Dream Lover (25 page)

Max followed the doctor from the room, ‘What’s wrong?’

‘The baby is breached I can’t turn it without causing more distress to mother and child,’ he paused for a moment, ‘but what I am most worried about is the baby’s heartbeat it is very irregular, your wife is highly agitated I don’t want to alarm her any further but I’m going to have to give her a caesarean,’ he reached for the telephone while he spoke then turned his attention to his call.

‘Do what you have to,’ Max told him turning back toward the small delivery room.

Quinn could see by Max’s expression that something was not right, ‘What did he tell you, I know he’s said something,’ she dropped her head back against the pillow her fingers gripping the bed-sheets as spasm of pain filled her body.

‘Everything is fine, you’re to stay calm and not worry,’ he told her pressing a cool towel over her brow. Max prised her fingers from the bedclothes and held her hand in his.

‘What’s wrong Max? I know something is wrong,’ she held her breath for a moment, biting on her lip to stop from gasping out loud, ‘This pain is not right…’

Suddenly one of the machines that surrounded her started to bleep, a loud ear shattering sound, seconds later Mr Brown and two nurses dashed through the door. ‘Okay, it’s time to go,’ he smiled toward Quinn as her bed was pushed through the door.

Max was not allowed into the operating theatre, so he stood outside pacing back and forth. His alarm growing by the minutes as even more nurses dashed into the room. ‘God keep her safe,’ he whispered stumbling into a chair when his legs felt suddenly unable to support him.

The theatre door sprang open, ‘Mr Cordell,’ one of the midwives called from the doorway, he paused waiting for the other man to look up. ‘We have serious complications,’ she looked quickly over her shoulder back toward where the doctors were working on her patient.

Max's life flashed before his eyes, his life without Quinn was not worth having and it was at that moment he realised he loved her more than anything in the world, more than life itself and he couldn’t live without her. ‘You have to save my wife,’ he pleaded.

‘We will of course do our best to not loose anyone…. we have to tell you just in case. I have to get back.’

The door sprang closed and Max was left alone once again, alone with his conscience at the appalling way he had treated his wife over the past months. He prayed like he never had in his life to get a second chance to tell her he loved her and to make amends for making her life so miserable.

In truth all he had wanted from her was for her to trust him, he had never and never would be unfaithful it was not in his nature, there was nothing between him and Azzurra and never had been. But as he sat waiting he realised all he wanted was another chance to make things right with Quinn and would beg and plead for that chance.

It was another twenty minutes before the doctor appeared from the theatre a beaming smile split his jolly round face. ‘Everyone is well; you can come in now, although your wife is still under the effects of the anaesthetic and probably won’t wake up completely for another hour.’

Max sat by Quinn’s bedside, her hand held gently in his own and held against his face. The instant her long lashes fluttered he spoke, ‘I love you Quinn,’ he said pressing his lips against the palm of her hand. Every time her eyes started to open he repeated his declaration of love to her, and begging her forgiveness, praying she could hear him.

Quinn woke, her stomach felt strangely numb, half opening her eyes she looked down the massive lump that had been part of her for the last months was gone. She creased her brow trying to recall … ‘Oh … where’s my baby?’ she whispered turning toward where she knew Max was sitting.

‘In the nursery, everything is fine,’ he smiled reassuringly. ‘I’m supposed to call for the nurse the moment you wake; before I do there is something I need to tell you…’

‘Is something wrong with…’ she asked terrified something was wrong with their baby.

‘No I told you everything is fine. I want to tell you I love you and if you can forgive me I want us to stay together for always Quinn,’ he pressed his lips gently across hers.

‘I thought I was dreaming,’ she whispered as months of sadness started to evaporate, and her heart beat faster with happiness she thought never to feel again.

‘No not this time, I love you with every beat of my heart, and I hope with time you will forgive me,’ he said softly, ‘later we will talk properly but for now I hope is it enough that I tell you I love you, and I am sorry for the pain I have caused you,’ then without giving her a chance to respond he pushed the call button for the nurse.

