When he’d spotted her at the party last month, vibrant and appealing, he’d felt oddly energized by her spirit. This sweet young thing didn’t deserve his usual post-divorce routine of hard work, easy loving, then saying goodbye. Now, with Patrick living with him, those days were officially over. He’d changed for his son’s sake, and he didn’t need a woman complicating things between the two of them. So why was he parked outside of a clinic in a bad part of town, looking forward to taking her for a drink?
Maybe because something more than sex had passed between Bethany and himself. It had started with a shock of a kiss that had reached inside and grabbed him. The electricity had been so fierce that he’d considered checking to make sure they hadn’t been standing in water. Later, short-circuit sparks had turned into an all-out fire when
He gave an ironic laugh. Wasn’t it just like life to dump the first woman in ages he’d really been intrigued by into his lap after he’d promised to be the father Patrick had never had but always deserved? And if he and Bethany did click tonight, how was he supposed to handle dating and Patrick?
He sat in the darkness of his car and watched a group of five young adults leave the clinic in a straggly line. Their clothes ran the gamut from black, gauzy gothic to pullover preppy sweater to the new retro 1980s rock-star hairstyle, wrinkled Tshirts and skin-tight jeans. What was little Miss Florence Nightingale up to? And why did he find her so damn intriguing?
He hopped out of the car and crossed the street to meet her in the lobby. Her slim figure appeared in the foyer just as he reached the front door of the clinic. The bright fluorescent glow threw a halo around her soft honey-colored hair. He let out an amused chuckle at the image. She’d acted anything but angelic the night they’d met.
Instead of smiling when he approached, her eyes widened and she took a deep breath before she locked up the office. She didn’t exactly look happy to see him.
Beth was the first to speak. “Feel like taking a walk? It’s probably beautiful at the beach tonight.”
“What happened to ‘Hi, honey, I’m home. How was your day?” ’
She gave him the requisite brief laugh for his sorry attempt at humor, but she still looked anxious. And it was beginning to rub off on him.
On impulse, he tugged her close and pecked her on the cheek. “Hi, honey, I’m home.” He inhaled her scent, peaches and vanilla, good enough to eat, then led her out the front door. “Would you rather take a walk than have a drink?”
“Well…” Looking flustered from the kiss, she brushed hair away from her face. “We could stop at the corner store and buy a couple of sodas and do both.”
They crossed the street. He opened the door and held it for her as she slid into the passenger seat. “I don’t want to accuse you of being cheap, but you’re easy on the pocketbook, Bethany. Not that I’m complaining.” He circled the car and got inside.
“It’s been a stressful week. I’m just thinking I could use a walk, if you don’t mind.” So far she’d managed to evade making eye contact with him.
“Whatever the lady wants. The sea breeze might do me some good, too.” He started the engine, liking the idea of a sultry beach walk with Bethany. Maybe it would help her shake those tense vibes she was giving off.
He pulled out from the curb into the boulevard bustle. Headlights from oncoming traffic illuminated the interior of the car and he glimpsed her expressive almond-shaped eyes watching him. She definitely looked anxious and quickly looked away. As she hadn’t said another thing, he’d start things off with small talk. “So, what do you do at the clinic?”
She cleared her throat. “Two nights a week, I’m an STD counselor for teenagers.”
He sputtered a laugh. Just his luck, she was a sexually transmitted disease counselor, and she’d probably preach about it nonstop. “A safe sex crusader, are you?”
“I do my best.”
“Does anyone listen?”
“Sometimes.”
“Is that enough?” Hmm. She’d probably just come from the clinic that Friday night last month, too. They’d used protection, and she’d been the one to produce it.
“Enough? It has to be. They sure don’t pay me much.” She smiled. “This counseling job comes with small rewards, not huge successes.” She tossed him a brief, resigned glance and returned to looking out of the passenger window.
Had he done something wrong? He liked the way things had started out between them at the party. Though he hadn’t exactly been a gentleman where Bethany was concerned, tonight he’d planned to begin making up for it, if she’d give him a chance.
Silence filled the car until he thought he would suffocate. Not a great way to start. Gavin opened the window and hung his elbow outside, letting a fresh rush of air in. It was probably time to acknowledge the giant elephant between them in the car. They’d had sex. Great sex.
“Good thing I wore protection that night.”
She barely gave him a chance to finish his sentence. “You have to understand, what we did was crazy and totally unlike me.”
He gave her a wry smile. “I liked you just fine. And for the record, that was way out of character for me, too.” He tried to keep his eyes on the road, but sensed something was terribly wrong with his date.
She made a pitiful attempt at a smile.
OK. She felt guilty.
Was there something she wasn’t telling him?
The hair on his neck prickled.
Gavin drank cola and walked at arm’s length from Bethany along the damp shoreline sand. The night was brisk with a pungent algae scent, typical of the Pacific Ocean in April. Beth had loosened up a bit, though their conversation after the hot topic had reverted to being superficial and safe.
Gavin gazed at the sky, a vast, thick blanket of black with thousands of pinprick stars. He threw a seashell at it, as if trying to make contact with the heavens.
“If you ruled the world, Bethany…” His voice tore at the silence between them. “What would be different?”
