Читать книгу Nyc Angels & Gold Coast Angels Collection - Lynne Marshall - Страница 49

GOING INTO THE physical therapy clinic on Sunday, when no one was around, felt strange. Molly didn’t think she would get into trouble or anything but, still, she knew she’d be glad when she’d finished the ultrasound treatments to Josh’s legs.

While she worked on Josh, she did her best to ignore Dan’s intense gaze, but it wasn’t easy. At this point she didn’t think he was watching her because he didn’t believe in her technique.

No, this time she had the distinct impression he was watching her out of some sort of personal interest. Not a romantic interest, she told herself quickly, but more as if she were some sort of alien creature that he couldn’t quite figure out.

Maybe because she was so different from his ex? Hearing Josh cry for his mother had really bothered her. She couldn’t imagine how Dan managed to cope with the demands of being a single parent.

“Can we go to the movie now?” Josh asked eagerly, after choosing a root-beer-flavored lollipop. She hid a smile, figuring he was planning to try every single flavor in the jar before starting over with grape.

“Sure thing, champ,” Dan said with a gentle smile. Was it her imagination or was he already getting closer to his son? “We have plenty of time to get there before the show starts, no problem.”

“Yay,” Josh said, using his arms to propel his wheelchair forward as they made their way back out to the car. “I can’t wait.”

Dan sent Molly a wry smile over Josh’s head. He’d already explained that Josh wanted to see the latest Disney film, and she honestly didn’t mind. The last cartoon film she’d seen had been one that she’d watched with James’s two sons.

And if she remembered correctly, James had begged off, claiming he had work to do. Now she wondered if he’d been seeing that other woman even then.

No reason to torture herself over that now. Her friend Kara had told her she was much better off without James, and while that had been difficult to believe at first, it was easier now. Today was about Josh, not her. She was determined to enjoy herself, while protecting her heart.

Getting to the movie theater didn’t take long and once Dan had spent a small fortune on popcorn and soft drinks, they found a place in the back where Josh could sit in his wheelchair at the end of an aisle.

“Sit next to me, Molly. Sit next to me!”

She did as Josh asked, hoping Dan wouldn’t mind. He didn’t say anything, simply took the seat to her right, the action causing their shoulders to brush lightly. She settled back in her seat, telling herself to focus on the ultra-wide screen.

Flanked on either side by the Morris men made it difficult for her to concentrate on the movie. As the one in the middle she was the one stuck holding the bucket of popcorn. She grew acutely aware of Dan leaning over to help himself, especially when his arm stayed pressed against hers. Warmth radiated from his skin, sending shivers of awareness rippling along her arm.

But she didn’t move away, despite knowing she should.

The movie was a cute story and she soon found herself giggling right along with Josh. And when she heard Dan laughing softly, she was secretly thrilled he’d unbent enough to enjoy the show.

“That was fun. Thanks for bringing me along,” she said after the movie ended.

“I’ll drive you home,” Dan offered quickly. “Unless Josh and I could convince you to stay for dinner?”

“I couldn’t eat a thing after all that popcorn,” she protested. “Besides, I really need to get home.”

“I understand,” he murmured, although she caught a glimpse of disappointment shadowing his gaze.

Her resolve almost wavered. Almost. But she’d already let this go on long enough. What was she thinking, spending time with Dan and Josh as if they were more than friends? The last thing she needed was to make the same mistake with Dan and Josh as she had with James.

The ride to her apartment didn’t take long. When Dan pulled up, he jumped out before she could stop him, coming over to open her door for her.

“Bye, Josh, see you tomorrow,” she said as she climbed out of the car. When Dan drew her toward him so he could close the door, she had the insane thought he was going to haul her into his arms and kiss her, but then he whispered in her ear, “I’ll call you later to finalize the details about Josh’s party.”

She flushed and ducked her head, hoping he wouldn’t notice her embarrassment. “Okay, sounds good.” With a final wave to Josh she turned and hurried inside.

