He sighed and pinched his brow with his thumb and forefinger. His headache was only growing worse.
“But sheisprobably in another department in the hospital today,” Raylene supplied, rearranging the pens in a can on her desk.
“Really? Great. Can I try to find her?”
She held up her hands. “I’m not saying anything, but if you walk back out the ER doors and reenter the hospital like a normal person, it’s not like I’d need to try and stop you.”
He thanked her as he hurried back outside and within minutes was walking along the corridors of the hospital. Heart pounding, he thought of seeing Mabel again. This was going to work—it had to. If he could explain everything to her, she’d feel it. The truth was the truth. It would stand on its own.
Finally spying her down near the stairwell on the second floor, he broke out into a jog. If he could be so lucky as to have found her while she was on break, he’d better hurry and take advantage of the little bit of time he had.
“Zane?” Mabel frowned as he neared her. Her hair was pulled back off her face. She was beautiful in her purple scrubs. They were a slim cut, not the baggier versions he usually saw. He ached to pull her close.
“Mabel, do you have a minute? I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.” He was suddenly out of breath.
She opened and closed her mouth, and then her dimple creased. “My break’s over. I have to go back to the surgical unit.”
He found himself nodding. “Okay, that’s okay.”
“What’s that?” She pointed to the glass sand sculpture in his hand.
He’d almost forgotten he was holding it. What made him think it was a good idea to bring it in there?
He turned it over in his hands and laughed. “It’s ugly.”
“Hideous. What color is it? Pea-green? Chartreuse?”
“I don’t know. It was a Food ‘N’ Friends special.” He glanced at her.
She nodded. “That makes sense, then.”
“I guess I brought it because it reminds me of you.”
She took a step away and glanced at her watch. “Gee, thanks.”
“Just the sand in it. You probably don’t remember our fight on the rafts, do you?”
She chewed on her lip before answering, grabbing at the chain that hung over her collarbone. “Yes. I do remember that.”
“It was an impulsive purchase, and I—” He switched it over to the other hand, feeling foolish. Dr. Conforth would have brought her something a lot nicer, guaranteed. How had this whole attempt to explain himself and tell her how much he loved her gone off the rails this badly?
“I really have to go, Zane.” She wrapped her arms around her middle as she took a step toward the double doors of the surgical unit.
“Yes, you do.” He moved to the doors to push the door to open them for her, but they were locked.
Her dimple appeared as she gave a half-smile. “You have to have a badge.” She lifted hers to the pad on the wall, and a beep sounded as thedoors opened.
He panicked at the thought of her leaving, and his words came out quickly. “I need you to know that I didn’t bring Carolina to the proposal. And I didn’t know she was going to be there. Her best friend is Weston’s cousin.” A rush of air left his lungs, still burning from the smoke. “You’re the woman I love, Mabel.”
She shook her head. “But I saw the photo of the two of you.” She swallowed hard and pressed her hands to her middle. “You can see the connection between you. It’s plain as day.” She lifted a hand and swiped it down through the air. “I have to go.”
He wanted to follow her, to beg her to believe his words. But he wasn’t going to add breaking into a secure area of the hospital to his growing rap sheet.
He needed to come up with a new plan.
Chapter 26
“Icould braid your hair,” Cady said. Mabel’s head was on a pillow in her lap. She slid her fingertips gently through Mabel’s hair.
