Not That Kind of Girl (35 page)

Eli blinked. “Uh …”

“News flash here, Gallagher—we don’t get to choose our beloved, either. Someone is or is not the right person for us. It’s that simple and that mysterious, and you and Roxanne were chosen for each other.” She leaned closer and gave him a wicked smile. “Don’t you dare tell me you don’t
know
what I’m talking about, because I think you do.” Bea winked at him. “See you at baby central.”

*   *   *

They raced through the parking garage, took the stairs to the street level, and ran through the hospital’s main lobby to the bank of elevators, arguing the whole time, the way they’d been arguing since they burned rubber out of the Animal Control parking lot.

“Roxie, give the guy a chance.”

“To what end?” She smacked her palm on the up button a dozen times. “I don’t blame him for anything. It’s not his fault. But I’m just not strong enough for this shit. Leave me alone.”

“You mean to tell me you’re going to turn away from the best thing that’s ever happened to you?”

“I said drop it, Bea.”

“This morning you wanted to be with him because he was a loving, patient, amazing man. But this afternoon you don’t want him anymore. And why? What about him has changed? Nothing! Only your perception has changed. It’s all because you found out where the sperm came from that created him!”

The elevator door
dinged
open.

“I can’t believe you, Bloom!” Bea continued. “You’re going to let one little measly sperm determine the course of your whole fucking life?”

“Excuse us,” a woman said, slapping her hands over her kid’s ears as she pushed Bea out of the way and exited the elevator. Roxie hadn’t even noticed they’d had company.

“Nice going, Latimer,” Roxie said. The doors closed and the elevator headed up to labor and delivery.

Bea snorted, then crossed her arms over her chest. “So you believe the character of a father determines the character of his child?”

“Not necessarily. But I don’t want to find out.”

“Hmm,” she said. “That’s real interesting coming from you, because from what you’ve told me about your dad, he gave up and ran away like a scared rabbit when things got tough.”

Roxanne pulled her lips tight and glared at Bea. “That is enough. Seriously. I’d prefer to keep you as a friend, so you’d better stop right there.”

Bea laughed loudly. “That’s awful kind of you, Rox, but as your friend it’s my
duty
to point out that you’re acting an awful lot like your dad at the moment. Lucky for Eli, you’re cutting him loose now and not six years from now, after he’s linked his life to yours and maybe had a kid or two with you.”

Roxie swung her arm around and waited for her palm to connect with the side of Bea’s face. Instead, Bea grabbed her by the wrist and squeezed tight.

“You’ve saved your dog, Bloom. Good for you. Now it’s time to save yourself.”

The elevator stopped. The door opened, revealing the tear-streaked face of Rachel Needleman.

*   *   *

What mattered to Eli most in this life? His integrity, of course, and his family, his friends, his dogs, and his land. Everything else was just busywork.

Then there was Roxie Bloom. He’d wanted her the instant he spotted her, all long and slender with dark eyes and hair, a vision in that soft green bridesmaid dress. He told himself to walk away. It would be better for both of them.

Then he’d fallen hopelessly in love with her that day at the Starbucks, when she’d raised that pretty face and told him she wanted to get rid of the garbage in her life so there’d be room for happiness.

Then he’d watched as her courage and sweetness revealed itself. He’d observed how hard she worked to help a beaten-down mutt. And did she ever make him laugh!

Then there was everything else. How his heart came to life when she was near. How her playful sensuality opened the floodgates of his own. She was his complement. He could be himself with her.

Bea was right of course. This was no fluke. Eli and Roxie were supposed to do this. They were supposed to make a go of it. He would be a fool to pass up this opportunity for his soul’s happiness.

Eli pulled into the parking garage and took his automatic ticket, smiling to himself. If it didn’t hurt so much, it would be damn hilarious that Raymond-fucking-Sandberg—
of all the male human beings on the planet
—turned out to be his father!

He swung the truck into a parking spot, hopped out, and started to run.

*   *   *

Rachel fell into Bea’s embrace.

“Why are you up here on labor and delivery?” Bea asked Rachel. “What’s going on? Why aren’t you down on the second floor with your mom?”

“You haven’t heard?” she asked, pulling away from Bea. Then Rachel glanced at Roxie. “Nobody’s called to tell you?”

