Page 27 of Secret Baby for Dr. Grump

Now I have to work off this anger and the resentment that’s bubbling in my throat, no matter how the rational side of me tells me that she has her reasons, too.

Because there’s a child involved now, and hurting her is the last thing I ever want to do.

And yes, because no matter my anger, I still want Olivia.

Chapter 9

Olivia

“Hey, Liv. Mind if I join you?”

I look up and find Dr. Mark Reynolds waiting expectantly, a smile on his lips and a tray in his hands. The man’s a resident general doctor and I’ve gotten to know him through elevator rides and sometimes walking down together from the office floor to the hospital’s exit doors, but we haven’t been thoroughly acquainted. He’s a friendly face, though, so I nod.

“Sure.”

I glance at him from the corner of my eye as he arranges his food on the table. He’s younger than Luke, I think, and fairly experienced in this hospital, with around two years under his belt. He has a nice aura around him, which relaxes me.

We sit in companionable silence, just eating until he finally looks at me.

“How’s work so far, Liv?”

It’s tense and awkward, mostly because I don’t know how to act around Luke after the sex incident and the she’s-your-daughter incident. The thoughts alone send my heart constricting. But Mark isn’t asking about my personal life, is he?

Besides, I’m not the only one not talking about it yet. Luke hasn’t brought it up, either, because he’s had a hectic schedule this week or because he’s just not ready.

“Work is fine, Dr. Reynolds. I like how busy it is around here compared to my old workplace. Keeps the mind active, and I’m always learning new things.”

“Oh, please, call me Mark. It’s not as if we haven’t been chatting like friends these past few weeks.”

He’s right. I smile, appreciating this, as I’ve encountered some haughtier doctors who wouldn’t be caught dead interacting with the likes of me or nurses outside surgeries or official business. “Okay, Mark.”

“That’s good to hear, by the way. I hope Luke isn’t that grumpy anymore now that he has someone handling stuff for him.”

“He’s…well, he’s Dr. Jennings. That’s not going to change because of me.”

I don’t call Luke Dr. Grump or whatever nickname he has in front of Mark, but Mark gets it, anyway. He grins.

“So, he’s still grumpy old Luke, then. Noted.”

“I didn’t…”

Mark winks. “It’s fine. Really, it’s not so bad now. You should have seen him before.”

I know I shouldn’t ask, but my curiosity is piqued.

“Before?”

“Yeah. Especially when he was going through his divorce a few years ago.”

I know about the divorce, but only briefly when he mentioned finalizing the process the night we met at the bar and hooked up. The finer details, though, have been kept secret, as most of our other personal stuff has been kept secret from each other.

“I see.”

“I think it would have been fine if the divorce was a friendly one, but it was an ugly one. Everyone knew about it.”

I know I should leave the topic alone, especially since it is gossip involving a doctor I’m closely working with, but…

“Knew about what?”

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