Melting the Ice Queen's Heart

“I know you’re new to this city. What can you possibly have to do?”

Gavin slammed the binder shut and stood up, perhaps a bit abruptly. “Things.” He set the chart down and headed towards the cafeteria. Maybe grabbing some lunch would clear his head.

Moira, thankfully, didn’t follow.

Sure, he’d been harsh with her and, yeah, he had an itch that needed to be scratched, but since the girls had come into his life he had to be more responsible.

A year ago he would’ve taken Moira up on her offer and then some. As long as she hadn’t wanted anything serious.

She was attractive.

Now that he had his nieces, he just couldn’t be that playboy any more. His dating life could be summed up in two words. Cold. Showers.

In the cafeteria he grabbed a ready-made sandwich and a bottle of water. He was planning to take them outside and get some fresh air when he spotted Virginia on the far side of the cafeteria. It surprised him, as he never saw her in here.

She was sitting in the corner of the cafeteria at a table for two, but she sat alone. She was reading some kind of medical journal as she picked at a salad.

The cafeteria was full of other doctors, nurses, interns, but Virginia sat by herself.

She’s the chief of surgery. The boss.

The ice queen.

No one would want to sit with their boss at lunch. They wouldn’t feel comfortable, and he felt sorry for her. She was so young and she didn’t have it easy.

Just like me.

He crossed the cafeteria and stopped in front of her. “May I join you, Virginia?”

She looked startled and glanced up at him. “Of—of course, Dr. Potter. I mean Gavin.”

Gavin took the seat across from her. “How was your choly?”

“Routine.” She smiled and his pulse quickened. He liked the way she smiled and especially when it was directed at him, which wasn’t often. “How was the ER?”

“I think you can guess.”

“I know. I won’t say it.”

“I’m trying to work on interpersonal skills, but I’m having a hard time putting faces to names.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t seem to have that problem with patients.”

He nodded. “This is true.”

“You’re agreeing with me? Amazing.” The twinkle of humor appeared again.

“You’re mocking me now, aren’t you?”

Virginia stabbed a cherry tomato. “So what’s the difference between the nurses and the patients?”

“The patients aren’t all wearing the same kitten patterned scrubs.”

Virginia chuckled. “Not all the nurses wear kitten scrubs.”

“Well pink, then.” Gavin snorted. “Always pink.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing.” Gavin didn’t want to talk about his nieces. His private life was just that. It was his and private.

“What did you do in Africa? How did you remember names there?”

“It was easy. There were only ten of us at the most at any given time.”

“It’s a number thing, then.”

Gavin swallowed the water he had taken a swig of. “There are so many nurses. I think they’re multiplying and replicating in the back somewhere.”

Virginia laughed. It was a nice one, which made him smile. “Please, don’t tell them you think they’re cloning themselves. You’re a good surgeon, Gavin, and I’d hate to lose you to a pyre they’d light under the spit they’d tie you to.”

Gavin winked. “I’m trying.”

“Good.” She leaned forward and he caught the scent of vanilla, warm and homey like a bakery. He loved that smell. Gavin fought the sudden urge to bury his face in her neck and drink the scent in. “I have a secret.”

“Do tell.”

“They wear nametags.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “Ha-ha. Very funny.”

Virginia just laughed to herself as she ate her salad. “So, do you have any plans for the weekend?”

He cringed inwardly and then picked at the label on his bottle of water. “Nothing in particular. Are you off this weekend?”

“Yes, surprisingly.”

“And do you have plans?”

“I do.”

Gavin waited. “Not going to tell me?”

“Why should I? You don’t divulge aspects of your personal life.”

“Touché.” He downed the rest of his water and stood. “I’d better get back to the ER. It was nice chatting with you, Virginia.”

“And with you, Gavin. I hope the ER remains quiet for you for the rest of the day.”

A distant wail of an ambulance could be heard through an open window of the cafeteria. Several people raised their heads and listened.

Gavin groaned. “You had to jinx it, didn’t you?”

And all that minx did was grin.

CHAPTER FOUR

VIRGINIA WAS TIRED of sitting in her apartment alone. Not even the cactus could get her mind to stop racing.

