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Second. Not in charge, but answering to Matthew.
Matthew. Oh, crap! Matthew was going to be in Memphis. All the time. Her eyes widened. Matthew was going to be working in Memphis. With her. Day after day.
Why?
Why would he do this?
* * *
Matthew watched emotions play across Natalie’s face. None of them were good ones. She looked stunned, betrayed.
He hadn’t betrayed her. He’d gone after the position before he’d met her. He needed the relocation. Carrie needed to be with people who could take care of her.
Despite Dr. Luiz’s assurances that Natalie would be on board with the unexpected change, Matthew had known better. Then again, he knew the whole story, knew about their weekend fling.
Weekend fling. The label repulsed him, but it was what they’d shared.
Why the label bothered him so, he couldn’t quite define. He’d had flings before. Several of them. None had left him feeling raw. Then again, he’d never been in quite this situation, either.
Regardless, he had a little girl to think of.
Carrie’s counselor had advised Matthew to be sure to nurture the child over the next few months as she adapted to her new environment.
Nurture her. How did one do that exactly?
“As head of the surgery team, you’ll be working closely with Matthew, of course.”
Natalie’s golden eyes blinked. “I’m heading up surgery? Not Dr. Coleman?”
That she asked something Dr. Luiz had just explained in detail attested to how in shock she was.
“As head of the entire department, Dr. Coleman will oversee your work, of course, but I can think of no one better for him to have on his leadership team than a heart surgeon of your caliber.” Dr. Luiz pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose. “You knew I planned to step down, Natalie, and that I was counting on you to take on further responsibilities. Surely, this doesn’t come as a surprise?”
“I’m surprised,” Natalie immediately assured, face flushed. “Rather blown away. I thought...”
Everyone in the room knew what she’d thought.
“Never mind,” she murmured, seeming to pull herself together. She turned toward Matthew, stuck out her hand again. “Congratulations, Dr. Coleman.”
Matthew barely clasped her hand when she pulled it away, stood, and faced her former boss. “If there’s nothing else?”
Dr. Luiz regarded her through narrowed lids, then shook his head.
Before Matthew could speak, Natalie was out the door and Dr. Luiz was talking again, but this time it was Matthew not registering what he was saying.
“Excuse me,” he interrupted, not waiting for an answer as he took off after Natalie.
“Don’t touch me,” Natalie hissed when Matthew grabbed hold of her upper arm. Didn’t he know she’d left the room in a hurry to escape him, to be alone, not to have him follow her?
Of course he did, but it hadn’t mattered.
“That’s not what you were saying a few weeks ago.”
Suffering major shock for the second time that day, she spun and practically hissed at him, “How dare you say that?”
“Because it’s true.” His voice was calm, and that irritated her all the more.
He didn’t have to point that particular truth out, she thought, glaring with all her might, hoping that her evil thoughts about him were readily seen on her face.