Roxie’s body clenched in fear. “Just tell us what’s wrong.”

“Oh, God.” Rachel took a shaky breath. “Ginger’s almost ready to deliver. She’s doing great. But, um, Josie …” Rachel blew out a breath of air. “Josie was just rushed into surgery. They said they couldn’t find the baby’s heartbeat.”

Roxie ran. She heard Rachel begin to tell Bea something about her mother’s condition but didn’t stop to listen. She hit the waiting room at full stride. It was packed with people Roxie usually only saw at baby showers or weddings. Ginger’s twin teenage sons were sprawled out on a couple of chairs, accompanied by Larry, Ginger’s physician ex-husband, Ginger’s mother, and Lucio’s father.

Across the room, gathered in a quiet cluster, was Josie’s family. Teeny hovered over them, both of Josie’s sister’s kids asleep in his arms. All the Sheehans looked pale and terrified. Roxie decided not to intrude.

“Larry,” she said. “Can I talk to you a minute?”

Larry got up and walked with Roxie to a corner, where they’d have privacy.

“I hear Ginger’s doing great.”

Larry nodded, his grin widening. “Yeah. She’s fully dilated. Looks like the old girl’s still got it in her.”

Roxie had no time or energy to comment on that vintage Larry Garrison remark.

“I know you’re worried about Josie,” Larry said, patting her arm. “I don’t know for sure what’s going on. I’m a urologist, so this isn’t exactly my forte, but I know that fetal distress was indicated and they took her in for an emergency C-section.”

Roxie nodded, but she felt sick.

“This is not uncommon, Roxanne. The good news is that they got her in there at the first sign of trouble.”

“How long’s she been in surgery?”

“They just took her in. We should know something very soon—it doesn’t take long.”

“It is a girl!”
Lucio burst through the hydraulic double doors separating the patient areas from the waiting room, a paper mask dangling from his ecstatic face. “It is a girl! We have a girl! We have a beautiful, healthy baby girl!”

Lucio opened his arms to Ginger’s older boys and they jumped together with joy. Ginger’s mother joined them along with Lucio’s father and they all began to hop and cry and laugh.

“I’ll be damned,” Larry said, his smile spreading across his face. He took long strides to get to Lucio, and embraced him hard. “Congratulations,” he told him.

“Roxanne! You are here!” Lucio ran to her and swooped her into his arms. “I am so happy! I am the happiest man alive today in the city of San Francisco!”

Roxie hugged him back as the tears poured down her face. Some of them were tears of elation for Ginger and Lucio, some were caused by sheer terror for Josie, some were for poor Mrs. Needleman, and yes, some were for Eli.

Why? Why had this happened to them? She’d almost had the fairy tale. But here she was—in the middle of another nightmare.

“What is all this?” Lucio grabbed her by the shoulders. “Roxanne? What is it?”

Roxie refused to spoil this moment for Lucio. “I’m so happy for you both!” She kissed his cheek.

At that moment, Bea and Rachel joined everyone in the waiting room. Lucio took one look at their solemn faces and went into full-blown Spaniard mode. “What has happened?” he shouted, waving his arms around inside his surgical scrubs. He spun around on his paper booties, taking note of Josie’s huddled family and Teeny’s sad face.

“¡Hostia!”
Lucio clutched his heart, his eyes searching Roxie’s face. “Oh, please do not tell me there is something wrong with Josie or the baby. Somebody! Please!”

“She’s in surgery,” Larry told him. “We’re all waiting.”

Roxanne felt him immediately, so it wasn’t a shock when she looked up to see Eli rounding the corner from the elevator lobby, walking toward her.

The shocking part was her reaction.

Suddenly, it was so simple. She had to accept the new order of things.
What choice is there?
She was standing in the middle of a combined earthquake, volcano, and direct asteroid hit, and when it was all over, the pieces of her world would never fit together the same way again.

Unearthed secrets. New life. Old age. Pain. Joy. Death. Love.

The facts were the facts. How she reacted to them was the only thing in her control.

She watched Eli strolling through the waiting room as if there were no one else present but the two of them. It was so obvious now. The way he moved. The curl in his blond hair. That smile. Those intense eyes. How could she not have seen Raymond in him from the start?

