nodded. “If anyone shows up, promise me they won’t go down the street for a Happy Meal.”
“I’m terribly sorry about that misunderstanding, dear. The volunteer was new. We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“Assuming anyone actually shows up.”
“Someone already has. I made sure he knew the McDonald conference room was not a fast-food establishment.”
“Thanks, Sister.”
Rebecca’s curiosity spiked as she walked away from the desk. He? Her goal was to reach teenage girls and prevent situations like Amy Thorne’s. But it takes two to tango as the saying went and just because boys were anatomically incapable of carrying a baby didn’t mean they shouldn’t understand their responsibilities in preventing conception. Unfortunately, she’d found that an abundance of testosterone limited a boy’s ability to think with his head, and they didn’t normally seek out information voluntarily. So a he at her workshop was a major surprise.
She pulled open the heavy conference room door and walked past the chairs in the reception area. The McDonald conference room was divided into two smaller areas that could be combined into one large room if turnout warranted. Based on past results, she had no illusions it would be warranted for her.
When she rounded the corner into the tiny room and saw who her “he” was, she wanted to walk out again.
“Gabe,” she said, hoping he’d chalk up her breathless tone to hurrying into the room. It was, in fact, on account of her heart beating too fast, something quickly becoming a habit when she saw him.
He was resting a hip against one of the long tables in front of a dry erase board. “Rebecca.”
“How nice to see you again. It seems like only yesterday.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “It was yesterday.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I work here.”
She wasn’t born yesterday. “Really? Patient facilitator? As in facilitate them right back to Texas?”
“You have quite the sarcastic streak. Did they teach you that in medical school?” he asked.
“No. It’s a gift.” She readjusted her stethoscope, then folded her arms over her chest.
“Nice accessorizing.”
“I like it.” Unlike you, she thought uncharitably. “Seriously, why are you here?”
“To talk to you.”
“How did you know I’d be here?” she asked.
“Like I said, I work here.”
She was in and out of this hospital all hours of the day and night, and she had never seen him until two days ago in her office. “Doing what here exactly?”
“My company was retained to do the hospital expansion project.”
With great difficulty Rebecca resisted the urge to smack herself in the forehead. She knew Mercy Medical was adding four patient floors to their existing facility in order to accommodate the explosive population growth in the Las Vegas Valley. She’d seen the evidence of construction—a portable trailer and signs around the hospital that said T&O Enterprises, but she hadn’t connected the dots. For a smart woman she was d-u-m-b.
“I see,” she said.
“Because of that, I’m in and out of the hospital. There are flyers everywhere publicizing community outreach programs—yours included. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try again to get you on my side.”
“And what if I didn’t have time to do this with you again?”
He looked around the still-empty room, then met her gaze, a knowing glint in his own. “Yeah. I can see where that’s a problem. What with the line out the door waiting to get in and hear Dr. Rebecca Hamilton’s words of wisdom.”
“I see someone else has a sarcastic streak.”
“Imagine that. Common ground. It’s a beginning,” he said.
A beginning was the last thing she wanted. And when he graced her with a grin that made her heart palpitate, the wisdom of her instincts was confirmed. Her knees actually went weak and she felt giddy as a schoolgirl. She’d never felt giddy when she was a schoolgirl. She didn’t want to talk to him again.
“My answer is still the same, Gabe. You’re wasting your time.”
“It’s my time to waste and I don’t think I am,” he added. “Because, I have to tell you, it worried me when you let it slip that Amy is at risk.”
She could understand that. “Amy can tell you what you want to know.”
“I tried. She won’t say anything.”
“Do you have any idea why?”
“Not a clue.” He met her gaze, and his own was full of flirtatious charm. “So you’re not going to give me any information?”
“Nothing’s changed. I can’t. But I have a question for you.”
“Okay. Shoot.” He folded his arms over his chest and gave her his full attention.
All that attention made it hard to draw in a deep breath. Rebecca took a step back hoping a little distance would take the edge off her reaction to him. “Maybe the baby’s father can get through to her. Did she ever mention him?”
“Not to me. But then we never talked much.” He shook his head. “And since I moved here, well, let’s just say nothing’s changed. I haven’t been in touch with the family as much as I should have been, I guess.” He shrugged, but the movement was more uncomfortable than cavalier. “I’ve been busy.”
Doing what? she wondered, when he frowned the mother of all frowns, and the bleakest expression she’d ever seen settled in his blue eyes. Was it possible he really was worried? That brief vulnerability was the only reason she asked, “What’s kept you too busy to keep in touch with home?”
“Opening a branch office of the company here in Las Vegas. It kept me too busy to think—”
“About what?” she asked.
“Nothing. Never mind.” He met her gaze, but his own held lingering traces of sadness. “The building industry here in the valley is booming. A successful, multimillion-dollar company doesn’t get that way by ignoring opportunities.”
She stared at him. Cocky she understood, which was the effect he was going for. Arrogant she could deal with, although he hadn’t quite gone there. Flirtation she was on guard against, because he was too good-looking for her not to be. But vulnerable? She didn’t know what to do with that.
“I didn’t mean to pry. And the past doesn’t matter. What’s important now is building a relationship with your sister. Get her to open up about what happened—”
