Page 12 of Doctor Holliday

“Her stepmother requested another ob-gyn.” She couldn’t say more. Lucy had seen the woman from afar when she arrived at the ER, but she had stayed with Logan rather than approach her. Apparently, Dr. Love was the stepmom’s doctor. All good, as Alonso Love was a good, efficient doctor. But what Lucy didn’t get was how Logan’s stepmother could claim to not know the teen was pregnant.

Keaton drilled his index finger into the L button and let his hand drop to his side. A bad instrumental version of “Silent Night” played in the elevator.

“Kind of like that at the store, huh?” He leaned back on the wall as if he was suddenly too tired to hold himself up. “The nativity scene.”

“I’ve never thought of the nativity scene in medical terms.” Lucy shook her head. “Not gonna start now.”

He flashed her a quick, weary grin.

“Agreed. Bad idea.”

He was cute. Obviously nice-looking with the thick hair, broad shoulders, and dark eyes. But that grin was boyish and cute.

Like this was a good time to notice something like that.

“Keaton Thatcher.” Still wearing the grin, he reached out to shake her hand.

“Lucy Holliday.”

They shook, his grip firm and warm around her hand.

She dropped her gaze to his left hand, looking for a wedding band. The little dash of relief she felt when she didn’t see one didn’t last long. No wedding ring didn’t necessarily mean single.

“Your daughter is on the girls’ golf team at Eastport High, right?”

“She was.” Lucy nodded, feeling a pang of sadness, homesickness already. And it wasn’tshethat would be leaving home, but Callie. “She’s a senior.”

“Do you worry?”

They turned away from each other when the doors shrugged open.

“About her leaving home? Going to school?”

Lucy knew what he wasn’t saying. Did she worry about someone taking advantage of Callie? Of course she did. Didn’t matter how mature or smart a girl was; parents worried.

Or maybe, just some parents did.

“I do.” She nodded.

“I’m kind of glad Alyssa has an older stepson,” Keaton announced as they made their way out the emergency entrance. “Maybe he can keep an eye on Ruby as she gets older and has to deal with mean kids and school.”

Lucy held her breath. His comment stuck way too close to what she had just witnessed and heard, and yet, she couldn’t tell him that.

“This is me.” He nodded at a white Ford pickup truck as they neared it. “Want any coffee or food before I take you to your car?”

“No.” Lucy climbed up into the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt. “Thank you, but I’m beat. I just want to get home to my daughter.”

He looked her way, and their eyes met as he started the truck. He didn’t say a word. Simply nodded and put the truck into gear.

Chapter 6

Friday,December 8th

Keaton

Alyssa hadn’t ripped into him about the kid in his stockroom, much to his surprise. Then again, the days of Alyssa riding his ass about the way he breathed or the way he held his fork or the way he made scrambled eggs had mostly ended a while ago. Not exactly with the divorce; she had still been apt to lay into him about just about any damned thing even a year or two after the divorce was finalized.

Now it was kind of random.

---