Her Little Spanish Secret

“Yes, I’m your sister’s doctor. As you know, I’m a surgeon who does both general and trauma surgery cases.”

“Do any of the nurses speak English?”

Seville didn’t have the same tourist draw as Madrid or Barcelona, which meant not as many of the locals spoke English. Miguel had originally learned English from his American mother, who’d taught him before she’d died. He’d learned even more English during his time at the University of Madrid. In fact, he’d earned the opportunity to live and study medicine in the U.S. at Harvard University.

There he’d ultimately become a doctor. And met Katerina. He dragged his thoughts out of the past. “No, the nurses don’t speak much English, I’m afraid.”

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, as if she had a pounding headache. Once again he found himself on the verge of offering comfort. But he didn’t dare, no matter how much he wanted to.

“I would appreciate periodic updates on my sister’s condition whenever you have time to spare from the rest of your patients,” she said finally.

The way she turned her back on him, as if to dismiss him, made him scowl. He wanted to demand she look at him, talk to him, but of course there wasn’t time. Glancing at his watch only confirmed he was already late for his scheduled surgery. “I’d be happy to give you an update later today, if you have time at, say, four o’clock?” He purposefully gave her the same time he normally ate a late lunch, right after siesta.

She spun around to face him. “But—” She stopped herself and then abruptly nodded. “Of course. Four o’clock would be fine.”

He understood she’d only agreed to see him so that she could get updates on her sister, but that didn’t stop him from being glad he’d gotten his way on this. “I look forward to seeing you later, then, Katerina,” he said softly.

He could barely hide the thrill of anticipation racing through him, knowing he’d see her again soon, as he hurried down to the operating room.

CHAPTER TWO

“SO WHAT do you think? Do I really need to tell Miguel about Tommy?” Kat asked, after she’d caught up with Diana and Tommy at the park located right across the street from their hotel. The park was next to a school and seeing all the kids in their navy blue and white uniforms playing on the playground wasn’t so different from the preschool Tommy attended back in the U.S.

“I don’t think you should do anything yet,” Diana advised. “I mean, what do we know about the custody laws in Spain? What if Miguel has the right to take Tommy away from you?”

The very thought made her feel sick to her stomach. “Tommy is a U.S. citizen,” she pointed out, striving for logic. “That has to count for something.”

“Maybe, maybe not. I don’t think you should say anything until we know what we’re dealing with. Miguel is a big important doctor at the largest hospital here. Maybe he has connections, friends in high places? I think you need to understand exactly what you’re dealing with if you tell him.”

Kat sighed, and rubbed her temples, trying to ease the ache. Lack of sleep, worry over Juliet and now seeing Miguel again had all combined into one giant, pounding headache. “And how are we going to find out the child custody laws here? Neither one of us can speak Spanish, so it’s not like we can just look up the information on the internet.”

“We could check with the American Embassy,” Diana said stubbornly.

“I suppose. Except that seems like a lot of work when I’m not even sure Miguel will bother to fight me for Tommy. During our night together he told me his dream was to join Doctors Without Borders. He made it clear he wanted the freedom to travel, not settling down in one place.”

“Except here he is in Seville four and a half years later,” Diana pointed out reasonably. “Maybe he’s changed his mind about his dream?”

“Maybe.” She couldn’t argue Diana’s point. She still found it hard to wrap her mind around the fact that Miguel was here, in Seville. She’d stayed with her sister for another hour or so after he’d left, slightly reassured that Juliet’s condition was indeed stable, before she’d come back to the hotel to unpack her things. Seeing Miguel had made her suddenly anxious to find her son.

Tommy was having a great time running around in the park, chasing butterflies. As she watched him, the physical similarities seemed even more acute. She realized the minute Miguel saw Tommy, he’d know the truth without even needing to be told.

Although Miguel wouldn’t have to see him, a tiny voice in the back of her mind reminded her. Tommy could stay here with Diana and in a couple of days hopefully Juliet would be stable enough to be sent back to the U.S. Miguel didn’t need to know anything about their son.

