by Tina Beckett
Roxy rolled her eyes. “I tried to talk her into putting clothes on her, but—”
“Mommy has to choose her lunch outfit.”
The woman lifted a large shopping bag emblazoned with the name of a doll company and gave an amused smile. “Yes, and we have Patsy’s entire wardrobe with us, right down to six pairs of shoes. And a cat costume.”
Kaleb smiled. “Maddy told me you were a costume designer.”
“She did, did she?” Roxy glanced at him again, brows up.
“I saw her at the convention.”
Those arched brows went even higher. “You were at the masquerade party?”
“Not exactly.” Evidently Maddy hadn’t told her sister what had happened with the costume. “I was there for the hospital fund-raiser on the fifteenth floor.”
“So how did you see her at the convention? She wasn’t out of costume, was she? That’s a big no-no.”
“We...left together.”
There. That was the best he could do without spilling the beans.
“Oooooh!” Roxy expanded that single syllable until he thought she was going to pass out from lack of oxygen.
Chloe tipped her doll, cradling it in her arms like a baby. “I can’t wait to see Mommy. Is her office far?”
Kaleb’s attention came back to the little girl with a bump as he tried not to think about how much he missed these kinds of conversations, back when life was normal and good. He’d better just take the pair to Maddy’s office, so he could be on his way. “No, not too far. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you where she is.”
The whole way up the elevator, Chloe kept up a running commentary on what she wanted to have for lunch. Probably three or four years old, with huge shining eyes and a quick smile, she was certainly a charmer. And a talker. His own Grace had been quiet and reserved. But she’d been the love of his life.
He clenched his jaw and tried not to do what he did every day. Attempt to draw up the memory of his daughter’s face only to have his brain glitch and fumble the pieces until they were impossible to fit together. Which was probably why he should have a few snapshots on his mantel at home. But it just hurt too much to see her healthy and alive, when at the end she’d been so very ill.
It was also hard to listen to another little girl having the conversations that Grace should have been able to have. If she’d lived past the age of two.
They arrived on Maddy’s floor, and he started down the hallway, only to feel a small hand grab his. The tension in his body ramped up to an all-time high. He glanced over at Maddy’s sister to find Roxy fixing him with a speculative gleam that was even more pointed. And ridiculous. He and Maddy were not hooking up.
Although he had to admit the thought had crossed his mind more than once the first time he’d seen her emerge from the head of that costume. But she’d just lived through a horrifying experience. The last thing she wanted or needed was a superficial one-night stand.
And she had a young daughter. Another big strike against the idea. Not just because it wasn’t easy to find alone time with a child in tow, but because Kaleb’s insides were twisted in knots from just this short encounter with Chloe.
If he were smart, he would just point the pair in the direction of Maddy’s office and send them on their way, but that would mean he would have to shake off the little girl’s grip, and he didn’t want to do that. But once she let go of him to hug her mother, he could simply withdraw and leave them to it.
Before he could knock on the door, though, it opened, and a woman stepped into the hallway, followed by Maddy. She stopped whatever she’d been saying midsentence to look at him.
“Hi, Mommy!”
Chloe’s excited greeting caused her glance to slide down Kaleb’s arm until it collided with her daughter. Then her eyes jumped back to his before returning to her patient. Confusion changed to a darker emotion.
She placed a protective hand on the little girl’s head, her voice calm and collected as she finished giving her instructions to the woman, but there’d been a moment of horror in her gaze when she’d realized he was holding Chloe’s hand. Because of what had happened with Matthew almost a week ago?
Kaleb opened his hand to try to release the girl’s, but the little girl’s fingers stubbornly squeezed tighter. Roxy was practically crowing with delight on the other side of him, despite her sister’s obvious discomfort. He ignored her.
After walking a few more steps with her patient, Maddy reminded the woman to call if she had any questions or concerns. And then all her attention swiveled back to them. She squatted on her haunches and held out her arms. Right on cue, Chloe thrust the still-naked doll into Kaleb’s hands and leaped into her mother’s embrace. “You have to help me dress Patsy. I couldn’t find anything for her to wear.”
His lips curved despite himself.
“Really?” Maddy murmured, her expression clearing. “What about that shopping trip you and Aunt Roxy went on? Surely you found something for her.”
“Yes. But I want her to be pretty when I fly my kite.”
“Kite?”
Roxy shifted. “I may have mentioned the kite festival the hospital puts on every year. Surely you heard about it.”
“Yes, but after what happened I didn’t expect to...”
Maddy’s sister frowned. “Of course we’re going. All of us. It’s a family event. And God knows you need something to take your mind off things. I go every year, and since you live here now—and since you work at the hospital that hosts it—we have to take part in it. It’ll be great.”
“Who did you go with before?”
“That’s something I’d rather not talk about.” Roxy set the bag of doll clothes on the ground, then bent down and scooped Chloe up with a comical roar, sending the girl into hysterical giggles.
