Finding Her Prince. Robyn Donald

for both you and the baby.”

      “She did,” Cindy confirmed. “And isn’t it fortunate that I have a job that affords me the opportunity to move around a lot?”

      And she couldn’t afford much else, he thought. Thanks to the jerk who used her and disappeared. Nathan was furious every time he thought about that. And he didn’t like the idea of her pushing around the housekeeping cart.

      “Aren’t there exercise classes specifically for expectant mothers?” he asked.

      “There are. And I’ll do that in my copious free time, right between my job and administrative internship responsibilities.”

      “How about on the weekend?” he suggested.

      “Right.” She took a sip of her water. “I can do that because money grows on trees.”

      “I’ll pay for it.”

      The words just came out of his mouth. What was it about this woman that made him want to fix things for her? It wasn’t the pregnancy because the protective feeling had simmered inside him from the moment he’d seen her cross that crowded ballroom.

      “No, thanks.” She smiled, and for the first time since he’d asked her to dinner there was warmth in the expression.

      “I’m only trying to help.”

      “Believe me, I noticed.” She dragged her finger through the condensation on her glass. “And I appreciate the gesture. But I don’t care for feeling pathetic, that my life is a bad B movie. And if this were a romantic comedy, you’d have proposed to me by now. But we both know that kind of offer would be out of character for you.”

      There was nothing wrong with his character. He paid his bills, didn’t use women and never made promises he didn’t intend to keep. “How do we know that?”

      “It’s common knowledge,” she said with a knowing look.

      Not to him. “It?”

      “You’re a serial dater, which by definition means anti-matrimony.”

      “So that’s the current rumor at the hospital?”

      She nodded. “Is it wrong?”

      Damn right. Partly. He dated because he hadn’t been very good at settling down.

      “Yeah, it’s wrong. Imagine that. A rumor making the rounds at Mercy Medical Center that’s been twisted and sensationalized.”

      “Which part?” Cindy asked.

      “I’m not anti-matrimony. In fact, I was married once.” He saw her glance at his left ring finger, which was bare.

      It always had been. After the formal ceremony when he and Felicia had taken their vows, he hadn’t worn a wedding band. He’d given his wife a host of excuses about it getting in the way when he was working. Gloving up. Sterile procedure. But she’d seen through all the crap and realized the truth about him.

      “You said was.” Cindy frowned. “Past tense. You’re divorced?”

      “No.” He saw the look of surprise and clarified. “My wife died in a car accident.”

      Not long after she’d left him because he didn’t love her.

      She’d been right, but it wasn’t about her. Love was something he couldn’t make himself believe in.

      “Oh, Nathan—” Cindy’s eyes widened with distress. “I didn’t know.”

      “Not many people do.”

      “That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”

      “Don’t be.” The fault was his and so was the guilt.

      “I can’t help it. That’s what happens when you hear rumors and believe them without question. I should know better than to listen to that stuff. There’s so much talk and every time a story is told it gets—”

      The words stopped as she focused on something behind him.

      “What’s wrong?”

      “Two of the NICU nurses just walked in,” she whispered.

      “So?”

      “Isn’t it ironic that we were just talking about gossip?”

      Her expression took on the same wariness the day he’d tried to help her out. She’d told him to back off or it could cost her job.

      “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said.

      “Rumors will spread like the plague. You. Me. Here. Alone.” She put her elbow on the table, then settled a hand on her forehead, trying to shield her face. “Where’s a really big menu when you need one?” she mumbled.

      “It’s no one’s business but ours why we’re here.”

      “In a perfect world that would be true. But, trust me on this, there will be talk.”

      Nathan looked up when the two hospital employees walked by. He recognized the nurses—Barbara Kelly and Lenore Fusano. The first was pretty, blonde and blue eyed. The other woman had dark eyes and hair. Also attractive. He nodded a greeting and they both smiled and said hello, then kept moving without acknowledging Cindy in any way.

      “This is just great,” she said. “And the timing couldn’t be worse. I told my supervisor that everything was under control.”

      “What does this have to do with your boss?”

      She met his gaze. “I met with her because there was a complaint about me. Anonymous. On the hospital’s hotline.”

      Nathan glanced at the two nurses and saw them look quickly away. “What was the complaint?”

      “Supposedly about my work.”

      He remembered what she’d said about her life getting more difficult when word got out that he was “slumming” with one of the housekeepers. Then she’d told him to leave her alone because it could cost her job. That remark was one of the reasons he’d felt compelled to talk to her. To reassure her that she had nothing to worry about.

      “Someone complained because you talked to me?” he asked.

      “No. Because you talked to me.”

      He hadn’t really bought into what she’d said about all the social hierarchy stuff affecting her employment. But someone had gone on record and the paperwork trail had started. “You should have told me.”

      “Why? What can you do?” she protested. “I already asked you to leave me alone, and we can see how well that worked out.”

      He wasn’t walking away and everyone should just get over it. Including Cindy. “Backing off isn’t exactly my style.”

      “Then you’re the exception.”

      “I take pride in staying friends with the women I’ve taken out,” he said.

      Cindy blinked at him. “Don’t tell me. The serial dater rumors are true.”

      “I object to the ‘serial’ label.” He rested his forearms on the table. “I go out. In fact, I went out with one of those nurses for a while. We’re still friends.”

      Cindy glanced over her shoulder and tensed before meeting his gaze again. “Don’t tell me. You dated the one glaring a hole through my back.”

      “I don’t see anyone scowling in your direction. Barbara Kelly and I went out a few times. No big deal.”

      “For you,” she said pointedly. “But this is going to be trouble for me. And it’s not like I don’t have enough on my plate already.”

      “You’re being overly dramatic.”

      She shook her head. “Must be