The Surgeon's Cinderella

by Susan Carlisle

  A flash of heat went through Whitney at the thought.

  Boldly cupping her breast, Tanner said next to her lips in a voice that had turned rough with desire, “Then it’ll be time for us to shower for dinner. I’ll be glad to scrub your back.”

  * * *

  Tanner took Whitney’s hand and held it as they waited to fill their plates at the buffet dinner arranged in the grassy area surrounding the pool. She’d picked out a flowing blue-and-gray dress to wear and Tanner didn’t even think to complain. He knew well what was under it. A satisfied smile he couldn’t control came to his lips. They had celebrated just as he had suggested, to the point of exhaustion. Still he looked forward to taking her to bed later that night. Whitney was weaving a web around him that he wasn’t sure he could find a way out of.

  With plates filled, they were on their way to a table when his cell phone rang.

  “I’ll take that,” Whitney said, reaching for his plate, “while you answer that.”

  Tanner gave her his plate and walked off so he could talk privately. “Locke.”

  “Williams here.”

  Tanner knew the minute he heard his physician assistant’s voice that the call was important.

  “We believe we have a heart for Mr. Wilcox,” Williams said. “Won’t know for sure for a few more hours but things look good. Thought you might want to do this one.”

  “I’ll be there in an hour and a half. Keep me posted.” Tanner rang off. As he walked back toward where Whitney was already sitting at a table, she turned and looked at him with concern.

  She excused herself and met him. “Is everything okay?”

  “No, but it will be, I hope. They think we have a heart for Mr. Wilcox. I’ve got to go back to town.”

  “Of course you do. Let’s say our goodbyes to Malcolm and Marie. I can be packed in five minutes.”

  That’s one of the many things he liked about Whitney—she didn’t require convincing that his work was important. She understood and supported it. Other women he had dated had resented his job when it had interrupted their plans. His mother had certainly resented his father’s job.

  Less than ten minutes later he and Whitney were packed and going out the door of their room. Tanner stopped and looked back at the bed.

  “Did you forget something?” Whitney asked.

  “No, I was just thinking I had other plans for tonight.” For once he was the one hating the interruption.

  Whitney turned an appealing deep shade of red and headed down the hall.

  Marie saw to it that his car was waiting outside the front door. As a bellboy loaded their baggage Tanner said to Whitney, “I’m sorry but this time I think I should drive. I promise you next time. If one of us gets a ticket, I want it to be me.”

  “I understand.”

  They were pulling out onto the main road when Tanner’s phone rang. “I’ve got to get this.” He put in his earbuds, not waiting for Whitney’s response before he clicked the button.

  Over the next few minutes he listened and gave instructions as they sped through the countryside and then onto the four-lane road back to San Francisco. He drove fast but not carelessly.

  He rang off and glanced at Whitney. “I hope I’m not scaring you.”

  “No.” And she appeared at ease.

  “I hate it but I won’t have time to take you home. I’ll see that one of the security guards drives you.”

  “Would you mind if I stayed for the transplant? I think Mr. Wilcox needs someone in his corner. Maybe I could visit with him before he goes in.”

  Tanner glanced at her. “I think he’d like that.”

  A mile farther on his phone rang again and he spent the rest of the time on it with his team. Almost to the minute of the time he’d said he would arrive he eased into his parking space beneath the hospital. Whitney didn’t wait on him to come around and open her door. She was at the trunk when he opened it to remove her bags.

  “I’ll put these in my office so that you can get them before you go home. I won’t be leaving the hospital until I know that Mr. Wilcox is stable.”

  “I understand.”

  She walked beside him as they took the elevator up from the parking garage. They entered the hospital through a door that required him to swipe a card for it to open and rode another elevator up to the fifth floor. There they went down a couple of hallways and arrived at his office. Whitney waited outside as he set her bags inside the door and grabbed his lab coat.

  “Now we’ll go see Mr. Wilcox. He’ll be in his room for a little while longer. I’ll need to examine him then you may visit until I send someone to bring him to surgery.”

  “Will he be awake or will he have already taken some presurgery medicine?”

  “He might be groggy from premeds but he should be awake enough to know who you are.” Tanner started down the hall at a brisk pace. The retrieval team was on their way to get the heart. The clock was already ticking.

  “Either way, I’ll stay with him.” Whitney hurried along beside him.

  Soon they turned a corner and Tanner scanned his card again. Double doors opened. She followed him to the door of Mr. Wilcox’s room. Tanner donned a mask and pulled his stethoscope from his pocket. Without looking at her or saying anything, he entered the room and closed the door. Now wasn’t the time to think about what was happening between him and Whitney. He had a life to save.

  Whitney was leaning against the wall opposite the room when he came out. He pulled off the mask and dropped it into a garbage can. “You can go in now. I told him I had brought someone to keep him company. I’ve got to go.”

  “I know.”

  He hated to leave her this way but if he kissed her... His focus had to remain on what was going to happen over the next few hours.