She stopped in her tracks, took a long draw on her soda, and thought for a moment. “Teenagers would think twice before jumping between the sheets with the first hot guy or girl they met, and I’d practice what I preach.”
OK, so she’d just come from work, and loud and clear he’d gotten the message. Gavin finished his drink and crushed the can.
What had happened to the Bethany Caldwell he’d met last month? She hadn’t been kidding when she’d said it had been a fluke. Suddenly Gavin needed a real drink. He’d have to work extra hard if he wanted a second chance with Bethany. “Listen, there’s a beach bar up the way. What do you say to a couple of daiquiris?” He flashed his most persuasive grin.
“Actually, I’ve sworn off daiquiris, and all alcohol in general.”
A cold breeze picked up from the shore. So she wasn’t about to make herself vulnerable again. He could live with that. He really didn’t have time for dating anyway. He’d take her back to her car and kiss her goodbye, for good.
“But I could use a nice cup of herbal tea.”
And he could use a beer.
After the herbal tea comment, she gave him a smile so fine he almost tripped in the sand. What was he supposed to do with a woman who managed to steal his composure and change his plans with just one look?
An hour and one cup of tea later, Beth sat gazing into the deep-brown eyes of one rugged and frustratingly appealing man. He’d pulled out all stops, insisting on charming her out of her foul mood. She rested her chin in the palm of her hand and flirted with a man who not only excited and frightened her but who’d managed to knock her up on the first try. How the hell was she supposed to tell him?
“Patrick and I are getting to know each other all over again. I have to kick myself for not being there more for him when he was younger. I was always so distracted with work. I guess I left a lot up to his mother.”
She nodded, happily amazed he’d give her such personal information so soon.
“At first I was
angry when Maureen took off and left him with me. Sounds selfish, huh?”
“Maybe a little.”
“She insisted on full custody when we divorced. I fought like hell against it, but I didn’t have enough confidence to think I could handle a six-year-old on my own. Now, after three years, she suddenly changes her mind and
Speaking of disrupted lives, could her pregnancy timing be any worse? Just when the man was renewing his relationship with his son, she’d have to drop a pregnancy bomb on him. It was painfully clear how much Patrick needed him now. But if she didn’t miscarry, wouldn’t she need Gavin, too?
“Now,” he said, “I think it’s the best thing that could have ever happened. I love having him around.”
“He’s a great kid, and you seem like a good father.”
His intense gaze softened. She liked the way the corners of his eyes crinkled when his smile stretched to a grin.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He put his hand on hers. “For the record, Patrick thinks you’re ‘neat’.”
“Neat?” she repeated, feeling warmly flattered. “You talked about me?”
“Oh, yeah. He thought it was ‘totally cool’ how you passed out.” He gently stroked her thumb. “I think you’re ‘neat’ too.”
Every bit of his body language screamed, Male! She’d felt it firsthand five weeks ago when he’d taken her in his arms and kissed her stupid. From his salt and pepper brown hair to his straight, strong nose, to his broad shoulders and strong hands, the man oozed testosterone. She could practically smell it. Cutting herself some slack, she admitted she hadn’t stood a chance of resisting him that night.
A waitress interrupted Beth’s borderline gawking. “More tea?”
“Oh, no, thanks. Not for me.”
Following her lead, Gavin gestured for the check. He
Beth had never been more enraptured than that night with Gavin. In her heart she’d always known she wasn’t the ice goddess her ex had insisted she was. It had just been a matter of finding the right man, and Gavin had undeniably discovered her secret flame. He’d rocked her world, opening up all kinds of new possibilities. It was about time she had the chance to enjoy a satisfying physical relationship with a man. With Gavin. But now she was pregnant. And he was grappling with being a single dad. Their timing couldn’t have been worse.
The dim light dappled his masculine smile in deep creases, accentuating the cleft in his chin and making him all the more appealing.
She worried about how he might want to handle their “situation”. But where the baby was concerned, she’d be in total control. A burst of panic clutched her stomach and sent it spinning. She gazed back into his enticing eyes and momentarily forgot what she’d been worrying about.
They sat awkwardly grinning at each other until the waitress brought the check. He paid then reached for her hand as they walked to the parking lot. She let him weave their fingers together. The feel of his palm against hers was exciting.
Gavin led her to the car and let go of her hand. A subtle unspoken promise from the bar became reality when he reached for her face. Skipping any more small talk, he kissed her, holding her close. Forgetting every promise she’d made about never kissing Gavin again until he knew, Beth welcomed him. She grew lightheaded and weak at
He quickly progressed to hard, deeper kisses and she matched each one with surprising hunger. Gavin walked her backward and leaned his full weight into her, pressing her against the side of the car. His body felt solid and hot. She nuzzled his neck, savoring the feel of his skin as a musky masculine smell made her want to taste him. Everywhere.
The flow of traffic from the nearby boulevard competed with the sound of the high tide across the road. She felt his heart pounding against her chest, amazed that she had caused such a riot. All those extraneous sounds faded away.
He kissed her again and she lost every thought.
Just once more. She’d be with him one more time then she’d tell him.
