“And now, she finds out she’s pregnant.” He turns to me, and the tears are back in his eyes with one threateningto spill past the corner of his lid. “I’m going to be a father, Holly.”
I reach over the small table that separates us to grab Lukas’s shoulder, and he raises his bandaged hand to rest on top of mine. “Lukas,” I say in a hushed voice. “You’re going to be a dad.” My heart swells for him. Even with the fear and anxiety that is so obviously racking him, he’s going to be a dad, and that baby is going to be welcomed into the Hart family so fast it’ll make their head spin. “I’m sure you’re scared, and that’s normal. But we are all here for you. Your family loves you so much, Lukas. I hope you realize that.”
He nods, pulling his hand from where it had been placed on top of mine, and uses it to wipe away the tears that are falling. “Fuck, I really need to get it together.”
“And you will. Are you and Candi…”
“Getting back together?” he finishes my sentence before shaking his head. “Hell no. Definitely better off as friends. She’s a cool girl, so I lucked out that way. Her and the vet are kind of together, he knows about the … the baby, so we’re going to try some co-parenting Three's Company bullshit.” He laughs, the sound mixed with a slight exhale. “God, it feels good to say the words out loud. I haven’t told anyone yet.”
The meaning of that isn’t lost on me. “I’ll keep your secret for as long as you need, but I think you should tell your family. Your mom is going to flip, and I mean that in a good way.”
A quiet meow sounds from under the porch, and before I know it, Chandler runs out, bouncing up the steps and running to sit on Lukas’s lap.
“Hey, Chan,” he says softly, running a calloused hand over the cat's back. “What do I do next?”
I’m not sure if he’s asking the question to me, or the cat, but I answer anyway, “You need to decide what type of man you want to be. Do you want to be a man Magnolia would miss? That she might come back to someday? Do you want to be a man who is worthy of being a father and support Candi?”
He nods aggressively at that.
“Then do anything, but don’t do nothing. Don’t waste away anymore. Take a minute to soak in all the good you have. Your family, your friends, a job. Sometimes it’s hard to remember the good things in life when we feel like we’ve lost it all.”
“Thank you, Holly. Thank you for talking to me when I’ve only been an ass to you.”
Lukas keeps his gaze on Chandler’s back, mesmerized by the smooth movements of his hand over his hair. Hisface is softer now. Now that the secrets are out, I can see the real Lukas emerging. The one that fits with the rest of the Hart family. The one that has so much to offer if he could only see it.
“So, you’ve fallen for my brother?” he asks, twisting over to peek an eye at me.
I don’t even try to hide my smile. “Absolutely.”
“Good,” Lukas says, snapping his fingers to his side so Chandler jumps off his lap. He stands, reaching to help me out of the chair. He pulls me up, and an exhausted grunt leaves both of our mouths as he does. “Because my brother is absolutely in love with you.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Holly
“You wanted to see me?”
I peek my head into the office of our hospital administrator, Keith, expecting to find just him waiting for me.
The rest of the heads in the room turn at the sound of my voice, and for a moment I’m stunned, taking in the other individuals here. Sarah, who I had been working with from employee resources, sits against the far wall with a soft smile on her face. Our medical director, Dr. Kellerman, sits in front of Keith’s desk, and next to him is Regina, who I’ve seen working some of the events at the hospital over the years. I think she’s sort of a PR person. She has the largest smile on her face as she reaches to pull out the chair seated next to her, and it doesn’t take long for my stomach to fall, for the numbness to start in the tips of my fingers.
“Quite the crowd,” I joke, a half-hearted attempt at settling my nerves. “I should’ve brought the donuts.”
Keith has the decency to offer a quiet chuckle at my attempt at humor. “Have a seat Dr. Carrington, and please, this isn’t a formal meeting of any kind, nothing to worry about.”
I nod at him, taking the chair Regina offered, moving it out and slightly away from everyone.
“I’ll make this fast since I know we’re taking up your lunch break,” he says. “Thank you for meeting with us. I guess…” He looks around the room, seeing if anyone wants to begin. “Well, how have things been since you’ve been back?”
I fidget in my chair, tucking my hands underneath the back of my thighs. “To be honest, it’s been an adjustment, but I think I’m doing well overall.” While it’s still the fast-paced, think-on-the-fly job that I remember, I’ve been able to keep my anxiety under control for the most part.
“We’re happy to hear that.” He nods, and a few other voices in the room murmur the same.
“We want to talk with you about our fundraising event next month,” Regina pipes up. She scoots to the edge of her chair and hands me a flier. I take it from her outstretched hand, eyes perusing the form as she continues, “The hospital is dedicating extensive resources toour rural health initiative, and we are hoping to garner some attention from our more generous donors.” The flier talks about expanding services for rural areas, which would include remodeling older clinics, providing mobile clinics, and offering bonuses to doctors who are willing to work in these areas.
“I think that all sounds wonderful,” I say, handing her the flier. “I witnessed that firsthand. I met someone … people, who have to drive forty-five minutes to the nearest urgent care. There are some clinics in the small towns, but like you said, they aren’t able to keep staff, so they aren’t open full-time. It’s a huge disparity for those communities.”
Regina smiles, seemingly satisfied with my answer. “You’re a very perceptive woman, Dr. Carrington.” She tucks the flier into a file folder, and sets it on the small table next to her. “We’d love for you to be a part of this initiative.”
