Doctor Perfect: The Omegas of Sweet Water, Texas Read online

  I stood, deciding if he wasn’t going to leave, then I would. He didn’t seem to care if people knew we’d slept together, but I did. I didn’t need the whole hospital gossiping about my private life. “I’m pretty tired. I think I’m gonna take off.”

  Liam narrowed his eyes. “What are you afraid of, Fox?”

  I pressed my lips together, giving him a warning glance. “Not a thing.”

  Aaron laughed nervously. “I’m kind of sensing some tension here, guys.”

  Liam smirked. “Nah. No tension here.” He glanced at Aaron and then me. “You two enjoy your coffee.” He turned and left the building, leaving an awkward silence behind.

  “What the hell was that about?” Aaron’s eyes were wide.

  I met his gaze, and I sat back down. “Sorry.”

  He sat too. “Do you two have a thing?”

  I blew out a shaky breath. “Not really.”

  Grimacing, he said, “So, that means yes?”

  “We slept together a few times, that’s all.”

  “Huh.” He looked disappointed. “You know he was being territorial, right?”

  I chuffed. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “Not sure I agree.”

  I studied him, noticing he no longer looked cheerful. “I’m sorry.”

  He shrugged. “You don’t have to apologize. I knew it was too good to be true that you weren’t seeing someone.”

  “I’m not seeing him anymore.”

  He held up his hands. “Well, he did everything but piss on you to mark you. No self-respecting alpha is going to make a move on you if he’s going to act like that.”

  “I’m sure he was just caught off guard running into us like this.” I stared out the window, watching as Liam’s sleek car rolled out of the parking lot. “Alphas don’t like to lose.”

  “Tell me about it.” He leaned back in his chair, his expression serious. “You really like him, don’t you?”

  I gave a hard laugh. “All we ever do is bicker.”

  Twisting his lips, he said, “I get the feeling you got along just fine in the pool.”

  Heat swept into my cheeks. “It’s over.”

  He sighed. “I don’t know, man. My instincts tell me that isn’t the case.”

  I met his melancholy gaze. “You’re just going to let him warn you off like that?”

  “Yeah, I am. He’s my superior at work, and he’s an older alpha. I don’t think it’s in my best interests to get in his way.”

  I shrugged. “Suit yourself.” It wasn’t like I wanted Aaron to pursue me, but it irked me that Liam could just waltz in and drive off another alpha just because he felt like it. He didn’t really want me, but he didn’t want anyone else to have me either?

  “Let me know if he starts seeing someone else.” He laughed. “That would change things.”

  My stomach clenched at the idea of Liam dating someone else. Of course he would. From what Priscilla had shared, there were tons of omegas at the hospital who’d love to spend some time with Liam.

  I stood. “I’m not keeping tabs on him.”

  He got up also. “You’re leaving?” His mouth drooped.

  “Yep.” I forced a smile. “I’m really beat. But, thanks for the coffee.”

  “Anytime.”

  I left the shop ahead of him, and headed toward my car. I was distracted by thoughts of Liam, and didn’t notice a pickup truck barreling toward me until it was too late. I tried to jump out of the way, but the vehicle clipped my hip and sent me sprawling, and on the way down, my head banged against a parked car. Groaning, I lay on the rough cement. Before I passed out, the last thing I saw was Aaron running out of the coffeehouse toward me.

  Chapter Nine

  Liam

  When I arrived at the hospital, I was in a foul mood. I couldn’t get the scent of that other alpha out of my nose, and the image of his hand over Fox’s made my gut churn. Jesus, was Fox actually into that other guy? This quickly? He’d been with me only last night and he was already moving on to some other alpha? I clamped my jaw and tried to push thoughts of Fox away. If he wanted to act like a slut and just jump in bed immediately with another alpha, that was none of my business.

  I must have done a poor job of hiding my grumpy thoughts because the hospital staff gave me a wide birth. I delivered two babies, did tons of paperwork, and drank a pot of coffee to make up for the fact I was exhausted from not sleeping the night before. As the end of my shift neared, I was glad of how tired I was. I figured being worn out would help me sleep and forget all about Fox. Not that he was easy to forget. The memory of his spicy scent and beautiful body haunted me. But it wasn’t just his body that I remembered, it was also the way he laughed, or looked at me when he was talking about something he was passionate about. And Fox was passionate about a lot of things. I liked that about him. Or I had liked that about him.