As soon as the thought formed, she felt a sense of shame. Keeping Tommy’s presence a secret would be taking the coward’s way out. Diana was worried about the Spanish custody laws, but Kat had other reasons for not wanting to tell Miguel about Tommy. Being intimate with Miguel had touched her in a way she hadn’t expected. When she’d discovered she was pregnant, she’d been torn between feeling worried at how she’d manage all alone to secretly thrilled to have a part of Miguel growing inside her.

She knew he hadn’t felt the same way about her. Men had sex with women all the time, and lust certainly wasn’t love. She knew better than to get emotionally involved. In her experience men didn’t remain faithful or stick around for the long haul. Especially when there was the responsibility of raising children. Her father and Juliet’s father had proven that fact.

She gave Miguel credit for being upfront and honest about his inability to stay. He hadn’t lied to her, hadn’t told her what he’d thought she’d wanted to hear. It was her fault for not doing a better job of protecting her heart.

Telling Miguel about Tommy opened up the possibility that she’d have to see Miguel on a regular basis. If they were raising a child together, there would be no way to avoid him. She would have to hide her true feelings every time they were together.

Unless Miguel still didn’t want the responsibility of a son? There was a part of her that really hoped so, because then he wouldn’t insist on joint custody.

Now she was getting way ahead of herself. Maybe she could tell Miguel about Tommy and reassure him that she didn’t need help, financially or otherwise, to raise her son. She and Tommy would be fine on their own. The way they had been for nearly four years.

“Don’t agonize over this, Kat. You don’t have to tell him this minute, we just got here. Give me a little time to do some research first, okay?”

“I guess,” she agreed doubtfully. Diana was clearly concerned, but she was confident that Tommy had rights as an American citizen. “I won’t do anything right away, although I really think I’m going to have to tell him eventually. I tried to call him when I discovered I was pregnant, even tried to find him on all the popular social media websites. Now that I know he’s here, I need to be honest with him.”

“Then why do you look like you’re about to cry?” Diana asked.

“Because I’m scared,” she murmured, trying to sniffle back her tears. “I couldn’t bear it if Miguel tried to fight for custody.”

“Okay, let’s just say that the Spanish law is the same as the U.S. regarding joint custody. You mentioned he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, but we both know that doesn’t always mean much. Miguel might be married or seriously involved in a relationship. Could be the last thing on earth that he wants is to fight for joint custody.”

“You’re right,” she agreed, even though the thought of Miguel being married or involved with someone didn’t make her feel any better. “Okay, I need to get a grip. Maybe I’ll try talking to Miguel first, try to find out about his personal life before springing the news on him.”

Diana nodded eagerly. “Good idea. Meanwhile, I’ll see if I can call the U.S. embassy to get more information.”

Kat nodded, even though deep down she knew she’d have to tell him. Because Miguel deserved to know. Besides at some point Tommy was going to ask about his father. She refused to lie to her son.

The spear in her heart twisted painfully and tears pricked her eyes. As difficult as it was to be a single mother, she couldn’t bear the thought of sending Tommy off to be with his father in a far-away country. Although she knew she could come with Tommy, no matter how difficult it would be to see Miguel again.

If Miguel was truly planning to join Doctors Without Borders, maybe all of this worry would be for nothing. She and Tommy would go back home and continue living their lives.

Tommy tripped and fell, and she leaped off the park bench and rushed over, picking him up and lavishing him with kisses before he could wail too loudly. “There, now, you’re okay, big guy.”

“Hurts,” he sniffed, rubbing his hands over his eyes and smearing dirt all over his face.

“I know, but Mommy will kiss it all better.” Holding her son close, nuzzling his neck, she desperately hoped Miguel would be honorable enough to do what was best for Tommy.

Kat returned to the hotel room to change her clothes and freshen up a bit before going back to the hospital to see Juliet and Miguel. She’d left Diana and Tommy at the local drugstore, picking out a few necessities for Diana to hold her over until her luggage arrived. They’d also picked up two prepaid disposable phones, so they could keep in touch with each other. After fifteen minutes, and with the help of one shopkeeper who did speak a bit of English, they had the phones activated and working.

