Free Seeing Stars: A Loveswept Classic Romance by Fran Baker

fingers seemingly burning through the fabric of her sweater as he held her possessively at his side.
    She looked up and was startled to see that his jaw had gone as hard as teakwood. The machine monitoring her brother’s vital signs began blipping a little faster. She glanced at Curtis. What was visible of his face behind the oxygen mask was as red as ribbon candy.
    “Oh, Curtis, I can’t wait till you see that baby. He’s a doll! And Nick, you’ll never believe how much he looks like Curtis did when he was born. A carbon copy!” She realized she was rambling to hide her nervousness.
    Nick sensed it, too, and replied simply, “We’d better go now so Curtis can get some rest. He’s had a pretty rough time of it today.”
    Her brother’s face turned fuchsia.
    “I know, but …” Law, why did she feel so torn between family loyalty and her own desire to be alone with Nick? She’d paid her dues. Hadn’t she? “Shouldn’t we wait to hear what Dr. Rodgers has to say about his lab tests?”
    A host of perceptions hit Nick all at once. From the monitor, which was running a little rapidly but still well within normal limits, to Dovie’s sudden reluctance to leave, it was obvious that Curtis was trying to lay a guilt trip on her. And doing a damned good job of it, too, judging by the dismay that laced her tone.
    “All right.” But just so Curtis would know that
he
knew what was going on, Nick retained his possessive hold on Dovie.
    “You’re a lucky young man,” Dr. Rodgers said to Curtis when he stepped into the Intensive Care cubicle. “The tests show that the level of carbon monoxide in your blood has almost returned to normal. But if it hadn’t been for Dovie and Dr. Monroe, your people would be planning a burial instead of a baptism.”
    “How’s Linda?” Dovie asked anxiously.
    “She’s fine. Her anesthetic during the delivery was ninety-five percent oxygen. We’ve moved her from the recovery room to the maternity ward, if you’d like to stop and see her before you leave.”
    “And the baby?”
    “Beautiful.” Joe Rodgers clapped Nick on the shoulder and grinned from ear to ear. “Every baby is a miracle, of course, but when
this
babyscreamed while you were massaging him, I got goose bumps.”
    “I’ll have to admit to a little nervous chill myself.” Nick’s hand trembled slightly as his thumb moved upward and lightly stroked the side of Dovie’s breast.
    Like electricity his touch jolted her every cell. She stood rooted, suddenly not knowing how to act or what to say. At last she turned to Dr. Rodgers. “What caused the carbon-monoxide leak?”
    “Purely speculating now, I’d have to say a clogged furnace vent.” He glanced at Nick. “I seem to recall your treating a case very similar to this one several years ago, so what do you think?”
    Nick nodded. “That would be my guess too. See, over a period of time, the soot that’s been deposited on the chimney liner during the oil-burning process is loosened by the greater amounts of condensed water vapor produced by the new gas system. Eventually, clumps of soot fall, blocking the vent.”
    While Nick went on to warn that everyone who converts a furnace from oil to gas should have the chimney cleaned, he settled his hand just under Dovie’s breast.
    She didn’t look at Curtis for fear of the censure she’d find in his eyes. No man had ever laid a hand on her in front of family. But neither did she say or do anything that could be construed as an objection to Nick’s familiarity. No man had ever made her feel this much a woman.
    Dr. Rodgers turned to Curtis. “I’ll probably release you tomorrow, so I’d suggest you make arrangements to have your chimney cleaned before you move back in.”
    “It’s already been taken care of,” Nick said. “Harley and a man from the gas-service company went back to their house while we were in the delivery room.”
    By the time Dovie bid Curtis good-bye, his monitor was going like mad. It