Heart of the Matter

by bbflabradors

This is a Jack and Elizabeth modern romance set in Chicago, Illinois. Jack is a cardiothoracic surgeon, and Elizabeth is a social services supervisor. But when they introduce themselves, things are not exactly what they seem. Will they get to the truth, and if they do, are they willing to put things aside and start over?

2. Chapter 2- And the Winner is

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within this story. All rights and much respect go to Crown Media, Hallmark, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., the actors, creators, and writers of the show "When Calls the Heart."

Chapter 2- And the Winner is...

Jack disappointedly slipped into the backseat of the Uber for the ten-minute ride back to his townhouse. His arm rested on the door frame as he sat quietly, staring out the window.

"STOP…" Jack yelled out as the Uber driver came to a screeching halt.

"What's wrong…" the young woman called out.

Staring at the XO Marshmallow store front, Jack felt the need to go inside. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he stated as he opened the door. "I'll pay extra…could you wait for a minute?"

Having no other rides scheduled through the company, she replied, "Sure; no problem."

She pulled to the curb and Jack opened the door. "Are you allergic to chocolate or marshmallows or nuts, or I guess, anything?" he asked.

"Uh, no, nothing but penicillin…" she replied.

"Well, no chance they are selling that inside," Jack responded as he closed the door and ran inside.

He glanced at his watch, 1am, and yet the place was still crowded. Glancing around at the crowd, he found it hard to believe that so many people would be so taken by this treat.

Stepping up to the counter, Jack stated, "Um this is my first time here. I can't believe you're open so late."

The young girl behind the register wore an apron, but still had sprinkles of powdered sugar dotting her clothing and a precious little streak down one cheek. "We are open until 2 am on Friday nights…you know, to get those bar hoppers who may be hungry on their way home."

"This may seem like an odd question, but did a woman with shoulder length brown hair come him here a little while ago and purchase a Smores…?" he asked.

"No…" she responded very quickly.

"WOW, you answered rather fast, are you sure?" Jack was surprised with so many customers that she would have been able to answer without thinking.

"Well, I've been on a break and just came back out here about five minutes ago, so I can't say if she was in here or not, but we sold out of Smores about 8pm this evening…" she giggled, "Well, I guess now I should say last night. But anyway, no, she didn't get a Smores."

"Well, I need to pick up a couple of these marshmallows; what do you suggest?" Jack asked.

"If you want a Smores, they just finished a batch in the back," the clerk advised.

"Yes, I'd like one Smores, and one of the Cosmallow Brownie Cups. Would you do me a favor and box them separately?" Jack asked. "I have an apology to make…" he muttered under his breath.

With the boxes on the counter, Jack paid his bill and headed back to his Uber. Once settled in his seat, he leaned forward, "This is for you…a peace offering. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell and scare you."

"Oh, thank you. It wasn't necessary, but I have to say that I love this place."

"Someone told me about it this evening, and when I saw that it was still open… well, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have scared you."

"All is forgiven. Are you ready to head to your destination?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am…thank you," he responded.

She smiled. Thinking back to her many rides just within the past few hours…the girls who had a cat fight in her back seat arguing over some guy; the couple who sat plastered to their respective doors, neither one speaking nary a word, and the guy on his phone, loud and laughing, speaking about his date, and using the most heinous language imaginable. She glanced in her rearview mirror, observing Jack as he stared out the window, obviously lost in thought. She wondered about this man who was considerate, kind, and thoughtful to her, a simple driver, someone he didn't even know. 'Some lady is mighty lucky to have him,' she thought.

They continued on their way with Jack holding tight to his Smores marshmallow treat, somehow feeling an odd closeness or kinship with 'Grace.'

The Uber driver pulled up to Jack's townhouse and stopped at the curb. "I have to say, I've been driving for Uber for three years, and this is the first time anyone has given me a 'peace offering' as you called it. I've had people fist fight in the backseat, and others have gotten sick in my car, and they just roll out and are on their way. So, thank you again for this," she stated as she held up the boxed treat. "You're a nice guy," she glanced down at her phone to retrieve her fare's information, "Jack Thornton. You have a good rest of your night…"

"Thank you. You have a good rest of your night, too. Stay safe," Jack stated before closing the car door and heading inside.

Jack's townhouse…

He grabbed a glass of wine from his kitchen and took a seat in his dimly lit den. "So, 'Grace,' is this really as good as you say…?" He opened the box and stared at the Smores marshmallow treat, wondering in a city as big as Chicago, how was he ever going to find her again.

He took a bite and closed his eyes. "Mmm," he released a soft, gentle moan. In his mind, she was there with him, sitting on the sofa, each one taking a bite from the same treat…her, with chocolate drizzle running down her fingers, as he eagerly pulled her hand to his lips and licked it from her skin.

In the silence, he could hear her laugh; it was an intoxicating sound. Who was he kidding; everything about her drew him in, her smile, her eyes, her soft, flawless skin, and from the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew he was done for.

Jack's eyes opened, and he quickly realized that he was alone. His heart pounded; his respiration increased, and his body ached to find her…to find out why she left without a word.

Jack went upstairs to his bedroom, changed into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, and told himself to follow the plan…he needed to sleep.

Lying in bed, he tossed and turned. Counting sheep didn't help; neither did the thirty pushups he did on his bedroom floor. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face, which certainly wasn't a bad thing, but it did interfere with the plan.

Jack walked over to his closet, looked on the shelf and pulled down a medium sized box, tape placed along the top to securely hold the lid down. Sitting it on his dresser, Jack unpeeled the tape and removed the lid. Inside, he found a sketch pad, pencils, and several completed, and a few as yet unfinished drawings, a pastime he enjoyed during college. Unfortunately, following graduation, the demands of medical school, his internship, residency, cardiothoracic career and now heading the department required that his much-enjoyed hobby be stored in the closet for the time being.

Jack removed the sketch pad and pencils, took a seat on his bed, and returned to a time when he could immerse himself in something he enjoyed but had long since forgotten about.

Several hours later, Jack sat still, staring at the finished product, a sketch of the woman he'd just met, but couldn't seem to forget. "Where did you go, Grace, and why…?"

Elizabeth's apartment complex- Saturday 6am…

Elizabeth was already downstairs when Anthony stepped off the elevator. He stood shirtless, with a six-pack that anyone with eyes would admire, and watched as she, seemingly alone in her thoughts, squatted and stretched in a corner of the lobby.

"Hey, you ready to run?" she called out as he stepped deeper into the lobby. "Did you have to leave before you got completely dressed? I mean, I can wait…"

Taking him away from the fantasy he was running through his mind of the things he would much rather be doing with her and to her in his apartment, he responded, "It's already warm out, I'm good. Feel free to take your shirt off too, if you'd like," he responded in a breathy tone.

"Ha-ha, funny. Nah, I'm good. I prefer being fully clothed," she responded as she followed him toward the door.

"You're no fun. Don't you ever think about the fun we could have behind closed doors?" he asked, sounding like he was teasing, but his body was completely serious.

"It hasn't crossed my mind," she replied; she also lied. He wasn't her type, but she was still breathing and although she'd never been intimate with a man, it didn't mean she didn't wonder what he'd be like in bed. However, any fantasy she may have had starring Anthony was blown out of the water by his ego and desire to work his way through every eligible woman in the Chicago area.

Out the door they went and started on a run that took them down to the Chicago River, over one bridge, through the business district, down toward the Navy Pier, passed a multitude of other joggers, sightseers seeking a good breakfast before their day of heavy walking begins, and across a second bridge tying the city together.

Out of breath, Elizabeth stopped and hung her arms over the bridge railing.

"Hey, are you okay?" Anthony asked.

Inhaling deeply several times in an attempt to catch her breath, she finally asked, "Have you ever done one of those cruises through the river?" as one of the sightseeing boats, passed under them. "Wait, why is it empty?"

"They don't start running until 9 or 10 in the morning. But each boat is taken out for a short ride in the morning to make certain that all is well mechanically. To answer your question about the tour, yeah, I've gone quite a few times. Why, haven't you?" he responded.

Remembering her conversation with 'Jonathan' the previous night, she replied, "No. I've wanted to, but I guess I've just never had the time."

Realizing that he left his wallet at home, he suggested, "Let's run home, change and I'll bring you back for a ride in a few hours."

"That's sweet, but don't you think you should spend a little time with the woman you left in your bed this morning?" she teased, unaware if her comment was accurate.

"Oh, yeah, I guess you're right…" he responded. "She'll be gone in a little while if she hasn't already left. Then we can go."

"No, I actually have work to do for the benefit anyway," she replied as she again started running, this time toward home. "Why are men such dogs…?" she muttered.

Anthony sprinted up to her. Taking her hand, he stopped her.

Turning around to face him, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Why won't you go out with me?" he stood in front of her, his hand still holding hers.

Elizabeth pulled her hand away, "Anthony, you know why…"

"We get along well together; we'd have a lot of fun…"

Elizabeth shook her head from side to side. "You just admitted that you left a woman in your bed, and you want to know why I won't go out with you? The fact is you and most men I've met are dogs. You go out with your friends, and your main goal, hell, it's probably your only goal, is to get a woman into bed with you for the night."

