“ARE YOU OKAY?”
Maria turned to Tom. She’d been sitting on a staircase. It was the only quiet place in the entire hospital. Somehow she knew he’d been looking for her.
She wiped her cheeks and nodded. “Just the stress of the past few days catching up with me.”
He put his arm around her and she stiffened. It was a friendly gesture, totally platonic. He retracted his arm.
“Dr. Atao found a dialysis machine. I authorized payment for it from our general funds, so it should be here tomorrow.”
That was one load off her.
“And the DMAT team has a contact for the heart medications we need more of. There’s a distributor on the mainland that has enough supply. I’m hoping those will come in with the Red Cross shipment tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Tom, I appreciate it.”
“This is not just your problem. If anything, I’m responsible for everyone on this island. Tell me what you need and I’ll do my best to make it happen.”
“Can you get me a structural engineer? We need to get this building checked.”
“Let me make some phone calls.”
“How about a CMO?”
“Can’t help you there. Nico asked me to make a call to the surgeon general’s office requesting that Dr. Atao’s deployment be extended. They agreed.”
Her breath caught. Nico hadn’t discussed it with her, but she knew what he was thinking and she didn’t disagree with him. Just wished he’d talked it over with her first. Typical impulsive Nico. Except it was more than that. He wanted Anna to stay in Guam and hadn’t discussed it with her. She’d have to deal with him later. She’d spent her entire night working with the plumber to fix leaks. Some of the local guys had reinforced boarded windows that had come loose during the hurricane. The water on the first floor had been mopped up and pumped out, but she was still worried about the foundation. The last thing they needed was for the building to collapse.
“How’s Nico?”
“He’s back to his old self. Dr. Balachandra said he can go home soon. Nico needs rest for a little while longer but we need the bed and the room.”
“I’m glad he’s doing well. Must be a relief to you.”
“It is.”
“And what about Dr. Atao?”
“What about her?”
“You were concerned that he was still hung up on her. Is that why he requested her tour be extended?”
I told this guy way too much. Should’ve kept my mouth shut.
“I think the two of them are still in love but just too set in their own ways to see that they need to sacrifice themselves for the love of their life.” Her voice broke and a fresh torrent of tears wet her cheeks. Despite Anna’s assurances that she was returning home and there was no way she’d be with Nico, the raw love for him in her eyes and the naked adoration in his face was so obvious that Maria would have to have been blind not to see it.
“Maria.”
“Don’t say it, Tom. I know I deserve better. Nico is a good man. If he marries me, he’ll love me to the fullest and be a better husband than what 99 percent of the women in this world have. I should be happy with that. But I will always know that I don’t have all his heart.”
“And you need to decide whether you can live with that.”
Right.
“Why don’t you leave the hospital to me and go home and get some sleep, maybe take a shower.”
“Do I smell that bad?”
He laughed, a deep baritone that came from his stomach, and she found herself smiling along with him.
“There is no way you could look or smell bad.” His voice dropped and his eyes turned a warm chocolate brown. She wanted to melt into them. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. If you ask me, you deserve a man who thinks there is no other woman in the world for him, who will do anything you ask of him, a man who will worship at your feet.” His gaze pinned her and she couldn’t look away. “There are men out there who will love you like that, Maria.” The way he whispered her name made her arms prickle with goose bumps.
His heart was completely open, and while he hadn’t said it, his eyes were clearly telling her that she had an invitation. Standing, he extended his arm, palm out. She didn’t hesitate this time. She placed her hand in his.