Assignment: Baby. Lynne Marshall
close put him off balance. “And I’ve got an hour’s drive home.”
She scratched her cheek and shifted her weight back and forth. “Right. Have you made childcare arrangements?”
He shook his head. “It’s going to be traumatic enough for Sophie not to have Jade around. I can’t bring myself to drop her off anywhere with strangers. My medical assistant and I have been working things out at the Mercy clinic.”
She nodded and lifted her chin. “Then we’ll just have to do our best to work around Sophie, too, I guess.”
Their eyes locked in benign accord. “Thanks for understanding.”
“No problem,” she said, and quickly glanced down. “Jade was my friend, too.”
But as far as Hunter was concerned, he did have a problem. A major problem. The very thought of being around Mandy day in and day out, with all the memories, concerns and longings it would dig up, made the monumental task of single-handedly caring for Sophie feel like a mere stroll in the park.
CHAPTER TWO
AMANDA glanced at the clock on the wall of the tightly packed office. Two desks had been crammed into a space that had once been an exam room. She and Hunter would be painfully close in here but would have to make do, since she’d go to any length for the heart study and her article. She could almost touch her dream, and if dealing with her ex-husband and all the baggage he brought with him was the price she’d have to pay to reach it, so be it.
Amanda had her reasons for advocating diet and exercise to avoid invasive procedures, and she’d put her nursing career on the line for the Mending Hearts Club program. Promoting holistic heart health was the best option, and nothing would stop her from moving forward as planned.
Not even Hunter.
Confronting Hunter last night had practically sent her into palpitations, and had come in a close second to the shock she’d felt after her recent diagnosis. Sure, they’d acted mature and civil toward one another, but the emotional storm raging beneath the surface of her carefully orchestrated facade had almost pulled her into its depths in the process.
Memories steamrollered through her mind. She remembered what a fine doctor he was, and how gentle he could be one moment, as well as how he could become an unsympathetic oaf the next. And she asked herself questions—questions about why they couldn’t have handled their dilemma differently, like agreeing to postpone a baby discussion for another time instead of both getting swept up in a temperamental standoff. She’d made the mistake of thinking they were soul mates. That if she’d been the true love of his life he’d have done anything for her. But they’d been young and headstrong. And once the baby bug had bitten Amanda, their future had changed, whether Hunter had been ready to deal with the fact or not.
A never-ending parade of thoughts had kept her awake most of the night. And a tiny voice still kept wondering if maybe their marriage could have survived.
She didn’t really know Hunter anymore. Their lives and circumstances had evolved, and now they were nothing more than business professionals working on the same project. But he’d made it clear he wasn’t involved with anyone. Why would he do that with a mere project partner?
She stepped outside the second-floor office and tapped on the first door—a makeshift exam room that used to be a supply closet.
“Mrs. Anderson, are you ready for me yet?”
Mrs. Anderson was Amanda’s second physical of the morning. Two of the male patients who had appointments with Hunter still sat down the hall, in a group waiting room.
“Yes. Come in.” The patient’s muffled voice could barely be heard.
Amanda’s eyes drifted to her watch. He was late—again.
Though Hunter had been nearly a half hour late, due to bad traffic and a fussy baby, he’d made up for lost time. By mid-morning he and Mandy had gotten halfway through the physical examinations.
Thankfully, Sophie had played contentedly in a portable playpen in one tiny corner of the office. He liked to think the soft and relaxing classical music from his laptop made the difference. Out of desperation he’d put music on in the car on the drive to work, when Sophie had begun to wail shortly after they’d entered the freeway. The noise from her crying had jangled his nerves until his temples had throbbed. When she’d finally quieted down, he’d taken a long and deep breath of relief, though he still suffered from a dull headache.
From time to time in the office, Sophie let out a shrill noise, or banged a slobbery rubber toy until it squeaked. Over and over. Would he ever get used to being around a kid?
At the first outburst, Mandy had jumped in her seat and tossed her pen in surprise. He’d bitten back his urge to laugh at her. Yeah, well, get used to it. This is the reality of a baby, sweetheart.
Mandy looked even more tired than yesterday, as though she’d only gotten a few hours’ sleep. Considering all that his guilty conscience had dredged up last night, about what he’d once said or done to Mandy, he’d managed to sleep fairly well. But packing up a child and commuting at the peak traffic hour had put him behind schedule again. Sophie hated being cooped up in a car seat, and made his life miserable with protest. This routine would grow stale quickly, but he’d do it—because he’d committed to Mandy and Dr. Hersh, and he owed them both. He owed it to his father, too.
Noticing the tension at the corners of Mandy’s eyes, he wondered if their being forced to work together was such a good idea after all. Did either of them need to be reminded that they’d once shared a great love and blown it? And now he was dangling the baby she’d wanted all along right before her eyes.
“Here,” he said. “I snagged you a cup of coffee from the employee lounge. You look like you need it.”
“Oh, thanks. But you have it.”
“You’re saying no to coffee? Are you the same woman who used to savor that first cup every day?”
She gave a lifeless smile that didn’t come close to her eyes. “Now I only do decaf.”
That was certainly a change. Something wasn’t right, and he had strong suspicions it had nothing to do with the coffee.
“Is something bothering you?” He took a sip rather than waste the drink.
“What? Oh, no.” She reached for the stack of neatly piled charts on her desk and took the next one.
“You seem upset about something. It’s me, isn’t it?”
Her shoulders slumped and she stopped thumbing through the charts. “Men.” She sighed. She thinned her lips and shook her head. “You’re not the center of my universe, Hunter.”
To lighten things up, he feigned a wound to the heart and waited for her to unwind a bit. “What is it, then? Is there something I can help you with?”
“Do you really need to know? We’re nothing more than business associates. Remember?”
In other words…back off. Hunter nodded knowingly. “Gotcha.” He reached for his next patient’s chart and made some preliminary notes on the form to distract himself as Mandy’s words echoed in his head. We’re nothing more than business associates.
By lunchtime they’d each performed ten physicals. Amanda hoped she could set up the participants with the overnight halter monitors quickly. She wanted to leave early to rest a bit before her Urgent Care duty, which began at seven. Hunter had told her he had alate-a fternoon clinic scheduled back at Mercy Hospital. In light of her recent diagnosis, she knew she needed to stay calm and get more rest, but life wasn’t exactly cooperating. She’d had palpitations a couple of times already this morning, and couldn’t afford to keep feeling so stressed. If she didn’t watch out she would wind up back in the ER. And then where would her Mending Hearts Club program be?
And Hunter. How was she supposed to handle working with him every day, pretending