Love Beyond Reason(47)

Meanwhile, the bathroom was becoming like a steam room with the hot water tap running full strength in the tub. Jace took a towel off a rack and held it under the faucet in the sink, soaking it in warm water. He rung all excess water out of it and placed it gently over the small chest.

"I should have known—" Katherine began apologizing for her own ignorance.

"Not if you've never had a child with croup before." Dr. Peterson interrupted her again. "It's one of the most alarming things to experience. It sounds a lot worse than it is." His voice was reassuring, and Jace placed a supportive arm around Katherine's shoulders. Unmindful of the schism between them, she leaned against his hard strength gratefully as the doctor replaced the warm, moist towel over Allison's chest.

He continued his patient ministrations as the minutes ticked by. The three adults in the cramped space were dripping with perspiration when, finally, Allison coughed long and hard. Katherine reached for her, but Dr. Peterson put out a restraining arm. "This might be it," he said.

A bubble of thick mucus sprouted from the baby's nose at the same time she coughed chokingly and spat out what had given them all such grief.

"There we go," the doctor cried cheerfully. He wiped Allison's nose with a tissue and cleaned out her mouth with a gentle, probing finger.

Almost immediately Allison's breathing returned to normal. She lay back sleepily and closed her eyes. For the first time in hours she wasn't crying.

Jace restored the ravaged bathroom. Katherine hovered over Dr. Peterson as he carried Allison into her room. He laid the baby down gently in her crib and pulled out a stethoscope, placing it on the rising and falling chest.

When he straightened up, he said, "Just as I thought. Her lungs are clear. She's probably had a viral cold for the past several days, and got a little clogged up. The harsh breathing and coughing came from her throat, not her lungs."

"Thank you so much, Dr. Peterson, I was so scared."

"I know you were. Just remember the old bathroom trick if Allison or future children ever get croup." He glanced down at Allison and, deciding to give her some medication, administered it into her mouth with an eyedropper.

"That's a mild decongestant, but even so, it should keep her under for the rest of the night." While he filled out a prescription blank he said, "Have this filled tomorrow. You can give her liquid aspirin if she runs any fever and call me if she's no better in a day or two. Do you have a vaporizer?"

"Yes," Katherine answered, aware that Jace had joined them.

"I'd keep it going in her room for a couple of days. it'll relieve her congestion."

"Thank you, Doctor," Jace said, extending his hand for the doctor to shake. He led the pediatrician to the front door.

Katherine was leaning over the crib, stroking Allison's back when he returned.

"She gave you quite a scare, didn't she?" Jace whispered.

"Oh, God, Jace. I was so frightened," Katherine said tremulously.

"I know. I'm glad I called and was able to be here with you." He placed both hands on her shaking shoulders and massaged them comfortingly.

"Thank you," she said softly. Then remembering how expert he had been during the crisis, she asked, "How did you know what to do?"

He laughed softly then said, "When you're on a drilling site out in the middle of nowhere, you learn to be a lot of things. Sometimes we have to act as nurse for one another. One night a man in my outfit got choked up like that and Billy instructed us on what to do."

"Tell Billy I'm forever in his debt."

"He'll like that," Jace said wryly. "Hey, are you hungry? We skipped supper, you know."

"And lunch," Katherine said. She patted Allison's bottom one last time before turning around. "But I hadn't even thought of it."

"Why don't you lie down for a while and let me run out for some hamburgers."

"I hate for you—"

"No problem." He interrupted her on his way out the front door.

Katherine sank down onto the sofa and rested her head on the back cushions, closing her eyes. What a day...

That was her last conscious thought until she awoke to feather-light kisses on her cheek. She opened her eyes and saw Jace bending solicitously over her.

"Did I go to sleep?" she asked drowsily.

"You could've fooled me. Unless you were checking your eyelids for holes," he smiled. "How would you like a picnic?"

"What?" she asked struggling to sit upright. "Oh, Jace!" she exclaimed when she saw the hamburgers, french fries, and malteds spread out on the candlelit coffee table in front of her.

"Milady's dinner is served," Jace said with a swooping bow.

For the first time in weeks Katherine laughed out loud at his clowning. That set the mood for their cozy dinner. He regaled her with stories of his ventures abroad. His description of a sheikh who had fancied him as a husband for one of his twelve daughters caused tears of mirth to roll down Katherine's face.

"You're laughing, and I barely escaped with my virtue intact," Jace said with feigned indignation.

Katherine stood up and began gathering the paper plates and cups. Her hands came to a complete standstill when Jace grasped her around the waist and turned her to face him as he sat on the sofa.