The Cowboy's Family Plan

He’d always been uneasy in hospital settings, and even more so after Mary’s accident. In fact, when he’d entered the main lobby of the medical center tonight, carrying the takeout food, his gut had clenched and his steps had slowed. The memory of that rainy afternoon he’d rushed to the E.R. to be with his dying wife had slammed into him, knocking him off stride.

He’d shaken it off the best he could, telling himself he had a job to do, kids to feed. So he’d bypassed the hospital volunteers who guarded the lobby entrance and went right for the elevator. All the while, his heart had pounded like a son of a gun, but he’d pressed on.

Selena had told him she’d be in the waiting room just outside the maternity ward. And that’s right where he’d found her.

Once he’d entered the small room and seen Selena and the children seated together and watching some animal show on television, his pulse rate had slowed to a normal pace and the painful memory had faded away.

Selena had looked up and blessed him with a smile that had gone a long way in chasing off the bad memories and promising to create a new one. But before either of them could speak or move, a nurse in scrubs entered the room.

As soon as Alex heard her say “C-section” and watched Selena’s expression turn somber, all those dark memories he’d held at bay came flooding back.

Most people came to hospitals to get well, to heal. But some, like Mary, weren’t that lucky. And Alex couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that things weren’t going as expected in delivery.

Thank God Selena was in there now.

It was weird, though. He had no personal knowledge of Selena’s medical skill, yet just knowing she was with the pregnant mother provided him with an inexplicable sense of relief. For some reason, he was convinced the mother and her newborn were in good hands.

When it came time for his babies to be born, he hoped the doctor delivering them was a lot like Selena.

Alex glanced at the clock on the wall. How long did this sort of thing take? When would Selena come back?

He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten involved in all of this in the first place. He’d just been at the wrong place at the wrong time, he supposed.

Either way, he’d do his part by looking after the pregnant woman’s children. Only trouble was, he didn’t have a clue what to do with them, other than to feed them and let them watch television. So he’d just have to wing it.

At least they seemed to be good kids—quiet, obedient. But what did he know? They were probably scared, just like he was.

For a guy who was determined to be a father, he sure didn’t know much about raising children. Was he going to have to take some parenting classes, too?

Probably, although he had no idea where something like that would be offered. He’d have to ask Selena about it.

Again he looked at the clock. What was keeping her?

“Hey, look, Kimmie.” The boy pointed to the television screen, where a commercial for kitty litter filled the screen. “Doesn’t that cat look a lot like Whiskers?”

The girl looked up and nodded. “Only Whiskers has more white on his paws.”

Alex made his way to the oak coffee table, where he’d spread out the grilled cheese sandwich and the chicken fingers he’d purchased at the café. He spotted the bag that still held the coffee he’d brought back for him and Selena to drink.

Would she still want it? It would probably be cold by the time she returned.

He’d sure feel a lot better if she were here with him now. He reached into the sack, removed one of the heat-resistant cups and took a seat near the children.

So far, so good, he thought. But they’d be finished eating soon. Then what was he going to do with them?

God only knew. In the meantime he tried to focus on the television screen, rather than the slow-moving clock on the wall.

Hopefully, Selena would be back before word got out that he was completely out of his element when it came to dealing with kids.

* * *

At 9:47 that evening, Michael Allan Bedford entered the world, red-faced and squalling. Even at four pounds two ounces, the little guy seemed to be a fighter, which was a good sign that he’d have little trouble while in the new neonatal intensive care unit.

Selena had assisted the delivery which had been fairly uneventful, then she’d followed Shannon’s gurney into the recovery room, where she took note of the grandmother’s name, address and phone number.

“As soon as you’re taken to your room, you can give your mom a call,” she told Shannon. “But in the meantime, I’ll let her know that everything is okay—and that I’ll be taking the kids to her within the next hour or so.”

“I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve done for me, for all you’re doing.” Shannon’s eyes filled with tears.

“I’m glad I was there when you needed me,” Selena said.

“Me, too. You’ve been a real godsend, Dr. Ramirez.”

Selena had just done what most women or doctors would have done in her place. But she thanked Shannon just the same and said, “I’ll stop by to check on you tomorrow.”

Then she went to find Alex and the kids.

When she reached the doorway to the waiting room, she spotted little Kimberly stretched out on the small love seat in the corner, sound asleep. Tommy and Alex were sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, a coloring book and crayons spread out before them.

So Alex truly was daddy material. A smile stretched across her face, and she remained in the doorway for a moment longer, taking it all in.

As if sensing her presence, Alex glanced up. His gaze immediately sought hers, seeking an answer to the question he hadn’t needed to ask.

She nodded and offered him a weary smile, letting him know that the mother and baby were both doing fine.

“Hey, Tommy,” Selena said, as she made her way into the room. “Your mom wanted me to tell you that your baby brother has been born.”

“Cool.” The boy scrambled to his feet and hurried to Selena. “Can I see them?”

“Not yet. Your mom will be in recovery for another hour or so, and the doctors are still examining the baby. But he looks good. They both do.”

If all went well, the pediatrician might even release little Michael within the next week, although the jury was still out on that.

She wondered if it would be difficult for Shannon to leave her newborn in the hospital of a strange town and go to her mother’s house, which was more than an hour away. Probably. Most new mothers wanted to keep their babies close. But there wasn’t anything Selena could do about that. Right now, she had a promise to keep—to see that the children were delivered to their grandmother.

“I’m going to need that ride back to my car at the wellness center,” Selena told Alex. “I have to drive the kids to Oakville.”

“Do you have an address?” he asked.

“Yes, I do.”

“Good. We can take my car. I’ll drop you off at the wellness center when we get back.”

“You want to go with me?”

He flashed a smile at her that lit up every raw spot in her heart, exposing every pain and disappointment she’d ever had—at least, in her own mind.

Torn between the wisdom of traveling with him and the desire to have him come along for the ride, she asked, “Are you sure? You didn’t sign on for all of this.”