Page 6 of The Surgeon's Secret

“Take him straight to MRI, and then we’ll meet you in the OR. Let’s get scrubbed in, Dr. Spencer,” Lexi said, taking a deep breath as she jogged alongside the gurney. She spotted an intern nearby and called out, “Get prepped for a craniotomy and laparoscopy. If you do well, you can scrub in with us.”

The intern’s face lit up with excitement, and Lexi was happy to offer the opportunity. Was there anything better than saving lives and teaching at the same time?

Catherine stayed at her side, and Lexi couldn’t help but notice how easy it felt to work with Dr. Catherine Spencer, despite barely knowing her. There was something gentle about Catherine that Lexi liked. Surgeons could be many things—intelligent, cold, robotic, sometimes even wild. But Catherine wasn’t any of those things, and Lexi appreciated that.

They reached the OR and quickly scrubbed in. The patient was wheeled in and the anesthetist got to work. As always, there were plenty of people in the room—all women except for their patient, which Lexi liked. She thought,Women can be difficult, but at least they’re not arrogant like some men.

Lexi looked at her station to make sure it was ready for the craniotomy. She checked her equipment and was satisfied, then walked to the wall to study the scans as they came up on the computer.

“Just as I thought. I need to relieve some pressure—there’s bleeding on the brain, but it shouldn’t be too serious if I get to it quickly,” Lexi said as she prepared her instruments.

She glanced up to see Catherine studying the abdominal scans.

“Dr. Spencer, what are you seeing?”

“I’m looking at a liver laceration. I’ll need to repair it, and there might be some damage to the bowel, but I won’t know for sure until I get in there. It’ll be a bit of a patch job, but we should be able to work simultaneously,” Catherine responded.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Lexi said, her gaze meeting Catherine’s. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

4

CATHERINE

Catherine had enjoyed that surgery more than any in months. Working with Lexi had been seamless, and it wasn’t always like that with other surgeons. So many times, she was the one to back down, the one to hold herself back. But with Lexi—Dr. Bond—it had been different. Lexi had been encouraging and appreciative and respectful of her expertise, unlike most neurosurgeons, who believed their job was superior just because the brain was the most important organ in the body, or the cardio specialists who looked down on everyone else. Catherine knew better than anyone that abdominal trauma could finish you off just as easily as brain or heart injuries.

Afterward, in the scrub room, Lexi had patted her on the back.

“Hey, you were awesome in there,” Lexi said, her blue eyes sparkling and her smile as charming as ever. Somehow, she already felt like a friend.

Catherine had friends…well, sort of. She got along well with everyone, but she’d never really connected with the other doctors at the hospital. She always seemed to be JamesSpencer’s wife, hosting the dinner parties for the charming, good-looking, wealthy people in their social circle. But none of it felt real. Not really. Catherine had begun to crave something genuine, and the camaraderie she was developing with Lexi felt like she might finally have her own friend.

Toward the end of her shift, Catherine was finishing up a consult and writing her notes at the desk when Lexi appeared, dressed effortlessly cool in jeans and a casual shirt, her long arms resting on the desk as she closed the space between them.

“I just wanted to say thank you for the surgery earlier. Really, you’ve helped me feel welcome here. It was a pleasure operating with you,” Lexi said.

Something stirred deep in Catherine’s stomach that she couldn’t quite name. She met Lexi’s sparkling blue gaze and felt her heart beat faster, momentarily lost for words.

She finally said, “It was a pleasure, Doctor.”

“Please, call me Lexi,” Lexi said, her tongue flicking across her lower lip. Catherine suddenly noticed how attractive Lexi was. Not that Catherine regularly found herself thinking about attractive women, but she could see that Lexi was beautiful. She might be straight, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate beauty in whatever form it took.

“What are you doing this evening?” Lexi asked. “Would you like to go for a drink? We could celebrate our successful surgery.”

Lexi’s gaze fixed on her, and Catherine felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights, frozen on the spot. It had been a long time since anyone had invited her for a drink.

“I’d love to,” Catherine replied.

“Great!” Lexi said. “I’d better go get my stuff, and I assume you need to finish up here. Should we meet by the main entrance in ten minutes? Is that enough time?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll see you there,” Catherine said. She’d surprised herself by agreeing to go out for a drink. But she figured, where was the harm in it? It might be nice, especially compared to going home to a big empty house.

The one thing Catherinewasworried about was that she had no idea what on earth she was going to wear.

Catherine managed to find an outfit in her locker—smart trousers and a blouse with sheer fabric that showed off her bra a little more than she was comfortable with, but she decided not to overthink it. James wasn’t here, so maybe it didn’t matter. Besides, Lexi was wearing jeans, so clearly this wasn’t a fancy place. She let her hair down and brushed it out over her shoulders, added a bit of mascara, and she was good to go.

Lexi drove them to the bar—in a pickup truck, of all things. Catherine couldn’t remember ever being in one before, but she figured there was a first time for everything. Somehow, it suited Lexi.

Catherine sat nervously at a table in the bar. She didn’t usually go to places like this—a quirky lounge bar with posters of musicians on the walls and a small stage where it looked like a singer was setting up. Lexi returned from the bar, carrying two drinks. Catherine’s was a Sauvignon Blanc, but she wasn’t sure what was in Lexi’s glass.

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