Protecting Her(13)

“Rachel, how are you feeling?” she asks. “I was so worried about you after you told me what happened.”

“I’m fine. They said I might be able to go home tomorrow.”

She leans in to see the baby again. “You are so adorable.” As she touches his face I notice light red marks circling both her wrists. “Shelby, what happened to your wrists?”

Pearce was saying something to Logan but he stops suddenly and looks at Shelby and me.

“It’s nothing.” Shelby backs away and stands up straight. “Actually, it’s a funny story. I always keep rubber bands handy so I can put my hair up, and last week in Vegas, when I was at the pool, I put a rubber band on each wrist and then fell asleep on one of the lounge chairs, and when I woke up I had these big marks on my wrists.”

Logan comes over and picks up her arm, looking at her wrist. “That doesn’t look like a mark from a rubber band.”

She yanks her arm back. “Well, it is. I was dumb and I forgot to take them off when I got to the pool.”

He takes her hand, turning it palm-side up and running his finger over the mark. “You need to put something on that or it’ll scar.”

“I have stuff at home I can put on it.” She’s breathless again as his finger moves lightly over her wrist.

“I have a first-aid kit in my car.” He lowers her hand but keeps hold of it. “Come on. Let’s go. I’ll get you fixed up.” He gazes at her as he says it. A deep, intense, I-want-you gaze.

“Um, okay,” she says, not taking her eyes off him. “Rachel, sorry I can’t stay longer but I have to go into work later. I need to go home and get ready. But I’ll call you tonight.”

“Okay. Bye, Shelby. Bye, Logan.”

“I hope they release you tomorrow.” Logan smiles at me but motions to Pearce. “I don’t think this guy can handle another night alone with the baby.”

“I’m managing just fine, thank you,” Pearce says, smiling. “Give me a call and we’ll set up a time to golf.”

He nods and leads Shelby to the door. As she’s leaving, she glances back at Pearce and I realize they didn’t say goodbye to each other.

When they’re gone, I say, “Do you think they’re going to get back together?”

“No. But I think they’re going to do it in Logan’s car.”

I laugh. “I think so too. They couldn’t take their eyes off each other. Maybe they’ll make their own baby and we’ll be here visiting them in nine months. They should just get married. They’re perfect together.”

Pearce doesn’t respond.

“Pearce, don’t you think they’d be good together?”

“I don’t know. But Shelby obviously doesn’t want that so Logan needs to give up on her.”

“He’s not giving up on her. That was some serious flirting going on just now. The way he touched her wrist like that? She practically melted into his arms.”

“I didn’t notice.”

“Did you see her wrists? I agree with Logan. It didn’t look like marks from a rubber band.”

Garret cries a little and I look down and see his face scrunching up like he’s getting ready to wail. Sure enough, he does.

“I’ll get his bottle.” Pearce takes it from the diaper bag. “My mother packed the bag for me before I left.”

“Maybe he just needs a diaper change,” I say, taking the bottle.

“No, that’s his hungry face. And his hungry cry. I figured this out last night.”

I give Garret the bottle and he immediately sucks down the liquid.

“You were right.” I smile. “So does he have a way to tell us when he needs a diaper change?”

“Yes. It’s more a fussy cry, not a full out wail like he just did. And his face looks more annoyed than angry. When he’s hungry, he looks angry. He likes to eat and he doesn’t like to wait.”

I laugh. “Just like his father.”

The nurse walks in. “Rachel, the doctor will be here in a few minutes. Your husband and son will need to go.”

I nod. “Okay.”

As she leaves, Pearce says, “We’ll come back this afternoon.“

When I’m finished feeding him, Pearce takes him and they leave, but I didn’t want them to go. I missed them the second they left. I have to get out of this hospital. I can’t take being away from the baby. He needs his mom. I need to be home.