by Brower, Dawn
“I’m sure he had his reasons.”
“You’re right. If you give me the consent form, I’ll sign it.”
Ren walked back to his desk and picked up the file. He opened it up and removed the form and set it on the desk with a pen. Dani signed it with her usual flare and pushed it over to him.
“I’m going to go back to Matt’s room. If you need anything else, you can find me there.” She didn’t give him a chance to respond. Dani flew out of the office as if the hounds of hell chased her.
“You can run, Dani love, but you can’t hide. I found you again. It’s time we faced what is between us.” And Ren didn’t doubt for a minute she felt more than she realized or admitted to herself. Why else would she run? First, he would make sure Matthew Price was taken care of. His health had to take precedence. Afterward though—there would be no holds barred. He would win the woman he loved and no one would stop him, not even Dani herself.
Chapter Three
Dani filled out the stack of paperwork required for Matt to be moved to a private room when he came out of surgery. It would be pricey and their practice would cover whatever the insurance plan didn’t. They just wouldn’t be doing any of the expansion they had planned over the next year. They had hoped to hire a couple of associates to take some of their more tedious cases. That meant moving to a bigger location and paying for a more expensive lease.
“Ms. Brosen.”
Dani had taken up residence in a waiting room. She didn’t think anyone would know where to find her. So she was surprised to see her assistant, Claire, walking toward her.
“Is something wrong at the office?”
Claire handed her a file. “It has to do with the Nettles’ development project. The building permits you filed for them weren’t approved. Mr. Nettles is livid and is insisting on speaking to Mr. Price. I tried to tell him it wasn’t possible, but he wouldn’t listen to me.”
The Nettles family was difficult to manage. She didn’t blame Claire. “I will call him and handle it.”
Dani chewed on her lip and shook her head. If she were honest with herself she’d admit she didn’t want to deal with anything pertaining to work. All she really wanted to do was pack a bag and disappear from life. Deep down she accepted that it wasn’t possible. She was an adult with real world problems. Running away wouldn’t solve any of them. So instead of giving into the urge to take an impromptu and permanent vacation she took a reaffirming breath and continued to fill in the paperwork for the hospital.
“How is he?” Claire asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dani filled in the last box on the paper and signed her name at the bottom of the page, then looked up at Claire. It was then she saw the worry etched on her face. Claire twisted her fingers in front of her. Her blonde hair was a tangled mess.
“Sit down.” Dani gestured to a seat near her. “I’m sorry I didn’t think to update you.”
“I know you’re busy.” Claire plopped down near her.
It was then, staring at her assistant, that everything became crystal clear. Claire was in love with Matt. She’d bet everything she owned he wasn’t aware of the woman’s feelings. She hadn’t seen it herself, and Matt was even more oblivious than she was. How selfish she’d been to not think of Claire and her feelings. Even if she wasn’t in love with Matt, she cared about both of them. She remembered their birthdays, bought them gifts on every holiday, and made sure their day was generally better.
“I should have called you sooner,” Dani said. “I apologize for not thinking of it.”
“I don’t want you to feel bad. Please tell me what is going on with him. How serious is it?” Claire leaned back and waited for Dani to start speaking.
“He sustained injuries when he lost control of his car and went into oncoming traffic. A large truck smashed into the side of his vehicle. He’s lucky he wasn’t killed on impact.” None of their lives would have been the same if he’d died. Dani didn’t want to think about it. She pushed the dark thoughts from her mind and continued, “His arm is broken in three different spots. They splinted it and he will get a better cast after surgery. His head’s hurt the worst with the swelling and a threat of a brain bleed. His eyes were damaged, and he could lose his eyesight. He’s in surgery now.”
Her lips wobbled. “What does that mean?”
Dani had to be strong. At least she was used to it. The only time she let her guard down was around Matt…and Ren. She’d lost it a little with Ren. Something she could be excused for doing. Her friend was close to death and seeing Ren tore at the edges of her carefully built walls. After Matt was taken care of she would have to figure out how to put some distance between her and Ren. It would be easier to do once Matt was released from the hospital. Her heart would hurt too much to see him every day. She would do her best to keep their interactions to business only. If he required her to sign something to aid in Matt’s recovery she would. But she wouldn’t break down again and let him comfort her. It would make things too hard on both of them to try and be in each other’s lives again.
As far as she knew, he was still happily married to Jessica. She’d kept tabs on him long enough to see their wedding announcement in the Hope Beach daily paper. She wondered for a brief moment why it had taken so long for them to get married, but had brushed it away. There had been no announcement of the birth of a child. Maybe they hadn’t decided to tell the world about their bundle of joy. It wasn’t her place to judge what they decided to share. The wedding announcement had been enough for her to finally let go. After that, she couldn’t look in on him. She’d refused to have her heart break all over again with each update of his happy life.
