The Heart Surgeon's Secret Son

“The other’s from Dr. Gregory Jessup. He’s operating on Mr. Reynolds, but is concerned about Dr. Travis. He thinks Dr. Travis isn’t feeling well and that perhaps you could check on him.”

Daniel wasn’t feeling well? And if he wasn’t in surgery, where was he?

“Where is Dr. Travis?”

“Dr. Jessup said to go to Dr. Travis’s office. He thinks you’ll find him there. He said that if he wasn’t, to wait and he’d soon show.”

“Let me tell Mrs. Reynolds where I’m going, then I’ll be on my way.” She paused, remembering the security panel. “Only I won’t be able to get to Daniel’s office. I’m with Cardico and only here for the week. I don’t have an access code.”

The nurse smiled and held up a piece of paper. “Dr. Jessup said to give you these numbers.” She practically sighed with pleasure before elaborating. “He whispered them in my ear. They’re his security clearance code and he didn’t trust anyone else to hear them.”

She looked in heaven that Gregory had given her the number and Kimberly suspected Gregory would be getting the pretty nurse’s number before the night ended.

Kimberly took the paper, thanked the woman and headed to Daniel’s office. She’d been there often enough during the week to find her way without any difficulties, but when she stood outside the door she found herself at a loss. She couldn’t bear it if Daniel turned her away.

Was she ever going to stop being a coward when it came to Daniel?

She put her hand on the doorknob. She didn’t really expect the handle to turn, because Daniel’s office would be locked, right? But it turned, and she had no choice but to push the door open.

Daniel sat at his desk with his eyes closed.

“You got through a lot quicker than I was expecting,” he said without opening his eyes. “Did you lose him?”

He thought she was someone else. Gregory, from the sound of it.

“Daniel?”

His eyes popped open. They were bloodshot.

As if from crying.

A strangled sound erupted from deep within him and she covered her mouth.

“What are you doing here?” He glared at her with the hatred she’d seen earlier. And anger. Anger poured off him. “I sent a message for you to go home.”

“I’m not leaving you.” Running away would be much easier than facing him, but she couldn’t leave. Not when she sensed he needed her more at this moment than he ever had.

His jaw tensed. “I’m not in the mood, Kimberly. Finding out I have a fourteen-year-old son has given me a lot to think about, and I want to be alone.”

“No.”

A blond brow quirked. “No?”

“I told you, I’m not leaving you.”

He laughed, an embittered chuckle that erupted from deep within his chest. “Oh, you’ll leave all right. Come tomorrow you’ll hop on that plane and you’ll go back to Atlanta and push me out of your mind, just as you’ve always done.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Sure it is.”

He attacked out of fear. She recognized all the symptoms. It was easier to attack than to admit how upset he was about Mr. Reynolds and Ryan.

Her gaze locked with his red-rimmed eyes and she crossed the room to stand next to him, turning the swivel chair to face her.

“Come with me to Atlanta, Daniel,” she pleaded. She hadn’t known that had been what she was going to say, but now that Daniel knew about Ryan, she wanted him to see his son, to know and love Ryan. “Come meet our son.”

He swallowed, but didn’t speak.