Kaleb wanted to hand over the doll and get the hell out of there before things got deeper than they already were. But it looked as if there was no escape. Especially when Maddy stood up, putting her directly in front of him. She didn’t quite meet his eyes, though. The same curl that had escaped the headband she’d had when wearing that costume spiraled down the side of her face. His finger itched to touch it again. He curled the digits into his palm instead. This woman had almost as much baggage as he did.
“How did you wind up with this crew?” She nodded at the doll in Kaleb’s hands.
“They were coming into the hospital at the same time I was. Your sister wasn’t sure she could find your office.”
“Oh, she wasn’t, was she?” One brow went up. “Exactly how many times have you been here, Roxy?”
Roxy peppered Chloe’s cheek with kisses. “It’s a huge building. I always get lost.”
Somehow he got the idea that Maddy’s sister had arrived at her destination just fine in the past. So he’d been hoodwinked. And Maddy evidently wasn’t thrilled about it. Well, if Roxy had ideas about doing some matchmaking, she was out of luck. Neither he nor the pulmonologist needed her help. For one thing, he didn’t want a steady relationship. For another, Maddy hadn’t fared too well either in the love department. And Kaleb wasn’t exactly the greatest catch on the planet. There was that baggage—lots of it. His eyes went back to Chloe. Especially when it came to little girls who reminded him of Grace.
“Is it time for lunch, Mommy?”
“Yes, it is, sweetheart. Let’s find Patsy something to wear before she embarrasses Dr. McBride.”
Roxy sent him a sideways glance. “I bet he’s held a naked doll in his arms a time or two, haven’t you, Doctor?”
Heat seeped into his face, a sensation he didn’t like. Nor was he going to touch that comment. Instead, he handed the doll to Maddy.
Chloe pointed at him. “I think he should help us find clothes for her.”
“Honey, I’m sure Dr. McBride has more importan
t things to do than help us dress Patsy.”
“This is important.”
Her sister shifted the girl on her hip. “Yes, it’s very important to get a man’s opinion on this one. ‘Does this tutu make my...er...trunk look too spacious?’”
“Roxy.” Maddy’s tone held a distinct warning.
“Oh, and I saw the sign-up sheet for the kite-making contest out front and added our names to it.”
“Whose names?”
“Yours and mine. It’s for a good cause. The funds will go to fight childhood cancer.”
Kaleb’s eyes suddenly felt as if they were on fire in his head.
“Let’s discuss this in my office.” Maddy motioned toward the open door, mouth tight, ushering her sister and daughter through it.
Kaleb hesitated in the doorway, until he heard Chloe’s plea. “Can the doctor please come too?”
Maddy stared at him. “I don’t know. That’s up to him.”
Was it his imagination or was there a hint of pleading exasperation in her voice. Or maybe she just wanted to be rescued from her sister. Whatever it was, he found himself inching past Maddy, unable to resist tweaking that strand of hair as he went by. “You look like you could use a helping hand.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“From where I stand? Yes.”
Then they were all inside, and Roxy unceremoniously dumped the bag of doll clothes onto Maddy’s pristine desk. He noticed the frame and laptop had been replaced with new ones.
Maddy simply shook her head. “We need to hurry, honey, or we’ll be late for lunch.”
It took a few minutes, but Chloe finally decided on a bikini for her doll with slide-on sandals and sunglasses. Everything was soon folded and tucked back into the bag for safekeeping. Roxy glanced at her watch. “Darn. I forgot I have a waxing appointment. I need to get going.”
Maddy remained silent. The more outrageous Roxy’s comments, the harder her sister seemed to try to ignore them. Maybe Roxy was trying to keep Maddy’s mind off what had happened with Matthew. Or maybe she did it to goad a response from her sister. Whatever it was, there were some things one simply couldn’t unhear.
Chloe hugged her aunt goodbye and Roxy offered her hand to Kaleb, which he shook. “Nice meeting you.”
“I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other. ’Bye!”
The second the door closed behind her, Maddy sank into her chair with a sigh. “Sorry about that. Roxy has had a... Never mind. She’s had a hard life.”
Harder than Maddy’s? Than his? That he couldn’t imagine. Maybe she saw the doubt on his face, because she motioned him to a chair. “She was attacked in her home five years ago. The result was an unplanned pregnancy, which ended in a stillbirth. She uses the shock factor to keep people at a distance. It works.”
Yes, it did. Kaleb did the same thing. Not through his words, but his actions. Like not sleeping at a woman’s house. Like making sure he didn’t sleep with the same woman more than once. In fact, it had been a while since he’d been with anyone. It was just too hard and complicated. So he didn’t even try anymore.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you dare tell her I said anything to you. She would kill me.” Maddy smiled, although it looked slightly wan. “And maybe even you.”
“Did they find the man who did it?”
“Yes. He’s in jail.” She glanced at her daughter, who was in the far corner, playing with her doll. “I think that’s what’s behind her fascination with costume design. She can become invisible. No one ever sees the true Roxy.”
Kaleb had a couple of masks like that, but they weren’t the kind that could be stitched together.
He had to ask. “Is that why you decided to wear one of her creations?”
