The Heart (28 page)

One Month Later

“Now, this is the tricky part. We have to temporarily clip the blood source, which is where, Dr. Whittaker?”

I moved instead of responding, as I often did with McGuire, and was scolded. “I didn’t tell you to do it. I asked you to tell me the location. Do not ever make a move again without my say so, understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“McGuire said you were the best of his residents. The best he’s had in years.”

“That’s flattering, sir,” I said dryly as I waited for the punch line.

“I have half a mind to tell him what an ass he is with the move you just pulled.”

“Understood, sir, it won’t happen again.”

I stood for what felt like the millionth hour while Dr. Hanson berated me in front of the rest of the surgical staff. I was stiff and aching from endless hours at the table. Hanson was the biggest dick on the surgical staff. While McGuire was militant, Hanson was everything else: arrogant, rude, condescending.

“Marks,” Hanson barked at the other surgical resident assisting in today’s surgery. “Replace Whittaker at the table. She’s got an attitude problem.”

I didn’t bother with any defense. He was determined to do as much damage to my ego as possible and was getting no satisfaction. I’d already been hazed my first two years as a resident. There was very little I now took offense to.

“Whittaker, you’re dismissed,” he barked as he robbed me of my new number of finished surgeries. I took a step back and snapped off my gloves. “Let the record show that Whittaker left the OR at noon.”

I looked at the clock and kept my mouth closed. He’d not only robbed me of an additional hour and completed surgery. I decided to choose my battles and left the OR without a word. I hastily passed McGuire, who looked at me oddly but didn’t ask any questions. I was completely over it. I went to the bathroom to calm myself, taking up the handicapped stall, and managed deep relaxing breaths.

After a few minutes of silence, I walked down to the locker room, snagged my phone, and scrolled through, looking for some distraction or word from Jack.

Dallas: Annabelle is walking!! She’s not even a year old! Don’t forget we have interviews tomorrow.

I rolled my eyes at her tenth reminder. We had a day of interviews set up for our center’s staff. We had handpicked a majority of people fit to work at the center, and I was excited while Dallas was nervous.

My brother was next.

Paul: Remember how you wanted to spend quality time with the twins?

Enclosed was a picture of their living room covered in what looked to be flour. I let out a hearty laugh as I scrolled through, seeing picture after picture of their twin boys, both carrot tops, grinning from ear to ear, and thoroughly covered in the thick powder. I knew my mom would get a kick out of it so I forwarded the pictures along in case my brother didn’t think of it. The last text was another picture, this one from Jack. I hadn’t seen him since last Friday, and though we’d had several long phone conversations, I was getting anxious.

I opened the picture and shot off the toilet. It was a selfie of Jack sitting on his bike in front of Memorial. I raced through the lobby, my ass on fire, as at least three nurses tried to stop me. I made quick excuses, passing the buck without apology as I made my way outside. Jack was nowhere to be found. I looked at the picture again and noted the text was sent almost an hour ago.

Deflated, I walked back inside and sent him a message.

Rose: I missed you ☹

Jack: I’d hoped you would.

Rose: No, I mean I missed you being here.

Jack: Again, the result I was hoping for.

I groaned in frustration as he toyed with me.

Rose: I mean at the hospital.

“No you didn’t, beb. Look up.”

Cajun.

“Bonjou,” he said, knowing what his accent did to me. Six-feet-three-inches of gloriousness stood across from me in that hospital hall, and I didn’t pause my stride for a second as I collided into him with relief.

“Hi,” he whispered as I hugged him tightly to me. “Rough day?”

“The worst,” I said, beaming up at him, “but it isn’t now. You didn’t tell me you were coming!”

“So let’s make sure I’m hearing this right. You
did
, in fact,
miss
me,” he said, looking down at me with the same happy expression.

With quick thinking, I gripped his hand and led him to an empty conference room. As soon as the door shut, I was nailed to the back of it.

Lips, tongues, hands, limbs, it was all a blur as we kissed like we’d never see each other again. I was desperate for him, and it seemed him for me. After minutes of relentless assault, I pulled away with a smile.

“That smile was worth the drive.”

“You’re some kind of man, Jack, and yes I missed you,” I said as his comment hit me hard in the chest. “I don’t want to be Dr. Whittaker anymore today.”

He pressed a light kiss to my jaw and then cupped my face. “
Really
bad day.”

“Just an asshole using me as a verbal punching bag,” I admitted. “I really don’t get the ego trip of some doctors. It’s like good looks and no personality, so full of potential but completely worthless in the space they’re using and the air they’re breathing.”

Jack raised his brows. “Want to go take a few sips off our bottle and play technician?”

I nodded with a smile. “Please, get me the
hell
out of here.”

“Say no more,” he said with another soft kiss. “Got everything you need?”

“No, let me hit the locker room and I’ll meet you outside.”

Jack nodded as I opened the door and took leave of the room before him. I was on my way to tell McGuire that my last surgery was cut short when I heard him firing off at what I’d first thought was an intern. When I stopped at his door, I quickly learned different.

“You sabotaged my resident. Why, Hanson? Answer me.”

“She’s too confident and didn’t take direction well.”

“Bullshit,” McGuire barked. “She’s more capable than half of the staff and will be able to do your job better than you in half the time. I did you a favor by lending her to you for surgery but never again. From now on, you’ll get the less polished of my residents and maybe then you’ll be able to distinguish the difference.”

