Robert’s head pounded when he woke the next morning. He didn’t have a hangover, but his emotions had been put through the blender. Squinting at the bright sunlight, he looked to his left, right into the face of a purring cat.

“Hi, Buster.”

He scratched the cat’s ears and then sat up. Brooke’s already blurry room started spinning so he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply a couple of times. Clearing his throat, he winced at the scratchy pain it caused. Crying yourself hoarse will do that.

He jumped when his cellphone rang and felt like his head was being cleaved in two at the loud sound. Picking up the phone, he was shocked to see that it was after ten. His thumb hovered over the answer button as he considered whether to answer Kate’s call.

She was probably pissed and worried about him and he wasn’t sure he had the strength to deal with her questions. With a resigned sigh, he picked up.

“Hi, boss.” He attempted a jovial air, but it sounded hollow to his own ear. “So, turns out that I’m going to be late today.”

“I’ve been calling you for hours,” Kate said. “Brooke says that she left you at her place. Are you still there?”

“Yeah. I just woke up. I was kind of out of it. I never heard my phone,” he said.

“You sound like shit. Did you guys get drunk last night?”

Robert stood up and then looked around for his glasses. “No. We were just very, um, active, and I overslept.”

“You could have rung?”

Her attitude made his temper flare; especially knowing she was right. “You know what? I’m a grown-ass man, Kate, and I don’t need you keeping tabs on me. I’m always at work, even when I’m sick. So, I don’t show up one morning? Big deal! I’ll grab a shower and be right the fuck there. Won’t happen again, boss.”

He hit the end button and located his glasses on the nightstand by the side of bed where he’d been sleeping. He stuck them on and made his way to the bathroom. Looking over the choice of soaps in Brooke’s shower, Robert decided that the cucumber melon would be the least girly scent.

His phone rang several times while he was in the shower, turning his mood darker. He finished in record time and got out. As he dried off with a fluffy towel, he realized that he’d slept in the nude. Where were his clothes?

Going in the bedroom, he located his underwear, but not his other clothes. What had Brooke done with them? He had clothes in the car. Grabbing his cellphone, he descended the stairs. His mind was clearer and the pounding behind his eyes had abated somewhat.

He found his sneakers by the front door and picked them up. Then, acting braver than he felt, he opened the door and walked out onto the porch in only his briefs. Feigning nonchalance, he walked to the back of his SUV, ignoring the neighbor lady gawking at him from her porch.

Grabbing his duffel bag, he got out the old jeans and faded black T-shirt in it and pulled them on. As he thrust his bare feet into his sneakers, he swore because he didn’t know where his keys were. He checked his ignition, but they weren’t there.

“Shit. Now what?” he asked no one.

Looking at his cellphone, he saw that one of the callers had been Brooke. He pressed the callback button, but he got her voicemail. Hanging up, he called his own and listened to an angry message from Kate. There was also one from Brooke, telling him that she had his keys, they’d been in her bag by mistake.

He needed his keys to get in his house and to lock up the office that night. He also needed a ride to the hospital, but who to call? Tyler and Ric would be at work, Chase and Anna would be at the hospital with their babies, and he didn’t want to make Emily drag TJ to town just to take him to the hospital.

Casting a speculative look at the neighbor lady, who was still watching him with hawkish intensity, Robert gave her his friendliest smile and started for her house. “Ma’am, I don’t suppose I could trouble you for a ride to the hospital?”

* * *

With a few last keystrokes and a mouse click, Brooke sent off a supply request and flopped back in her office chair. Trying to keep her mind on work instead of Robert was stressing her out.

“Hey, Brooke.”

She swore under her breath as Dr. Mitchell Scoggins jogged into her office. Fixing him with an annoyed stare, Brooke said, “Yes, Dr. Mitchell?”

He flashed her an adorable grin. “C’mon. It’s Mitch, remember? I need an opinion about something.”

Brooke straightened in her chair. “Okay. What is it?”

Mitch turned around and presented her with his jeans-clad behind. “Are these too tight or too baggy?”

Brooke laughed. Mitch was a scary-brilliant doctor, who could fill in for several different specialists when needed, but emotionally he was still a college frat boy. “Are you asking me if you’re having a good butt day?”

Blue eyes set under dark, shaggy hair smiled at her from over his shoulder. “No. I’m trying to adhere to the dress code. Nothing too tight, nothing too baggy. Danforth ripped into me last week about my attire, and I’m trying to keep my ass intact.”

Another laugh erupted from Brooke, but it was cut short by the appearance of Robert behind Mitch.

“Excuse me, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t show your ass to my girlfriend,” he said.

Mitch’s head whipped around. “Oh, hey. You must be Robert. I was just asking her for some fashion advice.” Mitch looked down at his jeans and then back at Robert. “Are these too tight? What do you think, man?”

Robert ignored Mitch. “Brooke, can we talk?”

Mitch straightened his doctor’s jacket. “Okay. That’s a no then.” He exited Brooke’s office, pulling the door closed behind him.

As Robert locked the door and approached her desk, Brooke took in his disheveled state. With his wild hair, scruffy jaw, and old clothes, he looked like a sexy farm hand instead of an office manager.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning. How did you sleep?” she asked, looking him over again with concern.

“Fine, I think. After I fell apart on you last night, I don’t remember a whole lot.” His mouth twisted in a wry smile. “How many beers did I have?”

