A Perfect Homecoming

“I wanted to apologize again for interfering last night. For asking Ashleigh to leave.”

“I understand why you did it.”

“You do?” He snapped his bag shut and met her eyes.

Her smile was devious. “She scares you.”

Kyle laughed at the idea. “That’s crazy.”

As crazy as Paula’s mood swings. One minute she was angry, the next sweet. Treating him as if he was the enemy was quickly followed by acting like his therapist. Who knew where her hormones would lead next. Not that he was about to verbalize his thoughts.

“Is it crazy?” She quirked an eyebrow exactly like her sister.

“Of course it is. Why would I be afraid of Ashleigh?”

“Maybe because you’ve never stopped loving her and now you’re afraid with her in town that she’s going to figure it out?”

“That’s definitely crazy,” he repeated, but then he paused to consider the notion. “Maybe I still care about her, but that’s as far as it goes. We were involved for half our lives. Feelings don’t have switches, you know.”

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Maybe you’re afraid she doesn’t feel the same way about you?”

“That’s ridiculous.” This whole conversation was ridiculous.

Paula’s skepticism was written all over her face. “Whatever you say.” Her eyes danced. Whether at his discomfort or her absolute confidence that she was right, he didn’t know. Possibly both.

“No, not whatever I say,” he argued. “Ashleigh left. Period. She feels nothing for me and I’m definitely over her.”

Paula’s eyebrows rose.

“That’s the truth!” He didn’t know how to convince her. “Just because of that one ki—”

He shut his mouth when her eyes widened and her lower jaw dropped. So she didn’t know about the kiss. Damn.

Paula slowly closed her mouth and stared at him. “You two? You kissed? When? Last night? I can’t believe it. Then why did you tell her to go home?”

He inhaled slowly, not sure how much to admit. “Yes, last night, but it meant nothing.” At least nothing to Ashleigh.

“You idiot!” Paula slapped her hand on the blanket next to her.

“Hey!” He already knew he was an idiot. He didn’t need Paula reminding him. “Look, we’re divorced and we’ve both moved on. I’m even pretty sure she’s seeing someone.”

Paula scowled at him.

“You know you look like Mrs. Buffington when you make that face,” he told her, referring to the strictest teacher they’d all endured back in their elementary school days.

She glared at Kyle. “Stop trying to change the subject.”

He cleared his throat. “I need to get back to the hospital.”

She waved a hand at him. “Go ahead. Ignore the truth.”

“Did you ever think that maybe you’re wrong?”

She shook her head vigorously. “Nope.” She raised a finger. “Oh! And don’t forget to come back for dinner tonight.”

“I didn’t know I was invited.”

She narrowed her eyes. “It’s the least you owe me for the latest trouble you’ve caused between Ashleigh and me. You’ll be our buffer.”

Kyle considered it. “All right.” He turned to leave. “I’ll see you later then.” Over his shoulder, he added, “Behave yourself.”

“No fun in that!” she yelled with a laugh as he went out the front door shaking his head.

If only Paula weren’t so close to being right about so many things. Even when he and Ashleigh were in the middle of splitting up, it was Paula who kept telling him their divorce was too civil. No fighting, no screaming, no knock-down-drag-outs.

Not until their divorce became final and Ashleigh had run away had Kyle realized how right Paula had been. Maybe if he and Ashleigh had gotten out some of their anger two years ago, they wouldn’t be as combative now.

He started his truck and shoved the gearshift into Drive. Paula couldn’t be right. No way did he have feelings for Ashleigh after all this time. She’d practically crushed the life out of him when she left him to grieve alone for the babies they’d lost.

* * *

ASHLEIGH STEPPED OFF the elevator on the hospital’s fifth floor. Thanks to Cammie’s efficiency, Ashleigh already had temporary privileges at the hospital, enabling her to park in the staff parking lot.

She headed down the hall to the newborn nursery, her palms damp. According to Cammie, the patient she was here to see was male, born late yesterday afternoon, vaginal delivery with no complications. He was a few weeks premature, but his birth weight was five pounds, fifteen ounces, and his vitals were strong enough to keep him out of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

As much as she had braced herself, the sight of several healthy newborns swaddled in plaid blankets in their bassinets was staggering. She’d hoped most of them would be off in their mothers’ rooms, but the infants were having their vitals checked in the nursery.

She stopped a moment and took a deep breath to stave off her light-headedness before approaching the R.N. at the desk.

Ashleigh held out her badge, attached to a lanyard around her neck. “I’m Dr. Wilson.” She cleared her throat when she realized her words were barely audible. “I’m here to do a physical on Baby Boy—” She checked the paper Cammie had written the name on. “Baby Boy Stanton.”

The nurse retrieved the baby’s chart and motioned for Ashleigh to follow her to the patient. Ashleigh had difficulty concentrating on the update the R.N. was giving her as every tiny squeak and wail around her caused the vise on her heart to squeeze tighter.

She’d long ago accepted that she’d never have a child in this or any other newborn nursery. It wasn’t meant to be.

That didn’t make being in this atmosphere any less painful.

She pushed the ache aside and concentrated on the physical examination. The boy was a pretty newborn and she couldn’t say that about all of them. His skin was pink and clear, his hair was dark and there was quite a bit of it. He closed his hand around Ashleigh’s index finger and her cheek itched when a tear escaped.

She swiped it away angrily and gingerly turned the boy over onto his tummy. It had been too long since she’d examined a newborn and she wasn’t as adept as she used to be.

“He’s strong and healthy,” she told the nurse when she finished making notes in his chart. “Let me know if anything changes or if he has trouble passing the car seat assessment, although I don’t expect a problem.” The test entailed spending time in his car seat in the nursery while his vitals were monitored. If there was any sign of distress, he would be reevaluated. “Otherwise, I’m writing the order for discharge. He can go home when his mother does, as long as the infant visits my office within forty-eight hours to check his bilirubin.”

Ashleigh stepped over to the tiny office to record the physical report, which would be transcribed by someone in the medical records department. Then she hurriedly left the area and found the nearest ladies’ room. Her hands were shaking and her skin was pale and clammy.

This embarrassing emotional reaction to being around infants and children was exactly why she’d given up pediatric medicine.

* * *