Her Doctor Daddy Read online

  Donna Rice hung up the phone and leaned back in the swivel chair. “You’re in luck, Lexi. So far, it’s starting out as a quiet night, but that can change at any moment. Joanne will give you a tour of the place, and then she’ll go over a few things.”

  From the brief time they spent together, Joanne made it clear that most of the current ER staff had been on the job for quite a few years. When they returned to the front desk, she rolled out a padded swivel chair.

  “Unfortunately, your job doesn’t come with an instruction manual to study, and our last secretary didn’t stick around to train you. So, you’ll have to jump in with both feet and learn as you go.”

  Lexi immediately began to think that maybe she’d gotten herself in over her head, but nevertheless, she sat down at the desk and tried to digest what was in front of her. There were a number of beige phones with six pushbutton lines, a directory, and lists of department phone numbers hanging from the counter. She stared at the long line of cubbyholes that had been stuffed with different labeled files of every color in the rainbow, and a large stack of pharmacy order packets sat on the ledge that appeared to be in carbonless triplicate.

  Sensing her uneasiness, Joanne sat down next to her and spoke in a comforting tone. “Tonight, you’ll start slow by answering the phone, which will give you an opportunity to see how our staff works together. Because we sometimes need to move quickly in this department, there is a specific process for each task. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to speak up. Are you feeling okay?”

  “Uh-huh,” she mumbled, peering around. “Just a little overwhelmed, I guess.”

  “Honey, we haven’t even had an emergency tonight, yet.” But just as Joanne finished her sentence, the heavy double doors burst open and a set of EMTs hurriedly pushed an elderly man on a gurney past her desk.

  “Room One,” Donna Rice instructed in a firm voice before jumping up from her chair. Following right behind her was Dr. Brownell, who came running from the back office. Lexi could hear lively chatter from the room as the EMTs brought the doctor up to speed on the patient’s condition. From what she could determine, it seemed that the gentleman had suffered a heart attack. Dr. Brownell slid open the curtain as he began issuing orders to Donna, and Lexi sat there stunned, watching closely. The two EMTs left the small room, nodded her way, and rolled the empty gurney out the door. As they were leaving, a middle-aged woman wandered into the expansive space and headed toward her. “Where is my husband? Is he alright?”

  Luckily, Joanne heard her and came out of the curtained room. “The doctor is with him and as soon as he’s done, we’ll come and get you,” she said calmly, leading the woman back into the reception area. “In the meantime, we’ll need you to fill out a few forms.”

  As if on cue to add more drama, three phone lines began to ring at the same time, and Lexi attempted to answer every one of them. “Emergency Room, can you hold, please?”

  After answering each line, she pushed the specific button to put the individual caller on hold and remembered that the first call to come in was for Dr. Rodriquez. Proud of her newfound efficiency, she kept an eye on all the lights flashing before looking around for the doctor. Spotting the short, stocky man off to the side, she waved to get his attention.

  “Dr. Morales is holding on line one for you,” she stated in a professional voice. As he approached, Lexi ran to another phone to address the other calls and watched in horror as he began pressing each button that was lit up. “Dr. Rodriquez… Dr. Rodriquez… Dr. Rodriquez,” he called out, his voice echoing loud and clear.

  She stared in amazement as the buttons stopped flashing, knowing he’d disconnected each of the three lines. Finally, he lifted the handset in the air and asked in exasperation, “Can you get him back for me?”

  As Lexi quietly muttered to herself, Joanne chuckled. “He does that all the time. He’s brilliant, but just doesn’t have the patience for our phone system. You’ll get used to him—it’s one of his little quirks.”

  “Luckily, Dr. Morales identified himself. But I have no idea who the other callers were.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure they’ll call back. In the meantime, let me show you how to call for lab techs and x-ray…”

  Over the next several hours, a few more patients trickled in for various treatments. Fortunately, it wasn’t a busy night and the nurses were able to help her become acclimated to the job. By the end of the shift, she was getting a real feel for the process and figured if she could get through her first night without getting yelled at, she would consider it a success.