It was selfish. She was more than aware of that, and as much as she wished him happiness, she couldn’t live it and remain sane. So she took the final step and cut the cord. Never had she pictured meeting him again and in a new town. She expected him to build his happily ever after in a big city or, at the very least, their hometown. Not a small town on the other side of the state. For now, she would deal with Claire and her concerns for Matt. It gave her something other than her problems to concentrate on. Thank God for small favors…
“It means if it goes well he’ll be the Matt we know and love—” She paused and stared into Claire’s eyes. “—but if it doesn’t, he’ll never be the same again. He’ll have to learn how to get by without the use of his eyes. Everything he knows will be turned upside down. It’ll leave him cranky and pissed off. Hell, we should expect that regardless.” She smiled reassuringly. “It’ll be up to us to make sure he has someone to lean on and keep him on the path to recovery. Do you think you can do that?”
She nodded.
“Good. Now can you do me a favor?”
Dani handled problems better when she had something to focus her energy on. Somehow, she believed Claire would too. She dealt with her and Matt on a daily basis. She probably thrived on a similar energy.
“Anything”
She lifted the stack of papers she’d filled out. “Take these to the administration office. Let them know to contact me with any questions they have.”
“I can do that.” She took the papers and stood up. “Don’t forget to call Mr. Nettles.”
“Who is Mr. Nettles?” Ren asked as he walked in.
Dani stood and crossed the distance of the waiting room to stand in front of him. She searched his face for answers, but it remained passive. Damn it, she couldn’t tell anything from his blank expression. “How’d it go?”
“Relax.” He lifted his hand and rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to soothe her. “It went well and we’re hopeful. We won’t know if it was successful yet. He needs time to heal before we can remove the bandages.”
He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back with small soothing movements. Dani leaned into him and took the comfort he offered before she realized what she was doing. She jerked back once her brain caught up with her body’s instincts.
“Can I see him?”
> “In a little while,” he replied. His eyes squinted down at her with displeasure. “He’s in recovery. I’ll have a nurse let you know when he’s been moved to his room.”
He spun on his heels and stormed out of the waiting room.
What had she done? Whatever it was, she wanted to take it back. The way Ren was looking at her—it did funny things to her heart. The look of disappointment devastated her. She should be happy. Earlier she had been thinking about ways of distancing herself. Why did she have to have all these confusing and mixed feelings?
“Do you know Dr. Hottie?” Claire asked with a raised eyebrow.
Dani sighed. “We used to be friends.”
At one time she’d hoped they could be more than friends. Until she got scared. She watched relationships start and end badly while they were in high school. It ruined a lot of friendships. Dani had thought she was doing the right thing. A friend was forever. A boyfriend, lover, or husband wasn’t guaranteed. She could keep Ren in her life if she kept her feelings in check. Dani wasn’t sure if they could have ever been more than friends. It was her belief that a friendship would last and the other options would only lead to her losing him. She never once thought what it might do to her to watch him with another woman. Then Jessica had dumped her pregnancy on him and all of her insecurities no longer mattered. There was no decision to make, it’s been made for her.
If she could go back she might change things, before it’d been too late to do anything about it. And at least try and see if they had what it took to make it as a couple. She’d do it if it might make a difference. Sadly she didn’t think it would. What ifs didn’t change the outcome. All that mattered was what happened, there was no changing the past. The truth was that her plan to keep him in her life had backfired and she lost him anyway. He married Jessica and started a family with her. She didn’t have his friendship. It had been her choice. All of it had. She didn’t regret leaving without saying goodbye. Ren wouldn’t have allowed her to put distance between them any other way.
Their time had passed, and she couldn’t get it back. No amount of wishing would make it so. But the things she still remembered—watching him play baseball, the laughs around the bonfire, playing card at his parent’s house—those memories would always haunt her. Reflecting on how things could have been wouldn’t do her any good. She’d made her choices.
“It seems like you were more than friends.”
Dani’s gaze flew toward Claire’s. “You’re wrong. We were never more than the best of friends. I haven’t seen Ren since high school. We went our separate ways. He married his high school sweetheart and I met Matt.”
“But you and Matt really are just friends.” Claire placed her hand on Dani’s shoulder. “I recognize how a woman looks at a man she loves. I look at Matt the same way every day and he doesn’t see it. That’s how you look at the doctor.”
“Am I that obvious?” She’d thought she hid her feelings better.
Claire frowned. “Only to a woman who’s in a similar situation. If it helps, I didn’t see a wedding band on his finger. Are you sure he’s married?”
“No, and I’m not going to ask him.”
It’d be tantamount to asking him if he wanted to be with her. Dani wasn’t ready to open herself up to that kind of pain. Her heart was beginning to wake up, and her walls wanted to tumble down. One little push from him and they would crash around her. Until then, she would hold on tight to the edges and hope she survived this encounter.
“If you want my advice…”
“I don’t,” Dani interrupted her.
She laughed lightly. “You’re going to get it anyway.”
Dani rolled her eyes. Her assistant was getting cheeky. She didn’t say a word that would be encouraging, and it was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Matt’s in there fighting for his life. He could’ve died today.” Claire’s voice cracked as she spoke. “I’d have lost the chance to tell him how I feel about him. I’ve been foolish, and I’m not going to keep making the same mistakes.”
