doorway. A nurse stood there, her eyes somber. “Mr. Bennett, we’ve been looking for you.”
Jared was almost afraid to ask. “Is my wife …?” He couldn’t make himself say what he feared. “Is she okay?”
Please…
The nurse’s expression didn’t change. “You need to come with me.”
Jared put a hand on the doorjamb, steadying himself. How was he going to survive without her? How could he face a moment, let alone a lifetime, without his Annie?
A touch on his arm startled him, and he looked to find the nurse peering at him. “Please, just come with me.”
He followed her, focusing on her brisk stride, her sturdy shoes, the whiteness of her uniform—anything but what lay ahead.
The nurse came to a doorway and stopped, signaling him in. Jared hesitated.
I can’t … I can’t
.
“Mr. Bennett, your wife—”
He put a hand out, halting her. He couldn’t let her say it. Couldn’t stand to hear the words. He shook his head and moved into the room.
Annie lay on the bed, the sheet pulled up to her chin. He drank in the sight of her, knowing it would have to last him forever. He walked forward.
She looked like she was asleep. If only that were true! If only she were lying there sleeping rather than dea—
“Jared?”
His breath caught in his throat, almost choking him. He stared. Rubbed his eyes. Stared again.
Annie’s eyes—those beautiful, tender eyes—were open.
He lowered himself into the chair beside the bed, took her hands in his, and pressed them to his cheeks, covering them in kisses.
“Thank God!”
“Jared—” her words were slurred, as though she was heavily medicated—“I asked them to bring you here. I didn’t want anyone else to tell you …”
The relief that had surged through him at the sight of her open eyes suddenly fled. The baby.
Oh dear heaven, I forgot about the baby
. Had they lost her?
“Jared, we have a daughter.”
For the second time in a matter of minutes, relief so intense it was almost painful filled him. Annie reached to the opposite side of the bed. A bassinet stood there, and he could barely see the tiny bundle inside.
“Sweetheart, come meet your little girl.”
Trembling, he walked around the bed and reached down to lift the sleeping infant with reverent care. His daughter. This was his daughter.
Cradling their child in the crook of his arm, he moved back to sit beside his wife. “Annie, she’s beautiful.”
No response. A quick look told him his wife was asleep, her breathing deep and even. Jared smiled. He touched a finger to his baby’s cheek, marveling at the softness of her skin. Just then, she opened her eyes.
Jared blinked, and suddenly his eyes were awash again. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. He tried again and managed a raspy, “Well, hello there, little one.” He grimaced, hoping the ragged sound of his voice didn’t frighten her.
It didn’t. She stretched and yawned again.
“Long day, huh?” He grinned and settled back in the chair. “Me, too. But everything’s okay now because you’re here.” He glanced at the bed. “And since Mommy’s sleeping, what say you and I get to know each other? Hmm?”
His baby blinked up at him with beautiful eyes. Annie’s eyes. Emotion gripped Jared’s throat in a velvet vise. “You’re a beauty, you know that?”
Just like her mother. The first time Jared saw Annie, he was lost. Captured forever by the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her auburn hair formed a soft cap of curls framing a lovely, heart-shaped face. Her sweet mouth and wonderful green eyes could make the sun shine on the darkest of days. Itwas no surprise to him that she was voted homecoming queen their senior year in college, and though she barely stood five-foot-four, her bearing was pure royalty.
He was pulled from his memories by a soft sound as the infant in his arms gurgled. She reached out and wrapped her tiny, perfect hand around Jared’s finger. In that moment he knew, for the second
Jared was almost afraid to ask. “Is my wife …?” He couldn’t make himself say what he feared. “Is she okay?”
Please…
The nurse’s expression didn’t change. “You need to come with me.”
Jared put a hand on the doorjamb, steadying himself. How was he going to survive without her? How could he face a moment, let alone a lifetime, without his Annie?
A touch on his arm startled him, and he looked to find the nurse peering at him. “Please, just come with me.”
He followed her, focusing on her brisk stride, her sturdy shoes, the whiteness of her uniform—anything but what lay ahead.
The nurse came to a doorway and stopped, signaling him in. Jared hesitated.
I can’t … I can’t
.
“Mr. Bennett, your wife—”
He put a hand out, halting her. He couldn’t let her say it. Couldn’t stand to hear the words. He shook his head and moved into the room.
Annie lay on the bed, the sheet pulled up to her chin. He drank in the sight of her, knowing it would have to last him forever. He walked forward.
She looked like she was asleep. If only that were true! If only she were lying there sleeping rather than dea—
“Jared?”
His breath caught in his throat, almost choking him. He stared. Rubbed his eyes. Stared again.
Annie’s eyes—those beautiful, tender eyes—were open.
He lowered himself into the chair beside the bed, took her hands in his, and pressed them to his cheeks, covering them in kisses.
“Thank God!”
“Jared—” her words were slurred, as though she was heavily medicated—“I asked them to bring you here. I didn’t want anyone else to tell you …”
The relief that had surged through him at the sight of her open eyes suddenly fled. The baby.
Oh dear heaven, I forgot about the baby
. Had they lost her?
“Jared, we have a daughter.”
For the second time in a matter of minutes, relief so intense it was almost painful filled him. Annie reached to the opposite side of the bed. A bassinet stood there, and he could barely see the tiny bundle inside.
“Sweetheart, come meet your little girl.”
Trembling, he walked around the bed and reached down to lift the sleeping infant with reverent care. His daughter. This was his daughter.
Cradling their child in the crook of his arm, he moved back to sit beside his wife. “Annie, she’s beautiful.”
No response. A quick look told him his wife was asleep, her breathing deep and even. Jared smiled. He touched a finger to his baby’s cheek, marveling at the softness of her skin. Just then, she opened her eyes.
Jared blinked, and suddenly his eyes were awash again. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. He tried again and managed a raspy, “Well, hello there, little one.” He grimaced, hoping the ragged sound of his voice didn’t frighten her.
It didn’t. She stretched and yawned again.
“Long day, huh?” He grinned and settled back in the chair. “Me, too. But everything’s okay now because you’re here.” He glanced at the bed. “And since Mommy’s sleeping, what say you and I get to know each other? Hmm?”
His baby blinked up at him with beautiful eyes. Annie’s eyes. Emotion gripped Jared’s throat in a velvet vise. “You’re a beauty, you know that?”
Just like her mother. The first time Jared saw Annie, he was lost. Captured forever by the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her auburn hair formed a soft cap of curls framing a lovely, heart-shaped face. Her sweet mouth and wonderful green eyes could make the sun shine on the darkest of days. Itwas no surprise to him that she was voted homecoming queen their senior year in college, and though she barely stood five-foot-four, her bearing was pure royalty.
He was pulled from his memories by a soft sound as the infant in his arms gurgled. She reached out and wrapped her tiny, perfect hand around Jared’s finger. In that moment he knew, for the second