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Momentarily distracted, he frowned. The scent was vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t for the life of him think why. A memory danced on the edges of his mind, just out of reach. He inhaled again, hoping to recapture the perfume and perhaps jog the memory free, but the scent was no longer detectable.
It had to have come from one of the nurses, he silently reasoned, probably the one who’d tried to stop him getting out of bed, the one who’d prevented him from falling.
He remembered leaning hard against her for support, feeling her strength as well as her softness, recalled how there had indeed been the scent of jasmine in the air.
He shook his head. Undoubtedly his sense of smell was heightened by his blindness.
Marsh gradually loosened his grip on the bed-covers and, wanting to keep the panic at bay, turned his thoughts to the accident
The last thing he remembered was seeing the flashing amber lights, warning them they were approaching Cutter’s Junction, a busy intersection to the south of Kincade. He’d been talking to Sabrina, telling her how much they were going to enjoy living at the Blue Diamond Ranch with her grandparents and her uncle Spencer.
But the happy homecoming he’d envisaged had taken a bad turn, and now he found himself trapped in a world of darkness. Nothing in his thirty-seven years had prepared him for this new and alien world, a world without vision, a world that left him feeling totally powerless and utterly defenseless. Was this his punishment for turning his back on his daughter?
Chapter Three
“Kate, why don’t you take Sabrina upstairs to see her father?”
Kate opened her mouth to object, then shut it again, knowing she should have anticipated Dr. Franklin’s request. After she’d found him and explained the situation, Sabrina had begged to see her daddy.
“Is there a problem? I have a few charts to write up before I finish here.”
“No,” Kate replied, darting a quick glance at Sabrina. “It’s just...well, I mean...” She floundered. “Is he able to—?” She ground to a halt, hoping Dr. Franklin would be astute enough to fill in the blank himself.
“Oh—right.” Dr. Franklin nodded in understanding. He turned to the child. “There is something you should know. When the accident happened your father got a rather nasty cut on his forehead as well as a few bruises and a black eye.”
“A black eye?” Sabrina repeated. “I’ve never seen a black eye before.”
“Oh...and that’s not all,” the doctor continued in the same light vein. “Because of the bump to his head and the bruising around his eyes, your father isn’t able to see.”
Sabrina threw Kate a worried look before turning back to the doctor.
“I know that sounds scary,” Dr. Franklin continued evenly. “And believe me, your father isn’t happy about it, either,” he added in an attempt to make Sabrina smile. “But once the swelling goes down, he’ll be just fine.”
“He’ll see again?”
“He’ll see again,” the doctor acknowledged.
The news of her father’s condition didn’t appear to have upset the little girl unduly, and silently Kate credited the calm, matter-of-fact way Dr. Franklin had explained the situation.
“Can I see him now?”
“Yes. He’s upstairs in Room 516,” he told Kate. “I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes.”
Kate carried Sabrina to the elevators and lowered her to the floor after pressing the call button. “Dr. Franklin’s nice, isn’t he?”
“Can I press the number?” Sabrina asked as she scampered inside the elevator that had just arrived.
“Sure,” Kate replied, pleased that the prospect of seeing her father had cheered Sabrina. She herself had mixed feelings on the matter.
When they got out on the fifth floor, Kate felt Sabrina’s hand slip into hers and glancing down at the child, she flashed her a smile. “Everything’s going to be just fine.” But she saw that Sabrina’s steps had already slowed, and a look of apprehension clouded her small features. Kate gave Sabrina’s hand a squeeze. After tapping the door lightly, she pushed it open.
“Who’s there?” Marsh asked, annoyed to hear a slight tremor in his voice. Since the nurse named Heather had left, he’d become restless and agitated, hating the continuous darkness.
“Dr. Diamond. I’m the nurse who tended you earlier. I’ve brought your daughter to see you.” She tugged gently at Sabrina, who was standing behind Kate clutching her teddy.
