“Oh, don’t you want to stay and welcome the babies?” Ally asked, her eyes wide as if shocked and hurt that he didn’t want to participate.
During all the years he’d stayed away from his brother and his pretty sister-in-law, Spence had never forgotten those eyes. They were the brightest, clearest blue, with a darker blue encircling the lighter shade around the pupil. Her eyes and that rusty voice—they were the things he most remembered about her. And that she had been his best friend throughout their growing years, up until they graduated and went off to college…and their separate ways.
When he’d returned, Ally had been engaged to his brother. She and Jack were married that summer.
He’d gone off to law school in the autumn and never returned, except on short visits. He’d established a practice in Durango—close, but not too close, to his family.
“Well,” he hedged, “I don’t want to be in the way or make…” He tried to think of the young mother’s name.
“Taylor,” Ally supplied.
“Yeah. I don’t want to make Taylor nervous.”
“It’s okay,” the young woman said. “Jack was supposed to be here. It’s okay if you stay.”
Hell, he could hardly leave now. It would seem rude. Which was maybe the weirdest thought he’d ever had.
“If you’re sure,” he murmured, unable to think of a graceful exit line.
“It’s time,” Maryanne snapped. “Let’s get the bed fixed and you in position.”
Spence swallowed hard when he realized the crabby nurse was removing a panel from the bed, then helping Taylor into the birthing position. The fierce July heat seemed to penetrate the room and gather in his neck, ears and face.
He peered through the mini-blinds at the scene in the nearby park, trying to focus anywhere but the room where the sheets were being lifted and folded back and Taylor’s knees were being exposed, rising above her mounded tummy.
Spence loosened his tie and opened a couple of buttons at his throat. He was having trouble breathing. He watched the kids playing in the park.
“Deep breaths,” Maryanne ordered. “Slow and easy.”
He forced himself to breathe deeply.
“The mother, not you,” Maryanne said with scornful amusement.
“Right,” he responded, as if this was old stuff to him. He risked a glance at the nurse. She folded a towel over the young mother’s knees. His face felt like a furnace.
“Where’s Dr. Parker?” Ally said, glancing past Spence toward the door.
“It’s Friday night. He’s probably on his way to his mountain cabin with some bimbo,” Maryanne said, clearly indicating her opinion of the doctor’s private life.
“Ohh,” Taylor said and reached for Ally’s hand.
“Is it time to pant?” Ally asked.
“I hope not,” Maryanne said grimly. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She sailed out of the room, giving Spence a glare as she swept past.
Spence suppressed a need to tell her he was innocent. He wasn’t the cause of the pregnancy, nor had he barged in uninvited. In fact, he’d rather not be there at all.
“There, darling,” Ally crooned.
Spence’s eyes were drawn to her. If a woman ever spoke to him in that tone he’d melt at her feet. It was caring and tender and filled with sweet encouragement. A chill ran down his spine, totally at odds with the furnace that glowed on his face.
He unbuttoned the cuffs of his white business shirt and rolled the sleeves up, glad that he’d tossed his jacket into the back seat of the car when he’d left the office.
The nurse returned in a minute. Claire Winterhawk, his partner’s wife and a pediatrician, entered with her. As the sole male, he definitely felt out of place in the roomful of women. He tried to think of a reason to leave…immediately!
“Hi, Taylor, I’m Dr. Davis,” Claire said. “I’m on call this evening, so I’ll assist you in the birth. I’ll be the twins’ pediatrician, so this is exciting, getting to meet them first thing, huh?”
Spence breathed a silent sigh of relief. He felt better having a doctor on hand. Claire and Johnny had only been married a couple of months and had adopted a baby themselves. He’d taken over the final paperwork for them.
Johnny was handling the adoption of the twins for Ally. Which Spence thought was good. He didn’t want to get too involved with his former best friend.
“Let’s see how you’re doing,” Claire said jovially. She sat down on a stool between the young mother’s legs.
Spence felt the heat rise in his face once more. He quickly glanced away. His gaze met Ally’s. The world shifted; for a moment, he felt as if she saw into his soul and beyond, way back to the years when he’d been angry with her for marrying Jack, for not waiting for him.
Regret and surprise slammed through him. Where had that thought come from? He’d never asked her to wait.
“Get on the other side and take Taylor’s hand,” Ally ordered in gentle tones. “We’ll help her breathe. She took Lamaze classes with Dr. Davis.”
Help her breathe? Classes?
Spence felt he’d landed in another world where they spoke the same language he did, but the words meant entirely different things. He went to where Ally had told him to stand, studiously keeping his eyes averted from what was happening at the other end of the raised hospital bed.
“Are you going to go by Davis or change to Winterhawk now that you’ve married Johnny?” his mother asked, peering over Ally’s shoulder.
“I’ve decided to stay with Davis in my professional life. It’s easier, since everyone in town knows me by that.” Claire leaned forward. “Okay, get ready.”
“Easy, easy,” Ally murmured to Taylor.
“Let’s hit it,” Claire said as if encouraging a football team to play its best.
“Push,” Maryanne said, doing things with spray bottles and towels.
Taylor groaned and pulled against his hand. Alarm spread through him at her expression. He couldn’t tell if it was one of intense pain or intense concentration. Sweat trickled down his spine. He stared at a kid running across the park lawn, his mother hot on his trail. The mother captured the spunky toddler and led him back to the bench where she’d been sitting.
“Pant,” Ally said and proceeded to do so.
She and Taylor panted in unison. Spence did, too, then realized what he was doing and tried to stop. He noted his mom also breathed with Taylor.
“Push!” Maryanne barked again as if the young mother had disobeyed a direct order.
Taylor pushed. Ally pushed. Rose pushed. And Spence pushed. They panted. Sweat collected on their foreheads.
“Okay, relax,” Claire said.
“Deep breaths,” Maryanne commanded. They breathed.
Ally was aware of Spence across the narrow bed from her, his head inches away as they leaned over Taylor and helped her with the birthing. As everyone in the room relaxed, she spared him a sympathetic glance. She didn’t recall ever seeing him blush, but now his face looked as if he had a good case of the measles. Her smile widened.
While they rested for the next big push, her thoughts turned introspective. She regretted that she would never be able to share this moment with her husband. She was barren. That was why she and Jack had been delighted when the chance came to adopt Taylor’s children.
Tears burned her eyes as she recalled