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A tightness Oz couldn’t label constricted his chest.
“Hurting Blair is the last thing I’d want,” he choked out. “Which is why we’re just friends and why we’ll stay just friends.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE following Friday morning, Oz stopped by the waiting room to check on Georgia Donelson’s daughter prior to going in to the cardiac surgical suite to operate on her mother’s heart.
The young woman sat in a chair, hunkered down as if she carried the weight of the world on her thin shoulders. She stared straight ahead, yet he doubted she saw anything.
Memories of sitting in a waiting room, waiting on news of his father, news that hadn’t been good, washed over Oz. Only Dr T had been there for him during that difficult time. No one else had understood. No one else had cared to.
“Lacey?”
“Yes? Is my mother okay? Did something happen?” the tired-looking young woman gasped, knowing enough time hadn’t passed for the surgery to be complete.
“She’s being prepped for surgery as we speak.”
“You’re the surgeon?” Worry etched her face at the unexpected visit from him.
“Yes, I’m Dr Manning.”
Lacey’s already pale face blanched further. He hadn’t come out here to increase her stress. Quite the opposite.
“Your mother is doing great. I expect a good outcome from her surgery. She’s strong.”
Lacey nodded, not looking convinced.
“If you want to wait in your son’s hospital room, I’ll call the moment I’m finished replacing the valve.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive. It’ll be several hours before I’ll finish, but I will call you the moment I leave the surgical suite. There’s no reason for you to sit here all day. Go wait in your son’s room. You’ll know something just as quickly there as you will if you wait here.”
Lacey nodded. “Okay. If you’re sure, I’d rather wait with Caden.” Still looking hesitant, she bit her lower lip. “Just don’t forget to call me the moment you know something.”
“I won’t.”
Lacey stood and headed toward the door. That was when Oz noticed Blair. His breath caught in his throat. Wearing navy scrubs, she spoke to Lacey, gave the girl a hug, then turned to him. And smiled.
If he’d thought he couldn’t breathe before, he was totally hypoxemic now.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, joining her.
“Apparently the same thing you are. Checking on Lacey.”
“I didn’t want her to sit here all day when she needs to be with her son.”
Blair nodded. “That’s exactly what I thought. I came to tell her I’d call the moment the surgery ended so she could come back to the cardiac unit then.”
“Great minds think alike.” Oz smiled.
“Apparently we do, too.”
Natural and unguarded, her smile literally stole his breath.
“Are you implying we don’t have great minds?” He placed his hand on her back to guide her toward the cardiac unit so they could scrub.
“You do, Dr Manning. There’s no doubt about that. As for me—” she shrugged “—well, I get by.”