  It’s over now.

  I sighed and changed out of my white coat, slipping into my blazer. Thankfully it had been a slow day in labor and delivery. I’d been too distracted to be at my best if anything too challenging had happened. Before I left, I decided to check in on the newborn from the postmortem C-section. When I arrived at the NICU unit, I was happy to see the baby was doing well. It had been such a shitty day, but seeing the sleeping child with rosy cheeks lifted my spirits a bit. The head doctor even thought the baby would be able to go home with his father, by the end of the week.

  I left the unit and headed to the elevator to go home. When the doors opened on the bottom floor, Priscilla stepped into the elevator looking pale and shaken. She seemed distracted, and didn’t recognize me immediately.

  “Hey, Priscilla.” I addressed her before leaving the elevator.

  She blinked at me and then her face softened. “Oh, hi, Dr. Prost.”

  “How are you?” I studied her tense face, noticing her eyes were red-rimmed and she looked like she’d been crying. “Everything okay?”

  Her bottom lip trembled. “Not really.”

  I frowned and stepped back into the elevator. “Can I help?”

  “It’s just…” A tear slipped down her cheek. “I’m just so scared.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  She wiped at her eyes. “What if he doesn’t come out of his coma?”

  “Who?”

  She hesitated. “Fox.”

  Shock radiated through me, and I felt like she’d punched me. “What?”

  She swallowed hard. “Fox was hit by a car. I thought you knew.”

  I leaned against the wall, feeling lightheaded. “He got hit by a car? When? I just saw him earlier today.”

  “This afternoon. Some asshole hit him and just took off.” She clenched her hands into fists. “I’d love to get my hands on that bastard.”

  “He… he’s in a coma?” I couldn’t believe what she was telling me. A strange panic curled in my stomach, leaving me breathless. “Where is he?”

  “He’s in intensive care. I grabbed a quick cup of coffee at the cafeteria, but I'm on my way back to his room.”

  “I’m coming with you.” I punched the floor number and met her curious gaze.

  “He’d probably like that if… if he wakes up.”

  Remembering how unhappy he’d seemed with me this afternoon at the Sam’s Coffee, I wasn’t so sure she was right. But I didn’t see the point of arguing. “I can’t believe no one told me about Fox.”

  “I am surprised you didn’t hear.”

  I winced. “I was in my office a lot today.” Had no one bothered to tell me about Fox because of my grumpy mood? Jesus, the idea Fox was lying unconscious in this very hospital, and I’d had no idea, upset me. I’d have gone to him right away if I’d known. I was shaken by how much I needed to see him. Fear for him dug at my soul, and all sorts of grim scenarios ran through my mind. What if he never woke up from his coma? Imagining Fox meeting such a depressing end was almost too much to bear.

  When the elevator doors opened, I forced myself to let Priscill
a go first. My impulse was to brush past her, and race down the hallway until I caught Fox’s scent. But reason prevailed, and I let her pass me. I followed her down the hallway, holding on to my patience by a thread. When she stopped at one of the rooms, the nurse on duty waved us in. Usually only one person at a time was allowed, but I guess because I worked at the hospital, the nurse assumed I was here in an official capacity.

  The sight of Fox in the hospital bed made my legs go weak with fear. His head was bandaged, and he had scrapes and bruises on one side of his face, probably from where he’d hit the pavement. He didn’t have any casts on his arms or legs, which was a good sign, hopefully he had no broken bones. He was breathing on his own, but he was so pale and frail looking, my heart hurt looking at him. The urge to hold him was almost overpowering, but I fought it off, telling myself to calm the fuck down before I made a fool of myself.

  Priscilla moved up to him, and she caressed his cheek. “Hi, honey. I’m back.”

  Fox didn’t move at her voice, and I stayed at the foot of the bed, trying not to hyperventilate. Comas were scary. Sometimes people woke up just fine, and sometimes people woke up with major brain issues.

