The Heart Surgeon's Secret Son

Kimberly’s mouth fell open. How dare he? Anger shot through her at the telling gleam in his eyes.

“If you’re implying—” Fortunately the singsong buzz of her cell phone cut off the tirade she’d been launching into. A tirade that would have revealed too much. Way too much. About the past. About the present and how he currently affected her. About how the television-doctor stuff burrowed under her skin and infested her with jealousy.

Flashing a look of disapproval at Daniel, she murmured, “Excuse me.”

She answered her phone without looking to see who the caller was. “Hello.”

“We won!” Ryan’s voice came over the line, pulling her to reality with a quick thud.

“That’s wonderful, dear,” she answered, acutely aware that, despite the conversation going on around them, with his boys still extolling his studly virtues, Daniel’s attention zeroed in on her phone call. Could he hear Ryan?

Murmuring another “Excuse me” to no one in particular, she got up from the table and headed to a back hallway that led to the restrooms. Not wanting to talk to Ryan in the ladies’ restroom, she lingered in the empty hallway.

“I scored fourteen points and had eight assists. Tyler hit six foul shots in a roll, and Jonathan fouled out at the end of the fourth quarter.” Ryan’s words gushed, without pausing for a breath. Kimberly smiled at his excitement. His exuberance for life always energized her.

“I wish I could have been there.” She smiled politely at a woman coming out of the restroom with two toddlers held protectively in her grasp. “Sounds like I missed a great game.”

“Me, too, Mom. It was an awesome game. You’d have loved it.” Someone spoke to Ryan and he answered, probably with his hand over the speaker as his words were mumbled. When he returned his attention to her, he said, “Tyler’s mom’s taking us out for pizza to celebrate. That okay?”

“Sounds like fun. Just make sure you aren’t up too late and that you finish your homework.”

“I always do,” he said, and she could just picture him rolling his eyes.

“I know.” She smiled, feeling lighter just from hearing his voice, feeling that special bond between them. “Just didn’t want you getting any ideas, with me being out of town, kiddo.”

“Hmm, maybe I will take a night off,” he teased.

“You’d better behave.”

“Aw, Mom, you just won’t let me have any fun. Don’t you know that when parents go out of town, it’s a kid’s responsibility and civil duty to be wild and throw parties?”

“Kimberly?”

She glanced up and saw Daniel squeezing past a group of young girls who’d just come out of the ladies’ room. Curiosity shone in his eyes. And concern.

Although he’d clearly been on his way to the men’s room, he crossed his arms and took on a protective stance. “Everything okay?”

Dear Lord, how long had he been standing there?

Heat suffusing her face, she gave him a quick nod. “Fine.”

“Fine? Are you sure, Mom?” Ryan asked, clearly not believing she’d agreed with his assessment. “I get to be wild and throw parties?”

Although she wanted to look away, her gaze held Daniel’s. Just being so near him while on the phone with Ryan, looking into eyes identical to their son’s, tightened her throat.

“Sorry, but, no,” she clarified, “you cannot throw wild parties. I was speaking with—” your father “—the heart surgeon I’m training with this week.”

“Cool.” Ryan sounded duly impressed, but quickly became distracted when someone spoke to him. “Gotta go, Mom. We’re headed for pizza.”

Why didn’t Daniel walk away? Do whatever it was he’d come to do?

Her heart thundered against her rib cage, but she’d perfected her professional persona years ago and knew she looked poised even if she felt anything but. “Have fun,” she told their son.

“’Night, Mom. Love you. Bye.”

“’Night, Ryan. Love you. Bye,” she automatically repeated, aching with how much she missed him.

“Who’s Ryan?”