“Take it easy, McGuire, no one is bullying your resident.”

“Not from this moment forward, Hanson. I can promise you that. Your ego is unearned. You’re a decent surgeon, but you aren’t worth the trouble. I had to convince the board to keep you on last year. This year, I won’t raise a finger.”

“McGuire, calm down,” Hanson said with nervousness in his voice.

“I am calm,” he quipped with precision. “It is
you
who is starting to panic.”

I didn’t need to hear another word. I strode down the hall with a gangsta strut and met Jules in the locker room.

“Hey, baby!” I danced her around in circles with her pants halfway down as she pushed me off in irritation.

“The hell? Didn’t you just get your ass handed to you in surgery?”

“Yes!” I said with wide eyes and enthusiasm. “Are you the tattle?”

“Nope, it was the surgical tech, Christine.”

“Let’s take her out with us next time,” I said, still reeling and high.

“Yeah, sure,” Jules said, pulling on a t-shirt and giving me an odd look. “Considering we go out maybe twice a year, which annual event will we invite her to? What’s up with you?”

Realization crossed her features as she gave me a nod. “He’s back?”

“He’s outside,” I said, stuffing my backpack full of dirty scrubs and making sure I had everything I needed. “I’m on call tomorrow. Make sure they don’t call me.”

“And how the hell am I supposed to manage that?”

“You’re Jules, do your Juju,” I piped back as I headed toward the door. “I have a day full of interviews. I have to be home.”

“Uh huh,” she said suspiciously. “Okay, but if I don’t get a play by play—”

“Oh, you won’t,” I assured.

“Then what’s in it for me?”

“A job at my center making more than you will ever here, paid vacation, and holidays.”

Jules sat on the bench, almost missing it in her shock.

“You knew I would offer it, no interview necessary.” I winked as I walked out the door, backpack full and my feet way too heavy. “And don’t tell Jamie. I’m offering her the same next shift.”

I heard a hearty “I love you!” come from the locker room as I made my way down the hall and saw Dr. Hanson visibly cringe when I came into view. I gave him a Texas sized smile as I drifted past him and out the door. At the entrance, I looked up to see Jack perched on his bike and smiling in my direction. My stomach fluttered as elation hit me at the sight of him. All that there was to feel I felt for him, and with him. He’d become a need for me, a want, and a hope.

At that moment, I concluded that he deserved everything I had to give, and I would let him know the minute he let me.

Alive with excitement, I’d hastily agreed to ride with him, thinking I could handle the twenty minutes back to the center. My excitement turned into terror as we were narrowly missed by an SUV then hit a line of traffic passing a fatal accident. I stared at the battered vehicles as I gripped Jack to me and felt the terror race through my veins.

“Doesn’t look good,” I heard Jack note as I remained frozen and plastered to his back. His voice was distant, and I wanted nothing more than to beg him to pull over, but fear overtook me and soon we were back on the dangerous stretch of highway. No amount of breath play or thought change could erase the budding panic inside me. I was in a full-fledged attack as we made it the last few miles to the center. Once parked, I quickly dismounted the bike, tore off my helmet, and threw it on the grass next to Jack’s foot.

“I don’t ever want you on this damned thing again,” I declared with authority. “Ever!”

“Kind of hard to take you seriously when you look like Don King, baby.” Jack chuckled as he pointed to my roof of frazzled hair. I pulled the ratted mess into a bun and went back in as he put the kickstand down and joined me on the sidewalk.

“Jack, I’m begging you,” I said seriously. “You can have my car. Please don’t ride that thing anymore, at least not on I-20 or I-35 or 635 or anywhere. God, I
hate
it.”

“As I recall, that bike has been nothing but good to you,” he joked.

Chest pounding, I didn’t so much as blink until I was sure he could see just how serious I was.

“I’m asking you as your... whatever I am to you, not to ride that bike here anymore. And if you care about me, ever.”

“You’re really serious?” he asked, finally noting the panic on my face.

“I am. I won’t ask for anything else from you, I promise. I can’t handle it.”

“You can ask me for anything you want,” he assured me, looking back at his bike. “If that’s the way you really feel—”

“It is,” I said with finality. “I’m sorry. I know it’s a lot to ask.” I studied his face as my heart continued to pound out of control. Jack studied me right back with confusion, and I stepped forward again to plead my case, but he stopped me.

“Go on in,” he said with slight irritation in his voice. “I’ll come in. Just give me a few.”

“Please don’t be mad at me,” I said, insecure for the first time I might have crossed a line.

“Go on.” He nudged me toward the door, and I went in reluctantly.

“Jack—”

“Baby, go!” he said with an impatience I’d never heard from him.

I felt completely crazy as I made my way in and crossed the lobby, looking for my family. They were all huddled around a large conference table and looked up to greet me with smiles. My mother was the only one to notice my ill ease.

“Rose, come walk with me. I want to show you something,” my mother urged as she guided me back through the door I’d just entered.

“Mom, we have a thousand prep questions to write down,” Dallas said with a squeak.

“Don’t blow a gasket, Martin,” she snapped back in warning. “I’ll have her back in five minutes.”

My mother led me past the reception area and into the newly finished arboretum. I looked around in wonder at the large plants surrounding us, my gaze landing on the huge fountain Dallas had made sure was a part of our blueprints. It was her only real request when it came to the building, and I knew why. Water was her calming element, and I looked to it, trying to allow its calming effect to work on me.