Page 50 of Every Rose

Even though it irked her that hospital staff had nothing better to do than criticize her fashion choices, he was making her point for her. “If they go after my high heels can you imagine the field day they’d have about my sex life?”

“Why do you care so much? We’re both single. It’s not like we’re hurting anyone.”

She was starting to feel hot and claustrophobic. “I keep my private life private.”

“Okay. So, how do you see this working?”

She shook her head. “I never date doctors. It’s too complicated, with schedules and lack of time.”

“Rose, we both get time off. Why don’t we spend a bit of it with each other and see what happens?” He didn’t addlike normal people,but the words hovered behind his words like a silent addition to the sentence.

He smiled in a most disturbing way, getting her body humming again. “Like today, for instance. I’m off work, you’re off work. We could do something.”

“I have plans today. I need to catch up on paperwork. Do my laundry.” Damn, she wished she hadn’t mentioned the laundry. It wasn’t that laundry was more important than Matt. But she needed to be absolutely clear about boundaries.

He seemed puzzled by her response. “Okay. You do your laundry. Get caught up on your paperwork. How about dinner? Can I take you for dinner tonight?”

“I don’t know. I have to think about it.”

“Okay.” He gulped more coffee then headed back to her bedroom. He emerged a minute later with his tux thrown on and not done up properly.

“How’s your dad?”

Rose regarded him. “Are you asking as his doctor?”

His eyes narrowed slightly as though he wasn’t certain how to answer. “No. I guess not. I think I’m asking mostly because it’s your dad. Is that a problem?”

Was it a problem? Her body still hummed from their night together and now he was asking about members of her family, so she got the feeling that he might have misunderstood whatever this thing was between them. Although, how could you misunderstand something that had no definition? No substance? She felt that it was up to her to provide some ground rules. Guidance for both of them. That sounded mature, sensible, like a woman in control of her body and her life.

“I like you, Matt, I do. Last night was great. But let’s not make it more than it was.”

He stepped towards her, his eyes going flat. “Okay. So, I don’t get to ask about your dad? Even though I operated on him?”

He didn’t remind her of the way she’d run after him, practically charged into the shower stall, and all but begged him to take her father’s emergency case. She sighed. “I’m being a complete bitch. I’m sorry.” How to explain her feelings when she didn’t understand them herself? “I don’t like moving too fast. You’re already in my life, now you’re in my brother’s life and my dad’s life too.”

He didn’t call her on the fact that she was the one who had brought him into both her brother’s life and her dad’s, and it was hard not to appreciate that.

He set down his coffee mug. “I like your brother. He’s a good guy.”

“I know. He liked you, too.” She was sure that when she wasn’t so tired she would be able to think more clearly. “And, my dad is doing well. Not bouncing back, but I keep telling him it takes time.”

Matt nodded. “It’s denial.”

“What is?”

“It’s sort of a guy thing. I see it a lot. Men get to a certain age, and they don’t want to admit that they’re slowing down, things maybe aren’t working the way they used to, then they have a crisis. They suffer a heart attack, fall off the roof when they’re putting up their Christmas lights, they have a stroke, and suddenly they’re faced with the fact that they’re getting older. And so, instead of slowing down they do the opposite. They push themselves harder, tell themselves whatever happened was a fluke, and generally put their families through hell.

She was nodding before he got halfway through his explanation. She’d seen it in her own practice, but she’d never imagined her dad, laidback Jack Chance, would be one of those stubborn men. She supposed she hadn’t been able to see the obvious because she was too close. “You’re right. Of course. I’ll have a talk with him. Maybe I can get him to slow down a little.”

“And somebody will have to make sure he gets himself a regular GP. He needs to be monitored.”

She knew that. Did he think she didn’t know that? Who’s father was this? Finally, she turned to him. “Look, you’re a great guy. A really great guy. But I don’t do this.”

He looked confused. “Don’t do what exactly?”

She threw her arms around like a demented windmill. “This. I don’t do this. Relationships with people I work with. Especially not with doctors.”

Instead of backing off gracefully, he stared at her. “Why not?”

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