Page 19 of Silver Fox's Secret Baby

I had apologized to her and I meant it, but maybe the way I hurt her years ago really had messed with her. The back and forth in her demeanor showed she was wrestling internally with something, and I was willing to bet it had to do with me. One minute, she was pleasant and willing to go to dinner with me and the next, she was angry and holding a grudge over something I had already apologized for.

When the door swung open and she walked out looking fresh and put together, I relaxed a little. I had already divulged my desire to date Lily to the HR rep, but that didn't excuse the sex we just had. Even if we were approved and on file as being a couple, I was positive hospital administration would frown on sex on hospital property, especially while we were on the clock.But it didn't appear that anyone noticed how I left the room and moments later, Lily did.

She approached me at the counter and her stiff posture warned me off. The woman who was putty in my hands moments ago had vanished and Dr. Lily Carter had returned.

"So, dinner at my place tomorrow?" I asked, not even caring that one of the nurses nearby might hear. This was different from last time at St. Anne's when we had to sneak around. Back then, all I cared about was my career. Having spent so long alone, however, I knew the value of having a woman I loved in my life. Which was why I was doing things the right way this time.

"I'm not sure, Dr. Matthews. I'll have to see…" Her shoulders stayed squared, but her face drooped.

"Girl, a man that hot asks you out, you go." One of the nurses snickered and winked at me as she walked past and out into the hallway.

Lily didn't seem to appreciate the unsolicited comment, but I thought it was comical. I smiled and took a step back to offer her some space. "I'll let you think it over. Just text me if you are interested." I pulled out my business card from my lab coat pocket and laid it on the counter in front of her. She picked it up and studied it but said nothing. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, later…" she mumbled, and I walked away.

It was like trying to decipher hieroglyphics on the wall of a cave. Lily was an enigma I needed to understand, and I wouldn't quit until I did. Even if it meant swallowing my pride and pushing my sleeves up to do hard emotional work with her and fix what I broke.

I headed down toward surgical to check in on a patient I had diagnosed with gallstones and my phone rang. I reached into my pocket and pulled it out and immediately recognized the phonenumber. It was the retirement community where my father lived and that probably wasn't a good thing, so I answered it.

"Dr. Matthews speaking."

"Hi, Ethan, this is Stella from Sunshine Village. I'm calling about your father." Stella was a middle-aged woman with bright red hair and freckles on her face. They made her look ten years younger.

"Oh, hey, Stella. What's up?" I nodded at a passing nurse who waved at me and turned toward my patient’s room.

"Well, Thomas took a fall this morning in the shower. The nurse's aide who was with him said he was being stubborn again, demanding to do things on his own and refusing help. We are going to take him to St. Anne's for some X-rays, but we might be looking at a broken hip." Stella's news was a blow to my good mood and sucked the last vestiges of afterglow right out of my body.

"Wow, is he in pain?" I asked, realizing I wasn't going to be checking on my patient after all. My mind flew into action, making a list of things I'd have to have rescheduled and tasked to other doctors this afternoon. It sounded like I'd be sitting in an emergency room with Mom the rest of the day.

"He is, but we've given him some narcotics. He's a bit belligerent right now, but we're hoping the pain meds calm that down too." She chuckled, and I rolled my eyes. I knew just what a pain in the butt my dad could be at times.

"How long until the transport is ready?" I wished they would bring him to Mountain View, but hiring an ambulance to bring him all the way across Denver to the more elite hospital was out of the question for the small retirement community. The best I could do was to have him transferred once he was admitted, and then it would be on my dime, not theirs.

"They'll be here in thirty minutes, so you have a bit of time to get Barbra and meet him there." She sighed. "I'm sorrythis happened. If only he would just let us help him. Maybe you can talk to him about not being so feisty and demanding independence. There’s a reason he moved in here. He needs help with things."

I backtracked on my walk toward the patient and diverted to my office where I sat behind my desk. "I don't blame you one bit. He is definitely a little prideful and stubborn. I'm sure if he'd have let the nurse help him in the shower, he wouldn't have fallen. I'll get Mom and meet the ambulance over there. Thanks for letting me know, Stella."

"No problem, Dr. Matthews. Have a good day. We'll update you if there is any change."

We hung up, and I sent out a slew of text messages to my nursing staff, interns, and a colleague who would take over my rounds for the day. A broken him wouldn't just be a quick in and out for him. Hip surgery in a man my father's age sometimes took six months to come back from, longer if the patient wasn't well off before needing the surgery. And sometimes, men his age never came back. Sometimes, they died.

I pushed those thoughts from my head and gathered a few things from my desk before heading out. Any thought of Lily and the incredible sex we just had was pushed from my head as I drove home. Mom was ready, having already received a call from Stella. She sat on the porch swing with her sweater draped over her arm in case it was cold in the emergency room. When I pulled up, she stood and shuffled toward the car.

Before I could even climb out to walk with her, she was at the passenger door. I hit the unlock button, and she opened the door and climbed in. She looked worried. Even she knew how scary something like this could be for a man his age.

"It's going to be okay, Mom. We'll get the best doctors we can on his case. I can even have him transferred to Mountain Viewand my team can handle things if you want." I reached for her hand, and she shut the door before clasping my hand in hers.

"He'll be angry about that. You know he doesn't like to be babied." Her lip trembled as she spoke, and I felt her pain. Her partner of more than fifty years was aging and struggling, and eventually, they'd have to say goodbye.

"Buckle up. I need to drive." I patted her knee and took my hand back.

Thirty minutes later, we were walking into the emergency department at St. Anne's. It was a blast from the past. Familiar faces surrounded us as we signed in and were escorted to Dad's exam room. The staff all had encouraging things to say, but I found myself strangely craving Lily's presence, as if having her here would calm me more, anchor me in the hope that everything would be okay.

Mom sat by Dad's bedside and held his hand, but he was sedated, snoring loudly. I hovered by the door waiting for the doctor to come in, and I almost pounced on him when he did. He was young, probably a fourth-year resident with little experience, but thankfully, he was only here to triage and diagnose. The surgeon would be doing the real work.

"So, you knocked him out?" I asked, and he chuckled.

"Yes, he was a handful and he was in pain, so it was a no-brainer." The man thrust his hand out at me. "Dr. Garber."

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