A Doctor's Patience (Hero Hearts; Medical Romance) Page 4

  At this point, Phoebe just wished Dan wanted to be more of a father to their son. Jacob deserved a father who was present. A father who made sure he was cared for. A father who showed love to him. But there was little she could do about it. She’d begged and pleaded with him to be more involved, but his response was that the boy spent weekends with him when he had time. What else did she expect of him?

  The last thing she wanted was to get the courts involved in her personal life again. She couldn’t afford the attorney and court fees and she was pretty sure it would be nothing more than a waste of time and money. The deck was stacked against her—and Jacob.

  She walked into Jacob’s hospital room with a manufactured smile after her grim thoughts about his father. Seeing his sweet face wiped all the negative reflections away. Jacob was thrilled to see her and that made all her worries fade to the background.

  “Mama! They have the apple juice I like! The one in the green box!”

  “Wow. That’s amazing news! Did you eat breakfast?”

  He wrinkled his nose and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “Why the face? Didn’t you like it? And you’re sure you ate?”

  “It was oatmeal.” His face grew longer.

  “You like oatmeal. So, what’s the problem?”

  “It was lumpy. Not like yours. And Mrs. Tennet said they don’t have any maple syrup.”

  She nodded. “I see. Well, sometimes you just have to do the best you can with what you’ve got. I know it’s not perfect, but you still need to eat. Yes?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Maybe you can try eggs instead. And maybe some grits. I’ll see what we can do.” She smiled at him and ruffled his hair to try to get his mood to change. “So, how are you feeling? Better?”

  He nodded with a half-smile. “I think so.” Then his smile brightened. “Hey, you remember Pete? He’s here! I saw him.”

  Phoebe smiled and tilted her head. “Oh, really? I know you’re glad to see him.” She put on a happy face for Jacob, but the news that the boy was here was concerning. Pete Herndon had been in the hospital when Jacob was in for his surgery and the two had become friends. The little boy had been in and out of the hospital for over a year while he waited on a heart transplant.

  “And this time it’s good news for Pete. He’s gotten a transplant. About a week ago.”

  Phoebe spun around to see Alec smiling at her and nodding.

  “Well, that’s good news. I’ll go see if I can find Cindy later.” Phoebe looked at the floor and tapped her foot lightly. “So, do we have lab results today?”

  Alec came over to Jacobs’s bed and looked down at him. His face had taken on his professional mask. “We do. There’s some improvement, but not as much as I’d like to see. I’ve added a new antibiotic. It’s a high dose and hopefully he’ll respond quicker. He’s had one bag already and he’ll have a second tonight. We’ll do more labs tomorrow.”

  Phoebe’s brows knitted together, and she sighed. “Okay. What exactly does this mean?”

  “Just that we need to be a little more aggressive and find the right combination to hit this hard. He’s not taking a bad turn, okay?”

  She nodded and shook her head with her eyes closed. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath in. She looked down at Jacob who was oblivious to the talk about his health. He was playing a video game on her phone and she was thankful he didn’t realize the details of what was going on.

  “Honey, I’ll be right back.” Jacob didn’t even acknowledge that she’d spoken to him and she smiled briefly. Then she looked over at Alec. “Dr. Dawson, could I speak with you for a moment, um, in private?”

  “Of course, why don’t you go into my office and wait for me there? I need to drop something off at the nurse’s desk.” Alec gave her one of his breathtaking smiles, and Phoebe did her best to return it without her cheeks flushing red. When he finally entered his office, she cut right to the chase.

  “Pastor Tarrant gave me some money yesterday. A gift from someone in the congregation. He wouldn’t tell me who it was, but I’m pretty sure it was you.”

  “What? Somebody from church gave you some money?” His look of surprise was more than unconvincing. He gave himself away just by not being able to lie very well.

  “You’re a terrible liar, you know. That’s a pretty good quality, by the way. You’re the only person I know who would have done this, and I’m truly grateful.” Phoebe watched him as she spoke, and he finally nodded.

  “I’m glad I could help out, even if it’s only a little. I knew you wouldn’t accept it if I offered it to you directly.”

  “You’re probably right about that. I’m not sure why I accepted it from Pastor Tarrant. I guess I was just so shocked, and I didn’t want to be rude.”

  “Phoebe, I know Dan is still in the picture and I see you’re still struggling. I know it’s not my place to say anything, but how much help is he, really?”

  He let the question hang in the air waiting for her reply, but Phoebe was losing control over her emotions. She’d been honest with him before, but she hadn’t told him everything. She still felt like it was necessary to keep some things to herself.

  She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “He does some. I wish he was better with Jacob. I try to keep it all from affecting him any more than it has to. He’s been through so much already, I hate to see him go through more just because he has an uninvolved dad. That’s not his fault.” Her voice cracked, but Alec put his hand on her arm.

  “It’s not your fault, either. That’s on him.” He cleared his throat and took his hand back. “I’m glad I can help in any way I can. All you have to do is say the word. I’d like to be part of his life—and yours. But then you know all that.”

