Wanted by Her Lost Love (Pregnancy & Passion #2)(46)

He carefully picked up the sheet and pushed it over her feet. “Maybe a little. Not as bad as they were. They’ve been giving you meds and they’re monitoring the baby.”

“How is she?” Kelly asked, a knot of fear in her throat.

“For now, she’s doing fine. Your blood pressure stabilized, but they might have to do a C-section if it goes back up or if the baby starts showing signs of distress.”

Kelly closed her eyes and then suddenly Ryan was close to her, holding her, his lips pressed against her temple.

“Don’t worry, love,” he murmured. “You’re supposed to stay calm. You’re getting the best possible care. I’ve made sure of it. They’re monitoring you round-the-clock. And the doctor said the baby has an excellent prognosis at thirty-four weeks’ gestation.”

She sagged against the pillow and closed her eyes. Relief pulsed through her but she was so tired she couldn’t muster the energy to do anything more than lie there thanking God that her baby was okay.

“I’m going to take care of you, Kell,” Ryan said softly against her temple. “You and our baby. Nothing will ever hurt you again. I swear it.”

Tears burned her eyelids. She was emotionally and physically exhausted and didn’t have the strength to argue. Something inside her was broken and she had no idea how to fix it. She felt so…disconnected.

Ryan drew away, but his eyes were bright with concern…and love. But was it enough? What was love without trust? He wanted her. He felt guilty. He wasn’t a jerk. He had feelings and it would destroy him now that he knew the truth. But he hadn’t trusted her, and Kelly wasn’t sure if they could even forge a relationship when this much hurt and betrayal was involved. Maybe they’d been stupid to even attempt it.

“What’s going to happen?” she whispered. “Do I have to stay here? Do I go home?” She bit her lip because she wasn’t sure where she’d go. Her relationship with Ryan was a big question mark, but she had no place to go except home with him. And her baby’s health came first.

He took her hand—the one that she wore his ring on—and thumbed it absently.

“You’ll stay here until a decision is made about your health. But the doctor said that if you go home, you’ll be on strict bed rest for the rest of your pregnancy.”

Her expression must have reflected her horror and her fear, because Ryan leaned over to kiss her forehead again. He held her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

“I don’t want you to worry, honey, okay? I’ll handle everything. We’ll go someplace warm and beautiful and all you’ll have to do is lie on the beach or in a comfortable chair and watch the sun set. I’ll hire a personal physician to oversee every part of your care.”

Her brow furrowed and she could feel the pain creep back into her head.

“Ryan, we can’t just go off to some island paradise somewhere. Ignoring our problems won’t fix them.”

He stroked a hand over her forehead, smoothing her hair back. “Right now, all you need to concentrate on is feeling better and carrying our child for as long as you can. And what I need to concentrate on is removing as much stress from your life as possible.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but he kissed her lightly, silencing her.

“I know we have a lot to work out, Kell. I had no idea how much when I said this before. But right now let’s put our differences aside and concentrate on our baby and your health. Can we do that?”

Her resistance slid away. She nodded slowly, not withdrawing her hand from his.

Despite what had happened in the past, she didn’t doubt for a moment that he cared deeply about her and their baby. And he was right. No matter what had to be worked out between them, their child came first.

Eighteen

“I’m reluctant to release Miss Christian from the hospital,” Kelly’s doctor said grimly as he stood outside her hospital room. “She’s shown marked improvement. Her blood pressure is normal. The baby is showing no signs of fetal distress. I’d say she has a good chance of carrying the child the full forty weeks. But I’m not comfortable releasing her yet.”

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. “What can I do to make it possible? She’s unhappy here. She’s not herself.”

The doctor nodded. “That’s precisely why I’m concerned about releasing her. At least here I can be assured she’s getting the care she needs. She’s not in good spirits and I’m deeply concerned about her stress level. It’s imperative that she not be placed in any situation that causes her undue distress.”

“If you give her the okay to travel I plan to take her away. Someplace warm where she’ll never have to lift a finger. I can have a medical team fly us to the island and once there, I’ll have a private physician to monitor her care as well as have the local hospital completely apprised of her condition and needs.”

The doctor went silent as he seemed to mull over Ryan’s suggestion. “Perhaps that’s the best idea. It’s cold and a bit gloomy right now. Maybe the better weather will lift her spirits and she’ll regain her strength. It’s not good for her or the baby if she gives birth now when she’s verging on depression.”

It made Ryan’s heart ache to think of Kelly being sad and depressed. He’d do anything at all to make her smile again.