She needed to keep her job so she could keep a roof over her head and send checks to her parents in De Smet. She’d make sure her younger siblings had a better childhood than she and Shyanne had had. Money was what her family needed. Not her presence, even though her mother begged her to visit all the time. A pang of pain hit her. She missed her twin sister and her family with every fiber of her being.
Only she couldn’t earn the money her family needed and take time off to visit them.
A shriek across the market shook her out of her dull reverie and she glanced to the source of the sound. A flurry of pink could be seen in the midst of the crush of locals and tourists.
The cloud of pink, in the form of a very puffy and frilly tutu, was attached to a golden-haired cherub on the shoulders of someone one could only assume was her father.
A pang of longing hit her and hit her hard.
Kids weren’t part of the plan. It was why she was single, but in that moment Virginia couldn’t remember for the life of her why.
Right, because I don’t want to have to worry about anyone else. I don’t want to lose any one else.
Another girl was pulling on the man’s arm and he turned around.
Virginia let out a gasp of shock to see a very familiar face peeking out from under the tutu. None other than the lone wolf Dr. Gavin Brice.
She hadn’t known he was married and with his vehement stance on where he’d rather be practicing medicine, Virginia would never have pegged him for a family man.
The pained expression on his face also confirmed her assumptions. Why hadn’t he mentioned his children before? Or the fact that he was married?
Virginia knew she shouldn’t get involved, that she should just turn the other way, but, dammit, Nikos would have her shrimp ready. She wasn’t going to change her plans just because it might avoid an awkward conversation.
No. She was going to stay on her present course.
Besides, curiosity was getting the better of her.
“Curiosity killed the cat!” Her mother’s voice nagged in her ear.
Shut up, Mom.
“Lily, I think we have everything we need.” Gavin’s voice was pleading.
“No way. You’re missing the key ingredient. Besides, you said we could go watch the sea lions after this.”
“Dr. Brice, what a surprise to find you here,” Virginia said, interrupting them.
Gavin’s eyes widened as he looked at her. His eldest daughter inched closer to him, her keen blue eyes probing her, picking out her weaknesses.
Virginia recognized the look because she’d done the same many a time when she’d been younger. Only Gavin’s daughter was giving the stare dressed in a ballet leotard and tutu. Virginia envied her, because ballet was something she’d always wanted to do as a little girl but her parents couldn’t afford it.
“Dr. Potter, what a surprise to see you here.”
“I always come to the market when I have a Saturday off.” Virginia grinned at the little cherub who was peeking out from the top of Gavin’s hair. The cherub had a very messy blonde bun on the top of her head, like whoever did her hair had no idea what they were doing. Virginia could feel her heart turning into a great big pile of goo, which was starting to coat the insides of her chest cavity like warm chocolate. “Are you going to introduce me to your daughters, Dr. Brice?”
The eldest snorted. “He’s our uncle, not our dad.”
Gavin nodded. “Yes, these are my nieces. This is Lily. Lily, this is Chief of Surgery at my hospital, Dr. Potter.”
Lily’s eyes widened, obviously impressed. She stuck out her hand; the nails were a garish color of red, sloppily painted on. Virginia took her hand and it was a bit sticky. In fact, both girls looked a bit of a mess. Just as Gavin appeared to be, which was so different from his put-together appearance at the hospital.
“Nice to meet you, Dr. Potter.”
“Likewise.”
“And this little one who’s latched herself to my brain, apparently, is Rose.” Gavin poked at the chubby cherub, but she wouldn’t release her death grip on her uncle.
Virginia smiled. “Nice to meet you, Rose.”
Rose didn’t utter a word, just continued to stare.
“Sorry, Rose doesn’t talk,” Gavin explained, and then sighed in exasperation.
“Shy?” Virginia asked.
“No,” Lily said, piping up. “She hasn’t talked since our mom died.”
Gavin wished Virginia hadn’t run into them. Mainly because he didn’t want any of his work colleagues to know about his private life. On the other hand, he was glad he had run into her and she didn’t even bat an eyelash after what Lily had blurted out. Not that he would’ve even recognized her from the polished businesswoman who graced the halls of Bayview Grace Hospital.
Her dark hair, usually pinned up and back away from her face, hung loose over her shoulders, framing her oval face perfectly.
Instead of a tight pencil skirt, crisp blouse and heels, she wore a bulky cardigan, jeans and ballet flats, but the rest, well, it suited her. He liked the relaxed, affable Virginia.
The cardigan he could do without. It hid too much of her curvy figure, which Gavin liked to admire on occasion, like when she wore those tight pencil skirts and high heels. Just thinking about that made his blood heat.
Get a hold of yourself, Gavin.
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Virginia said, and he could tell by the sincerity in her voice she really meant it. It wasn’t one of those polite obligatory outpourings of grief. Virginia meant it.
Lily was growing bored with the conversation and was gazing around the teeming market. Rose had released her death grip on Gavin’s head and was wiggling to get down off her perch to join her sister.
“Thanks,” Gavin said, depositing Rose down on the ground beside Lily. He breathed a sigh of relief and stretched his neck.
“Well, I’d better go. I’m going to pick up some shrimp and head back to my apartment.”
“That’s what we need, Uncle Gavin. Shrimp,” Lily piped up.
“Shrimp? I thought it was clams?” he asked.
Lily rolled her eyes impatiently. “Mom always added shrimp to her clam chowder.”
Virginia chuckled. “Sounds like quite an undertaking.”
Gavin lifted the cooler he was holding with his one arm. “This clam chowder is becoming more and more complicated.”
“So it seems.” Virginia smiled and warmth spread through his chest. He