  Thinking back over the evening’s events, Lexi recalled a handsome guy dressed in a tight-fitted black T-shirt, peering through the thick glass double-door window. Once wouldn’t have been unusual, but it seemed to have happened several times. After being introduced to one of the security guards who worked the graveyard shift, she thought about mentioning it—but decided to keep that observation to herself. She didn’t want anyone to think the new girl was paranoid.

  By the time the nurses were giving their report to the incoming shift, Lexi made it a point to thank everyone for their kindness and patience. Just as she was about to leave, Donna approached her from behind. “I was watching you tonight,” she said in a whisper.

  Lexi stopped dead in her tracks and turned her head. “Really? Did I do okay?”

  She patted her on the back. “You’re going to fit in just fine, kid. See you tonight. And by the way, we’ll have a new set of doctors on staff. So, consider yourself warned.”

  “Thanks for the heads up, Donna.”

  Chapter Six

  Lexi was so tired by the time she opened the apartment door that she thought her eyes were playing tricks. The small kitchen table had been set for two, and her sister was reading the paper while drinking a cup of coffee.

  “Oh, my God, why aren’t you at work, Katie? Please tell me you didn’t get fired.”

  After folding the paper in half, she grinned and wiggled her fingers in the air. “Nope. I took the day off because Ronnie and I are going shopping for an engagement ring. Sit your butt down, and I’ll give you all the gory details!”

  Squeezing her eyes shut, Lexi threw her purse onto the couch. “Oh, my God, congratulations!” she squealed, running to give her sister a hug. “When did this happen?” she asked in disbelief, almost falling into the folding chair.

  “Ronnie’s been asking me to move in, but you just got here, kiddo, and I wanted you to get acclimated to our little beach town. Of course once he proposed, it was hard to say no…”

  “Jesus, Katie. The last thing I want is to be a burden to you. I think Dad always felt that way about us…”

  “Don’t ever talk like that. I’m thrilled that you’re here, and we’ll be living in the same complex. For God’s sake, I’ll only be a few doors away.”

  Lexi smiled on the outside as she swallowed hard, searching for her next words.

  “You weren’t lying to me about how much money you’re making, right?”

  “Of course not. I can afford this place and will get paid on time every week, just like you do.” Lexi paused for a minute. Staring into her sister’s eyes was sometimes like gazing in the mirror. “I know you’re four years older, and have always wanted your own family, but are you sure Ronnie is the right one? This seems so sudden,” she said, angling her head. “My God, you’re not pregnant, are you?”

  Katie rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Would I actually let history repeat itself? Is that what you’re really asking?”

  “Well, at least it made sense why Dad never wanted us. He thinks Mom trapped him by getting pregnant.”

  “This is supposed to be a celebratory breakfast. So, let’s try not to get all doomy and gloomy, okay?”

  Lexi picked up the box of Frosted Flakes cereal and poured some into the bowl. “Would the future Mrs. Antonelli please pass the milk?” she asked, winking at her sister.

  “Though I’d love to belabor the engagement chatter, wh
at do you think of Dr. Morales? The nurses that work with him say he’s gentle, but firm at the same time. In my opinion, I think the word dreamy just about sums him up. Are you going to join his little fan club?” she teased.

  With her mouth full of cereal, Lexi chewed thoughtfully. “He’s handsome and heavenly, but doesn’t every woman alive think so? He started his shift this morning by walking into an examining room, and I swear his patient started swooning.”

  “Every single nurse in that hospital would like to get her meat hooks into him. I hear he’s divorced, but pretty tight-lipped about his ex-wife. And though it seems completely acceptable for doctors and nurses to date each other in our hospital, he hasn’t asked anyone out. At least, not since I’ve been around.”

