A Doctor's Promise Read online

  “Mr. Jared? I’m hungry. What’s for supper?”

  Good question. Jared looked at his watch, noting with surprise that the time was close to six p.m. It had been a few hours since he’d checked on Shelly. Ty had polished off an afternoon snack then, too, but obviously, the kid needed to eat often to keep up with his speedy bird-like metabolism.

  “Let me check with your mom, she’s due for her medicine. When I’m finished with that, I’ll order pizza.” Pizza was safe, wasn’t it? Didn’t every kid in the world like pizza?

  Ty’s face clouded, and he shook his head. “I can’t have pizza. Mom says it has too much salt in it.”

  Make that every kid in the world except for Ty. Jared eyed him thoughtfully. He was all for healthy eating, but to ask a kid Ty’s age to worry about eating too much salt seemed to push the health notion a bit too far.

  Unless there was some sort of physiological reason why Shelly watched the boy’s salt intake? Pausing mid-stride, Jared remembered the vague words she’d spoken that day in his office. He’d been upset over his father’s heart failure, and she’d been empathetic over how it felt to have someone you loved suffering an illness. When he’d asked more, she’d admitted that she would know more after they ran some tests. He hadn’t known about her son at the time, but now he wondered if Ty was the one who needed tests? Was there something wrong with her son?

  “I don’t really like pizza anyway,” he quickly said. “How about a bucket of chicken instead?” There may be salt in the batter, but he felt sure the local deli offered a heart-healthy version.

  “Yum.” Ty patted his stomach as Jared accompanied him inside the house.

  Jared phoned the deli and placed their order, then walked down the hall toward Shelly’s room. Although, he reminded himself he was a doctor and she was his patient. At least, for the next twenty-four hours.

  Still, he felt like a voyeur as he opened the door to her bedroom and crossed the threshold.

  She was sleeping. For a long moment, he stood in the dim room watching her. Despite having been so ill, she was really lovely. Her features were relaxed, yet he clearly remembered the stubborn tilt to her chin when she was awake. Why did she resent needing his help? Or anyone’s help for that matter? She wasn’t Wonder Woman, although the way she’d fought back while lying on a hospital gurney had been a good imitation of the fearless warrior.

  His gaze followed the graceful curve of her jaw, the slender slope of her throat. Realizing what he was doing, he quickly averted his gaze.

  Shelly deserved respect. It wasn’t her fault he’d bullied his way into her home. As a professional, gawking was strictly forbidden. Especially when the gawkee was asleep in her bed and completely unaware of his presence as the gawker.

  Jared didn’t want to wake her, but she needed her antibiotic dose. He tiptoed farther into her room and took the mini-bag off the IV pole and connected it to the IV tubing. With the tip in one hand, he frowned, staring down at her as he tried to remember which arm the IV was in.

  A nurse would probably remember something like that, he thought with an inward grimace.

  Her right arm, he told himself. He was pretty sure the IV was in her right arm.

  Afraid of waking her, he gently eased her right arm out from under the blanket. Thankfully, he’d remembered correctly and it didn’t take him long to connect the ends of the IV together.

  She shifted and mumbled something but didn’t wake up. When the IV was dripping appropriately, he gently tucked her arm beneath the blanket, then backed slowly out of her room before silently shutting the door behind him. After this dose, he’d cap her IV so it wouldn’t clot off because Shelly wouldn’t need another dose until midnight.

  Dinner went well, and Jared was feeling pretty good about his role as temporary parent until Ty began to pepper him with questions.

  “How come you don’t have a little boy of your own?”

  “Because I haven’t found a woman I love enough to marry and have a family with.” He tossed the bones of their chicken in the trash.

  “How come you haven’t found a woman yet?”

  Jared’s lips twitched as he fought a grin. Ty was really something. “I don’t know, maybe women don’t like me.”

  “Hmm.” Ty scrunched up his face in concentration. “You gotta talk nice to women if you want them to like you. No bad words or anything.” Ty paused for a few seconds, then added, “Alex’s dad brings his mom flowers. Maybe you should try that? I bet a woman would like you if you brought flowers.”