  “I just don’t want to do anything to mess him up any more than his father and I have already done. If you and I… If things don’t work out, well… you’ll still be his doctor. I don’t want to have to find another doctor just because I couldn’t handle a relationship with you.” She looked away, and then looked him in the eye. “You’re a good doctor and I trust you with his care.”

  “I know there are risks. There always are. And, honestly, if things do progress with us, we’ll find him a new doctor, anyway.”

  He smiled, and Phoebe felt her breath catch in her throat. He was leaning in toward her, and she felt her body build with anticipation. She had been longing to kiss him again, and now it was happening.

  Their lips were a breath apart and his cell phone rang. The two of them stepped apart and he looked down at the display with a heavy sigh.

  “I can’t ignore this call, but Phoebe, I want you to think about what I said. We’ll talk again soon.”

  Alec headed for the door and within seconds, Phoebe was alone in the room, hanging her head and thinking about what had just happened. She was feeling so many emotions at once, she didn’t know which one was the strongest. Shaking her head, she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

  She’d spend more time with Jacob and push it all out of her mind. Yes, that was the best option for now.

  10

  Phoebe was sitting at her kitchen table across from Dan, who had once again insisted on barging into the house against her wishes. She wanted to argue with him, but she was exhausted after spending the day at the hospital, and the takeout he brought did smell really good.

  But, she didn’t want to talk to him. She didn’t want to show any interest in anything other than the food he brought, and she certainly wasn’t going to act like she was happy to be with him.

  Dan, on the other hand, didn’t seem to notice that she was silent. He was chatting away about his latest exploit at work. He was so totally caught up in telling his story that he didn’t even notice she wasn’t even looking at him.

  Suddenly, Phoebe just wanted to scream. Still so focused on only himself, he hadn’t asked about Jacob. Not even once. Their son�
��s name hadn’t even come up in conversation. The boy was lying in a hospital bed, and his father hadn’t even mentioned a word about him.

  She looked up from her plate and glared at him. Then she slammed her hand down on the table, cutting into whatever boring work story he was telling.

  “Don’t you even care how he’s doing?”

  He sat back in his chair with an amused look on his face. She leaned forward, her eyes cold and hard.

  “Well, for starters, I figured if there was any change you would’ve let me know. It’s your responsibility to keep me informed. And secondly, look around. Who’s paying for this place again? Me. Clearly I care or the two of you would have found yourselves out on the street.” He cleared his throat and tossed his head back, looking down his nose at her.

  Phoebe laughed. “So, let me get this straight. I should be grateful that you had an affair? That you blindsided me with divorce papers after you’d hidden all our assets so I got basically nothing in the settlement? That your son suffers because of your complete lack of involvement as his father?”

  She never looked away from him even though he wouldn’t meet her gaze. Silently, she waited on a response, but she was sure it would just be more spin.

  “Okay, I think this conversation has taken a wrong turn. Let’s start again. I didn’t really mean that I’d have put you on the streets. I know I made a mistake, but I’m not a monster. I thought I had something with her that I’d never had with anyone else before, and I couldn’t let it go.” He picked up his glass and took a long drink, watching her.

  “And you thought it was a good idea to throw away your family? She was worth ignoring your son?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t really look at it that way. All I knew was that I needed her in my life. I couldn’t ignore my feelings for her. I thought she was the woman I’d spend the rest of my life with. Now I see things a little clearer. Differently. She’s not what I thought she was. I’ve lost interest in her, Phoebe. I want you back.” He beamed, seemingly very pleased with himself for making such a speech.

  Phoebe coughed on the water she was drinking. Her eyes flew wide in horror.

  The smile on his face faded. “You think I’ve been coming around here just for the sake of it? That’s not it. I’ve been coming to see you.”

  Phoebe shook her head and held up a hand. She had thought that he was coming around just to annoy her or check up on her or for appearances. If there was anything about Dan she’d learned, it was that he was willing to do just about anything to make it appear as though he cared when he truly didn’t.

  They were divorced, and the last thing she had ever thought she would hear him say was that he wanted to reconcile. This was a situation she needed to put a stop to right away. There could be repercussions when he realized he was being rejected, but it was a chance she’d have to take.

  “Look, Dan, you say you’re sorry for the destruction you’ve caused, but I’m not convinced. Even if I did believe you, I’m not interested in being married to you again.” She wanted to look away, but she had to make sure he didn’t twist this into something it wasn’t.

  He stared at her. His unwavering glare was unnerving, but she didn’t let up.

  “One day, I’ll be recovered from all this. Back on my feet and able to make changes to how Jacob and I live. You cheated me in the divorce, but I’ll get past that and make it without you—even if the prosperity you enjoy is partially mine. You’ll have to live with your lies, not me.” She stopped and took a breath and a sip of water. “You’ll always be Jacob’s father and I hope you’ll take that role seriously. Hopefully soon. He needs you and you’re not there—despite all your attempts to manipulate the truth. But be clear on this. You ended your relationship with me the day you decided that our life wasn’t good enough for you.”

