Valentine Babies (Holiday Babies Series) (5 page)

Roxanne shed her wrap, glad she could still fit into her
bikini. She helped settle the girls in their floating ducks. “Now we can all
swim in the
wawa
.” The girls squealed and giggled. “They’re so
adorable.”

“Celia is afraid of nothing,” Madelyn said with a smile that
belied her complaint. “While Liana is the little princess who wants to be
cuddled. I missed them so much when we were away. Yet we were so busy.”

“A honeymoon in Russia is unusual. Did you have fun?”

“A lot. It was freezing cold, especially for us coming from
Florida. But incredibly interesting. So many things to see. For Nick it was a
special trip to see the country where his biological mother was born. It
brought us even closer together as he shared his deepest feelings.”

Madelyn’s eyes sparkled with the bliss of a happy woman who
fully appreciated a loving bond with her husband.

A pang of envy stabbed Roxanne’s heart. Would she ever enjoy
such a wonderful relationship?

“How is it going with Greg?” Madelyn added as if she’d read
Roxanne’s thoughts.

A slow smile stretched Roxanne’s mouth. “Great. We had dinner
together every night. He’s such a good friend.”

“Every night?” Madelyn frowned. “But I heard he’s been on
call a lot to cover for Nick.”

“On these nights, I joined him at the hospital cafeteria.”

“I see.” Madelyn’s lips twitched. “And he’s just a good friend?”

“Oh yeah. A great friend. We talk a lot. Mainly
I
ponder my problems and vent my doubts. I have a difficult decision to make.”

To give him credit, Greg just listened to her rambling about
why she absolutely had to go to Baghdad, and two minutes later, why she
absolutely shouldn’t go. Without interfering, he squeezed her hand and promised
that one day, the right decision would pop into her head.

Nothing had popped so far.

Madelyn bobbed her head from right to left. “Poor Greg. What
are you doing to him, Roxy? Trying to make him earn his angel’s wings?”

“Come on, Maddy. I enjoy being with him and he said he loves
spending time with me.”

“Of course, he does. Although I bet he’d rather be talking
about something more cheerful than your dead boyfriend and your duty to his
family.”

“How can you say that?” A huff escaped her. Even Madelyn
didn’t realize what Roxanne was going through. “Can’t you understand my
problem?”

 “Sorry, sweetie. I’m just commiserating with Greg. But
I’m listening if you want to brainstorm.”

“For weeks, I debated non-stop about what I should do and I
weighed the pros and cons a hundred times a day. Then I remembered that while I
was chatting with Nabil during our numerous friendly conversations he often
mentioned he couldn’t wait for the war to end, so he could immigrate to the
U.S. He wanted to forget the horror of the past years and live a peaceful life.
My big news took him completely by surprise. He wasn’t thinking rationally when
he said he wanted his son to be born in his country.”

“And maybe he expected you to marry him, live there with him
and have his child, with him next to you. But now, he’s gone and circumstances
have changed.”

“Anyway, I would never endanger my child. He will be born
here, in our safe environment.” She rubbed her naked belly as if to reassure
her child that he was the most significant person in the world for her.

“I agree with you.” Madelyn pulled her girls’ ducks against
her in a protective hug.

 “Now, the second decision I haven’t made yet is
whether to tell the Diabs they’ll have a grandson soon or keep my mouth shut to
protect Nabil’s good name.” She stroked her forehead in an effort to forestall
a migraine, and floated on her back, soaking up the radiant sunshine.

“Learning about a prospective grandchild after losing two
sons should be a big consolation for any family,” Madelyn suggested. “At least
for any American family.”

Roxanne dipped her head in the water and emerged to answer
her sister. “They have a different mentality. Pre-marital relationships are a
no-no over there. Elias Diab may become very upset at his son’s misbehavior. I
can’t let that happen. I’ll have to think more carefully before telling them
they will have a grandson.”

“Roxy, you keep talking about a grandson. Why are you so
sure it’s a boy?” Madelyn lifted an eyebrow. “Maybe it’s a cute little girl.
Like my darlings.” She brushed each chubby cheek with a tender kiss.

