Night and Day (43 page)

“Hey, you're just exhausted and not thinking clearly. You had a pretty rough labor. You should have a long talk with Michael about putting you through it.” Joe smiled down at her. “The doctors told you that they'd take the baby right away to examine and make sure there was nothing wrong with him.”

She remembered, but it didn't stop the panic. “So when do I get him back?”

“Fifteen minutes, Eve. Give them a chance.”

“I barely got a glimpse of him before they whisked him away.”

“He looked pretty good to me. I think you did a stellar job, Eve.”

“Michael wouldn't agree.” She swallowed to ease the tightness of her throat. “He believed he was running the show, and I was just along for the ride.”

“I'll have to teach him more respect. You're never just along for the ride.” He bent and kissed her, slowly, deeply. “Thank you for my son, Eve.” His arms were suddenly around her, and he held her tight. “It's … fantastic. A miracle.”

“You
did
contribute, Joe.” She chuckled, but she held him even closer. “Thank
you
.” This was a precious moment that she wanted to cherish. When she had given birth to Bonnie, she had been almost alone, and there had been no one like Joe to hold and share the wonder.

But she wasn't sharing the wonder yet. She didn't have Michael.

He let her go and looked down at her with a quizzical expression. “You want me to go and hurry those doctors along?”

“Please.”

He laughed and straightened away from her bed. “No problem. On my way, I'll stop and give Cara the good news.” He moved across the hospital room and out the door.

Cara. Yes, they had to tell Cara, who had become such an integral part of their family during the last months.

Jane. Eve should call her and tell her that Michael had been in too much of a hurry to wait for her. But she would be here soon anyway.

Lord, Eve was lucky to have people around her who were loving and loyal and totally unique. She had never felt that gratitude more than after what she had gone through during the last months.

But where was Michael? She could feel her tension growing as the minutes passed. Those doctors wouldn't have said there could be a possible problem at birth if they hadn't had reason.

Caleb had not been worried. Trust Caleb.

But where was Michael?

Joe wouldn't leave her alone to worry when he knew that she was on edge. She just wanted to see her son and know that he was well. She would ring for the nurse if Joe didn't come back soon. Or, dammit, she would get up from this bed and go get Michael herself. It had been too long for—

“Here he is.” Joe was holding the door open for a nurse carrying a small blue-blanket-wrapped bundle. “I had to commandeer Nurse Carey here to bring him back to you.”

The nurse smiled and carefully put the soft bundle in Eve's arms. “And maybe I wanted to keep him a little longer. He's pretty wonderful.”

“I know.” Michael's softness was against her instead of in her body. It felt strange but wonderfully right. Don't look at him yet. Stretch out this moment she was going to remember forever. She looked at Joe. “What did the doctors say?”

“Eight pounds, two ounces. Twenty-one inches.” He crossed the room and stood beside the bed. “And absolutely healthy.”

She closed her eyes for an instant. “Thank God. No effect from the capsule?”

“Evidently nothing nasty touched him during the transfusion. I believe I'm going to have trouble being annoyed with Caleb whatever he does from now on.”

Her eyes opened. “You'll get over it.” But she wasn't sure that she would. Anything or anyone that kept her son safe was a gift beyond price. “They're certain?”

“Positive.”

“Don't you want to see him?” The nurse was gently shifting the folds of the blanket. “He's one cool dude. He's going to be a heartbreaker when he grows up. He didn't cry at all when he was born. We had to make him do it while we were cleaning him up. Then he looked at us as if we'd insulted him. But then I swear he smiled at us.
Really
smiled. I know they say that babies don't smile before six weeks but he—” She shrugged. “Anyway, all the nurses are crazy about him.”

“I bet they are. Michael has a talent in that direction.” Eve felt Joe's hand on her shoulder as she moved the blankets away from her son's face. “Someone I love very much once told me that he was special.”

Eve could see his face now. So small … Bright blue eyes, pale satin skin, dark tufts of hair on that tiny head. He was staring solemnly up at her.

“Hi,” she said softly. “How are you doing? Glad to meet you at last. We made it through, didn't we? Now we'll just concentrate on all the good things.” She reached down and touched his cheek with a gentle finger.

He became still, alert, as if he was trying to hear her, understand her.

It's a new way for us, isn't it? But we'll get used to it, and it will be just fine.

Everything was fine in this moment. The waves of love were overpowering in their intensity, and she was having trouble keeping back the tears.

I told you he was extraordinary, Mama
.

Bonnie.

She looked up, expecting to see her.

No. Later. It's his time now. I just wanted to be with you.

And Bonnie
was
with her, and it made this time all the more golden.

Bonnie … Michael … Part of her, the very best part.

Perfect.

She couldn't take her gaze from Michael's brilliant blue eyes. They seemed to be holding her, talking to her, telling her wonderful secrets about Cara … Jane … Joe …

Oh, maybe those secrets were not as wonderfully perfect as this moment, because they were all human and so would change and grow through the years as Michael was going to grow and change. Still, pretty darn wonderful, and all the more so because of that very humanity.

And
he
was wonderful and that was all that was important right now. “Isn't he beautiful? He reminds me of someone, Joe,” she said softly. “But I just can't place who…”

“Well, it's not me. I'm definitely not beautiful.”

“Yes, you are.” But it wasn't Joe, and the baby didn't have her features either. “Maybe he's a throwback.” She looked down at him again, and she felt an enormous rush of sheer love that filled all her mind and heart. “Welcome to our world, Michael.”

Warmth. Comfort. Love.

All flowing toward her in an eternal stream from this tiny individual she was holding in her arms.

And then Michael smiled at her.

 

ALSO BY
IRIS JOHANSEN

Hide Away

Shadow Play

The Naked Eye
(with Roy Johansen)

Your Next Breath

Sight Unseen
(with Roy Johansen)

Live to See Tomorrow

Silencing Eve

Hunting Eve

Taking Eve

Sleep No More

Close Your Eyes
(with Roy Johansen)

What Doesn't Kill You

Bonnie

Quinn

Eve

Chasing the Night

Shadow Zone
(with Roy Johansen)

Eight Days to Live

Deadlock

Dark Summer

Quicksand

Silent Thunder
(with Roy Johansen)

Pandora's Daughter

Stalemate

An Unexpected Song

Killer Dreams

On the Run

Countdown

Blind Alley

Firestorm

Fatal Tide

Dead Aim

No One to Trust

Body of Lies

Final Target

The Search

The Killing Game

The Face of Deception

And Then You Die

Long after Midnight

The Ugly Duckling

Lion's Bride

Dark Rider

Midnight Warrior

The Beloved Scoundrel

The Magnificent Rogue

The Tiger Prince

Last Bridge Home

The Golden Barbarian

Reap the Wind

Storm Winds

Wind Dancer

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IRIS JOHANSEN
is the
New York Times
bestselling author of
Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing the Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On the Run
, and more. And with her son Roy Johansen, she has coauthored
The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle,
and
Silent Thunder
. You can sign up for email updates
here
.

    

 

Thank you for buying this

St. Martin's Press ebook.

 

To receive special offers, bonus content,

and info on new releases and other great reads,

sign up for our newsletters.

 

Or visit us online at

us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup

 

For email updates on the author, click
here
.