The metro was far more crowded towards the end of the workday, forcing her to stand, clinging to the overhead pole.

At her stop, she got off the cramped carriage and walked the short distance to the hospital. The temperature had to be pushing eighty and by the time she arrived, she was hot and sweaty again.

So much for her attempt to look nice for Miguel.

Ridiculous to care one way or the other how she looked. Men weren’t exactly knocking down her door, especially once they realized she had a son. Not that she was interested in dating.

She hadn’t been with anyone since spending the night with Miguel. At first because she’d been pregnant and then because being a single mother was all-consuming. But she didn’t regret a single minute of having Tommy.

In the hospital, she went up to the I.C.U. and paused outside Juliet’s doorway, relieved to discover Miguel wasn’t there, waiting for her. Her sister had been turned so that she was lying on her right side facing the doorway, but otherwise her condition appeared unchanged.

She crossed over and took Juliet’s hand in hers. “Hi, Jules, I’m back. Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”

Juliet’s hand didn’t move within hers.

“Wiggle your toes. Can you wiggle your toes for me?”

Juliet’s non-broken leg moved, but Kat couldn’t figure out if the movement had been made on purpose or not. When she asked a second time, the leg didn’t move, so she assumed the latter.

She pulled up a chair and sat down beside her sister, glancing curiously at the chart hanging off the end of the bed. She didn’t bother trying to read it, as it would all be in Spanish, but she wished she could read the medical information for herself, to see how Juliet was progressing.

She kept up her one-sided conversation with her sister for the next fifteen minutes or so. Until she ran out of things to say.

“Katerina?”

The way Miguel said her name brought back a fresh wave of erotic memories of their night together and she tried hard to paste a friendly smile on her face, before rising to her feet and facing him. “Hello, Miguel. How did your surgery go this morning?”

“Very well, thanks. Would you mind going across the street to the restaurant to talk?” he asked. “I’ve missed lunch.”

She instinctively wanted to say no, but that seemed foolish and petty so she nodded. She glanced back at her sister, leaning over the side rail to talk to her. “I love you, sis. See you soon,” she said, before moving away to meet Miguel in the doorway.

As they walked down the stairs to the main level of the hospital, he handed her a stack of papers. “I spent some time translating bits of Juliet’s chart for you, so that you can get a sense as to how she’s doing.”

Her jaw dropped in surprise and for a moment she couldn’t speak, deeply touched by his kind consideration. “Thank you,” she finally murmured, taking the paperwork he offered. Miguel had often been thoughtful of others and she was glad he hadn’t changed during the time they’s spent apart. She couldn’t imagine where he’d found the time to translate her sister’s chart for her between seeing patients and doing surgery, but she was extremely grateful for his efforts.

He put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her towards the restaurant across the street from the hospital. The warmth of his hand seemed to burn through her thin cotton blouse, branding her skin. She was keenly aware of him, his scent wreaking havoc with her concentration, as they made their way across the street. There was outdoor seating beneath cheerful red and white umbrellas and she gratefully sat in the shade, putting the table between them.

The waiter came over and the two men conversed in rapid-fire Spanish. She caught maybe one familiar word out of a dozen.

“What would you like to drink, Katerina?” Miguel asked. “Beer? Wine? Soft drink?”

“You ordered a soft drink, didn’t you?” she asked.

He flashed a bright smile and nodded. “You remember some Spanish, no?” he asked with clear approval.

“Yes, muy poco, very little,” she agreed. “I’ll have the same, please.”

Miguel ordered several tapas, the Spanish form of appetizers, along with their soft drinks. When the food arrived, she had no idea what she was eating, but whatever it was it tasted delicious.

“Do you want to review Juliet’s chart now?” he asked. “I can wait and answer your questions.”

“I’ll read it later, just tell me what you know.” She wanted to hear from him first. Besides, there was no way she’d be able to concentrate on her sister’s chart with him sitting directly across from her.

He took his time, sipping his drink, before answering. “Juliet has begun moving around more, which is a good sign. She will likely start to intermittently follow commands soon. We have done a CT scan of her brain earlier this morning and the area of bleeding appears to be resolving slowly.”