The two things on her mind were the board’s threat to close the ER and Gavin.

After lunch yesterday she had felt the eyes of the other staff members boring into the back of her skull. They had obviously been shocked that the lone wolf, Dr. Brice, had sat with the ice queen of Bayview Grace, and the kicker had been that they’d both seemed to enjoy each other’s company.

Well, ice queens could get lonely too.

Virginia couldn’t let a slip up like that happen again. She couldn’t afford to have rumors flying around about them.

She’d eat in her office from now on.

At least, that’s what she’d decided on during her drive down to the pier in the calm serenity of her car.

Virginia had forgotten how crowded and noisy the pier was. It was a Saturday and it was August.

Tourist season.

The height of it.

All she wanted to do was get some fresh produce and maybe some shrimp down at the pier for dinner later, but she’d forgotten how jam-packed Fisherman’s Wharf could be. If she had a nickel for every middle-aged guy in an Alcatraz T-shirt wearing sandals with dark socks hiked to their knees who had bumped into her today, she’d have twenty bucks. At least.

Virginia moved through the crowd towards the pier. Her favorite vendor had a stall right near the edge of the market. Nikos knew her by name, knew what she liked and had her order ready every third Saturday of the month.

She liked the conversation and the familiarity, but it also reminded her of how utterly alone she was. How much it sucked that she’d be returning to her apartment in Nob Hill with only the echo of her own voice, her mute cactus and cable television to keep her company.

You can’t have it all, Virginia.

At least, that’s what she kept telling herself. She needed to keep her job so she could keep a roof over her head and send checks to her parents in De Smet. She’d make sure her younger siblings had a better childhood than she and Shyanne had had. Money was what her family needed. Not her presence, even though her mother begged her to visit all the time. A pang of pain hit her. She missed her twin sister and her family with every fiber of her being.

Only she couldn’t earn the money her family needed and take time off to visit them.

A shriek across the market shook her out of her dull reverie and she glanced to the source of the sound. A flurry of pink could be seen in the midst of the crush of locals and tourists.

The cloud of pink, in the form of a very puffy and frilly tutu, was attached to a golden-haired cherub on the shoulders of someone one could only assume was her father.

A pang of longing hit her and hit her hard.

Kids weren’t part of the plan. It was why she was single, but in that moment Virginia couldn’t remember for the life of her why.

Right, because I don’t want to have to worry about anyone else. I don’t want to lose any one else.

Another girl was pulling on the man’s arm and he turned around.

Virginia let out a gasp of shock to see a very familiar face peeking out from under the tutu. None other than the lone wolf Dr. Gavin Brice.

She hadn’t known he was married and with his vehement stance on where he’d rather be practicing medicine, Virginia would never have pegged him for a family man.

The pained expression on his face also confirmed her assumptions. Why hadn’t he mentioned his children before? Or the fact that he was married?

Virginia knew she shouldn’t get involved, that she should just turn the other way, but, dammit, Nikos would have her shrimp ready. She wasn’t going to change her plans just because it might avoid an awkward conversation.

No. She was going to stay on her present course.

Besides, curiosity was getting the better of her.

“Curiosity killed the cat!” Her mother’s voice nagged in her ear.

Shut up, Mom.

“Lily, I think we have everything we need.” Gavin’s voice was pleading.

“No way. You’re missing the key ingredient. Besides, you said we could go watch the sea lions after this.”

“Dr. Brice, what a surprise to find you here,” Virginia said, interrupting them.

Gavin’s eyes widened as he looked at her. His eldest daughter inched closer to him, her keen blue eyes probing her, picking out her weaknesses.

Virginia recognized the look because she’d done the same many a time when she’d been younger. Only Gavin’s daughter was giving the stare dressed in a ballet leotard and tutu. Virginia envied her, because ballet was something she’d always wanted to do as a little girl but her parents couldn’t afford it.

“Dr. Potter, what a surprise to see you here.”

“I always come to the market when I have a Saturday off.” Virginia grinned at the little cherub who was peeking out from the top of Gavin’s hair. The cherub had a very messy blonde bun on the top of her head, like whoever did her hair had no idea what they were doing. Virginia could feel her heart turning into a great big pile of goo, which was starting to coat the insides of her chest cavity like warm chocolate. “Are you going to introduce me to your daughters, Dr. Brice?”

