She glanced up at him over his mask, and with his mop of hair covered by his scrub cap, he was all eyes. Intense, brown eyes. “You too,” she said.
She delivered the news to Charlie herself, that both his girls had come through the ordeal. He started to cry, big, slow tears that ripped at her. “You saved my wife, Rose. And our baby.” He pulled her into an awkward hug. “God bless you.”
“Anita will let you know when you can go in and see them both, but I wanted to let you know.”
Rose did not leave the hospital until she was convinced that both her patients were doing well. Belinda, groggy from the anesthetic and the ordeal, looked exhausted but happy as her brand-new daughter suckled greedily at her breast. “What are you going to call her?” Rose asked.
Belinda smiled. “Now that I’ve seen those linebacker shoulders, I think we’re to call her Dick Butkus.”
“I guess she takes after her dad.”
“I should’ve listened to my mother. She told me not to marry him. He’s 6’5” and 250 and I’m 5’4” and 120, when I’m not pregnant.”
“One thing’s for sure. I bet you can talk him into that vasectomy now.”
By the time Rose left the hospital she was running on adrenaline and the kind of spiky high that comes from getting through a life-and-death battle with life winning. As she hit the main lobby of the hospital, Matt was coming towards her wearing jeans, an old college sweatshirt, and sneakers with one lace dragging. His hair was wet where he’d clearly showered but he hadn’t bothered to shave or comb his hair, so he looked as disreputable as always. But she didn’t care.
He came towards her and she stopped to wait for him. There was a light in his eyes that she recognized because she suspected it was reflected in her own. They had beaten back death tonight and it felt good.
“Hey,” he said.
“You did good work in there,” she replied. “Thanks.”
He shook his head. “I’ve read about that but, man, I had no idea I’d ever find myself helping push a baby back up the birth canal and doing an emergency C-section.”
“Would you like to go for a drink?” When she heard the words she was surprised they had even come out of her mouth.
He appeared equally surprised. “You hitting on me, doc?”
Since he was obviously joking, she rolled her eyes. “As if. I tend to go for men who own a comb.” She shook her head helplessly. “It’s kind of a thank you for stepping up tonight. Also, I feel so keyed up and so restless I’m not ready to go home. I’ve been working fourteen hours straight but I feel like I could go on for another fourteen.”
He nodded. “It’s the adrenaline.” He seemed to hesitate. A duffel bag hung from his right hand and she thought maybe he had someone waiting for him. She knew nothing about his personal life. Not that she’d ever had an interest in it. Feeling suddenly foolish she said, “Forget I asked. It was a crazy idea.”
“No. I’m down. We should go.”
“Okay then.”
“In fact, there’s a fantastic craft brewery only a couple of blocks from here. Nothing like a long, cold glass of local brew after a hard day at the office.”
“I’m guessing you only discovered the existence of this brewery when you grabbed up that issue ofPortland Now. Plus, you can check out the venue for the bachelor party you are supposed to be organizing.”
He looked crestfallen, but a disturbing glint lurked in the depths of his eyes. “Am I that transparent?”
“Like a plate glass window.”
