Surgeon Boss, Surprise Dad

“That’s what I’m hoping you can tell me.”

Liz tried to think, tried to remember why she’d be in Radiology with Dr Graviss. Neither of them belonged in the radiology department.

“Where is she?” A familiar voice broke into her thoughts. Adam.

Warmth filled her. Her gaze went in the direction from which she’d heard his voice.

He barged into the room with Mona in his wake tugging on his shirt, fussing at him. Why was her friend fussing at Adam? Mona knew Adam was wonderful, was her rock to keep her steady. That he was the father of her baby.

No, Mona didn’t know that. No one did.

That’s when everything hit her.

Adam’s avoidance, Adam’s treatment of her, using her for one-last-time sex, telling her he didn’t love her and wanted to date other women.

Her gaze met his and she saw concern that for a moment made her think his words had been lies. That she’d been right all along, and he did love her. Fool. She berated her naivety. When was she going to learn? Adam didn’t love her. Why would he lie about the way he felt? She’d told him she loved him so it couldn’t be fear of not knowing how she felt. No, she didn’t see love. What she saw reflected in his concerned eyes wasn’t real.

Very simply, he felt guilt.

Guilt because she’d been in a car accident.

A car accident.

Her baby. She wanted to touch her stomach but couldn’t. Had the crash hurt the precious life inside her?

“Oh, God, tell me I’m OK,” she demanded in a panicked voice.

“You’re OK, Liz,” Dr Graviss assured from her side, ignoring Adam’s intrusion. “You were in a car accident.”

“A deer ran in front of me.” Those few seconds before losing consciousness replayed in her mind. She’d been so afraid, thinking she was going to die, that she’d never hold her baby. She fought hyperventilating by taking controlled breaths. “I swerved to miss the deer and lost control of my car. Did I…” She paused, glanced toward Adam and hesitated before asking, “Hit the deer?”

Adam ignored Mona’s continued protests at his intrusion into the radiology department. He’d had to see Liz for himself.

His gaze ate her up, assessing each section of her body. She wore a thin cotton hospital gown that tied together at the back. Scrapes and bruises littered her arms and legs, but her face boasted the largest visible lesion. One that covered a large section of her right forehead. A gash that had been closed with a row of neat stitches.

He moved closer, straining to hear what she said, and the scent of blood made his head swim. The scent of Liz’s blood.

Her life could have been snuffed out just like that.

“I’m not sure, Liz.” Larry leaned close, looking Liz directly in the eyes while he spoke to her. “No one mentioned a deer. You were brought to the hospital by ambulance. Do you remember?”

Liz’s eyes closed. Her face pinched with pain, pinched with trying to recall the events that had occurred that night. “I remember crashing into the tree.”

What else did she remember? Did she recall that he’d been the biggest fool ever to walk the face of the earth? That all this was his fault?

“But nothing after that,” she continued. “Tell me I’m OK. Please.”

“Tell her she’s OK,” Adam demanded, needing to hear the confirmation himself. Liz would be OK. She had to be.

Larry glanced up from Liz, met his gaze, and frowned. “Adam,” he acknowledged. “You’re not on duty and should have waited out front. Not to mention that you should be home in bed. Resting.”

“The hell you say.” He wasn’t going anywhere. Not until he was sure Liz was going to be OK.

He could have lost her for ever.

Just like that, and all his worrying about the future, about burdening Liz, would have been for naught.

“Oh, Liz.” He took her hand in his and gave a gentle squeeze, but she didn’t respond to his action, didn’t even look at him.