Chapter 22

22

She was smiling at a child patient when Doug came around the corner. He had always loved watching her with children. She was just so good with them. That was one of the traits he felt was most important in the woman he made the mother of his children someday.

He had it all planned.

Doug imagined they would have their first child sometime in the next two or three years. Then a few years after that, their last. She was so small, and he was a larger man. Pregnancy could be hard on a woman’s body.

He’d heard her say before that she wanted four or five kids of her own someday. He would make her see that that was foolish when the time came. He would never do that to her. Absolutely no more than two.

She was going to be a beautiful mother someday.

He was greatly looking forward to seeing her holding his sons in her arms.

She would retire and stay home with them. He liked the idea of that. Of providing everything she needed for her. She deserved to be taken care of just like that.

The pale purple scrubs she wore made her eyes look almost luminescent. There were cartoon flowers printed on the top.

He wondered what type of flowers she liked best. He’d buy her them every week. Doug just wanted that woman more than he had ever wanted another.

He couldn’t give up. He just couldn’t.

Doug straightened his spine and stepped toward her. “Genesis.”

He loved her name. Loved how it rolled off the tongue.

“Dr. Hodges.” She looked up at him as the child and her mother left. Then it was just Doug and her. “Your patient in C was asking for an update.”

He bit back the annoyance. The patient in exam C was a chronic hypochondriac who could do himself a world of good if he quit the smoking. “After your shift ends, will you allow me to take you to grab something to eat?”

She shook her head. “Look, Dr. Hodges, I’m…not interested in dating you. I am just not. Especially after what happened that night with Dr. Michaels.”

“I didn’t know Justin was going to follow Dr. Fisher home.” Justin Michaels was his friend, yes, but the idiot shouldn’t have followed them home. He’d told Justin that to his face. Justin hadn’t appreciated that at all. They still weren’t speaking to one another. Doug wouldn’t have given a damn what Justin did to Dr. Fisher, except… Genesis had been with her. Justin had been a bit too drunk; the man had probably frightened her. “I didn’t know he would do that, or would frighten you like that.”

“I’m just not interested in dating you.”

“How long are you going to play this game?” Doug took a deep breath. Told himself to keep control. He didn’t want to frighten her away.

Genesis was skittish, like a little mouse at times. He knew that. Knew she had to be…courted. She was an old-fashioned girl. That required respect and time. But enough was enough. She knew what he wanted, knew what he could offer. She had to stop toying with him this way.

She stiffened. “What game? I’m not playing a game. I am only interested in dating a man I can trust. Can depend on.”

“I can be that man.” He wrapped his fingers around her small elbow. She had the softest skin. Her eyes, big and hazel, stared up at him.

She pulled back a little. “I don’t want you to be that man. I don’t know how much blunter I can be about it. When I do…get involved… with a man, it’ll be one who listens to what I have to say.”

She tried to pull away.

Doug wasn’t letting go. “You need to stop playing with me.”

“Let me go. Right now. Or I’m reporting you to HR for harassment.” She pulled back again. Her eyes were big and wide and frightened. Of him. “I’m serious.”

“Genny? Are you okay?”

Doug swore and turned. Of course. Of course, it would be her.

That stupid airhead bitch was right there, butting her nose in. Again.

But her interruption put what he was doing into perspective. He let go of Genny’s arm. He couldn’t lose his temper with her. She’d run for the hills if he did.

“Dr. Hodges doesn’t seem to understand that I’m not interested in dating him.” Genny shot a glare at him.

Doug felt temper hit his cheeks. He had never liked it when a woman rejected him like this. “Why? Are you involved with someone else? Someone here at the hospital?”

“That is none of your business. If I am, that’s between me and him. Not you.” There was a bite in her tone that she had never used with him before. One that just caused the fire of anger to burn even more. That Dr. Fisher was watching… “What I do is up to me. I am not going to date you, now or ever.”

His mind was running over the possibilities. The men he had seen near her in the last few weeks, discounting her brother. But that redheaded bastard had been seen with Genny far too many times lately. When he hadn’t been before. “It’s that bastard Chad Fields, isn’t it? You won’t go out with me because you’re the next on his damned list of conquests. Don’t you have more self-respect than that?”

“Genny, come on. We’re going downstairs,” Dr. Fisher said. She stepped between Doug and Genny. It took every bit of reserve Doug had not to just knock that bitch right out of the way and just take Genny away. One good slap would put that whore Dr. Aubrey Fisher in her place.

Oh, he wanted to be the man who taught her a lesson in that moment.

Genny was the woman he wanted, and he was going to have her. Before Fields had a chance to make her soiled goods.

He doubted Genny was a virgin. Not at her age, and looking the way she did. But the idea that she was willingly signing on to just be another number in Chad Fields’s bed…disgusted him. “Don’t you have more morals than to get involved with that sleazebag?”

“I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer.”

“He’s a walking advertisement for an STD. He uses women. I thought you were smarter than that.” Fields. Of course, it would be Fields. The one man in this hospital that Doug hated. Despised.

Now Fields was taking Genny away from him.

“What I choose to do in my private life, and with whom I do it, is none of your damned business. That doesn’t make me a slut, you judgmental jackass.”

“Genny, let’s get out of here.” Dr. Fisher shot Doug a look of censure. “I’m a hairsbreadth away from reporting you myself. I suggest you take the rest of the shift to cool off. Get out of here. Now.”

Doug still had two hours on his shift to go. He tried to protest. Dr. Fisher put herself right between him and Genny. “Go. Now. Or have you forgotten that I am in charge of this emergency department? Clock out now. Or don’t bother coming back here again.”

Doug bit back what he wanted to say. But she was right about one thing. As long as she was the head of the ED, he had to do what the damned bitch said. Especially as long as Alvaro was in her pocket.

But this wasn’t something he was ever going to forget.

Or forgive.