"We aren't the only dogs. I mean, these women we meet are not forced into our beds. They go willingly…"

"Not always," Elizabeth responded, thinking about the threat Ethan once made to her.

"Okay, well, I'm not talking about abuse situations. I'm just saying that when men and women go out to have some fun, the guys aren't the only dogs."

"I'll admit, that's true, but that's not what I'm looking for. I want a man who will find me to be enough; that he won't go searching for something else because we've had an argument, he's tired of being tied down, or he's bored with me."

"I would never get bored with you…" Anthony responded.

"Right, says the man who probably brings home a different woman 3-4 times a week."

"But we're good friends, right?" he asked.

"Yes, we are friends."

"Relationships, I mean good relationships start out as friends, first. So, don't you think we could give it a try…?"

Elizabeth released a soft laugh. "Anthony, you are a well-educated, intelligent, handsome man, and heaven knows, you have a body that makes me feel safe when we run together in the early morning. But I also know that you apparently are not happy with one woman. I assume you get bored, or just like variety…I'm not sure. Anyway, what you're looking for, and what I'm looking for are worlds apart."

He stepped closer, "A woman like you would make me tame my wild ways. I'd change for you, Elizabeth."

"Anthony, I don't want anyone to change for me," she stated. "Someone should be right for me just because they are, not because they had to change to make it so. Come on, your flavor of the week is waiting on you…"

"I'm going to get you to go out with me; I'm not giving up," he promised.

"You just want me because you can't have me," she stated. "We're friends, let's leave it at that…"

As they walked into their apartment building, Elizabeth mentioned, "Hey, I finally talked to Dr. Thornton's secretary. He's sending a donation, but isn't interested in being a model."

"Well, I'd do it if I wasn't going to be out of town," Anthony stated as they stepped into the elevator, and he pushed #7 and she pushed #9.

"I have to find one more male model; any suggestions?"

"Call the hospital; maybe someone there can give you a few possibilities."

"That's a thought…thanks. Give my regards to Ms. Friday night," Elizabeth teased.

"Now it sounds like you're jealous. The offer to go out still stands," Anthony stated as the elevator stopped on the second floor, but no one entered. He turned to face her. Still alone in the elevator, he was waiting for her response.

"Not jealous in the least. Go enjoy your Saturday," she remarked as the door again opened, this time on the 4th floor. Again, no one got in or exited, and the elevator was now headed up to Anthony's floor.

"Did you push all these buttons so our ride would be longer?" she asked.

"No, at least not intentionally," he replied. "Hey, just so you know, I don't have a woman in my apartment."

"What, you didn't even let her sleep over?"

"No, I didn't bring anyone home, you just assumed that I did. Elizabeth, I'm not the dog you think I am."

"Well, Anthony, I'm sorry if I've made assumptions that aren't true, and I apologize for calling you a dog, but I still think that we have different views of what we're looking for in a relationship."

"I'm not giving up…we will go out sometime, and you'll see that I'm a good guy."

"Look, I just think that being in a relationship isn't what you really want." Suddenly flustered by the intent of her statement, she coughed before continuing, "I mean, we have a friend relationship, and you seem to like variety. That's fine; it's just not what I'm looking for in this stage of my life."

"I can change…I know I can."

"Dream on, Anthony…"

"I will…it's a great fantasy," Anthony teased as he stepped out of the elevator when the door opened on his floor. Elizabeth waved as the elevator doors closed.

Elizabeth opened her apartment door and slipped inside, locking the deadbolt behind her, a habit she'd gotten into since her violent encounter with Ethan. She walked into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water, and headed for the shower.

Twenty minutes later, she was sitting at her kitchen table wearing a pair of comfortable sweatpants, and her favorite Northwestern University sweatshirt, drinking a cup of coffee, with Splenda and caramel macchiato creamer, with her pen in hand as she made notes in her 'To Do' list for the benefit.

At 9am, Elizabeth pulled out her phone and called Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Connected to the switchboard, Elizabeth asked, "Good morning. My name is Elizabeth Thatcher, and I'm working on the benefit that's scheduled for Mother's Day. Have you heard about it?"

"Yes, I have, and I'll be there for the fashion show. I understand that there will be a real Pnina Tornai wedding dress and I just got engaged last month, so I'm so excited to see that," the woman handling the switchboard advised. "What may I help you with this morning?"

"Well, I'm trying to find a doctor…a male doctor actually, who would be willing to be a model. Do you, by any chance have any ideas of someone who would be willing to participate?" Elizabeth asked, feeling much like a drowning woman grasping at straws.

"Well, I can give you a few names and you can give them a call…"

"WOW, that would be wonderful. Who are they?" Elizabeth asked as she grabbed her pen to take down the contact information.

"Okay, and I don't know if any of them will be interested, but here goes… Trey Lewis is an OB-GYN, Carter Cavanaugh is a neurosurgeon, and my preference would be Jack Thornton; he's the head of the cardiothoracic department, and actually the sweetest of the three."

"Thank you so much," Elizabeth stated as she wrote down telephone numbers for the first two doctors, but already aware that Dr. Thornton was not interested. "Just so you know, Dr. Thornton may be sweet, but he's not interested."

"Man, that's a shame," the operator advised. "All three of them are gorgeous, but Dr. Thornton, is such a nice guy, too."

Elizabeth's apartment- (Saturday 10:45am)

"Hello, Rosie…" Elizabeth called out as she answered her cellphone. "How are you this morning?"

"Doing better than you, I suppose," Rosie responded.

"How do you figure that?"

"I just got off the phone with a guy I met last night, and I have a date…"

"Who did you meet?"

"Don't you remember me telling you that I'd met a nice guy and had some friends from work there to hang with, and for you not to worry about me?" Rosie asked.

"Yeah, but who is he?"

"His name is Lee, and he actually owns the club we went to last night," Rosie responded with a lift in her voice. "Actually, he has a friend and we thought we could make this a fourso…"

Before Rosie could finish, Elizabeth blurted out, "No, nope, nada, not interested…"

"WOW, tell me how you really feel."

"You go have a nice time, but you don't know him, so please, be careful," Elizabeth's tone was kind, but firm, and somewhat motherly.

"Yes, mom. Actually, I'll take an Uber to meet him for dinner, and then I promise, I'll be careful. But, if you will remember, I do know how to protect myself…" Rosie responded with a laugh.

"And your best friend, but still, please be careful."

"Think about it, if we go further than one date, I do want you to meet his friend."

"Well, I hope this date is everything you want it to be, and if you and Lee continue seeing each other, I'm sure I'll meet his friend at some point. But don't count on us getting together. Just concern yourself with you; I'll be fine…"

"Text me when you get home, so I know you're okay…"

As her call ended with Rosie, Elizabeth dialed the number for Dr. Trey Lewis. She was directed to his answering service, which she'd expected, and she left a non-emergency message asking that he return her call. Before hanging up, Elizabeth stated, "Look, this isn't a medical emergency, but I really do need to talk with him."

"Ma'am, all I can do is leave a message for him. I can't guarantee that he will return the call."

"Thank you…" Elizabeth responded, feeling certain that she'd never hear back from Dr. Lewis.

Once this call ended, Elizabeth dialed the number for Dr. Carter Cavanaugh. "Hello, Dr. Cavanaugh, speaking…"

"Uh, oh…um, I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you to answer your calls on a weekend," Elizabeth stated.

"Well, aren't you in luck. Now, who am I speaking with and what can I do to assist you?" he asked.

Elizabeth quickly explained the purpose of her call, wanting to get all of the information out before he had an opportunity to turn her down.

Telling by her voice that she was young, Dr. Cavanaugh responded, "Hmm, what do say we meet to discuss this further."

Thankful that he didn't outright turn her down, she excitedly responded, "Really, you'll consider doing it?"

"Sure, but I'd like to meet with you before I say for sure."

"Oh, okay…well, I can come to your office on Monday. You'll be back in then, right?"

"Why wait until Monday. What if I meet you at The Capital Grille at 1?"

Suddenly, this felt suspiciously like a date, so she suggested, "Um, how about coffee instead, maybe meet at Bridgeport Coffee House." Trying to be safe, she didn't want to take him to Thanks a Latte, that was her coffee shop, and she didn't need a psycho waiting for her there.

"Well, coffee is good for starters. Can you meet me at 1?"

"Sure, I'll be there…"

Jack's townhouse- (Saturday 11 am)

"He…hello…" Jack coughed, and swallowed hard, doing his best to clear his throat as he answered the phone.

"WOW, you sound bad," Lee commented. "What time did you get home last night, or I guess I should say this morning."

Jack sat up in bed as pencils in various colors rolled off his sheet and fell on either side of his body. He ran his hand harshly over her face and then through his hair before responding, "I had trouble getting to sleep."

"You still aren't upset over that girl, are you? I mean, the Jack Thornton I know has never let a girl get under his skin."

"Lee, you make it sound like we're seniors in high school. She's not a girl; she's a woman, and I've never met anyone quite like her before."

