Free An Unexpected Love (Women's Fiction/BWWM Romance) by Stacy-Deanne

tonight.”
    “Yeah, I just wanted to drop in and check
on Layla.” Then he waved the flowers.
    “My, those flowers are gorgeous.” She swerved
her gigantic hips from behind the desk. “And may I say, I’m sorry about the
divorce. Around here, we assumed everything was great between you two. You guys
seemed like a fairytale romance.”
    “That’s why it’s best not to make
assumptions from the outside.” He shrugged. “Is she in her room? I can go on
myself.”
    “No, she’s at the party.” Her chubby
cheeks spread when she smiled. “One of the nurses is turning sixty today, and
the staff decided to do a little celebration in the rec room. Some of the
residents were allowed to attend.”
    “Really? That sounds like fun.”
    “It’s in the gym. I’ll show you.” She
skipped back behind her desk. “Just let me put my computer to sleep.” She hit a
button on the keyboard. “There we go.” She rushed to Patrick and took his arm.
“Right this way.”
    He looked left and right, as they went
down one massive hall after another. They turned three corners then came to the
gym. The double doors were wide open. Instrumental Latin music and laughter
spilled into the hall.
    “Whoa.” Gertie stopped in the doorway.
“They’re having a ball.” She laughed.
    About thirty people occupied the small gymnasium.
A group of men, who appeared to be patients, sat on the bleachers playing
cards. Three women scrambled around, giving cake to people. Others danced in
circles and twisted to the festive music. A man, who appeared to be another
patient, danced with a woman who by her name badge, seemed to be a nurse or
some other attendant. A long table—covered with a paper runner decorated with
drawings of candles and birthday hats, and displaying a huge cake and bowl of
punch—sat in the center of the room.  
    “There’s Layla.” Gertie pointed to the
corner of the room.
    Layla sat tucked away with a blond, white
guy. He whispered something in her ear. She laughed, nearly spitting out punch.
Patrick deflated as if all the breath he owned had leaked from him. He lowered
the flowers.
    Gertie wobbled her head and clapped to the
music.   “Layla looks like she’s having
fun, doesn’t she?”
      “Yeah,”
Patrick muttered. “That’s good for her.”
    He tried to swallow, but there was a lump
the size of Texas in his throat.
    The fast music ended, and a slow song
started to play. The blond guy set down their punch cups and held out his hands,
as if inviting Layla to dance. She bowed her head, took his hands, and they
started dancing. She placed her hand on his shoulder. He slid his down her side
and perched it on her waist.
    Patrick clenched the flowers tighter.
    They danced so close they seemed glued
together. The man stared into Layla’s eyes. She smiled back at him, in a way Patrick
hadn’t seen in years. Patrick gestured with the flowers.
    “Who’s that guy she’s with?”
    “That’s Cross.” Gertie smiled from ear to
ear. “They’ve really hit it off.”
    “Have they?” Patrick groaned.
    “Uh-huh. They’ve been stuck together like
glue since Layla got here. He’s the only one she seems to talk to outside of
Dr. Livingston or the nurses.”
    “Cross?” Patrick whispered. “What kind of
name is that?”
    “Go on in.” She pointed. “There’s plenty
of cake and…”
    “No.” He pulled back. “I think I’d rather
wait until she’s through.”
    “It’s no problem. You can mingle and have
a little fun too, if you want.”
    “No.” Patrick kept his gaze on Layla and
Cross. “I’d rather wait and talk to her in private.”
    He tried to fight the sadness of what he’d
seen, but it didn’t work. “She’s having fun. I don’t want to disturb her. I can
wait outside of her room.”
    “Okay.” Gertie acted as if she sensed
Patrick’s apprehension. “If that’s more comfortable for you, that’s fine.”
    Patrick looked at Layla and Cross one last
time and then went down the