His Bundle of Love. Patricia Davids
Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу His Bundle of Love - Patricia Davids страница 10

Название: His Bundle of Love

Автор: Patricia Davids

Издательство: HarperCollins

Жанр: Короткие любовные романы

Серия: Mills & Boon Love Inspired

isbn: 9781408965368

isbn:

СКАЧАТЬ baby’s not damaged. She’s perfect. Caitlin wanted to shout at them. She wanted to cover her ears with her hands, but her arms were deadweights.

      From the moment she suspected she was pregnant, she had wanted a little girl. Her daughter was going to grow up to run and laugh and give her mother a dozen hugs a day. They would have each other forever. Caitlin would never leave her baby hungry, or hurting, or scared and alone in the dark the way she had been treated as a child.

      Without warning, Caitlin was rolled to her other side. Her joints and muscles cried out in protest and nausea churned in her stomach. She moaned, but no sound escaped her. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

      “It’s time for her to stay on her left side. Can you help me change the sheets on that patient in room eight?”

      The sound of their voices faded away, and Caitlin was alone again, but she was glad they were gone. She didn’t want to hear about a child who was deaf and blind. She had to find her own baby.

      She concentrated on opening her eyes. Bit by bit, her eyelids lifted and a room came into focus. There was dark blue tiled floor and wallpaper with lines of deep blue flowers running up a pale blue background. It was a room she’d never seen before. She tried, but she simply couldn’t keep her eyes open and the room faded away.

      Lloyd Winston’s office turned out to be on the same floor as the NICU, and the office was as untidy as the man himself. His desk and file cabinets were piled high with books, forms and folders. Empty foam cups overflowed from the trash can. He cleared off a portion of the desk by moving its contents to a stack on the floor, then sat down. Mick took a seat and waited for him to speak.

      Flipping open his briefcase, Winston pulled out a file. “I understand you haven’t signed the paternity papers for your daughter. Do you realize that until you do, you’re not legally the baby’s parent?”

      “I understand that,” Mick answered. “The situation with Caitlin and myself is a bit—well—unusual.” Mick watched the man’s confusion grow as he explained how he and Caitlin had met. When he finished, Winston leaned back and pressed his fingertips together over his ample paunch.

      “You’d like me to believe that after meeting you for the first time, out of the blue, a woman, who may or may not think she’s dying, names you as her baby’s father?” His tone held more than a hint of disbelief.

      “That’s what happened.”

      Winston leaned forward and stared at Mick intently. “I know that taking on the responsibility of caring for a critically ill infant can be very daunting. It’s understandable that you’re reluctant to admit to being the child’s father.”

      Mick leveled his gaze at the overstuffed social worker. “I’m a firefighter. Walking into a burning building is daunting. Trust me. Beth is not my biological child.”

      The man’s eyes widened at Mick’s tone. “I see. This certainly complicates things. Dr. Wright tells me the child needs surgery. I’ll have to get a court order to make her a ward of the state right away.”

      Mick frowned. “She has a mother. She doesn’t need to be made a ward of the state.”

      “Ms. Williams’s condition prevents her from giving consent for any procedure, and I understand her recovery is doubtful. Since she’s incapacitated and you are not any relation to the child, the state must assume care.”

      “For how long?”

      “I beg your pardon?”

      “How long will Beth be a ward of the state?”

      “Until we can locate a relative. Which we might have done by now if you had come forward with the truth sooner.”

      “What if you can’t locate anyone?”

      “If we don’t, she’ll remain a ward of the state and go into foster care when she leaves here.”

      A knock sounded at the door, and a nurse from the NICU looked in. “Mr. O’Callaghan, you’re wanted in the unit.”

      Mick shoved out of his chair. “Is something wrong with Beth?” Fear sent his heart hammering wildly.

      “I’m afraid so,” she said. “Please come with me.”