The eldest snorted. “He’s our uncle, not our dad.”

Gavin nodded. “Yes, these are my nieces. This is Lily. Lily, this is Chief of Surgery at my hospital, Dr. Potter.”

Lily’s eyes widened, obviously impressed. She stuck out her hand; the nails were a garish color of red, sloppily painted on. Virginia took her hand and it was a bit sticky. In fact, both girls looked a bit of a mess. Just as Gavin appeared to be, which was so different from his put-together appearance at the hospital.

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Potter.”

“Likewise.”

“And this little one who’s latched herself to my brain, apparently, is Rose.” Gavin poked at the chubby cherub, but she wouldn’t release her death grip on her uncle.

Virginia smiled. “Nice to meet you, Rose.”

Rose didn’t utter a word, just continued to stare.

“Sorry, Rose doesn’t talk,” Gavin explained, and then sighed in exasperation.

“Shy?” Virginia asked.

“No,” Lily said, piping up. “She hasn’t talked since our mom died.”

Gavin wished Virginia hadn’t run into them. Mainly because he didn’t want any of his work colleagues to know about his private life. On the other hand, he was glad he had run into her and she didn’t even bat an eyelash after what Lily had blurted out. Not that he would’ve even recognized her from the polished businesswoman who graced the halls of Bayview Grace Hospital.

Her dark hair, usually pinned up and back away from her face, hung loose over her shoulders, framing her oval face perfectly.

Instead of a tight pencil skirt, crisp blouse and heels, she wore a bulky cardigan, jeans and ballet flats, but the rest, well, it suited her. He liked the relaxed, affable Virginia.

The cardigan he could do without. It hid too much of her curvy figure, which Gavin liked to admire on occasion, like when she wore those tight pencil skirts and high heels. Just thinking about that made his blood heat.

Get a hold of yourself, Gavin.

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Virginia said, and he could tell by the sincerity in her voice she really meant it. It wasn’t one of those polite obligatory outpourings of grief. Virginia meant it.

Lily was growing bored with the conversation and was gazing around the teeming market. Rose had released her death grip on Gavin’s head and was wiggling to get down off her perch to join her sister.

“Thanks,” Gavin said, depositing Rose down on the ground beside Lily. He breathed a sigh of relief and stretched his neck.

“Well, I’d better go. I’m going to pick up some shrimp and head back to my apartment.”

“That’s what we need, Uncle Gavin. Shrimp,” Lily piped up.

“Shrimp? I thought it was clams?” he asked.

Lily rolled her eyes impatiently. “Mom always added shrimp to her clam chowder.”

Virginia chuckled. “Sounds like quite an undertaking.”

Gavin lifted the cooler he was holding with his one arm. “This clam chowder is becoming more and more complicated.”

“So it seems.” Virginia smiled and warmth spread through his chest. He liked the way she smiled. “Well, I’d better go,” she repeated.

“Can I come with you, Dr. Potter? I’ll get the shrimp we need, Uncle Gavin.”

Gavin watched as Virginia’s eyes widened, but only for a moment. She appeared nervous.

“Uh, it’s Lily, right?”

“Yep! So, can I come with you?”

“Okay,” Virginia said, her voice shaking and her expression one of utter shock. Like a deer in headlights.

“That sounds great!” Lily took Virginia’s hand and Gavin took a step back, surprised by his niece’s familiarity with a perfect stranger. Gavin handed Lily some money and watched as Virginia guided her to a booth on the outskirts of the market. Virginia, though still looking stunned, handled it well.

They were in view the whole time, so there was nothing for Gavin to be worried about. He shook his head over Lily’s behavior. She wasn’t that open or friendly with strangers usually. Lily didn’t like change. She was a creature of habit, but here she was seemingly at ease with his boss and buying shrimp with her.

A tug on his shirt alerted him to the fact Rose needed his attention. “Yes?”

Rose nodded in the direction Lily had gone with Virginia and shrugged. Gavin chuckled and rumpled her hair. “Got me, kiddo.”