  “Good idea. I’ll remember that one.” Jared nodded sagely. “Now why don’t you tell me what time you’re supposed to go to bed on a school night.”

  “Eight o’clock, but Mom always lets me stay up later for special occasions.”

  “Oh, and I bet you think me being here with you is a special occasion, huh?” Jared knew when he was being hosed by a pro.

  Ty bobbed his head enthusiastically. “Yep. Can we play a game?”

  “Only if you agree to go to bed at your normal time of eight o’clock.”

  “Aw, do I hafta?”

  “Yes. And I’m pretty sure your mom would agree if she were awake.” Jared hoped Ty wouldn’t put up too much of a fuss. He was feeling pretty exhausted himself. Chasing Ty around had proved to be harder than he’d imagined. He’d have to give parents of small children more credit—heaven knew, they deserved it.

  The boy’s hopeful expression fell. “I guess.”

  Jared pulled out the sofa sleeper so they could play the board game on the mattress. Ty jumped up and down on the bed until Jared grabbed him.

  “Whoa there, this isn’t a trampoline.”

  “We can make it a trampoline!” Ty yanked himself out of Jared’s grasp and proceeded to jump harder and higher.

  With a groan, Jared tipped his head back, stared at the ceiling, and wished the hands on the clock would move a little faster. Wasn’t it eight o’clock yet? Why had he been stupid enough to mention the word trampoline?

  He began explaining why they couldn’t make the sofa sleeper into a trampoline, but Ty wasn’t listening, so he gave up the rational route.

  “Stop!” he barked. “No jumping or you’ll go to bed right now.”

  He felt a bit guilty for coming down so hard on him, but Tyler dropped down on the sofa to lean over the game. The kid didn’t hold a grudge, and the game went on without any more issues.

  Remembering how long Ty had spent in the men’s room, Jared decided he should encourage the boy to start getting ready for bed at seven thirty.

  Sure enough, Ty couldn’t find his favorite pajamas, so they spent ten minutes looking in every dresser drawer because Ty refused to sleep in anything but Spiderman. Ty finally found them deep inside his play-fort that masqueraded as his closet. After the toothbrush ritual and addressing his complaints of being thirsty, the boy finally climbed into his bed.

  “Goodnight, Ty.”

  “Night.” Ty’s jaw stretched into a wide yawn, then his eyes popped open. “I almost forgot my prayers!”

  Jared swallowed a groan. He would have asked Ty to forgo the ritual for tonight but figured neither Shelly nor God would appreciate the brush-off. “You’d better say them, then.”

  Ty folded his hands under his chin and closed his eyes. “Dear God, please bless Mrs. Ellen, Alex, Emma, my mom, and my daddy who is up in heaven. Oh, and I almost forgot. Please bless Mr. Jared, too. Amen.”

  Speechless, Jared stared at Ty. Not only because he was fairly certain he’d never been included in anyone’s prayers before, but because of what else Ty had said. His daddy was already up in heaven? Somehow he’d gotten the impression from Shelly that Ty’s father was still around somewhere. When had Ty’s father died?

  He had to ask. Crossing to Ty’s bed, he sat down on the edge of the mattress. “Thanks for including me in your prayers, Ty.”

  “You’re welcome.” The boy yawned again.

  He felt like slime, pumping Ty for information. But it di
dn’t stop him from probing for the truth. “I’m sorry your dad died. I bet you really miss him.”

  “Yeah.” Ty nodded earnestly. “Most the kids at school have daddies, except for Izzy. Her daddy is up in heaven, too.”

  He didn’t know who Izzy was and, at the moment, didn’t care. “How long ago did your dad die? A few months ago? Do you remember him?”

  “No. My mom says he loved me a lot, but he died before I was borned.”

  Jared propped his arms behind his head, shifting on the hard mattress of the sofa bed. His thoughts wouldn’t stop whirling in his head. Shelly’s son was the same age as Mark’s child. Both Ty’s father and Mark had died before their sons had been born. The similarities between Ty’s situation and Mark’s long-lost child wouldn’t leave him alone.

