Chapter Seventeen – Suzie

Suzie walked into the hospital with Kit and Louise, who cradled Storm in her arms, looking nervous.

“It’s OK,” Kit assured her. “I’ll take you to where you need to be, and when you’ve finished, I’ll ask someone to page me and I’ll escort you over to Suzie.”

“You don’t need to go to all this trouble for me,” Louise insisted.

“We want to,” Suzie replied. “We both want this to work out for you.”

Louise sighed. “This must be what it’s like to have parents who love you.”

Suzie hid a smile, Louise was making her feel old. But when she caught Kit’s eye, the look exchanged told her that he was imagining what it would be like for them to be an old married couple—with a child.

The heat in the reception area made her cheeks flush, and her head swim. This was all moving so fast. Meeting the man you were supposed to spend the rest of your life with, according to him, was one thing, but marriage and everything else…

“Are you OK, Suzie?” Kit asked.

“Yeah, I’m going to go on up to my borrowed office.” She did have a lot of work to get through. But that wasn’t the real reason she needed to get away. When she was in Kit’s house, she could forget the outside world existed, but here at the hospital, this was real, and the enormity of the situation crowded in on her.

“OK, I’ll catch up with you later, bring you some coffee,” Kit offered as he stood next to Louise, who was giving her details to Cindy.

“Sure. I’ll see you later. You too, Louise, come find me when you are done.” Suzie pressed the button for the elevator, grateful when the doors opened right away.

“Thanks,” Louise said nervously.

Damn it. Suzie put her hand out to stop the doors closing. “Do you want me to come with you, Louise? I should have offered.”

“No. I’m OK,” Louise said, and then added, “Don’t worry, I’m done with running.”

“I’ll buy you lunch when you are done,” Suzie offered.

“I’d like that,” Louise replied, her face pale.

Suzie cast a glance at Kit, who met her eyes with a confused expression. Had he picked up on the fact that Louise might not be the one about to run out on him? Did he realized that Suzie had cold feet, and not from being out in the snow?

She pulled her hand back and the elevator door closed, leaving her in the closed in space of the elevator. Closing her eyes, she let out a breath and tried to figure out why she had suddenly gotten cold feet. Kit was a great man; he would make an amazing husband and an incredible father.

That’s where her brain stalled. Suzie had never had a father, she’d never had any other family except her mom. Opening her eyes, Suzie gasped at her own realization. She was scared, scared of becoming part of something bigger. Scared of not fitting in. Growing up, her mom had been happy to hide away; she hated going anywhere where people didn’t know her, she hated people staring.

Her hand went to her cheek. There was no birthmark there. She wasn’t her mom. But she was her mom’s world. The two of them against the world, wasn’t that what she’d grown up hearing?

Suzie believed she had stepped away from that when she trained to work at Social Services, but it was there, like a deep-rooted weed, ready to extend its long tendrils and strangle her. Meeting Kit had triggered something she’d buried away. That was not who she wanted to be. She wanted to step out into the world and be Mrs. Malvern, Kit’s wife, and the mother of his children.

As the elevator opened and she made her way to her office, it became clear what the trigger had been. Not meeting Kit. But seeing Louise so determined to put her past behind her. She would live her whole life trying to make up for deserting Storm.

Us against the world.

Suzie opened her office door and went inside, sitting down heavily. Pulling out her laptop, she opened it up and logged onto the system. Locating the number of Dean Capel, she entered the numbers into her phone and gave him a call. Work always reminded her of the bigger picture, of what was truly important in life.

“Hello, is that Dean Capel?” Suzie asked.

“It is,” came the reply down the phone. “Can I help you?”

“I hope so. I have your number on file as someone who fosters older… people.” Suzie wasn’t sure how to phrase this. Louise certainly wasn’t a child, but she was not an adult either, not legally at least.

“This sounds interesting,” Dean said.

“It is. I’m Suzie McLeish, I work at Social Services.”

“How do, Suzie?” Dean replied.

“I do well, thank you.” She smiled to herself. “Sorry, I’m not being too clear am I?”

“Take your time.” Suzie liked Dean already. He reminded her of a kindly grandpa. Like the one she always dreamed about. One who would teach her to ride a bike, or fish in the river.

