Emergency: Single Dad, Mother Needed. Laura Iding

cast her mother a quick glance. “I really like my job. I have many interesting cases.”

      “I’m glad.” Her mother smiled faintly, her face pale. “I hope I didn’t take you away from anything important.”

      She thought of Mark, the young boy whose condition was still so tenuous. “No, you didn’t. Although I do have a very sick young man in the PICU.”

      “I’m sure you’ll help make him better.” Despite her mother’s reassuring tone, deep lines of fatigue bracketed her mouth. For a moment Holly felt a flash of resentment toward her father. Her father had been Dr. Kendall Davidson, the chief of neurosurgery and he’d died several years ago after a long night of surgery. Her parents had divorced when she’d still been in high school, a traumatic event when she’d discovered her father had been cheating on her mother. When his young lover had become pregnant, he’d filed for divorce.

      She’d made peace with her past, except for rare moments like this, when resentment still burned. How ironic that by marrying Tom she’d made the same mistake her mother had.

      Tom had seemed to want the same things she did, a loving home and family. Children in particular were important to her, she hadn’t wanted to put her kids through a painful divorce like she’d experienced.

      After Kayla was stillborn, Holly had known there wasn’t anything left of her marriage to save. Wisely, Tom hadn’t bothered to put up a fight. To his credit, he’d made the divorce proceedings as painless as possible.

      Pushing the memory aside, she pulled into her mother’s driveway and brought the car to a halt. After getting sick, her mother had finally given up her mausoleum of a house to move into the much smaller, more practical home located closer to the hospital. So close she could easily take a care-van to her dialysis appointments. Holly hurried around to open the car door. “Here, let me help you.”

      Her mother leaned heavily on her arm as Holly guided her inside. After she’d got her mother settled on the sofa, covered in a warm, wool blanket, she went into the kitchen and threw together a light meal of scrambled eggs and toast, carrying everything out on a tray.

      “Thanks, Holly.” Her mother’s grateful tone made her feel guilty for leaving during those years she’d been married to Tom. It was good that she’d come back home. Obviously her mother needed her.

      “You’re welcome.” She leaned over to give her mother a gentle hug. “Is there anything else you need before I go?”

      “No, thanks, dear.”

      “All right, then. Call my cell if you need me.” Holly let herself out of the house, wondering if the time would come that her mother might need more full-time care. If so, she’d do her best to take care of her.

      Family was important, even if her father and Tom hadn’t thought so.

      Her pager went off and she paused in the driveway to glance at the display. The message wasn’t from work, as she’d expected, but rather from Gabe.

      Please, call me when you have a minute, Gabe. He’d left his number on the text message too.

      Was he still at work? Had something happened to Mark? With a frown, she flipped open her cellphone and dialed his number.

      “Hello?”

      “Gabe? It’s Holly. What’s wrong?”

      “I picked up JT from his pre-school and something just doesn’t seem right. He’s running a low-grade fever and has chills.” Gabe sounded uncertain, not at all like his usual self. “I don’t think it’s serious, but I could use a second, unbiased opinion.” He paused and then added, “If you’re not too busy.”

      She hesitated for the barest fraction of a second before she realized she was allowing her personal need to stay away from him to interfere with taking care of a sick child.

      How could she turn him down? After all, she’d offered her help. “Of course I’m not too busy. I’ll be right there.”