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Kanesha’s dark eyes glittered. “That Blair is hoping you’ll change your mind about being in the auction so she can bid on you.”
Along with her stomach, Blair’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t say that.”
“Didn’t have to.” Snickering, Kanesha walked off while mumbling something about checking the patient schedule and leaving them alone.
Why was everyone purposely leaving them alone? She didn’t want to be alone with Oz.
“I didn’t say that,” she repeated, fighting to catch her breath. Did she sound like a broken record? No matter. “I did not say I wanted to bid on you.”
“I didn’t think you did.” Oz gave her a thoughtful look. “You’re still short on bachelors?”
“Nothing’s changed since last night,” she snapped, then realized she was being rude. Regardless of what had happened, regardless of the personal distance she wanted between them, they worked together.
Forcing herself to relax, she started over. “Latham Duke’s son agreed to the auction. We need one more to even out the numbers between bachelors and bachelorettes,” she said in an even tone, glad to focus on something other than the man standing so close to her.
“I’m the prime candidate?” Oz stepped closer to her, so close she could feel his body heat, was swamped with the fresh scent of his soap and spicy aftershave.
She gulped. “I didn’t say that.”
His gaze bored into her. “But initially, you signed me up to do the auction. If I had been agreeable you wouldn’t be short a bachelor?”
“True, but…” She took a step back, surprised to realize she didn’t want him in the auction, didn’t want to watch women haggling over him. When had that happened? She’d been the one to initially put his name on the list and hadn’t thought twice about doing so.
“I’ll think about it.”
“You will?” Blair blinked in surprise. He’d been so adamant about not being auctioned off, had seemed upset that she’d added him onto the list. What had changed his mind? Surely he hadn’t believed Kanesha? Even if he had, so what? It wasn’t as if Oz wanted her to bid on his date.
Did he?
“Why not?” He shrugged. “It’s for Dr T. Like I said, I’ll think about it.”
Relief filled her. His reconsidering had nothing to do with the night before, had only to do with his love for Dr Talbot. “How is he this morning? I called, but Stephanie said the physical therapist came early to work with him.”
“Grouchy—the therapist came early.”
Blair smiled. That was her Dr T. “Did he sleep okay?”
“Like a baby.” Oz leaned against the nurses’ station desk. “He only woke once during the night.”
“Thank goodness.”
Silence loomed between them for several torturous seconds.
“Mr Duke has an appointment this morning, doesn’t he?”
Grateful for the subject change, Blair nodded. “I put him in room one. He plans to proceed with the mitral valve repair.”
“Good,” Oz said. “We’ll get him on the schedule. What else do we have this morning?”
“Several consults and follow-up appointments. The lady Dr Majors spoke with you about yesterday is also here. He asked if you’d call him to let him know how you plan to proceed with Georgia Donelson’s care. He had a few questions about his being auctioned off, too.” Blair drew her brows into a vee. “He did really say yes, right?”
Oz laughed. “Why? Did you think I coerced him into volunteering?”
“He just sounded a little flustered when he asked me about the auction. I wondered why he’d agreed.” Blair picked up her stethoscope from the nurses’ desk and followed Oz toward the patient rooms. “It’s no secret that he’s involved with the nurse practitioner from his office.”
“When I mentioned you needed more bachelors for the auction, Will volunteered. Maybe he just wants to help Dr T. Or maybe he’s hoping Leslie will bid on him.” Oz turned, gave Blair an intense look. “Maybe that’s why I’m thinking about agreeing, too.”
Blair’s heart skipped a beat. “So Will’s girlfriend can bid on you?”
