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“It’s fine. I’m done here tonight anyway. You have more patients?”

“Dr. Seeley?” interrupted the nasally voiced nurse who’d seen Henry and Ella when they first arrived. She’d come out of nowhere, and her brown eyes quickly assessed the situation, but she made no comment.

The doctor who’d taken out Benny Sorensen with his mug of coffee nodded at the nurse and waited for whatever message she had for him.

“Your friend is here. Should I send her back to your office?” There was a hint of disapproval in the nurse’s tone.

“Sure, Roz. Thanks.” Roz’s face didn’t show any reaction as she turned and headed back to the reception area. “Glad you’re okay,” Dr. Seeley said, returning his attention to Benny Sorensen. “I’ll catch you tomorrow.”

She just nodded, tongue-tied still, and Henry might have laughed if it wasn’t all so tragic.

The guy smiled indulgently—if Benny had been a dog he might have even patted her head. “Okay, good night then.”

Dr. Seeley went down the hall and stopped at a closed door at the end and opened it, flipping on a light.

“Luke!”

Dr. Seeley turned his head just as a tall woman with wavy blond hair and dressed in a slinky black dress reached him. She put her arms over his shoulder and practically sucked the guys face off with the determination of a Hoover vacuum.

Hot. She was definitely hot. Henry wouldn’t mind if she sucked on his face a little bit, either.

Benny was still as a statue, the Popsicle gripped tightly in her hand as she watched the embrace, her own reaction momentarily unguarded. She looked devastated.

Man, she had it bad.

Before she could realize he’d witnessed the entire thing, he stepped back and returned to his seat.

Ordinarily, considering how much of a pain in the ass she’d been since he first laid eyes on her, he wouldn’t give any further consideration to her obvious pain. But after the way she had taken care of Ella and made the whole experience so painless for them both, he felt more gratitude for her. Could even feel some sympathy toward her plight.

She clearly had no idea how to interact with the doctor other than colliding with him.

It made her seem almost…vulnerable. It couldn’t be easy being hopelessly in love with a guy who, from the tolerant albeit friendly smile he gave her, saw her in more of a brotherly fashion than anything else.

Maybe Henry could cut her a little slack after all.

/> …

Benny could hear the woman’s almost neighing laughter from where she was standing, even with the door closed. Could the woman be phonier? She’d bet those boobs were as real as the woman’s hair color.

Then, just as quickly as those thoughts came, Benny forced herself to stop and shook her head. She was being ridiculous and petty. The woman hadn’t done anything to her, and being catty—even only in her mind—wasn’t going to change the fact that Dr. Luke Seeley preferred his women pretty and polished and…not like Benny.

To make matters worse, she was standing there soaked with coffee, and she still had to go back inside the examination room and see that man.

She took a breath. The sooner she got in there and sent them on their way, the sooner she could leave and shower away her humiliation. “Sorry about the wait. Here you are, Ella.” She smiled and pulled the plastic off before handing her the Popsicle.

“You’re all wet,” Ella said matter-of-factly, sucking loudly on her treat and staring at Benny’s chest. She pulled her coat around herself more tightly.

“We should go, Ella,” Henry said. “Can you tell Dr. Sorensen thank you?”

Ella complied and, happy with her Popsicle, clambered off the table. Benny finally met Henry’s gaze, noting the odd look in his eyes, the slight twist of his mouth. “Thanks for the help, Dr. Sorensen. Have a good night.”

Was that pity she saw? Had he heard what had happened in the hall?

Any guilt she’d felt when she first saw him tonight, knowing that she’d just sent such a nasty complaint against him to the HOA with Kate’s help, evaporated. “You two have a nice evening,” she said stiffly, trying to convince herself that he couldn’t possibly have witnessed her humiliation with Luke. That would just be too much.

Henry, fortunately, had already grabbed his niece’s hand and was leading her out the door. “We’ll see you later, Dr. Sorensen.”

Out in the hall, she heard Ella ask her uncle what he meant by later, but she didn’t catch the answer. She continued to her office, intent on finishing up whatever paperwork was left so she could get out of here before she could cause more damage. Fortunately, Luke’s office was on the opposite end of the hall to hers, so she didn’t have to run the risk of hearing or seeing the two lovebirds again.


Tags: Ashlee Mallory The Sorensen Family Romance