  And sometimes people never wake up at all.

  I shuddered at the thought of that, but tried to hide my emotions from Priscilla. She didn’t need me falling apart. She wouldn’t understand why someone who barely knew her brother was losing his shit. I didn’t understand it myself. But, while Fox and I hadn’t known each other long chronologically, we’d bonded deeply. Deeper than either one of us had been comfortable with. I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge my feelings, but now with him lying there in that bed, I couldn’t ignore how distraught I felt at the thought of losing him forever.

  The nurse hovered near the door, and when I met her gaze, she gave me a polite smile. I moved closer to her, and whispered, “What’s his prognosis?”

  “The brain scan didn’t show any internal bleeding, but there is swelling.”

  “Okay.” I knew medical personnel didn’t like to give odds as to whether or not someone would be okay. I knew better than to ask her if she thought he’d pull through, but it was tempting. Right now, I didn’t feel like a doctor, I simply felt like any other person off the street, worried about someone they cared about. “Has the swelling gone down?”

  She nodded. “Yes. We started osmotherapy right away. It seems to be working so far.”

  Relief flooded me. “That’s good.” My voice wobbled, and she gave me a closer look.

  “Do you know the patient, doctor?”

  “Uh, yes. I do.” I glanced toward Fox, hoping she couldn’t read how emotional I felt from my expression.

  “Oh. So then, you’re here in a personal capacity?”

  I nodded, praying she wouldn’t ask me to leave. “Yes. Fox and I are… close.”

  “I see.” She grimaced, and peeked out of the room at the main floor. “Technically, I should only have Priscilla in here.”

  “I know.”

  She pressed her lips tight, and then she shrugged. “You can stay.”

  I slumped a little. “Thanks.” My voice cracked, and she patted my arm.

  “No problem. I’m only on shift a few more hours, the other nurses may not be as lenient.”

  “I understand.”

  “Okay.” She left the room.

  I moved to the bed, listening to the beep of the machines monitoring Fox. His hand was limply resting on the top of the blanket. I couldn’t stop myself, and I curled my hand around his. I met Priscilla’s gaze, and she smiled weakly, but didn’t speak. His skin was cool, and it made my chest squeeze at the memory of how warm and alive he’d been last night. Why had I been such a fucking idiot? Why had I made him feel bad by pretending my only interest in him was physical? That hadn’t been true. Not at all. But I hadn’t known how to handle the feelings he drummed up in me. And maybe now I’d never get a chance to explore things with Fox.

  “You look tired,” Priscilla said. Her gaze was assessing.

  “I just finished my shift.” I swept my thumb over the firm skin of Fox’s hand.

  “You should probably go home and rest.”

  I nodded, but made no move to leave.

  She gave a soft laugh. “He really likes you. He’ll probably kill me for telling you that if he can hear me.”

  I glanced up, and smiled tiredly. “No doubt.”

  “He’s a prideful little shit.”

  “He’s not the only one.” I pulled my brows together.

  She frowned. “Was everything okay between you two?”

  “Not really.”

  She groaned. “What did he do?”

  I looked at her, surprised that was her response. “It wasn’t just him.”

  “Really?”

  “Nope.” I let go of his hand, and sat with a grunt in a chair near the bed. “I think we’re both a bit gun shy.”

  “Huh.” She pulled her chair around the bed to be closer to me. Her gaze was curious. “I know why he’s wary, but why are you?”

  I smiled, noticing how much she looked like Fox. “I’m not good at relationships.”

  She chuffed. “Who the hell is?”

  I glanced at Fox. “I think he would be, if I was more normal.”

  “Uh, hate to break it to you, Doc, but Fox isn’t exactly normal.”

  I laughed in spite of myself. “He seems pretty all right to me.”

  “Well, that’s because you just admitted you’re a mess.”

  I laughed again. “You’re a lot like your brother; blunt.”

  “It’s our best quality.” She looked affectionately at Fox, and her smile faded. “God, if he doesn’t wake up, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

  “He’ll wake up,” I said firmly.

  She sighed. “Now you sound like Fox. He’s always saying I need to think positive.”

