Cinderella Story Part 2

Alex watched her hang up, then stare vacantly toward the window. “What sounds nice?” he asked, wondering what Helen had said that had triggered that faraway look.

“Your grandfather has arranged for a small Fourth of July celebration at his estate.” She forced her mind back to the hospital room. “I didn’t even realize it was the Fourth of July.” Again the memories took control. “When Tom was alive, we always went to the park for a picnic and afterward watched the fireworks.”

Alex suffered a jab of frustration. Her deceased husband seemed to be always on her mind. That she hadn’t buried Tom Lindstrom and moved forward with her life was her problem, not his, he told himself. Not in the mood to listen to reminiscences about her and her former spouse, he merely nodded and returned to his computer.

Nina frowned at herself. Alex Bennett wasn’t interested in her mundane life. As she had done so many times during the past three years, she sought refuge in her memories.

Normally Alex had no trouble concentrating on his work. But Nina Lindstrom was a hard woman to ignore. He saw the distant look return to her eyes and his irritation with her returned. The woman needed to bury her dead and get on with her life. It’s her choice, he told himself curtly. Still, the urge to force her mind off of her deceased husband was too strong to resist. “Working with those toy models yesterday reminded me of a design I’d once considered but never had any time to pursue.”

Jerking her mind back to the present, Nina looked at him questioningly. She’d expected him to ignore her. That he hadn’t, surprised her.

You’ve got her attention. What now? Alex mocked himself. “Pete’s very clever with his hands.”

A glow of pride gave color to her cheeks. “Yes, he is.” But instead of picturing her son at play with his building blocks, her gaze shifted to Alex’s hands. The remembered feel of them against her skin brought back a memory that was so vivid, it was as if he was actually touching her. Startled by how strong an impression they’d left on her, she quickly jerked her attention to the computer screen.

Seeing the flicker of uneasiness cross her face, Alex wondered what had caused it. “I was surprised a child so young could actually be of so much assistance in putting the models together,” he persisted.

Alex Bennett is not a man to let get under your skin, she cautioned herself. She pulled Tom’s image from the back of her mind. He was the kind of man she should look for if she ever decided she wanted another man in her life. “Pete inherited his father’s knack for mechanics.”

Tom, again, Alex grumbled silently. Would any man ever break the bond the deceased man held over Nina? Alex doubted it but the urge to try worked its way through him. Unfortunately, he reminded himself, she’d want an emotional commitment, the kind he was determined never to feel toward any woman. Burying the urge, he returned to his computer and allowed a silence to fall between them once again.

* * *

Ten hours! Nina fought to keep the hot tears in her eyes from flooding down her cheeks. This had to be one of the longest days of her life. “What can they be doing?”

“Their best,” Alex replied.

She glared at him. “It’s easy for you to be patient. That isn’t your child on the operating table.”

His expression darkened. “This waiting isn’t any easier on me than it is on you. Do you honestly think I’m so cold-blooded I don’t care what happens to the small boy in there?”

The intensity of his anger startled her. “I’m sorry. It was unfair of me to lash out at you like that.”

Silently Alex admonished himself. He knew she was under stress. What he hadn’t realized was how strongly he’d become attached to Tommy. The image of the frail, hollow-faced six-year-old looking up at him for courage had been haunting him for the past several hours. “It’s all right. We’re both stressed out.”

Nina’s hands balled into fists. “I feel so frustrated. I want to do something to help, and there is nothing I can do.”

“Just keep reminding yourself that he’s getting the best care possible.”

Nina nodded.

The opening of the door caused them both to jerk to attention.

“Everything is looking good,” the nurse who entered said. “They’re finished with the operation and are closing now. He’ll be in recovery for about six hours. After that he’ll be transferred to intensive care. You can see him then.”

“Was the operation a success?” Nina demanded around the lump in her throat.

The nurse continued to smile reassuringly. “The doctor will be in to fill you in on the details. But don’t worry. Dr. O’Conner is the best.”

As the woman made a quick exit, Nina looked to Alex with panic in her eyes. “She’s not telling us the truth.”

That same fear was spreading through him, but he refused to give in to it. “Yes, she is.” His hands closed around Nina’s upper arms and his gaze locked on hers. “It’s not her duty to give us the details. All she can do is relay messages from the doctor. She said everything looks good, and that’s what we’re going to believe until someone tells us differently.”

Strength seemed to flow from his touch into her. “I needed to hear that,” she said. “Thank you.”

He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose. Straightening away from her, he returned to the window. That he’d been able to help her caused a rush of pleasure. Then Tommy’s small, trusting face came back to haunt him and the pleasure faded. “I never realized waiting could be so difficult,” he said, breaking the silence between them.

“Helen says that waiting is the hardest part of being a parent. You wait for them to be born. Then you wait for them to roll over for the first time so that you know they’re getting stronger. Then there’s the first step and the first tooth. Every time they reach another milestone, you feel more secure. Then there’s that first day at school and you spend it worrying that they’ll have trouble adjusting. They do just fine, but you’ve started getting white hairs. Then they learn to drive and you worry when they’re late getting home.”

“You don’t paint a very happy picture of parenthood.”

Nina’s expression softened to one of motherly love. “Oh, it has its rewards. There is nothing that can compare to the thrill of seeing them take their first step or say their first word.”

Alex abruptly frowned. “Not all women feel that way.”

“Then, they shouldn’t have children. Parenthood isn’t for everyone.”

“No, it’s not,” he agreed curtly.

The bitter edge in his voice made her certain he was thinking of his own mother. She wanted to say something soothing, but there was nothing to say. Besides, he’d made it very clear that this was not a subject he wanted to talk about.

Angry with himself for exhibiting emotion, Alex turned away from the sympathy he read in Nina’s eyes. He had a good life. There was no reason for him to allow his mother’s lack of the nurturing instinct to bother him.