Plain Jane and Doctor Dad. Kate Little

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      Then, ignoring her stunned expression, he’d patted her hand. Long-distance things never seemed to work out, he’d added, so it was best for both of them to end it now. To make a clean break. In a few weeks, he was sure, she’d thank him for making it so easy. She’d be happy she was free to meet someone new.

      He hadn’t waited for her answer. She was far too shocked at the time to make any reply at all.

      It was right at that moment that she suddenly saw Scott differently, saw his true nature clearly. How had she been so blind? Was he that adept at misleading people? While she thought they were involved in a serious relationship—one that could lead to marriage—he’d merely been using her.

      Maura felt a bitter taste at the memory. She touched her fingers to her eyes. She was crying. It seemed impossible that she had any tears left after the way she’d cried that night. She stopped walking and leaned against the wall of the corridor. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she reached into her pocket for a tissue.

      “Maura?” She felt a touch on her shoulder and turned to see Doug Connelly’s tall, commanding form beside her. “Are you all right?” he asked kindly.

      “Uh…sure. I’ve just got something in my eye. A bit of dust or something,” Maura mumbled. She pressed the tissue to her eye. “It will go away in a second.”

      “Here, let me see,” Doug offered.

      “No, really…it’s okay,” Maura murmured. But before she could resist, he took her chin in his gentle grasp and turned her face up to the light.

      His touch was firm but light, as she expected. He was a pediatric cardiologist, adept at putting his small patients at ease. His questioning gaze considered her troubled expression and she was sure he could see now that she’d lied to him. She was upset and crying, pure and simple.

      “It looks as if it might be gone,” he said quietly. His hand dropped away, but he continued to gaze down at her, his warm, amber eyes filled with concern.

      They stood in a section of the hallway that was mostly glass, offering a courtyard view filled with trees, flowers and benches. Visitors and patients used it mainly, but some of the staff were outside, too, stealing a few minutes from their demanding jobs.

      “What a day,” Doug said. “Sometimes in this city, you feel like winter will never end. Then all of a sudden—bam. You look up and it’s spring.”

      “Yes, spring did come suddenly this year.” Maura looked out at the trees and flowers in full bloom. She’d been so depressed and distracted the past few weeks, she’d hardly noticed the changes.

      “Let’s get some fresh air. You look like you could use it.” Doug took her arm without waiting for her reply.

      “Thanks, but I really have to get back to the floor.” Maura glanced at her watch, trying to excuse herself.

      But Doug wouldn’t let her leave his side so easily. “You can take a break for a few minutes, Maura. We’ll cut across the courtyard and you can catch the elevators on the other side. That’s closer to your station, anyway.”

      Before Maura knew it, they were outside, walking down a tree-lined path. She felt the sunshine on her skin and inhaled the soft spring air. Doug had been right: she felt better almost instantly.

      She glanced at his rugged profile and tall, lean form. He walked with his hands tucked into the pockets of his blue lab coat, his ever-present stethoscope slung around his neck, clearly enjoying a break in his hectic schedule. She had worked with many keenly intelligent doctors and many dedicated ones, as well, but she’d rarely met a physician who possessed both qualities in such abundance. Doug was more than dedicated. He was known as a bit of a workaholic, but he was an excellent physician. Maura was sure she knew none better. His powers of concentration and focus seemed evident even now, in his thoughtful expression and the firm set of his handsome features.

      They strolled along in silence, side by side, but it was a comfortable silence for Maura. She had first come to know Doug as a colleague, when she’d been caring for one of his patients. After that, they’d quickly become friends. Especially after learning that Doug and Scott had gone to college together and had once been good friends. They’d been out of touch for years and had met again recently, when Scott came to work at Chicago General.

      She often wondered how much Doug knew about her relationship with Scott and how close the two men were now. Scott always claimed he liked Doug, but often made cutting remarks about him. Maura could see Scott was simply jealous. He had once hoped to be a doctor, too, but had dropped out of medical school his first year. The same school from which Doug had graduated with honors.

      While she wouldn’t consider Doug a close friend, she had always felt a subtle but very strong connection to him. From the start they’d been able to talk to each other in an open, honest way. Which was quite unusual for Maura. She had always been shy with men, especially one so good-looking. But she rarely felt awkward with him. Something about him just put her at ease.

      “Sit a minute,” Doug suggested as they came to an empty bench.

      “Sure.” Maura shrugged and sat down. The bench was in the shade, facing a small fountain surrounded by flowers. The sound of the rippling water soothed her frazzled nerves, as did Doug’s quiet, solid presence.

      “Maura, what is it? What’s troubling you?” Doug asked finally.

      She turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”

      “I know you were crying back there. And you look pale as a sheet.”

      Maura felt suddenly self-conscious under his scrutiny. She pushed a strand of wavy hair away from her face.

      “I’m fine…I mean, I feel a little under the weather today. Just tired, I guess.”

      “Yes, you do look tired. You work too hard.”

      “Probably.” She knew it was more like crying too hard—and sleeping too little.

      Doug was quiet again for a moment. Then he said, “Is this about Scott? Are you upset because he’s leaving on Friday?”

      “No. Not at all.” She shook her head.

      That was what everyone must think, she realized. That she was still yearning after a man who had treated her so badly. “Relieved is more like it,” she added. “I wish he was already gone.”

      “He didn’t deserve you.” Doug’s tone was firm and deep.

      “That’s nice of you to say,” Maura replied quietly.

      “I wasn’t saying it to be nice. It’s the truth.” He paused, as if uncertain whether to continue. Then he said, “I know it feels awful, right now. But give it time. Before you know it, you’ll forget all about him.” He leaned toward her. “Maybe you should take some time off, get away for a while,” he suggested.

      “Yes, maybe I should,” she replied vaguely. Last night she had thought about visiting her sister on the West Coast, the only real family she had left. But she knew very well that no matter how fast or how far she ran, she could never escape this problem.

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