“No. That was all my sister. I think she thought it would help me with my...with the problems I’d had with my ex in the past. But after what he did at the hospital...” Her jaw tightened. “Let’s just say I’ve had enough secrets and hiding to last a lifetime.”
Kaleb could understand that. Unfortunately, he had no desire to splay his life out for all to see. Some things were better off remaining out of sight, even if they were never really out of mind.
Glancing at her watch, Maddy sighed. “Well, I don’t have that much time left for lunch. How do you feel about hospital food?”
“You mean as a patient or as a doctor?”
“I don’t think there’s much difference, do you?”
“No. And that sounds good to me. Do you have to take Chloe back to school?”
“She only goes half a day. Roxy will come back and get her. She normally watches her in the afternoons for me.”
A few minutes later, they managed to find a table for two and squeeze another chair in for Chloe. He waited with the little girl while Maddy went up and got them something to eat. Luckily she kept up a stream of nonstop chatter, which meant Kaleb didn’t have to think of anything to say. She was very excited about the whole kite-festival thing, from what he gathered. He’d never actually been back to the hospital’s childhood-cancer wing since Grace’s death. He’d spent enough time there to last him a lifetime.
He wasn’t even sure how he’d found himself in the cafeteria with Maddy and her daughter. He’d had the perfect opportunity to leave when Roxy had. But he’d stuck around anyway. And learned something about Maddy in the process. As exasperated as she might get with her sister, she loved her fiercely. And Roxy loved her back. To the point of trying to help Maddy cope with her own heartaches. Only no two people had the same way of dealing with those kinds of situations.
“I’m hungry.”
Chloe’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. He shifted to look at the serving line. “Your mom is almost done, it looks like. What do you think she’s going to bring you to eat?”
“Fruit cup. I always get a fruit cup, because Patsy and I love them.”
So they’d eaten here before, from the sound of it. Chloe tilted her head. “Is Mommy bringing some food for you too?”
“No. But I do think the fruit cup sounds good.” And just about the only edible thing on the menu. You couldn’t really hurt chopped fruit.
A tray plunked down in front of them, not a piece of fruit in sight. Instead, there were chunks of cheese perched on a few lettuce leaves.
“Oh! Cheese. I love cheese!” Chloe plucked a white square and popped it in her mouth.
Kaleb smiled. So much for fan loyalty. “No fruit?”
“Shh. They were working on more, but I didn’t want to hold up the line.”
He glanced at the tray again. Other than the cheese and what looked like a green smoothie in a clear container, the plate was empty. “Aren’t you having anything?”
“I’ll just have a liquid lunch.” She held up the container.
Kaleb had had a few liquid lunches after his daughter died, but they’d been amber colored and had burned like hell as they’d slid down his throat. They’d also put him down for the count. He wouldn’t resurface until the following day, when his pounding head and queasy stomach reminded him that he was still very much alive. And Grace wasn’t.
“I’ll be right back.” He levered himself from his chair and headed for the thinning line. When he got there, he asked for a pot of coffee, some sugar and three fruit cups.
The lady behind the counter glanced at him and then at the offerings on the ice in the silver buffet case. There were several plates of cheese on lettuce. A few sandwiches and the same bottles of juice that Maddy had chosen in various colors. “Wait right here.” She left the register and went into the back.
He picked up a couple of the bottles before choosing one that looked orange—a color he recognized as belonging to something in the fruit family. Within seconds the woman was back with three bowls of cut-up fruit. He paid and
took everything back to the table.
“They had some?” Maddy stared at his tray.
“They were just finishing them up, evidently.” He passed the bowls and silverware to each of them and handed Maddy a coffee cup. “It looks like you could use something a little stronger than what’s in that bottle.”
“Yes, I could.” She grinned at him. “But coffee will have to do.”
It was good to see her smile, especially after all that had happened.
Maddy poured some of her green juice into a cup for her daughter.
“She actually likes that stuff?”
“It’s really good. Have you ever tried it?”
“I normally like my salad on a plate, not in a cup.”
She nudged him in the ribs with an elbow. “It’s very good. And good for you.”
He would take that as a warning to watch what he said. He popped the top on his own juice and took a slug of it. Mango...and strawberries. Flavors he recognized. But, hey, if she said hers was good too, he would take her at her word.
“So you’re getting roped into making a kite. Do you know anything about them?”
Grace would have loved participating in the festival. But she’d never got the chance.
“I know how to make a paper airplane. Does that count?”
He hesitated. “The entries are pretty competitive, from what I’ve heard. There are prizes for the best-designed kite and the highest flier.”
“Really?” She took a sip of her juice. “Maybe I should have Roxy erase my name from the list, then. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
Maybe it was the thought of how much his own daughter would have enjoyed it, maybe it was the mango in his drink messing with his head, but, before he could stop them, words came tumbling out of his mouth. “I actually studied structural engineering before going into medicine. Maybe I could help.”
“How?”
“Participants in the festival normally come up with a prototype—a smaller version of the actual kite—to hang over their section of the table. That way people can browse and vote on a design. That part is separate from the actual kite-flying competition.”
