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Regret flashed in his eyes, but he instantly let her go. “Okay. I promised no strings and I meant it.”
She admired his restraint. It was almost better than hers. She drew in a ragged breath. “Goodnight, Austin.”
“Goodnight, Lindsey. Sweet dreams.”
She slipped from his room, pausing to lean weakly against the wall. Austin had gotten under her defenses because she was physically and emotionally exhausted from her sixteen-hour shift.
She needed to stay strong. This—whatever she had with Austin wouldn’t last. His relationships never did.
With an effort, she pushed herself to return to her room. Josh would be home tomorrow at four o’clock in the afternoon.
Surely, she could handle being with Austin alone for that long.
Austin fell asleep but awoke feeling guilty for how he’d once again taken advantage of the situation. Lindsey and Josh were his guests. He shouldn’t have asked her for a kiss while she cared for him, especially after she’d worked a long double shift.
The biggest problem was that he didn’t want to fight his feelings for her anymore. Was there a song about that? Maybe. It didn’t matter. Just because he was falling in love with her, didn’t mean she felt the same way.
He replayed her blunt and horrified refusal to his marriage proposal through his memory as he rolled out of bed. After washing up in the bathroom, he padded to the kitchen.
Lindsey was seated at the table, nursing a cup of coffee. She didn’t meet his gaze, which only made him feel like a bigger jerk.
“I’ll make breakfast,” he offered brightly. He strode to the fridge and rummaged for what he’d need.
“I can help,” she offered.
“Nope. I have it under control.” He desperately longed for things to go back to normal. Whatever normal was between them.
Then he realized that wasn’t what he wanted at all.
He swung toward her. “Lindsey, could we please talk?”
Before she could respond, a cell phone rang. Comically, they both searched for their respective phones. He assumed the call was for her because who else would be calling him bright and early on a Saturday morning? Maybe something was up with Josh.
But when he pulled out his cell phone, he saw his younger sister Amber’s name on the screen. He quickly answered. “Amber? What’s up?”
“Austin, I’m so glad you answered.” Her normally cheerful voice was somber. “Dad suffered a heart attack last night. He’s being prepped for open heart surgery.”
Chapter Ten
“What happened?” Austin gripped the phone so tightly he was surprised it didn’t crack under the pressure. Details. He wanted details. His dad, Abe Monroe had always been so hale and hearty. It was his mother who’d suffered a broken hip two years ago and had gone through a long rehab and recovery to get back on her feet. Now she suffered from arthritis, too. His dad had prided himself on staying in shape. He saw his primary care doctor regularly, took his blood pressure meds as ordered and didn’t overindulge in food or alcohol.
How was it possible his father was on his way to the operating room for cardiac bypass surgery?
“He had chest pain. At first, the cardiologist thought they could just place a stent to open his coronary artery,” Amber said. “But they found three different blockages and decided it would be better if he went straight to the operating room.”
He wasn't a doctor but even he knew that emergency surgery meant his father's condition was serious. His dad would need a triple bypass to stabilize his heart. Without hesitation he said, “I'll be there as soon as I can arrange a flight to Milwaukee.”
“Good. We're at Trinity Medical Center,” Amber informed him. “We’ll be here in the family center until we hear from the doctor. I know you can't use your cell phone on the plane, but we'll call and leave a message once we receive an update on his condition.”
“That works. I’ll text you with my flight information, so you know when to expect me.” He paused, then added, “Thanks for calling.”
“Of course. See you soon.”
He ended the call to find Lindsey watching him closely.
“Who's sick?” She asked, a sympathetic frown furrowing her brow.
“My dad.” His own chest was starting to feel tight. Sympathy pains, maybe? Both of his sisters, Amber and Andrea were nurses. Most of his family was in the medical profession in some way. Except for his brother Alec, who was a cop, a sergeant with the Milwaukee Police Department. Alec had been smart enough to marry a doctor and, heaven knew, Jillian had plenty of physician connections at Trinity Medical Center.
