The Rebel Doc Who Stole Her Heart

by Susan Carlisle

  Michelle didn’t answer as she exited the OR.

  “Call the scrub desk and have Dr. Marcus come in and finish up for me,” he told his nurse.

  Ty was only minutes behind Michelle. He found her in the locker room, sitting on a bench. She had removed her mask and tears showed on her cheeks. Michelle looked around as if she didn’t know which way to go. She wouldn’t like the staff seeing her going into meltdown. He jerked his mask off and grabbed her wrist. “Come with me.”

  He led her out of the OR suite to the employee elevator and pushed the up button. Thankfully they didn’t have to wait long for the elevator doors to open.

  “Where’re we going?” Good. She was coming back from that dark place.

  “I’ll show you.”

  “Ty, this isn’t the time for one of your games. I just want to be left alone.”

  “This isn’t one of my games.” He was glad to see they had reached the top floor. When the doors opened he took her hand. She didn’t make any attempt to refuse it. That alone told him how upset she was.

  When she started to speak he said, “Hush and follow me.” He circled around the elevator and pushed open the door to the roof.

  “What’re we doing here?”

  “I always find a place to go just so I can breathe. This is my place and I think you could use it today.”

  “How do you get past Security?” The pragmatic Michelle had returned. That was an encouraging sign. For a second there he’d been concerned for her emotional health.

  “I made a deal with Jimmy.”

  “Figures. Why’re you doing this? You’re not my new best friend,” she said, pulling her hand out of his. This feistiness was better than what he’d seen in her eyes earlier.

  “What happened in there?”

  “Nothing. We had a bleeder. We found it. All in a day of surgery.”

  That statement was too flippant, coming from Michelle. “I know better. Spill. Is it your mother?”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Sixty-three-year-old female. Could have died. That’s who our patient is. Sound like any one you know? I don’t have to be a mind-reader to get the connection.”

  “All brilliant deductions, Doctor. Yes. This one hit a bit too close to home,” she said with disgust.

  Whether or not it was the situation or her, he didn’t know. He moved to where he could look out over the city, pleased she followed. If he could get her to talk, maybe he could help. He may be taking an interest in Michelle’s problems, but he wouldn’t be there for her for the long haul. She didn’t need to come to depend on him.

  When she came to stand beside him he said, “Makes you feel like the king of the mountain to be up here. As if you have some control over someone’s life if not your own.”

  She glanced at him. “What do you know about not having control? You go through life as if it is a fun ride at a carnival.”

  “Take my word for it. I know it isn’t. Talk to me, Michelle.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” She kicked at the gravel covering the top on the roof with the toe of her shoe. It reminded him of a little girl on the playground unsure if she should climb the monkey bars.

  “But I think you need to. What gives?”

  “What gives? Are you a hippy?”

  “No, but I was raised by some hippy wannabes. But that isn’t what we are here to discuss.”

  “What do you want to hear? I fell apart in the OR because the patient reminded me of my mother. Happy now?”

  “Okay, but why?”

  “Stop pushing, Ty.”

  “Why? Your mother is getting better.”

  She rounded on him. “Because I’m afraid she might die. I’ve already lost a father. I don’t have anyone else.”

  She had isolated herself so completely that she had no one to turn to. “Your team has no idea your mother has been sick, do they?”

  Michelle lowered her eyes and shook her head.

  “You need to talk to them. When the surgeon breaks down over a patient, it unnerves the team. I knew it was serious when they all looked at you like a deer in the headlights. Not one of them blinked. They’re not used to that type of emotion from you. And they had no idea where it came from.”

  “I didn’t get the name ice queen for nothing,” she retorted.

  “I’m sorry. I know that must hurt.”

  She shrugged.

  He took her by the shoulders. “You need to tell them what’s going on in your life. They’re your friends. They’ll want to help. I want to help. Let me.”

  “You can’t. It’s not something that you can laugh off and make okay.”

