The Doctor's Undoing (Doctors in Training 3)

She turned to Anne when the others had moved away, only to find Anne looking at her with a frown of disapproval. Because she was in no mood for a lecture—even if she probably deserved one—she turned away again. “I’d better go check with the caterer to make sure everything’s under control.”

She could almost feel Anne’s fixed frown on the back of her neck as she walked away, silently calling herself a litany of unflattering names.

Chapter Nine

The party was winding to a close when Ron led Haley to the dance floor for the first time. She had been very busy mingling and directing the festivities; he suspected she’d deliberately used her social responsibilities as an excuse to avoid a one-on-one with him.

She needn’t have worried, he thought grumpily, taking her into his arms for the slow number that was just beginning. He wouldn’t do or say anything in this public venue that would set their classmates’ tongues to wagging. Unlike Haley, herself, who hadn’t seemed to mind announcing publicly that she considered him just a temporary bedmate.

Okay, maybe she hadn’t phrased it exactly that way. But the message had been clear enough. She wasn’t looking for a future with him. Apparently all those hints from others about how hard it would be for her to get into a competitive residency program while shackled to him had made an impact on her. Or maybe she’d seen this as a temporary diversion from the start.

He hadn’t been prepared for the bolt of pain that had shot through him when he’d overheard her breezily assuring their classmates that he was free to date whomever he wanted. She’d even tried to blame it on him. He doesn’t do commitment, she’d joked.

So maybe he had avoided commitment like the plague in the past. And maybe he’d made a point of declaring that phobia to all his friends. Maybe Haley had good reason to believe he’d been amenable to a no-strings, fun-while-it-lasted fling.

Maybe he’d expected her to understand that this time it was different. With her, he’d wanted much more. He’d thought—hoped—she knew him well enough to understand that.

Apparently, he’d been wrong. And because he’d never been one to chase after a lost cause, he supposed he’d have to acknowledge that those vague, uncharacteristic daydreams he’d indulged in lately were just that. Fantasies. It was time for him to get back to reality and accept that he’d never been meant for happily-ever-after endings.

Which didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the time he had to spend with her, he reminded himself in a silent pep talk. It just required a minor adjustment of his expectations. He could relish the time with her without getting his jaded heart broken when it ended.

Probably.

“You’re being very quiet,” Haley said tentatively, peering up at him. “Are you enjoying the party?”

He glanced around the beautifully decorated ballroom, which was getting a bit rowdy now that the guests had made a big dent in the liberally spiked punch. “It’s great. You outdid yourself tonight.”

Though she looked pleased by the compliment, she shook her head. “I certainly didn’t do it all by myself. I had lots of help.”

“I’m sure you were the primary organizer. You usually are.”

Her smile turned to a momentary frown. Had he sounded bitter? He hadn’t intended to.

“Anyway, great job, Haley. They all seem to be enjoying themselves.”

“Thank you.”

She fell silent again as he led her into a couple of tight turns with the music.

“We’ve hardly had time to talk since you started burns and I’ve been on plastics,” he said, trying to fill the uncomfortable lull. “Guess you’ll be ready for the Christmas break to rest up a little before starting next semester.”

“I know everyone’s looking forward to having a whole week off.”

He couldn’t say he was particularly anticipating the holiday. Haley would be spending time with her family and he’d be spending time alone, for the most part. He certainly didn’t want to spend any more time with his own family than necessary, considering how their interactions usually ended up.

Maybe he would use the time on his own to remind himself that he actually preferred it that way.

“I was thinking about that thing at my parents’ house next weekend,” he said on impulse. “Maybe we should just skip it, you know?”

She frowned again. “What do you mean? Why would we skip your family’s Christmas gathering?”

“I just don’t think you’d enjoy it. I mean, you’ll be spending the next two weeks on transplants, and that’s going to wear you out. You won’t want to spend your Saturday listening to my folks fuss when you could be resting and getting ready for the shelf exam.”

She shook her head firmly. “I told you that I’d go with you, and I meant it. Unless—” Looking suddenly uncertain, she asked, “Would you rather go without me? If you think my being there will make things more awkward between you and your family, I would certainly understand.”

“Actually, I was thinking of skipping out, too. I’ll be busy with vascular and it’s not like anyone there would really care if I don’t show.”

She was shaking her head before he even finished speaking. “Ron, you’ve already told your mother that we’ll be there. It would be rude to cancel at this late hour.”