Their Hot Hawaiian Fling / Unlocking The Ex-Army Doc's Heart

“Yes,” he said. “But I’m here as a trauma surgeon.”

“True. But you’ve got the experience and the temperament to head a department, Holden.” She crossed her arms. “You were on track to run the ER back in Chicago, before the shooting.”

He had been. That was true. But those ambitions had died along with David that day. He didn’t want to be responsible for all those people, for all those lives. What if he failed again?

“I don’t want that anymore. I’m happy with the temporary stint.” His response sounded flat to his own ears and his heart pinched slightly despite knowing he couldn’t even consider taking on a more permanent role. “Besides, Dr. Kim is doing a great job as temporary director. Why not offer it to her?”

“She’s in the running, to be sure,” Helen said before pushing away from the desk and walking over to the windows nearby. “But I like to keep my options open. And it’s been nice having you here, Holden. I won’t lie. We’re friends. I know you. Trust you. Dr. Kim seems more than competent and her record at Ohana is outstanding, but every time I try to get to know her better, she shuts me down. I’m not sure I can work with someone I don’t know and trust implicitly.”

Holden had noticed Leilani deftly skirting his questions around her past too. Then again, he had no room to talk. He hadn’t told her anything about what had happened to him either.

He exhaled slowly and raked a hand through his hair. He didn’t like the idea of spying for Helen, no matter how much he owed her. Maybe he should cancel Friday, just so it wouldn’t come back to bite him later, one way or another. Shut down any semblance of something more between him and Leilani before it ever really started. The fact he seemed more drawn to her each time they were together scared him more than anything, to be honest, and Holden was no coward. But damn if he wanted to open himself up to a world of hurt again, and some hidden part of him sensed that getting closer to Leilani would bring heartbreak for sure.

“I don’t feel comfortable spying for you,” he said bluntly. “Not on a colleague.”

“No,” Helen said, giving him a small smile. “I didn’t imagine you would. Well, that’s fine. Just keep an eye out during the project. If you see anything you think I should know about, let me know. Oh, and I haven’t talked to Dr. Kim about it yet, so keep it under your hat, until I do. Okay?”

“Okay.” Seemed an odd request, but an innocent one. “No problem. Anything else?”

“Nope. That’s it.” Helen walked back around her desk and took a seat. “I’ve got work to do, so get out of my office.”

He chuckled and stood, his cane sinking into the thick carpet as he leaned his weight on it. “Let me know when it’s safe to mention the project to Leilani. I’ll be out until the weekend.”

Helen gave him a quizzical look at his use of Dr. Kim’s first name, and he kicked himself mentally. Then she winked and grinned as he hobbled toward the door.

“Enjoy your days off,” she called after him.

“Thanks,” he said, gritting his teeth against the soreness in his thigh. He needed to finish up his shift, then get back to the hotel, take a shower, rest, recharge, decide whether to cancel on Friday or spend the day with the one woman who’d somehow gotten under his skin despite all his wishes to the contrary.

“Oh, and Holden?” Helen called when he was halfway into the hall.

“Yeah?” He peeked his head back inside the office.

“Don’t stay cooped up your whole time here in Hawaii,” she said, as if reading his thoughts. “Get out and live a little. Trust me—you’ll be glad you did.”

Holden headed back down the hall and over the elevators, unable to shake the sense of fate weighing heavy on his shoulders. Too bad he didn’t believe in destiny anymore. One random act of violence had changed all that forever.

Still, as he headed back down to the ER his old friend’s words kept running through his head, forcing him to reconsider canceling his Friday plans with Leilani.

Get out and live a little. Trust me—you’ll be glad you did...

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