Daddy On Call

He tugged gently at a red lock of hair. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that. I’m too set in my ways.”

“Yeah, well thanks for being honest and up-front about it. I appreciate that.”

He let the curly strand go, losing the fleeting connection that reflected the intimacy they’d shared for a couple of weeks.

At first, Bethany had claimed she wanted a no-strings-attached affair, too. But as they spent more time together, she began to press for more, so Luke ended things.

Some men might have let it go on longer, but he’d learned a lot of things from Harry Logan, especially the meaning of integrity. Life was far less complicated when people were honest with each other.

“Will you mention to the night-duty nurse that I’d like to know if there’s any change in her condition?”

Bethany nodded. “Sure.”

Luke tossed her a thanks-for-understanding smile, then turned and left the ICU. He headed to the waiting room, where he expected to see Leilani. Maybe this time, he’d get a chance to tell her what he’d meant to say before.

When he paused in the doorway, he found her seated on the sofa, her shoes kicked off and on the floor, her bare feet tucked under her.

“Isn’t it time for you to be heading home?” he asked.

At the sound of his voice, Leilani looked up, uncurled her legs and quickly slipped on her shoes. “Sorry. I got a bit too comfy.”

“Good. You spend enough time here that you ought to make yourself at home.” He shot her a grin. “In fact, why don’t you come with me to the cafeteria? I’ve got a couple of minutes before I have to head to work.”

“Thanks, but I can’t.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I heard Dr. Wofford is going to be making his rounds soon, and I want to be here when he does.”

Something rigid inside him warmed and waffled, and he took a seat beside her.

“Is this all normal?” Leilani asked.

Luke didn’t want to tell her there was a chance Carrie wouldn’t wake up. Leilani was worried enough, and he didn’t want to add a stress about something that might not present itself.

He went on to explain some of the medical tests and treatments in layman terms. She seemed to appreciate the time he spent with her. More than once, he wanted to reach out to her, to take her hand, but he didn’t want to force an intimacy they no longer had.

Luke had never gotten the chance to tell her how sorry he’d been that Kami had died. And a part of him wondered if he’d ever be able to find forgiveness in her eyes.

He could understand why he might not.

Her brother’s death had been devastating, the details ugly. The poor kid had been young and as innocent as they came. When his death had been declared drug-related, it had cast a sordid cloud over his memory and had shamed his religious family.

Of course, Luke wouldn’t bring any of that up now, not at the hospital. Instead he would drive by her aunt’s house on his next day off and talk to her there.

Assuming, of course, that her aunt no longer had the shotgun she’d threatened to fire at him if he ever showed up at her door again.

Chapter Three

The next morning, when his shift ended, Luke stopped by the ICU again, and the fact that he did bothered him more than ever.

Why couldn’t he let Leilani go?

Damned if he knew. He might be a doctor, but he sure as hell didn’t know the first thing about curing a worn-out case of puppy love. Or whatever it was he still felt for his old lover.

Sympathy maybe?

A misplaced sense of loyalty?

After checking in on Carrie and hearing the latest, he went by the waiting room, only to see that Leilani wasn’t there. A sense of disappointment settled over him, which he found even more annoying.

He ought to be happy she was taking care of herself and getting some rest. That’s what he should be doing.

On the way out of the hospital, he walked through the lobby and kept his eyes peeled for Leilani on the outside chance she would be coming while he was going. And, much to his relief, he spotted her just outside the glass doors.

She wore a pale-yellow sweater and a pair of black jeans today. Her hair was loose and curled under at the shoulders. When she cast a friendly grin at the ladies dressed in matching pink smocks and seated at the information desk, greeting them warmly, he realized she was not only as lovely as ever, but she was just as kindhearted.

When her gaze landed on him, his pulse skipped a beat, then rumbled to life.

Strange how she could still have that effect on him.

As she drew nearer, he noted dark circles under her eyes.

“I was hoping you’d stayed home last night, but something tells me you didn’t get much rest.”

She shrugged a shoulder and offered him a shy hula-girl smile. “You’re right. I didn’t sleep well.”

He wasn’t sure where he wanted to go with that, since she was certainly able to determine her needs on her own. But neither could he completely ignore her statement. “Are you staying with your aunt?”

“Yes, we’ve been…” She cleared her throat. “I’ve been visiting her, and we’ve been catching up.”

“Does she still live at the Eberly Arms? From what I remember, it used to get pretty loud there.”

“It’s not so bad anymore, but last night Aunt Addie had a spell that worried me. So I woke up periodically to check on her.”

Unable to quell his curiosity—professional or otherwise—he asked, “What kind of spell?”

“She has diabetes and her blood sugar level dropped. It took me a while to figure out she needed a glass of orange juice.”

“Is she under regular medical care?”

Leilani nodded. “Yes, but since I arrived I’ve noticed that she gets a little…forgetful sometimes. I’m afraid she might not be checking her sugar level regularly or taking her insulin properly. So I have her doctor’s number and plan to give him a call once his office opens.”

They stood there awhile, sexual attraction—at least on his part—buzzing and sparking like a high voltage wire downed by a storm. Her scent, something floral and springtime fresh, mingling with buzzing pheromones, drew him to her. He tried his best to ignore it, but he wasn’t having any luck.

“Now I have another reason to stick around for a while,” she said, “so I called my office this afternoon and requested a leave of absence. I’m going to stay with Aunt Addie until I can be sure she’s following her doctor’s orders and until Carrie recovers.”

Luke didn’t mention that the jury was still out on Carrie’s full recovery. “By the way, I’m not sure if you’ve heard. Her boyfriend was arraigned and charged with attempted murder.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“There’s also been talk about taking the baby early,” Luke added, revealing what he’d learned earlier.