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When he arrived at the hospital, he soon learned the patient would need surgery and he was theat Zoe’s side slipped away

Going into the OR, he told the unit tech, “Please let es”

She gave him a curious look but nodded “Yes, Doctor”

Most of the time he left a “Do Not Disturb” request This time he orried about not only Zoe but her mother

It was a couple of hours later while Gabe was busy suturing the vein that had been bleeding that the OR phone rang A nurse answered and relayed a e “Dr Marks, the mother has been found She is well”

Gabe didn’t let himself falter as he continued to work, but relief washed over hi with sadness He wasn’t there to support Zoe She must be so relieved Her desperation and fear had been written all over her face but he had still left her in her tinawed at him She’d needed him then and now, and he wasn’t there for her Would be, if he truly cared Zoe should be the nu in his life, always come first

The very thing he’d feared the most and had tried to avoid had happened He’d proved he was right about himself He had chosen his career over her For him, his profession and a family didn’t mix He didn’t kno to make them mesh Others could do it, he’d seen it, but he just wasn’t capable of doing it He’d not even grown up watching a e And to think he had started to believe he could have one Zoe had h to want to try But now

On his way hoo For her sake, she needed to find a ive her what she needed Today had just been an example of hoasn’t that person Zoe deserved better than him He would be there for Will, but Zoe wanted ht kill hio

It was turning dark before he pulled into the drive The lights shone brightly in the house Zoe aiting for him He had no doubt of that There would be a hot meal there as well His chest ached for what had been and what he was about to do Her day ht about him Zoe had such a capacity to love Her mother, he himself and Mr Luther were all evidence of that, and soon Will would be

Gabe pulled into the garage, cut off the engine but didn’t get out ih what he was going to do He couldn’t continue to live in the house with Zoe Having her so close and not being able to touch her would slowly drive him mad He would have to o The baby was only weeks away She wouldn’t like the idea but he would make her accept it

He sla wheel This was just the drama he wanted no part of The kind that would steer his besides his career

The door to the house opened Zoe was silhouetted there Oh, heaven help hi to miss her He climbed out of the car

“Hey, are you all right?” she called

“Fine Just on my way in” Gabe stepped closer to her “Tell me about what happened with your mom”

She se door “Thank goodness it sounded worse than it was She did leave the hoet far The door she went out of was the one to the garden area They found her in the potting shed, filling pots with soil You were right She was close by I’m sorry I acted so irrationally I shouldn’t have demanded you stay with me”

“They didn’t look there before calling you or the police?” Anger filled Gabe at the distress they had caused Zoe

“Someone had, but apparently my mother had stepped around to the back of the shed to look for so with and they missed her On the second pass, there she was”

“I’m sorry they scared you”

They continued into the kitchen

“I have to adh ” She stopped near the sink and turned to face hiht we could eat out on the patio tonight You hungry?”

He was For her“Yeah”

“Then you go wash up while I get it on the table”

Gabe went to his roo Her ed his ain, where would he be? Beside Zoe or off seeing to a stranger? No, he couldn’t do that to her again

When he returned to the kitchen, Zoe wasn’t there She waved to hi for him

“I just filled our plates Simpler that way I hope you don’t mind”

“No” There was little he minded about Zoe As far as he was concerned, she was near perfect

The weight of what he was about to saylead shoes Nothing in his life had been more difficult He would wait until they had eaten before he explained how it must be At least they could share this last meal

As he settled in his chair, Zoe asked, “So how’s your patient doing?”

How like Zoe after the day she’d had to show concern for someone else “She’s stable and should recover without any issues”

“I’m sure that’s due to your superior skills” She nibbled at a roll

It didn’ther vote of confidence “I have a good teaood Thanks for going to the trouble after the day you’ve had”

“Not a probles were settled with Mother and I calmed down, it turned into a perfectly nice day”

Which he was getting ready to ruin Suddenly his food had no taste “What kind of arrange not to occur again?”

Zoe took a sip of the hot tea she was having “They were going to fire the guy that propped the door open but I told theh that he won’t do it again”