He had to laugh aloud at the irony. He’d never once been bit by the love bug, and he’d been with women that had a staggering array of talents, body shapes, and beauty. Not one had stirred his soul like Lani; uniquely made to be the perfect fit for him. That thought alone humbled and fueled him with determination. I’ll be worthy of her love. I’ll be the best man she could ever want or need. She deserved nothing less.

  As darkness fell, a black Porsche inched toward Lani’s home, then paused in front of her residence before picking up speed. The car turned at the end of the block and came back, parking not too far from her property. Jordan stared intently to see the driver. The window rolled down, and a man leaned out to get a good look at Lani’s living room window.

  “What the hell?” His own voice startled him after such a long period of being silent. He peered at Lani’s house. The blinds were open, giving whoever it was a full view all the way to the kitchen. He frowned, knowing he had mentioned that to her as a safety issue before. Jordan pressed a button on the steering wheel and said, “Call Lani.”

  A few moments later a breathy, “Hello” sounded throughout the cabin of his car. Grateful she answered, he took a second to soak up the sound of her voice like a puppy eagerly devouring a scrap of meat.

  “Good evening, Lani.”

  “Jordan,” she said with a slight sound of surprise. “Hey. What’s going on?”

  “Not much, but I need you to do me a favor and close your blinds, sweetheart,” he said as calmly as he could.

  “Why?”

  “Well,” he hedged. “I remembered that you keep them open a lot, and since I’m not coming by on the regular, it would be better to close them when you’re home.”

  “Really?” she replied in a slightly amused voice.

  “I want you to be safe,” he admitted, hoping that for once she wouldn’t send a barrage of questions his way. Questions he couldn’t answer.

  “Fine.” A few seconds of silence passed before she said, “Thanks for checking up on me. Goodnight, Jordan.”

  “Goodnight, love,” he replied in a soft caress of a whisper.

  Jordan disconnected the call, then waited. Thankfully, less than ten seconds later, Lani came to the window and peered out for a moment before closing the blinds.

  When the driver of the Porsche started his car, and slowly pulled away from the curb, Jordan released the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Ten minutes went by before he felt it was safe enough to leave.

  Was this suspicious vehicle Quinn’s or Ms. Hardy’s doing? Jordan was happy for the other guy’s sake that he hadn’t come back. The next time, Jordan wouldn’t hesitate to get out and demand some answers. As it was, he’d memorized the license plate in case he needed to call in a favor with his brother, Zach, a private detective whose specialty was reconnecting adopted children with long lost relatives. He had a good relationship with Zach unlike the cantankerous one he had with Quinn.

  Just thinking about someone harming Lani caused possessiveness to barrel to the surface. He gripped the steering wheel, closed his eyes, and breathed slowly for a full minute before he was finally calm enough to drive away.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “Dr. Jamison, I know your secret and eventually the entire hospital will,” the distorted voice growled. “But not if you quit first.”

  A chill ran up Lani’s spine as her gaze went to the screen seconds before the call ended. The number had been blocked. Which secret would this person reveal? Both would have her in the rumor mill, but only one could get her fired.

  Was this anonymous caller the same person who had pushed past her the day baby Miracle was attacked? She couldn’t lie, part of her wanted Jordan by her side while she figured out what was going on at the hospital. Because he had given her the best advice—each and every time. But while she missed him and had been waiting for him to make an appearance, she was glad he hadn’t. She didn’t want Jordan in jeopardy.

  She set aside the worrisome call and thoughts of Jordan, then responded to patient messages in the hospital’s portal.

  A knock on the door caught her attention. “Come in.”

  Alaina peered inside. Today, she wore a black skirt with a blush blouse, her hair pulled into a bun. “I’m just dropping off these patient files for Dr. Gervais.”

  “Thanks,” Lani said as Alaina placed the manila envelopes with color tabs in the black bin on her desk.

  She watched Alaina leaving and wondered once again, what her story was. The beautiful Polynesian woman seemed to be a loner like Lani. Though they might have shared some common interests, Alaina was always coldly polite. Distant, if Lani had to be honest.

  Lani left the office and went to see a patient she had operated on the previous day.

  The remainder of the day was as busy as the rumor mill in the hospital. Especially the one floating around that Meridian was being pursued by an outfit that was known for turning hospitals into a cash cow. One that focused on profits over patients. Even more than Meridian already did.

  No two days were ever the same while working with Dr. Gervais, a woman who specialized in at-risk births. One day, their rotation could be routine, with women coming in for prenatal check-ups. The next day could be filled with crisis after crisis. Her work in Africa with girls who experienced genital mutilation had captured the attention of several humanitarian organizations.

  Hours later, Lani sat at an empty table by the cafeteria window sipping coffee. The rain slammed against the ground as the sky crackled with lightning. Even the weather seemed angry.

  This was the first break she’d had all day and her mind went back to the mysterious phone call. She searched the internet to make sure that At Your Service Agency hadn’t ended up in the news. Lani felt a small sense of relief, but her thoughts went to the night last week when she gave in and answered Jordan’s call. She appreciated that he cared and was still looking out for her, but there was so much to consider.