  Shelly’s last name was Bennett. Mark’s fiancée’s name was Leigh Wilson. Shelly was a trained flight nurse, while Leigh had been a cocktail waitress in a nightclub. He couldn’t imagine any scenario that made them the same person, but then he’d remember how much Ty reminded him of Mark and the doubts would return.

  Of course, the truth would be easy enough to prove one way or the other. He could get a sample of Ty’s DNA to be tested in a lab, although that could take months to process. Or he could simply do a background check on Shelly. Was Bennett her maiden name? Or her mother’s maiden name? Had she been married at one point? It didn’t seem likely, but anything was possible.

  For all he knew, there was already a background check in her personnel file at Lifeline. As the medical director, it was his responsibility to know about his employees, right?

  Wrong.

  He scowled at the ceiling of Shelly’s living room. He knew Shelly’s personal past wasn’t any of his business. Unless she’d committed some sort of crime, which he was certain she hadn’t. Unless she was really Leigh Wilson, which was such a remote possibility he couldn’t believe he was entertaining the harebrained notion.

  He needed his head examined. From the moment he’d met Shelly, he’d been irrationally attracted to her. She’d ripped his concentration to shreds, taking over his every waking thought until he had to force himself to focus on the real reason for being here—to find Leigh and her child. Easy enough to understand why he’d suddenly jumped to the easy answer, combining the two women messing up his head into one.

  The creak of a floorboard caught his attention. Holding perfectly still, he strained to listen. Had Ty climbed out of bed? Was he going to his mother? Jared waited, trying to get a clue to the source of the noise.

  Was that water running in the bathroom? Had Ty gotten up to go in there or was it Shelly?

  He hesitated, unwilling to breach Shelly’s privacy. The water stopped, and he thought he heard the door open.

  Then nothing.

  Everything was quiet. Shelly must have made her way back to bed.

  Jared relaxed against the cushions he was using as a pillow. If sleep had eluded him before, it was beyond impossible now.

  A slight sound, like the rustle of clothing, had him opening his eyes to peer through the darkness. Then he heard a thud and muffled groan moments before something soft and womanly fell directly on top of him.

  6

  Shelly grunted as pain zinged up her shin and the breath was knocked from her body. She landed against something firm, wincing when the IV in her right arm tugged uncomfortably beneath its protective dressing.

  When strong, steady arms wrapped around her, it took a moment to realize what had happened.

  “Shelly? Are you all right?” Jared’s deep, rumbling voice in her ear sent shivers down her spine. On one hand, she was grateful she’d fallen on an angle, her outstretched hands missing his body and hitting the mattress as she’d landed. But on the other hand, the position was hardly appropriate with her body on top of his.

  “Fine,” she whispered, relieved that the darkness hid her flaming red cheeks. Talk about embarrassing! “Sorry, I forgot you were here.”

  His chuckle, coming from the darkness that surrounded them, warmed her toes. He shifted on the bed and helped her to sit upright so that they weren’t sprawled on top of each other. She ran her fingers through her tousled hair and made sure the IV in her hand hadn’t pulled loose as she tried to pull herself together.

  “Thanks.” Was that breathy voice hers? Honestly, she needed to get a grip.

  “My pleasure,” he said, his arm sliding around her shoulders. “Need help standing upright?”

  “Um, no. I’m okay.” The warmth radiating from his body seared through her thin, baggy T-shirt she used as sleepwear. Despite her assurances, her knees felt wobbly as she stood. Not from the fall, but from being so close to Jared.

  “Lean on me,” he encouraged, pulling her close.

  Leaning on him was something she shouldn’t do, literally or figuratively. But being so close to him felt nice, and she couldn’t muster the strength to push him away.

  He walked her to the bedroom door, and she’d completely forgotten that she’d been feeling a little hungry and wanted to try a slice of dry toast. Somehow, falling against Jared had wiped away her hunger.

  At the doorway to her room, Jared paused and lifted a hand to smooth a strand of hair away from her cheek. “Shelly.” Her name was a whispered groan. He kissed her gently, chastely, once, then twice, then a third time, firmer, silently begging for more. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, there was only Jared. And for the first time in what seemed like forever, the long-forgotten sensation of being held in a man’s arms washed over her.