Feeling Dan’s gaze boring into her back with every step.

Dan forced himself to get back into the car with Josh, when every cell in his body wanted to follow Molly. He was getting tied up in knots over the woman, and he knew it. Yet knowing it and stopping himself from thinking about her were two entirely different things.

Molly had helped him mend his relationship with Josh, but what he was feeling for her went beyond gratitude. He knew he needed to rein in his feelings, and fast.

But despite his firm pep talk, when he and Josh returned home he couldn’t help noticing that the spacious three-bedroom apartment seemed empty now that Molly was gone. Which was ridiculous. How was it possible that his home seemed complete only when Molly was here? Nothing made any sense anymore.

He turned on some music, hoping to fill the emptiness. He busied himself making arrangements for Josh’s birthday party and the wheelchair football game. There wasn’t much he could do on a Sunday night, but he vowed to contact Josh’s teacher first thing in the morning. The party would take place in two weeks on Saturday afternoon.

So in the interim he made plans and lists, realizing that planning a party was a lot of work. And tried not to count the hours until Josh’s therapy session at nine o’clock next morning.

The following morning, Dan called Josh’s teacher first thing, and she was more than happy to help him give him a list of the student’s names. She also offered to pass out the invitations in class, which meant he needed to get them completed as soon as possible.

He and Josh arrived for therapy in their respective wheelchairs with scarcely a minute to spare. As usual, Molly came out to greet them. She smiled warmly at Josh, but he sensed she was avoiding eye contact with him. He scowled as he wheeled into the gym behind them, wondering if she was uncomfortable around him now, after they’d spent the weekend together. If so, he couldn’t understand why. He hadn’t acted inappropriately at any time, although he couldn’t say the same for his thoughts.

In his thoughts, he’d been extremely inappropriate. Down and dirty inappropriate.

“We’re going to play a new game today. Are you ready?” Molly asked.

“Yeah!” Josh agreed enthusiastically.

“Absolutely,” Dan responded, hating to admit that he was growing used to her games.

The game consisted of hitting the ball with their feet, which of course was much easier for him than it was for Josh. But he had to give his son credit, as he seemed determined to kick the ball up in the air with his toes.

He was shocked and stunned when Molly deemed it time for the massage followed by the ultrasound treatments. How had the hour gone by that fast?

When she’d finished with Josh’s ultrasound, Dan quickly followed her out of the room, leaving Josh to enjoy his lime-flavored lollipop. “Josh’s teacher has emailed me the names of the kids in his class, so I’m going to work on the invitations tonight.”

“That’s great!” For what seemed to be the first time that morning, she looked him directly in the eye and smiled. “Josh is going to be so surprised.”

Her enthusiasm was contagious. “Here’s what I have planned so far,” he said. “We’ll meet at the park first for the wheelchair football game, and then afterward we’ll eat pizza, punch, cake and ice cream either at the park if it’s nice or at my place if it’s not.”

“That sounds perfect,” she agreed. “Don’t forget prizes.”

“Prizes?” He stared, perplexed. “I wasn’t thinking of playing any other games.”

“You need to reconsider that plan. What about a scavenger hunt?”

“A scavenger hunt?” Hell, hosting a party was more complicated than he’d realized. “I don’t think I want the kids going around to the other apartments, asking for things.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d participated in a scavenger hunt.

“We could have a scavenger hunt at the park, after the football game.” Her green eyes brightened with excitement. “I’ll hide a bunch of stuff at wheelchair height or lower, and they can try to find the items I’ve hidden. Whatever they find are their prizes. Although you’ll need to make sure there’s a prize for everyone.”

He suppressed a sigh. More rules. More things to buy. He needed another list. “Okay, that’ll work.”

“We won’t know what the weather will be like, so we might need a back-up plan. Maybe check again with Josh’s teacher to see if the school would let us use the gym,” she suggested. But then she glanced at her watch. “Sorry, but I have to go. My next patient is here.”

