Lone Star Baby

Gavin and Violet exchanged looks. “I’ll be here,” Violet said.

To her surprise Gavin said gruffly, “So will I.”

Bridgette nodded, accepting the news with the same equanimity she accepted the infant. Bridgette looked at her big brother. “Would you mind hanging around for a moment? I really need to talk to you about Nicholas. And, Violet, if you’ve got a moment, I’d like your opinion, too.”

* * *

AS SOON AS Ava was settled, Bridgette told her coworkers she was taking her break.

The three of them headed for the staff lounge, which was blissfully empty. Although not sure what she might have to contribute in what seemed to be a Monroe family matter, Violet was glad to be of assistance in any way that she could.

Violet and Gavin both got coffee, while Bridgette grabbed a bottle of water. “Nicholas rented a car and went back to Austin this morning,” she said.

“That’s good,” Gavin said.

Bridgette took a seat on the sofa. Violet settled opposite her, and Gavin sank down beside her, close enough she was aware of his steady male presence but not close enough to be touching.

His sister looked worried. “I’m not so sure. He hasn’t been the same since the accident.”

Gavin’s brow furrowed. “Medically?”

“Emotionally,” Bridgette corrected. “Swerving to avoid running over that deer changed him. He said he saw his life flash before his eyes. And he didn’t like what he saw. So far, anyway.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Gavin chided.

“I don’t know. But I have this uneasy sense that he’s planning something.” Bridgette turned to Violet. “You have a lot of experience with young adult patients coming close to the brink, then recovering and trying to resume a normal life. Does that seem like a common reaction to you?”

Reluctantly, Violet admitted, “If something’s brewing in a person, yes, it usually erupts under the stress.” As it had with Sterling.

Gavin turned to her, his shoulder nudging hers in the process. “What should we do?”

What I didn’t, Violet thought before she answered.

“Listen to whatever your brother has to say. And take Nicholas seriously—even if it seems like he’s coming out of left field.”

Gavin promised Bridgette, “I’ll give him a call later this evening...see if he’ll tell me what’s on his mind.”

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it,” Bridgette said, standing.

The three of them said goodbye and Bridgette went back to work. Gavin and Violet left the staff lounge.

“So what now?” Gavin said as they walked toward the elevator.

Violet hated to admit just how at loose ends she was. After five years of residency, never having a moment to spare, this barely working at all would get old fast. Even if she was still trying to figure out what the next phase of her life held.

She punched the down button. “As far as work goes, I’m still waiting on the results of Carlson Willoughby’s tests, but otherwise I’m not on call today so—” Violet’s phone vibrated.

When she looked at the screen, there was an email from her sister. Reading it quickly, Violet groaned.

“Problem?” Gavin asked, rocking forward on his toes and hooking his thumbs through the denim loops on either side of his fly.

The elevator arrived and the door opened. It was a little crowded, so they had no choice but to squeeze together to avoid stepping on other passengers.

The warmth of his body sent a new flood of desire through her. “Poppy is going to set me up with a movable wardrobe system, but I’m going to have to drive to a store in San Angelo to pick up the components.”

The elevator opened up on the lobby. “Will you be able to fit it all in your SUV?”

Violet hesitated, unsure.

Gavin gestured gallantly. “My truck is available. As am I.”

Was he hitting on her? Or just being helpful? Hard to tell. “You’d really want to do that on your day off?”

His grin widened. “Sure. If you buy me lunch first.”

She couldn’t help it. She laughed. “I take it you have a place in mind.”

He fell into step beside her as they headed outside into the gloomy autumn day. “I do.”

To ensure they would be able to cart everything back to Laramie, they drove separately and ended up at a popular Mexican restaurant in San Angelo. Violet ordered the enchiladas supreme and he followed suit.

“I didn’t know you were a fan of enchiladas,” she teased as they dug in to their combination plate of chicken, cheese, beef and bean enchiladas, accompanied by a side of Mexican rice.

“I’m trying to expand my horizons.”

“Away from steak fajitas?” Which, she knew, from attending the same hospital staff luncheons for the past five years, happened to be his favorite. Not that she had been noticing or anything.

“In a lot of ways.”

His expression was both deadpan and mysterious. So why was she thinking about kissing him again? And why was he suddenly looking a tad uncomfortable, too?

“So, about those questionnaires we filled out last night...” He swallowed and took a long thirsty drink of iced tea. “Do you really think the age cutoff for applicants should be thirty-five instead of forty?”

Back to Ava and their joint responsibility, which was where their attention should be. Violet met his eyes, her mood suddenly introspective. “You think twenty-five to thirty-five is too narrow a range for prospective parents?”

“I don’t want to go any younger, but I don’t think it would hurt to go a little older. There’s something to be said for maturity.”

She nodded tensely.

His blue gaze roved her face. “You don’t look happy.”

Her appetite fading, Violet put her fork down. “It’s a big decision.”

“We’ll find the right family,” Gavin promised as an intimate silence descended between them.

“You sound so sure.”

He quirked a brow. “You doubt that?”