“Sabrina? Sweetheart, are you all right?” Relief and excitement echoed in Marsh’s voice. He’d been fighting the urge to get up and go in search of Sabrina, foolish as he’d known it would be. But he’d needed to hear her voice, to know she was indeed all right.
Sabrina made no reply.
“Say hello to your father, Sabrina.” The nurse gently coaxed the child.
“Hello, Daddy.”
“Are you all right? Are they taking care of you?” he asked, trying with difficulty to keep his tone even, so as not to frighten her.
Silence followed his questions, and he had to bite back his frustration at her nonresponse. During the past four months, ever since he’d brought her home, she’d driven him to distraction at times by her unwillingness to communicate. He wished he could see her, see for himself that she was unhurt.
“She’s fine. Not so much as a scratch,” the nurse told him.
Behind them the door opened, and Dr. Franklin entered.
“The doctor man said you can’t see,” Sabrina suddenly announced, her natural curiosity winning the battle with her reserve.
Marsh’s mouth curved into a semblance of a smile. “If you mean Dr. Franklin, then he’s right.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Dr. Franklin said.
“Tom? Where did you come from? I didn’t know you were there.” But there was relief in Marsh’s tone at the presence of his friend. “I was telling Sabrina you were right about me not being able to see,” Marsh went on, attempting to make light of the situation.
“It’s only a temporary setback,” Tom said easily.
“Sabrina, why don’t you climb up here beside me?” Marsh suggested, patting the covers with his uninjured hand. Hearing his daughter’s voice had reassured him somewhat, but he had a longing to touch her.
“Kate can lift you onto the bed,” said Dr. Franklin.
“Kate?” Marsh repeated the name, and at the sound of it Kate felt her pulse wobble.
“Kate’s nice. She’s the nurse who’s been looking after me.”
“And me, too, I believe. Thank you, Kate, for all you’ve done.”
“You’re welcome,” she murmured, lifting Sabrina onto the bed.
Marsh felt the movement beside him, and instinctively he reached out to her. His hand made contact with warm, bare skin, and for a split second he felt a tiny jolt of electricity zip up his arm.
The air suddenly seemed rife with tension, a tension he didn’t understand. Puzzled, he curled his fingers around what he guessed was a forearm, but he knew by its size it didn’t belong to Sabrina.
Marsh heard a sharp intake of breath at the same time as the scent of jasmine assailed him. He instantly recognized it as being the fragrance he’d found strangely disturbing earlier. Once again a memory danced elusively at the edges of his mind, only to drift out of reach.
“Daddy that’s Kate’s arm.” Sabrina’s childish giggle effectively distracted Marsh, and he released his hold on Kate.
“Sorry.”
“That’s all right,” Kate responded, her voice a throaty whisper. She backed away, ignoring the tingle of pleasure his touch evoked, telling her all too clearly that even now he still affected her as no other man ever had.
“By the way, Marsh. I don’t know if Kate has had time to mention it, but your parents aren’t at the ranch. They’re out of the country.”
“What about Spencer? Surely he’s around?” Marsh had talked to his mother a few weeks ago, confirming their arrival at the end of August. He’d managed to wind things up two weeks early and so had decided to surprise them.
“Afraid not. Apparently they’ve all gone to Ireland. ”
“Ireland! Oh! Right. Spencer did mention something about the annual Thoroughbred sales. I didn’t realize my folks planned to go with him.”
“Unfortunately that’s going to complicate matters.”
“What do you mean?”
“Arrangements need to be made for Sabrina’s care, at least until your eyesight returns.”
“Hold on a minute.” Marsh tried to stay calm. “What kind of arrangements?” He reached out rather awkwardly in search of Sabrina and felt his fingers brush her hair.
“I’d offer to take Sabrina home with me,” Tom said, “but Amy, my four-year-old, has the chicken pox. I’m afraid we’re running out of options.”
“What about Mrs. B., the housekeeper?” Kate jumped in, recalling the older woman who’d worked for the Diamond family for a number of years.