“Nabil wanted a boy so much, I’d feel I’d be betraying him
if I talked of the baby in the feminine.” Regrets dried her throat every time
she talked about
him
. She swirled in the water, averting her eyes from
her sister’s sharp gaze. Why did she have to argue with him on that cursed day?
Why did he have to be so despotic? Guilt and remorse simmered in her heart.

“Honey, I know you’re still mourning a good friend and
you’re sorry for his family. But don’t feel so obligated to them. You have to
start living your own life again.”

“Eventually I will. When I fix this mess. If you have good
friends who are suffering would you throw them away or would you help them?”

“Uh... If you put that way... Of course, I’d do my best to
help.”

“Exactly. Nabil’s sister, Leila, emails me several times a
day. I’ve become her best friend, her only moral support. Today, she sent
pictures of Michael, her nephew. He’s so cute that little orphan. Mr. Diab’s
heart condition has worsened. They can’t operate under the terrible conditions,
the shortage of equipment and medical drugs. Mrs. Diab asked if I could send
them medicines. How?” She opened her hands in desperation.

Liana cried and Celia followed suit. “Time to get out of the
pool.” Madelyn carried Liana and started drying her. When she had finished,
Roxanne brought her Celia to change. A few minutes later, they sat under an
umbrella each with a toddler in her arms to feed.

“So the Diabs have somehow adopted you as daughter-in-law.”
Madelyn huffed. “It’s not fair for you. You live far away and you don’t plan to
go back there. Why burden you with desperate problems that increase your stress
especially in your condition?”

“Remember they don’t know I’m pregnant. I’ll do my best for
them. Then I’ll be able to move on with my life.” Deep down, she knew the past
months would be forever etched in her heart. In addition to her memories,
Nabil’s child would always remind her of the past, maybe forbidding her to be
happy with another man. “Madelyn, don’t ever have a fight on the phone. You
never know if you’ll have a chance to make up.”

“My poor Roxy, that last call with your friend is destroying
you.” Then Madelyn peered at her. “You said you spent time thinking about his
proposal. No spontaneous
I love you. Yes, I‘ll marry you
, as I answered
Nick.”

Roxanne bit her lip. “You had no hesitation, no doubt?”

“Not one bit.”

“After our night together, I was determined to turn the
page. If I wasn’t carrying his baby, I would have dismissed our time together
as a bittersweet episode due to the war conditions. Now, everything has
changed.” She pressed Celia against her heart. One day soon Roxanne would have
her own baby to cuddle. He’d make up for the sorrow. “Meanwhile tomorrow I have
to go to Atlanta. The boss needs me.”

****

“My stomach is still flat and I haven’t put on weight.”
Standing in front of a full length mirror in the guest bedroom, Roxanne
scrutinized her figure in a yellow tunic-like dress. Front and side, and then
she swiveled and glanced over her shoulder at her backside. The glorious
Floridian sunshine and the fresh air of the beach had restored her health.
Except for a light morning sickness, she felt great physically and exercised
every day.

She might as well enjoy her sexy short dresses and high
heels while she could still wear them. In a few months... She sighed at the notion
that slowly but surely she’d balloon like Heather had with every baby she’d
carried.

Soon many things would change—things more important than
clothes and shoes. Determined not to let negative thoughts cloud her bright
mood, she grabbed her purse and strode out of the apartment to ride the
elevator. Greg should be here any moment to pick her up.

In front of
The Blue Lagoon
building, Greg leaned
against his car, striking in beige pants and a striped collared shirt opened at
the throat in a V to reveal dark curls. He came straight to hug her.

Warmth seeped through her body.

“I missed you, beautiful. These were two very long days.” He
held her at arm’s length. His gaze roved over her, singeing her with its heat.
“You look wonderful.”

“I missed you too. But I couldn’t avoid flying to Atlanta.
My boss insisted I report to the KNR headquarters. We had a long talk.”

“Let’s go to dinner. You can tell me all about it.” They
slipped in his old SUV and he revved the engine.

“Where are we going?”

“To the
Sea Watch
. A well established restaurant on
the ocean. The food is good and the old patrons are rather quiet. We’ll be able
to hold a conversation without tourists’ brouhaha or rock music drumming in the
background.”

