Page 20 of Storm's Embrace

It had been a good thing she hadn’t followed through with her notion of calling in sick for the rest of the day. So far, it had been one heck of an afternoon. She checked the wall clock, muttering, “And it’s all of two-o-nine.”

She sighed and turned her chair toward her desk. Maybe the rest of the day wouldn’t be as eventful. She glanced over her shoulder at Eli’s closed door.

She highly doubted it.

Now she felt bad for ignoring him when she’d seen him outside the exam room after returning to the office. She’d been well aware she’d had no right to be jealous, and had spent her time driving around berating herself each time the unwanted feeling had reared its ugly head—something that had happened repeatedly when the image of Eli and Ms. Bennett kissing had filled her mind. He was a grown man who had every right to kiss his girlfriend any time or any place he wanted.

She’d just preferred not to have been a witness to it.

She certainly hadn’t wanted to walk in on a goodbye kiss either.

It was why she’d allowed herself longer than she normally would have to return to work. So she hadn’t expected to run into Eli as soon as she’d walked in the door, especially since it was well past the time he should have been in with his patient.

Then when it looked like he might try to talk to her before he’d entered the exam room, she’d basically stuck her nose in her purse to keep from making eye contact or encouraging him to speak. No way did she want to talk to him about, much less have him mention or try to explain away, the kiss.

She’d stood rooted in place and had wondered how long she’d have to keep moving the same items around in her purse when LaDonna’s softly-spoken, “Dr. Storm,” had grabbed her attention. She’d glanced up to find the nurse practitioner’s features tensing as she’d quietly spoken to Eli before leading him to an empty exam room.

“That doesn’t look good,” she’d whispered as she’d started down the hall to their offices, pausing only a second at the low murmur of Eli and LaDonna’s voices coming through the exam room door as she’d passed.

Curiosity and worry over what was going on had occupied her mind as she’d settled at her desk, so she’d pulled the daily schedule up on her computer. One o'clock—Jesse Garrison, new patient, two-year well-child check.

It was a straight shot from her doorway to the exit, so she had a clear view of the hallway and exam rooms from her seat, and had kept her eyes trained on it. A few moments later Eli and LaDonna had left the room they’d been in, with Eli going across the hall and pausing at the door several seconds before going in while LaDonna sped-walked toward her up the hall.

“What’s going on?” Miriam had asked when LaDonna had rushed into her office and shut the door.

“We have a situation.”

Miriam had listened intently while LaDonna explained the suspicions Sallie had brought to her attention, and then her own conversation with Eli. All the while her heart grew heavier before she clenched her hands when LaDonna had described the fading bruises on the two-year-old.

“It may be nothing,” LaDonna had said, “but I thought Dr. Storm needed to have some forewarning.”

“You were right to tell him.”

Miriam had checked the time, then glanced at his schedule. She’d known Eli would need more than the normal thirty minutes he took with new patients. But with a full schedule the rest of the afternoon and already being late going in for the exam due to…

She shook those thoughts away. Anyhow, he wouldn’t have the time he needed, so she’d made anexecutivedecision. “I’m calling Serena.”

The other woman had nodded. “Good idea.”

LaDonna had left her office while she’d phoned their on-call nurse practitioner. Thankfully, Serena had been available and could make it into the office before Eli would have seen his next patient.

Miriam had just hung up the phone and relaxed back in her chair, hoping against hope LaDonna’s and Sallie’s fears were unfounded, when Eli’s office door had opened. She’d quickly swiveled her chair around, her eyes widening when she’d found Deidre Bennett standing in the open doorway.

And Ms. Bennett had been nowhere near as put together as she’d been when she’d gone in—hair mussed, lipstick gone, and clothes slightly askew. Miriam’s cheeks had filled with heat at thoughts of how she’d gotten in that condition. She’d also had the strangest urge to escape from the other woman’s presence. But all she could do was watch while Ms. Bennett had set her purse on the floor and straightened her jacket, before adjusting her skirt with a satisfied smile hovering over her lips. That was when she’d lifted her gaze toward Miriam.

“Oh, hello,” Ms. Bennett had said, a little breathless while fluffing out her hair. “I didn’t see you there.”

“Uh-huh." Miriam hadn't been able to form any kind of coherent response.

“Did you have a nice lunch?” Ms. Bennett had made a show of wiping the corners of her mouth with a tissue she’d pulled from her jacket pocket, and then smiled at Miriam again before picking up her purse and throwing the tissue away in a nearby bin.

“Yes, thank you. And you?” Miriam had momentarily closed her eyes at her own stupidity for asking. She had not wanted to know how enjoyable Ms. Bennett had found herlunch.

Ms. Bennett's smile had broadened as she’d sauntered over to Miriam and placed her purse on her desk before opening it and pulling out a tube of lipstick and a compact. “I did. Thank you so much for asking.”

Miriam had licked her own bare lips while the other woman had held the mirrored compact in front of her. Then she’d sat transfixed as Ms. Bennett had slowly applied a generous amount of deep pink lipstick and pressed her lips together.

“That’s better,” Ms. Bennett had said while putting the tube and compact back in her purse. “I feel absolutely naked without my lipstick.” She’d met Miriam’s gaze. “Don’t y...” The other woman had tilted her head and eyed Miriam up and down.

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