“Hey, Natalie,” Suzie said, her expression one full of glee. “You said you don’t mean to intentionally see him again, not that you didn’t want to see him again.”
Yeah, she realized that.
Life without ever setting eyes on Matthew Coleman seemed a long, hard sentence—but why pretend it could be something more?
“So, he’s a pediatric heart surgeon.” Monica waved a manicured hand. “It can’t be that difficult to track down a number to reach him.”
No, it wouldn’t be. But Natalie wouldn’t be tracking him down.
“I won’t lie and say there isn’t a part of me that would like to see Matthew again, but it’s best this way.”
Her friends looked doubtful. “What way?”
“With him being a wonderful memory. I’ve got my career to think about.” It was true. With Dr. Luiz’s upcoming partial retirement, she did need to focus on her career, not long for things that she’d never had and quite possibly never would. People didn’t stick around in her life. Not her parents. Not her foster parents. Not Jonathan.
Not Matthew—but at least she’d known upfront he’d only be in her life for three short days.
Monica rolled her eyes.
Suzie shook her head.
“The hospital board should offer the new position within the next few weeks and I’m going to be busy, busy, busy.” She sure hoped so. She needed busy. “I don’t need any distractions from what really matters.”
“We’re not convinced that promotion’s a good thing if it means you’re going to be working even more.”
Maybe her friends weren’t, but Natalie knew better. Heading the cardiology unit when Dr. Luiz stepped back was what she’d dreamed of long before a dark-haired, pale-blue-eyed, beautiful man had completely possessed her mind and body.
Two weeks later, Matthew pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the device in disbelief. He couldn’t have heard right.
Apparently, Carrie’s fever had gotten to him and he was now hallucinating. Or maybe it was the lack of sleep over the past thirty-six hours as he’d sat up with her most of the night, afraid to sleep in case her illness worsened—in case he did something else wrong and Carrie paid the price. For the same reasons, he’d called out of work that morning. Something he’d hated to do, but Carrie’s preschool wouldn’t allow her to go in with a fever and he hadn’t had a sick back-up plan short of bringing her to the hospital with him. A feverish child on a neonatal cardiac unit wasn’t a good idea under any circumstances, even if it had meant shuffling his entire schedule.
Glancing down at the sleeping little girl’s flushed cheeks and limp body in his lap, he blamed himself for her illness. No doubt he’d messed up somehow. The pediatrician had assured him that she had a normal childhood illness that would pass, that he just needed to keep her hydrated and keep her fever down, but Matthew knew he’d been distracted, had been working long hours where Carrie had been dragged to the hospital repeatedly to make rounds with him. She’d probably picked up something in the hospital hallway.
“The hospital decided having you at Memphis Children’s was worth making a few concessions,” Dr. Luiz continued on the phone, sounding quite proud of the board’s decision. “They’re prepared to meet your conditions. All you have to do is say yes and their lawyers will draw up the contract.”
Matthew’s head spun. “You’re serious?”
He and Carrie would be close to his mother and sister, to his family. He’d have help. Carrie would be in the care of people who knew how to care for a child.
Natalie was also there.
A wave of heat flushed his body, making him question again if Carrie’s fever had overtaken him, too.
“What about Dr. Sterling? You mentioned her several times when I was in Memphis.” Did Natalie know he might be taking the job she wanted? “How does she feel about this?”
“I don’t foresee it as being a problem. During their reconciliation of your terms, the board plans for Dr. Sterling to directly work with you.”
Matthew wasn’t so confident. “She knows, then?”
“Not yet.”
Which explained Dr. Luiz’s comment about not seeing it as a problem. Matthew knew better, and so would Dr. Luiz soon enough.
“That’s the one stipulation to your contract, by the way.”
Carrie stirred in her sleep and Matthew stroked his fingers over her back in a soothing manner, waiting for Dr. Luiz’s next words, already knowing what the man was going to say.
“With the lighter workload you insisted upon, Dr. Sterling is to share some of the responsibilities that were originally exclusive to your new title. Dr. Sterling is a valued member of our staff. She’s excited about the upcoming projects the hospital is involved in. We see her sharing some of the leadership roles at the hospital as the perfect solution to your demands, as well as her continued role at the hospital. We don’t want to lose her.”