“I have a young woman. She’s not quite eighteen.”

“She needs a place to stay? If so, I have room,” Dean said.

“The thing is, she has a newborn baby,” Suzie explained.

“Ahh, I see.” Dean paused. “I don’t usually have babies in my care. I’m long in the tooth, and can’t run around all day after them.”

“I understand,” Suzie said. “I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

“Hang on a second, I didn’t say no,” Dean said. “I have always opened my house to whoever needed it. Is this a shifter child?”

Suzie sighed. “No, neither mother nor child are shifters.”

“Ahh, shifters are my specialty.”

“They really need a place to stay. Somewhere they can feel safe.”

“That sounds like something I can do,” Dean said. “How long for?”

“Indefinitely.” Suzie winced. “At least until I can find somewhere else, or Louise turns eighteen and I can help her stand on her own two feet.”

“Two feet is a lonely place to be,” Dean said. “Look, I have an empty house, I have room for a mom and her baby for as long as she needs a roof over her head.”

“Are you sure?” Suzie asked. “Sorry, but I need to make sure; they haven’t had the best start and I need for them both to be settled and feel wanted.” She banged her head with the heel of her hand. “That isn’t what I meant.”

“It might not be what you meant, but it is correct.” Dean chuckled. “I’m used to dealing with Fiona. She’d have turned up on my doorstep and told me to take this young woman in, so I appreciate you asking. Bring the two of them over whenever you are ready. I’m here, and they will be welcome.”

“Thank you so much, Dean.”

“My pleasure. You drive carefully in this weather.”

“I will.” Suzie ended the call, and then sat staring at her computer screen.

“Knock, knock,” Kit’s voice from outside the door made her sit up.

“Come in,” Suzie called.

“I brought you coffee.” He came in and placed the cup down on her desk. “It’s not machine coffee, it’s from Cindy’s private stash.”

“Does she know?” Suzie asked, raising her eyebrows.

“She lets her favorite doctor use it.” He grinned. “And I buy an occasional replacement jar for her. We have an understanding.”

“Oh, that is good,” Suzie admitted as she tasted the bitter liquid.

“Do you know what else is good?” Kit asked, perching on the edge of her desk.

“Finding a placement for Louise and Storm?” Suzie asked, feeling proud of herself.

“You did? That is great. So date night is back on,” Kit replied.

“I think we might be in luck,” Suzie said.

“I already know I’m lucky.” Kit leaned forward and kissed her. “But that was not what I meant.”

“So what did you mean?” Suzie asked, sipping her coffee, while keeping two eyes very focused on her doctor boyfriend.

“Snowball fights.” Kit left the words hanging there, his expression hidden by his coffee cup.

“The same snowball fight you promised Callum?” Suzie asked.

“The very same.” He drank the rest of his coffee and set the cup down on her desk. “Come on, a few of us are taking the kids outside to enjoy what’s left of the snow.” He looked at his watch. “About an hour, we’re all taking an early lunch. That way the kids can get their fill of throwing the snow at each other and still be back in their beds for their lunch.”

“OK.”

Kit looked surprised. “I expected to have to twist your arm.

“No arm twisting needed.” Suzie cocked her head to one side. “I need a bit of fun.”

“Didn’t you have fun last night?” Kit asked, standing up and heading for the door, both coffee cups in his hand.

“I did.” Suzie watched him open the door. She so wanted to grab hold of him and have mad, passionate sex on her borrowed desk with the good doctor. “Wait, I have nothing to wear.”

“Beth and Ben are coming in specially to join in. Beth said she would bring you some clothes.”

“You have it all planned, Dr. Malvern. I am once again impressed.” Suzie tapped her mouse and brought her laptop back to life.

“See you soon,” Kit said, leaving the room.

“Oh, unless Louise needs me,” Suzie called. “I have to take her over to Dean’s and get her settled.”

“I see, you are choosing another man over me already,” Kit replied, poking his head back around the door.

“Never.” And she meant it. Kit Malvern might look perfect on the outside, but she was quickly learning that he was pretty darn perfect on the inside too.