“Dr. Wynter, dial zero-five-six. Dr. Wynter, dial zero-five-six.”
“Excuse me.” He stood, then picked up his tray. “I need to take that.”
Leilani watched him go, watched the way he swaggered out of the cafeteria with confidence and pride.
Just seeing him again had resurrected memories of what they’d once had and lost. What he’d thrown away by being negligent and acting carelessly.
When Kami died, she’d written Luke off as a delinquent, a lost soul. She now realized she’d been wrong. He’d managed to make something out of himself and earn a medical degree to boot. She ought to be happy for him, she supposed. And in a way, she was.
But that opened a whole new can of worms—night crawlers and squirmy critters sure to complicate her life and that of her son.
Seeing him again was a complication in itself, she supposed. A reminder of the secret she’d kept.
Danny had Leilani’s tan complexion, her dark hair. But he had his father’s eye color, a pretty emerald green. The shape, too. But more than that, he had Luke’s mannerisms—the charming smile, the single dimple in his cheek when he cracked a joke.
As she finished her tea and picked at the melon in her fruit cup, a group of nurses entered the cafeteria. After snagging their breakfast from the buffet, they chose a table not far from hers.
She ignored them until Luke’s name was mentioned.
“Guess who managed to get a date with Dr. Wynter last week,” a pudgy blonde said.
“Who?” the group chimed in harmony.
“Tori Claypool.”
“From the blood bank? How’d she do that?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. But apparently we’re not the only ones eager to find out why he was nicknamed Hot Lips.”
“You’d better be careful,” the blonde said. “You wouldn’t want to slip and call him that to his face. He doesn’t seem to have a sense of humor when he’s on duty, and I think Marge-the-Sarge is the only one who can get away with teasing him without making him angry.”
“It’s too bad he works nights and so many weekends,” a redhead added. “That’s so limiting to a relationship.”
“If you’re talking about concerts and evening activities,” the blonde said, “I’d be happy to spend a quiet afternoon at his place and show him the true meaning of a cheap date.”
Obviously, Dr. Luke Wynter was not only the resident E.R. doctor, but the resident heartthrob as well.
When Leilani had been in high school and had been dating Luke, she’d heard similar conversations in the girls’ locker room. She could understand why it would bother her then. But for some reason, she found a pang of jealousy even more unsettling now.
She tried to shrug it off and explain it away. After all, Luke was a handsome hunk who exuded raw sexuality. Obviously women still threw themselves at him.
While some things may have changed, others hadn’t. Luke still played the field and had his choice of eager women who didn’t mind being one of several.
Ready to escape the annoying chatter, as well as the green-eyed monster poking around in her chest, Leilani picked up her tray and put it on the shelf set aside for those that had been used. Then she grabbed her purse and headed for the lobby door.
She had better things to do than eavesdropping on a group of giggling post-adolescents. Besides, her car had been on the blink, so she and Danny had flown to San Diego. She’d had to borrow Addie’s Taurus and hated to leave her aunt without a vehicle any longer than necessary. In addition to that, she was eager to see Danny.
Aunt Addie was looking after him, and when Leilani had called last night to check on them, she’d learned that they’d made popcorn and were watching television. She’d promised her son a trip to the zoo today, but now she’d have to postpone it until tomorrow.
It was tough disappointing him.
And if she ever decided to reveal the truth about his father, she’d really disappoint him. Not because of who Luke was.
But because of what she’d told the boy about him.
Leilani parked the car in the underground garage, then took the elevator up to her aunt’s small apartment on the fourth floor and stepped into the hallway that bore the same blue plaid carpet she’d remembered. It was more worn than ever and, like everything else in the building, needed to be replaced.
Without any windows to air out the hallway, the scent of stale cigarette smoke had permeated drapes, walls and flooring.
At one time, the Eberly Arms Apartments hadn’t been the safest complex. But it seemed as though the tenants, at least the ones on this floor, had all been around for a while. Most of them were her aunt’s age and looked out for each other, which was comforting.
As she used her key and let herself inside, Danny jumped up from the sofa and rushed to meet her. “Mom, you’re back. Finally. When are we leaving?”
Excitement spread over his face, and his green eyes—so much like his father’s—glimmered.
She bit her lip, struggling to find words that wouldn’t disappoint him too badly, but failed. Instead, she ran a loving hand through his brown hair and offered him a bone-weary smile. “Just let me take a quick shower, honey. Then we’ll go. All right?”
His grin was worth the sacrifice of a few hours sleep.
As she started toward the guest bedroom she and Danny had been sharing, Aunt Addie stopped her. “Lani, you look dog-tired and ready to drop. Why did you agree to go to the zoo today? I’m sure Danny would understand your need for rest.”
“I know. He’s a good kid.” She cast her elderly aunt a smile. “But this is supposed to be his vacation, too. He’s really looking forward to visiting the reptile house and seeing the pythons and the rattlesnakes.”
“I’m sure they’ll be there tomorrow.”
True, but Leilani also wanted her son to get some fresh air and sunshine. While she’d been gone, she’d asked her aunt not to take him outdoors. She had no idea what she’d do if anything happened to him. The thought of losing him like she’d lost Kami was too painful to contemplate.
“How’s your friend Carrie doing?” Addie asked.
“She’s hanging in there.”
Addie clucked her tongue. “It’s a downright shame what happened to her. She’s better off without a man in her life anyway.”
Leilani found it hard to argue, especially with a woman who refused to remarry after a nasty divorce, a woman who still seemed angry with Leilani’s father for not allowing her to raise his children on the mainland.
But when Leilani’s parents died, their will had been explicit. Leilani and Kami were to live with their maternal grandparents on Lanai—an island not far from Oahu, where they’d been living.
“I’m glad you finally learned that lesson,” Addie said, as she opened the linen closet. She pulled out a blue towel and washcloth then handed them to Leilani.
“What lesson are you talking about?”
“That most men can’t be trusted. You’re better off this way.”
Leilani wasn’t quite sure what she meant. “Do you think that’s why I never married?”
“Well, you’ve had bad experiences with two young men. First with that hellion who was responsible for Kami’s death. Then that Navy SEAL who got you pregnant.”
Leilani glanced down the hall, making sure Danny