life. He died a month before I gave birth to Alexis in a horrible car accident. I don’t know if I can ever be in a relationship again. It’s just me and Alexis now. I have to make her my priority.”
Ben’s eyes changed from worry to sympathy. She hated that look. “Kayley,” he started, “I’m so sorry. I don’t usually do things like this, but when I saw you, I just felt this connection I can’t explain. You barely even looked at me, which was actually nice,” he paused, laughing a little to himself. “Since that second, I can’t stop thinking about you. I don’t know anything about you except your name and that you have a precious little girl that you love more than life, but I want to get to know you.”
He crouched next to her again as Alexis woke up, lifting her big eyes to Ben and then to Kayley.
“Hey, sweet girl,” Kayley crooned. Alexis noticed the monkey in her arms and squealed in delight. Ben smiled at her reaction to his gift, and he met Kayley’s eyes again. “Ben,” Kayley started again. “Thank you. For helping save Alexis’ life, for her little stuffed monkey, for your kind words. I just can’t do it right now, if ever again. I’m sorry.” With that, Kayley stood up and laid Alexis in the crib to change her diaper, purposely avoiding looking at him again because her heart was screaming at her mind that she was stupid. She knew if she looked at him again and felt that buzz of electricity shoot up her spine, she would take it all back.
Ben put his hands on her shoulders, immediately causing a spark to travel throughout her body. It was all she could do not to gasp out loud at the visceral reaction her body was having. “I understand, Kayley. I’m very sorry for your loss. I just knew I had to come and talk to you before you walked out of this hospital and I never saw you again.”
Kayley’s eyes brimmed with tears once again, but for a different reason. She found herself saying, “In Loving Hands Therapy Center.” She wanted to rewind the words out of her mouth once they came out.
“What?” Ben asked from behind her. She still couldn’t turn to face him, but she repeated what she said, not sure what in the world she was doing.
“I’m a physical therapist at In Loving Hands Therapy Center. You could find me there.”
Ben watched Kayley walk down the hallway, holding Alexis tightly while carrying a small duffel bag with their things from the hospital. What he just did was completely out of his character, but he couldn’t stop himself from doing it. When she had left the ER and been brought to the PICU, he had intentionally found reasons to come visit and check on Alexis’ chart. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but having seen Kayley, something stirred in him that he hadn’t felt in a long time. She was attractive, yes, probably one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. But that was not what it was. He was drawn to her like a moth to a flame.
When he had crouched next to her while she was rocking Alexis, it had been all he could do to root himself in place and not touch his lips to hers. The electricity he had felt in that moment was enough to short circuit all the machines in the hospital room. She had to feel it too, he thought, running his hand through his hair. She wouldn’t have told him where to find her if she hadn’t felt something , right? A small smile played on his lips, bringing out the dimples in his cheeks.
He realized he was still standing in the same place, watching where Kayley had since gotten onto the elevator and left the hospital. He blew out a big breath and turned to walk down the hallway when he practically ran into the girl that had been with Kayley in the ER.
A wide smile played on her lips as she recognized him. “Dr. Nichols, right?” she said, looking into the room where Kayley had been with Alexis and realizing that he was standing right outside it.
“Yes,” he said, keeping eye contact even though he
Ben’s eyes changed from worry to sympathy. She hated that look. “Kayley,” he started, “I’m so sorry. I don’t usually do things like this, but when I saw you, I just felt this connection I can’t explain. You barely even looked at me, which was actually nice,” he paused, laughing a little to himself. “Since that second, I can’t stop thinking about you. I don’t know anything about you except your name and that you have a precious little girl that you love more than life, but I want to get to know you.”
He crouched next to her again as Alexis woke up, lifting her big eyes to Ben and then to Kayley.
“Hey, sweet girl,” Kayley crooned. Alexis noticed the monkey in her arms and squealed in delight. Ben smiled at her reaction to his gift, and he met Kayley’s eyes again. “Ben,” Kayley started again. “Thank you. For helping save Alexis’ life, for her little stuffed monkey, for your kind words. I just can’t do it right now, if ever again. I’m sorry.” With that, Kayley stood up and laid Alexis in the crib to change her diaper, purposely avoiding looking at him again because her heart was screaming at her mind that she was stupid. She knew if she looked at him again and felt that buzz of electricity shoot up her spine, she would take it all back.
Ben put his hands on her shoulders, immediately causing a spark to travel throughout her body. It was all she could do not to gasp out loud at the visceral reaction her body was having. “I understand, Kayley. I’m very sorry for your loss. I just knew I had to come and talk to you before you walked out of this hospital and I never saw you again.”
Kayley’s eyes brimmed with tears once again, but for a different reason. She found herself saying, “In Loving Hands Therapy Center.” She wanted to rewind the words out of her mouth once they came out.
“What?” Ben asked from behind her. She still couldn’t turn to face him, but she repeated what she said, not sure what in the world she was doing.
“I’m a physical therapist at In Loving Hands Therapy Center. You could find me there.”
Ben watched Kayley walk down the hallway, holding Alexis tightly while carrying a small duffel bag with their things from the hospital. What he just did was completely out of his character, but he couldn’t stop himself from doing it. When she had left the ER and been brought to the PICU, he had intentionally found reasons to come visit and check on Alexis’ chart. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but having seen Kayley, something stirred in him that he hadn’t felt in a long time. She was attractive, yes, probably one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. But that was not what it was. He was drawn to her like a moth to a flame.
When he had crouched next to her while she was rocking Alexis, it had been all he could do to root himself in place and not touch his lips to hers. The electricity he had felt in that moment was enough to short circuit all the machines in the hospital room. She had to feel it too, he thought, running his hand through his hair. She wouldn’t have told him where to find her if she hadn’t felt something , right? A small smile played on his lips, bringing out the dimples in his cheeks.
He realized he was still standing in the same place, watching where Kayley had since gotten onto the elevator and left the hospital. He blew out a big breath and turned to walk down the hallway when he practically ran into the girl that had been with Kayley in the ER.
A wide smile played on her lips as she recognized him. “Dr. Nichols, right?” she said, looking into the room where Kayley had been with Alexis and realizing that he was standing right outside it.
“Yes,” he said, keeping eye contact even though he
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