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Mom hated anything having to do with the surgery and anesthesia. It didn’t matter that her daughter was an ER doctor. She avoided it like the plague.One too many hospital dramas where everything always goes wrong.Case in point? Her knee replacement should’ve happened five years ago. I swear the only reason she agreed to do it now was because she knew it would get me to come home.
“Okay, but Mom, he’s not—”
“I’m so happy, honey. So so happy.” And then she started to cry again.
This couldn’t get any worse—
“Well, hello there, young lady.” The easy rumble of his voice came from right beside me. “You must be Reese’s…sister?”
My eyes flung wide, and I whipped my head out of Mom’s hold and over my shoulder with a horrified stare.What was he doing? Why did he come over here?
No, no, no.
“Oh, my goodness, no.” Mom giggled—giggled.It was official, I was going to sue the makers of Dilaudid for making Mom delusional. I didn’t care if it was a side effect. I didn’t care if it was dose dependent.This. Was. Ridiculous.“I’m Arlene, Reese’s mom.”
“Decker Conolly.” He extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure, Arlene. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Decker.” She practically fainted as she reached for his outstretched hand like she was meeting Jesus himself. “I’m so happy you’re here. So happy you’re with Reese. She deserves to be with someone who takes care of her—”
“Mom,” I hissed, my cheeks flaming.
I couldn’t believe this was happening. I’d had explicit conversations with patients about the kinds of things that could not safely be inserted into an anus that were more comfortable than this moment.
“It’s true, honey. You deserve a good man.” Tears overwhelmed her again, and I was pretty sure I was going to need medical attention from this emotional whiplash. “You work too hard—too much. Try to do everything yourself. It’s all my fault you’ve been alone for so long—”
“You raised a strong daughter, Arlene,” Decker broke in and patted her hand gently.Of course, she stopped blubbering for him.But even I found myself caught up in the kindness in his eyes. The warmth. “I promise I’ll take good care of her.”
I stared at him, blinking once and then twice.Of course, he wasn’t serious. Not in the way she meant. Obviously.But good grief if the sincerity in his voice didn’t have me believing him for a second, too.
His eyes lifted to mine, and my breath caught. I hadn’t looked at a man…had him look at me…like this in…so long,as Mom would say. Between the hospital and home, the only regards I got were as a doctor or a colleague. Maybe there was a patient every once in a while who checked me out—I was the only female doctor in the department—but thosenever registered through my professional filter.
But Decker…he didn’t even know I was a doctor. I was just some woman he’d given a ride to when her car overheated…but he looked at me like I could be everything.
I quickly turned away. “Let’s get you to your chair, okay?” I cleared my throat, hoping he hadn’t heard the hoarseness in my voice.
She didn’t budge, still staring at Decker like he was a walking miracle.
The doctor in me knew it was because of the pain meds. That her mind was floating between distorted clouds of reality. But that didn’t make it any less frustrating.
“Time to put your feet up and relax.” Decker flashed her a smile and slid his arm around her back, his hand brushing over mine.
I pulled back, reminding myself it was not physically possible for a spark of electricity to occur from a touch.
I stood there, helpless—useless, as mymechanichelped my recovering mother to her recliner. He stabilized her and then her walker as she turned and carefully sank into the chair with an oomph.
“Don’t leave,” she murmured, her eyelids already fluttering shut.
“I’m not going anywhere, Mom.” I refused to assume she was talking to anyone but me.
I turned on the TV, the white noise of HGTV filling the background. After a minute, her eyes stayed shut, and I immediately motioned to Decker to follow me back to the hallway.
As soon as I reached the doorway, I spun, and Decker collided right into me.
“Shit—” he broke off and grabbed my arms before I went tumbling back. Unfortunately, that also meant he steadied me flush to him.
Our eyes collided, and there was no mistaking the lust in his.
Later, I’d convince myself that wasn’t really anatomically possible, but right now, it seemed impossible to deny.
