Page 7 of Silver Fox's Secret Baby

ETHAN

The evening had been on my calendar for a few weeks now. It was the night we welcomed all new interns, residents, fellows, and doctors, whether they'd only just been hired or had been working here less than six months. I stood next to Dr. Jacob Vance, a man I'd gotten to know over the past few years. He took me under his wing when I was hired on this very night—the welcome dinner. We hit it off, and we'd been golfing buddies ever since.

"I heard there are a couple of really talented new hires." Jacob sipped his champagne and eyed the room, and I turned to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. There were several new faces and some that were familiar, though I didn't know the people. When they hosted this event for me, I was surprised to see two nurses I had met at St. Anne's were here that night too, hopping from one hospital to the other like me.

That was a good night for me. I felt the break of letting the past go and embraced the newness of the future here at Mountain View Medical. No one knew my personal reasons for taking the new job except me, and I liked to keep it that way. As far as they knew, becoming chief diagnostic physician was mysole motive for the move and it was a good one. I enjoyed the position more than any previous job I'd held.

"I haven't heard much about any of them. I did hear the pediatric wing scored someone away from Princeton-Plainsboro, though." I nodded at Sandra Duncan, one of the board members who had welcomed me into the Mountain View family with open arms. This place felt like home compared to St. Anne's.

"Yeah, I heard the same. She was supposedly on the dean's list and offered chief of pediatrics right out of her residency, which is unheard of, so she must be highly skilled." Jacob's eyes swept the room again and then he nudged me. "I heard she's a babe too." He winked at me, and I knew it was his way of nudging me toward the dating pool, which for the most part, I'd avoided. I had a few dates that went nowhere, dinner and no follow up after that. But I had little interest in dating. My career really was my focus now.

Jacob was happily married, though, and he insisted that I'd be more well adjusted if I had a woman to come home to every night. What he failed to remember was that we were welcoming new colleagues and the hospital policy for fraternization was strict. Not as strict as the one at St. Anne's, but I wasn't going to make that mistake ever again. If I even decided to start dating again.

"You let me worry about who I find attractive, and stop meddling," I told him, chuckling at how forward he was sometimes.

Sandra waltzed up to us with a drink in hand and a smile on her face. The older woman was dean of medicine and one of the board members. She was kind and funny, but she didn't mess around when it came to running this place. I liked that about her, that she could be firm and friendly in the same act. Jacob reached his hand out to shake hers and she gripped it.

"Gentlemen, thank you for coming. It's nice to see our seasoned doctors still joining us for this event." Sandra's eyes sparkled as she spoke, and she pulled her hand from Jacob's to shake mine, which I accepted.

"Dr. Duncan, thank you for inviting us. I remember how warmly I was accepted at my welcome dinner, and I hope the new hires will appreciate your putting this event together for them." Her grip was as firm as her policy, her smile as warm as her heart.

"I hope so too. Would you like to meet a few of the new doctors? I won't bore you with the interns, except those who'll be joining your departments."

"Of course," I said, glancing at Jacob who agreed with a nod. We followed her through the sea of people mingling and chatting. A few of the nurses here looked up to me, and they acknowledged me as we passed them. But what caught my eye was the backside of a woman whose long, curly hair hung loose and reminded me instantly of Lily. I might not have been in the dating game, but I still had eyes, and that ass was perky and round and I might have drooled.

Sandra was headed right toward the woman too, which made my heart skip a beat just the same way it had when Lily and I were messing around. The familiar rush of excitement and attraction was both encouraging and bitter to me. I didn't want to be attracted to anyone else, even if Lily was long gone.

"That's her," Jacob mumbled, elbowing me in the ribs, and I glanced at him.

"The sandy blonde over there?" I nodded in the direction Sandra was leading us, and Jacob smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"I’m telling you, she's cute." His snickers mingled with the attraction I was already feeling toward the woman without even having seen her face, and I felt my body grow warmer. Afteryears of having no true friends, Jacob probably knew me better than anyone else on this planet, and if he thought I'd be attracted to her, he was probably right.

"Pace yourself," I told him firmly, but at the same time, Sandra touched the woman's shoulder and she started to turn.

My heart stopped. Not like cardiac arrest, but the good kind of heart stopping. Same cute button nose, same dazzling green eyes, though she looked more tired than the last time I saw her.

"Dr. Carter, I'd like to introduce you to a few of our department heads…" Sandra gestured at us as Lily's eyes washed across the room to take us in. I stood merely a yard from her, breathing in the scent of her lilac and lavender perfume—same perfume too—and she smiled politely and professionally. Even when her gaze locked on mine, she didn't break character.

"Oh, hello, gentlemen. I'm Dr. Lily Carter, the new pediatric attending." She reached her hand toward Jacob's first, and I stood there stunned speechless. Lily was here? At Mountain View? And she was finished with her residency and now officially a licensed doctor… My mind reeled for what to say or do as she put her hand out toward me.

"This is Dr. Ethan Matthews. He is the head of our diagnostics department. And this is Dr. Jacob Vance, head of oncology. They should be able to help you settle in and meet the rest of the crew." Sandra was so polite and so oblivious. Lily feigned complete ignorance as she smiled at me with her hand held out, staring at my face.

I was the only one who noticed the way her bottom lip quivered as she worried it between her teeth, waiting on me. I slowly reached toward her and took her hand, which was as firm and strong as Sandra's, but I remained gentle, resisting the urge to bring it to my lips to kiss it. The split second seemed to last a lifetime as I looked at her.

Where had she been? Why hadn't she returned any of my calls? She looked healthy but tired. Had she been taking care of herself? My thoughts focused mostly on the woman standing in front of me more beautiful than she'd ever been, and not on the past where the heartbreak lay. If I went there, this would be very bad for both of us. I buried that dumpster fire a long time ago, but I never forgot her.

"Lily," I said softly, and Sandra flashed a look of confusion before starting back in.

"Well I'll be off. Make yourselves at home here. Dr. Matthews, Dr. Vance, show Dr. Carter around, won't you?" She made a point to say Lily's full surname and title, and I slowly retracted my hand.

I was mesmerized and overwhelmed and Lily now looked uncomfortable. Jacob had a shit-eating grin on his face which I wanted to pound off it, but it all happened so quickly, I barely had time to think.

"Excuse me, fellas. I think I need the ladies’ room." Lily started away, and Jacob was already laying it to me.

"Man, I told you. Sexy, right? And smart. She's younger than you, but man, I could see you two to?—"

"Enough, Jacob," I growled, and without an explanation, I turned and followed her.

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