  * * *

  Whitney watched Tanner’s long stride toward the double doors. He was a man on a mission. His shoulders were broad enough to carry the world. And he was about to do so with Mr. Wilcox’s life. What would it be like to have Tanner watching over her with such single-mindedness?

  They had shared far more than she had ever expected or anticipated. Tanner had opened up to her about his past. She was confident he didn’t make a habit of telling people about his parents. Whitney felt honored he trusted her that much. No wonder Tanner felt the way he did about relationships. He’d never seen a healthy one up close.

  But she knew what one looked like and that’s what she wanted. To love and be loved. To have that closeness that came from understanding and caring. They were fundamentally different. Tanner wanted a business deal and she wanted happily-ever-after.

  Whitney put on a mask then knocked lightly on Mr. Wilcox’s door. Unsure if he was strong enough to call to her to come in, Whitney pushed the door open slightly. The lights were low in the room and the only sound came from the oxygen machine. Mr. Wilcox’s eyes were closed. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. She started to back out the door.

  “Come in, young lady. It’s nice to see you again.”

  Whitney smiled and said softly, “It’s nice to see you too.” She entered and closed the door before going to his bedside. She stood so he could see her without straining his neck. “I hear you have a big evening planned.”

  “That’s what they’re telling me. What brings you around at this time of night and on a weekend?”

  “I was with Dr. Locke when he got the call about your heart.” That made it sound like she and Tanner were a couple. That was the furthest thing from the truth. They’d enjoyed each other’s bodies but there was no emotional attachment. “I thought you might like some company while you’re waiting to go to the operating room.”

  “That’s mighty nice of you. Pull up a chair.”

  Whitney tugged one of the bulky chairs around so she faced Mr. Wilcox and sat.
<
br />   “So what were you and Dr. Locke doing this evening that I interrupted?”

  Whitney was glad for the dim light to cover her blush. Making love everywhere they could. She couldn’t say that. Making love? That’s what she had been doing. Emotion was involved on her side. She was in love with Tanner. In love with a man who had no desire to love or be loved. She’d known better but there it was.

  Whitney finally managed to get out, “We were in Napa for the weekend.” One she would never forget.

  “I’m sorry that I messed it up.”

  “Hey, getting a new heart is a big deal. Well worth messing a weekend up for.”

  “You’re sweet. You remind me of my Milly. She always thought of others first. If she was here she would be holding my hand, telling me everything was going to be all right. She always saw the good side to everything.”

  “She sounds like a great person.”

  “She was.” He said it as if he were thinking back over the years.

  “Would you like me to hold your hand?” Whitney asked.

  “That would be nice. I know it isn’t very macho, but I’m a little scared.”

  Whitney pulled the chair closer to the bed. She took the thin hand of her new friend and held it gently. “That’s understandable.”

  Half an hour later a nurse came in and flipped on the overhead lights. “Mr. Wilcox, Dr. Locke is ready for you in the OR.”

  Whitney stood and pushed the chair away from the bed. “I’m going to say bye now. I’ll wait around and see how you’re doing. I’ll be by to visit again soon.” She leaned over and gave the man a kiss on the forehead.

  “And I’m going to look forward to dancing at your wedding.”

  That was an odd thing for him to say, especially since she’d said nothing about getting married, but she didn’t question his statement. Maybe his mind was fuzzy.

  The nurse gave her an odd look. “Dr. Locke said you could wait in the surgery waiting room on the first floor.”

  “Thank you,” Whitney told the nurse. “See you soon, Mr. Wilcox.”

  * * *

  Over the next few hours Whitney watched the weather channel on the TV in the waiting room, read a three-month-old magazine and dozed on and off, but otherwise remained anxious about what was happening in the operating room. She was concerned on two levels. Knowing what Mr. Wilcox meant to Tanner, she was sure he would take it hard if the transplant didn’t go well. Then there was her fondness for the older man as well. With her nerves in a jumble, she also paced the room.

  She’d been in the waiting room almost six hours when Tanner appeared at the door. He looked tired but it was wonderful to see him. He still wore his surgical cap and scrubs.

  Whitney hurried toward him. “How’s Mr. Wilcox?”

  Tanner smiled. “He’s in ICU and doing well.”

  Whitney hugged him and he returned it. “Now it’s time for you to go home. I’ll walk you to the front door and one of the security guys is going to drive you.”

  “What about you? You need to rest.” Guilt washed over her. He’d had to sleep on the small sofa the night before, had been up early for the balloon ride and when he could have napped more they had been making love. Tanner had had little rest because of her.

  He directed her toward the lobby door with his hand at her waist. “I’ll be fine. I’m used to this.”

  The security man was waiting when they arrived. “What about my bags?”

  “They’re already in the van.”

  She grabbed his arm. “You’ll let me know how Mr. Wilcox is doing?”

  “I’ll call you if there’s any change,” Tanner assured her. “Now go home and get some sleep.” He gave her a hug and kissed her forehead.

  By the time she was seated in the passenger seat of the hospital van Tanner had already disappeared. It was three in the morning and she paid little attention to what was going on around her on the way home. What had happened to her life? The one she understood? Tanner had entered it and spun it in a new direction. More than that, when he left, and he would, it would come crashing down. She was a woman in love who was destined for heartache.