Claire should tell Matt she loved him. “You’re right. He needs to know.”
“Ren does too. The way he looked at you…” She paused and took a deep breath. “If Matt had just once stared at me with such intensity I never would’ve held in how I feel. That sexy doctor wants you. He may even need you. I don’t know what happened between you two, but you need to fix it.”
She was wrong, Ren didn’t want her, and never had. He might need her though. They were the best of friends once; maybe she should set her feelings aside and go to him. Whatever was going on in his life she could at the very least be his friend again. It wasn’t his fault she stupidly fell in love with him.
“I don’t think Ren wants me in the way you think.” Dani shrugged. “But I will think about what you said. I won’t make any rash decisions. In the meantime, go drop off that paperwork. I’ll call Mr. Nettles in the morning.”
Claire nodded. “Don’t avoid him. This is a mistake you can rectify if you let go of your fears. Trust me. I have them in spades myself.” She turned and left the room, leaving Dani with much to think about.
Who knew her assistant was so insightful? It was time to let go of all of her insecurities. She thought she had a long time ago. How wrong she’d been. One look from Ren and they came flooding back. Dani couldn’t admit how much she’d loved him or that he’d owned her heart, but she could once again be a friend he could lean on. She missed him so much over the years. It’d be good for her too to accept him as part of her life again.
Chapter Four
Ren set the files down he’d been studying and rubbed his hands over his face. The current lab reports on Matthew Price’s condition didn’t look promising. The surgery had gone well. He’d had high hopes for a complete recovery, but the lab reports suggested otherwise. It didn’t look like he would ever regain his vision. He dreaded giving the news to the patient, and to Dani. She’d appeared to have grown close to Matt over the years. The stream of jealousy flowing through his veins didn’t sit well with him. He had to set it aside and do what was best for his patient.
“Are you busy?”
Ren glanced up and groaned. The last thing he needed was to deal with his ex-wife. He preferred to never see her again. Unfortunately, she volunteered at the hospital on a regular basis. He was forced to see her every time she came for her scheduled shift. Not once had she thought to skip stopping by his office. When would she ever get the hint that he wanted nothing to do with her?
“I don’t have a lot of time, Jessica.”
“I understand,” she replied. She breezed into the office before he could object to her joining him. She sat down on the edge of his desk and leaned into him, lifting her hand to caress his cheek. “I know how busy you are. You can spare a few minutes for me though.”
He wanted to push her off his desk and watch her fine ass hit the floor. Jessica’s audacity knew no bounds. Their divorce was finalized over three months ago, their marriage over several months before that. She still believed she could win him back. Ren was done with her and her machinations.
“What do you want?”
“You know what I want.” Her lips formed a sultry pout. “That hasn’t changed. Not once.”
Yeah, he did know what her game was. She was upfront about her desire for them to rekindle their romance. He mentally snorted. What romance? They hadn’t had much of a relationship since she miscarried their child two years ago. Jessica had claimed she needed time to mourn the loss. Whenever he touched her she’d flinch. So he respected her wishes and buried himself in his work.
“That didn’t stop you from crawling into bed with Preston.”
His wife couldn’t stand his touch, but she had no problem sleeping with his friend and colleague. Make that his former friend. He hadn’t spoken to Preston since he found him fucking Jessica—in the bed Ren shared with her. At first Ren had stood there stunned, and then he couldn’t do anything but walk away. Jessica had
made her intentions clear. He wasn’t good enough for her. She didn’t want him to even touch her. Preston was her choice now, and if Ren were to be honest he’d been relieved. It gave him permission to give up on his marriage. He’d been miserable too long. Preston was another story though. A friend doesn’t screw around with your wife. How could he ever trust him again?
“It was the one time. I was lonely.” Her eyes welled up with tears. She always could get them to fall on demand. He was aware of all her tricks. “You worked so much. What did you expect me to do?”
As if Preston didn’t work as much as he did. Ren rolled his eyes. None of her excuses were worth a damn. Why couldn’t she see that?
“I expected you to be faithful and respect your wedding vows.” Why did he bother? Did this even matter anymore? “Please leave. I’m not rehashing this with you again. If you wanted me, you never would have pushed me away, and you sure as hell would never have had sex with my friend.”
“Don’t be cruel.” Tears fell down her cheeks. “You know what I was going through. When I lost…” Sobs spilled loudly from her mouth.
Ren cursed. She wouldn’t leave quietly. When had she ever? The only solution he had left was to comfort her or she’d never leave. It was all part of her plan to get him back. He knew it, she knew it, and yet they continued to play the game. He couldn’t see any way out. With a heavy sigh he stood up and pulled her into his arms.
“Losing the baby was hard on us both, but that isn’t an excuse to blow up our marriage and the life we built together.” He rubbed her back attempting to soothe her. Mustering up feelings of sympathy was the problem. He had none for her any longer. “It’s time to let it go and move on. You burned those bridges.”