  “Sweet,” he whispered. “So sweet.”

  “Mo-om.” A thin wail broke through the red haze of desire. “I need you.”

  Ty? In a heartbeat, she crashed from being halfway to the moon, back to the hard-core reality of earth. She instinctively pushed away from Jared, her thoughts on her son. He didn’t try to prevent her from moving toward her son’s room.

  “What is it, Ty?” As she turned, she belatedly noticed the light shining from the partially open bathroom door right next to his. When she realized what was going on, her heart sank like a stone. She knew exactly why Ty needed her. The symptoms of Ty’s ongoing bladder infections were all too familiar.

  “I’m here, honey. It’s okay.”

  “It hurts,” he whimpered.

  Helplessly, she cradled his shoulders as he stood at the side of the toilet. Although the brightness of the light made it hard to see clearly, she thought perhaps his urine was clouding again. “Are you finished?”

  “Yeah, but make it not hurt.” His plea nearly broke her heart.

  “I’ll try. I have some medicine here for you. Here, flush the toilet and sit down on the cover. Remember those antibiotics the doctor gave us for this? I have an extra bottle.” She rummaged in the medicine cabinet as she spoke, finding the bottle and quickly shaking a pill in her hand. “I need you to chew this up like a big boy.”

  Ty took the medication, accustomed to the routine by now. He chewed the pill, drank from the glass of water she provided, then handed it back to her.

  “Good job,” she praised him. “Ready to go back to bed?”

  He nodded and slid off the toilet seat.

  Shelly guided him across the hall to his room and into bed. She pulled the covers up and tucked them under his chin. Leaning down, she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “I love you, Ty. Try to get some sleep.”

  “I love you, too.” He snuggled down into the pillow. “G’night.”

  “Goodnight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” Shelly blinked the moisture from her eyes, a sinking sensation gnawing at her stomach as she stared down at his innocent face. Another bladder infection was not a good sign. Mentally she counted backward. How many weeks since his last one? Three or four at the most.

  The infections were coming more frequently now. Maybe because his body was becoming immune to the antibiotics or because there was something more seriously wrong with him than a simple bladder infection. Only lab testing would tell them
for sure if Ty had kidney failure. Shelly tiptoed from his room, closing the door silently behind her. For a moment, she stood, shame washing over her. She hadn’t heard Ty get up. Worse, she’d been kissing Jared just a few feet away from Ty’s room. What was she thinking?

  “Is Ty all right?” Jared’s voice came from somewhere behind her. She whirled around, the light from the bathroom door illuminating his concerned features. “Did he have a nightmare?”

  “No, but he’ll be fine.” He must not have heard her giving Ty the antibiotic medication or he would have asked about it.

  “Glad to hear it.” Jared stepped closer, and his musky scent teased her senses. “And what about you?”

  “Me?” Her voice rose in a squeak.

  “Yes, you. Are you all right?”

  She nodded, even though that wasn’t entirely true. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

  His gaze seemed to bore into her. “Having second thoughts about kissing me?”

  Yes. No. Maybe.

  She drew in a ragged breath. “I, um, don’t want you to get the wrong idea, Jared. As a single mother, I have to stay focused on Tyler. I’m not really in the market for a relationship.”

  “I see.” His brow furrowed, and rather than retreating from her, he reached out and took her hand in his. “Can we talk about it?”

  The heat of his fingers threatened to melt her resolve. Talking to Jared was just as hazardous as kissing him. He had a way of getting her to reveal too much. His kindness was lethal.

  Her starved soul wanted to gobble him up, regardless of the inevitable heartbreak that would follow.

  “I need to get some sleep.” She wasn’t ashamed of taking the coward’s way out.

  “You must have gotten up originally for some reason,” he argued logically.

  Her stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly.

  “Are you hungry?” His gaze was quizzical.

  “Maybe a little.” She rubbed her abdomen. Her stomach ached in the way that told her she needed to eat.