Holly from the scrub room as she wheeled in a warmer.
Perfect timing. If Stacey had come two minutes earlier... Holly’s face swamped with heat, but she licked her lips, savoring the taste of his mouth. His touch had devastated her, left her gasping with shock and pleasure. Damn it. She already yearned for a repeat.
What had he said? He’d miss her? Why would he tell her that? Did he mean it?
Why would he kiss her again? Now. When she wanted to crush those budding feelings, when she needed to get their relationship back on a professional footing before it was too late? Before she lost her heart a second time to the man who’d once stepped on it without noticing.
She held Paulito tighter to her chest, seeking strength from the tiny infant to ignore his breathtaking, mind-boggling uncle.
Don’t give him your heart again, you fool .
Marc was a great colleague and a reliable friend. She closed her eyes, remembering he’d been an amazing lover at one time. But he hadn’t been a man who understood forever words. He lived day by day, enjoying his life as it came. If only she could learn to do the same.
Her stomach tightened. His absence would have helped her distance herself. Why on earth did he have to unsettle her inner calm with his unexpected kisses?
It was time for her rounds. She breathed deeply, trying to calm her racing heart. Getting busy with the little patients would keep her thoughts from wandering toward Marc. She put Paulito down in his isolette and crossed her arms, watching him for a moment. She should do her best to help Lydia’s baby.
But remember, this baby doesn’t belong to you . Don’t get too fond of him.
* * *
“Three-quarters of our staff was at the funeral home last night,” a nurse said.
“He’s holding up well, considering,” replied another nurse.
“I heard that Dr. Suarez is adopting the baby,” Stacey chimed in.
Sitting at the computer in the nurses’ station to enter data, Holly only lent a distracted ear to the comments flying around. Until she heard Marc’s surname. Her fingers froze on the keyboard. She typed a whole line of S s, shook her head and tried to remember the next sentence of her report.
“Someone said the new daddy was going to get married in Puerto Rico and give the baby a mother.”
Married? Marc married?
Fighting the lump that threatened to block her throat, Holly digested the information. She lowered her head and kept listening.
“Are you serious?”
A group of nurses flocked closer as the gossip stirred everyone’s interest.
“I may be wrong.”
“I can’t picture him married. Dr. Suarez, of all people.”
Knowing Marc as well as she knew him, Holly shared that wise opinion.
“Why not?” Jenna interjected. “This adorable baby needs a good mother. And not necessarily a Puerto Rican one.”
And Jenna wouldn’t hesitate to volunteer, of course.
Holly gritted her teeth. Damn it, he’d kissed her yesterday. Twice. Just before leaving and again to say good-bye.
“Here’s Dr. Guerlin. Maybe he knows something.” Stacey turned toward Chris. “Dr. Guerlin, have you heard anything about Dr. Suarez getting married?”
Holly glanced at the colorful basket of flowers adorning the countertop of the nurses’ station and took the deep breath she needed, inhaling the scent of roses, stargazer lilies, and peonies. She flexed her fingers on the keyboard, anxiously waiting for Chris’s answer.
“Yeah, Dr. Halsdale mentioned something. Apparently, things are done differently in Puerto Rico. Suarez’s grandmother may insist on a marriage to a local beauty. And who knows? She may have her way.” A lopsided grimace appeared on Chris’s mouth. “Marc, a husband and dad? It’s not the image he projects. But who can tell?”
“Did you hear that, Dr. Collier?”
“I heard.” Holly banged on the Backspace key several times. To no avail. This report was a string of gibberish. With a furious finger, she hit delete and surveyed the audience
Perfect timing. If Stacey had come two minutes earlier... Holly’s face swamped with heat, but she licked her lips, savoring the taste of his mouth. His touch had devastated her, left her gasping with shock and pleasure. Damn it. She already yearned for a repeat.
What had he said? He’d miss her? Why would he tell her that? Did he mean it?
Why would he kiss her again? Now. When she wanted to crush those budding feelings, when she needed to get their relationship back on a professional footing before it was too late? Before she lost her heart a second time to the man who’d once stepped on it without noticing.
She held Paulito tighter to her chest, seeking strength from the tiny infant to ignore his breathtaking, mind-boggling uncle.
Don’t give him your heart again, you fool .
Marc was a great colleague and a reliable friend. She closed her eyes, remembering he’d been an amazing lover at one time. But he hadn’t been a man who understood forever words. He lived day by day, enjoying his life as it came. If only she could learn to do the same.
Her stomach tightened. His absence would have helped her distance herself. Why on earth did he have to unsettle her inner calm with his unexpected kisses?
It was time for her rounds. She breathed deeply, trying to calm her racing heart. Getting busy with the little patients would keep her thoughts from wandering toward Marc. She put Paulito down in his isolette and crossed her arms, watching him for a moment. She should do her best to help Lydia’s baby.
But remember, this baby doesn’t belong to you . Don’t get too fond of him.
* * *
“Three-quarters of our staff was at the funeral home last night,” a nurse said.
“He’s holding up well, considering,” replied another nurse.
“I heard that Dr. Suarez is adopting the baby,” Stacey chimed in.
Sitting at the computer in the nurses’ station to enter data, Holly only lent a distracted ear to the comments flying around. Until she heard Marc’s surname. Her fingers froze on the keyboard. She typed a whole line of S s, shook her head and tried to remember the next sentence of her report.
“Someone said the new daddy was going to get married in Puerto Rico and give the baby a mother.”
Married? Marc married?
Fighting the lump that threatened to block her throat, Holly digested the information. She lowered her head and kept listening.
“Are you serious?”
A group of nurses flocked closer as the gossip stirred everyone’s interest.
“I may be wrong.”
“I can’t picture him married. Dr. Suarez, of all people.”
Knowing Marc as well as she knew him, Holly shared that wise opinion.
“Why not?” Jenna interjected. “This adorable baby needs a good mother. And not necessarily a Puerto Rican one.”
And Jenna wouldn’t hesitate to volunteer, of course.
Holly gritted her teeth. Damn it, he’d kissed her yesterday. Twice. Just before leaving and again to say good-bye.
“Here’s Dr. Guerlin. Maybe he knows something.” Stacey turned toward Chris. “Dr. Guerlin, have you heard anything about Dr. Suarez getting married?”
Holly glanced at the colorful basket of flowers adorning the countertop of the nurses’ station and took the deep breath she needed, inhaling the scent of roses, stargazer lilies, and peonies. She flexed her fingers on the keyboard, anxiously waiting for Chris’s answer.
“Yeah, Dr. Halsdale mentioned something. Apparently, things are done differently in Puerto Rico. Suarez’s grandmother may insist on a marriage to a local beauty. And who knows? She may have her way.” A lopsided grimace appeared on Chris’s mouth. “Marc, a husband and dad? It’s not the image he projects. But who can tell?”
“Did you hear that, Dr. Collier?”
“I heard.” Holly banged on the Backspace key several times. To no avail. This report was a string of gibberish. With a furious finger, she hit delete and surveyed the audience
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