Gavin wandered closer to the stall. He watched in awe as the old Greek fishmonger doted on Lily. Virginia was so affable, laughing and totally at ease with his niece. There was a natural connection between Lily and Virginia. It made him a bit nervous. He didn’t want or need a relationship. He wasn’t looking for a mother for his nieces.

Aren’t you? a little voice niggled in the back of his mind.

It made his stomach knot.

This was not the life he’d planned, but it was what he’d been dealt.

A bag of shrimp was passed over, Lily handed the old man his money and they turned and headed back. Gavin looked away quickly, not wanting to be caught staring at them. Like he was studying them or something.

“Got the shrimp!” Lily announced triumphantly. Gavin set the cooler down and she placed the plastic bag in beside the clams and the container of scallops.

Virginia knelt down. “That’s quite a catch.”

“I don’t think it’ll be clam chowder any more,” Gavin said under his breath.

Virginia chuckled again and stood up. The scent of vanilla lingered and as she brushed her hair over her shoulder, he was hit with it again.

He loved the scent of vanilla. It reminded him of something homey. Something he’d always longed for as a child.

“I think you’re past the realms of a simple clam chowder and headed toward a seafood chowder or a bisque.” Virginia grinned.

“What’s the difference?” Lily asked.

“Bisque is puréed and chowder is chunky,” Virginia replied.

“Definitely chunky,” Lily said.

Gavin just shook his head and shut the cooler. “I guess we’re making seafood chowder.”

Virginia crossed her arms. “Have you ever made chowder before?”

“Does making it from a can count?”

Virginia cocked a finely arched brow. “No, it doesn’t.”

“Dang.” He grinned and was shocked by the next words that were suddenly spewing from his mouth. “Would you like to come over for dinner?”

Virginia was stunned.

Did he just ask me to dinner?

How was she going to respond? Well, she knew what she had to say. She had to say no, she was his boss.

“Please, come, Dr. Potter! Hey, maybe you could walk down to pier thirty-nine with us and watch the sea lions?” Lily was tugging on her hand, her blue eyes wide with excitement.

How can I say no to that?

She couldn’t, but she should.

“I’m not sure, Lily. How about I just walk down to the pier with you? Then I should go home and get these shrimp into the fridge.”

“Want to place them in my cooler?” Gavin asked, popping the lid.

Now she had no excuse to bolt. “Sure. Thanks.” Virginia set her bag in the cooler. They made their way through the crowd and onto the boardwalk, heading away from Fisherman’s Wharf and toward the loud barking sounds of San Francisco’s famous occupants.

Lily and Rose rushed forward and climbed up on the guard rail to watch the sea lions lounge on the docks, surrounded by sailboats lining the pier.

“I’ve been here six months and I haven’t come to see these guys yet. They’re pretty loud.”

“They are.” Virginia winced as the sea lions broke into another course of barking. Lily laughed outright, but Rose didn’t make a sound. She just beamed from ear to ear. Rose was such a little angel, or at least appeared to be. “How did your sister die?”

“Cancer,” Gavin answered.

“I’m so sorry for your loss.” And she was. If anyone understood, it was her, but she didn’t share her own pain. She couldn’t.

“Thank you.” He gazed at her and butterflies erupted in her stomach. He looked so different today. The navy-blue fisherman’s sweater accented the color of his hair and brought out the deep emerald of his eyes. His hair was a bit of a mess from Rose’s handling, but the tousled look suited him.

It made her swoon just a bit.

Get a hold on yourself.

“Well, I’d better head back to my place.” She bent down, opened his cooler and pulled out her bag of shrimp, dropping it in her canvas carryall. “Good luck with the chowder.”

Virginia turned to leave, but Gavin reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving. “I’d really like it if you came to dinner tonight.”

“Gavin…” She trailed off, trying to articulate one of the many excuses running through her brain.

I’m your boss.

Do you think it’s wise?

People are already talking.

Of course, all those excuses were lame. What did she have to lose? Yeah, she was technically Gavin’s boss, but it wasn’t like he was an intern or even a resident. He was an attending, the head of trauma surgery, so why couldn’t they be friends?

Who cares what other people think?

“Okay. Sure, I’d love to come to your place for dinner.” She pulled out an old business card and a pen. “Write down your address.”

