Dianne Drake - The Nurse And The Single Dad

He nodded in response and relaxed back into his chair, folding his hands on the table in front of him as if he was getting ready to take in every word of the upcoming speech. Zoey didn’t buy that for a minute, though. Daniel had tuned out the room, the speakers, and probably even her, and he was transfixed in his own little world now. His eyes glowed a distant stare and she suddenly felt sorry for him.

He kept his life so compact that he didn’t know how to open himself up to other possibilities. For another woman he might certainly be a worthy project, but for her, well, she wasn’t getting involved any more than she already was. The last thing she needed in her life was any kind of a relationship that called upon her for a fix. And a relationship of any sort with Daniel would definitely require some fixing.

Not that she didn’t have issues of her own. Because she did. But she had to solve those first before she brought anybody else into her circle.

Ten minutes into a speech that touted all the high points in the workings of a busy hospital, Zoey leaned over to Daniel and whispered in his ear, “So you think his speech will last much longer?” She wasn’t exactly bored with it, but this was definitely not the high point of her evening.

Daniel laughed out loud and drew the scowling attention of the entire table. “I think he’s probably winding down. But, if he’s not, now would be a good time for you to send me to the bar to get you a drink,” he replied. “Go with me and we can both slip out the side door.”

“What, and miss the dancing afterward? You do dance, don’t you?”

“Only under the table after a couple of double Scotches. Remember?”

So he did have a sense of humor! In spite of herself, she laughed aloud. “I’ll take a glass of white wine.”

“Large?” he asked, arching his eyebrows at her.

“Bring the whole bottle if you can.”

“The offer of coffee still stands.”

“So does my excuse for not going.”

“Ah, there you go, being blunt again.”

The older lady straight across from Daniel shushed him, causing Zoey to giggle. It wasn’t the shushing so much as the incongruity of her appearance compared to Daniel’s. He was decked out in a finely tailored tux while she wore a pink, non-formal floral dress with a large, flowery hat. She had champagne-colored hair and a sour squint to her eyes—a squint she was aiming straight at Daniel.

“Maybe bring her a drink, too,” Zoey whispered. “She looks like she needs one.”

Daniel pushed back from the table and arose to all his six-feet-plus glory. He was a good-looking man. Actually, downright handsome. Someone to swoon over. And the sour lady across from him nearly melted in her chair when Daniel turned a charming smile on her and nodded.

Damn, he had a way about him.

“I’ll be back,” he said, leaning down to whisper in Zoey’s ear. “No escaping. Promise.”

She’d never doubted that for a moment. Perhaps Daniel hadn’t wanted to come tonight but he was, if nothing else, dutiful. She’d seen that in his devotion during some very rough times with Elizabeth, and she saw that now, as he endured something he hated.

Maybe she should have accepted his invitation to coffee.

“No!” she said aloud to herself. He might have some attributes she admired, but admiration from afar was all she was going to allow herself.

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