  Absentmindedly, Lexi licked the back of her spoon and sighed. “I’m surprised no one has scooped him up yet. He seems so gentle and kind compared to the other doctors in the ER.”

  “Trust me—plenty of women in the hospital have made passes at him, but to no avail. Geez, if I didn’t know better, I’d think my sister has a little crush on our head ER doctor. But don’t you think he’s a tad old for you? He’s got to be twice your age,” Katie teased, wagging her finger.

  Grinning from ear to ear, Lexi got up from her chair. “On that note, I think I’ll try to get some sleep.”

  “Sweet dreams, sistah! I know who will be starring in them,” Katie joked.

  Chapter Seven

  It was the end of her second week at work when Lexi clung to her pink embroidered hobo-style bag and started down the long paved driveway of the hospital. The last eight hours had been the liveliest she’d endured so far, and it made perfect sense why the graveyard shift she worked was so much busier on the weekends.

  With a tired look in her eyes, she peered over her shoulder and noticed that a car was slowly approaching. Since she wasn’t walking in the middle of the road, the driver certainly had enough room to pass her, but Lexi politely stepped further out of the way. Instead of passing her on the left, the small light blue car followed close behind. As she shielded her eyes from the sun, Lexi didn’t have a crystal clear view of the driver who wore large tinted glasses, but she was pretty sure it was a man behind the wheel. Keeping a distance of only about a car’s length, he continued to creep down the smooth pavement, and it soon became obvious that his goal was to frighten her. Peeking around the empty lot, she figured that the employees who worked the morning shift in the hospital had probably already punched in, and not a living, breathing soul was outside.

  Lexi’s heart began to gallop as her adrenaline kicked in. After briskly pivoting, she made a mad dash back up the driveway and headed straight for the automatic doors. Rushing into the emergency admitting area, she barreled head-on into a hard, muscular figure. Her vivid, sky blue eyes widened and finally came into focus as she saw who she’d run into.

  “Thank God you’re still here! Someone was following me out of the parking lot,” she cried, choking out the words.

  Dr. Morales’ hazel eyes were filled with concern as he placed his large palms on her shoulders. “Calm down, Lexi, and tell me what happened.”

  “A man drove his car down the driveway right behind me. I thought he wanted to pass, so I stepped aside.” Her hands were trembling and her voice started to crack. “But he just kept getting closer. I was afraid he was going to stop and pull me into the car.”

  His touch was warm and gentle as he led her to a chair. “You’re starting to hyperventilate, young lady. Take a deep breath in through your nose and blow it out slowly. I need to you calm down.”

  Lexi’s legs wobbled and her whole body began to shake as she attempted to sit in the orange vinyl padded chair. Dr. Morales lifted the fabric of his light blue pant scrubs and bent down to be at her eye level. “Take your time—I’m not going anywhere.”

  She drew in a deep, calming breath and was about to speak when Joanne Hurrell pushed through the double doors. “What happened?”

  “It seems that someone was trying to frighten Lexi in the parking lot. I’m going to take her into my office and call security. We can’t fool around with something like this.”

  “Would you be able to describe this person?” Joanne asked with keen interest.

  Lexi shook her head. “It was hard to see because the sun was so bright, but I could tell it was a man.”

  “Were you able to get a look at the car?” Dr. Morales inquired in a mellow, but concerned voice.

  She shrugged and her face reddened. “It was light blue… and I think it was a VW. I only saw the front of it.”

  “Do you want me to stay with you, honey?” Joanne asked, before checking the expression on the doctor’s face. “I can drive her home later.”

  “No, I’ll be okay,” Lexi continued, peering up into Dr. Morales’ warm, soothing eyes for assurance.

  “I’ll make sure she gets home safely. And I think she’s done walking to her apartment after work by herself. Come with me, Lexi. Let’s go into my office.”

  She nodded and walked with him down the hall. Though the doctor had a gentle way about him, it wasn’t the first time she’d noticed a firmness in his tone.

