The Rhythm of My Heart (2 page)

The emergency room is quiet when we arrive. After filling out some paperwork, a nurse takes us straight through to a small exam room. I carefully sit on the bed with Ruby in my lap and show her the picture of the doctor again. She isn’t crying as much now but I am sure that will change once the doctor comes in to examine her. I sign that I love her and everything will be fine; then I continue rubbing her back to help soothe her. Ruby is a very tactile little girl who receives a great deal of comfort from constantly being touched and stroked.

As the exam room door opens, a tall, slim man in blue scrubs walks in; he’s outrageously good-looking with dark brown hair, a chiseled jaw covered with a slight stubble, exceptionally kissable lips, and bright blue eyes. Suddenly, I am wondering what his body looks like under those scrubs.
Seriously, get a hold of yourself, Gracie
. When this gorgeous piece of male perfection pauses for a moment to look at me, I feel as though his eyes are trying to pry into my soul. Self-consciously, I clear my throat and he seems to snap back to himself.

“Hi, I’m Doctor Cole Tierney. I hear this sweet, little lady has had a fall.” He continues to stare at me as he moves closer to us to speak to Ruby. “Hey sweetie, can you tell me where it hurts?” Wow, his voice makes me melt. It’s rich, deep, and sends a shiver up my spine, but he’s looking at Rubes expectantly, so I quickly gather myself and jump in.

“Hi, I’m Grace Rivers and this is Ruby; umm, Ruby’s deaf so she can’t answer your questions, Dr. Tierney.”

“Oh, sorry, it wasn’t in the notes. So Mrs. Rivers, can you tell me what happened?” he asks with a smile, his beautiful eyes on me again.

“She was climbing on a chair in the kitchen, and I’m assuming she lost her balance because I found her and the chair on the ground. Her left arm seems to be causing her the most pain so I’m worried it’s broken.” I can’t stop gazing into his amazing blue eyes; they’re such a vibrant blue they seem to sparkle. They’re mesmerizing.

“Okay. Where were you when she fell?” Dr. Tierney asks, but it feels like an accusation.

“I know it sounds really bad, but I was on the phone in another room and she wanted something to eat. I tried to sign to her that I wouldn’t be long, but obviously, that wasn’t fast enough. So, I assume she tried to get something herself. I never normally leave her unattended. I should’ve just gotten off the phone, but I had been waiting on the damn thing for more than ten minutes, and God knows that ridiculous music they play can distract anyone. It happened so fast…” The words spill from my mouth so fast I’m not even sure he understood what I just said.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. I’m not accusing you of anything. I just wanted to find out if you saw how she landed. It’s okay, Mrs. Rivers, take a deep breath and calm down,” he says, in a soothing tone, while placing his palm on my upper arm.

A shock of electricity travels through my arm and moves all the way to my toes.
Wow, what the hell was that?
Taking a deep breath while looking down at Ruby, I say, “Sorry, I just feel really terrible.”

Dr. Tierney gives me a nod then slowly reaches out to Ruby to examine her arm. As soon as he moves it, she starts sobbing all over again while trying to bury herself against my chest. Dr. Tierney looks to me. “She’s obviously in a lot of pain; so I’m going to organize some pain medicine then send her for an x-ray to find out exactly what’s going on.” I’m about to respond when Charlie and Dad burst through the door.

Charlie comes straight for Ruby and she reaches her good arm out for him to pick her up. “Oh, darling girl, Daddy’s here,” says Charlie aloud, while hugging Ruby to him. He turns to me with a mixture of anxiety and anger in his eyes. “What the hell happened, Gracie?”

“Charlie, this is Dr. Tierney, Ruby’s doctor. Dr. Tierney, this is Ruby’s dad, Charlie and her granddad, Bryan.”

Dr. Tierney steps forward to offer Charlie and my dad his hand. They both shake as Charlie says, “So what’s wrong with her? Is her arm broken?”

