Susan Mallery - Prince Charming, M.D.

“I’m sorry about having to make changes,” he said, motioning for her to lead the way to her office.

She glanced back and saw the three nurses eyeing them. He still didn’t acknowledge any of them. How strange.

“The schedule is more flexible than usual this week,” she said. She entered her office and moved to sit behind her desk. Trevor took the chair across from her. He pulled a sheet of paper out of the front right pocket of his white coat.

She watched him as he read the sheet. “You look tired,” she said. “Rough night?”

The words popped out without warning. When he glanced at her, she was determined to bluff her way through and tried to smile casually. She wasn’t sure how it actually looked.

“I was up late unpacking,” he said.

“You didn’t have a date?” She heard the incredulity in her voice and wished she could call back the question.

“No. I stayed in. What about you? Anything fun over the weekend?”

Her social life was incredibly dismal, but he didn’t need to know that “I prefer to keep conversation strictly business.”

“I see.” Perfect eyebrows arched. “You were the one asking about my personal life.”

“I know. I apologize. For a moment I forgot myself.”

He leaned forward and rested his hands on her desk. “Forget away.”

Her brain screamed at her to watch out. Trevor was lethal when he flirted. She’d already suffered once at his hands and didn’t see any reason to do it a second time.

“This is none of my business,” she said slowly. “But I want to remind you that hospitals are notorious for gossip. While there’s no policy against staff members dating, it can create tension in the workplace. You might want to remind your dates that they should be discreet”

“My dates?” He studied her for a moment. “I see. How many did I have this past weekend?”

“Two that I heard about”

Hazel green eyes stared at a place over her left shoulder. His facial expression didn’t change, but suddenly she couldn’t read what he was thinking. It was as though an invisible screen had fallen to shield him.

He handed her the piece of paper. “These are my changes in the surgery schedule. If there’s a problem, I would appreciate you contacting my office.”

He was gone before she could say anything else. Dana was left staring after him, wondering why on earth she felt as if she’d disappointed him.

“Who ordered this?” Lee Murphy asked as their waiter delivered a basket of steaming cheese garlic bread.

Dana shook her head. “Don’t look at me. I wouldn’t have ordered it, but I don’t mind helping everyone eat it.”

Katie Sheppard smiled. “You know they just bring it unless we tell them we don’t want any. It’s a tradition.”

“Calories,” Lee said, eyeing the basket, then grabbing a slice. “Unnecessary calories.”

“But if we didn’t actually order the food, the calories don’t really count,” Dana said.

Her two friends laughed. When the waiter reappeared, they gave him their order, then settled in for a chatty lunch. Dana sipped her diet soda and listened while Katie talked about her wedding plans. The affair would be simple, with only family and close friends.

“I’m not going to have a maid of honor,” Katie said, her brown eyes crinkling as she smiled. “I want the two, of you to be my attendants, though. Just like we promised in high school.”

Dana looked at Lee. “I can’t believe I’m about to get all teary.”

Lee grimaced. “Terrible, isn’t it? We should be annoyed because she broke the pact. Next thing you know we’ll be planning a wedding shower.”

Dana shrugged. “I was thinking about a brunch.”

“Me, too,” Lee admitted, then laughed. “We’re hopeless.”

Katie addressed them both. “So you’re really all right with this? I know we promised, but...” She smiled. “I can’t help it. I love him.”

“We understand,” Lee told her. “What’s a little promise among friends?”

Katie picked up a piece of garlic bread. “I feel badly about that. Really I do. Does it help to remind you two that I really meant it at the time?”

Lee touched Katie’s arm. “You don’t have to explain. Dana and I aren’t mad at you. Why would we be? You’ve found a wonderful man who loves you, and you’re going to spend the rest of your life with him. We’d be pretty crummy friends to want to stand in the way.”

“She’s right,” Dana added. “Be happy, Katie. That’s what this time is all about.”

“Thank you.” Katie reached down and pulled a magazine out of her oversized purse. “I was hoping you’d say that So I brought a copy of a bridal magazine. There are a few dresses I think you’ll like.”

Lee and Dana groaned in unison. “Nothing with ruffles,” Lee said. “I mean that, Katie. No cute bows, no little capes on the shoulders and definitely no trains.”

Katie held up her hands in mock surrender. “That was never my plan. I was thinking more along the lines of simple and elegant.”

She opened the magazine and angled it toward Lee. Dana glanced at the picture, but found her attention drifting from the conversation of dress styles and colors. Not that she wasn’t interested in her friend’s wedding. She was still adjusting to the fact that Katie was marrying a doctor.

Years ago, after graduating from nursing school, the three lifelong friends had signed a pact swearing none of them would ever marry a doctor. They all had their reasons. Katie’s doctor father had always been available to everyone but his family. Lee’s father, also a doctor, had gotten Lee’s mother pregnant, then left her with an illegitimate baby. Dana’s father had also left She had watched her mother wasting her life, waiting for a man to come rescue her after her divorce. Her fantasy had always been to marry a doctor, and she’d refused to go out with several honest, decent men simply because they didn’t fit her preconceived notion of what she wanted.

Until a few months ago, the three friends had kept their promise. Then Katie had gotten involved with her close friend Mike Brennan. Dana couldn’t blame her. Mike was one of the good guys and wildly in love with Katie. Marriage was the next obvious step in their relationship. Turning her back on a very special life of love would be as foolish as Dana’s mother’s insistence on holding out for a white knight, who never showed up.

But... Dana bit back a sigh. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but at times she was envious of her friend. She didn’t want to get involved with a doctor, but she did want to find someone she could care about Someone who would care back. Like most women, she wanted a family—including children and a husband. Focusing on her career hadn’t left her much opportunity to socialize. Maybe now that she’d received her promotion she could start taking care of her personal life.

“So what do you think?” Katie asked, turning the magazine so Dana could see the photograph of the bridesmaids’ dress.

The dark-green gown had a boat neck and long sleeves. The simple bodice set off the floor-length, tulip skirt.

“This part comes off,” Katie said, pointing to the skirt “See the knee-length panel underneath? It’s really a shorter skirt, so you can wear the dress again, to a party or something.” She chewed on her lower lip. “Do you like it?”

Dana glanced at Lee and nodded. Her Mend smiled. “We love it. No frills, no ruffles and no bows, which pleases me. But this is your wedding, Katie. Are you happy with it?”

“Yes. I looked when I went shopping for my dress, and I really like this one best We need to arrange a time to go order them.”