Page 60 of What a Wolf's Heart Decides

In warning? Or was it reassurance?

He kept talking. “Haley has a bit of a phobia when it comes to hospitals.”

Sympathy filled Anna’s eyes as she lowered her gaze to Haley’s. “Really? Today must have been frightening for you.”

Haley nodded her head. “Mm hmm.”

“Well.” Anna lifted her shoulders. “You’re fortunate your uncle’s an ER doc. If anyone can manage your care at home, he can.”

Haley nodded again. But Anna seemed to be waiting for a response, so she added, “Oh yes, Uncle Bard has always been there for us.”

Anna beamed.

Haley didn’t dare swivel to look in Bard’s direction. There was enough tension radiating off him to power a nuclear reactor.

“Plus,” Anna said, “I saw in your chart you have a big birthday coming up. You don’t want to spend it here.”

“Definitely not.”

Anna tossed a good-natured look in Bard’s direction. “Maybe you two can celebrate together, considering your Uncle’s birthday is in a couple weeks.”

Bard spoke, his tone laced with warning. “Anna—”

“Although maybe that’s a bad idea,” Anna said. She winked at Haley and lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “He didn’t handle turning forty very well last year.”

Haley jerked as surprise rippled through her. Forty? He was forty years old?

Before he could speak, a door to the left opened and a woman in scrubs and a lab coat stuck her head out. Her gaze zeroed in on Bard right away.

“Bard! I thought I heard you out here.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “Could you take a look at him? I closed up, but I’m a little worried about the blood supply to the tissue on his nose.”

It took Bard a moment to answer. Haley held her breath.

The woman tilted her head, making the silver parts of the stethoscope around her neck catch the fluorescent light. “Bard?”

“Coming.” He gave Haley’s shoulder another squeeze, then rounded the wheelchair. He stopped at her side and slanted her an inscrutable look. “Wait here. I’ll just be a moment.”

She raised an eyebrow. Where did he think she might go? She was in a hospital full of humans. It wasn’t like she was about to go mingle in the cafeteria.

He seemed to get her message, because his jaw tightened before he turned and followed the woman into the room.

Anna the nurse watched them go, then looked down at Haley. “He really is a wonderful doctor.” Whatever else she might have said was interrupted by a series of chimes that seemed to come from an intercom system overhead. She sighed and muttered “duty calls” before running a harried look over Haley. “Will you be okay out here? Doctor Bennett should only be a minute.”

“Yes, thank you. I’m fine.”

“Okay.” Anna smiled and offered a friendly wave before heading down the hall. After half a dozen steps, she turned and called, “Happy early birthday!”

Haley raised her voice. “Thanks.”

Anna gave another wave before continuing down the hallway. As soon as she was out of sight, Haley released a slow breath as shock whirled through her mind.

Bard was forty? Holy shit, he really could be her uncle.

Or her dad.

Murmured voices drifted from the room he and the woman had entered. The door was open just enough to form a sliver of light on the floor. With a quick look at the nurses’ station, Haley used her feet to propel the wheelchair closer. She crept forward until she was even with the jamb. With the door ajar, she could see half of the room.

Bard stood next to a bed similar to the one she just left, the plastic railing flanked by various blinking and beeping machines. He was bent over, his gloved hands tilting a man’s face toward a big light attached to a metal stand.

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