gone out with women for brief periods of fun, he’d felt that spark of interest when meeting someone new. It was one of the reasons he always made his no-strings intent clear up front. He’d always assumed commitment wasn’t a part of his genetic DNA makeup.
Now he found he was only interested in one woman.
Kylie.
CHAPTER NINE
PATIENTLY waiting to hear news from the OR about Ben wasn’t easy for Kylie. It was impossible to sit quietly, reading or working, when she had no idea how her son was doing. And since going to the gym or for a run to burn off her excess energy wasn’t possible, she paced the small floor of Ben’s hospital room instead.
Finally Dr. Greenley came up to see her, dressed in his OR scrubs, face mask dangling around his neck. “Kylie? Ben’s surgery is finished. He’s in the post-anesthesia care area now. As soon as he wakes up a bit more, the nurses there will bring him back up here to his room.”
“He’s okay?” she asked, coming to a halt in front of him, twisting her hands nervously. “The surgery went well?”
“The surgery went fine,” he assured her with a gentle smile. “He remained very stable throughout the procedure. Of course, we’ll want him to rest his left eye for a few days, so we won’t know how well his vision has returned for some time yet. But I’m very optimistic he’ll make a full recovery.”
Optimism was good, right? The tightness in her chest eased as she returned a weary smile. “I’m so glad to hear that, Dr. Greenley.”
A flash of awareness brightened his eyes. “Please, call me Geoff.”
“All right—Geoff.” Using his name didn’t come naturally, since she tended to keep things professional, but she’d noticed most of the hospital staff called the doctors by name, as if they were all on friendly terms. She’d learned to call Seth by his first name, hadn’t she? “I must admit keeping Ben quiet for the next few days is probably going to be my greatest challenge.”
Geoff chuckled. “You could be right. I can tell Ben’s activity level is high enough to keep you on your toes.”
That was putting it mildly, although she honestly didn’t mind. “Very true. Seriously, though, how quiet does he need to be? Can he watch movies and TV?”
“Absolutely. Just keep him from running around or playing any types of sports for a few days.”
She stifled a sigh, knowing from experience it wouldn’t be easy—especially once Ben was feeling better. “All right.”
“I’d like to keep him in the hospital one more night,” Geoff said. “But if all goes well you can take him home in the morning. I’ll see him in my office after the third day, so we can take the patch off and test his vision.”
She nodded, appreciating his cautious approach. “Sounds good.”
He took one step toward the door, as if to leave, then hesitated and turned back. “Kylie, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”
She mentally braced herself, assuming Geoff wanted to know about Ben’s father, as most people did. She forced a smile. “No, of course I don’t mind.”
“Are you seeing anyone? Like in a relationship?” His tone was low, hesitant, as if it wasn’t easy for him to ask.
Surprised, she simply stared at him for a moment, even as Seth’s image flickered in her mind. She understood how Geoff might assume she and Seth were a couple, the way they’d been together in the emergency room yesterday. But a few brief kisses didn’t mean much to a guy like Seth.
Amazing how two attractive men had asked her out in the past two weeks. A part of her was honored, but, seeing as she’d never considered Ben’s ophthalmologist as a potential date, she wasn’t sure how to respond. “No, I’m not seeing anyone. But I’ve been very busy, between getting settled in our new home, my new job responsibilities and raising Ben.” She lifted her shoulder in a slight shrug. “To be honest, I really don’t have time to dedicate to a relationship.”
“I see.” His self-deprecating smile told her he understood her subtle message that she wasn’t interested, at least not right now. “Once things settle down, and if you do find some time on your hands, give me a call, okay?”
“Sure,” she agreed, feeling a tiny wave of relief that he’d taken her rejection so well. He was a good-looking guy, and certainly nice enough, but for some reason she couldn’t imagine going out with him. “Thank