Page 69 of Beau

But she was awake, and she was alive. They all were. He was going to be a father. The idea of that terrified him. He was not equipped to be a dad of one, much more than three. But time was running out.

In four weeks or less, their babies would be delivered, and he would have to step into a new role. One that he was not accustomed to. One that had been thrust on him. The thought sneaked in and wound its way insidiously into his mind almost without him realizing it and brought him up sharp.

It burned the edges of the sedative off and had his eyes opening wide. Where the hell had that come from? Of course, he wanted his babies. He was completely in love with the mother and these children were products of their – his mind floundered at that. Yes, it was his sperm, his little swimmers had produced them and of course it was her eggs.

But that was not the way you wanted it. The words echoed throughout his head and were so loud, he thought there was someone else in the room.

What the hell was going on? It must be the damn sedative that’s playing tricks with his mind. Of course, none of those matters,he told himself firmly. She had started the course, and he had gone along with all of it.

Yes, she had gone through hell and back, but she was here, and she was alive. Nothing else matters except that. Then why do you have this resentment churning inside your chest?

The insidious voice refused to be silent and was driving him crazy.

“Enough!” he muttered and closed his eyes and tried to do the same for his mind. But it took him a while to drift off to sleep as doubts and fears battered away at him. The last conscious thought was that he should have told her that he did not approve of her taking that particular route.

Chapter 15

“Going to the clinic today?”

Beau looked up from the report he was perusing to see his father standing just inside the doorway of his office.

“No. I called, and Georgie is doing just fine. Her vital signs are stable, and the babies are coming along.”

Blake watched as his son went back to the document in front of him.

“You haven’t been there in a week.”

“That’s not completely true," he murmured easily, without taking his eyes off the page. “I stopped by two days ago.”

“You spent an hour and told Georgie that you had a function to attend. Her sisters, nieces and nephews as well as her friends have been by and have spent time with her, except you, the person she really wants with her.”

Putting aside the report, Beau reluctantly gave his father his full attention.

“Has she been complaining?”

“Not complaining, she knows you have work to do and feels guilty that when she was going through that period, you were there for the duration.” Blake came inside and closed the doors with a decisive snap. “She just mentioned that you are no longer staying overnight.”

“My wife understands or should understand that I have obligations.”

Blake did his best to tamp down his annoyance. He had seen his son’s reaction when his wife was ill, and he thought he was goingto lose her. And had a very good idea what was bothering him. Beau was trying to distance himself from what he perceives as being the problem in case something like that happens again.

And in doing so, he was hurting both him and Georgie. He did not decline any invitation and was out and about town as if he did not have a wife on bed rest. One who needed him. It broke his heart each time he went to the clinic and saw the hopeless look on his daughter-in-law’s face when she realized Beau was not coming.

“What the hell are you doing?”

He watched as the annoyance flitted over his son’s face before he rearranged it into a neutral expression.

“I am working or that was the plan before your impromptu visit. And I need to get back to–”

“She is pining over you.”

Beau forced his fingers to remain unclenched. “That’s ridiculous. I keep in touch.”

“Keep in touch!” Blake roared. “She wants her husband. You are right here, not out of the country and she wants to see you, wants to be with you at a time like this.”

“Why?” he asked tautly. “It’s not as if I can do anything for her. What she needs is constant round-the-clock care and the medical personnel at the clinic happens to be providing that care. She is in good hands.”

“I understand why you think you have to stay away.”