Page 18 of The Beat of her Heart

Addie closed her eyes briefly and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“I’ll make it work,” Addie said.

“That’s the spirit,” Josephine said.

She hung up.

Addie stood there for a moment, staring at her phone. Giselle wasn’t her ideal partner, but Addie wasn’t the type to let personal feelings get in the way of her work.

“The kids come first, always,” Addie said, finally breaking into a slow walk.

She recalled the day she’d taken her oath. Her moms—one an ex-paramedic and the other a teacher—had wiped happy tears from her cheeks. That day, she swore to do everything possible to ensure that her mothers always had that pride in their eyes.

That was nearly two decades ago. Only one of her moms, now a retired teacher, was alive now. She’d chosen to remain in Boston, but that didn’t change Addie’s oath. Addie sighed and took a few steps forward.

Why was she thinking about her moms, again?

Right, Giselle.

There was no denying that the thought of spending more time with Giselle madeher skin tingle, but not in a bad way. Yes, she hated the fact that someone so skilled could be so cold. Still, she was intrigued by it.

Why did she act the way she did? Did something happen in her past? There were too many possibilities, which was one of the things that unnerved Addie. Another was how much she noticed while they worked together.

Then again, it was impossible not to notice that Giselle was striking. Scratch that, Dr. Carlisle was beautiful.

Addie took a left once she got to the end of the hallway. The cafeteria was just ahead. She wasn’t particularly hungry, but sitting in the company of other doctors and getting her thoughts in order didn’t sound like a bad idea.

She donned a smile and let out a deep breath.

The cafeteria was fairly crowded when Addie got there. She slowed down at the door and scanned the entire space. Her gaze followed the line of tall windows, which let in just enough light to make the gray walls appear brighter. Her eyes darted across the rows of fluorescent lightsoverhead, their harsh glow reflecting off the pale tile floors.

She made for the counter and grabbed a cup of coffee. All that was left was finding the perfect spot to sit and brood over her day so far. The dozen square tables were littered with white coats and blue cotton coveralls. That’s when she spotted Josephine sitting at one of the tables, waving her over.

Addie shot her a weak smile. As much as she loved her boss, Josephine wasn’t the first person on her mind right now, but she couldn’t just ignore her. Addie walked over to join her. A handful of colleagues waved at her as she walked by, and she smiled at them.

“Perfect timing,” Josephine said as Addie sat down across from her.

“You could’ve told me you were here,” Addie said.

“Why?” Josephine asked with a frown. “Would that have changed anything?”

“No, but…” Addie paused. Josephine suddenly looked pissed. Addie did a double take in her head, wondering what she’d said to piss her off. “Forget I said that.”

Josephine held her gaze for a second, still frowning. Then she burst out laughing.

“I’m just messing with you,” Josephine said.

“Phew,” Addie sighed. “You got me.”

“You should’ve seen your face,” Josephine said. “I was actually thinking about the surgeries you’ve got lined up.”

Addie nodded. “You mean the ones with Giselle?”

Josephine smiled, stirring her tea. “Yes, exactly. You two will make such a great team. You balance each other out.”

“You’ve said all that before.” Addie did her best not to roll her eyes.

She wasn’t ready to be drawn into another conversation about Giselle, especially not with Josephine. But something about Josephine’s laugh told her that it was inevitable.

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