"Well, you said that she accepted your apology, are you sure?" Lee asked.

"Unless she's an actress, she seemed like she did," Jack responded, his voice suddenly sounding uncertain. "I don't know, maybe she didn't, and was just waiting for me to walk away so she could bolt."

Jack took a breath, "Did you see her last night or maybe the woman who was with her?"

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't," Lee responded. "What did she look like?"

"She was about 30, 5'8" or 5'9", with brown wavy hair, pulled up on the left side; crystal blue eyes, a smile that makes your knees weak, long legs, luscious skin, an athletic bui…"

"WHOA, stand down, Jack. That is quite a detailed description," Lee teased.

"Stop, Lee…I need to find her. Are you sure you didn't see her?" Jack asked again.

"No. I mean when I saw you sitting in the booth with her, you were facing me. I never saw her face."

"Okay, what about her friend…did you see her?" With every question, Jack seemed more desperate.

"What did she look like?"

"Around the same height as Grace with blonde hair."

"Is that it?" Lee asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Jack, you practically label each one of Grace's freckles, and yet her friend is the same height with blonde hair."

"Sorry, I was preoccupied."

"Yeah, I can tell."

"Her name is Rebecca; does that help?"

"No, not really. Look, I have a date tonight and…"

"A date…who are you going out with?"

"A really nice woman I met at the opening. Her name is Rosemary, and I'm taking her out to dinner and then to the club for drinks and some dancing."

"I'm happy you met someone. Have a nice time."

"Jack, Rosemary has a friend, named Elizabeth, and I was thinking…"

"Forget it, Lee. I'm not interested."

"Come on, Jack. There's no better way to forget about one woman than to go out with another, right…?"

"That may have worked in college, but not now," Jack advised. "I want to find Grace, and somehow, I will…" Jack was firm in his resolve. "You and Rosemary have a nice time."

"I worry about you, Jack. You spend all your time at the hospital; you won't date any of the nurses or doctors, so where are you going to meet someone?"

"It's unprofessional to date anyone I work with…"

"What about that cute blonde intern I saw you with last week?"

"You make it sound so clandestine. We were on rounds, and I had six interns with me…still I won't put myself in a bad situation by dating an intern or anyone I work with."

"I just want you to go out and blow off some steam, Jack."

"Lee, stop it. I know I haven't had a date is a long time, but I'm at the age where I'm looking for more," Jack responded. "I'll admit, I spend most of my time at the hospital, because my townhouse is lonely, but I won't bring just any woman here."

"Jack, I'm not saying that you need to go into a date with the idea that it will be your soulmate, but you could have some fun…loosen up a bit."

"Lee, you know I'm no player. I'm not into one-night stands…neither are you, so why would you even suggest it?"

"I don't believe I said anything about a one-night stand. I just said to go out and have some fun," Lee strongly suggested. "Come out with me, Rosemary, and Elizabeth. I guarantee you'll have a great time, and maybe even forget about Grace."

"Look, I'm not saying that Grace is it for me, but I felt a connection with her that I've never felt with another woman. I want to explore the possibilities with her, Lee. It may sound stupid to everyone else, especially since I only spent a few hours talking to her, but I just can't get her out of my mind."

"Well, I guess we'd better find her then."

Bridgeport Coffee Company- (1PM) …

Elizabeth walked inside the coffee shop, attempting to appear as though she was familiar with the place, however, the truth was, she'd only seen it as the bus she was riding drove by, and had never ventured inside until now.

Sitting in a corner, a man, by all accounts gorgeous on the outside stood from his seat, "Please tell me that you're Elizabeth."

Elizabeth nervously smiled, "Yes, I am."

Dr. Cavanaugh motioned for her to take the seat across from him. "What would you like?"

"Actually, I'm fine…"

"No, if I'm drinking, so are you…" he stated, assuming that their time together would be drawn out if they were drinking and eating. Dr. Cavanaugh called over one of the baristas, handing her a $20.00 Bill for her trouble.

"Oh, okay, just a coffee then with Splenda, and caramel macchiato," leaving off the maple, in hopes of not appearing to be high maintenance.

"Okay, now explain to me what you need me for?" he asked.

Elizabeth was thankful to be in public, as she observed his eyes moving up and down her body, shopping at her waist, only because the table between then kept him from moving southward, as she was certain he would be doing if she'd been standing.

She again explained the benefit, when it was scheduled, what activities were included and the agencies that would receive the monetary donations.

"Okay, so what do I get out of this?" he asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Elizabeth…may I call you, Elizabeth?"

"Sure…"

"Okay, what I mean is, I know the community and the hospital volunteer programs benefit here, but what do you give me that makes it worth my while to participate?"

"I don't understand. Isn't it enough that you're helping out your community and the hospital volunteer programs?"

"Oh sure, that's nice and all, but I'm thinking that maybe it would be worth you going away with me for a weekend."

As he so nonchalantly made the suggestion, Elizabeth spit out her last sip of coffee. Embarrassed, she quickly wiped the table.

There was something quite scary about the way Dr. Carter Cavanaugh was staring at her without saying another word. As if her spit take was not enough, he was still waiting for her answer. Elizabeth was fairly certain that sitting at this table with him was scarier than standing naked in the middle of Times Square.

"Thank you for the coffee, Dr. Cavanaugh, but I don't make it a habit of going away with people, and especially men, I don't know. If that's a requirement, I'll keep looking for another model."

"Please, call me Carter…"

"No, I think Dr. Cavanaugh is more appropriate."

"You're turning me down?" he asked, obviously a concept with which he was unfamiliar.

"You have a nice day," she stood from her seat and grabbed her purse. Before walking away, she placed her hands flat on the table, "And just so there is no confusion, yes, I'm turning you down."

Although she did not turn back to look at him as she walked through the coffee shop, she felt the heat of his eyes watching her as she left.

Elizabeth felt defeated when she made her way to the bus station, thankful that her stop just so happened to be right outside her apartment complex. As she rode through several stops before hers, she sent Rosie a text…

"Hey, met a Dr 2 day for coffee to talk about him modeling for benefit…"

"WOW, a Dr…? Gorgeous…?"

"Yes gorgeous, but crappy personality. He'll model if I go away w him 4 the wkend…"

"Seriously…?"

"Yep."

"So, when are you going and where to…? LOL"

"You kno I said no!"

"Yes, I know. Eric is still an option…"

"Mayb all we need r 4 guys and 5 girls…"

"Sorry he was a jerk…"

"Well, just goes to show u can have a 1derful education, and no couth…"

"And then there is the mechanic…"

"He ran off, so mayb all men are dogs…"

"Come on and go out with me and Lee…"

"No thanks. Not interested in being 3rd wheel…"

"No silly, you'd go out with his best friend. I think his name is Jack…"

"Nope, not interested. I have a romance novel calling my name tonight…"

Elizabeth's apartment- Sunday morning…

"Answer the phone," Elizabeth yelled out as she called Rosie, hoping to learn she'd made it home safely.'

"Helloooo…" Rosie sounded groggy.

"Well, you're alive; thank heavens," Elizabeth remarked, her voice sounding quite authoritative.

"Oh mom, stop. I'm a grown woman, and I can take care of myself," Rosie responded. "I had a great time by the way."

"Why didn't you text me when you got home?"

"Who says I'm home…"

"Rosie, did you spend the night with him?"

Rosie started laughing, "Of course, I'm home. I'm a bit of a free spirit, but I'm not stupid."

"Why didn't you text me?"

"I'm sorry. When I got home, I crashed. I just woke up when you called."

"So, is he nice?" Elizabeth asked.

"We had the best time. He's fun to talk to and let's just say, I got the premium liquor at the club."

"Rosie…" Elizabeth began her comment before she was interrupted.

"I know you'll say you aren't interested, but just so you know, Jonathan wasn't at the club last night, or at least I didn't see him."

Although Elizabeth was secretly interested, she replied, "I don't care. Was he trying to get you drunk?"

"Oh, Elizabeth, I didn't drink much. Please try and get Ethan out of your head. Besides, as you know, I can take care of myself."

"Yes, that you can do. So, are you and this guy going out again?"

"His name is Lee…Lee Coulter, and yes, we're going out next weekend. Please think about going out with his friend, Jack…"

"I'll think about it…no."

"WOW, you didn't give it much thought."

"Even if I was interested in going out at all, I'm bogged down with this benefit in a few weeks. Maybe after that, if you are still seeing Lee, maybe, oh, I don't know…we'll see."

Jack's townhouse- Sunday morning…

Jack sat on his sofa, a cup of coffee and his sketch pad with the completed drawing of 'Grace' sitting on his coffee table. Staring at the sketch, he picked up his phone to call Lee.

"Good morning…" Lee answered, sounding quite chipper.

"Listen to you; you must have had a nice time last night," Jack mentioned.

"I did. Rosemary is sweet, and intelligent, and funny…I can't remember another time when I've enjoyed myself so much."

"Was the club busy?" Jack asked, although what he really wanted to know was if Lee had seen anyone who looked like 'Grace.'

