Surgeon Boss, Surprise Dad

Herbert, bandage, blood, he mentally noted, but his eyes didn’t leave Liz’s pink cheeks. She was blushing. Blushing.

Her face held guilt.

Blushing cheeks, guilty expression.

Little more than a week ago he’d been in her bed. What had she done since then that would make her react this way?

The sting in his chest intensified, painting his whole world a deep green. A very jealous shade of green.

He should be happy Liz was moving on with her life. Wasn’t that what he wanted? For her to find happiness? To find someone who could give her all the things she deserved?

Herbert’s wife cleared her throat. “Dr Cline?”

“I’ll be by his room in a few minutes to check him, Mrs Donahue. If you’ll wait there?”

The woman glanced from Adam to where he stared at the two nurses. Obviously curious, but polite enough not to ask, she nodded. “Thank you, Dr Cline. I’ll be in Herb’s room.”

Willing his eyes away from Liz, Adam pinned Kelly with his glare. “Are you taking care of Herbert Donahue?”

“Angel is,” Kelly said, not backing down an inch from her protective stance next to Liz. “But I can check him, if you like. Or do you want me to page Angel?”

He could feel Liz’s silky gaze on his features and without meaning to he met her eyes

head on.

“Yes.” He didn’t look away, didn’t indicate that he’d answered Kelly’s question, just waited.

“Anything else?” Kelly asked, humor in her voice. Humor that indicated she knew he’d overheard Liz and she knew his secret. He was burning alive inside.

“That’ll be all. Thanks.” He spun to go to Herbert’s room before he made a complete idiot of himself by asking who Liz had been spending her time with.

After all, just because he refused to burden her with a life sentence, that didn’t mean just any replacement would do. Liz deserved someone wonderful. Someone who could appreciate her finer qualities. Someone who would rub her aching calves after she’d pulled an extra-long shift. Someone who knew she adored home-made banana pudding from the mom and pop diner they’d occasionally snuck away to. Someone who understood how she’d felt about Gramps.

He was all those things, of course, but he didn’t qualify to be Liz’s man. Not with his ticking time bomb health.

“I can’t believe he didn’t even say hello to you,” Kelly complained behind his back, having to know he could hear.

“It’s OK,” Liz replied in a calm voice that hinted she was warning her friend to stay out of it.

“Maybe he needs an antidepressant,” Kelly persisted.

“Adam isn’t depressed.”

He wasn’t so sure about that. At the moment, the thought of Liz with another man left him darned depressed.

Moments later, Liz took off toward the nearest exit—which happened to be the front hospital entrance. She could barely catch her breath. Adam had looked upset. Not only that, but she wasn’t the only one who’d lost weight. Although the changes were subtle she’d seen the difference in his jaw line, his cheeks, in the way his clothes hung on his body. The question was, why would Adam be losing weight if freedom was what he wanted?

And what was up with the look he’d given her? Could he tell she was hiding something? Had he looked at her and known their baby grew in her belly?

No, she chided herself, Adam didn’t know.

He’d been jealous. He hadn’t known who he was being jealous of, but he’d definitely been jealous.

Smiling at a visitor coming into the hospital, she exited through the automatic doors. Her heart fluttering, she took off down the sidewalk, not sure where she was headed, just having to get outside the building to process what she’d seen on Adam’s face. Even if just for a few minutes during break while Kelly covered her patients.

Adam had looked…possessive. Silly her, seeing him for the first time since learning of their baby, she’d wanted to blurt out the news. Right then and there, she’d wanted to tell him they were having a baby.

She wanted to share with the world how excited she was that she was going to be a mother.