Her Mr. Right?

When she thought about Neil, her tummy fluttered and she remembered the way he’d leaned close to her in the car… when she’d thought he might even kiss her. But of course he wouldn’t do that. Her own reaction to him had just colored her perception.

She had so many questions where he was concerned. Why had he changed careers? Why was there distance between him and his parents? Had he taken her to lunch to further his investigation…or because he liked her?

She might never know the answers.

“Why are you frowning, Isobel? Are you troubled by something?”

Florence’s mind might be fading into the past, but she was still caring and helpful and kind. Isobel could see why West was determined to take care of his mother the best way he knew how.

“I’m sorry I can’t spend more time with you, but I’ve been called to a meeting that starts in a few minutes and I don’t want to be late.” Standing, she pushed her chair back and then laid her hand on top of Florence’s. “I’ll stop in again tomorrow with West and we’ll talk about rehab.”

“Thank you for coming by. I wish West would meet a nice girl like you. Then he wouldn’t worry about me so much.”

Isobel just smiled and waved goodbye as she left Florence’s room. From what Isobel knew of West MacGregor, he went for the intelligent, geeky types. He’d been dating someone in the records department but Isobel hadn’t seen him with anyone lately. His hours were long ones, too, and with taking care of his mother…

Isobel knew all about those commitments.

Neil strode into the conference room knowing full well no one wanted him there. Owen Randall—with his silver hair and stocky build, his red tie perfectly knotted—came over as soon as he spotted him.

“I still don’t understand why you’d want to sit in on a meeting to discuss the hospital’s possible investment in a fitness center with a warm-water pool. No insurance would even be involved. This would be a center for recuperating patients who could follow a regimen of their own because they no longer need direct patient care.”

Neil wasn’t only at Walnut River General to investigate insurance fraud. Someone from the hospital was feeding his office information, and they didn’t know who their informant was. Neil wanted to find that out as well as get to the bottom of the allegations. If he could put his finger on the informant, he might be able to figure out if this was a move by someone who wanted the takeover to take place quickly, or if it was someone who was genuinely worried about the way Walnut River General did its business. His interviews so far had turned up nothing.

Except a mighty potent interest in Isobel Suarez.

Trying to brush Isobel from his mind, and not entirely succeeding, he gave the chief of staff an answer. “I’m going to investigate every aspect of this hospital, right side up and inside out, any way I have to. You might as well get used to that.” He was investigating in his get-it-done-by-the-book manner.

Randall didn’t like his answer one bit and Neil could see that. “I want this investigation over and done with so we can fight this takeover with our armor intact.”

“Then tell everyone to cooperate with me,” Neil suggested.

“I have,” Randall returned indignantly. “And so has J.D. Sumner.”

“Where is the hospital administrator today?”

“He had a meeting in Pittsfield. There’s a trauma center there and if he likes what he sees, we’ll model ours after theirs.”

Neil had to admit the people he’d talked to here seemed like good people, but he knew from experience the real story was often hidden beneath the surface.

Although Peter Wilder and his fiancée, Bethany Halloway, gave him a nod, none of the other board members acknowledged his presence. He was used to being treated as an outsider and an enemy. But sometimes he wondered what it would be like to be an insider.

Owen had just introduced the board member who was going to run the meeting when Isobel opened the door and came hurrying in.

“Sorry I’m late,” she murmured, slipping into the empty seat across from Neil. When she saw him, she looked surprised, but then she gave him a little smile.

He didn’t know why that smile was so welcome. Why it warmed some place cold inside of him. Or why Isobel suddenly seemed to be the only other person in the room.

Paul Monroe, a board member who owned his own contracting firm, stood at the head of the table holding a sheaf of papers in his hand. He passed a handout to each person at the table. “This is the result of our feasibility study. There’s no question that a fitness center subsidized by clients as well as the hospital would be a success in Walnut River. With the number of residents in the general community who we believe would use this facility, we could easily break even or turn over a small profit.”

One of the female board members asked, “And how would this be different from a health club?”

“Isobel, would you like to answer that?” Monroe asked, then went on to explain to the board, “Isobel has contacts with medical personnel, rehab facilities and doctors’ offices that she deals with. She left questionnaires in all those offices and doctors had their patients fill them out.”

Isobel looked a bit flustered, but stood and smiled at the group. “Anyone who would use this fitness center would need a prescription from his or her primary physician, which would indicate a medical condition. On the questionnaires many patients commented that they hate the regimen, the cost and the insurance hassles with physical therapy. With this center, they would pay a monthly fee, like a commercial gym.”

“Would needing to lose weight apply?” asked a male board member who was about twenty pounds overweight.

“It would,” Isobel answered, then continued, “As long as the patient is being monitored by his doctor.”

“Why a warm-water pool?” the man next to Neil asked. “Who would want to swim laps in warm water?”