"The club is doing great. It was packed, and no, I didn't see anyone who looked like the girl…sorry, woman."

"I didn't ask that."

"But you wanted to know."

"Are you going out with…I'm sorry, what is her name?"

"Rosemary."

"Are you going out with Rosemary again?"

"I sure am. Next weekend…come on and go out with us. We can introduce you to her best friend, Elizabeth. That would be cool, her best friend going out with my best friend."

"No, it isn't going to happen. I know the woman I'm interested in, and I won't settle."

"You aren't settling…" Lee stated.

"Look, what would happen if I'm out with Elizabeth, and we somehow run into Grace. She'll think I'm seeing someone, and I'd be seeing Elizabeth just to bide my time, and that's not fair to her."

"Okay, no date with Elizabeth."

Northwestern Memorial Hospital- (Monday morning)

Jack walked through the hospital, his maple caramel macchiato coffee from The Daily Grind in one hand and a blueberry crumble muffin in the other.

Before making it to his office, Jack exchanged pleasantries with Dr. Joel Rubenstein, a pulmonary specialist.

"Hey Joel," Jack called out as he passed.

"Hi Jack, how are you?"

"I'm doing okay. How about you?"

"Pretty good. It was a busy weekend with my boy's baseball games and a dance recital for my daughter," Joel mentioned. "Have you seen your office yet?"

"No, I'm on my way there now…"

"Let me know how it turned out, because mine is being redone this weekend."

"Sure, I'll let you know," Jack stated as they continued in opposite directions. Stopping, Jack turned around, "Hey Joel…"

Joel stopped and turned around to face Jack, "Yeah, did you need something?"

"Just some information. Isn't your wife a teacher?"

"Yeah, why…?"

"Well, I'm trying to find someone…"

"Someone?"

"Okay, I met a woman, named Grace, the other night at Lee's nightclub opening. She's a teacher, and I need to find her. Will you ask your wife if she knows any teachers, around 30 years old, 5'8" or so, with brown hair, and crystal blue eyes?"

With a sneaky smile, Joel stepped closer, "What, you met this woman, took her home, slept with her and didn't even get her last name?"

"Stop it, Joel. First of all, you know I'm not like that, but more importantly, I didn't get the impression she was like that."

"You're a good guy, Jack Thornton. I'll ask my wife and let you know."

"Thanks man…I really need to find her."

Tuesday- late morning…

Since returning to work on Monday, Jack had spent the last two nights sleeping in his office bedroom suite, and truth be told, he wasn't in any hurry to return to his exceptionally large, and lonely townhouse. He made sure to bring his toiletry bag, a suit bag, and his sketch book, leaving the latter sitting on his bedside table.

His rounds were completed early, and surprisingly, he had no appointments until late afternoon.

Jack drove out to Spacca Napoli, grabbed a pizza, and then made his way to North Avenue Beach. Taking a seat on a bench just before the area of sand leads to the water, Jack ate his pizza and watched swimmers, walkers, and those lying out enjoying a beautiful sunny day.

He wasn't sure why he was there. After all, 'Grace' was a teacher; school was in session, and she wouldn't likely cross his path, and yet, somehow, this is where she said she liked to go, and as such, he felt a bit closer to her there.

Late afternoon…

Jack was sitting at his desk when Stacey buzzed in, "Dr. Rubenstein is on line 2…"

"Thank you…" Jack responded as he quickly switched over to take the call.

"Hey Joel, were you able to find out anything?"

"Abby said that she only knows one teacher named Grace who fits your description. She sent me a picture of her from their website, and I'm sending it to you," Joel advised. "Abby said that this woman is very sweet, and she hopes it's her…"

"Thanks Joel," Jack stated.

"Hey, how did the remodel on your office go?"

"It's perfect, Joel. Just make sure to tell them what you want. Mine turned out exactly as I'd hoped."

Jack propped his feet up on his desk and waited on the 'ding,' signifying that the picture had gone through. Although he knew it only took a moment, Jack swore he'd been waiting forever.

"DING…" Jack scrambled his feet from his desk, took a deep breath and opened the text. Immediately realizing that it wasn't his 'Grace,' Jack placed his phone on his desk and whispered, "I don't give up easily, I will find you…"

Responding to Joel's text, Jack wrote… "Thanks for asking, but that's not her."

"Sorry, man. I hope you find her…"

"Me, too…"

Evening- Eclipse Nightclub…

Lee was standing at the bar, talking to his bartender, and thankful for the crowd that seemed to be putting his club on the 'nightlife' map. Catching a glimpse of Jack weaving in and out of couples, he laughed… "Man, you've got it bad!"

Walking around the bar, Lee grabbed his phone and raced toward the front door.

"Where's he going?" Jack asked the bartender.

"You got me; he was mid-sentence when he took off."

Jack rushed out behind him. Stepping out onto the sidewalk, Jack observed Lee, holding his iPhone up in the air as if he were videotaping something.

Looking around, Jack called out, "What are you filming?"

Lee turned and laughed, "Nothing yet, but I'm certain they'll be here soon."

"Who…?" Jack asked as he continued combing the street and darkened sky.

"The flying pigs…"

"The what…?"

"Well, you told me on opening night that pigs would be flying if you managed to come back during the week. So, where are they?" Lee walked past Jack, slapping him on his arm on the way by.

Jack followed Lee back inside and they took a seat in a booth, actually not just any booth, the one he'd occupied with 'Grace.' Calling a waitress over, Lee caught Jack's attention, "What do you want to drink?"

"Just a glass of wine."

"White…red…" the waitress asked.

"Um, no, rosé, please…" Jack replied.

Once the waitress walked away, Lee asked, "So, I assume you aren't here to see me."

"Why, can't I just come out and support my best friend…?"

"Oh, sure you can, but you're really here to see if she comes back, aren't you?"

"Well, maybe…probably…okay, yes, I was hoping I'd find her here. Have you seen her?"

"You have got it bad for this woman. I keep telling you, I never saw her. I wouldn't know if she was in here right now. I mean, I know you've described her to me, but look around, Jack, that description could fit half of the women in here."

"I'm usually pretty good at reading people, and if I wasn't stuck in the bathroom fixing up two guys who fought over a woman, I was going to tell her the truth," Jack admitted. "I didn't like lying to her, and I mean, it wasn't a lie about who I really am on the inside. Really, my name is Jonathan, I just go by Jack, and so what, I'm a surgeon and not a mechanic. Is that really such a bad lie?"

"Well, I hope you can find her and that she's understanding, because a lot of women would wonder if you're lying about your job, what else are you lying about?"

"Do you think you maybe could have mentioned that part before suggesting that I lie about my job?" Jack anxiously asked.

"I really didn't think you would do it. I mean, Jack Thornton, you are really a good guy…I just didn't think you'd do it," his voice trailed off toward the end of his comment.

Lee went back to work while Jack sat in the booth nursing his glass of wine. In the two hours that he sat watching the front door, woman after woman approached his booth. Several were bold enough to sit down, without being asked, as they outwardly flirted with him, asking him to dance, and one, who ran her stocking clad foot up his leg, rubbing across his crotch as she suggested that they 'get out of here and go someplace more private.'

Jack quickly advised the women that he wasn't interested, but the last women received no verbal response, he simply glared in her direction, his eyes dark and ominous, before removing himself from the booth and heading to Lee's office.

Walking into Lee's office, Jack asked, "Do you have hookers working here?"

"No, you know I'd never allow that in my club. If that's what you want, you'll have to look elsewhere…"

"No, I'm not asking because I want one. This woman just sat across from me and ran her bare foot up my leg stopping when she reached my crotch, and suggested we get out of here. Are you sure that hookers aren't hanging out here? Because if they are, you need to get it taken care of…"

"No, there are no hookers…hook-ups and one-night stands, well, I'm not so sure those won't happen."

"I'm going home…"

"I'm leaving to meet Rosemary for a late dinner. Come with me and we can get her friend to go with us. You need a night out with a beautiful woman."

"No thanks."

"I'm sorry she wasn't here tonight," Lee responded.

"Yeah, me, too." Jack responded. When he reached Lee's door, he stopped and turned around, "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blow up on you. I know you would never allow hookers in here…I'm just a little edgy."

"I know you want to find 'Grace,' and I hope you do…" Lee responded. "Maybe if you forget about her, she will magically materialize."

"I wish, but in a city this big, I just don't see that happening…"

Walking over to the door, Lee slapped Jack on the back, "Do you remember when you were up for the head of the department, and you wondered how on earth the Board would possibly pick you over some of the older surgeons on staff?"

"Yeah…"

"And that song, Meant to Be, by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line that we used to sing the chorus of while we were waiting on their decision…"

Both men smiled and began to sing… "If it's meant to be, it'll be, it'll be, baby if it's meant to be."

Lee brought Jack in for a 'bro hug,' "Man, if it's meant to be, it'll be. But please, keep an open mind and heart to other possibilities…"

Thursday afternoon…

"Hey," Lee called out as he popped into Jack's office unannounced. "Do you have time for lunch; I'll even do the hospital cafeteria, if necessary."