  Was she ready to risk the heart that Evan had crushed all those years ago? Lani wasn’t sure. Every Saturday evening, Jordan had walked into her home and rocked her world—not only with his knowledge on a wide range of subjects but by the spontaneous and thorough way he made love to her. He stimulated not only her body but her mind—something that rarely happened with any of the men she tried to date. They rarely made it past first base, let alone made a home run. With Jordan, she was able to have engaging conversations—debates, as well as light, playful exchanges that sometimes made her forget his profession. She was in awe of his ability to hold ground on topics of politics, racial inequalities, and world views. This kind of witty banter excited her as much as their physical relationship.

  Let him go. Lani chided herself and recalled the reason she utilized the service—to be in control of everything. Her work. Her personal life. Her secrets. Love was not a factor.

  Love had let her down too many times to count.

  * * *

  Standing with Evan Burgess at the altar in a ballroom at Drury Lane Restaurant, doom flooded her body. While the minister spoke to Evan, the light faded from his eyes. She suddenly tightened her grip on his fingers and hoped all would be right in her world.

  “Kalani, I can’t do this.” He dropped her hand as though he had been singed. “I don’t want just a wife, but a family, too. That’s something you can no longer give me. I’m sorry.” He turned and all but sprinted down the aisle, past their family and high school friends, and out the door. He didn’t look back. Not even once.

  The minister tried to console her, but she heard nothing he said. Lani gave the crowd an awkward smile as she fought back tears. She was grateful that they’d waited until after graduation to get married. The mere thought of having to go back to school to deal with the looks of pity and the whispers made her shudder. She could barely look in their faces now. Her focus shifted to her mother, Elizabeth, who shot to her feet. Her anger was apparent in the scowl that marred her beautiful face.

  She looked directly at Lani and screamed, “You little bitch. You stupid bitch! You couldn’t even do this right. All these years, I waited to be free of you and that worthless husband of mine.” Elizabeth slapped her so hard she stumbled backward.

  Lani steadied herself, stunned. For a moment, she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.

  “You’re the reason I was bound to your useless father. I hate you! I hated you before you were born. You kept us from allowing our parents to get the marriage annulled.”

  She couldn’t find the words to react. Her future had just raced out the door and Elizabeth was placing blame on her. Lani’s heart lay shattered in pieces at the altar and her mother didn’t care. She made her way to the foyer in a daze, feeling every eye that followed her progress.

  Her mother charged out of the hall behind her ranting, “I hope I never see you again.”

  Lani tried to make sure that wish was granted.

  * * *

  “This rain has sent every pregnant patient we have into labor.”

  Dr. Gervais’ voice snapped Lani out of her reflections.

  “Another patient is on her way in early labor.” Dr. Gervais carried a salad and a large cup of iced tea. “I’ll definitely be winding down with a glass of wine later.”

  Lani stood, grabbed her empty coffee cup, and realized this would normally be her night with Jordan. “I understand.”

  Jordan’s handsome face flashed in her mind … the timbre of his deep voice, the feel of him next to her. She had to shake off the wicked sensations that had heat building in places she couldn’t mention, and the desire for Jordan to help her wind down tonight. Jordan was no Evan.

  “Focus on work,” Lani whispered softly, tossing the cup in the garbage then falling in step with Dr. Gervais.

  “What’s that?” Dr. Gervais sat the iced tea on top of the container, pressed the elevator button and tipped her head.

  “Nothing.” Lani stepped aside as a nurse wheeled a patient out. With Dr. Risden gunning for Lani to be on the unemployment line, she had to stay focused.

  “When the news forecasted rain, I should’ve known it would be a crazy day.” Dr. Gervais entered the elevator and pressed the number for their floor. “From my experience, the change in barometric pressure brings an uptick in visits to the hospital even before one drop of rain has fallen.”

  Lani leaned on the back wall and stifled a sigh.

  Dr. Gervais’ phone chimed as they’d reached their destination. “Change of plans. I guess I won’t be having a quick lunch with Dr. Smith.” The silver doors opened but Dr. Gervais stayed behind. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

  The first stop was to check the charts for any updated notes. Three children had been delivered this morning—two girls and one boy, one by C-section, so a visit to the newborn wing was on deck.

  “Happy anniversary,” Sandra crooned to Lani as she walked by.

  Lani hadn’t even remembered it was her work anniversary. “Thank you.” After the incident with Miracle and Sandra not confirming the O.R. number to Dr. Risden, Lani had kept their conversations brief and professional, but wondered where the disconnect had occurred.

  She stopped at the medicine cart parked outside of room 316, where Sandra was counting out the doses for patients. Her aim was to make sure Sandra didn’t have any new information about the patients. “I’m heading over to see the new arrivals.”

  When Sandra was finished with the tally, she turned her attention to Lani and said, “Just so you know, one mother was freaking out. I thought she was going to stroke out between contractions.”

  “That bad?” Lani asked, adjusting the stethoscope about her neck.

  “I’ve seen it all.” Sandra shifted the cart that carried patients’ meds. “But this woman got so bad that we had to bring in an orderly to help restrain her.”