She nodded, eating another of the delicious tapas on the plate between them. There were olives too, and she wondered if they were from Miguel’s family farm. “I’m glad. I guess all we can do right now is wait and see.”

“True,” he agreed. He helped himself to more food as well. “Katerina, how is your mother doing? Wasn’t she scheduled to have surgery right before I left the States?”

She nodded, her appetite fading. “Yes. The result of her surgery showed stage-four pancreatic cancer. She died a couple months later.” Despite the fear of being a single mother, at the time of her mother’s passing, her pregnancy had been one of the few bright spots in her life. Things had been difficult until Juliet had gone off to college. Thankfully, her friend Diana had been there for her, even offering to be her labor coach.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, reaching across the table to capture her hand in his. “We both lost our parents about the same time, didn’t we?”

“Yes. We did.” His fingers were warm and strong around hers, but she gently tugged her hand away and reached for her glass. She tried to think of a way to ask him if he was married or seeing someone, without sounding too interested.

“I have thought of you often these past few years,” Miguel murmured, not seeming to notice how she was struggling with her secret. He took her left hand and brushed his thumb across her bare ring finger. “You haven’t married?”

She slowly shook her head. There was only one man who’d asked her out after Tommy had been born. He was another nurse in the operating room, one of the few male nurses who worked there. She’d been tempted to date him because he was a single parent, too, and would have been a great father figure for Tommy, but in the end she hadn’t been able to bring herself to accept his offer.

She hadn’t felt anything for Wayne other than friendship. And as much as she wanted a father for Tommy, she couldn’t pretend to feel something she didn’t.

Too bad she couldn’t say the same about her feelings toward Miguel. Seeing him again made her realize that she still felt that same spark of attraction, the same awareness that had been there when they’d worked together in the U.S. Feelings that apparently hadn’t faded over time.

“What about you, Miguel?” she asked, taking the opening he’d offered, as she gently pulled her hand away. “Have you found a woman to marry?”

“No, you know my dream is to join Doctors Without Borders. But I can’t leave until I’m certain my brother has the Vasquez olive farm back on its feet. Luis has a few—ah—problems. Things were not going well here at home during the time I was in the U.S.” A shadow of guilt flashed in his eyes, and she found herself wishing she could offer him comfort.

“Not your fault, Miguel,” she reminded him, secretly glad to discover he hadn’t fallen in love and married a beautiful Spanish woman. “How old is Luis?”

“Twenty-six now,” he said. “But too young back then to take on the responsibility of running the farm. I think the stress of trying to hold everything together was too much for my father.” He stared at his glass for a long moment. “Maybe if I had been here, things would have been different.”

She shrugged, not nearly as reassured as she should be at knowing his dream of joining Doctors Without Borders hadn’t changed. She should be thrilled with the news. Maybe this would be best for all of them. He’d go do his mission work, leaving her alone to raise Tommy. Miguel could come back in a few years, when Tommy was older, to get to know his son.

All she had to do was to tell him the truth.

Diana wanted her to wait, but she knew she had to tell him or the secret would continue to eat at her. She’d never been any good at lying and didn’t want to start now. She swallowed hard and braced herself. “Miguel, there’s something important I need to tell you,” she began.

“Miguel!” A shout from across the street interrupted them. She frowned and turned in time to see a handsome young man, unsteady on his feet, waving wildly at Miguel.

“Luis.” He muttered his brother’s name like a curse half under his breath. “Excuse me for a moment,” he said as he rose to his feet.

She didn’t protest, but watched as Miguel crossed over towards his brother, his expression stern. The two of them were quickly engrossed in a heated conversation that didn’t seem it would end any time soon.

Kat sat back, sipping her soft drink and thinking how wrong it was for her to be grateful for the reprieve.

“Luis, you shouldn’t be drinking!” Miguel shouted in Spanish, barely holding his temper in check.

“Relax, it’s Friday night. I’ve been slaving out at the farm all week—don’t I get time to have fun too? Hey, who’s the pretty Americana?” he asked with slurred speech, as he looked around Miguel towards where Katerina waited.