“Okay, no problem.” He took a step back, trying to hide a flash of disappointment. Not that he could blame her for needing to do her job. “See you tomorrow.”

“Absolutely. Goodbye.” Was it his imagination or was she in a hurry to get away from him?

As he went back to where Josh was waiting, he couldn’t deny he felt a little lost without the connection he’d thought he had with Molly. Had he become too dependent on her?

The realization brought him up short. He couldn’t afford to be too dependent on anyone. Josh’s happiness was the most important thing in his life, and he needed to remember that.

Granted, he appreciated Molly’s help, but he was making strides in mending his relationship with Josh. He might be new at this hosting-a-birthday-party thing, but he was determined to be a good father. He wanted—needed—to make sure his son knew just how much he loved him.

Molly did her best to keep her distance from Dan, but it wasn’t easy. On Tuesday night she called her friend Kara.

“Molly, it’s so good to hear from you!” Kara gushed.

“I know, it’s been too long, hasn’t it? How are you holding up?”

“I’m doing okay.” Kara’s crush on Tyler Donaldson hadn’t been much of a secret. However, now that the handsome Texas-born neonatologist had gotten involved with Eleanor Aston, Kara had been trying to mend her bruised heart. Especially now the two were head over heels in love and rumored to be expecting a baby. “I can’t be mad at the guy, not when he’s obviously so happy.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll find someone just as perfect someday,” Molly said stoutly.

“Actually, I have met someone,” Kara said. “But we’re just friends.”

“Really?” She injected warmth into her tone, refusing to be envious of her best friend. “Anyone I know?”

“His name is David Jacobson and he’s a new pediatric neonatologist at Angel’s.” Since Kara worked in the brand-new neonatal unit, she probably interacted with the new doctor a lot. “But we’re just friends.”

“Hey, you can’t ever have too many friends,” Molly pointed out.

“I know, and I value your friendship every day,” Kara said. “By the way, would you be willing to go to Jack Carter’s going-away party with me this Friday night? Did you hear he’s having it at the Ritz?”

“No, I hadn’t heard about the party, although I did hear that he handed in his resignation.” Normally, Molly avoided fancy places like the Ritz, but maybe attending Dr. Carter’s going-away party would be a good distraction. “What about your new friend, is he going to be there, too?”

“Yes, he’s going and, yes, I wouldn’t mind bumping into him there. Come on, Molly, please? I don’t want to walk into this party all alone.”

Molly knew Kara wanted a good reason to attend the same party David was going to, and since she knew Kara needed to get over Tyler, she couldn’t say no. Especially as her own social life was practically non-existent. It wouldn’t hurt her to get out and mingle more. “Sure. Why not? I’d love to.”

“Thank you,” Kara murmured. “It starts at eight o’clock and you have to wear something fancy.”

She grimaced. “Oh, boy, that means I have to go shopping.”

“And when was the last time you bought yourself something nice?” Kara demanded.

Since never. She’d worn a simple black skirt and green blouse for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, unwilling to spend her hard-earned money on fancy clothes. But it wasn’t every day that the chief of pediatrics stepped down to work at a free clinic with his fiancée, so she swallowed her protest. “Okay, okay. I’ll shop. Maybe I’ll find something on sale.”

“Did you hear who’s been appointed Chief of General Pediatrics in Jack’s place?” Kara asked.

“Who?”

“Dr. Layla Woods. I think it’s awesome that a female physician was given such a prestigious position, don’t you?”

“Yes, it’s great.” Molly didn’t know Layla Woods personally, although everyone talked about the tiny blonde bombshell and her sweet Texas accent. Not to mention her brilliance as a pediatrician. “She deserves the position.”

“I agree.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, when Kara went quiet. “I’m sure it’s not easy to see Eleanor and Tyler together all the time.”

“It was hard at first, but now they just seem so natural together that I can’t help but be happy for them.”

