The Gift (Unrestrained 4.50)

I shook my head, trying to come up with something on the fly. “I don’t know—tell him that I’m a journalist writing articles about kids who have survived cancer.”

She shook her head and stared at me for a moment.

“Three minutes,” she said and turned on her heel. “And if you even dare come back and try to see Liam, I’ll call the police.”

I followed her down the hall and into the anteroom where I put on a gown and mask, before entering the room through a door.

Liam was sitting up on his bed, his Gameboy on the table. Chris stood when we entered.

“Liam, this lady is going to take a picture of you for a magazine article she’s writing on kids with cancer,” Maureen said. “Is that okay?”

“Sure.” Liam glanced at me and the resemblance to Drake hit me right in the gut. Those pale blue eyes and dark eyelashes… Drake’s son. Of that there was no doubt. It made my chest constrict.

“Hi, Liam,” I said and smiled at him. “I’m just going to take a quick picture and then I’ll be gone.”

I stood at the end of the bed and Maureen fussed with Liam’s pajama top and smoothed his hair, which had a bit of a rooster tail in it from lying down. I zoomed in the image and snapped a picture, then another and another just to be on the safe side.

“That’s all I need,” I said and smiled again. “I’m on my way.”

I tucked my phone away and left the room, returning to the anteroom to remove the gown and mask. Maureen followed me, but didn’t remove her gown or mask.

“He’s still sick and will always be fragile but I guess Drake can tell you about that. Please, tell Drake that just because I let you take a picture it doesn’t mean I want him to be in Liam’s life. Drake didn’t want children when we were together so he can’t expect me to be happy if he tries to insert himself into Liam’s life now.”

I turned to her, my anger getting the better of me. “Do you blame him for not wanting a family? He had no mother for most of his life. His father neglected him. He was raised by nannies and housekeepers.”

“I know, I know,” Maureen said, raising her eyebrows. “Poor little rich boy. I know the story better than anyone. I actually met Liam and he was a sweetheart. Charities in Africa, donating his time and skills. I don’t know how the hell he produced someone like Drake.”

“What do you mean, someone like Drake?” My blood was boiling at that point. “Someone like Drake saved Liam’s life. Someone like Drake is so good, he didn’t want to impose on you and Chris and be involved in his own son’s life even though he saved it.”

“That’s because he knows he could never be a real father.”

I felt tears spring to my eyes, my heart pounding from anger. “You’re wrong.”

Then I turned and left, unwilling to speak to her for another moment. I walked down the hallway, trying to get a grip on my emotions, as I was meeting Drake in a few minutes and didn’t want him to see that I’d been crying. I popped into one of the public washrooms and held a wet paper towel to my eyes, trying to stop the tears.

Finally under some kind of self-control once more, I left the washroom and made my way through the hospital to the wing with Drake’s office. I popped my head into his office and saw he was busy flipping through papers in a file.

“Am I too early?”

He glanced up, his eyes lighting up when he saw me. “Never. Come in. I’m just putting some lab results back into files. We can go right away.”

I came in and watched the screen, which showed some OR technicians cleaning up after a surgery. “Was that your OR?”

He glanced up. “No,” he said. “I was just watching while I was reading over files.” Then he looked at me, frowning. “Are you all right? Your nose and eyes are red…”

“Allergy attack. Something must have bothered me. I think I sneezed ten times on the way over.”

If Drake doubted my fabricated explanation, he didn’t show it, and I heaved a sigh of relief. I wanted to keep the photo secret until Christmas day when I’d give him the photo under our Christmas tree.

“Let’s go,” he said and closed the file before coming to my side. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me, and I melted into his embrace. Of course, being in his arms like that brought out my emotions and my silly tears started again. I tried to cover my eyes and turn my head away, but he noticed and pulled back, frowning.

“Hey, hey,” he said and took my face in his hands. “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me it’s allergies.”

I half laughed and half-sobbed, coming up with something on the fly. “I was just thinking of poor little Liam and my emotions got the better of me. Plus, I’m a bit PMS…”

His face softened and he pulled me close once more, his face in the crook of my neck, his lips pressed there in a gentle kiss.

“Sweet sweet Kate…”