  His hands dropped away from her. “That’s a little harsh, even for you, Michelle.”

  She had the good grace to look contrite. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

  “You’re upset. Why have you kept your mother’s issue hidden?”

  “Because I’m the surgeon, the leader. I have to be strong.”

  “Agreed, but you are also human. Your mother is sick. You have every right to be upset. Patients and the people you work with also need to know you are human too.”

  “Are you saying I’m not?”

  “No, if anything I think you’re too human. Feel too much. You just refuse to show it. Are afraid to show it.”

  She turned her back to him. Her shoulders slumped.

  Ty wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. Her head rolled back to rest on his chest. “Aw, sweetheart, this too will pass. Cry it out and you’ll feel better.”

  He might not. The more he knew about Michelle the more difficult it was going to be to leave in a few weeks. But leave he would. He always did.

  * * *

  Michelle sat reviewing a chart of one of her patients at the nurses’ station on the floor. Her mind wasn’t on what she was doing, as it should’ve been. Instead, it was on the last conversation she’d had with Ty. She didn’t know if she would ever be able to face him again. He’d seen through her!

  She’d come unglued and he’d been there to witness it. After she’d recovered from her crying jag, they’d returned to the OR suite. She’d immediately spoken to the resident about the patient. He’d informed her that woman was doing well and was comfortable in CICU.

  At least today she didn’t have any surgeries so she wouldn’t have to face Ty just yet.

  “Did you hear about Ty?” one of the nurses told another in a raised voice. “He was hit in the parking lot this morning on his way in. He’s in Emergency,”

  Michelle’s heart dropped to her stomach. She put her hands in her lap to stop the shaking. The sudden urge to run to the ER filled her.

  “Is he badly hurt?” one of the nurses asked, so Michelle didn’t have to.

  “I don’t know. I just saw all the commotion and a motorcycle on the ground. A couple of ER staff were there. That’s all I know.”

  Michelle bit her lip and forced herself not to make a scene by jumping up and rushing to the ER. Logging out of the computer, she tried to act as normally as possible while her heart raced. All that went through her head was wondering how badly he’d been hurt.

  The emergency room wasn’t a place that Michelle frequented. In fact, she had to follow the signs to find her way through the maze of hallways. When she arrived at the ER she was grateful for the lab coat that instantly identified her as a doctor and therefore gained her attention from the staff. The nurse at the desk looked up at Michelle, who asked, “Which room is Ty Smith in?”

  The nurse looked at her as if she wasn’t sure about Michelle’s tone but checked the large chart on the wall. “Room four.” She pointed down the hall.

  At the door Michelle hesitated. What was she doing? What if Ty didn’t want her there? She convinced herself he’d only been being kind to her mother and her and that he had no one else in town… Who was she kidding? She was worried about him.

  Tapping lightly, she pushed the door open.

  “Oh, my God,
Ty. Are you okay?” She hurried to the stretcher.

  “Hey, Michelle.” He gave her a weak smile. That worried her more than anything. She’d never seen him with less than a cheerful grin.

  “Don’t look so scared. It looks far worse than it is.”

  She couldn’t imagine that being true. His right arm was covered in gauze from wrist to elbow. On the other side there was a bandaged area on his upper arm and one covering his palm. His scrub pants had been cut away and there was a bandage around his knee, along with other scrapes and bruises. It looked as if his helmet had done its job. His gorgeous face didn’t have a scratch on it.

  “I told you motorcycles were dangerous.” She touched his hand. He curled a bloody finger around one of hers then grimaced with the movement.

  “I do think you mentioned that.”

  “Are there any bones broken?”

  “Nope. A few stitches. Bruises and a possible concussion. I’m going to be out of commission for a few days, so I guess you won’t have to worry about me being late.”

  “Not funny, Ty.”

  “Why, Michelle, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you might care.”

  “Come on, Ty. You’re hurt. I’d have to be heartless not to.”