Jack glanced at his watch, "Sorry man, as wonderful as the hospital cafeteria food is, and I'm being facetious, it's too late for lunch and too early for dinner. I have a patient on his way into the ER, so I'm actually on my way out."

"Well, I'll walk with you…" Lee responded as they headed out the door and toward the hospital ER.

"Hey, Rosemary and I are going out tomorrow night. Why don't you meet us for drinks or something…"

"Are you still trying to hook me up with her friend?"

"Look Jack, I saw a picture of her, she's gorgeous. Come on, can't you just meet her?"

"Lee, I'm sure she's attractive, sweet and all that. I'm just not interested."

"You'd jump at the chance if she were 'Grace…"

Jack laughed, "That I would do without thinking twice. I know you think it's foolish, but Lee, I felt something special with 'Grace,' and I believe she felt it too."

"Yeah, it's called the wind slamming the door between you, two," Lee responded. "I'm sorry. I know you want to find her, and I hope you do, but if you don't, please don't slam the door on other women."

"Look, this may seem weird to you, but for some reason, I've felt anxious or edgy today. I feel it; she's closer than I think."

"Maybe the anxiety your feeling is for your patient and doesn't have anything to do with 'Grace.' Wait, you know, I just thought of something."

"What, do you have an idea how to find her?"

"No, it's something else. Do you remember when I was in high school and working at McDonald's?"

"Lee, I don't have time for this," Jack stated and both he and Lee stepped into an empty elevator.

"No, listen to me…"

"Well, hurry up; I have work to do."

"Okay, your dad told me to find another job before I quit working at McDonald's…something about, it's easier to find a job with you already have one."

"You're losing me, Lee."

"If you view women like a job, it means, look for another woman, and then maybe what you are really looking for will appear."

"It does not mean that, and besides, my dad would never look at a woman like a job."

I thought you were going to help me find 'Grace,'" Jack reminded his best friend.

"I am, and trust me, if she's the one you want, I do hope you cross paths again. But Rosemary's friend is gorgeous, and she really seems to be your type. I want to see you with someone, and if it isn't 'Grace,' from what I know about Elizabeth, she's your type."

"Well, I'm not giving up hope just yet."

"Okay, I understand. But listen, I really like Rosemary, and if we continue to see each other, at some point, as my best friend, you'll have to meet her best friend."

"I'll be glad to meet her, but I'm not interested in being set up with her, but thanks for trying to look out for me. I'll be fine, and I can feel it…I'll find her, and once I do, you'll understand why I was so adamant about her."

"Okay, but from everything Rosemary told me about Elizabeth, she's beautiful, inside, and out. I can promise you the beautiful 'outside' part is true. Rosemary has a lot of pictures of the two of them together, so I've seen that for myself. According to Rosemary, she is intelligent and…"

"No, and, Lee, stop pushing. I'm holding out for 'Grace.'"

"Okay, I hear ya…"

"Finally…"

Rosie's office…

"Hey, I have plans with Lee tomorrow night. Can I tempt you into going out with us and meeting his friend, Jack?" she asked when she called Elizabeth. "I hear he's quite good looking."

"You haven't met him yet?"

"No, but Lee told me that he's a really nice guy. He's a doctor, if that makes any difference."

"Should it…?"

"Well, I don't know, does it?"

"No, Rosie, it doesn't. It sounds like he's a nice guy, driven in his career, but he probably doesn't have time for a woman in his life anyway. Besides, I'm really busy right now, so, I can't, but thank you for the offer."

"You can't keep turning me down."

"Um, yes, I can. Look, I appreciate you worrying about me, but I've got a lot going on here at the office."

"Are you okay?" Rosie asked.

"One of our social service kids is really sick."

"Is it one of yours?"

"No, well yes. I mean, I had him in foster care when I first started here. He's not on my caseload now, but I promised him that when they did surgery to fix his heart, that I'd be there."

"So, he's having surgery?" Rosie asked, her voice quivered with concern.

"No, not yet, but he took a turn for the worse and he's being hospitalized over at Northwestern Memorial. So, you and Lee, go out and enjoy yourselves. I do want to meet him some time, though."

"Who, Lee or Jack, or both?"

"Well, if you are going to continue seeing Lee, I guess I should meet him first. No rush on his friend…"

"Oh, you'll meet him, sooner rather than later, I'm sure," Rosie assured her. "Oh, I forgot, I know the benefit is coming up soon. Do I need a ticket?"

"No, I'll get you in…"

"Okay…you promise; I can't wait to see all the hard work you've put into this. There's no doubt you'll bring in a boatload of money," Rosie replied.

"Well, it's not just me. I mean, some people from the Volunteer Department of the hospital have also done work on their end, and we have a bunch of people volunteering their time to be models, and bachelors and bachelorettes for the auction."

"Okay, well, another week, this benefit will be over, and I'm going to get you and Lee together."

"Okay, I do look forward to meeting him.," Elizabeth replied, her voice sounding somewhat rushed. "Hey, I need to get out of here and over to the hospital."

"I understand. I'm praying for your foster kid. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will…"

Northwestern Memorial Hospital…

Elizabeth walked through the entryway to the hospital and headed to the Volunteer desk.

"Hi, excuse me," she called out, hoping to get the woman's attention behind the desk as she filed down her fingernails. "Excuse me," she called out again.

"Oh honey, what you need…?"

"My name is Elizabeth Thatcher, I'm a supervisor with Cook County Social Services and I need the room for Marcus Brownlee…"

As the woman looked through her paperwork, she glanced up, "He's underage, do you have permission from his parents?"

"Well, I guess technically yes, since he's in social services custody."

"Oh, okay. May I see your ID?" the volunteer asked, and Elizabeth quickly provided it to her. "Thank you. He's in Room #318."

Elizabeth slapped her sticky visitor's pass to her chest and headed down the hall. Facing the three elevators, one of which would eventually take her up to Marcus' floor, she watched as they seemed to be playing games with anyone standing on the 1st floor. Each elevator went up and down at different intervals, before all three raced to the lobby together, with all doors opening at the same time.

Elizabeth stepped into elevator #2 and pressed the button for the 3rd floor. As the doors began to close, Jack stepped off of elevator #3, and turned right. Heading past elevators #1 and #2, he glanced inside with a pleasant smile on his face, his attempt at being courteous to anyone who may be riding up to visit loved ones.

He saw her, but she was busy looking at her phone, so their eyes did not meet. Jack slammed on his brakes and rushed to the elevator, "Grace," he called out, repeatedly pressing the 'up' and 'down' buttons, hoping to cause the doors to open again.

As the doors closed, Elizabeth looked up. The voice she'd heard was familiar, but she assumed the person calling out was doing so to someone else. She stepped off the elevator and headed toward the 3rd floor nurse's station.

"Excuse me…" Elizabeth called out to the petite brunette behind the desk. When she looked up, Elizabeth smiled, "Tamara, I didn't know you worked here…"

"I worked for a doctor's office when I graduated from nursing school, but I've been here for about two years now," Tamara explained. "Who are you here to see?"

"One of our foster kids. He's in Room #318. Do you have any idea how he's doing?" she asked.

"Let me check…" she stated as she pulled out his file. "Looks like his doctor just saw him a few minutes ago. He seems to be stable for the time being, but, as you know, apparently, they are still trying to locate a donor heart."

"Is it okay if I go in to see him?" Elizabeth asked.

"Sure, he may be asleep, but you're welcome to sit in there with him."

"Thanks, Tamara. Tell your mom and dad, I said 'hello…'"

"I will. Hey, I get off in a little while. You want to go grab some dinner and catch up?" Tamara asked.

Hearing her stomach growl, Elizabeth laughed, "My stomach says, 'yes.'"

"Okay, well come back here when you're done visiting and we'll go out back through the staff entrance. It's a lot closer to the parking area."

"Got it; see ya in a few…"

A few moments later, Elizabeth slipped into Marcus' room and Tamara went back to completing the charting on her patients.

"Hey Tamara…"

"Hi, Dr. Thornton. Is there something you need?"

"I'm looking for someone…did a woman named Grace check in with you?"

"No, and we've had very few visitors this afternoon. The only woman I've seen is a college friend here to visit someone, but her name isn't Grace." Tamara replied. "If I come across her, I'll let her know you're looking for her."

"Thanks," Jack stated as he rushed back downstairs and sat in the lobby watching as each elevator door opened and closed.

Trying to act inconspicuous, Jack sat, feeling himself sitting a tad bit taller each time one of the elevator doors opened.

"Hey man, what's up…?" Jack pulled his phone from his lab coat pocket and dialed Lee's number.

"Lee, I saw her…"

Lee was busy going over his liquor order and wasn't paying attention. "That's good; who did you see?"

"'Grace,' I saw her here at the hospital," Jack sounded excited, much like a child on Christmas Eve.

"Did you talk to her?"

"No, she was in an elevator and the doors closed before I got there."

"Okay, um, let me ask, did she see you and was she trying to get away from you?"