After giving Quinn a quick check over the nurse went off to the nursery to collect baby Cordell.

‘Why won’t you tell me if it’s a boy or a girl?’ she asked never guessing the reason for his silence.

‘Don’t be so impatient you’ve waited nine months what’s a few more minutes?’ he smiled lifting her hand to his lips and kissing her fingers.

Suddenly the door opened and the nurse walked in holding a small sleeping bundle, dressed all in white except for a small blue hat.

‘This is your son,’ she told her carefully resting him against the crook of her arm, ‘he weighed in at six pounds eight ounces.’

She looked up to Max with tear-filled eyes, ‘A boy, how wonderful, have you named him?’ she asked brushing her lips across his tiny brow.

Quinn had been so engrossed in her son she had not noticed the second nurse enter the room. ‘This is your daughter,’ another nurse held out a similarly dressed infant wearing a pink hat. ‘Who is four pounds three ounces,’ the nurse informed her with a smile.

Quinn’s eyes moved from one child to the other then to Max.

‘We didn’t manage triplets,’ he beamed, ‘just twins. Aren’t they beautiful?’

‘No wonder I was so big….’

‘The reason the doctor didn’t realise there were two in there was because she was tucked very tidily behind her brother,’ he gently ran his finger along the baby’s downy cheek, her soft pink mouth opened for a moment then closed.

Quinn looked from one baby to the other, ‘I’ll need to do more shopping,’ she smiled up to Max. ‘Did you mean what you said, about staying?’ she pressed her lips together for a moment. While the nurse had been checking her over she thought about Max’s declaration, he had hurt her so much over the past few months she didn’t believe she had any love left in her heart for him. But when she opened her eyes and saw him sitting by her bedside, his declaration of love and the expression in his eyes her filled her broken heart with hope.

‘Yes if you’ll let me, if you’ll have me after the terrible way I’ve treated you,’ he said softly, ‘I love you Quinn, with every fibre of my being. I almost left it too late to admit my true feelings even to myself,’ he gave a small harsh laugh. ‘I was just plain scared to say the words but if I’m honest about it, I’ve been in love with you since the day you walked into my office. While I was busy laying down the law to you I looked into your eyes and so help me I was hooked,’ he laughed again. ‘But you sat there looking at me with those big golden eyes as though I had just stepped off a space craft!’

Quinn looked down at her hand held so gently in his and smiled to herself at his declaration, ‘I can never imagine you being scared of anything or anyone,’ she told him while looking up in to his handsome face.

Max laughed, ‘Believe me you have terrified the life out of me a few times,’ she gave him a disbelieving look and he laughed again, ‘when you asked for a divorce, when you told me to leave,’ suddenly he was very serious. ‘Can we start again?’ It seemed to him that his words hung in the air waiting to crash into him and break him altogether. And then she smiled and it was the words which were crushed and not his heart.

‘I would like that very much.’

Now her smile washed away the last remnants of sadness away from his heart and he returned her smile.

They looked away from each other at the same moment as their son made soft whimpering sounds, ‘Have you held them yet?’ Quinn asked as she looked up again.

Max looked immediately very worried, ‘No… I er I mean they are so small,’ he held his hand along side his son, who looked as though he may fit in the palm, ‘I might hurt them,’ he said uncertainly.

‘No you won’t,’ she assured him, ‘what about names we’ve two to think of now.’ Quinn gently placed their son in his fathers hands and swallowed the lump in her throat as she watched Max hold his son for the first time.

The child appeared so tiny and fragile in his hands; ‘He’s so light and small,’ Max held the baby over the bed terrified he would drop him. ‘I think we should call the nurse back,’ he looked hopefully over his shoulder then back to Quinn when she laughed.

