Page 14 of The Beat of her Heart

And that was what bothered Addie most. Giselle acted like nothing could touch her, like she was above the rest of them, floating through the day with that frigid, unaffected expression.

Addie leaned forward, rubbing her temples. “Fine. I’ll do it. But don’t expect me to like it.”

Josephine chuckled softly and picked up her glasses again. “I don’t expect you to like it. I expect you to do your job.”

Addie stood up, pushing the chair back with a soft scrape against the floor. “Anything else?”

Josephine shook her head and returned her attention to the files on her desk. “That’s all for now. You’ll be fine, Addie. Giselle’s tough, but she’ll come around.”

Addie wasn’t so sure about that. She walked to the door.

“Don’t wait too long to start,” Josephine said, catching her right by the knob. “Giselle’s not the patient type.”

Addie didn’t respond as she stepped out of the office. Her footsteps trailed down the hall as she walked, anger simmering beneath the surface. Why wouldn’t Josephine let herwork with someone else? There were plenty of other surgeons and plenty of cases. But for some reason, Josephine was determined to pair her with Giselle.

She thought back to the surgery, to Giselle standing across from her, defiant and collected, like nothing in the world could faze her. It was infuriating. And yet...there was no denying her beauty, from her plump lips to warm, creamy skin that glimmered in the hospital light.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen and saw the name of Sophie’s school. Addie’s heart skipped a beat as she quickly answered.

“Dr. Wolfe?” the teacher’s voice came through. “Sorry to bother you, but Sophie isn’t feeling well. Can you come pick her up?”

Addie checked the time on her watch. She had an hour left on her shift. “I’ll be there soon. I’m finishing up here in about an hour. Can she wait?”

“She’s resting in the nurse’s office. We’ll keep an eye on her until you get here.”

Addie let out a deep breath as shementally rearranged her day. “Thanks. Can I speak with her?”

There was a brief shuffle before Sophie’s small voice came on the line. “Mom?”

“Hey, sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

“My tummy hurts,” Sophie said softly. “But I’m okay.”

Addie’s heart softened. “I’ll be there soon, alright? Just rest for now.”

“Okay.” Sophie paused. “I was playing with Natalie before I got sick.”

Addie smiled.

“That’s great, honey. I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay. Bye, Mom.”

Addie hung up, stared at her phone momentarily, and slipped it back into her pocket. She shook her head and headed back toward her office to wrap up the day.

Just one more hour, and then she could focus on Sophie.

5

GISELLE

Giselle sat in her office, staring out the window as sunlight filtered in. Her first day at Phoenix Ridge General was almost over, and she was fine. The surgery had gone well, as expected.

The doctors here were competent, though they watched her every move like she was conducting an experiment. That didn’t bother her. What did was how they acted after the surgery—relieved, warm, almost celebratory, as though they needed to bond over saving a life.

It wasn’t necessary. They’d done their jobs. That should’ve been enough.

And then there was Addie.

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