CHAPTER TWO

      CHESAPEAKE VIEW’S ONCOLOGY ward was actually a bright, welcoming place. The walls were painted a buttery yellow, and butterflies with vibrant wings in jeweled tones of red, green, blue and orange were stenciled onto the walls. As Tessa stepped off the elevator, she faced the reception desk, made of blond wood and accented by the teal counter. The lights were housed in globes of pastel colors, emitting a soft, radiant glow. There was a waiting area with blue overstuffed chairs and sofas, along with a large, flat-screen TV running an endless loop of cartoons. A glass mosaic dominated one wall depicting a garden with butterflies amid the flowers.

      Though the environment was cheery, Tessa prepared herself for a fight. She’d been warned that Dr. Noah Brennan could be difficult, but if she was going to do her job well, she’d need him on her side.

      Tessa took her new job seriously. Her position as a marketing and PR coordinator was a newly created role, and her contract was only for a year. The hospital’s board of directors was looking to raise funds and boost awareness of their programs, specifically in the pediatric oncology unit. If she was able to leverage Dr. Brennan’s reputation and accolades to bring more attention to the hospital, the board had hinted her contract would be extended.

      And she desperately wanted this job to continue. While she’d enjoyed working at the animal clinic, her small salary there hadn’t been enough to pay for the upkeep of her grandmother’s cottage.

      Plus, this job was a blessing, allowing her to keep her hand in pediatrics, which had once been her passion, without requiring her to work directly with patients. She missed the daily interaction with children she’d had as a pediatric nurse, but her heart ached too much now to be around them day in and day out.

      She adored kids. She always had. Becoming a mother was something she’d looked forward to her entire life, or at least until a couple of years ago. Since then, she’d made a concerted effort to avoid children. Now, she only prayed she could excel at this job so she could find her way past the heartache of the last two years.

      She checked the time on her phone and nibbled at her lip in worry. Her boss was nowhere in sight. She had been scheduled to meet Ana Morales here fifteen minutes ago. The episode at the coffee shop that morning had cost her time, though, and she was running late. While Ana was a fairly flexible person, Tessa knew that arriving late, especially when she was finally going to meet the hospital’s most prestigious doctor, wasn’t the way to keep this job.

      Fearing maybe Ana had come and gone without her, Tessa moved toward the nurses’ station to see if Ana was hopefully running behind herself. She was relieved when she spotted Miranda, one of the nurses. Miranda confirmed that Ana was already there and waiting for her in Dr. Brennan’s office. She pointed the way down the hall, and Tessa set off at a brisk pace, hoping she hadn’t missed anything too important. As she walked, she remembered her conversation the week before, when Ana had described the hospital’s chief pediatric oncologist.

      “Noah is one of the best in the country, if not the world,” Ana had said. “He’s brilliant when it comes to treating childhood cancers. He came on board six months ago. He was looking for a— Well, a change of scenery, I suppose you could say.”

      Tessa remembered sensing there was something Ana wasn’t telling her about Dr. Brennan, but Ana had continued speaking before she could ask any questions.

      “We’ve tracked the success of other hospitals’ PR campaigns, and using someone gifted and well-known as the face of the campaign has yielded tremendous results. We are hoping to replicate that kind of success here. That’s where you come in.”

      Tessa had read between the lines; whether she kept her job or not rested on the success of this venture with Dr. Brennan.

      And now she was finally going to meet the man. She reached the door with Dr. Brennan’s name on it and swallowed, feeling a wave of nerves as she prepared to meet the doctor she’d be working closely with in the months to come.

      She tapped on the door and waited until she heard a muffled call for admittance. Pushing it open, she stepped inside, her gaze first falling on Ana. She smiled a greeting at her boss.

      “I’m so sorry I’m late, Ana, but I got tied up—” As she was speaking, her gaze automatically shifted to the man standing on the other side of the desk. She drew up short as she recognized him.

      It appeared the man from the coffee shop wasn’t a CIA agent at all.

      He was a doctor.

      * * *

      NOAH BLINKED IN surprise at the woman who had just stepped into his office. She looked equally stunned.

      “Noah, this is—”

      “Tessa Worth,” he interrupted Ana and then immediately winced. Tessa would probably think it strange that he had noted her name on the scrap of paper she’d given him.

      “Oh, good, you two have met already,” Ana said. “Well done, Tessa, on diving right in.”

      His eyes were locked on the woman standing just inside the doorway, and he couldn’t seem to tear them away. She looked as surprised as he felt, her cheeks coloring at Ana’s praise, but she also hadn’t spoken up. He wondered if she was waiting to hear how he would respond to this awkward situation. After another breath, he forced himself to look away from her and back at Ana.

      “Ms. Worth and I met informally this morning.”

      Ana frowned but didn’t question the explanation. “Well. Tessa is our new marketing and PR coordinator for the hospital.”

      He nearly groaned aloud. This was the woman he was supposed to work so closely with? Based on their earlier encounter, he was even less thrilled than he’d been when Ana had explained the directive to him.

      “Oh, well then. Tessa, Dr. Brennan is the head of our pediatric oncology ward.”

      Tessa seemed to have gathered her composure as she stepped forward and raised a hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Dr. Brennan.”

      He ignored her hand, stubbornly keeping his arms folded across his chest.

      Ana cleared her throat, and as he caught her eye, he noted the scowl on her features. He reluctantly dropped his arms and shook Tessa’s hand. He couldn’t help noticing the softness of her skin, her fingers pleasantly cool within his. He broke the handshake as quickly as he could.

      “I’d like for Tessa to shadow you today to get a better understanding of your role here at the hospital.”

      Noah and Tessa both began to protest at the same time.

      “I don’t think that’s warranted—”

      “I’m sure Dr. Brennan has a lot to do—”

      Ana’s expression silenced them both. “Let’s keep in mind what these PR campaigns are really about. It’s not about me, or either of you, or even the hospital. It is about raising money for these children. Getting them more care, better care and the very best tools to help them get well. So whatever issues you are dealing with should be set aside for the sake of this initiative. We are here to save lives.”

      Noah frowned. He had to hand it to her—Ana had the guilt speech down pat. How could either of them protest when she put it like that? For the length of several heartbeats, no one said anything.

      To his irritation, it was Tessa who broke it.

      “I’d be happy to shadow you today, Dr. Brennan, if you don’t mind.”

      Of