Isobel didn’t seem ruffled at all as she answered calmly, “If a patient can swim laps, he probably wouldn’t need the use of this pool. But anyone with arthritis, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, even continued rehabilitation after a stroke would benefit from a warm-water pool.” She gestured to a pretty young woman. “Melanie, do you want to explain the benefits?”

Melanie Miller introduced herself as a physical therapist and Neil listened with half an ear. His attention was still on Isobel—her sparkling brown eyes, the professional way she fielded questions, the energy she brought to a room. She was wearing a conservative royal-blue suit, yet the silky top under her jacket was feminine. She wore a silver chain around her neck with one dangling pearl. He was too far away to catch the scent of perfume but he remembered the honeysuckle sweetness he’d inhaled on Saturday.

While Melanie answered questions, Isobel took her seat again, and her gaze met his, once, twice, three times. After a moment or two, maybe feeling the same connection he did, she looked down at her notes, at another board member, anywhere but at him.

Was this attraction one-sided?

Damn it, there shouldn’t be any attraction. Isobel was under investigation just like everyone else.

The discussion continued for about a half hour and then, as at most meetings like this, nothing was decided except that the hospital would have to consult with a fund-raising expert.

Randall took the floor once more. “I’ll send a memo to all of you as to the time and place of our next meeting. We’ll be sure J.D. is present so he can give us his thoughts, as well as any other staff member who is interested. Thank you all for your time. Your attendance is appreciated.”

Neil took note of which board members spoke to other board members, and of how Melanie conversed animatedly with Isobel. Most important, he noticed who seemed to be the most hostile, who ignored him, and who didn’t seem to care that he was there. Nonchalantly he stood and walked out into the hall, catching bits and pieces of conversations.

When Isobel emerged, she saw him propped near a window, merely observing. The hallway was empty for the moment as she approached him. “I was surprised to see you at the meeting.”

“I’m poking my nose into everybody’s business. That should ruffle feathers and shake loose some information.”

Another board member exited the conference room, spied Neil, and headed in the opposite direction.

“I’m sorry everyone’s being so cool to you.”

He shrugged. “It goes with the territory. I have a thick hide. I can take it.”

“I imagine you can, but it’s not a pleasant way to work.”

Much of his work wasn’t pleasant, but it was challenging. The only thing he didn’t like particularly was all the traveling. That traveling had broken up his marriage. At least that’s what he and Sonya had blamed it on. Now he wasn’t so sure. He’d done a lot of soul-searching since his divorce and a contributing factor was definitely his penchant for keeping his own counsel, for not letting anyone get too close, including his ex-wife. During the marriage he hadn’t realized he was closing Sonya out. But afterward…afterward he’d understood he’d closed people out since his brother had died when Neil was in high school. He had good reasons for wanting to protect himself, for not confiding in anyone, for dodging his feelings. Preventing self-disclosure had become a habit, a habit he’d taken with him into his marriage.

Skipping over Isobel’s comment, he said, “You seem to be the go-to person for Randall on this project.”

“Peter Wilder suggested Mr. Randall include me in the discussion.”

“The Dr. Wilder who was chief of staff after his father died?”

“That was only temporary. Peter’s not a paper-pusher. He likes treating patients. But yes, he’s the one.”

“And Peter Wilder is Ella Wilder’s brother, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And also Dr. David Wilder’s brother—the physician who was called in to help with the little girl who needed plastic surgery.”

“Yes. Their father was well-loved as chief of staff. He was an extraordinary man. His children are as dedicated as he was. Except…”

“Except?” Neil prompted.

“Anna Wilder. She’s Peter, Ella and David’s adopted sister. Ironically, she happens to work for Northeastern Health- Care.”

Neil looked shocked. “Now that I hadn’t heard.”

Isobel looked troubled. “I probably shouldn’t have said anything.”

“I’m glad you did. Isobel, I need to know the ins and outs of what’s going on here right now. That’s the only way I’ll get to the truth.”

Two more board members and Owen Randall emerged from the conference room. All three exchanged looks when they saw Neil and Isobel together talking.

Isobel’s cheeks reddened and she murmured, “I have to get back to work.”

“You’ll stop at my office before you go home?”

“Yes.” Without a “goodbye,” “see you later” or “it was nice talking to you,” she hurried to the elevator.

Randall was staring after Isobel thoughtfully.

Neil would give her a couple of minutes to get away from him and then he’d take the elevator to his office. Better yet, maybe he’d just take the stairs.

He knew why Isobel had hurried away. She was a member of this hospital community. She had respect here and lots of friends. She didn’t want to be seen consorting with the enemy.

Neil hated the idea of being Isobel’s enemy. His job had never interfered with a personal relationship with a woman before.

But there was no personal relationship here. He was just going to do his job and return to Boston.

So why had Isobel’s rushing away gotten to him?

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