  “It might be worth losing my bike just to get this kind of attention from you.” He chuckled then winced.

  There was a sharp knock at the door and a woman in scrubs with a lab coat covering them entered the room. She put out her hand and Michelle shook it. “I heard you were here, Dr. Ross. I’m Dr. Lassiter. We don’t see heart surgeons down here much.” She turned her attention to Ty. “In fact, this is more of the OR staff than we’ve seen in years. Busy morning for us. Dr. Smith, you’ll be away from work for a couple of days. You’ll also need help at home. Do you have anyone who can see about you?”

  “I’ll take care of him,” Michelle said with conviction.

  Ty’s brows rose.

  Even she was surprised by her lack of thought where that offer was concerned.

  “Great. Then I’ll get the paperwork started so you can take him home,” Dr. Lassiter said in a pleased voice, and left.

  Home! Ty would be staying at her house. Their last meeting had ended with her squalling all over him and now she was going to have him living with her. If she hadn’t already been having trouble with her emotions where he was concerned, she certainly would now.

  But he needed her help and she couldn’t refuse. When she’d opened her mouth to say she’d care for him she’d jumped in at the deep end.

  “Having second thoughts, are you?”

  She met Ty’s look.

  “I can see it written all over your face.”

  He was starting to make her angry. Always thinking he could read her mind. She’d managed her feelings and had been getting along just fine until this handsome hunk of a man had come roaring into town.

  She straightened her back and gave him a direct look. “No, I was just thinking about what I needed to do to make you comfortable. I don’t have guests often.”

  “I’d bet you haven’t had a sleepover in a long time.”

  “You make this sound like a slumber party.”

  His eyes grew darker. “Slumbering with you has its appeal.”

  “Yeah, you look like you went five rounds with a car and you’re out. I don’t think you’ll be chasing me around the condo. If I had to guess, sleeping is all you’ll be doing for a day or so.”

  “That cut to the quick.” He sequenced his face as if he were hurt.

  “You do have some luck. It’s Friday evening and we’re both off this weekend.”

  His eyes turned serious. “I’d hate you to spend your days off seeing to me.”

  “Who else is going to?”

  “I’ll be all right by myself.”

  The ER doctor entered just in time to hear his remark.

  “If you don’t have someone with you then I’ll admit you. You have a possible concussion. Someone has to be with you for at least the first twenty-four hours.”

  “Whoa, I don’t do hospitals,” Ty said.

  “What? You work in a hospital.” Michelle couldn’t believe the distress she heard in his voice.

  “But I’m not a patient.”

  Michelle looked at Dr. Lassiter and they both said at the same time, “Men.”

  “Don’t worry. He’s going home with me,” Michelle told the other woman.

  “Good. Here’s his release form and instructions. You’ll need to stay with him. The pain med is going to make him sleepy but you need to wake him up every couple of hours. Make him talk to you.”

  “Hello. I’m right here,” Ty said, as if he were a little boy trying to get his mother’s attention so he could lick the cake beaters.

  “You’re not going to remember any of this so Dr. Ross needs to know,” the ER doctor told him calmly. To Michelle she said, “I think you’ll have your hands full.”

  Michelle was afraid of that.

  * * *

  Less than an hour later Michelle watched closely as Ty climbed the three steps as she opened the door to her condo.

  “Wow, I never expected all this color. Like your office. This is the hidden Michelle.” He looked at her. “I like it.”

  Michelle was sure she turned pink. His reaction pleased her. “You can admire or analyze my home later. Right now I need to get you to bed.”

  “Great. You say that when I’m so sore and drugged up I can’t act on it.”

  “Come on, funny guy. I’ll show you where you can stay.”

  She directed him down the hall to the spare room, which she’d decorated in lively colors and avant-garde paintings. “The bath is through there.” She pointed to a smaller door to the right. “I’ll let you get settled then be back to check on you. Holler if you need anything.” She gathered the decorative pillows off the bed and placed them in a chair, before pulling the covers back.