His hands dropped from her shoulders. He stepped back. Confusion and passion battled in his stare. “Look what you do to me. What am I going to do with you?”
Riding the sensual rush, she couldn’t get her mouth to form a single word. He leaned beside her, rubbed her arm and looked deeply into her eyes as though ready to say something more.
His cellphone blared an annoying familiar jingle.
Beth jumped. It rang again.
“Dr Riordan.” He sounded as though he’d just run a mile. He listened for a few seconds and gave a deep sigh, then swallowed. “OK, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Gavin folded up the cellphone, backed away, and regretfully
Beth remembered to breathe. The ER waiting room wasn’t the only thing ready to burst at the seams. She attempted to recover her composure and fussed with her hair. She’d been saved from herself. The moment of passion had passed, signaled by a cool descending curtain of reality. Work. Responsibilities.
Pregnancy.
But he still deserved to know about her condition. A sudden rush of nerves made her fingers go into spasm as she pulled her sweater together and buttoned it. Tell him now.
After two miscarriages, something held her back. As much as it would pain her, maybe history would repeat itself, and she’d never have to let Gavin know.
“I guess you should drive me to my car, then.”
“Bethany.” Gavin placed his hand on hers to prevent her from getting any farther away. The touch burned.
Gavin brushed her lips again, slowly luring her back into a trance. He pressed his forehead to hers. “Have dinner with me tomorrow night?”
She hesitated. “I…I can’t.”
Gavin looked confused and in need of an explanation. “No” couldn’t have been a word he was used to hearing. But this craziness had to stop. She couldn’t keep seeing him, wanting him, without telling him. He was trouble,
“I promised my mother I’d fill in for her at the Hollywood soup kitchen.”
He smiled. “That’s an excuse I’ve never heard before.”
“It’s true. She’s been working there on Saturday nights for years, since my father died. I used to help out all the time until I took the teen clinic job. My mother’s arthritis has been acting up—the least I can do is help her out tomorrow night.”
He studied her with intelligent eyes and lifted a single doubtful brow. “Maybe I’ll stop by. Patrick isn’t coming home until Sunday afternoon.” He opened the car door and helped her inside before she could protest. He closed the door and walked to the driver’s side.
So Gavin Riordan was determined to see her again. An odd flutter of satisfaction confused her, but she still hadn’t told him about the pregnancy. Things were bound to change once she did.
After a silent drive, Gavin delivered Beth back to the clinic and her car. He leaned across the seat and kissed her one last smoldering time, said goodbye and, once again, left her breathless and completely shaken.
Once safely inside her car, she watched him drive into the night toward the rolling sounds of the high tide as waves crashed onto the shore.
She’d skipped her chance to tell him her news. It had been on the tip of her tongue so many times. She knew she
Could things get any more complicated? He seemed like such a regular guy when he’d opened up. They definitely had chemistry, and it would be a shame not to get to know him better. But why bother when he wouldn’t ever be able to give her what she’d wanted more than anything—marriage and a family of her own? He’d already had both.
It was clear he needed to give all of his attention to his son. Patrick deserved no less. But didn’t he have the right to know about her baby? If she told him, it would change everything. And if she miscarried again, the damage to their new relationship would already be done. Maybe she shouldn’t tell him just yet.
A sudden thought popped into her head. Her test was in the hospital computer. All he had to do was look her up.
What if he found out before sh
e told him?
CHAPTER FOUR
AT THREE o’clock in the morning, Gavin stood before his fifteenth patient. He had already diagnosed a silent MI, admitted a patient with a colitis flare-up, summoned the police for suspected spousal abuse for another, tended to the survivor of a traffic accident, and delegated the broken bones and lacerations to his PA and newest resident.
He hadn’t been the only extra person called in. Carmen had been, too, and he had been grateful for her presence over the past few hours. Divorced with an empty nest, she was always willing to go the extra mile for the ER. Now, with yet another case, he asked for Carmen’s assistance with the procedure.
A seventy-six-year-old patient had been brought in with a huge abdomen. The chart indicated that the patient had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer three months ago, it had metastasized to his liver, and the decreased liver function had caused a build-up of fluid in his belly, known as ascites.
Gavin had seen the skeleton-thin man with a stomach the size of a watermelon hobble into the emergency room, assisted by his equally frail wife. The man was hardly
“Did my nurse explain this procedure to you before you signed the consent, Mr Ingersoll?”
The stoic senior solemnly nodded his head. Gavin gingerly assisted the man onto his side near the edge of the gurney.
Carmen pushed a stainless-steel surgical stand with all of the needed equipment toward Gavin then placed several large evacuation jars on another table. She handed him a package of sterile gloves and seemed to read his mind, offering each sterilized item for his use before he had the chance to ask. They worked well together.
After numbing the area, Gavin inserted a needle into the patient’s flesh, puncturing the skin and entering the abdominal cavity just enough to reach the fluid build-up. It drained through the tube, pink and frothy.
He looked at the man and smiled into dark sunken sockets where he suspected bright eyes had once dwelt. “We may need to drain several bottles from the look of your abdomen, Mr Ingersoll.”
Pregnant Nurse, New-Found Family Page 4