  Lani frowned, turning that scenario over in her mind. “Sounds like something else was going on and—”

  “Dr. Jamison to O.R. 9 stat. Dr. Jamison to O.R. 9 stat,” a woman’s raspy voice blared over the intercom.

  Lani experienced déjà vu in the dash to her destination. When she arrived, nurses were busy laying out instruments and prepping a patient.

  She scrubbed in as a nurse approached her. “What’s going on?”

  “The boy was taken down for testing. The attending nurse stepped away for a moment and came back to find him bleeding from the abdomen.”

  Lani rushed into the room, nudged aside the nurse applying pressure to the wound, assessed the situation, and went to work to save the child’s life.

  The moment she was outside the operating room and heading to update the chart, Dr. Risden and Detective Coleman approached. The fact that another child had been intentionally hurt on her watch didn’t sit well. But thankfully he would be fine. That was a short-lived relief. Although she had no reason to be nervous, her heart rate kicked up. She knew by Dr. Risden’s dour expression he’d twist this incident to be her fault.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  This could go really well, or really badly.

  Jordan stood on Lani’s front porch with his finger poised over her doorbell.

  The element of surprise could work in a man’s favor or cause him to lose ground. After seeing the same Porsche lurking outside her house again, he made a decision. He could protect Lani better if he was by her side. He hoped that Lani would appreciate that he was sacrificing some of his aunt’s special coffee blend to come here and try to sway her to listen to him.

  Patiently, he waited for her to answer. Moments ticked by like centuries. At the corner of one eye, he caught movement at her front window. A few seconds later, the front door cracked open.

  “Good morning,” he said with a warm smile.

  She was an incredible vision after their long separation. He lapped up the sight of her like a man wandering in the desert for days and then stumbling across an oasis.

  Lani eased the door open a little more. “Morning.” Her voice was a little husky, but she appeared genuinely happy to see him. Her pleasant tone made his heart swell with hope. An overwhelming desire to crawl into bed with her and cuddle the Sunday morning away filled Jordan. Instead, he lifted the bags in his hands.

  Lani stepped aside and let him in.

  He followed her down the hallway and into a family room that opened into the kitchen. Jordan placed the bags on the island that separated the two living spaces and focused on her unguarded face rather than the delectable way the robe hugged her in all the right places. Knowing what was underneath the silky material, it took every ounce of strength he possessed to tamp down his desire.

  “The last time we were together, you said it was over, and I want to respect that,” he added quickly. The first order of business was to make the special coffee blend that would tickle her senses. “But it’s time for us to talk again. If you’re not up for it, that’s fair. But I was hoping I could at least give you something by way of a consolation prize for waking you.”

  Lani stared at him, glanced at the bags on the counter, then back to him.

  Smiling, Jordan returned to the island and opened the bags.

  With her eyes half-closed, Lani leaned in and asked, “What’s in those?”

  “Not much,” he replied. “Just cinnamon roll pancakes with cream cheese drizzle, a side of scrambled eggs, beef brisket, and wild berry juice.”

  Lani perked up and was on her way to the cabinet when Jordan stopped her.

  “No, you sit back and relax. I can handle this.” He retrieved two table settings, glasses, and her favorite cloth napkins.

  Lani sat patiently at the kitchen table while he laid out all the goodies.

  She closed her eyes and sighed happily, inhaling the scent of the coffee. “What is that?”

  “A special surprise.” Jordan picked up two mugs from the shelf and waited for the brew cycle to end. Setting the steaming hot coffee in front of her, he took his seat and simply waited.

  She inhaled the aromatic scent up close, then looked into the cup as though it held the secret to life. Lani made that same sound of blissful happiness she released when he was giving her a full-body massage. The moan almost caused Jordan to drop the pancakes he was hoisting onto her plate, since they were perched precariously on his fork. Gravity almost took them straight to the wooden table. He quickly recovered and shifted, piling food onto his plate.

  She stared at him in awe. “Lord, this is good. It’s like sex in a cup.” She moaned again and took another sip.

  Jordan nearly choked on the forkful of brisket in his mouth. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

  “All right, you have my undivided attention.” She scanned the delicious food selection. “Tell me what’s up with all the hand-delivered yummy goodness this morning?”

  He leaned forward so he was closer. “Your firing me forced me to expedite my process.” Jordan noticed gratefully that she didn’t move away.

  “I didn’t fire you. I—”

  “Fired me,” he countered.

  “See, why do you have to go there?”

  Jordan grinned at her statement. “I was taking my time facing some hard facts about who I am, what I want, and one of the things I do for a living. I needed to be honest with myself and especially with you …” He tapped the edge of her plate, and she resumed eating. A slight tremble in her hand told of her nervousness.

  He didn’t want to hit her with the uniqueness of his family dynamics, and the accompanying issues just yet. “My lifestyle was right for me because it was easier. No rejections. No strings attached. They screen you; test you for drugs, diseases—all the info people in a normal relationship would love to get their hands on. And I was able to choose, just like you.”

  She placed the fork on the plate. “Why are you telling me all this?”