Page 5 of Miracles and Marriage
He looked rock solid, firm and dependable. She knew he was as honest as anyone she’d met. And he had an aura of competency that was evident at first glance. Wind had ruffled his dark hair when he walked to the cottage from his car, giving him an almost boyish look. She blinked. She’d met him when he’d been in his thirties. There was nothing boyish about the hard-as-nails man who drove Protection, Inc. He was right, she and he had worked together for years. Might as well share this little bit.
“All right.” She’d take him up on his challenge. “I found out yesterday I need to have a hysterectomy and I always wanted a family. If I don’t do something soon, I can forget about ever having a baby.”
Cal didn’t move, didn’t even blink, but Zoe knew she’d startled him.
“It’s a female problem and getting worse. My doctor recommended I get the operation soon—like before next month. Where does that fall in Protection’s purview?”
Unexpectedly he reached out and brushed her hair away from her cheek. Zoe was shocked at the awareness that shot through her. This was Cal, her boss, mentor and friend. She refused to hear Chloe’s words echo in her mind about being too involved with Cal.
“Not one of our more usual situations,” he murmured.
“You wanted to know,” she reminded him.
She respected him more than anyone she knew. She often marveled at the dangerous situations he was able to defuse. But even Cal couldn’t pull miracles out of a hat.
“Don’t worry, this is my problem, not yours. I don’t see it has much of a solution—much less a quick one.”
“You work for me so it becomes my problem,” Cal said.
“I’m coming to grips with the situation,” she said, feeling awkward discussing it with her boss.
Their relationship had always been business. Now he was in her bedroom. He’d touched her in a way not consistent with being her boss.
“But it isn’t going away,” he said.
“Sooner or later, I need that operation. I just wanted to have a baby first.”
Her voice cracked a little. Zoe took a deep breath. She was done with crying.
“Ironic,” he murmured.
“What is?”
“Nothing. No boyfriend ready to step up to the plate?” he asked.
She shook her head and shot him a look.
“When do I have time to date and build some kind of relationship? In case you didn’t know, my boss is a slaver driver,” she teased, trying to lighten the mood.
He didn’t need to shoulder her problems.
“Hey, whatever it takes to get the job done.”
“What it takes is two or three people to keep up with you,” she retorted.
“You’ve never complained,” he said.
“You know how exciting the work can be. I love it. But I think I’ll need to make some changes. I hate to hit the singles bars, but if I want a family—and I do—I could have left it too late. Still, I have to try.”
He touched her shoulder, the awareness building again.
“I have a few friends I could introduce you to. I know Mark Wyatt was married for a while and liked being married.”
“What happened?”
“His wife didn’t, apparently. Anyway, they split about a year ago. He might be right what you’re looking for. He’s around my age, no children yet. Maybe he’d be interested.”
“That hardly sounds romantic,” she said.
