LITMIR.BIZ

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fit.”

      With an impatient expulsion of breath, Jason took the catalog. “I don’t have much of an eye for interior decorating.”

      Coral bit her lip. Jason’s slight sign of impatience bothered her, Heather could tell. It was too bad such a rough-edged man had been paired with a sensitive secretary, although she knew Natalie had interviewed a number of applicants before recommending Coral.

      “I took the liberty of drawing a floor plan, if you’d care to look at it,” the secretary said.

      “Sure.” Jason didn’t lift his eyes from the catalog as he flipped through.

      Coral handed Heather a sheet of paper. Although the markings had been sketched with a tentative hand, the young woman had done a careful job of arranging the desk, a couch, chairs and filing cabinets. “Looks good to me.”

      Jason gave it a quick glance. “Might work. I’ll give it a more thorough going-over later.” He handed everything back to Coral. “Put these on my desk, please.”

      “Yes, Dr. Carmichael.” She turned away, disappointment clouding her eyes. Apparently she’d hoped her floor plan would draw a more positive response.

      “Oh, Coral. One more thing.”

      She stopped, her slim back rigid, and turned to face him.

      “On second thought, I realize it wasn’t such a bad idea to unpack my files and books,” Jason said. “We won’t be moving for at least a month, and I’d have hated not being able to find things when I needed them. In future, just check with me before doing something like that, okay?”

      “Yes, sir.” After giving him a shy smile, Coral retreated. Her shoulders, Heather noticed, had relaxed.

      “What were we talking about?” Jason asked after Coral had left. “Something important, I recall.”

      Heather refused to resume the discussion of their ill-starred encounter in Atlanta. “We were reviewing the mural. I approve of it. Babies, babies everywhere sets the right tone.”

      “I’ll tell Patrick. As I said before, decorating isn’t my strong point.” Despite his well-known dislike of wasting time, Jason appeared in no hurry to move on. “The rest of our new staff should be on board before April. I’ll forward their bios to you, if you’re interested.”

      “I’d like that.” Time to make her getaway, Heather decided. “Thanks for showing me around. I have to be going.”

      “You haven’t picked your office.”

      “I’ll leave that to you,” she said. “I’ve got an appointment.”

      Although technically she was finished at five o’clock, infertility patients had to be seen during their optimal times of the month, which weren’t always predictable. Some of the women also contended with rigid work schedules, so Heather made a point of staying flexible.

      “I’ll see you later, then.” Jason didn’t suggest walking back across the plaza together, to her relief.

      Once she was out in the fresh air, Heather’s spirits rose. With luck, they had put that entire Atlanta business behind them. With a little more luck, the sensual awareness vibrating between them would abate as soon as familiarity bred boredom. Any day now.

      She marched across the courtyard, her sensible pumps clicking confidently against the pavement.

      “TELL ME AGAIN what was wrong with this one,” Rob Sentinel said as he and Jason emerged from the third apartment building they’d visited.

      Jason appreciated the young obstetrician’s offer to spend part of Saturday ferrying him around town. As a recent arrival himself, Rob knew the ropes of apartment hunting.

      “There was no built-in microwave,” Jason said.

      “That’s what I thought you said. I just didn’t believe it. They sell microwaves at discount stores, you know.” Rob sounded impatient, which was understandable, considering that he’d given up a chance to play golf with George today.

      “I’ve already accumulated more stuff than I want.” Jason knew it didn’t make sense, his dislike of loading himself down with material possessions. Still, with only a few clothes, a small TV and a boom box, he’d been able to ship everything easily from Virginia.

      If he had good financial sense, he’d buy a place, his mother had advised in a phone call from Boston. Being a real estate agent, she figured he was making a mistake by not investing now that he appeared to be putting down roots.

      Certainly Jason didn’t plan to change jobs any time soon. Possibly not for many years.

      Yet in the past there’d been times—one in particular, after his engagement had fallen apart—when both his personal and professional lives had benefited from his ability to pack up and move on short notice. He wasn’t ready to give up that freedom yet.

      “Hold on.” Rob paused next to his car and folded his arms. “Didn’t you ask me earlier whether any of the apartments allowed dogs? A dog isn’t exactly what I’d call a minor acquisition.”

      “It was an idle question.” Jason had always dreamed of having a dog. His parents, who took pride in their spotless Brookline home, had nixed the idea while he was growing up, and he’d had no opportunity since then. “Maybe when I retire, I’ll buy a large place and a dog to go with it. I don’t know why I bothered asking today. It just popped into my head.”

      For some reason, he wondered whether Heather liked dogs. He’d spent the last couple of days wondering about Heather’s taste in a lot of things, although he’d been too busy to seek her out again.

      “Your subconscious might be sending you a signal,” said his companion.

      “Excuse me?” How on earth had Rob figured out that he was thinking about Heather?

      “The dog. If that’s what you really want, we’re taking the wrong approach.” The obstetrician leaned against the car. “I don’t think an apartment is what you need.”

      “If you’re about to suggest I invest in real estate, stop right there,” Jason said.

      “I was thinking more along the lines of renting a house or a town house,” the younger doctor said. “That’s what Dr. Rourke does.”

      “Oh?” He tried to sound casual, although he found himself intensely interested in hearing more. “Where does she live?”

      “In a town house development on Bordeaux Avenue. That’s in the northeastern part of town,” Rob said. “I’d have rented there myself if it were closer to the beach.”

      “Do they allow pets?” That would be ideal, Jason thought.

      “I don’t know,” said the other doctor. “You could ask her about it on Monday.”

      “I don’t want to wait that long. I’m tired of the hotel.” He was impatient to get settled and curious to see where Heather lived, too. “Why don’t we swing by there and take a look at her place?”

      “I don’t know her unit number. Besides, she’s probably not home.” Obviously, Rob wasn’t eager to make another stop. If he were getting tired of the apartment hunt, Jason couldn’t blame him.

      “You’ve been great today,” he said. “You’ve given me a good idea of what’s available. Why don’t you drop me at my hotel? I can take it from there.”

      “I promised to help,” Rob said stubbornly. “Besides, you don’t know your way around town.”

      “I’ve got a map,” he pointed out, then added the kicker. “It’s still early enough to hit the golf course.”

      The man ran through several expressions as he waged an internal debate. “All right.” The call of the links had won out. “I’ll take you back, but let me know if you need more help.”

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