“Well, I was just about to order some pain medication for Ruby and have her taken for an x-ray. At this stage, I believe her left arm is fractured, but an x-ray will confirm that and show us where the break is. Once we know if it is, we will be able to put a plaster on and she’ll be able to go home.” Dr. Tierney informs us while looking between Charlie, Dad, and me.

“Great. Gracie, how is Ruby going to sign with a cast on her arm. Why weren’t you watching her?” Charlie says, while sending a glare my way. He is hugging Ruby so tightly. I know he’s completely freaking out right now, but I didn’t let this happen on purpose. I’m about to say exactly that when the sexy doctor pounces. “Look Mr. Rivers, accidents happen. Your wife isn’t to blame here….”

“My wife!” Charlie spits out horrified. “Gracie’s my sister, Doc, not my wife.”

Chapter 2

Cole….

His sister! Well, my day just got better.
“Sorry, I just assumed Miss Rivers was Ruby’s mother when she bought her in,” I reply as I glance over at the beautiful, auburn haired woman still sitting on the exam bed. Turning for the door I say “I’ll just go organize those medications and arrange for the x-ray now,” then leave the room.

As I step outside, my thoughts go straight back to the woman. The moment I walked into the room, my heart skipped a beat then took off again a little faster. Grace… what a perfect name for her, nothing else could possibly fit. Her thick, wavy, auburn hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. Encased in jeans and a black tank top, her body’s small but curved. The swell of full breasts peeked out the top of her tank and I briefly wondered how soft they would be in my hands. My eyes had moved to her face as she looked down at the gorgeous, little girl cradled on her lap, almost her exact duplicate. She wore little or no make-up on her flawless skin. My eyes drawn to her mouth, her pale pink lips in the shape of a cupid’s bow.
God, I would love to feel those lips against mine
.

When she looked up at me and our eyes met for the first time, I couldn’t help but stare into her big, round, gorgeous, brown eyes as they gazed straight back into mine. They’re the kind of eyes you could drown in… bedroom eyes. The woman is breathtaking, and it was only when she cleared her throat, breaking me from my in-depth visual assessment, that I quickly switched back to doctor mode. I had a sweet little girl to tend to.

I couldn’t have been more shocked when she spoke. Her voice was like honey dripping with sweetness, a sound I could listen to forever. Then she told me Ruby was deaf and my awe for both woman and child soared. Life would be very difficult with limited communication, especially for someone so young. The poor little thing was in pain and couldn’t even vocalize it. Pain…
Jesus, Cole, you have a young patient who needs pain meds and an x-ray, and here you are fantasizing about her aunt.
I call a nurse over to get the medications. “Allison?”

“Yes, Dr. Tierney,” she responds with her permanent smile in place. Allison is an amazing nurse and the patients love her. The staff, especially the doctors, know they can always count on her.

“Allison, can you please organize the pain relief I have written up for Ruby Rivers in exam room two, and then take her up to have her left arm x-rayed?” I relay as I hand her Ruby’s chart. Allison takes the chart from me.

“No problem, Dr. Tierney. I’ll get straight on it. That’s the little girl, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is; can you ask radiology to rush the films. She’s only four so I’d like to get her fixed up as soon as possible,” I reply with a nod of my head and a quick grin.

Allison starts to walk off with a wide smile and says over her shoulder, “Absolutely, Dr. Tierney. We all know what a softy you are when it comes to sick kids.” I give a chuckle as my mind wanders again.

