Unexpected Attraction. Stella MacLean

made her way into the parking garage. In a matter of minutes she’d be with her little girl.

      She hurried to the reception desk inside the emergency department. “I’m Andrea Taylor. I’m here to see my daughter, Shannon.”

      “There is a waiting room for family members. I’ll let the staff know you’re here. Please follow the red dots just beyond the door,” the woman at the desk said.

      With a click the doors slowly opened, and Andrea went in, making her way along the wide corridor leading into the brightly lit space.

      Inside the waiting room there were groupings of chairs and a refreshment stand with a coffeepot and bottled water. Relieved to see the room empty, Andrea fought back the worry she’d been struggling with.

      Moving toward a comfortable chair near the center of the room, she glanced around at the muted blue walls displaying paintings by local artists. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself.

      The clock on the wall behind the sofa clunked at each passing minute. The coffeepot hissed. The muffled sounds emanating from the hospital corridor did nothing to soothe her anxiety. How long would she have to wait? They’d told her to get here as soon as possible. She was here. Where were they? Unable to sit still any longer, Andrea clutched her purse and stood. Sliding her hands up her arms, she walked around the room, looking for a distraction.

      Suddenly there was a woman wearing blue scrubs and a white lab coat standing at the door. “Mrs. Taylor?”

      Andrea’s heart felt as if it were going to leap out of her chest. “Yes.”

      “I’m Dr. Janet Everett. I’ve examined Shannon. She has some cuts and a bruised knee, a welt on her forehead. We’re running a few tests on her now.”

      “What happened? Why would a fall on the sidewalk result in my daughter being brought to the hospital?”

      “An ambulance was called to the scene, so obviously someone was very concerned. As far as I know, she didn’t lose consciousness. Your daughter has said very little other than that she fell. A young man came in with her but left about ten minutes ago.”

      “Kyle Donahue?” Why had Kyle left Shannon alone instead of waiting for Andrea to arrive? Was he involved somehow in what happened? And how had Shannon ended up being hurt when she was supposed to be at home?

      “I believe that’s the name, but your daughter should be able to tell you.” The doctor’s quizzical expression made Andrea feel inadequate, as if she should have known who was with her daughter. And she should have... Which was a problem she intended to fix as soon as she could see Shannon.

      Dr. Everett’s glance swept over her. “Are you okay?”

      Shannon had never been in the hospital before. Not once. She must be so frightened by all this. “I—I think so. When can I see her?”

      “In a few minutes.” The doctor’s weary smile didn’t offer much comfort.

      Andrea stood still, trying to absorb it all, trying to calm her racing heart. She had more questions after speaking with the doctor. She still couldn’t understand how Shannon could have fallen and why an ambulance had been called. If Kyle was with her, why hadn’t he grabbed her before she hit the sidewalk? None of this made sense.

      The ring of her phone sent a spike of adrenaline through Andrea.

      She checked the caller ID. Scott Taylor?

      Her ex-husband was the last person she wanted to speak with now, yet she couldn’t ignore him. “Scott, why are you calling me?”

      “Shannon just phoned. Did you know she’s in the hospital?”

      Why would Shannon call her father? The man only wanted contact with their daughter when he needed something. “Yes. I’m at the hospital now.”

      “Have you seen her yet?”

      “I’m on my way to her room in a few minutes,” Andrea said, the old feelings of inadequacy roiling her stomach.

      “What are you doing to help her?” Scott demanded, his voice suddenly loud and angry. “You’d better be looking after her.”

      “That’s not fair! Shannon’s safe with me. You know that,” she said as she began to pace.

      She listened to more angry words about her parenting skills from the man who had tried to take her daughter from her. But what he wanted didn’t matter. This was not the time or place for his tirade. “I’ll get back to you once I’ve talked to Shannon.” Andrea hung up before he could respond.

      A woman in pink scrubs walked into the waiting room. “I’m Karen, Shannon’s nurse. I can take you to see her now.”

      They walked toward the trauma area, through a set of swinging doors to an area behind a white curtain.

      Andrea stopped in front of the barrier, bracing herself for what she might see. “Shannon?” Andrea asked as she slipped behind the cotton drape.

      “Mom? Mom, I’m so sorry. I never meant—”

      “Oh, sweetie, you’re okay. That’s all that matters,” she said, her voice shaking as she hugged her daughter. “I was so worried. Why didn’t you call me?”

      “Mom, please don’t,” Shannon said, easing away, clutching her elbows as she stared at a spot over Andrea’s shoulder.

      Andrea was so relieved to see Shannon she didn’t immediately register the dismissive words and actions. She eased away and scanned Shannon’s face for any sign of injury. Other than a small white bandage on her forehead and a reddened area on her cheek, there didn’t seem to be any visible damage. “Where do you hurt?” she asked, smoothing the pillow behind Shannon’s head.

      “I’m fine, Mom. You don’t need to worry.”

      From what she could see, Shannon seemed to be okay, but that didn’t alleviate her concerns. “Why didn’t you call me after school?” It took surprising effort to keep the recriminations from spilling out. If Shannon had answered her phone, perhaps this could have been avoided. At the very least, Andrea would have known what her daughter was up to.

      “I was busy and forgot.”

      How could her only child forget to call her? That wasn’t how their relationship worked. They stayed in contact, always letting the other know when plans changed. When had Shannon stopped telling Andrea everything? And why hadn’t she noticed that her daughter seemed...different? What had gone wrong, and was Kyle the reason for Shannon’s odd behavior? “Was Kyle with you?”

      “He was, but he had to get home. His mom was looking for him,” Shannon said, her anxious glance partially obscured by the bandage above her right eye.

      “How did you get hurt?”

      Shannon toyed with the neckline of her hospital gown, a frown darkening her features. “Kyle was walking with me to the mall. I needed to get to the drugstore.”

      “And?” Dragging answers out of Shannon was like an inquisition. Why was she so reluctant to talk? Was there more to this fall than she was admitting?

      “And I tripped. I fell down...” Shannon’s voice shook.

      The tremor broke the control Andrea had on her emotions, and tears escaped. “I’m so sorry you’re hurt. But how could you have hit the ground so hard? Where was Kyle? Didn’t he grab you? Surely he didn’t let you fall without trying to help.”

      “Mom! Stop! I don’t need you crying when nothing really happened. I wouldn’t have come to the hospital if Kyle hadn’t insisted. He did everything he could to help me.”

      “Where is Chloe? She’s your best friend. Why didn’t she come to the hospital with you?”

      Shannon closed her eyes briefly then looked up. “I called Daddy. He told me you’d freak out, but I didn’t believe him. I wish