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Her mom and Denver walked in, each holding a coffee cup.
“Dr. Matthews!” Christine exclaimed. “It’s so nice to see you again. I’m sorry I didn’t properly thank you last night for everything you did for Tim. My only excuse is I think I was still in shock.”
Aiden’s face softened into a smile.
“It’s why I’m here, no thanks necessary.”
“Yeah, and I think Dakota will thank him enough for all of us,” snarked Denver.
Dakota felt the heat creep up her chest and face. She was going to kill her brother.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” their dad snarled.
“I’m buying Aid—er, Dr. Matthews a piece of pie, Dad.”
“Yeah, but what kind of pie?” Denver muttered.
Her mother was either oblivious to Denver’s innuendo or pretended to play dumb, offering, “Oh, blueberry is my favorite.”
She glanced at Aiden, half-expecting to see him wearing a smirk. Instead, he blinked with a straight face and said, “I’m going to have to take a raincheck on that. I have patient appointments scheduled all afternoon.”
Dakota felt the panic well up in her chest. He was blowing her off!
“Surely you have to eat?”
“I’ll have someone from my staff bring me a sandwich when they come back from lunch.”
She was cognizant of her family watching, so she was careful to school her expression and not appear as desperate as she was feeling.
With as much dignity as she could muster, she offered a polite smile. “Another time then.”
He nodded once. “Another time,” then turned to her dad and mom—who was now seated on the other side of the bed, next to her husband.
“One of my partners, Dr. Ngyuen, will be making rounds this evening with the residents, so he’ll stop and check on you. In the meantime, if you need anything, make sure to let the nurses know, and they can reach me, if necessary.”
Translated—don’t contact me directly, Dakota.
She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling when she stared back at him.
Message received, Dr. Matthews.
****
Aiden
He reread Jean’s text as he walked down the hall after leaving Mr. Douglas’s room.
Jean: Tonight works perfectly. I look forward to it!
Here was a woman who was excited to spend time with him; he needed to concentrate on her and not the hippy chick with the big brown eyes and ink-black hair that felt like silk when he held it in his fist when she moved her mouth up and down his—
Focus, dipshit!
He’d purposefully asked Jean to dinner that night before visiting Tim Douglas. He thought that reminder might help him keep his feelings for Dakota in check if she was in the room with her father.
It’d worked. He’d been distant—but professional—and had even turned down her offer to buy him a piece of pie. That had been hard, and his heart was not happy with him, but he knew if he was alone with her, he’d do something stupid. Like he had last night when he pulled her into his arms.
Those few minutes holding her was the first time it’d felt like he could breathe since the year started.