Marsh slowly shook his head. “Mrs. B. retired earlier this year and moved to Arizona to live with her brother,” he explained.
“She wasn’t replaced?” Tom asked.
“No. My father’s taken over the kitchen. He likes to cook,” Marsh explained. “I was planning on putting an ad in the paper next week for a part-time sitter.”
“I’m afraid that leaves us with no choice,” Tom said.
“Wait,” Marsh said, knowing what Tom was referring to, but unwilling to let anyone hand his daughter over to Child Services. The upheavals she’d faced lately were quite enough for any five-year-old to be coping with. What Sabrina needed was stability.
“Tom—” Marsh began, as his mind scrambled to come up with another solution. “We both agree that my, uh, injuries, that is my, uh, eyesight will probably be restored by morning, and I’ll be able to go home,” he said in a positive manner. “Perhaps Sabrina could spend the night at the hospital? What do you think, Sabrina? You wouldn’t mind staying here would you?”
“Where would I sleep?”
“I’m sure Dr. Franklin could scrounge up a spare bed for you and let you sleep in here with me,” Marsh replied, pleased Sabrina hadn’t immediately rejected the prospect of spending the night at the hospital.
“Hold on a second,” Tom cautioned.
“Aw...come on, Tom! It isn’t too much to ask, is it?” Marsh cajoled softly. “And if you’re worried about hospital policy, you could always admit Sabrina overnight for observation. She was in a car accident, remember?”
Kate had watched the interchange with interest. She could have bitten her tongue when she mentioned the housekeeper, thinking for a moment Marsh might ask how she knew about Mrs. B., but he hadn’t appeared to notice.
She knew by the continuing silence that Dr. Franklin’s resolve was weakening. Marsh had offered a viable solution.
“I think that could be arranged. Kate, see if you can hustle up another bed and haul it in here. I’ll take care of the paperwork.”
“Yes, Doctor,” she replied and quickly withdrew.
Moments later, with the help of an orderly, Kate maneuvered another hospital bed into the private room. Dr. Franklin had already left.
“Kate?” Marsh began tentatively. “You don’t mind if I call you Kate, do you?”
“Of course, not,” she answered as she shook out a crisp, clean, hospital sheet.
“What time is it?”
“Nine-thirty. Why?”
“Sabrina was just saying she’s hungry. Is there any way you could get her something to eat?”
“Sure. After I finish making up the bed, I’ll pop down to the cafeteria and see what I can find. Would a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of milk be all right?” she asked as she deftly tucked in the sheet
“Yes, please,” Sabrina was quick to reply. “Can I eat it in bed?”
“Sure,” Kate replied picking up a pillow and slipping on its cover.
“Mommy had rules. She never let me eat in bed.”
“Here in Kincade the rules are different,” Marsh countered lightly. “Isn’t that right, Kate?” he added with a hint of humor.
Kate felt her pulse skip a beat at the casual-but-friendly way he included her in the conversation.
“That’s right,” she agreed, smoothing out the blanket, glad he couldn’t see the blush creeping into her cheeks. “In fact, it’s a rule here at Mercy Hospital that you must eat in bed,” she added, and at the sound of Marsh’s soft chuckle a shiver chased down her spine.
“Wow! For sure?” Sabrina asked, obviously unsure whether or not Kate was teasing her.
“For sure,” Kate said with a smile.
“How long have you been a nurse, Kate?” Marsh suddenly asked.
“Seven years.”
“Have you worked at Mercy all that time?”
“No. I’m only filling in for nurses taking their summer vacations. My last shift is tomorrow morning, then I’ll be looking for another job to tide me over until the new wing opens in September.”
“You’ll be working in the new wing?”
“Yes,” Kate replied, not altogether sure why she was telling Marsh. “If you’ll excuse me,” she went on, “I’ll pop down to the cafeteria now, it closes at ten,” she said. “Would you like me to bring you something, too?”
“No, but thanks.”
“I’ll be right back.” Kate flashed Sabrina a smile before slipping out of the room.
