Another girl was pulling on the man’s arm and he turned around.
Virginia let out a gasp of shock to see a very familiar face peeking out from under the tutu. None other than the lone wolf Dr. Gavin Brice.
She hadn’t known he was married and with his vehement stance on where he’d rather be practicing medicine, Virginia would never have pegged him for a family man.
The pained expression on his face also confirmed her assumptions. Why hadn’t he mentioned his children before? Or the fact that he was married?
Virginia knew she shouldn’t get involved, that she should just turn the other way, but, dammit, Nikos would have her shrimp ready. She wasn’t going to change her plans just because it might avoid an awkward conversation.
No. She was going to stay on her present course.
Besides, curiosity was getting the better of her.
“Curiosity killed the cat!” Her mother’s voice nagged in her ear.
Shut up, Mom.
“Lily, I think we have everything we need.” Gavin’s voice was pleading.
“No way. You’re missing the key ingredient. Besides, you said we could go watch the sea lions after this.”
“Dr. Brice, what a surprise to find you here,” Virginia said, interrupting them.
Gavin’s eyes widened as he looked at her. His eldest daughter inched closer to him, her keen blue eyes probing her, picking out her weaknesses.
Virginia recognized the look because she’d done the same many a time when she’d been younger. Only Gavin’s daughter was giving the stare dressed in a ballet leotard and tutu. Virginia envied her, because ballet was something she’d always wanted to do as a little girl but her parents couldn’t afford it.
“Dr. Potter, what a surprise to see you here.”
“I always come to the market when I have a Saturday off.” Virginia grinned at the little cherub who was peeking out from the top of Gavin’s hair. The cherub had a very messy blonde bun on the top of her head, like whoever did her hair had no idea what they were doing. Virginia could feel her heart turning into a great big pile of goo, which was starting to coat the insides of her chest cavity like warm chocolate. “Are you going to introduce me to your daughters, Dr. Brice?”
The eldest snorted. “He’s our uncle, not our dad.”
Gavin nodded. “Yes, these are my nieces. This is Lily. Lily, this is Chief of Surgery at my hospital, Dr. Potter.”
Lily’s eyes widened, obviously impressed. She stuck out her hand; the nails were a garish color of red, sloppily painted on. Virginia took her hand and it was a bit sticky. In fact, both girls looked a bit of a mess. Just as Gavin appeared to be, which was so different from his put-together appearance at the hospital.
“Nice to meet you, Dr. Potter.”
“Likewise.”
“And this little one who’s latched herself to my brain, apparently, is Rose.” Gavin poked at the chubby cherub, but she wouldn’t release her death grip on her uncle.
Virginia smiled. “Nice to meet you, Rose.”
Rose didn’t utter a word, just continued to stare.
“Sorry, Rose doesn’t talk,” Gavin explained, and then sighed in exasperation.
“Shy?” Virginia asked.
“No,” Lily said, piping up. “She hasn’t talked since our mom died.”
Gavin wished Virginia hadn’t run into them. Mainly because he didn’t want any of his work colleagues to know about his private life. On the other hand, he was glad he had run into her and she didn’t even bat an eyelash after what Lily had blurted out. Not that he would’ve even recognized her from the polished businesswoman who graced the halls of Bayview Grace Hospital.
Her dark hair, usually pinned up and back away from her face, hung loose over her shoulders, framing her oval face perfectly.
Instead of a tight pencil skirt, crisp blouse and heels, she wore a bulky cardigan, jeans and ballet flats, but the rest, well, it suited her. He liked the relaxed, affable Virginia.
The cardigan he could do without. It hid too much of her curvy figure, which Gavin liked to admire on occasion, like when she wore those tight pencil skirts and high heels. Just thinking about that made his blood heat.
Get a hold of yourself, Gavin.
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Virginia said, and he could tell by the sincerity in her voice she really meant it. It wasn’t one of those polite obligatory outpourings of grief. Virginia meant it.
Lily was growing bored with the conversation and was gazing around the teeming market. Rose had released her death grip on Gavin’s head and was wiggling to get down off her perch to join her sister.
“Thanks,” Gavin said, depositing Rose down on the ground beside Lily. He breathed a sigh of relief and stretched his neck.
“Well, I’d better go. I’m going to pick up some shrimp and head back to my apartment.”
“That’s what we need, Uncle Gavin. Shrimp,” Lily piped up.
“Shrimp? I thought it was clams?” he asked.
Lily rolled her eyes impatiently. “Mom always added shrimp to her clam chowder.”
Virginia chuckled. “Sounds like quite an undertaking.”
Gavin lifted the cooler he was holding with his one arm. “This clam chowder is becoming more and more complicated.”
“So it seems.” Virginia smiled and warmth spread through his chest. He liked the way she smiled. “Well, I’d better go,” she repeated.
“Can I come with you, Dr. Potter? I’ll get the shrimp we need, Uncle Gavin.”
Gavin watched as Virginia’s eyes widened, but only for a moment. She appeared nervous.
“Uh, it’s Lily, right?”
“Yep! So, can I come with you?”
“Okay,” Virginia said, her voice shaking and her expression one of utter shock. Like a deer in headlights.
“That sounds great!” Lily took Virginia’s hand and Gavin took a step back, surprised by his niece’s familiarity with a perfect stranger. Gavin handed Lily some money and watched as Virginia guided her to a booth on the outskirts of the market. Virginia, though still looking stunned, handled it well.
They were in view the whole time, so there was nothing for Gavin to be worried about. He shook his head over Lily’s behavior. She wasn’t that open or friendly with strangers usually. Lily didn’t like change. She was a creature of habit, but here she was seemingly at ease with his boss and buying shrimp with her.
A tug on his shirt alerted him to the fact Rose needed his attention. “Yes?”
Rose nodded in the direction Lily had gone with Virginia and shrugged. Gavin chuckled and rumpled her hair. “Got me, kiddo.”
Gavin wandered closer to the stall. He watched in awe as the old Greek fishmonger doted on Lily. Virginia was so affable, laughing and totally at ease with his niece. There was a natural connection between Lily and Virginia. It made him a bit nervous. He didn’t want or need a relationship. He wasn’t looking for a mother for his nieces.
Aren’t you? a little voice niggled in the back of his mind.
It made his stomach knot.
This was not the life he’d planned, but it was what he’d been dealt.
A bag of shrimp was passed over, Lily handed the old man