  Love. Heaven help her but she had stepped over the line. She had to stop this now. Next time she saw Tanner she would return his fee and give him the name of another matchmaker. She couldn’t continue setting him up with other women. That would be more than her heart could take. Covering up her feelings would be impossible. If she told him now, maybe she would have a chance to recover, heal. But breaking it off would be the most painful thing she’d ever had to do.

  It. There was no it between them. They’d just enjoyed sex as far as Tanner was concerned. What was there to break off? As far as he was concerned it would be no big deal while her heart would be crumbling.

  * * *

  Most of the day had come and gone when there was a knock on her front door. Whitney answered it to find Tanner standing there. Wearing the jeans and shirt he’d gone to the hospital in, he looked haggard.

  “Hey,” he said.

  Concern gathered in her chest. “Is something wrong? Did something happen to Mr. Wilcox?”

  “No, he’s doing fine. Even asking when you’re coming to see him again.”

  Relief filled her. So why was Tanner there? “That’s good news.”

  “Can I come in?”

  “Oh, yeah. Sure.” She couldn’t turn him away now. Moving out of the entrance, she allowed Tanner to step in. He continued into the living room. Whitney closed the door and joined him.

  “You look like you should be at home, getting some rest. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

  “At this time of the day maybe a soda or an iced tea.” He was looking around the room as if evaluating it.

  She waited, unsure if he would appreciate her shabby-chic style.

  “Nice place. Comfortable. Like you.”

  Whitney wasn’t sure that was a compliment but it didn’t matter. Tanner would be gone from her life soon. “Thanks. I do have some iced tea made. Have a seat and I’ll get a glass for you.”

  Gone only minutes, she returned to find Tanner with his head resting against the sofa back sound asleep. He looked out of place on the pink rose-printed fabric that covered the sofa, yet in an odd way he seemed to belong there as well. Pulling the thin white curtains over the windows to keep the sun from beaming in, she then took the crocheted throw, which her grandmother had made, off a nearby chair and covered him. The man had earned his rest.

  She couldn’t resist placing a kiss on his cheek. It was nice to have him near.

  * * *

  Tanner woke to the smell of something delicious. When was the last time he’d had a home-cooked meal? His mother used to prepare them in the hope his father would be home to eat them. Which had rarely happened.

  Where was he? He looked at the blanket over him. Whitney’s. The entire place reflected her. Simple, floral and comfy. All the things he hadn’t had in his life until she’d come along.

  Sitting up, he stretched, trying to remove the kink from his back. He’d been almost as surprised as her that he’d turned up on her doorstep. After leaving the hospital he’d just needed to see her. Whitney was like a balm to his tired spirit. Getting to his feet, he followed the smell down a hallway with a multitude of pictures on the wall. Many of them must be members of her family.

  Humming, mixed with a song playing on the radio, came from the back of the house. He found Whitney standing in front of the kitchen sink. Her back was to him. Once again she wore a flowing dress but it was belted at the middle, giving her shape. The kitchen was yellow and had bright modern pictures of roosters on the walls.

  He leaned against the door frame and watched her for a minute. What would it be like to come home from a hard day to this scene? Somehow life would be better just being a p
art of it.

  A faster song filled the air and Whitney swung her hips to the music. She moved to the stove and must have seen him out of the corner of her eye. She turned. “Hey. Feeling better?”

  He started toward her. “A little, but I’ll be a lot better after this.” Tanner pulled her to him and his mouth found hers. She briefly returned his kiss then stepped back.

  Had something changed between them?

  “I need to check our supper. I thought you might be hungry.”

  Was that all there was to it? He wasn’t buying trouble until it came. “It smells wonderful. I’m starving. I’ve not had anything since we left the château.”

  “Really? That’s not good for you.”

  He liked her being concerned. “I’m used to it.”

  “I guess with your profession you would be, but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy.”

  “I’m sorry I had to dump you off with Security. I know that wasn’t a very gentlemanly thing to do.”

  Whitney held up a hand. “Stop apologizing for that. You had a more important job to do. I’m not so incapable that I can’t take care of myself.”

  She was so insecure about her body and so confident about other areas of her life. “Not everyone thinks that way.”

  “Then they’re wrong. Have a seat.” She indicated the table. “The lasagna is ready.”

  Tanner took a seat in front of a square wooden table already set with mismatched plates and crockery. A glass of iced tea was there as well.

  Whitney brought a steaming hot casserole dish to the table and placed it on a hot pad in the middle. She went back to the stove and returned with a basket of bread. She was half seated when she jumped up. “I forgot the salads.” She hurried to the refrigerator.

  She’d done all of this for him. He’d never dated anyone who showed they cared by cooking a meal. “You have gone to too much trouble. We could have gone out.”

  “I like to cook and don’t eat out much.” She put the salads beside their plates and then picked up his dinner plate and started spooning a portion of lasagna onto it. Placing it in front of him, she then put a small amount on her own.