"WOW, what a friend you are. No, she was looking at her phone. I called out to her, but she didn't look up. Man, I'm not a stalker…am I?"

"No, of course, not. I was just wondering if she saw you and was pressing the buttons to get away. That's different than not seeing you."

While talking to Lee, Jack received a 'beep' on his phone. "Hey, Stacey is trying to reach me; my phone is beeping. I'll call you later.

"Hey Stacey, I didn't have any appointments this afternoon, did I?" having surprisingly forgotten about his office responsibilities while conducting his elevator surveillance.

"No, but are you still in the hospital?" she asked.

"Yes, why…?"

"Well, it's almost 5 and I was getting ready to lock up but I wanted to make sure you had your keys so you could get back in if you needed to."

"Thanks for checking. No, my car keys are in my desk along with the ones for the office. I'll be there is a few minutes," he stated. "Hey Stacey…"

"Yes…"

"Thanks for checking in with me. I'm lucky to have you…"

"Yes, you are…" she replied with a giggle.

Jack took a deep breath and stood. After several hours of 'people watching' and seeing no one who resembled 'Grace,' he muttered, "Where the Hell could you have gone…?" and suddenly questioning himself as to whether or not he actually saw her.

May 4th- four days before the benefit…

Elizabeth was sitting at her desk when a call was transferred to her office. "Hello, this is Elizabeth Thatcher; how may I help you?"

"Hi, Elizabeth; this is Molly Stevens from Northwestern Hospital Volunteer Department."

"Hey Molly, how can I help you?"

"Well, I know there have been several people working on this benefit, and I wanted to thank you for everything you've done."

"You're welcome. I mean, it helps us all if we each pitch in. I'm glad to do anything I can to help."

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, be…c…au…se," she nervously dragged out the word.

"Oh no, because why…?" Elizabeth could feel acid rising from the pit of her stomach.

"Well, you know that we are doing a bachelor and bachelorette date auction. I mean, actually, we had four men and four women."

Elizabeth could feel the air around her becoming thick, making it almost impossible to breathe through. "What's wrong."

"Well, we had the bachelors and the bachelorettes worked out, but Tori, got engaged over the weekend, and her fiancé is adamant that she is not auctioning herself off to another man. So, now we're in a bind."

"Oh well, I guess I can't blame him. So, do we just go with the four bachelors and three bachelorettes, then?" Elizabeth asked.

"We can't do that. The doctors around here have been doing a lot of talking and guessing as to who the bachelors and bachelorettes will be. To be honest, historically, we make more money on this auction than we do on the other items that are silently bid on. Last year, one of the bachelorettes brought a high prize of $2,500."

Elizabeth giggled, "WOW, that sounds like you're talking about a prize-winning heifer at the state fair." Hearing nothing but silence on the other end, she stated, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to make light of the situation. So, what do we do?"

"Do you have anyone in Social Services who would be willing to be the fourth bachelorette?"

"Gosh, I don't know anyone who isn't married or engaged."

"Well, that's unfortunate, and we're coming down to the wire…what about you?"

"What do you mean, what about me?" Feeling a sense of dread, and having a strong suspicion as to where this conversation was heading, Elizabeth felt flustered.

"Well, I hope you don't mind, but I did some checking, and you aren't married, engaged or dating."

"WOW, when you put it like that, it does sound quite depressing…"

"So, what do you say; will you do it?"

Elizabeth felt her heart pounding, "I just don't think I can do that."

"Honey, you don't have to sleep with them; I mean, you can if you want, there's no rules about it. It's a dinner out with a nice man. Most are doctors…"

Elizabeth remained quiet.

"Elizabeth, both the community and the Volunteer Department need the money that this auction brings in…please?"

"Well, that's hitting below the belt. I have to say, this is against my better judgment, but okay…"

Friday, May 6th- Two days before the benefit…

"Dr. Thornton," Stacey called into Jack's office, "The donor heart is on its way here from Milwaukee. It will be here in less than an hour."

"Thanks, Stacey…" Jack stated as he continued scanning Marcus' chart for any previously unforeseen concerns.

"You also asked me to take some money and do the silent auction for the benefit. Do you still want me to do that? It's this Sunday, you know..."

Stacey had asked him about the benefit several times, but he had so many other things on his mind that he'd forgotten. "I'm not going, but I want to help out," he stated.

"Well, you did make a sizable donation; that should be enough," she responded.

"Well, I'll give you access to $2000. I don't know what kind of things are being auctioned off, but they have had good stuff in the past. If I don't win anything, the money is still going to a good cause," he responded. "Thanks, Stacey."

"I'll take care of it..."

Lee knocked on Jack's office door, and walked inside, having just been told by Stacey that he was alone. "Hey, sorry I didn't call first, but I wanted to come by and check out your new office. You like it?"

"What's not to like?" Jack commented all while removing his suit jacket and grabbing his white 'doctor's' coat. "Take a look around but I can't stay." Jack barely had time to respond as he headed for his door, "Sorry man, I'm in a rush. We've assembled the transplant team and I'm actually on my way to the OR now."

Lee headed for the door, "Good luck, man," he yelled as Jack rushed out and sprinted down the hall, disappearing into the staff elevator.

"Well, I guess dinner with Rosie, me and her friend, Elizabeth is out…" Lee muttered. Glancing over at Stacey, Lee stated, "I'll be out in just a minute. Jack told me to check out his new digs here. From what I can see it's quite impressive."

Lee closed the door and started perusing the office. Reaching the door to Jack's bedroom suite, Lee turned the knob and stepped inside. Initially speechless, he walked around, glancing at the expansive room, with a full bathroom, and kitchenette attached.

"WOW, man, it just has to be hard being you…"

Lee started for the door when something on Jack's bedside table caught his eye. Walking back into the room, he spotted something he never thought he'd see again.

"When did you start sketching again?" Lee whispered as he picked up the book and flipped from front to back. There were pictures of landscapes (Jack's favorite), animals, buildings, and a few abstracts, which Lee assumed were done during times when Jack was uncertain about his life plan.

The last two sketches Lee saw were actually the most recent Jack had completed. Flipping from one page to the next and back again, Lee scratched his head and whispered, "Why are you drawing pictures of Rosemary's friend, Elizabeth?"

He returned the book to Jack's bedside table and headed out the door.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" Stacey asked.

"I'll say. Hey, I know he has a lot on his mind, but when he comes back to his office, or when you see him next, tell him to call me…it's important. No, tell him it's an emergency."

"Is anything wrong?" she asked.

"No, but I think this is one time that Jack is really going to be interested in what I need to tell him."

Cook County Social Services- Elizabeth's office…(10am)

Elizabeth's cellphone rang.

"Hey Rosie; what's up?"

"It's Friday night…" she responded.

"I'm well aware of that," Elizabeth replied.

"Go with me to the club so you can meet Lee."

"Well, I just got word that a donor heart became available for our foster kid. I'm clearing off stuff here so I can head over to the hospital; I need him to know I'm there…"

"I'll be praying for him…"

Northwestern Memorial Hospital-(11:30)

Elizabeth had been in touch with Angie Copeland, foster care social worker handling Marcus Brownlee's case. Having been told that the donor heart was enroute, she listened as Angie advised, "there is a test that needs to be done to make sure Marcus' body won't have a bad reaction to the donor's blood, or something like that. Anyway, the doctor will be back as soon as he has the results, but he said until the test comes back there is no guarantee that the transplant can be done."

"Well, I'm almost there, and let's just think positively," Elizabeth responded. "Hey, is Marcus awake?"

"Yeah, but he has some nurses in here doing some stuff."

"Can you go out into the hallway; I have some questions to ask you…"

"Sure," Angie stated. She placed her hand on Marcus' arm and whispered, "I'll be right back. Oh, and Ms. Thatcher is on her way."

"Oh good," Marcus mouthed before she left the room. "Okay, I'm out in the hallway."

Elizabeth asked, "Do you know anything about the surgeon?"

"He's gorgeous, and has a great bedside manner," Angie replied.

"That's not really what I meant. Do you know anything about him as a doctor?"

"Well, he's Board certified, and the head of the Cardiac Department."

"Okay, well, I'm pulling into the parking lot. I'll be upstairs soon."

"Hey, did the department give you the Chrysler to drive or did you get one of those crappy old K-cars?"

"You are so funny. We haven't had K-cars since I've been with the department. I got the Ford Edge."

"Okay, that's a safe one."

"But it was nearly empty. I think I floated into the gas station on fumes. Isn't there something in the envelope that says the vehicles should be filled up when they reach a half tank?"

"Yes, but no one pays attention to that."

"Apparently, because every time I need one, I have to fill it up with gas. Maybe they aren't good with fractions…" Elizabeth stated as both women softly laughed. "I'm here and I'll be up in a few."

Marcus' room…

Elizabeth tapped on the door before slowly and carefully stepping into the room. She slipped over to the side of Marcus' bed, taking hold of his left hand, while Angie held his right.

"Hey bud, how are you doing?" Elizabeth asked.

