Nancy eyed his door warily. “I hope he’s not in a bad mood after your confrontation.”
Shock jolted her already ragged nerves. Nancy couldn’t possibly know about the baby. Had someone been outside the door listening? Wanda, perhaps?
As she calmed down enough to look at Nancy’s curious face, she realized the woman was just that—curious. She wasn’t shocked or mad, none of the reactions that would be normal if she’d heard rumors that her new “boyfriend” had fathered a child with someone else. “I assume you’re referring to the incident in the men’s locker room.”
“I’m sorry.” Nancy pulled up straighter, fidgeting with her logo buttons until they were all cockeyed. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t mean to be so chatty.”
Lilah eased between her and the exit. “I’m truly curious how you heard this quickly. Please, be frank.”
Nancy winced. “I heard in the cafeteria. The buzz is pretty intense as people try to figure out what he did to make you that angry. Bets are being taken for possible reasons.”
“And what would those guesses be?”
She nibbled her lip, hesitating for a moment before continuing warily. “Most think you’re upset because he blew off that board meeting earlier this week. Others wonder if you’re freaking out over him taking on too many pro bono cases. For what it’s worth, my money’s on the latter. He’s such a bighearted man under that gruff exterior.”
Lilah gripped the bobby pins in her pocket so tight they would probably leave holes in her fingers. “Hope you didn’t bet the bank on that because you’ll lose your life’s savings.”
If the hospital rumor mill was already churning over one confrontation—granted, a pretty theatrical one—she hated to think how soon her own personal life would be fodder for cafeteria gossip. Good God, she would have to be so much more careful to protect her child’s privacy. For the first time it really sunk in that she was carrying a royal child, a person who would be dogged by the press for a lifetime.
Would the news of her child fit on the same press release as Carlos’s new girlfriend?
Panic roiled. So much for her decision to opt for an even-keeled “wait and see” attitude. She’d been fooling herself. Her visceral reaction to this woman made it clear too many emotions were involved already.
She needed to keep on fighting rather than letting him roll over her. She would not let her child be hurt by Carlos. She would shield this precious life as best she could from the pain of a father’s neglect.
The click of a turning doorknob snapped her attention back to the reception area a second before Carlos’s office door opened, the man of the hour filling the frame with his broad shoulders. A flash of surprise raced across his dark eyes.
Anger, frustration and, hell yes, hurt chased through her. Quickly, she stifled the urge to vent the steam building inside her. She’d already made a large enough scene for one day, and she didn’t intend to let Carlos know just how deeply he’d wounded her.
That didn’t mean she had to balk at making him squirm.
Lilah flicked her loose hair, hair mussed by him during their out-of-control kisses, over her shoulder. “Hello again, Dr. Medina. I was just talking to your new girlfriend.”
Three
The shots just kept coming today.
Carlos looked from one woman to the other. How much had Lilah said before he interrupted? Apparently not much since Nancy appeared blessedly oblivious. She was a nice person he’d gone out with a couple of times in hopes of erasing Lilah from his memory.
Nancy was everything he wanted in his personal life. She was intelligent, witty, with common interests and made no demands on his emotions. She should have been perfect for him, except she left him cold. Rather than helping him move on from that colossal mistake, the presence of his “girlfriend” reminded him of just how much every woman paled alongside Lilah.
He’d been planning to break things off with Nancy tonight, even before today’s shocking revelation. Continuing to see her when he had unresolved issues with Lilah wasn’t fair. Damn shame he hadn’t spoken to Nancy a day earlier.
The new radiologist looked from Carlos to Lilah and back again, confusion stamped on her face. “I don’t mean to interrupt if you two need to talk business. I can always come back later for our dinner date.”
Carlos nodded. “That would be best.”
“All righty.” She arched up on her toes as if to give him a quick kiss, then paused.
Either she realized such a public display of affection would be inappropriate in the workplace—or she saw Carlos’s scowl. Regardless, the woman got the message and pulled away fast.
He caught Lilah’s raised eyebrow and added, “Actually, I have an appointment I need to take care of as soon as I check on my patient.”
He’d contacted his doctor and the lab about checking his sperm count. He already felt certain of the outcome, but he needed to confirm for Lilah’s sake.
And if by some fluke he could father children? Then he would tuck aside his reservations about the way she unsettled his world and launch an immediate campaign to win her over. No half measures, he would be all in, 24/7, until they settled things between them once and for all.
Turning away from Nancy, toward Lilah, he took in her tumbled hair, remembered how it got that way, felt the inevitable kick to his balance. “We will be talking again tomorrow.”
Leaving the hospital lab, Carlos walked down the corridor back to his office in a daze. It had been a helluva day. He’d started out operating on a child who reminded him too much of himself, a child caught in the crossfire of war. Before he’d found even five minutes to regain his footing, Lilah had swept aside his shower curtain. Now, his day had ended with the surprise revelation from his own doctor. Not definitive results, by any means, but there was a very slim chance he could father children.
Even the possibility rocked him to the core. He needed time to hole up in his office and plan his next move.
He rounded the corner. Nancy waited beside the door, shuffling from foot to foot while she texted on her cell phone. Apparently she’d been busy while he was gone. She’d changed from her work clothes into a dress—a silky sort of thing for a nice dinner out.
There was no way he could sit through dinner waiting for the right opening to break things off. He needed to make his position clear now. It was the only fair thing to do for Nancy and Lilah.
“Nancy, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”
“No need to apologize.” She tucked her cell phone into her tiny black bag. “I was just telling my best friend about our date tonight.”
He winced. “About that.” He pushed open his office door. “Let’s step into my office so we can talk.”
“Oh, um, it’s too late in the evening, isn’t it?” She scrunched her nose and stayed in the hall. “You need to cancel. I understand. We can go out tomorrow instead. Or how about I cook you dinner—”
“Nancy,” he cut her ramble short as gently as possible. “I’m afraid I’ve given you the wrong impression. This isn’t something we should discuss in the hall.”
She chewed her lip for a second before smiling, too brightly. She charged into the office ahead of him. He felt bad for misleading her. He’d made a mess of his personal life. He couldn’t change the past, but starting now, he could make things right.
As he followed, he decided no more hesitation. No more avoidance. Just as he needed to be clear with Nancy now, he should have settled things with Lilah before.
He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. As soon as he finished this confrontation with