Page 28 of Doctor Frost

I shook my head. I could feel my cheeks heating, and I knew there was no way I could play into this anymore. She’d be able to tell from my expression that what she was saying was true.

“That’s it, isn’t it? You two are together.” A funny look washed over her face as she stood up a little straighter. It was enough to frighten me. “Amelia, you realize that it’s against hospital policy to date a superior, don’t you?”

“For the hundredth time, we aren’t dating. We are friends,” I gritted, my irritation growing bigger by the second.

Connie studied me, and I almost thought she believed me until she gave me an evil smile and shook her head.

“You know, Amelia, I’ve always liked you, and I’d love to believe you, but one girl mentioned to me a couple of days ago that she saw the two of you at The Cooling Rack together, eating lunch.”

“So what?” I said, shoving the list into my back pocket. “We were two colleagues having lunch. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, if it were true. However, I’ve never known someone who hates someone to have lunch with said person, or to help them with his kids, or to hold hands.”

I went to walk away, tired of listening to this craziness. She was trying to get me to crack, and I couldn’t allow her to know how close I was to doing so.

“I’ll be talking to the proper channels later this week at work,” she called out.

“Do whatever you feel you need to do, Connie,” I said as I turned and made my way toward the exit, worry filling me.

I rushed to my car and then sped out of the parking lot back to Dalton’s, ready to tell him everything, but when I got inside, he was on the phone and it looked serious.

I poured myself a hot coffee and sat down, fretting about the news I had to tell him. I listened as he spoke; it sounded like it was about a patient. Finally, he said he’d be there soon and then hung up the phone.

Dalton

It wasnice of her to leave one light on when I’d returned from the hospital. I’d felt awful about having to leave her with the kids when I’d gotten the call. One of my patients was being admitted into the hospital and had insisted on speaking with me. When I’d told her about the call, she’d insisted she agreed with me that I should go.

I’d offered to call Mrs. Jenkins to come stay with the kids, but Amelia absolutely refused and said she’d stay and get their dinner. I’d messaged her an hour ago just as I was wrapping up and she’d told me they had all gone to bed with no problems, to take as long as I needed. I’d expected her to be up when I arrived, but the house was dark and quiet—all but the one light.

I slipped my shoes off and shut the light off, heading upstairs to my bedroom. I could see light spilling into the hallway from under the bedroom door and quietly opened the door, expecting to find Amelia awake, but she was on her back, dressed in one of my T-shirts, sound asleep, with a book open, resting across her chest.

I softly smiled and went around to her side of the bed, gently taking the book from her chest, careful not to wake her. I’d justbookmarked her spot and shut the light off when she let out a soft moan and opened her eyes, looking up at me with hazy eyes.

“Dalton? What…what time is it?”

“It’s late,” I whispered. “Go back to sleep. I’ll just be a minute.” I cupped her cheek and placed a kiss on her forehead.

When I returned, she’d slipped under the covers and was lying on her side. I crawled in under the covers and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her back against me.

“How did it go?” she asked quietly.

“Okay,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to discuss what had happened at the hospital tonight. It had been so long since I’d had a close interaction with a patient who was dying; I wasn’t sure I knew how to deal with it anymore.

She rolled over, facing me, studying my eyes in the dimly lit room, then without a word pressed a kiss to my lips.

“I know it was hard for you to go, but I’m glad you went.”

“Me too.”

I pulled her into me, holding her tight. I needed to feel her close to me right now. I needed to know she was here.

“Tommy and Claire were talking to me about getting a tree tonight.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Is that so?”

“They wondered if I would join you guys on that venture.”

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