Marcus was exhausted, but managed to catch Elizabeth's eye, "You really came…"

"I told you I'd be here," Elizabeth stated as she turned, grabbed a chair, and pulled it up to take a seat. "You sleep Marcus. Mrs. Copeland and I will be here waiting for you, okay?"

Marcus closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Excitedly, the doctor walked into the room, "I have great news…you're getting a new heart!"

"YOU…?" both Jack and Elizabeth called out in unison. Each one surprised to see the other, their exclamation came out more like a question, one that was quite loud and shocked all of those in the room, along with several people out in the hallway.

Uncertain what was happening, Angie stood, and stated, "Okay, that was weird. Dr. Thornton, this is Elizabeth Thatcher. She's a supervisor for the Child Protective Services Department, and was Marcus' social worker years ago. "Elizabeth, this is Dr. Jack Thornton; he's Marcus' transplant doctor."

"Oh no he's not…"

One of the nurses stepped forward, "I assure you; he is. Is there something wrong, ma'am?"

"Since when did this hospital allow auto mechanics to operate on people?"

Surprised, the nurse gasped, "Excuse me?"

"This guy isn't a doctor; he's a mechanic at the local Ford dealership, right Jonathan?" Elizabeth's anger and disbelief was quite apparent, her accusation garnering the attention of everyone in the room. "Or maybe you received a double major, one in cardiac surgery and the other in motor repair?"

Maintaining his composure, Jack stepped toward the door, "Please step out here so we can talk."

Elizabeth stood still and stared, but if truth be told, she was simply trying to catch her breath.

"Please, we don't need to upset Marcus," Jack's voice was soft, and gentle, but demanding, leaving Elizabeth to finally agree.

She released a hard breath as she covered the ground toward the door. In her mind, she had to admit that he looked every bit the part of a surgeon right now, as he did a mechanic at the nightclub opening.

Jack held the door open and waited for Elizabeth to step out into the hall.

"So, you lied, or are you lying now; what is it Jonathan, or is it, Jack?"

"Well, right now, it's Dr. Thornton."

"Pardon me…Dr. Thornton. The fact is, you lied to me…" Elizabeth's voice was harsh, but she kept it just slightly above a whisper.

"Yes, I admit, I lied, but apparently I'm not the only one, am I…Grace," Jack admitted. "Look, I want to talk to you; I think we need to talk, but can we put this on hold until after Marcus' surgery?"

"You're right. Marcus' surgery is the most important thing right now," Elizabeth agreed. "Are you really a surgeon…I want Marcus to have the best."

"I am a surgeon, Board certified, and I am one of the best cardiac surgeons in the country," Jack replied.

Elizabeth simply stared as if she was trying to determine if he was now telling the truth.

"When we're done with surgery, I'll want to know why you ran out on me," Jack confronted her, "did I do something to upset you?"

"Ran out on you? Dr. Thornton, I believe you have it backwards…I waited for you, and you didn't come back…"

"I'm sorry, please call me, Jack. I don't have time to hash this out now, but we will…"

Jack stepped back into the room, and before Elizabeth knew what was happening, Marcus was being wheeled to the staff elevator heading to surgery. Jack followed the gurney out of the room, "We'll talk when I'm done…" he directed his comment to Elizabeth as he headed down the hall, turning around twice to prove to himself that she was actually there.

Standing with Angela in the hallway, Elizabeth felt lightheaded, leaning against the wall to steady herself.

"What just happened here?" Angela asked.

"I met the good doctor at a club opening a few weeks ago and he told me his name was Jonathan and he worked at the local Ford dealership. Apparently, he lied."

"Well, he looks great in that lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck."

"When I saw him, I think my first thought was to strangle him with it…"

"Well now, Elizabeth, were you honest with him?"

Elizabeth swallowed hard, "Never mind. We need to concentrate on Marcus now."

"Yeah, that's what I figured," Angie responded.

Surgical Waiting Area…

It was now 8pm. Elizabeth and Angie had been sitting in the waiting area for over seven hours, and although a nurse had been sent out several times during the procedure to give them an update, there was no end time for the completed surgery.

Having a meeting related to the upcoming benefit, Elizabeth apologized when she had to leave. "I'll call you when I get out of my meeting…"

"Feel free, but Jasmine is coming to take over at 9. My husband is on nights, and we don't have anyone to watch the kids," Angie advised.

"I understand…"

Being twenty minutes late for the meeting, Elizabeth stepped into the conference room and quietly took a seat. Each department gave an update, and thankfully, everything appeared to be in its place. The clothing for the fashion show arrived this afternoon, and the models were meeting tomorrow morning for fittings. Additionally, items for the silent auction were sitting on a table and included the following:

A week in Disney World (Hotel and airfare included)

Concert tickets to an upcoming Taylor Swift concert- making any parent a hero in their child's eyes…

Two paintings, completed by two local artists…

Dinner and drinks at The Signature Room- sitting on the 95th floor with an incredible view of Chicago…

Tickets to Chicago Cubs baseball games…

Signed Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears memorabilia…

Tickets for a nighttime Chicago River tour…

Tickets to the Chicago Zoo…

Complimentary Botox session…

Swedish massage- The JW Chicago…

Deep Tissue massage- The JW Chicago…

Facial- at The JW Chicago…

7-Day cruise on Carnival Cruise Lines…

Among other items such as local college sweatshirts, Pet-sitter services, gift baskets, medical services, and one bizarre item… a psychic tarot card reading.

The list of the bachelors and bachelorettes was handed out to all those in attendance. Elizabeth recognized several of the names on the list…

Reid Harris- Local Lawyer

Terrance Adams- WMAQ-TV Sportscaster

Charlie Parker- Chicago Fire Captain

Harry Patterson- Dentist

Harriet Norman- Pharmaceutical Rep

Stephanie Anderson- Actress

Leah Lightly- Flight Attendant

And then she saw the last name on the list…

Elizabeth Thatcher- Cook County Social Services Supervisor

The meeting was adjourned at 10:45pm. Elizabeth checked her phone, listening to a voice message from Jasmine…

"The surgery went well. Marcus is sleeping, and I sat with him until about 10. The nurse said they would call if there were any problems. Hey, Angela told me to get you to spill about what's going on between you and Dr. Hunk-a-licious. See you tomorrow…"

"I'm here, I might as well go up and check on Marcus…" she whispered to herself. On her walk to the surgical recovery floor, Elizabeth could feel butterflies as they seemed to have found their way into her stomach, fluttering away. The way she felt had little to do with Marcus' medical condition, as she'd received no word indicating that there were any problems. However, it had everything to do with seeing the man she'd initially met as Jonathan, the local Ford dealership mechanic, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, the man she couldn't seem to forget.

Although she acted as though Jonathan's disappearance did not bother her, and it was, in fact, his loss, she was upset. She assumed that he had overheard her talking with 'Rebecca' about the fact that she wasn't sleeping with the man she was dating, so, like most men, she was too much trouble for truly little reward, so he walked away…or in Elizabeth's mind, he ran, as fast as his mechanic's legs would carry him.

Elizabeth walked up to the nurse's station and waited for assistance.

"May I help you?" a nurse walking by while doing rounds asked.

"Hi, I know visiting hours are over, but I'm with Social Services, and I just wanted to peek in at Marcus Brownlee, if that's okay."

"It is after visiting hours on the other floors, but our unit is a bit different. We allow families to sit with their family members following surgery, so, go on in. He's in Room #6."

"Thank you…" Elizabeth stated as she made her way down the hall and around the corner to Marcus' room.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and prepared herself to be confronted by Dr. Thornton. Quietly she slipped into Marcus' room, and although the visual of machines monitoring his vital signs, and IV's providing him with much needed medications and fluids were loud and hard to miss, she took a seat in an otherwise quiet and empty room.

Elizabeth was inwardly disappointed that Jack was not in the room tending to his patient, and assumed that although he must be tired, he was probably sleeping in his king-size comfortable bed in a massive house on the hill, possibly even accompanied by his flavor of the week. She didn't know why she was making negative assumptions about him, for it always aggravated her when others did the same to her.

What she didn't seem to realize was that by carrying around a negative image of 'Jonathan,' now known as Jack, it simply gave her an unrealistic reason to keep distance between them.

Elizabeth didn't mean to stay long, but within thirty minutes the hum and beeping sound of the machines put her to sleep. Jack, having been tied up in the ER for several hours, made a final check on Marcus at midnight, before retreating to his office and some much-needed sleep.

Jack quietly entered the room, and made his way to Marcus' bed. He checked the machines, making appropriate changes to his previously written orders. He momentarily took a seat, watching from the other side of Marcus' bed while Elizabeth slept.

He stared, and smiled. He didn't know why she'd lied to him, but he couldn't cast stones, for he'd done the same thing. All he knew at that moment was that even with the speck of drool hanging on the corner of her lips, she was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

She shivered slightly, leaving Jack to assume that she was cold. He walked out into the hall and approached one of the nurses. "Do you have any blankets in the warmer?" he asked.

"Yes sir. I'll get one; which patient needs it?"

"Room #6, but it's not the patient; it's for his social worker…she's asleep in the chair."

