when she said that, a familiar worry coming back to her. ‘Is she going to take me to court?’
Zac looked fierce. ‘No, of course not. The threat of my revealing the truth of my parentage was enough to make her contemplate emigration.’
Rose’s eyes widened. ‘You’d do that?’
Zac’s mouth compressed. ‘It’s time to tell my parents’ story. I’m not ashamed of it.’
She felt even more emotional now. ‘I think you’re right—their memories don’t deserve to be locked away forever, as if they did something wrong.’
Suddenly Rose felt very vulnerable as the shock of seeing Zac wore off and she had to contemplate why he had come—now that he knew she hadn’t set out to ruin him in league with his grandmother.
He was obviously remorseful, and Rose was still getting her head around that, but he also now seemed to believe what she’d told him the other night—that she loved him. And he obviously pitied her. The mother of his child…in love with him…how tragic. He must feel doubly responsible now, and the thought of that made her feel almost breathless with excruciating humiliation.
She stood up. ‘Look, thank you for coming all the way up here, but I really need to focus on my father now. And I’m grateful for your help with the operation, but I have every intention of paying you back. I know it’ll take years, but I’ll do it.’
Now Zac looked angry, and he stood up too. ‘I’m not here to demand payment. I’m here because—’
Rose held up her hand, stopping him, because she didn’t want to hear him say anything about responsibility, and quickly lowered it again when she noticed it was shaking. ‘Just go—please. I’m sure you’re busy, and we can talk about arrangements for the baby another time, okay?’
She started to walk out of the canteen and heard from behind her, ‘Rose—dammit.’ But she kept going. If she stopped he’d see how close to the edge she was.
When she got to her father’s floor she looked behind her and let out a shaky breath when she didn’t see Zac. She felt a mixture of relief and disappointment.
After she’d gone in and checked on her father one of the nurses came in and handed her a note, saying with a knowing wink, ‘Honey, if that guy comes in again please send him my way.’
Rose forced a smile and opened the note, which was curt.
I’m not leaving. I’ll be at the local hotel, so if you need anything call me. Zac.
She scowled, even as her heart lurched betrayingly. She wouldn’t be calling him. She didn’t need anything from Zac Valenti—certainly not his sense of obvious obligation.
But just then, as if to remind her that she did actually need something from him—a lifetime of support—she felt a little kick in her belly. Tears of emotion came to her eyes. She’d been feeling definite movements for the past week, but trust Junior to make his or her presence known now—right when the autocratic father turned up.
‘This is where she’s been sleeping?’
The angry voice woke Rose, and she opened her eyes to see Zac towering over her small cot bed in the tiny family room on her father’s floor at the clinic. A young male nurse was fairly cowering in front of Zac.
‘Does this really look like suitable accommodation for a pregnant woman?’
The nurse went red.
Rose sat up and put a hand to her head when it swam. She hadn’t slept that well, and fatigue washed over her.
Zac was down on his haunches in front of her. ‘Are you okay?’
Before she could say anything he cursed and stood again. He was on his phone in seconds, issuing instructions, and Rose saw the nurse take his chance to escape further censure.
She forced herself to stand as Zac was putting his phone away.
He took her arm. ‘When was the last time you ate a decent meal or slept properly?’
Rose blinked. She couldn’t actually remember.
Zac cursed again and said ominously, ‘Right—that’s it.’
He led her out of the tiny room and stood in front of her. She wanted to scowl at him for being so dominant and gorgeous first thing in the morning.
‘My car is downstairs. My driver is going to take you back to my hotel, where you are going to—’ He held up a hand when Rose opened her mouth, and waited till she’d shut it again before continuing, ‘Where you are going to eat breakfast and then go to bed in my room for a few hours. After that I’ll have a room arranged for you.’
‘But I can’t just leave! My father—’
‘Your father will be fine. I’ll stay with him.’
Rose’s belly swooped. ‘But you’re busy…’
Zac held up his phone, which admittedly looked as if it could launch a nuclear missile. ‘Nothing I can’t handle from here. Now, go—or I’ll put you over my shoulder.’
The thought of Zac touching her and seeing how much she still wanted him was enough to galvanise her into moving. She checked on her still sleeping father and then Zac accompanied her downstairs.
He said sternly, ‘I don’t want to see you until after you’ve slept and had lunch.’
Feeling thoroughly bemused, Rose did as she was told, and had to admit that being looked after was seductive enough to be dangerous.
When she did return to the hospital later, feeling much more herself again after some sleep, followed by a long hot shower and food, she stopped in her father’s doorway and took in the sight. Zac was sitting by the bed talking to her father, who was laughing weakly at whatever Zac had just said.
They both looked up and saw her at the same time, and her father put out his hand. He already looked so much better.
‘Roisín, look who it is! Zachary Lyndon-Holt—’ Her father stopped and flushed and looked at Zac. ‘Sorry, son, it’s hard to remember you’re not—’
Zac smiled, ‘It’s fine, Mr O’Malley.’
Her father went red. ‘Stop that. It’s Séamus to you.’
Rose’s heart swelled so much she thought it might burst. Danger. Because what would happen when Zac got bored with this responsibility and went again?
She came into the room and said pointedly to Zac, ‘I’m here now. I’m sure you have things to attend to…’
His eyes flashed, but he uncoiled his big body from the chair and stretched—which didn’t help her hormone levels. Then he said pointedly, ‘A word, Rose? Before I go?’
She nodded and went out with him after he’d said goodbye to her father.
She faced him. ‘Look, Zac—’
‘No, you look. I’m not going anywhere, and this is how it’s going to happen. There’s a room for you at the hotel. We are going to take it in turns to visit your father until he’s ready to go home, and there’s nothing you can do about it.’
Rose’s mouth stayed open and Zac’s gaze dropped there for a moment. Electricity zinged between them.
His gaze came up again. ‘I’ll see you later, Rose.’
And then he turned and sauntered off and left her feeling frustrated, irritated, grateful…and generally in turmoil.
Over the following week they developed a routine.