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4RadRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgADAEAAAMAAAABAfQAAAEBAAMAAAABAxcAAAECAAMAAAADAAAA ngEGAAMAAAABAAIAAAESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEVAAMAAAABAAMAAAEaAAUAAAABAAAApAEbAAUAAAAB AAAArAEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAgAAAAtAEyAAIAAAAUAAAA1IdpAAQAAAABAAAA6AAAASAA CAAIAAgADqYAAAAnEAAOpgAAACcQQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNiAoTWFjaW50b3NoKQAyMDE1 OjA4OjEyIDE3OjQwOjAzAAAEkAAABwAAAAQwMjIxoAEAAwAAAAH//wAAoAIABAAAAAEAAAXcoAMA BAAAAAEAAAlFAAAAAAAAAAYBAwADAAAAAQAGAAABGgAFAAAAAQAAAW4BGwAFAAAAAQAAAXYBKAAD AAAAAQACAAACAQAEAAAAAQAAAX4CAgAEAAAAAQAAFRcAAAAAAAAASAAAAAEAAABIAAAAAf/Y/+0A DEFkb2JlX0NNAAL/7gAOQWRvYmUAZIAAAAAB/9sAhAAMCAgICQgMCQkMEQsKCxEVDwwMDxUYExMV ExMYEQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMAQ0LCw0ODRAODhAUDg4OFBQO Dg4OFBEMDAwMDBERDAwMDAwMEQwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAz/wAARCACgAGUD ASIAAhEBAxEB/90ABAAH/8QBPwAAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAwABAgQFBgcICQoLAQABBQEBAQEB AQAAAAAAAAABAAIDBAUGBwgJCgsQAAEEAQMCBAIFBwYIBQMMMwEAAhEDBCESMQVBUWETInGBMgYU kaGxQiMkFVLBYjM0coLRQwclklPw4fFjczUWorKDJkSTVGRFwqN0NhfSVeJl8rOEw9N14/NGJ5Sk hbSVxNTk9KW1xdXl9VZmdoaWprbG1ub2N0dXZ3eHl6e3x9fn9xEAAgIBAgQEAwQFBgcHBgU1AQAC EQMhMRIEQVFhcSITBTKBkRShsUIjwVLR8DMkYuFygpJDUxVjczTxJQYWorKDByY1wtJEk1SjF2RF VTZ0ZeLys4TD03Xj80aUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9ic3R1dnd4eXp7fH/9oADAMB AAIRAxEAPwCvi5eLRc2y1xaAfDw18VsWfWTpDnhwe+PNo8N/7/7nv/qI3/NHpLwN773RxLmGJEHm pVrfqv0qu2G+r8SWToNnPp/uez+ooKmB0d05YZJDwZ/85ejkEB7yR/JHhu/f/cbvVF3WenklwsMf SmBoCNwcfd+57lb/AOa3STLz6m4wSfZJIGwf4L9z2f1FXHQOl1N3Prc71Q5jACBpWPSre7az3e93 psY/9F6XrqPJLhAsE2ajGPzSl83/AEYroSEbrvS9XU8S0ltW+xzWue4NaDDWt9R7vpf6P3JDrnTY gPd9w8N/737nv/qK70jpNWALMzFaHtvqdQ8iNzCIa1xZ6bPobdj9v+C9/wBBVmfVjpYoqYwOfk5A Zs+jFbf5tr3bW/TdX+i/Sf4P1NirDm4e5OPSJjD0+qXF65ZvcH+Sjh9v18aTm1I00IH8f8VCetdO OvqHUbhoONPd9L6PuTftjp/77uY+iOdRH0v5LlK7oXSLLX+mHGsSxslri5v5z3bmH+d2fzamPq7h vubWC51xdESDtdJ+m/09m73v3bd+xT8Y4RKVwscdS0lGIHFLj/d4P013HoCaFixe6NnWOnmNrnOm CNrQdDMHR38lym7rvTdsB7gWzMgaFv0p9/5qG7oXSMZzTbYcesODBa6GARu27R6bXfR3+k3/ANKL JfVi3vIx8csa7cSLy11jt2j/AFK62sYze3+c91iPGL07CW36MvlUZ3W17ut+2cA6l518h4b/AN79 z3/1Ew6rgunaXGOYbMSNw/O/dWc3p9W33tYdvO1oMQPTb/4H7P6iNndOZ0skZL2Vna174MRI2ta9 zh7rGsZ+YgckQRG/VKyB/d+b/pK92jrTd/amHEe//N/2pLnf2pTu9b0rPsM7fXj3bv3tn+iSTtey PvEO/j9P3v7v9d//0Ouqe17AWmVUvM3aKlh9QZRXtee8I7LA9+6YBOkqIyHBctKFnyDtnCcc5E7V oU5nboJMaDxKq5Ndf6Sxrw9uLtoFTT7nPb9Mb3DYz9Pb+k/nPYrXqta2Gsf6wB9pLAWfu2O91rWv /wBGz6f56zL8jFpxbjY+2quoF4qeGva9w2gV131/pWOt2s+n/hFQy5JZJQnDiGOJrj4ZH3BKX62U Y1LJ6YQ4IZP9bkRCRJuN0DqaPXdnklmPkX005H2W2us3v3Of7am
СКАЧАТЬ