  I winced. “Yeah. We had an argument about that once.”

  “You did?”

  I studied Fox’s face as he slept. His lashes were dark and thick against his pale features. “He believes in the power of positive thinking.”

  “You don’t?”

  “I want to. Especially right now.” I rubbed my eyes, feeling exhausted emotionally and physically.

  “I figure positive thinking couldn’t hurt right now.” She clasped her hands.

  There was a knock on the door, and when I glanced over, there was a very worried looking older couple with the nurse.

  “Oh, Mom and Dad are here again.” Priscilla stood and moved to the door.

  I rose also. I had no real business being in the room with Fox, and needed to make room for his family. The door opened, and I slipped out, holding the door for Fox’s parents. I wasn’t sure how to act. Fox talked about his family a lot, but since I’d never met them, I didn’t even know their names.

  “Dad, Mom, this is Dr. Prost.” Priscilla hesitated. “He’s a friend of Fox’s.”

  I held out my hand and Mr. Wilmington shook it. “Nice to meet you,” I said quietly.

  “You too,” he responded.

  Mrs. Wilmington touched my arm. “Fox has mentioned you.”

  Surprised, I frowned. “He has?”

  She smiled, and I noticed her eyes were the same color blue as her son’s. “Yes, he respects you. He said Sweet Water is lucky to have a doctor of your caliber.”

  My face warmed. “He said that?”

  She nodded, and then glanced at her son lying in the hospital bed. “He’ll wake up, right?”

  I swallowed hard, and avoided looking at Fox. “He’s young and healthy. The odds are in his favor.”

  It wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear, I could tell from the droop of her mouth, but she nodded. “I hope so.”

  “Maybe you could come see Fox again?” Priscilla looked hopeful. “The nurse said talking to him is helpful, and the more of us who visit, the more mental stimulation he’ll get.”

  “Um… sure.” I wasn’t convinced it was my place to keep v
isiting Fox, not after he’d ended things with me. But I didn’t think I’d be able to stay away. My alpha instincts were awakened, and I felt the need to be near him. I didn’t understand why I felt territorial about Fox, but I did. I’d realized that fact when I’d tried to drive off that other alpha earlier today. My behavior had puzzled me as much as it had seemed to confuse Fox, but I hadn’t been able to just leave the coffee shop without letting that other alpha know I’d spent time with Fox. It seemed pretty immature now, but at the time, it had been imperative I warn off that new alpha.

  Mrs. Wilmington’s gaze was sharp. “I’m sure Dr. Prost has more important things to do than visit, Fox.”

  “I don’t mind,” I said softly.

  A tiny smile tugged at her lips. “Is that right?”

  I shifted uneasily. “I should go and let you spend some time with your son.”

  “Thanks for coming to check on Fox.” Mr. Wilmington smiled at me.

  “Of course.” I made sure not to look at Fox. I was afraid my expression would give too much away. I didn’t know what to make of my strange feelings toward Fox, I didn’t need other people speculating too.

  I made my way out of the intensive care unit, and forced myself to head home.

  ****

  I went in early to work the next day so I could stop in to see Fox. I was pleased to see no one was in his room when I arrived at the intensive care unit. I let myself into his room, quietly clicking the door closed behind me. I approached his bed, my chest tight at the sight of him. I’d hardly slept last night worrying about him. I’d promised myself if he came out of this coma, I was going to try and see him again. I wanted to explore things with him. I needed to figure out if what we had was really just physical, or something more. It felt like more. But I wasn’t the best judge. I’d really only had two serious relationships my whole life. They’d both ended because I didn’t ever put anything before my work, and most omegas weren’t okay with never coming first.

  Maybe I was maturing because from the moment I’d met Fox, I’d been more consumed by thoughts of him, than my job. That never happened, and it made me feel like I needed to figure out if Fox and I could have something deeper. I hadn’t been looking for anything serious when I started sleeping with Fox, but from that first night, I’d wanted to be around him all the time. Even when Dad died, my time away from Fox hadn’t made me forget him. It had only made me want to see him more. The distance hadn’t dulled my need in the least.