Kate Little – Plain Jane and Doctor Dad (страница 2)

“Thanks, but I really have to get back to the floor.” Maura glanced at her watch, trying to excuse herself.

But Doug wouldn’t let her leave his side so easily. “You can take a break for a few minutes, Maura. We’ll cut across the courtyard and you can catch the elevators on the other side. That’s closer to your station, anyway.”

Before Maura knew it, they were outside, walking down a tree-lined path. She felt the sunshine on her skin and inhaled the soft spring air. Doug had been right: she felt better almost instantly.

She glanced at his rugged profile and tall, lean form. He walked with his hands tucked into the pockets of his blue lab coat, his ever-present stethoscope slung around his neck, clearly enjoying a break in his hectic schedule. She had worked with many keenly intelligent doctors and many dedicated ones, as well, but she’d rarely met a physician who possessed both qualities in such abundance. Doug was more than dedicated. He was known as a bit of a workaholic, but he was an excellent physician. Maura was sure she knew none better. His powers of concentration and focus seemed evident even now, in his thoughtful expression and the firm set of his handsome features.

They strolled along in silence, side by side, but it was a comfortable silence for Maura. She had first come to know Doug as a colleague, when she’d been caring for one of his patients. After that, they’d quickly become friends. Especially after learning that Doug and Scott had gone to college together and had once been good friends. They’d been out of touch for years and had met again recently, when Scott came to work at Chicago General.

She often wondered how much Doug knew about her relationship with Scott and how close the two men were now. Scott always claimed he liked Doug, but often made cutting remarks about him. Maura could see Scott was simply jealous. He had once hoped to be a doctor, too, but had dropped out of medical school his first year. The same school from which Doug had graduated with honors.

While she wouldn’t consider Doug a close friend, she had always felt a subtle but very strong connection to him. From the start they’d been able to talk to each other in an open, honest way. Which was quite unusual for Maura. She had always been shy with men, especially one so good-looking. But she rarely felt awkward with him. Something about him just put her at ease.

“Sit a minute,” Doug suggested as they came to an empty bench.

“Sure.” Maura shrugged and sat down. The bench was in the shade, facing a small fountain surrounded by flowers. The sound of the rippling water soothed her frazzled nerves, as did Doug’s quiet, solid presence.

“Maura, what is it? What’s troubling you?” Doug asked finally.

She turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”

“I know you were crying back there. And you look pale as a sheet.”

Maura felt suddenly self-conscious under his scrutiny. She pushed a strand of wavy hair away from her face.

“I’m fine…I mean, I feel a little under the weather today. Just tired, I guess.”

“Yes, you do look tired. You work too hard.”

“Probably.” She knew it was more like crying too hard—and sleeping too little.

Doug was quiet again for a moment. Then he said, “Is this about Scott? Are you upset because he’s leaving on Friday?”

“No. Not at all.” She shook her head.

That was what everyone must think, she realized. That she was still yearning after a man who had treated her so badly. “Relieved is more like it,” she added. “I wish he was already gone.”

“He didn’t deserve you.” Doug’s tone was firm and deep.

“That’s nice of you to say,” Maura replied quietly.

“I wasn’t saying it to be nice. It’s the truth.” He paused, as if uncertain whether to continue. Then he said, “I know it feels awful, right now. But give it time. Before you know it, you’ll forget all about him.” He leaned toward her. “Maybe you should take some time off, get away for a while,” he suggested.

“Yes, maybe I should,” she replied vaguely. Last night she had thought about visiting her sister on the West Coast, the only real family she had left. But she knew very well that no matter how fast or how far she ran, she could never escape this problem.

She turned and looked at him and could see he was sincerely worried about her. The look in his eye, the sheer kindness and consideration, was her undoing. She had been on an emotional roller coaster the past twenty-four hours, and having Doug, of all people, look at her that way made her feel as if she was about to burst into tears again.