Brooke said, “You needed to fall apart. You’ve been holding all that in for far too long. How do you feel? Clear-headed enough to drive?”

He nodded. “Did we make love?”

“No. I wanted to, but you said that I deserved better than comfort sex.”

Another nod. “Where are my keys?”

He was unreadable, which was completely out of character for him and it set her on edge. She took her purse out of a desk drawer and fished his keys from it. “Here you go.”

His touch was gentle as his fingers encircled her wrist and pulled her to her feet. Wordlessly, he bowed his head and captured her lips with his. He cupped the back of her neck and ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips. A warm shudder ran up her spine as she opened for him.

He didn’t tease, he dominated, taking what he wanted even while giving her a taste of what she desired. Abruptly, he dragged his mouth from hers, leaving her feeling as though someone had screeched the needle across a spinning record.

“I shouldn’t keep Mrs. Zukowski waiting since she was nice enough to give me a ride. Thanks for being there for me last night.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’ll talk to you later.” He dropped a brief kiss on her lips. “Have a good day.”

Reaching up, she ran her fingers through his hair. “You might want to comb this and shave.”

“I’ll take that under advisement, Nurse Carpenter.”

“Do that.”

After Robert left, Brooke wondered at his odd behavior and worried that he was embarrassed about breaking down. Did he regret telling her about Liam or think that she’d betray his confidence? She’d have to reassure him that she’d never reveal his confession.

Sitting back down, something he’d said came back to Brooke. Robert didn’t want more kids. She’d been so stunned by all his revelations that she’d blocked that out. Did he really mean that or was that only his grief talking?

Her heart more troubled than before Robert had shown up, Brooke knew that concentrating on her job that day would be even harder. However, she had people counting on her, so she put her personal problems aside and went back to work.

* * *

He shouldn’t have kissed Brooke that morning. Shouldn’t have touched her or called her his girlfriend.

“Fuck!” Robert barely kept from smashing his laptop keyboard with a fist. “I need a drink.” He had no right to claim her. With a groan, he put his hands over his face. “You’re such a damn dumbass.”

“I certainly think so, but why don’t you tell me why you think that?”

Robert lowered his hands and skewered Kate with a hard look. They’d been sniping at each other ever since he’d arrived at work, which was completely unlike them. “You want to know what my problem is?”

“Yeah.”

“Close the door and pull up a seat.”

She complied and waited for him to speak.

Robert pulled out his phone and brought up Liam’s pictures. “Here. Look at this.”

Kate gave him a dubious glance and took his phone. A smile tugged at her lips as she looked at the little boy with him. Her brows drew together and she looked at him over the phone.

Robert reasoned that she must have read the description under the picture. She flipped through a couple more pictures and then lowered the phone.

“Robert, you had a son?”

“Yeah.”

“And he died?”

“His name was Liam, and I loved him more than anything, Kate.”

Kate’s face went white, alarming Robert. Feeling like an ass for upsetting her in her condition, Robert grabbed a bottle of water from his mini-fridge and gave it to her. He pulled his office chair around so he could sit close to her.

“I’m sorry that I yelled at you, Kate. I know that you were just worried about me,” he said. “I’m also sorry for springing this on you at work.” He shook his head. “My emotions are sort of all over the map right now and I’m not making the best decisions.”

Kate gazed at him and then back down at the phone as she took a couple of sips of water. “What happened? How did he die?”

Robert took the phone from her and recounted the story while looking at his sweet little boy. Although tears pricked the backs of his eyes, he made it through without crying. Maybe he’d shed so many tears last night that he didn’t have any left right then.

“I told all of this to Brooke last night, Kate. I also told her that I don’t want more kids,” he said.

“Grief makes us think and say things we really don’t mean.”

Robert shook his head. “I don’t want kids, Kate. Don’t judge me. You don’t know what it’s like to go through something like that. I almost didn’t survive and I can’t risk losing another child.”

Kate placed a hand on his arm. “Robert, I wish you’d have told me. I want to be here for you. My heart is broken for you, but Robert, you have so much love to give a child. Don’t shut that part of you off.”

Robert clenched his teeth and shook his head. “I just can’t take that risk. I won’t open myself up for that kind of heartache again. I still hurt for Liam and it’s hard to be around kids.”

Kate’s chin rose and she put a hand on her baby bump. “What about my baby? Ric and I want you to be his or her godfather.”

Robert’s breathing picked up. “No, Kate. I’m honored, I really am, but I can’t be responsible for another child. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to it while it was in my care.”

His heart sank as her eyes filled with tears. “I know you’ve been through hell, but you’re a fool for locking up your heart this way. You were a great father and you could be again, but you’re too scared to allow yourself to be happy.”

Stung, Robert had to get away. He got up and snatched his keys off his desk. “I’m going home, but I’ll make up the time tomorrow.”

“Robert, don’t go. I’m sorry.”

He forced a smile. “Don’t be. You’re right, but I just can’t do it. I need to get my head on straight again and I can’t do that here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Leaving her in his office, he strode swiftly out the back door, avoiding the other employees. He got in his car, cranked it to life, and sped out of the parking lot. Liam’s face rose in his mind and his laugh echoed in Robert’s mind.

Miserable, Robert mentally kicked his ass for getting involved with the one woman he’d instinctively known would capture his heart. Just like his other relationships, it had been doomed from the start. Although another part of his heart would die, he had to let Brooke go.