Just One Night Together (Flatiron Five Fitness #3) - Deborah Cooke Page 0,89

do—and refused to offer what he couldn’t do.

“Trust you to cut to the chase,” Garrett said when he sat down opposite her. He met her gaze and she noticed that she was bracing herself for him to tell her something that wasn’t quite true. “I made a mistake marrying Krista and we both finally admitted it. The divorce will be final by the end of the month.”

“I’m sorry,” Haley said, because she thought she should.

“Me, too.” His brow furrowed with a concern that Haley knew made the hearts of his patients flutter. Hers did, as well, even though she knew better. “It’s hard for the kids.”

“How many do you have?”

“Two. Both boys. Five and one.”

Haley sipped her coffee, thinking that things couldn’t have been so bad if he and Krista had a one-year old child.

“What are you thinking?” Garrett asked.

“Sounds like part of the marriage was working just fine,” she said, because she had nothing to lose.

“Sex is the easy part.” Garrett shook his head. “The rest was always complicated. I wanted kids sooner and closer together but Krista is so ambitious...”

Haley felt strangely protective of his ex-wife, a woman she’d barely met. “I remember you being ambitious.”

Garrett’s smile flashed. “Point taken. But it’s hard for a marriage to work when both partners want to pursue their career their own way.”

Haley stared into her coffee, hearing what he didn’t say. Once, she would have let the matter slide, but she couldn’t keep herself from challenging him on it. “So, it was okay for one partner to do that, like you, but not okay for her to want to do the same?”

“That sounds like an accusation, Haley.”

She shrugged. “You’re both doctors. You had to know that you had a lot in common. It takes a lot of work and commitment to build a practice.”

“Maybe I wasn’t thinking straight,” Garrett admitted and Haley had the sense that he was annoyed with her. “The point is that Krista and I have parted ways because I made a mistake, and here you are, coming back to this very hospital, which gives me the chance to make things right.” He smiled at Haley and once again, she found herself explaining that her return wasn’t a done deal.

“I don’t know that I’m coming back to this hospital,” she said. “I haven’t been offered a job yet, and even if I am, I’m not sure it will be right for me.”

Garrett laughed. “Of course, it will be right for you. It’s tailor-made for you.”

Haley stared at him. “What does that mean?”

“Oh, don’t look so surprised,” Garrett said with a smile. “I told you years ago that you have to make your own luck.”

“But how?”

“I’m on the advisory council. Your mom has mentioned your interest over the years, so when the idea was proposed, I was behind it. It’ll be a great addition to our services. All it will take now is a quiet word or two in the right ears, because you are the ideal candidate, and you’ll be back in town.” He sipped his coffee, completely convinced that everything would fall into place as he intended. Haley stared at him in surprise. “You must want to be close to your family again. Your mom will be glad to have you nearby, especially when you have family.”

“Family?”

“Sure. I don’t mind having more kids.”

Haley was suddenly very glad that she hadn’t married Garrett. He was confident that she would do what he wanted, just because he wanted it. He didn’t even realize that she might want something else.

Or if he did, he didn’t think her opinion was relevant.

Damon was right. She should never have held this man up as an ideal of masculinity.

Brad didn’t like him. Haley would bet that her dad wouldn’t have liked him either. She already knew that Damon didn’t think much of him.

Garrett smiled at her, but this time, his charm missed the mark. “Want to go for dinner tonight? We can catch up, lay some new groundwork for the future.”

Haley put down her coffee hard. “No, but thanks for asking.”

“You think it’s too soon.” He frowned a little then leaned closer, intent on persuading her. “People are going to talk anyway. That’s how it is.”

“No, my answer has nothing to do with your divorce, or even, with you.”

Garrett was startled to silence.

“I’m going to spend tonight with my family, before I go back to New York.”

“But...”

“Would you do me one favor, Garrett?”

“Sure, anything!”

“Please save yourself the trouble of making those suggestions in the