Page 40 of My Heart Before You

“How do you know that?”

Max quietly stepped into the room, taking silent inventory before sitting on the couch.

Colin didn’t want to explain his huge mistake. That when he’d seen Emilie’s long, beautiful strand of hair astray, he finally had an excuse to do something he’d wanted to do for such a long time.

It was a perfect little Christmas gift.

Part of him thought maybe it would be an opening had she responded differently—leaned in, said something, touched him back. Once his brain focused back on reality and not the warm, silk-like quality of her skin or how he was nearly as out of breath from the brief contact, he’d seen she was frozen like a startled deer. He’d acted on impulse and hadn’t realized until he saw the shocked look in her eyes that he’d been so inappropriate.

In the last three long weeks, she seemed to distance herself from him at work, and he couldn’t blame her. It was a classic human resources nightmare—doctor hits on nurse. He’d been half expecting John to call him for a meeting to discuss his second indiscretion.

His eyes darted around the skillfully adorned room, looking for anything to focus on beside the people in front of him. “I just do, okay?”

Kate shook her head as she sat. “I’m good at reading people. I can tell if a couple is going to put in an offer, or if they love one house but are trying to play it safe with something less desirable. The woman you were talking to at the party looked pretty into you from where I was standing.”

“She did?” A surge of adrenaline pumped through his veins at the thought before he remembered what Kate saw didn’t count. Emilie’s actions spoke the loudest.

“That’s what I saw, though Iwasa little distracted at the time.” Her eyes shot daggers at Max.

“What?” He leaned away from this wife. “Who are we talking about anyway?”

Kate let out an irritated exhale. “I don’tknow. I don’t work at the hospital, and I didn’t get formally introduced to her because you were two seconds from passing out in the middle of your holiday work party.”

“Oh. Right.” He ran his hand over his buzzed head. “Sorry, Colin.”

“Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter, and even if she did like me, which she doesn’t, I’m pretty sure John wouldn’t be happy about it.”

Max furrowed his brow. “What does John have to do with you liking someone?”

This time he let out the frustrated exhale. “She works for the CTSB.”

“Oh shit.” His friend’s eyes widened before his brows furrowed again. “Wait, who is it? Both Natasha and Eileen are married with kids. I know you’re not that man.”

“She’s not one of the surgeons.” He rubbed his forehead, wishing this conversation never started.

His friend tilted back his head as loud barking laughter shook his fiery beard. Only when Kate slapped his chest and shushed him, pointing to the stairs did he clap a hand over his mouth and compose himself.

“The anti-fraternization policy is only within CTSB.” Max grinned widely. “Between surgeons. Not between us andhospitalemployees.”

“Wait, what?”

Both of his friends tried to hide their smiles as they exchanged a glance.

“You should ask her out,” Max pushed.

Colin’s head fell into his hands.

“It’s not going to hurt your career to ask out a woman.”

“I don’t care about how it would affect . . .” he began to protest and then stopped mid-sentence.

He’d always cared if something had affected his career. Why all of a sudden was that no longer an issue?

“Youreallylike her.” Kate's voice lowered several notes.

“I . . .” He stopped. He couldn’t deny he liked Emilie. He couldn’t dismiss the crushing ache deep in his chest when he walked on the floor for rounds and she hid away in the medicine room.

His eyes slowly closed as he let out a defeated breath. “It doesn’t matter.”

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