“He’s that Logan Matthews? What the hell is he doing in Richmond?” Shouldn’t he be in New York or Paris? I might be, given the option.
“No one knows. A couple years ago, he was living in New York and married. He worked at NY Presbyterian in the Trauma Center and was gaining some serious cred in his field. He’s a freaking Harvard and Yale grad. Anyway, big scandal breaks out all over the news. His wife cheated on him, and he disappeared. A few months later, he shows up here in the ER. He’s been here ever since.”
“Wow, she cheated on him?” I couldn’t imagine the heartbreak.
“I know, right? Who would cheat on that? I mean, seriously. I’ve only ever seen him in scrubs and that’s enough to make me want to go home and spend some quality time with my vibrator.”
“Really, Leah? Maddie’s like right there,” I reminded her, pointing a finger at my sleeping child.
“She’s asleep, and I know my goddaughter. She could sleep through an alien invasion.”
She was probably not wrong about that. Maddie slept like the dead.
“So, he came here to hide?” I asked.
“Well, he hasn’t exactly been hiding. No one really knows why he moved here, but according to the papers, he’s quite the player and makes no effort to cover up the fact.”
Well, I guess the crazy theory still stands. No player would want to touch this hot mess. A single mom, and widow to boot. Yeah, I was a huge bag full of fun.
“Hmm, interesting,” I said.
“So, before you leave you should ask him out!” Leah said, out of nowhere.
“Um, I’m sorry...what?”
“Ask. Him. Out,” she reiterated.
“Why? Didn’t you just say he was a player?” I was confused.
“Exactly. That’s just what you need. A hot doctor with no strings. It’s just the right thing to get the chains re-oiled and gears working right.”
“Did you just use a bike analogy for my girlie parts?” I don’t know why I’m surprised anymore.
“Yep, sure did. So what’s your deal? Is he not hot enough?” she asked.
Oh lord. She wasn’t going to let this go.
~Logan~
I had just returned to the ER wing after going over Maddie's CT with the radiologist on call. Everything looked normal, as I had expected. I’d even had the radiologist double check, keeping my promise to Clare, and helping my nerves settle. I had to be sure before I entered that room. I had no idea why I felt the way I did. I'd never felt anything so strong for a patient or her family. Being a doctor, I always wanted to heal and protect, it was in my nature. Why else would I be working these shitty hours and surviving on so little sleep? But this went beyond normalcy. I had felt something with that woman and her little girl the instant I walked in the exam room. After spending the last three years avoiding most situations that had anything to do with emotions, it frightened me. It was exactly why I was going to make sure Maddie was safe, and then send them home. Away from me and my poisonous existence.
Having been warned at the nurse’s station that Maddie was sleeping, I knocked gently at the door and quietly let myself in. Apparently my knock went unheard because as I stepped in I noticed Clare, sitting in the same seat I’d left her in, speaking with a blonde nurse from L&D. Their heads were huddled together, and slightly turned away, with their voices reduced to a low hush.
"Jesus, Leah. Just because I haven't had sex in over three years doesn't mean I'm dead. Yes, I’ll admit, he's goddamn gorgeous. He's like the Ian Somerhalder of doctors...he's --- oh shit," Clare halted mid-sentence, and her eyes widened in surprise as she spotted me in the doorway. She looked like she'd just been caught with a joint in the school bathroom. Oh f**k, was she talking about me? From the shade of red her face was turning, I’d say yes.
I tried to hide my widening grin and cleared my throat...trying to remember what I was going to say.
"Ah, sorry for the um, interruption?”
Don’t grin, jackass.
“I was coming in to give you the test results from Maddie's CT," I continued as professionally as I could muster.
"Right. Um, yes. Was everything okay? I mean, she's all right? You didn't find anything?" she blabbered, eyes going wild like she expected bad news.
Her hand reached out for the blonde nurse. I took a step forward because I was sorry I had scared her, but stopped myself. She’s not mine to protect. She was the mother of a patient. I needed to get my shit together and let this go.
"No, the radiologist didn't find anything. I had him look it over twice to be sure. She is perfectly fine. Just a concussion. I'll have some discharge instructions typed up, the nurse will go over them and then you can get out of here. Sound good?"
Clare let out an audible breath and looked relieved. She released her friend’s hand to reach out to her daughter, who’d just awoken. She took her daughter’s tiny hand in her own and smiled before looking up at me.
"Yes, thank you. We would love to go home."
I locked eyes with Clare one more time, trying to memorize the emerald color that shined through them. It’s true, a man could get lost in those eyes forever, but it wasn’t going to be me.
Chapter Three
~Clare~
"So much for sleeping tonight," I said to no one as I set the alarm clock next to the bed for one hour in the future. Our discharge papers said I had to wake Maddie every hour the first night. She’d had the worst day ever and to top it off, she would be startled awake all night. She was going to hate me.
As I tucked her in minutes ago, she gave me her goodnight hug and kiss routine, and then said "Mommy, I'm sorry I scared you. I'm not gonna leave you alone like Daddy." Dear lord, the things kids say.
"Oh baby, I know. Daddy left us because he was sick, and it was his time to be with the angels. It wasn’t his fault. I know you’re staying right here with me. But maybe you could lay off the climbing a bit?" I said, hoping to lighten the mood.
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, "Okay, Mommy. Are you really going to build a ballet barre in my room?"
Oh, right, that. "Well, we’re definitely going to try. How about on Sunday we take a trip to the home improvement store and get everything we need?" I said, praying for divine intervention. I am so defunct at home improvement, hammers and nails flee in my presence.
She bobbed her head up and down enthusiastically, and I gave her one last hug and kiss before turning off the light. My eyes wandered over to the corner where the ballet barre would go and, as I walked out of the room, I wondered how in the world I was going to make this happen for my little girl.