Page 17 of The Beat of her Heart

Addie was too soft, too concerned with things that didn’t matter. Giselle had seen it in the way she’d stayed behind after the surgery, checking on the child like she was her mother. That wasn’t how you practiced medicine. You did the job and then moved on to the next case. There was no room for attachment, because sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. Attachment could gnaw at and break you, make you sob in the hallways when a patient passes.

As much as it irritated Giselle, something about Addie lingered in her mind—her effortless smile and her swiftness during the surgery. She was good, no doubt about that. But that empathy...it complicated things.

Giselle stopped before her office door, staring at the handle for a second longer than necessary. She considered, for a brief moment, going back to Josephine and insisting on a different partner. Maybe there was someone else on the team who wasn’t so emotionally invested in every single patient.

But she didn’t turn around. As much as she hated working with Addie, she wouldn’tgive Josephine the satisfaction of seeing her struggle. She’d deal with it. It wasn’t like she had much of a choice, anyway.

She opened the door and stepped into her office, letting the door close softly behind her.

The room was quiet, but her mind wasn’t. Thoughts of Addie kept creeping in, uninvited. Giselle shook her head, trying to push them away. She wasn’t here to get distracted by anyone, especially not by a doctor who spent more time talking to patients than focusing on her job.

She dropped into the chair behind her desk and opened the file for her next surgery, forcing her attention back to the one thing that mattered—her work.

But even as she tried to focus, the memory of Addie’s face returned, that calm expression during surgery and how her eyes lit up when she spoke to patients.

Giselle didn’t want to admit it, but Addie Wolfe rattled her. It wasn’t just the way she worked; it was the way she existed in the ward. She was always so sure of herself and so comfortable with people. Giselle wasn’t like that. She’dneverbeen like that.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was a message from the nurse’s station—another case waiting for her. She pushed herself up from the chair, her mind snapping back into focus.

Work. That was all that mattered.

She exited her office, closed the door firmly behind her, and headed toward the OR. The frustration still bubbled under the surface, but she pushed it aside. She had another life to save, and that was the reason she needed to keep moving.

When Giselle returned to her office at the end of the day, she recalled the time when her life had been filled with colors and warmth. She hadn’t always been like this—distant and cold. There’d been a time when she’d been different. Empathetic almost, just like Addie. Back then, she believed in love, in connection. Nicole, her ex, had brought that out in her, made her laugh, made her care.

But all of that changed when her parents refused to give their blessings. They saidNicole wasn’t good enough for their daughter.

Giselle had lost her love, and it hadn’t meant a thing to them. All she had now was her oath to save lives.

Then there was Addie. She looked like she had so much more. That had to be the only explanation for why she always seemed so cloyingly cheerful. It had to be more than just her oath that kept her upbeat and caring. Giselle shook her head. It should shove those thoughts from her mind.

It didn’t work.

Giselle sighed. Her thoughts kept returning to the same place—Addie Wolfe and those enchanting hazel eyes and the lovely curve of her hips.

6

ADDIE

Addie stood in the hallway with her phone pressed to her ear. She’d been that way for a little over a minute now. A nurse in pink scrubs passed by, her dark hair tied back in a neat braid, giving Addie a quick nod as their eyes met. Addie barely registered it, too focused on Josephine’s voice in her ear to muster more than a distracted half-smile.

“You’ll be partnering with Giselle on a series of surgeries, I want you to learn from each other,” Josephine said over the phone.

The news wasn’t surprising, but it wasn’t exactly welcome, either. She tugged at the hem of her scrub top, smoothing the fabricover her waist. Her sneakers shifted slightly against the polished floor as she adjusted the lanyard holding her ID badge.

“You’re not going to reconsider?” Addie asked. Her grip on the phone tightened as she pressed her lips into a thin line and waited for the response she already knew was coming.

“Giselle needs someone who can balance her out. And you need someone who can keep you from melting into your patients.”

Addie opened her mouth to argue, but stopped. It wasn’t worth it. Josephine hadalready made up her mind yesterday. There was no point in pushing back.

Besides, she couldn’t deny that Giselle was a brilliant partner. They’d saved a life together. That counted for something, even though Giselle acted like the human connection was an unnecessary complication.

“You’re certain about this?” Addie asked.

“I know it’s a good match.”

Match.Addie hated the word, especially since it sounded almost romantic in her ears. She didn’t care for anything that reminded her, even vaguely, of romance.

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