The patient knew it and wanted to risk it. I told him that even before you and I left together.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No. I didn’t. I thought there might be other, less risky options at this point.”
“You’re a good physician, Allen. Your patients are lucky to have you.”
She saw the pain in his eyes, even though he wouldn’t admit it. Every loss hurt him; she knew that on a core level. He hadn’t become a physician for prestige or money or anything like that—he’d become a physician to help his patients.
All of her original impressions of him had been wrong—other than the one about him having to know his way around the bedroom—he wasn’t like Logan Lanning or her father at all.
He was more like Rafe and Caine, Jake, and Turner where it counted.
She slipped her arms around his waist. Izzie leaned up and kissed him. Wanting to comfort.
To be there because he needed her.
93
Izzie had spent the rest of her night off in his bed. Neither had gotten much sleep. She’d made a point of going home before he headed in for his own shift. He’d wanted her to stay, the rest of the day and until she had to go in the next night. He’d wanted to her drive her himself.
She’d declined his offer.
Izzie hated the idea of being the center of gossip. A leftover from the stories she’d told him about how she had been mocked as a child.
He understood her reasoning for it—he was still being paired up with various women in the hospital grapevine, even if he hadn’t ever spoken to the women in question.
He wanted to shout as loudly as he could that the only woman he wanted to be gossiped about with was Izadora MacNamara. For the rest of his life.
How to get that through to her was most likely going to be the biggest challenge of his life.
He had a dozen meetings throughout the day, ending with one with Rafe when both should have been home preparing for bed.
Fifteen minutes later, he was making his opinion clear. “No. I won’t have him here.”
“We don’t have much choice. The board has already voted, and Carrington is pushing for it. All of this was decided while you were otherwise occupied.”
Allen leaned forward. “There’s something you don’t know.”
Rafe looked at him. “What?”
“He’s Izzie’s father.” Rafe let out a string of swear words Allen had to admire. “The last thing I want is him anywhere near my department. Near this hospital. Or her.”
“That’s going to be a problem for her?” Rafe asked. “Because I know you can handle it. But she’s been through enough. I’d hate FCGH to lose her.”
“It’ll be a problem for her. He abandoned her, Rafe. Now she thinks every male physician is exactly the same.”
“You’re going to have to show her that you’re different.”
“Having him in her face—that’s going to be a massive reminder of everything she fears will happen with me.”
“They never said the road to true love was easy. Sometimes…sometimes, you have to leap out a window while the building around you burns.”
“Thanks for the advice.”
“Anytime.”
“We stuck with him?”
“It looks that way.” Rafe sent him a cold smile. “Until our favorite little owner of the hospital manages to run him off as soon as she possibly can. Which is exactly what I am counting on.”
Allen nodded as that sank in. Nikkie Jean wasn’t going to be too happy about this. Not at all. “It’s going to be a little crazy around here for a while. I’ll…tell Izzie myself. See what she wants to do. Their paths never have to cross. I’m prepared to make sure that never happens.”
“When is it never not crazy around FCGH?”
“No kidding. I’m going to go find her myself.”
“Good luck. I think you’re going to need it.” Rafe hesitated a moment. “That position as assistant COM? I mean it. Fin doesn’t want it—and I want you to fill it. I’m not offering it to anyone else any time soon.”
He nodded. He’d deal with his career later. Now…his focus was entirely on the woman he wanted to be his world.
94
Allen caught her just as she stepped out of the rear entrance to the break room.
“I get off in about fifteen,” she said softly. She looked a little shaky. Allen wanted to wrap her in his arms and hold her. “What’s going on?”
“We need to talk. I just finished with Rafe and the board.”
She’d heard from the grapevine that he and Rafe and Fin and Nikkie Jean had been