“She’s a friend from the U.S.,” he answered sharply. “But that’s not the point. I thought we had an agreement? You promised to stay away from the taverns until Saturday night. It’s barely five o’clock on Friday, and you’re already drunk.” Which meant his brother must have started drinking at least a couple of hours ago.

“I sent the last olive shipment out at noon. I think you should introduce me to your lady friend,” Luis said with a sloppy smile, his gaze locked on Katerina. “She’s pretty. I’d love to show her a good time.”

The last thing he wanted to do was to introduce Katerina to his brother, especially when he was intoxicated. Luis had been doing fairly well recently, so finding him like this was more than a little annoying.

What was Luis thinking? If he lost the olive farm, what would he do for work? Or was this just another way to ruin Miguel’s chance to follow his dream? He was tired of trying to save the olive farm for his brother while taking care of his patients. He was working nonstop from early morning to sundown every week. It was past time for Luis to grow up and take some responsibility.

“Go home, Luis,” he advised. “Before you make a complete fool of yourself.”

“Not until I meet your lady friend,” Luis said stubbornly. “She reminds me a little of our mother, except that she has blonde hair instead of red. Are you going to change your mind about going to Africa? She may not wait for you.”

Miguel ground his teeth together in frustration. “No, I’m not going to change my mind,” he snapped. He didn’t want to think about Katerina waiting for him. No matter how much he was still attracted to her, having a relationship with an American woman would be nothing but a disaster. His mother had hated every minute of living out on the farm, away from the city. And far away from her homeland. He was certain Katerina wouldn’t be willing to leave her home either. “Katerina’s sister is in the hospital, recovering from a serious head injury. She’s not interested in having a good time. Leave her alone, understand?”

“Okay, fine, then.” Luis shook off his hand and began walking toward the bar, his gait unsteady. “I’ll just sit by myself.”

“Oh, no, you won’t.” Miguel captured his brother’s arm and caught sight of his old friend, Rafael, who happened to be a police officer. “Rafael,” he called, flagging down his friend.

“Trouble, amigo?” Rafael asked, getting out of his police car.

“Would you mind taking my brother home?” He grabbed Luis’s arm, steering him toward the police car, but his brother tried to resist. Luis almost fell, but Miguel managed to haul him upright. “I would take him myself, but I’m on call at the hospital.”

“All right,” Rafael said with a heavy sigh. “You’ll owe me, my friend. Luckily for you, I’m finished with my shift.”

“Thanks, Rafael. I will return the favor,” he promised.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Rafael muttered with a wry grimace.

Miguel watched them drive away, before he raked a hand through his hair and turned back towards Katerina. As if the fates were against him, his pager went off, bringing a premature end to their time together.

“My apologies for the interruption,” he murmured as he returned to the table. “I’m afraid I must cut our meal short. There is a young boy with symptoms of appendicitis. I need to return to the hospital to assess whether or not he needs surgery.”

“I understand,” Katerina said, as he paid the tab. She gathered up the papers he’d given to her. “Thanks again for translating Juliet’s chart for me. I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Of course.” When she stood, she was so close he could have easily leaned down to kiss her. He curled his fingers into fists and forced himself to take a step backwards in order to resist the sweet temptation. “I will make rounds between nine and ten in the morning, if you want an update on your sister’s condition.”

“Sounds good. Goodbye, Miguel.” She waved and then headed for the metro station, located just a few blocks down the street.

Back at the hospital it was clear the thirteen-year-old had a classic case of appendicitis and Miguel quickly took the child to the operating room. Unfortunately, his appendix had burst, forcing Miguel to spend extra time washing out the abdominal cavity in order to minimize the chance that infection would set in. Afterwards, he made sure the boy had the correct antibiotics ordered and the first dose administered before he headed home to his three-bedroom apartment located within walking distance of the hospital.

It wasn’t until he was eating cold leftover pizza for dinner that Miguel had a chance to think about Katerina, and wonder just what she’d thought was so important to tell him.