Page 23 of Stone Vows

“My turn again.” I can’t think of one. My mind is blank. She’s going to think I’m a lame doctor who can’t think up a stupid question. I just spout out the first thing that comes to mind. “Never have I ever been married.”

“I, uh . . .” She looks at the cups in front of her and then out the window.

Damn it. I went too far. Iama lame fucking doctor. What was I thinking?

There’s a knock on the door. I turn around to see Mallory standing in the doorway with a few bags in her hands. I walk over to help her with them, relieved to be saved from my stupidity.

“Hi, Mal. Thanks for coming. Elizabeth, this is my sister-in-law, Mallory. I thought that since you two are about the same age and you obviously have something in common, you should meet.”

Mallory rubs her pregnant belly as she walks over to the bed. “Hi, Elizabeth. It’s really nice to meet you.”

“You, too,” Elizabeth says, looking confused.

Mallory notices her reaction, too. “When Kyle said he had a pregnant patient who was on bed rest for what could be weeks, I told him I wanted to stop by and keep you company. I can’t even imagine what it must be like to be quarantined away from the world. Would you mind if I sat with you for a while?”

Elizabeth smiles, looking more at ease. “Mind? Not at all, it would be great to have some company.”

She looks guiltily at me. “Not that you aren’t good company, Kyle, uh . . . Dr. Stone, but you have no idea what it’s like to be pregnant.”

“It’s still Kyle,” I tell her. “Mal is family.” I walk around the bed to clean up the Jell-O. “We’ll finish our game another time, okay?”

She nods.

“I’m off after rounds, so I’ll see you tomorrow, Elizabeth. Thanks again, Mal.”

“Anytime,” she says.

I walk out the door and stand there for a minute, eavesdropping.

“My brother-in-law is a pretty great doctor, don’t you think?” Mallory asks.

“He is,” Elizabeth says. “He’s a lot nicer than most doctors I’ve met.”

“He’s a lot nicer than mostpeople,” Mal says. “You won’t find a better breed than the Stone brothers. Then again, I may be a bit biased. So how far along are you?”

I leave them to their conversation, walking down the hall with a huge smile on my face, realizing just how much better I feel leaving her room than when I first entered it.

Chapter Eleven

“Sorry I bailed on you the other day. Would have been nice to play ball with the guys.”

“Not a problem,” Chad says, taking a bite of his dinner. “It’s what you signed up for. It’s not like it hasn’t happened a thousand times before with Mom and Dad.”

I nod, laughing. Many dinners, soccer matches, and family outings were interrupted due to my parents’ chosen careers. They are both doctors. I know they like to think they influenced me to follow in their footsteps, but the truth is, I’d have become a doctor anyway. I think I was born for it. There was never even a choice in the matter.

Mallory starts to get up from the table. “You need a refill,” she says, nodding to my empty wine glass.

I put my hand on her arm to stop her. “Stay put, Mal. I’ll get it.”

“Thanks,” she says, rubbing her growing belly.

“So, how long are you in town for this time?” I ask Chad.

“Well, sinceDefcon Threeis pretty much wrapped up, I’ll only need to head back to L.A. for some voice-overs and promo spots.Dark Tunnelswon’t be released until after the baby comes, so that means press junkets won’t start until early next year. And filming forOut of the Deepstarts in the spring.”

He puts a hand on Mal’s pregnant belly. “All in all, I don’t think we could have timed this better.”

“You’re forgetting how we’ll need to go to L.A. to collect your Golden Globe and your Oscar,” Mal adds.

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