“You’re amazing, Kara, you know that?”

“Thanks, Molly, so are you. Hey, look, I have to run, my break is over. We’ll talk more later, okay?” Kara quickly disconnected the call and Molly could just imagine her friend running back to the unit to take care of her tiny patients.

Molly was glad Kara wasn’t too heartbroken over Tyler and Eleanor’s newfound love. She didn’t want to be full of envy, but she hoped Eleanor knew how lucky she was. If the rumors were true about her and Tyler having a baby, a family, was the greatest gift in the world.

Images of Dan and Josh flitted into her mind, but she shoved them aside ruthlessly. The two of them were not meant for her.

Maybe Kara was right. Maybe she needed to get out more. Socialize. Meet people. Meet men. Someone other than a single father with emotional baggage from his horrible ex-wife. What if she became involved with Dan and he ended up leaving her, just like James had?

Walking into the living room, she turned on her laptop computer and logged into her bank accounts.

She needed to know how much she could afford to spend on a dress. Because maybe, just maybe, she’d meet someone at the going-away party who would help her forget about Dr. Daniel Morris and his adorable son, Josh.

The following morning, Molly did her best to keep Josh and Dan at a professional distance. Josh’s therapy was coming along very nicely, and when she played the kick-my-hand game, she was thrilled at how high Josh was able to kick.

“Oomph,” she grunted, playing it up a bit as she staggered backward, gazing at Josh in awe. “You nearly knocked me over!”

“I know,” Josh said with exuberance. “I’m getting stronger, right, Molly?”

“You are definitely getting stronger, champ,” Dan said, a wide smile on his face. “I’m so proud of you.”

Despite her best efforts to stay detached from the dynamic father and son duo, her heart ached at the love shining from Dan’s eyes. Her throat tightened, and for a moment she couldn’t breathe.

“We have a lot to thank Molly for, don’t we?” Dan said to Josh.

The boy nodded. “Yep. We love Molly, don’t we, Dad?”

She couldn’t talk, could barely think as Dan’s gaze clung to hers. “Yes, we do,” he agreed lightly.

She knew he didn’t really mean it. At least, not in the guy-girl type of way. But she knew she was blushing just the same. “Enough, you two, we have more work to do before this session is over.”

In truth, they only had one more game to play before it was time for the massage and the ultrasound treatment. She finished the therapy and handed Josh the jar of lollipops, watching with amusement as he chose a lemon-flavored sucker.

“Molly, do you have a minute?” Dan asked, as she was about to leave.

She glanced at the clock. “Just a minute. I have another patient waiting.”

“I understand.”

She walked down the hall to her office, all too aware of Dan following close behind. “Is there a problem? Has Josh been having more muscle spasms?”

“No, there’s nothing wrong.” Was it her imagination or did he look nervous? “I just wanted to know if you were busy on Friday night?”

For a moment she couldn’t hear anything but her heart thudding in her chest. Was he really asking her out on a date? Then she realized he probably wanted her to spend time with him and Josh again. She sensed he liked having her as a buffer when he interacted with his son. Although they were clearly getting along better so she knew he didn’t really need her.

“I’m sorry, but I already have plans. Maybe another time?”

The disappointment in his eyes tugged at her heart, but she did her best to ignore it. “Sure. Another time, then.”

She tore her gaze away and glanced again at the clock. Of course today every one of her patients was going to show up for their appointments. “I’ll see you and Josh tomorrow, okay?” Without waiting for him to say anything, she quickly left her office, heading to the waiting room to greet her next patient.

Unfortunately, Dan’s invitation looped over and over like a stuck tape playing through her mind as her day progressed. Along with the distinct disappointment in his dark eyes, when she’d told him she already had plans.

How pathetic to realize that deep down she would rather spend time with Dan and Josh, instead of dressing up for some fancy going-away party at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. If not for agreeing to Kara’s plans first, she might have backed out.

What in the world was wrong with her, anyway?