She felt the moisture well up in her eyes and dropped her face into her hands. Then she felt Doug’s strong arm circle her shoulders as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Doug pulled her closer, his grip strong and warm around her, his chest firm under her cheek. She was crying hard, sobbing uncontrollably, unable to stop herself.

“It’s okay,” she heard him murmur against her hair.

She tried to speak and felt a giant lump in her throat again. No, it’s not okay, she wanted to say. It’s anything but.

“Just cry if you need to,” Doug whispered.

“Oh, Doug…I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to do….”

Her voice trailed off in another wave of tears and she pressed her face against his hard chest.

She felt Doug’s strong hand stroking her hair. She felt the warmth of his body and breathed in the scent of his skin. With her eyes closed and her cheek nestled in the crook of his shoulder, she felt safe and protected. For the briefest moment, Maura allowed herself the lovely fantasy that she could stay this way forever. How much easier everything would be.

But that was impossible. She had to pull herself together. There was no one to help her out of this mess. Doug might offer his strong shoulder to cry on, but he didn’t have a white charger standing by for a quick getaway. He was only trying to be a good friend.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to move away from his embrace.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you by talking about Scott,” Doug apologized.

“It wasn’t that.” She wiped her eyes and took a shaky breath. She felt him watching her, waiting for her to speak.

Finally, she said, “It’s just that I have this problem….” She paused again and staring straight ahead, she admitted, “I’m pregnant.”

She wasn’t sure why she’d told him. The words spoken aloud sounded so final. So overwhelming. Doug looked shocked for an instant. Then he quickly hid his reaction, she noticed. He was silent for a long moment, and she watched as his pensive expression grew harsher. Angrier.

“With Scott’s child,” he said.

Though it wasn’t a question, she nodded and looked away again.

He leaned forward and pushed his hand through his thick hair. “Does he know?”

“I told him a few minutes ago. In his office. That’s why I looked upset in the hall,” she admitted.

“He didn’t take the news very well, I guess,” Doug replied sternly.

“No. He didn’t.”

The ugly scene replayed in her mind, and suddenly she couldn’t bear talking about it anymore.

“Listen, thanks for talking to me,” she said as she stood to go. “But I’d better get back to work. I’ve already been gone way too long.”

“I understand.” He nodded and came to his feet. “Maybe I’ll see you later, when I do rounds.”

“Sure. And I’m sorry for crying all over you.” He must see her as some kind of flailing, helpless female, she thought, when in fact, she was just the opposite.

“Don’t even think about it, Maura.” His tone was soft and sincere. Maura met his gaze briefly, then turned on her way.

She hurried across the courtyard, then entered the hospital. To avoid the long wait for the elevator, she walked up three flights to the pediatrics department. Her supervisor, Gloria Jones, greeted her with a questioning look but didn’t ask why she was so late returning from her break. There was plenty of work waiting, and Maura dug in, eager to focus on her patients instead of her problems.

As the afternoon passed, her thoughts returned to her disturbing confrontation with Scott—and her conversation with Dr. Connelly. She’d never had such a personal conversation with Doug before. But now she was thankful that, purely by chance, he’d been there for her at such an awful moment. Crying on his shoulder hadn’t solved anything, but it had made her feel worlds better, lending her the boost she needed to carry on.

Some of the staff disliked the handsome pediatrician. They found him aloof and distant. But Maura had never felt that way. He was sometimes distracted by his work, and even brooding. But a more dedicated doctor would be hard to find.

She had never imagined he would also be such a dedicated friend, the kind you could really count on when things went haywire. But whether you liked Doug Connelly or not, he was clearly a man of strong character, and Maura knew without question that her secret was safe.

Her workday wore on, thankfully free of pressing emergencies, as she had a pounding headache that wasn’t assuaged by the pills she’d taken earlier. Luckily, a night-shift nurse came in early, allowing Maura to go home.

She lived in a comfortable family neighborhood a short distance from the hospital. She’d been lucky to find a reasonably priced two-bedroom apartment in a renovated brownstone. Her living room even had a working fireplace, which she really appreciated during the long Chicago winters.