What the hell was that spark when I touched Grace’s arm, it hit me straight in the gut; I’ve never felt anything like that before.
She rambled out what happened so quickly; I certainly hope she didn’t think I was accusing her of hurting Ruby or neglecting her. It was so obvious how much she loves that little girl; maybe the rambling is an adorable nervous habit. Because of the way she held Ruby close to her chest and tried to soothe her, I had naturally assumed she was the girl’s mother. When the two men walked into the room, the air filled with a protective vibe that screamed that this is a very close family. For some unknown reason, I felt the need to jump to Gracie’s defense when Ruby’s dad got snappy at her; it was instinct and I couldn’t stop myself quickly enough. Thank God, the guy is Grace’s brother, and the strong resemblance between the two men leads me to believe the older one is her father. This knowledge eases the tightness in my gut because this woman is already in my mind; the strong pull I feel toward her is undeniable. Grace and this intense attraction I feel, definitely needs to be explored.

I am examining another patient when Allison pops her head in to inform me that Ruby’s x-ray results are back. I finish up with my patient, take a quick look at the films and head back to exam room two where the Rivers family is. When I walk in, they are talking in hushed voices about radiator hoses and an exhaust job. I quickly realize why their voices are hushed when I see Ruby asleep in her father’s arms. They all look up and their conversation stops when they see me. I smile down at Ruby. “I guess the pain meds kicked in.”

Grace gives me a warm smile in return. “Yeah, I guess so; she’s definitely a lot calmer now.”

“They tend to have that effect,” I reply with a chuckle and earn another soul-melting smile.
She really is simply beautiful; I can’t take my eyes off her
.

“Ahmm.” I turn back to Ruby’s father, Charlie. “So, Doc, what happens now? Did the x-rays confirm if Rubes’ arm is broken?” he asks while glancing between Grace and me with a puzzled look on his face.

I clear my throat and my thoughts. “Actually, yes it does. I just got the films back and they show a break just above her wrist so I am going to go ahead and put a cast on. The cast will be on for about six weeks. It’s a clean break so it should heal nicely, and of course, she will need extra assistance with everything. I know this will make her signing much more difficult but there’s no way to avoid the cast.”

Bryan speaks up, “Nothing we can’t handle, Doc, but what about preschool? Ruby attends a special preschool for hearing impaired children. Will she still be able to go?” Before I can respond, he turns to Grace and Charlie. “If she can’t, Gracie, you’ll have to work from the house because Ruby can’t be at the garage with you.”

Grace nods, but I need to know. “The garage?”

Bryan turns his attention back to me. “Yeah, I own Rivers Auto Repairs. Charlie and Gracie both work with me, but it’s no place for our Rubes.”
She works in her family auto repair shop. That’s not what I expected.

“I’m sure Ruby will be fine at preschool as long as her teachers are informed of the extra assistance she’ll require.” I glance back down at Ruby still sound asleep. “Okay, so how about we get this cast done while she’s still sleeping?”

Charlie stands and brings Ruby over to the bed, as Grace jumps down and announces to the room, “I’m going to grab a drink, anyone want anything?” Charlie and I decline but Bryan gets up.

“I’ll come with you, Sweet Pea; you can spend a couple of minutes with your old man.” Grace beams at her father and they exit the room.

As I gather the supplies to do Ruby’s cast, I can feel Grace’s brother staring at me. It continues as I apply the plaster to her broken little arm but as I am finishing up, I can’t hold my tongue any longer. “Is there a problem, Mr. Rivers?” I look up and meet his stare as the last strip is placed.

“No, Doc, I appreciate you taking care of my baby.” He pauses then continues, “I am curious though; what’s with all the sly glances and smiles at my sister? Do you know each other? You were pretty quick to come to her defense earlier.”

Okay, so this guy doesn’t beat around the bush and is obviously protective of his sister. How do I explain this? Or do I just deny everything…just be professional?

“You’re very observant, Mr. Rivers”

“Call me Charlie; Mr. Rivers is the old man, but even he wouldn’t let you call him that,” he says, with a grin.

“Okay. Look, Charlie, your sister is a beautiful woman who seems very sweet, but she was anxious and upset when she bought your daughter in. I was simply trying to be friendly and reassuring, nothing more.”
I hope that he’ll buy my explanation
.