Playboy Doctor to Doting Dad

‘You’re singing like an Irish mam.’ Kieran spoke softly from the doorway. ‘I like that.’

Abby’s heart leapt. ‘Don’t creep up on me like that.’ Then she focused on what he’d said. ‘Did your mother sing to you?’

‘Yeah …’ The word whispered across his lips. ‘I remember her singing to Morag more than me, but I know I got the same when I was little.’

‘What happened to your mother?’ No one had ever mentioned her, not even Morag.

‘Unbeknown to anyone, she had diabetes. Our father came home one night to find her in a coma on the bathroom floor. She never recovered.’

‘Kieran, I’m so sorry.’ Her heart squeezed for him. ‘How old were you?’

‘Four.’ There was a lot of pain behind that single word.

‘I certainly know how hard losing a mother is, but at least I was an adult.’ Not that it had made it any easier, but at least she had been able to understand some of the process.

Kieran stepped into the centre of the room. Of her bedroom. What had happened to making her a cup of tea? Had he been drawn to Seamus instead?

He asked, ‘Why does Seamus sleep in here?’

‘Because Olivia has the only other bedroom. I don’t want Seamus disturbing her when he wakes during the night.’

Tucking the blue cotton blanket around a very sleepy boy, she didn’t have to look up to know Kieran was studying the room with its bright red and white curtains and bedspread.

‘Hardly ideal. What about some privacy for yourself?’

‘There is no such thing as privacy when you have two small children, believe me.’ Neither was there a need. It wasn’t like she had someone special in her life to share this room with. Her eyes lifted to Kieran. The moisture in her mouth dried. An image of them in bed together filled her head. Trying to shake it away, she swore silently. Kieran would not become that special person. No man would. Hadn’t she learned her lesson well?

‘Surely you must want to take a break from the children at times?’

‘I work so I already get a break.’ Did he think the kids were too much for her? She managed very well, thank you. ‘Dad helps by taking them over to his house sometimes.’ And she began another lullaby.

He didn’t say any more, instead wandered over to stand beside her, looking down at Seamus. What did he see? His family likeness? Did he look at Seamus as his son? Her singing dwindled to a halt. It was hard to sing with Kieran standing so close she could feel the heat from his body. She also felt self-conscious. She didn’t exactly have a fantastic voice.

Seamus half-heartedly waved a fist at her. Or was it at Kieran? Glancing sideways, she studied Kieran watching Seamus. His hands were jammed into his pockets, and he stood with his legs slightly apart. What she wouldn’t give to know what was going on in that head of his.

Reaching into the cot to run the back of her hand over Seamus’s warm, soft cheek, her heart squeezed. Her precious, little boy. She loved him so much she could cry. Kieran had missed out on lots already, which was entirely her fault. A fact she readily acknowledged.

Kieran had surprised her by being nervous when he’d first seen Olivia. There’d been something akin to fear in his eyes, and vulnerability. As though he’d felt completely out of his depth. His movements had been stilted, as though he’d never held a child before. And then he’d had to hold his child for the first time. She’d thought he’d be very much in control of the situation, of his emotions. From what she knew of him, he usually was.

What about when they’d made love? If that had shown controlled emotions then she was a possum. Her skin tingled at the memory of that night. Never before had she known anything like it. Making love with Kieran had spoiled her for ever. There wouldn’t be another man on earth who’d measure up. Which perfectly suited her plan to remain forever single.

Seamus’s eyes closed, blinked open. ‘The little monkey’s fighting going to sleep.’ Abby smiled, first at Seamus then at Kieran, who still kept a closed expression on his face. ‘He does that every night. It’s like he doesn’t want to miss out on anything.’

‘Does he sleep right through the night?’

‘Most of the time.’

From down the hall Olivia called, ‘Abby, Teddy’s got his foot stuck in a drawer.’

Abby chuckled. ‘I’d better go and sort this out as Olivia won’t go to sleep without Teddy.’

Kieran watched her leave the bedroom, totally unfazed by the children’s demands. Damn, but she was good with them. A natural mother. Warmth stole over him. The kids were extremely lucky. He turned back to the boy, who’d finally succumbed to sleep, one fist pressed against his mouth, the other flung above his head. Kieran leaned forward, reached in and ran the back of his hand over Se

amus’s cheek, as he’d seen Abby do earlier. The warmth grew as Seamus’s soft skin seemed to melt against his harsher skin. Beautiful.

Scary. He tugged his hand away, straightened. His body cooled. He couldn’t do this. He didn’t have Abby’s knack with children. Abby didn’t just feed Seamus, she fed him with love. She didn’t bath Olivia, she bathed her with devotion. He didn’t know how to comfort, to play. It wasn’t in him to cherish another human.

Doctoring was about fixing, not nurturing. He didn’t know where he’d start if he had to take care of this little man even for an hour or two. Just standing here, he felt responsible for Seamus and that didn’t sit comfortably.

The earlier panic began rising again. He could not become involved with Olivia and Seamus, become a part of this family. It would take a wet day in hell before he’d be ready for that. Or capable of doing what was expected of him.

Abby heard the phone ringing in the kitchen and wondered which of her sisters that might be. Stephanie’s voice bubbled down the line. ‘Hey, Abby, how’s things? How’s the great man from Ireland? All excited to see Olivia?’

Abby dredged up a laugh. ‘Olivia dazzled him.’ Which was certainly more than she’d managed.

‘I bet she did.’

‘She chattered nonstop to him, but wouldn’t let him bath her.’ Much to Kieran’s relief.

‘I bet Seamus won him over in an instant.’

‘No. That’s a work in progress.’ Neither of her sisters knew who Seamus’s dad was, but they probably had their suspicions. Anyone could do the sum and they’d both known there hadn’t been anyone else in her life since Phillip had turned out to be such a rat. Now was probably the time to tell them, but she’d wait until she knew what Kieran would do.

Thankfully Steph changed the subject. ‘I bought a new dress today for a party I’m going to. Can you take the hem up for me?’

What ever happened to ‘do you mind?’ or ‘please’? Abby sighed. What did she expect? She’d always done alterations for her sisters. ‘Bring it round on Saturday morning.’