  * * *

  After security wrote down the information about what happened, Dr. Morales escorted both men to the door. “Maybe it would be a good idea for someone to be stationed outside the emergency entrance from now on.”

  “We’ve already started interviewing for a couple more guys to be on duty. With that lunatic out there, we all need to be on our toes,” Eddie Bozar agreed while nodding to the morning security guard, Jack Amick.

  “Thanks for your time, gentlemen.” Dr. Morales shook hands with each man and closed the door behind him before walking over to comfort Lexi, who was seated in a chair next to his desk.

  Covering her face with small fingers, she started to sob. “I should have paid more attention to details. You must think I’m an idiot.”

  “Look at me,” he said, kneeling in front of her.

  Lexi raised her face to his. She loved the how the edges around his eyes crinkled when he smiled.

  “You don’t need to apologize for anything. It’s hard to think when you’re frightened, but everything is going to be alright.”

  “What if that man who followed me down the driveway is the one who’s murdering young women?”

  Lexi figured Raul Morales was probably forty—at least twice her age. Searching his tanned handsome face for a reaction, she sensed something parental in his demeanor and wondered if he had children. As she watched him stretch his large hands, she made a point of checking his ring finger. The rumors were that he was divorced, but she still felt the need to witness the absence of a wedding band.

  “My gut tells me that this was a random creep just getting his kicks trying to scare someone. The only thing I’m interested in right now is that you get home safe and sound,” he said, his calm voice attempting to abate her fears. “And there will be no more walking home alone. If you don’t have a ride, I’ll drive you myself. Does your sister bring you to work in the evening?”

  “Yes, sir,” she said, amazed at her own words. The only place she’d heard that type of conservative response was on television.

  Dr. Morales certainly seemed pleased with her respect toward him, and she reveled in the fact that someone wanted to protect her. Lexi’s biological dad hadn’t exactly showered her with fatherly love, and it warmed her heart to see genuine concern in the doctor’s expression. The doctors in the emergency room worked long hours, and stories circulated about how egotistical they were, but he seemed different.

  She watched him rub a palm over his tired, bristly face. “You look exhausted, Lexi,” he said with a hint of weariness, stroking the back of his neck. “Since we had such a busy night—I’m wondering if you had a chance to eat anything?”

  “No, but the tray of bagels brought in by the morning shift looked mighty inviting. Do you think they’d mind if I grab one?”

  “Better yet, w
hy don’t we stop at IHOP for breakfast? And then I’ll make sure you get home safely.”

  Lexi smiled. “You won’t have to ask me twice.”

  Chapter Eight

  Dr. Morales and Lexi got comfortable in a corner booth of the restaurant as their waitress handed each of them a colorful laminated menu.

  “The breakfast specials are on the back. Do you want a minute to look them over?” the tall young woman asked, chewing a mouthful of bubblegum. “And coffee for both of you?”

  “Yes, thank you very much,” Raul answered in a quiet tone.

  Lexi put her menu down and fished through her purse, successfully locating a box of Kool Super Long cigarettes that had a pack of matches snugly stuffed under the cellophane. “Could you please pass me that ashtray over there?”

  His gentle, sweet face instantly morphed into a disapproving, stern one. “No, I will not.”

  “Excuse me?” she asked, defiantly moving upward to reach for the curved glass tray.

  “Sit back down and listen very carefully.”

  Pressing her lips together, she contritely sank into the booth and set the green and white labeled box on the table, waiting for the familiar you shouldn’t smoke lecture.

  “Those long white sticks are toxic, and as someone who is dedicated to saving lives, it goes against my grain to watch you inhale one. Are you not aware of the dangers?” he asked, tilting his head.

  “I don’t smoke all the time. Normally, I’ll have one with a cup of coffee in the morning, and a couple when I’m in a bar having a Tequila Sunrise on the weekend,” she defended, with a dramatic wink.

  His brow furrowed as he bent forward. “How old are you, Lexi?”