Page 24 of Doctor’s Surprise Twins

Staying cool under pressure was difficult, but I was practiced. It was like my superpower. Emotional control was something I had gotten very good at while my mother was slowly dying. I never wanted her to think I would be crushed if she left us, because she had no choice. The way that cancer ate at her body and drained the life out of her was devastating. I had cried myself to sleep so many nights, but Mom got only smiles.

All I could think about as I walked away was how many people I’d have rush to my side if I just broke down and cried. People to comfort me, people to listen to my side of things. People to smack the living daylights out of the man I loved because he was acting like a complete asshole.

Tears burned at my eyes, but I blinked them back as I dumped the tray of trash into the bin and set it with the others to be returned to the kitchen. Part of me wanted to retreat into the bathroom and sob, but Gypsy had not left the facilities yet and I knew she’d ask questions. Regardless of whether Derek was a total jerk or not, I still respected him as my boss, and I could never let our secret out—especially not to someone within the office.

So I returned to my desk and sulked. I wished I were one of those girls who could just do NSA sex and be okay, but I wasn’t. Sex meant something to me, and it affected me. I wanted to scream and let Derek know how hurtful he was being, but I couldn’t. If I wanted this to work out, if there were any hope at all, I had to hold my tongue and let him decide by himself that he couldn’t live without me.

I just prayed he’d figure that out soon.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

Derek

Carryingthe cup of steaming hot coffee—just the way Maggie liked it—to her office, I was careful to knock before entering. I had gotten out of the habit of bringing her coffee over the past few weeks, given our uncertain interactions. Those frustrating conversations in particular were the reason inner-office dating was strictly on my “do not do” list. But given the pained expression on her face at lunch earlier this week when I had been overly harsh with her about the gentleman she’d had lunch with, I owed her an apology.

Her eyes scanned up my body from Sperrys to smile as I entered, and she offered her own simper. Her eyelashes batted as I approached and set the coffee in front of her.

“I wanted to call a truce.” Here in the office was not the best place to have this conversation—there were ears everywhere. But she wasn’t exactly speaking to me outside the office or returning my phone calls. I just knew this passive aggressive silence was not good for the atmosphere. Barbra had commented on how moody I was. Strangely enough, she hadn’t mentioned anything out of sorts with Maggie.

“Actually I’m cutting back on caffeine. But thank you.” She pushed the cup away from herself and looked down at the files in front of her. I couldn’t help but feel slighted. We’d done this every day for weeks, and now suddenly, she was putting up her own wall instead of tearing mine down. The guy from lunch, whoever he was... did he have something to do with this?

“Getting healthier?” I didn’t want to leave her office, but I had no other reason to stay. It was obvious by her clear lack of interest in my presence that she would rather I not be there.

“Something like that.” Her eyes never left the page with that comment, which irritated me. I stood planted like a tree, waiting for her to look up at me again, but she continued browsing the file. I even cleared my throat once, thinking she would get the point, but the file seemed to entertain her. So I became very direct about how I felt.

“Maggie, are you avoiding me?” I used a hushed tone so the others in the office wouldn’t hear what I was saying. It was neither the time nor the place, but I refused to be toyed with.

She looked up at me with a half-smile on her lips. “No, Dr. Holt. We work in the same office. How could I avoid you?” After a glance at the clock on the wall, she closed the file and cleared her throat. “If you will excuse me, Tammy will be bringing my first patient of the day in soon, and I have some reading to catch up on to make sure I’ve got her diet correct.”

Frustrated but not wanting to draw attention to it, I shook my head at her and left her office. The door shut behind me, and I carried all that frustration with me back down the hall. Once in my office, I let my squared shoulders droop. It didn’t matter what I was feeling about her now. I had already fucked it up. There had to be a way to get through to her. I just wasn’t sure how.

I sat behind my computer and brooded. I was in my head too much. I was letting this entire situation turn into the exact thing I didn’t want to happen, and it was affecting my ability to concentrate and work. The only upside to all of this was that Sofia had already moved on to start her own practice, and I didn’t have to answer to anyone. That would have made dating Maggie a whole lot easier, but if this was the way she wanted to be, then I’d hold fast to my no-dating policy.

Maggie Brock was just an employee, and if she wanted to be, a friend. I couldn’t afford to let this get under my skin. If her brother found out about what had happened between us, that would compound the issue—though I’m sure not to the extent it had in high school. Still, I didn’t need the drama in my life. I had been perfectly happy doing my thing without any woman messing things up.

Trying to push away my frustration, I focused on the computer in front of me. I had no appointments all morning, and there were a few patients I needed to do a bit of research on. Helen Borchers had some resistant hypertension, so I was looking into a new drug regimen for her. And Kylie Painter heard of a new drug on television to treat her diabetes, which I’d been briefed about but not done much reading on.

I dug into the studies, but my focus was off. I kept reaching for my phone and checking the time and my email. The topics were interesting, but I just couldn’t stay zeroed in on the work. I kept thinking how irritating Maggie was being with her “always happy” act that made me seem like the bad guy. I accepted that Iwasthe one who had told her we were friends who had sex and nothing more. But she was the one who had weaponized my words and tried to cut me with them.

And who was that guy she was eating with at lunch a few days ago? It didn’t make sense how fast she went on to another guy. Except that maybe she, too, was thinking we were just having NSA sex. She hadn’t mentioned anything to me about having feelings for me, and the way she snuggled up to me... maybe I misinterpreted it. Maybe I had read her all wrong, and that was why she was lashing out at me.

The door creaked open, and I looked up to see her standing there. “Come in.” I waved my hand, and she took a few steps in, closing the door behind her.

“I have the file for Penny Looker. She was in last week for her gestational check. Her sugars were too high, and I’ve got a new meal plan for her. I can join you at her checkup today, or we can wait and schedule another appointment for early next week where I can meet with her separately. She’s at thirty-two weeks, though, so we need to get her this new meal plan right away.”

Maggie slid the file across my desk, and I didn’t even bother opening it. I’d been stewing for nearly thirty minutes since I left her office and she still seemed as happy as can be.

“I think maybe you should schedule the appointment separately.” My tone was harsher than was professional, but she kept her plastic smile.

“Alright, I’ll have Tammy do that for us before Penny leaves the office.” She turned to go, but anger bubbled up inside me and I felt the need to get another word in. I probably shouldn’t have said a thing, but I couldn’t help myself.

“I suppose you’ll have to ask your gentleman friend to have lunch with you since you’re goinghealthy.I’m planning to have Chinese today.”

She stood with her back to me, hand on the doorknob for a good fifteen seconds before she turned and flashed an award-winning smile at me. My words probably cut her deep, but I didn’t care. Yes, I was being petty. Yes, it was my decision to have the goddamn policy that I could tear to shreds if I wanted to. I had no clue what was wrong with me except that I had gotten angry and hadn’t calmed down yet.

“Thanks for letting me know. You’re right. Too much MSG in Chinese.” She winked at me and left my office, taking her rainbow and sunshine with her and leaving me to mope on my own.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

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