‘Give him back and hold your daughter,’ she smiled as she shook her head, ‘in a few days you’ll be juggling them around like a professional,’ then laughed again at the look of disbelief on his face.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The following day after all family and friends had left Max closed the door on the hospital room, pulled up a chair and sat beside Quinn’s bed. He felt he still had a lot more apologising and explaining to do for his behaviour, he started by telling her the extent of his ex-wife’s jealousy and insecurity, how she had him followed because she was convinced he was having an affair. ‘It was because of her I have a male p.a., it was the only way I could convince her I was not taking them away for illicit meetings!’

Quinn recalled the feeling she had when speaking to some of the other personal assistants and now she realised why everyone had been surprised she was working so closely with him.

‘After my divorce I didn’t date any one for over two years,’ he gave a short harsh laugh, ‘she was almost as bad as Ashleigh,’ he shook his head as he recalled the only other woman he had dated before Quinn. ‘Since her there has only been you,’ he looked up and saw the look of surprise in her eyes. ‘That is why I work so much, I had nothing to go home for, but I have now, and have been redistributing my workload,’ he took a deep breath and watched her face carefully, ‘I only intend to work three days a week at the office from now on and hope…I know I should have discussed it with you first…’

‘Max you don’t have to do this all I need to know is that you love me.’

Max moved from his chair to sit on the edge of her bed, pulling her into his arms he held he close, ‘Quinn I love you more than I thought possible, I never wanted us to part, no matter what I said or threatened,’ he lifted her face with one gentle hand, ‘I just need to hear you tell me you still love me.’

Quinn smiled and took his face in both hands, ‘I love you Maxwell Cordell,’ she told him pulling him to her lips, ‘and I always will,’ she promised.

Max kissed her gently then took her hands in his, ‘I have so many things to apologise for or explain,’ he released on hand to gently brush in fingers down her face. ‘Firstly, Azzurra de Santos, please don’t look so worried,’ he leaned closer and pressed his lips gently against her brow, ‘there never has been anything between us, Azzurra is a natural born flirt she can make asking the time sound like a come on,’ he gave a gentle laugh. ‘When you saw her coming out of my room it was not what you thought…’

Quinn lifted her hand and pressed her fingers against his lips, ‘You don’t have to explain…’

‘Yes I do I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings between us. I had been helping her sell her apartment in Paris, Azzurra is Italian and her French is very limited and I had been translating a legal document for her. And when you saw us in town I had asked her to come home with me to meet you.’

Quinn felt a wave of sorrow wash over her, ‘I am so sorry I didn’t trust you, I promise never to doubt you again,’ she told him wrapping her arms around his shoulders and holding him tightly, then pressing her lips gently against his they kissed she felt his body shudder her own trembling in response.

They spent the next hour ensuring that there was nothing left to cause concern, no small lie or omission undisclosed.

As Max pulled her into his arms Quinn sighed, the happiness shone from his eyes once again as he looked down at her, ‘I love you Maxwell Cordell,’ she whispered as his lips found hers.

A month later they were standing side by side in the nursery; both babies had been fed and changed by their dotting father. ‘I can’t believe how much they have grown in just a few weeks,’ Max said turning to Quinn as she sat on the comfy sofa which now had been set along side the rocking chair in the nursery.

‘Well it doesn’t surprise me,’ she said laughing softly, ‘They never stop eating!’ she rested her head against his shoulder when he sat beside her.

‘Okay?’ he asked wrapping his arm around her and pressing his lips against her brow.

‘Mmm, yes and you?’ she asked looking up through her lashes at him. She was more than all right; she was the happiest woman in the world. The change in Max over the past month was amazing, he was attentive, loving, devoted to his wife and new family. She couldn’t recall seeing him without a smile on his face for the whole time she had been home.

‘Yes I am now,’ he hugged her tightly to his chest, ‘I swear there has been no one since the day you walked into my office and there certainly will never be anyone else but you,’ he told her pulling her into his arms.