Page 35 of The Beat of her Heart

The blonde stepped forward, eyes widening slightly as she took in Giselle’s face. “Wait, aren’t you Dr. Nova’s daughter?”

Giselle stiffened, a tight smile forming on her lips. The woman laughed, apparently not noticing Giselle’s discomfort. “That’s amazing. I can’t believe I get to meet a Nova in the flesh.”

Giselle forced a nod, her hand gripping the edge of the table beside her. She hated being compared to her mother and how people always brought it up as if it defined her. She wasn’t her mother, and she didn’t need to be reminded of her at every turn.

Before the conversation could get more uncomfortable, Josephine smoothly stepped in. “You’re speaking to Giselle Carlisle, one ofthe best surgeons we have here in Phoenix Ridge.”

The woman blinked, clearly taken aback, before offering an awkward smile. “Right, of course.”

Giselle nodded, grateful for the intervention but still eager to end the conversation. She muttered something polite before excusing herself, stepping away from the group, and heading back to the window.

She peered outside, straining to look at the sky. It was dark; the clouds had rolled in while they were talking. The faint patter of rain began to hit the large windows.

One by one, the guests began to leave, their goodbyes echoing through the house. Giselle saw the people Addie had been talking to wave goodbye as they walked out the door. Addie stood by herself now, her eyes scanning the room, and Giselle quickly looked away, pretending to focus on something else.

She was about to step outside to get some air when she was swarmed by Sophie and Natalie. “Dr. Giselle!” Sophie said, tugging at her sleeve.

Giselle blinked, surprised by the sudden attention. “Hey, girls.”

Natalie joined in, her eyes wide with curiosity. “Do you do surgeries too?”

Giselle glanced between the two girls, unsure how to answer. “Yes, I do.”

Sophie’s face lit up. “That’s so cool! What kind of surgeries?”

Giselle shifted, trying to find the simplest way to explain. “I work on hearts mostly. I fix them when they’re not working right.”

Natalie’s mouth dropped open. “You fix hearts? Like with tools and stuff?”

Giselle smiled despite herself. “Yes, with tools. And stuff.”

The girls exchanged excited looks before bombarding her with more questions.

What kind of tools did she use? Was it scary? Did people ever wake up during surgery? As the questions poured in, Giselle found herself surprisingly engaged. The kids’ enthusiasm was infectious, and though she hadn’t expected to enjoy their company, she found herself answering each question with more detail than she usually offered in conversations like these.

Still, now and then, her eyes darted inAddie’s direction. Addie had moved to the side of the room, watching the kids with a small smile on her face. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Giselle quickly looked away, her chest tightening in a way that made her uncomfortable.

She returned her attention to Sophie and Natalie, but the awareness of Addie’s presence lingered, pulling at her thoughts even as she tried to focus on the conversation in front of her. The storm outside was growing stronger, but inside the house, everything felt strangely still—except, of course, when she glanced at Addie.

The rain had picked up, hammering against the windows in thick, steady sheets. Giselle glanced outside, the sky now completely dark and the storm in full swing. She checked the time, but just as she was about to mention leaving, Josephine appeared, smiling as if she knew what Giselle was about to say.

“It’s too bad out there to drive,” Josephine said, casually wiping her hands on a towel. “You’re stuck here for the night. The storm’s not letting up anytime soon.”

Giselle shifted uncomfortably. “I really should?—”

But Josephine interrupted her. “Do me a favor. Take the girls upstairs and make sure they didn’t turn their room upside down. Ember and I are going to tidy up down here.” She gave her a small smile, already turning back to the dishes.

Giselle opened her mouth to protest, but Sophie and Natalie tugged at her sleeves and pulled her toward the stairs before she could say anything more. She sighed, resigned to her fate, and let them lead her up to the room.

The upstairs hallway was quiet, the sound of the rain muffled as they moved away from the main living area. When they reached Natalie’s room, Giselle couldn’t help but pause at the door. The room was large and elegant, with a high ceiling and wide windows overlooking the storm-tossed waves outside.

The soft lighting gave everything a warm glow, and the walls were painted a calming shade of gray. It was clear that Ember and Josephine had spared no expense. Everything looked tasteful—classy, even—butwith just the right number of personal touches to make it feel lived in.

The room itself was mostly neat, but there were toys scattered across the floor and a few pillows had been tossed haphazardly onto the bed. A small bookshelf by the window was half-emptied, with books stacked in uneven piles on the floor. A stuffed animal lay on the rug, abandoned in the middle of what looked like a small pillow fort the girls had been building earlier.

Sophie and Natalie ran ahead, laughing as they plopped onto the bed, kicking more pillows off in the process. Giselle stood by the door, watching as they began to rearrange the pillows into what was clearly meant to be a castle of some kind.

“You two really made a mess,” Giselle said, her arms crossed.

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