Gavin did just that and handed it back to her. “I know Lily and Rose will be excited to have you join us tonight. We haven’t had a real house guest since the funeral.”

“What time should I be there?”

“Five o’clock. The girls are on a schedule for sleeping and since it takes me ten hours to get them to fall asleep once they’re in bed…”

Virginia laughed with him. “Five o’clock it is. I’m looking forward to it.”

Gavin nodded. “So am I. I’ll see you then.” He picked up his cooler and walked to where the girls had moved down the boardwalk for a better view of the sea lions.

Virginia glanced down at the card. Gavin didn’t live very far from her apartment. The shrimp linguine she had been planning to make for herself tonight could wait until tomorrow.

Tonight she’d actually have company to talk to instead of four walls and a cactus.

The first thing Virginia noticed about Gavin’s house was it was pink. Very pink. She parked her car and set her emergency brake. She’d been passing time for the last couple of hours, waiting for five o’clock to come.

The thing that struck her was that she was very nervous, like she was a teenager again, going on her first date.

She’d even done her hair and her makeup. So different from her usual Saturday attire of yoga pants, no bra and a tank top.

With one last check in the rearview mirror she got out of the car and opened the back door. Before she’d left the market she’d managed to pick up four small sourdough loaves. She was going to hollow them out so they could serve the soup up in them.

She hoped Gavin was a good cook, but she didn’t have much faith in that. The thought made her laugh as she headed towards the gated front door. She pushed the buzzer and waited. As she was waiting she noticed a flicker of the drapes in the bay window above her and she spied quiet little Rose peering at her through the lace.

Poor little soul.

The door was unlocked and opened and Gavin opened the gate. “Welcome.”

Virginia stepped over the threshold as Gavin locked the gate and then the front door again. He was dressed the same as he had been earlier, but at least his hair wasn’t as messy. Still, he looked handsome and it made her heart beat just a bit faster.

“Are you afraid I might escape?” she teased, hoping he didn’t hear the nervous edge to her voice.

“No, just force of habit. I’m not used to living in a big city.”

“You live in a pretty nice neighborhood but, yeah, I can understand your apprehension.” She regretted suggesting he might be nervous when he furrowed his brow.

“You live in a very pink house, Gavin,” she teased, changing the subject.

“Yes, well, that’s my sister’s taste. She always loved the color pink.” He began to walk up the steps. “You can leave your shoes on—actually, I’d advise it as I’m not the niftiest cleaner. My maid has the weekend off.”

Virginia chuckled and followed him up the stairs to the main floor. Rose dashed out from the living room at the front of the house and wrapped herself around Gavin’s leg.

“You remember my boss, Rose?”

Rose nodded and then gave Virginia a smile. It wasn’t a verbal greeting, but at least it was a start. It was then Virginia noticed that there was no lingering scent of dinner cooking.

“Did you have some problem starting the chowder?”

“Yeah, as in I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I decided to come tonight. Show me to the kitchen.”

Gavin grinned and led her to the back of the house where the kitchen was. Lily was in the kitchen with a battered old recipe book in front of her and looked a bit frantic.

“I can’t find it,” Lily said, a hint of panic in her voice.

“What?” Virginia asked, setting down the bag of bread.

“The recipe my Mom used. I can’t find it.” Lily was shaking and Virginia wanted to wrap her arms around the little girl and reassure her that everything would be okay. Only she couldn’t. She had never been very good at hugging.

“It’s okay. Look, why don’t we try out my recipe for tonight? What do you think?”

Lily nodded her eyes wide. “Okay.”

“Virginia, you don’t have to do that. You’re our guest.”

“It’s okay, Gavin. I don’t mind.” Virginia hung her cardigan on the back of the chair and pushed up the sleeves on her top. “Lily, you want to help me?”

“Of course!” Lily jumped down from the chair where she was sitting and whipped open the fridge, pulling out various items.

“I didn’t know you could cook.” Gavin watched as Lily plopped the bags of clams, shrimp and the container of scallops on the kitchen table.

“I have hidden depths.” Virginia winked. “Do you have any cream, Lily?”

“Yep!” She ran back to the fridge and pulled out a carton.