At the restaurant, he parked his car and helped her out of
his SUV. She caught the lingering gaze he cast toward her legs and the ensuing
sigh. Dear Greg, he’d been the perfect gentleman, such a good friend. Since
they drove together from Kentucky to Florida for fifteen hours, chatting with
Greg had become as natural and easy as sharing dinner with him every night. The
two days in Atlanta had been awfully lonely without him.

“So tell me what you did in Atlanta.”

“Nothing much. I worked and attended a lot of meetings. Went
to dinner with the boss and my colleagues. Read and watched TV in my
apartment.”

“Nothing exciting?”

“Believe me, I had more than my share of excitement when I
traveled abroad.”

The waiter interrupted them to take their orders.

After they chose their soft drinks and entrees, Roxanne blathered
on about work, her boss and colleagues, the TV stations and programs, coming
assignment and interviews.

“Did they agree to let you stay here for another month?”

“I asked to continue working
from home
. It doesn’t
matter where I’m physically located. As long as I have my laptop, iPad and
smartphone, I can participate in the conference calls and type my interviews,
reports, or articles.”

Greg’s bright smile welcomed her announcement. “So glad
you’ll remain in Fort Lauderdale indefinitely.”

“I told my boss I was expecting a baby, without mentioning
details. Eventually I’ll have to stop the foreign assignments and long trips.”

“Roxy.” Greg grabbed her hand. “Does that mean you’ve
reached a decision about...?” She’d noticed Greg avoided mentioning the specific
events that led to her situation and even her foreign friends’ names.

“Yes, and thank you for listening to my endless debates.
I’ve decided my baby will be born and raised here as a good American.”

Greg exhaled in relief. “Am I glad you made up your mind.
Now you’ll forget the past and relax.”

“Wait. I’m not done.” Holding his gaze, she folded her hands
and leaned over the table. “My boss asked me to take one last trip next week to
report about the latest developments in Iraq.”

“No way.” Greg banged a fist on the table.

A dozen other patrons swiveled their heads toward them. Greg
scanned their bemused expressions and hissed. “Darn, they’re going to think
we’re a pair of lovers fighting. Smile or laugh.” He cracked his knuckles,
threw his head back, and burst out laughing. “That’s a good one, sweetheart,”
he said over the din of the restaurant. “Great joke.” The old patrons resumed
their dinners.

Amused, Roxanne smiled sweetly. “Are you losing it?”

“Almost,” he said in a controlled voice. “You’d make a saint
lose his aureole.”

This time she chuckled, but her amusement vanished at his
scowl. Madelyn was right. Maybe Roxanne should stop analyzing her problems with
Greg. “Greg, try to understand—”

“Oh no. You’ve asked me to understand you and your situation
at least twice a day for the last month. No more. As your doctor I say you
can’t go back to that damn place again.”

What was the matter with the men in her life ordering her
around? For years, she’d done exactly as she pleased.
And it landed you in a
mess
, a little voice reminded her.

“You gave me a clear bill of health two days ago. It’s my
job, Greg. A few more interviews.”

“What if something happens to you there?” His fingers balled
on the table.

“Greg, listen.” She’d never allowed anyone to interfere in
her job. Annoyed, she lifted her chin. “I’ve been going there for six months. I
can take care of my—”

 “You’ve told me you’ve been attacked once before.” His
scowl betrayed his worry.

Her bluster died. He was referring to the encounter that
changed her life. That first time she met Nabil when he beat the ruffians and
saved her. She remembered it too well. And she remembered her last argument
with the daring officer. The words that kept eating at her heart.

“You’re right.” Her hand covered his in a conciliatory
gesture. His fingers immediately entwined with hers and scorched her with their
warmth. She’d never fight with Greg before going on a trip. Actually, she
wished she could sit on his lap and ask him to hold her. “I really appreciate
your concern. You’re a dear friend.” Much more than a friend. But she didn’t
dare say the words, afraid he’d push her away. After all she was carrying
another man’s child.

Greg stared at their enfolded hands, and lifted an eyebrow
as if he doubted her words or his hearing. “You said I’m right? Is there a
but
after that?”

She chuckled. “How do you know me so well?”

Enclosing her hand in both of his, he captured her gaze.
“I’ve been listening to you for endless hours, day after day. I can guess your
thoughts now.”