Free Starting Now by Debbie Macomber Page B

to physicians, though, right?” she asked, half choking on the question, which she knew was ridiculous.
    Thankfully he ignored it.
    The infant in her arms squalled. For an instant Libby had completely forgotten she was holding a baby. She thanked God the newborn hadn’t fallen from her embrace and tumbled onto the floor. Her grip tightened slightly. She realized she should probably say something, but her mind went blank. In fact, she had become totally incapable of managing a single word.
    “You’ve apparently been around babies before,” he stated conversationally.
    “Ah …”
    “You seem at ease with them.”
    At ease? Her? With babies? The truth was that until last week she couldn’t remember the last time she’d even been close to a baby.
    Six years ago. She remembered with clarity now. Juliette, one of the paralegals, had taken maternity leave. After her baby was born, Juliette had stopped by the office with her daughter in tow. Libby wasn’t even clear on how it had happened, but the baby was thrust into her arms and she’d held her for several minutes. When Juliette had taken her daughter back, Libby had been relieved.
    Yet here she was volunteering at Seattle General to rock infants. Libby wasn’t sure what had changed. Could it possibly be her? Since she’d been let go—she cringed even thinking about Burkhart, Smith & Crandall—she’d lost a sense of what and who she really was.
    “I’d like to speak to you privately,” Phillip said, breaking into her thoughts.
    Taken aback, she stared up at him blankly, wondering what he could possibly have to say to her. “Why?”
    He ignored her question. “Although the cafeteria isn’t an ideal location, it will do.”
    She blinked. “What’s this about?”
    “There’s a matter I wish to discuss,” he said, as if his answer was all the explanation that was required.
    Libby frowned. Perhaps something had shown up on her volunteer application, but that seemed unlikely because she had already been approved.
    “It’ll only take a few minutes.”
    She hesitated.
    “It’s important.”
    “All right,” she agreed, with some reluctance. “I finish at three.”
    “That’s what Sharon said.”
    She realized she was staring, and that he was waiting for her reply.
    “Three,” she repeated. “The cafeteria.”
    Without another word he left. As soon as the nursery door closed, Libby released a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Phillip Stone was abrupt and demanding. What irritated her most was the fact that she’d let him intimidate her. Just because he was some hotshot doctor didn’t make him any better than anyone else. Yet she couldn’t help wondering what he found so important that he had to talk to her privately about it.
    Sharon returned a few minutes later. “Was that Dr. Stone I saw in here?” she asked. The smile that curved up the edges of her mouth said she couldn’t be more pleased by this unexpected turn of events. She all but rubbed her hands together with glee.
    “Yeah, he stopped by.” Libby tried hard to hide how uncomfortable the physician made her.
    “Well?” Sharon continued, her dark brown eyes wide and expectant as she eagerly awaited the details of their short meeting. “Are you going to make me torture it out of you? What did he want?”
    “He said he had something private to discuss with me,” Libby said, thinking Sharon might know what this was all about.
    Sharon’s look of surprise told her the nurse was in the dark as much as she was. Then gradually a smile came into play. “I thought he might be romantically interested in you and I was right.”
    “I don’t think so.” Libby didn’t know where Sharon had come up with that idea, but she sincerely doubted Dr. Stone was in any way attracted to her.
    Sharon’s smile didn’t waver. “Mark my words.”
    Libby rolled her eyes. “Oh, please,” she said, “I don’t think you should make more out of this than necessary. I’m sure he probably