Maybe she had. Maybe the best parts of Raymond had made their way into Eli, and what she’d once found so appealing in the father she now loved in the son.

Mrs. Needleman had been right! The whole damn thing had been out of anyone’s hands from the start!

“You’re mine.”

Those were the only words out of Eli’s mouth. He now stood toe to toe with Roxie, and looked down at her with smoky green eyes alive with confidence, and something else.

“I love you, Roxie Bloom. As God is my witness, I will never rush you. We will take as much time as we both need to figure this out. But here’s the way it’s going to be. Are you listening?”

She gasped.

“You and I belong together. Do you know why?”

She shook her head, too stunned to say anything.

“Because we make each other feel safe. We make each other feel happy.”

Roxanne felt a tentative smile come to her lips.

“So I will be your man. You will be my woman. It’s the way it’s supposed to be.” Eli began digging into the front left pocket of his jeans. He pulled out a ring.

“Yes!” Bea shouted.

“Shhh!” Rachel told her.

Roxie popped out of her daze long enough to notice how everyone in the waiting area had begun circling in slow motion around her and Eli, like a pack of curious dogs.

Eli lowered himself on one knee.

“I know what’s in your heart because you’ve revealed it to me,” he continued. “I know you love me, Roxanne. But I also know that what happened today was a painful shock. For both of us.”

She nodded, tears stinging her eyes.

“We will wait. Because I’m yours and you’re mine, we’ll wait until we’ve come to peace with everything. Wear this in the meantime.”

Eli slipped a pretty, old-fashioned diamond ring onto her finger.

“But what does it mean?” she whispered, glancing from the ring to the man.

“It can mean whatever you want it to mean.”

She stared at the dainty band of gold and diamonds and had trouble breathing. “But—”

“Someday, when it’s time, I plan to be your husband.” Eli stood, still cradling her left hand. “Remember what we talked about, Rox—we’ll always do things our own way. All I ask today is that you keep your heart open to the possibilities and let me love you.”

Roxanne suddenly had the strangest sensation. It was as if something—or
someone
—just moved right through her. It was a force. A rush of power. Then it surrounded her, swirling, building … and then there was a distinct humming noise, which turned into words
 … this man will be different … strong enough … brave enough …

She stared at Eli, astounded. The sensation was back, that feeling she’d tried to hang on to when they’d stood together on top of the ridge.

She was ready to answer him.

Rachel’s cell phone rang. “Hello?” she asked, stepping out of the circle.

Eli pulled her tight. “Do you love me, Roxanne? Yes or no.”

“God, yes, I love you.”

A newborn’s cry pierced the air.

“Do you trust me?”

“With my life.”

“Then say yes.”

“Yes, Eli. I will wear this ring. I will let you love me. And I will love you back.”

Eli grabbed her face and kissed her with the dominance and tenderness that infused everything he did. By now, she knew it was his signature in all things, including the way he dealt with unstable dogs and even more unstable women.

Roxie kissed him back, knowing that her head might be swirling with questions, but her heart was fuller than it had ever been in her life, and wide, wide open.

“It’s a healthy boy! Josie’s fine!” Rick came stumbling through the double doors, his mask dangling from his hand.

Everyone erupted in cheers and screams of happiness and relief. Josie’s mother fainted. Rick stood in the middle of the waiting room, his eyes wide with awe.

“My God, he’s big! Over nine pounds! Perfect, loud, and really, really big! And Josie is … she was …” Rick suddenly couldn’t speak the words. Tears began streaming down his face. “Josie was absolutely amazing.” Teeny reached Rick in time to catch him in his arms.

In the midst of all the celebrating, Roxie looked for Bea. She and Rachel stood off together, their heads bent and touching at their foreheads.

Roxie took Eli by the hand and they walked over to them. Roxie knew. And she knew exactly when. Because she had felt it.

The last thing Mrs. Needleman did on this earth was give Roxie another nudge.

“She just now passed in her sleep,” Bea said. “The family is downstairs. We’re heading there now.”

Roxie hugged Rachel and Bea and was about to express her condolences when Lucio came up behind them.

He balanced a tiny bundle in his arms. From inside a tightly wound pink blanket peeked a tiny little pink face, surrounded by a shock of thick black hair. “I would like to introduce you to my daughter, Gloria Beatriz Montevez,” he said.