mystery.
Her mother led her into the kitchen, seemingly oblivious to the tension that always permeated the room whenever Rebecca and her father were together. “How is she ever going to give us grandbabies if she’s working all the time?”
“Grandbabies require a husband, Camille.”
“Exactly and how is she to find one with her hours?”
Why did they always speak of her as if she wasn’t standing right next to them? Perhaps the better question was; what was with the sudden talk of grandchildren? “What’s going on?”
“The hospital is full of suitable candidates; all she needs to do is open her eyes. Who knows, there might be one standing right in front of her this whole time.” Oh, shit, she knew where this was headed. “A surgeon, like her father.”
“Tell me you didn’t.”
“Didn’t what, dear?” her mother asked.
The doorbell solidified Rebecca’s suspicions. Her throat went tight as a combination of anger and disappointment surged. She turned to her father. “Really? That’s what was so important?”
He didn’t even blink. “Get the door, would you, Rebecca?”
She headed for the front door and pulled it open. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m sorry?” the man on the step asked.
“Nathan.” Her father spoke from just behind her. “So glad you could make it.”
Rebecca stared at the man with the sandy brown hair and hazel eyes who looked like he’d just stepped off the pages of Gentleman’s Quarterly . Dr. Nathan Connelly, chief trauma surgeon at her hospital and her father’s obvious choice to sire his grandchildren.
She’d been set up.
“Rebecca, how are you?” Nathan placed a hand on her shoulder and bent at the waist. “It’s good to see you outside of the hospital.”
She tipped her head so his lips brushed her cheek. “Fine. Thank you.”
“Do come in, Nathan,” her father continued. “We were just sitting down to supper.”
Her mother came out of the kitchen and embraced their guest. “Nathan, welcome.”
“We were talking about Rebecca returning to school. Becoming a surgeon like she’s always wanted.”
It wasn’t her dream to become a surgeon, but his dream for her. One he was never shy about vocalizing.
Nathan turned away from her father. A smile blossomed. “You’re going back to school?”
“No, I’m not.”
A frown tugged at her father’s mouth. “You’ve had your fun, Rebecca Jane. It’s time to get serious about your life.”
“My fun?”
“In emergency medicine. It’s time to do more, become more.”
Now probably wasn’t the time to tell him she was thinking about quitting medicine altogether. “Why don’t you tell Nathan the truth, Dad?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“No?” Rebecca looked back to Nathan. “We weren’t talking about schooling, we were talking about grandbabies. Specifically, who was going to father them.”
“Rebecca Jane,” her father warned.
The whole evening was a setup, starting with the talk of grandchildren. Was there any aspect of her life her father didn’t feel the need to interfere with?
“Congratulations, Nathan. By your invite, I’m guessing you are Dad’s choice for the job.”
Her father’s jaw tightened. A vein in his temple bulged. “Where are your manners, young lady?”
God, she was tired of this. Tired of never being good enough, never measuring up to what he expected of her. “Mother, I’m sorry, I…can’t do this tonight.”
Her mother’s hands were clenched together so tightly her knuckles were white. “Rebecca—”
“I really need to get some rest before my next shift at the hospital.”
Her mother closed her eyes, shook her head, then opened them again. Her father’s frown deepened.
Nathan gently grasped her elbow. “I’ll walk you out.” Neither spoke until they reached her car, where she stopped and pressed her fingers against her burning eyes. “I’m sorry, Rebecca,” he said, breaking the silence. “I assumed you knew I
Her mother led her into the kitchen, seemingly oblivious to the tension that always permeated the room whenever Rebecca and her father were together. “How is she ever going to give us grandbabies if she’s working all the time?”
“Grandbabies require a husband, Camille.”
“Exactly and how is she to find one with her hours?”
Why did they always speak of her as if she wasn’t standing right next to them? Perhaps the better question was; what was with the sudden talk of grandchildren? “What’s going on?”
“The hospital is full of suitable candidates; all she needs to do is open her eyes. Who knows, there might be one standing right in front of her this whole time.” Oh, shit, she knew where this was headed. “A surgeon, like her father.”
“Tell me you didn’t.”
“Didn’t what, dear?” her mother asked.
The doorbell solidified Rebecca’s suspicions. Her throat went tight as a combination of anger and disappointment surged. She turned to her father. “Really? That’s what was so important?”
He didn’t even blink. “Get the door, would you, Rebecca?”
She headed for the front door and pulled it open. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m sorry?” the man on the step asked.
“Nathan.” Her father spoke from just behind her. “So glad you could make it.”
Rebecca stared at the man with the sandy brown hair and hazel eyes who looked like he’d just stepped off the pages of Gentleman’s Quarterly . Dr. Nathan Connelly, chief trauma surgeon at her hospital and her father’s obvious choice to sire his grandchildren.
She’d been set up.
“Rebecca, how are you?” Nathan placed a hand on her shoulder and bent at the waist. “It’s good to see you outside of the hospital.”
She tipped her head so his lips brushed her cheek. “Fine. Thank you.”
“Do come in, Nathan,” her father continued. “We were just sitting down to supper.”
Her mother came out of the kitchen and embraced their guest. “Nathan, welcome.”
“We were talking about Rebecca returning to school. Becoming a surgeon like she’s always wanted.”
It wasn’t her dream to become a surgeon, but his dream for her. One he was never shy about vocalizing.
Nathan turned away from her father. A smile blossomed. “You’re going back to school?”
“No, I’m not.”
A frown tugged at her father’s mouth. “You’ve had your fun, Rebecca Jane. It’s time to get serious about your life.”
“My fun?”
“In emergency medicine. It’s time to do more, become more.”
Now probably wasn’t the time to tell him she was thinking about quitting medicine altogether. “Why don’t you tell Nathan the truth, Dad?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“No?” Rebecca looked back to Nathan. “We weren’t talking about schooling, we were talking about grandbabies. Specifically, who was going to father them.”
“Rebecca Jane,” her father warned.
The whole evening was a setup, starting with the talk of grandchildren. Was there any aspect of her life her father didn’t feel the need to interfere with?
“Congratulations, Nathan. By your invite, I’m guessing you are Dad’s choice for the job.”
Her father’s jaw tightened. A vein in his temple bulged. “Where are your manners, young lady?”
God, she was tired of this. Tired of never being good enough, never measuring up to what he expected of her. “Mother, I’m sorry, I…can’t do this tonight.”
Her mother’s hands were clenched together so tightly her knuckles were white. “Rebecca—”
“I really need to get some rest before my next shift at the hospital.”
Her mother closed her eyes, shook her head, then opened them again. Her father’s frown deepened.
Nathan gently grasped her elbow. “I’ll walk you out.” Neither spoke until they reached her car, where she stopped and pressed her fingers against her burning eyes. “I’m sorry, Rebecca,” he said, breaking the silence. “I assumed you knew I
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