When he was gone, I quietly mouthedthank youto Alex.
He smiled gently and said, “Any time.”
I found myself getting lost in his eyes again and shook it off before I fell all the way and stayed there forever. “I had better put our names on a booth and get set up before we start. Why don’t you grab some food and meet me over at the triage center for instruction?” I needed a second to regain my composure.Today was about doing volunteer work, not counting the flecks of silver in Alex’s eyes.
“Sounds like a plan,” Alex replied.
Before I walked away, I looked over my shoulder and offered, “Try saying hi to a few people.”
He offered a nervous nod in agreement.He was trying to put his best foot forward, which I knew would go a long way with some of the staff members. I tried not to think about the other ones.
About 20 minutes later, I made my way back to the triage table and found Alex stiff and wooden as he tried to make conversation.His discomfort was apparent in his tight neck muscles and tense eyes. I couldn’t help but wonder how I’d seen him as arrogant just a short two months ago. I’d definitely misjudged the man.I slipped in beside Alex, wishing I could lace my fingers through his in a show of support, but I didn’t want to send the wrong message to everyone here. The rumor mill had a way of blowing things out of proportion, and Alex didn’t need to be dragged through that side of the hospital.
The HR coordinator who was in charge of the event finished giving us his list of instructions and then sent us to our small booths to await our first patients. The first person directed to us was a young mother with two small children. I thought Alex was going to have a small panic attack when their big brown eyes stared up at him. It had probably been a long time since he’d worked with kids.
I quickly got vitals on the small family and took a history. I joked with the kids and in no time had broken the ice and had the mother smiling. I closed the curtain and stepped out of the booth, handing the chart to Dr. Mitchell.
Beads of sweat formed on his brow. “Emma, I don’t know how to do this. Adults are one thing, butkids? I haven’t done a child check in ten years.”
“It is all right, Alex.” I put my hand on his back and made small circles to soothe him.
Alex took a breath in, his shoulder blades widening beneath my hand and his hard muscles becoming soft, relaxed. We were so close, my body brushed his. I could have blamed it on the cramped space, but there was plenty of room to maneuver around each other. I just wanted to be near him and offer comfort. Yeah, that was it. This moment of heat and honesty had nothing to do with my attraction to the doc.
“It is like riding a bike,” I assured him. “You’ll get in there and know exactly what to do. You are one of the best doctors I know. And remember, without you here today, these kiddos wouldn’t have healthcare at all. Something is always better than nothing.”
He reached over and tucked a stray curl behind my ear. I’d pulled my hair up in a high ponytail, but a curl always managed to escape. “You make me sound much better than I am.”
I couldn’t help but giggle. “I’m calling it as I see it, doc.” I put my hand on his cheek, finally feeling his scruff against my palm. It was soft and yet bristly. Just like the man who made it look so good. “If you don’t believe in yourself, trust that I believe in you and run with that.”
That comment brought a look of smoldering fire to Alex’s eyes that I wasn’t prepared for. It created a warmth in my lower belly that slowly spread throughout my entire body. I had to quickly look at my feet as I felt a blush rise to my cheeks.
“Emma,” he whispered, brushing his finger over my cheek before ducking into the exam room.
The air rushed out of my lungs, and I collapsed against the temporary pole holding up the curtain. That man did things to me that I shouldn’t enjoy so much. It felt like a sin. And yet there was no reason to stop or hold back. If we weren’t at work, I’d throw my arms around him the moment he walked out of that room and make some fireworks.
I pressed my palm to my forehead in an effort to get a grip on myself and my raging hormones. There was something between us—something hot and real and tempting.
Something I wasn’t sure I was ready for. Did I want to lose myself in a man?
The question took me back.
Over the course of the next four hours, we saw about 20 patients. Alex did well, though anyone could tell this wasn’t his forte. I had to admit he wasn’t very good at small talk, but he did genuinely listen to his patients.
When we broke for lunch, I excused myself to the ladies’ room and was heading back to find Alex when I saw him race out of the building. He didn’t see me, but I clearly saw the hard set to his jaw and the anger mixed with humiliation in his eyes. He stood tall, walking with purpose but at a speed that said nothing was okay right now. He was gone before I could call out to stop him.
Confused, I headed to the lunch table, intent on finding out what had happened.
Dr. Rasmussen stood in front of a large group of people. He moved his arms and body like he was a robot. “Hello,” he said in monotone. “I’m Dr. Mitchell. How are you today?”
The group laughed, and I realized this wasn’t the beginning of his routine.
My blood boiled. I marched up behindNick, grabbed his shoulder, and whirled him around. The group went quiet, their eyes wide as they waited to see what drama unfolded. They could take this to the gossip chain for all I cared. I wasn’t going to let them get away with mocking Alex. They had no idea that he was a sensitive soul.
“Just what do you think you are doing?” I yelled.
Nick’s eyes widened in horror. He quickly regained his composure and tried to brush off his playground behavior. “Oh, come on, Emma. We are just having a little fun, blowing off some steam.”
“At the expense of a colleague? What’s your problem?” I asked, folding my arms to keep from punching his smug face.
