looked down at her. “Where? I don’t want to go far—what if…?”

“We won’t be far,” Teresa said, touched that he cared for his family this much. It was these few moments, when he was unguarded, that allowed her a glimpse of the man she’d met so long ago. This man was the Rico she remembered. The stranger was the man who had jumped out of bed as if it were on fire.

“Didn’t you tell Sean that nowhere on this island was far from anything?”

“Good point.” He blew out a breath and scraped one hand through his hair. “All right, then. I could use some fresh air.”

“And I think the nurses could use a break, too.” Teresa patted his arm as they walked past the nurses’ station. She paused there only long enough to say, “We’re going outside for a few minutes. If Sean comes out looking for us, tell him we’ll be right back.

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