The Heart Surgeon's Secret Son

His eyes narrowed. “You’re talking about when we broke up?”

“Yes.” She nodded, willing her heartbeat to remain steady, for her focus to remain intact, because Daniel had a right to know his son. “I’m talking about when I had a difficult choice to make and you got hurt in the process.”

Confusion distorted his handsome face and he gave her a blank look. “The choice being me, who you claim you still loved, and this other guy you left me for?”

“There wasn’t another guy. At least, not in the sense you mean.” She opened her mouth to tell him about Ryan, but his pager buzzed to life.

His gaze held hers for three seconds, then he glanced at the number and cursed. “A patient just went into code blue. Got to go.”

His gaze landed on the tray of half-eaten food in front of him.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks, Kimberly.” He paused long enough to meet her eyes. “I’ll see you later. Greg is doing a couple of procedures this morning. If I’m not in my office by eight, have Trina page him so you can observe. I’ll find you when I can.”

He bent and did something she suspected was totally out of character. He kissed the top of her head.

Nothing sexual, just a tender kiss that said he cared and wanted her to know.

“We’ll talk tonight and figure out a way to make this work because we’re worth giving a chance to.”

She nodded, watching as he rushed out of the cafeteria, wishing she’d had the opportunity to tell him about Ryan yet grateful she hadn’t blurted it out because he’d received the page.

Daniel didn’t need fatherhood distracting him while someone’s life rested in his hands.

Or was that just an excuse for delaying the hatred she knew was sure to come with the truth?

They were worth giving a chance to, and that’s exactly what she’d never allowed them.

That evening, Kimberly sat in Daniel’s office, waiting for him to return. He’d let her use his computer to log on to her Cardico account and electronically sign off on work regarding her week in Boston.

She could have done so later that evening or even tomorrow, but he’d had a staff meeting that had given her an odd hour while she’d finished her training on the CRT pacemaker.

What an amazing device and what an amazing doctor.

His colleagues admired him for much more than just his skills with the ladies. During the week she’d watched doctors from various fields consult him. Daniel had always given an intelligent, thoughtful answer.

She really was proud of all he’d accomplished.

They were worth giving a chance to.

Had last night changed that much? If he hadn’t fallen asleep, would they have talked? Lain in each other’s arms and revealed their hearts’ secrets?

What was in Daniel’s heart?

He’d said he wanted a relationship, but did he really mean that he wanted sex until he lost interest?

Would she ultimately be just another notch in his bedpost?

No, she didn’t believe that.

Daniel hadn’t been a ladies’ man back when they’d been together.

He’d been hers.

In every way that counted.

In none of the ways that counted.