  Phoebe felt the tears welling up in her eyes and that made her even more angry. She didn’t want him to get the idea that she was still upset over losing him. The emotion was driven by her rage and resentment.

  Dan sat for a moment in silence, then he shook his head. “That’s unfortunate that you feel that way. I thought you would’ve come to your senses by now, but you’re just as stubborn as ever.”

  He rose from the table and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair, but he took his time putting it on. Phoebe sat in silence, watching him.

  “Well, Phoebe, I guess you’ve made your choice. I have a few decisions to make of my own.”

  Phoebe raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond.

  “You say you’ll get your own place one day. That’s all well and good, but I should remind you that this is my house. You’ve been here rent free for some time. I’ve had a few inquiries about selling it. Just a heads up that you might want to get moving on your plan to get back on your feet.”

  He didn’t wait for her to respond, but rather walked out the door slamming it behind him. As soon as the door closed, she buried her face in her hands and let the tears flow freely.

  What was she going to do now?

  11

  Phoebe spent the next hour debating whether she should call the one person she was doing her best to avoid. Holding her phone in her hand, she went back and forth with herself. She pulled him up in her contacts, but stopped short of dialing his number.

  “What am I doing? I can’t call him. This isn’t his problem.”

  She got up and paced from the kitchen to her bedroom. She put on her slippers and padded around the house again.

  “He said he’d help with anything I need. All I need right now is for someone to understand.”

  She looked at the clock. It was getting late. It was almost nine-thirty.

  “There are alternatives to Alec. I can talk to Anna. She’ll understand and probably be able to help me figure out what to do.” She pulled out her phone to call her friend, but remembered she’d been working extra shifts and was bone tired—or at least that’s what their last conversation via text said. “Okay, Anna’s off the list.”

  She paced a little more, cried a little more, and despised Dan a little more. Finally, she looked down at her phone and scrolled up to Alec’s name. She pressed the button to call him without giving herself a chance to think about it anymore. The phone only rang twice before Alec Dawson answered.

  “Phoebe, is everything okay?” His voice was kind and concerned. Just the tone she needed.

  “Not really. It’s not an emergency, I just needed to hear a friendly voice.” Phoebe continued to pace, though her nervousness has subsided when she heard his voice.

  “What’s going on? How can I help?”

  “I know this is just the opposite of what I’ve been saying, but would you please come over? I know it’s late, but I really need some company.”

  There was a voice inside her whispering that this was a bad idea, but Phoebe didn’t care. She needed someone to talk to, and he was the perfect one for the job. He cared about her and he would give her good advice.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be there in half an hour.”

  “Thank you, Alec. I’ll see you soon.”

  They ended the call and Phoebe had a moment of panic. “What have I done? Exactly the thing I know I shouldn’t do. Involving a really nice guy who just happens to by my son’s cardiologist in my messed-up life isn’t smart. It’s dumb. And it’s really unfair to him.”

  She was still uneasy with her choice when the doorbell rang. Phoebe quickly checked her hair in the mirror before she went to the door. In spite of her worry that this wasn’t a good idea, she smiled warmly.

  “Thank you so much for coming over. I know it interrupted your evening and I really didn’t think you would. I was kind of surprised when you answered,” Phoebe said as she closed the door.

  Alec shook his head. “I was just watching ESPN. I think I’d already seen the whole loop, anyway.” He chuckled. “You know they just play the same stuff over and over. Seeing you sounds way better than that.”

  “Well, thank you.”

>   “How about a piece of apple pie? I stopped at the diner on the way. Not all that healthy, but definitely good for a late-night talk.” He held out the box he was holding with a guilty smile.

  “Pie sounds good. You’re very perceptive.” She couldn’t help but laugh even though her spirits were low. She took the box to the kitchen and he followed her.

  He watched her slice the pie and place two pieces on plates. “So, something’s happened. I know it’s not Jacob, since I checked on him earlier and he’s fine. What is it?”

  She took forks out of the drawer and placed slices of pie, and forks to eat it with, at two places at the kitchen table. Pulling in a deep breath, Phoebe pulled out her chair and sat down. Alec took the chair across from her holding her gaze the whole time.

  “Dan showed up earlier tonight. I’d been at the hospital and hadn’t eaten. I was starved. He brought take-out, which was so unlike him--to be thoughtful. I couldn’t refuse the sesame chicken.”

  He snickered. “Who could?”

  She smiled and took another bite of her pie. “Well, I kind of blew up at him about his lack of interest in Jacob. He was arrogant and condescending in his own special way. But then he dropped a bombshell. He and Candy have split up, or so he says. Who knows if that’s completely true or not? But, anyway, he says he wants us to get back together.”

  “Hmm. Interesting thought. How do you feel about that?” Alec was squinting at her, his expression not so friendly and carefree anymore.

  “I’m mortified. He’s been coming around more lately, but I thought it was just to annoy me. And it has annoyed me.”

  “Okay, so what did you tell him then?”

  “I told him I’m not interested in getting back together and I never will be. I reminded him of how he cheated me in the divorce, but that didn’t bother him in the least. When he realized I’m truly not interested, he sort-of threatened me.”