  Ty looked at her. “Really, Michelle, thanks for doing this. Hopefully I’ll be out of your hair by tomorrow.”

  “Someone has to take care of you.”

  He chuckled. “That’s my Michelle, the woman with the warm heart.”

  “I’m not your woman.”

  He headed toward the bathroom. “Maybe not yet.”

  * * *

  Ty woke with a start. He shifted in bed and groaned. Every muscle ached and it seemed that every inch of his skin hurt. He looked around, trying to remember where he was. The room was dim but he could make out the teal shade of the wall and the splashes of color of the pictures on it. Michelle’s.

  He vaguely remembered crawling between cool sheets and closing his eyes. He pushed the cover back and winced. He would have liked to have been invited over to Michelle’s but he wouldn’t have gone to this extreme to gain an invitation. The slide across the pavement had done a number on him. At least he’d been wearing his helmet or it would have been worse. He kicked to get unbound from the bed sheets. Despite the pain medicine he’d taken, he’d still tossed and turned. He’d appreciate some painkillers right now.

  He focused on a painting of a beach scene in yellow, blue and red. Michelle’s place had not just surprised him, it had been a shock. As conservative as she appeared on the outside, her home, along with her office, was filled with color. Here the furniture leaned toward ultra-modern, chrome and glass tables mixed with wooden chairs painted blue. Who would have thought Michelle was a closet color fiend? Her traditional conservative suits in pale colors hid a woman with flair.

  Rolling his head to the side, his eyes widened when he saw Michelle sitting in a cushioned chair next to the bed. She was asleep.

  Her hair was loose and a lock fell across one eye. She wore knit pants and a sweatshirt with striped socks on her feet. Her clothes in no way detracted from her beauty.

  He’d not thought about her good looks in a number of days. Trying to keep up with her sharp wit had occupied his mind. Her house just added one more personality trait for him to contemplate. The wom
an was an interesting combination of contradictions. He never knew what he would get next.

  Moving his neck to work out some of the soreness, he looked around further and found the bedside clock. It was four in the morning.

  “Michelle,” he said hoarsely. The pain medicine had made his mouth dry. He cleared his throat and called her name again with more strength.

  Her eyes opened with alarm and she jerked upwards.

  “You need to go bed or you’re going to be in worse shape than me from sitting in that chair.”

  Michelle looked at the clock. “It’s time for your medicine. I’ll get it.”

  She didn’t wait for him to object before she stood and headed out of the room.

  He watched her stride away. She had such an amazingly sexy walk. His eyelids drifted downwards.

  * * *

  A gentle but warm hand resting on his shoulder shook him.

  Michelle’s face was close enough that she had to have been studying his face before she’d woken him. Ty’s blood heated and flowed to a part of him that had nothing to do with the accident and everything to do with being so close to Michelle.

  Her hand move to touch his forehead.

  “Ty, you need to sit up and take your medicine. You’re running a low-grade fever.”

  “My head hurts.”

  “I’m not surprised. I bet you hit it hard when you fell.”

  He put his hands out on either side of his hips to push himself into a sitting position. He let out a grunt and Michelle rushed to put an arm around his waist.

  He sure wished he felt well enough to really appreciate her touch.

  “Let me help.”

  Between the two of them they managed to get him into enough of a sitting position that he could swallow the meds with the water without it running down his face.

  When Michelle didn’t say anything or move away, he looked at her. Her gaze was focused on his lap. The covers had slipped down during their efforts to get him into the correct position. And had dropped indecently low. His privates remained covered but it was clear he was nude.

  “You don’t have any clothes on.” The words were a small squeak for Michelle.

  “Don’t wear them to bed.”

  Michelle’s creamy skin had turned a charming pink and her gaze remained at his waist. Under such scrutiny and obvious fascination, his manhood began to show its appreciation. He reached down and pulled the covers up above his waist.