"Okay, I'll take care of it…"

Jack stood at the desk as the nurse continued charting. "Did you need something else, doctor?"

"No, I'm waiting for the blanket."

"I'm sorry, I'll take it to her right now."

"No, give it to me and I'll take care of it," Jack replied. Once the warm blanket was in his hands, he returned to Marcus' room.

Spreading out the blanket, Jack carefully covered Elizabeth's body. She quickly snuggled in, mumbling "Mmm, thank you," even though her eyes never opened.

Jack stood at the door, taking one last look at her before leaving for the night. He now knew her real name and where to find her, even if he could only do so during work hours. "I can't believe I found you again," he whispered. "We'll talk soon…"

Jack made his way back to his office, locking the door behind him. He grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator in his kitchenette, walked over and took a seat on the side of his bed.

Changing into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, Jack sat with his back against the headboard of his bed. Bringing his sketch book up to his lap, he flipped to the last two drawings… "Lee didn't have faith, but I believed I'd find you. I didn't expect it to be here, though."

Jack's phone dinged and he jumped, already having his pants on before answering the call.

"Dr. Thornton…"

"WOW, so formal," Lee remarked, "did I wake you?"

"No, but man, you aren't going to believe this…" Jack replied.

"Wait, I have to ask you something first."

"What is it?"

"Why are you drawing pictures of Rosemary's best friend, Elizabeth?" Lee asked. "Don't even try to lie, I saw the sketches in your book."

Ordinarily Jack would have been able to immediately make the connection between the two women, but in his exhausted state, it took him a moment. "Wait, that woman in my book is Rosemary's best friend?"

"Yes, so where did you meet her, and didn't I tell you she was beautiful?"

"I'm sorry, I've been up for over 24 hours and I'm not thinking straight." Jack started laughing.

"What's so funny…?"

"Elizabeth is 'Grace.'"

"WHOA, I didn't see that one coming…" unseen by Jack, Lee shook his head. "So, have you two talked?"

"Not much. She is a supervisor for Cook County Social Services, and my heart transplant patient is one of their foster kids."

"WOW, that had to be a shock."

"It was. She's pretty angry that I'd lied to her…"

"Why, she lied to you, too…"

"I know; maybe a night's sleep will have her thinking differently in the morning."

"So, what happened between you, two?"

"Nothing yet. I had surgery to do, and when I made it back to his room to check on my patient, she was asleep in the chair."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Well, I'm not letting her just walk away from me without at least giving me a chance to explain why I lied…" Jack responded. "She may not believe me, but I was going to tell her the truth after I patched up the guys in the bathroom…but by that time, she was gone."

"She'd be lucky to have a guy like you, Jack. Now, don't you wish you'd listened to me and met Rosemary's best friend, Elizabeth?" Lee asked with a laugh. "Remember…if it's meant to be, it'll be… You know, it's crazy that even in a city this size, at times like this, it sure is a small world."

"It is, and yes, I should have listened to you, but then again if I hadn't listened to you, I wouldn't have lied to 'Grace,' I mean, Elizabeth."

"Yeah, but she still lied to you, so you wouldn't have found her any sooner," Lee responded.

"Okay, that's true. Look, I'm exhausted. I'm going to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow," Jack stated before ending the call. He lay back on his bed, his sketch book opened and sitting upright on his bedside table. "We'll get past this; at least I hope so."

Jack stared at her picture as his lids slowly closed. Once in complete darkness, sleep consumed him.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital- Saturday morning…

Elizabeth woke at 4 am, as Marcus' nurse was in his room checking his vital signs and changing his IV bag. "How is he doing?" she asked.

"He's stable…"

"That sounds good; is that good?"

"Yes, he's doing well. Dr. Thornton is quite pleased."

There they go again, she thought, those fluttering butterflies. "Um, thank you for giving me the blanket last night."

The nurse glanced in her direction, "Oh, I didn't…I mean I would have if I'd known you needed one, but Dr. Thornton came by, made sure it was a blanket from the warmer, and he covered you."

"Oh, I'll have to thank him…"

The nurse inserted a needle into the IV line and injected medication that Jack had ordered. Turning her attention back to Elizabeth, she raised her eyebrows and said, "Someone in this room is a lucky girl, and let's just say, it isn't me."

"I'm sor…ry," Elizabeth responded, clearly confused.

"Well, looks like you have made an impression on the good doctor, which is quite something." The nurse continued, "Every single woman here, and dare I say a majority of the married ones would jump his bones, in a heartbeat…but you didn't hear that from me."

"O…kay. So, he doesn't date much?" Elizabeth asked.

"I really don't know, and I really shouldn't say, but I've heard that he's a fan of variety, if you know what I mean, and he doesn't date a woman more than once. You know, no repeat performances for him."

"Sounds like a circus act," Elizabeth muttered.

"What…?"

"Oh, nothing…"

"Well, you take care, and remember, you didn't hear any of that information from me." The nurse walked out of the room, brushed her hands together, and smiled, "That should take care of her…"

Elizabeth approached Marcus' bed, but wanted to get out of the room before Jack made his rounds. She gave Marcus' hand a squeeze, "Mrs. Copeland will be by soon to spend the day with you," she whispered. "I'm so proud of you, Marcus. You rest and I'll be by to see you tomorrow before the benefit."

She wasn't sure why, but Elizabeth snuck out of Marcus' room, feeling much like she was doing the 'walk of shame' as she made her way downstairs, and to the parking lot.

Sitting in the vehicle provided by Cook County Social Services, Elizabeth thought about her conversation with 'Jonathan' at the club. With the exception of their misunderstanding, he seemed kind, thoughtful, and quite enjoyable to talk with. She was trying to reconcile the differences from what she observed, and the man the nurse implied him to be. If he was, in fact, a 'hit and run' kind of guy, like Rosie was known to call them, she wanted nothing more from him than to help heal Marcus.

Marcus' room…

Jack began rounds at 6:30am, quite disappointed when he opened the door and found the blanket folded and sitting in the chair, but Elizabeth was gone. Glancing over at his patient, he observed Marcus to be awake, "Good morning. How are you feeling today?"

"Better than I have in a long time. I mean, I'm sore…" he replied.

"Well, that's to be expected."

"Dr. Thornton, can I ask you something?"

"Sure; what do you need to know," he took a seat beside the bed, and put Marcus' chart in his lap. Listening intently, Jack was surprised by his question.

"I don't remember a lot, but before surgery, were you angry with Ms. Thatcher?"

"No, why would you say that?" Jack asked in response.

"It just sounded like you were angry with her, and well, she's the greatest, so don't be upset with her."

"I'm not…"

"You know, when I first came into foster care, I was so scared. I was seven years old. My parents were gone; I had no brothers or sisters, and it was like nobody wanted me."

Jack gave Marcus time to breath and relax, continuing to listen to every word he spoke.

"Ms. Thatcher was really the only person I met who seemed interested in me, how I felt, and she was concerned about the tears that would roll down my cheeks, sometimes for no apparent reason."

Observing tears rolling from the outside of Marcus' eyes, Jack put his hand on the young boy's arm, "Shh, don't work yourself up…"

"I need you to know what a nice woman she is. My first night in foster care, she slept on the floor beside my bed, because I was scared, and she was the only person I trusted. She's not even my social worker anymore, but she found money for me to go to college after high school. She said it's a full ride, and all I need to do is get healthy and work hard. I mean, I can go wherever I want…that is, as long as I'm healthy enough and I work hard."

With another breath, Marcus continued, "Who else does that for a kid that isn't even theirs?" Before Jack could respond, Marcus adamantly stated, "She's been like a mom to me. I mean, I know she's not really old enough to be my mom, but she is kinda old. I mean, I think she's like 30."

Jack chuckled, "She's quite a woman, isn't she…?"

"Yes, sir, she is…"

"Okay, thank you for telling me that. Now, you need to get some rest."

"Okay…in case I forgot to tell you, thank you for saving my life."

Jack smiled and squeezed his hand. It was rather ironic that Marcus was thanking him for saving his life. However, in Jack's mind, and with the information he was gathering regarding Elizabeth, it was because of Marcus that he'd found 'Grace' again. Somehow, he felt as though it was Marcus who was, in fact, the one saving him.

Elizabeth's apartment…

Elizabeth sat at home, putting the final touches on her responsibilities for the benefit that would be held in a matter of 24 hours. She was proud of the items the group had procured for the silent auction, the beautiful clothes, designers had offered for the fashion show, and with the exception of having to participate herself, she felt the 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' auctions would bring in sufficient funds to make a massive difference in low-income communities.

While pondering the embarrassment she was likely to feel when the other bachelorettes garnered thousands in bids to her measly tens of dollars, her phone rang.

"Hey Rosie."

"Hey, um, I hate to do this to you, but I have a new client coming into town tomorrow afternoon, and I have to take her out to dinner. So…"

"You won't be at the benefit?"

"No, I'm sorry."

"Hey, that's okay," Elizabeth replied, somehow thankful that Rosie would not be present for her Bachelorette auction humiliation. "Oh, hey, you are not going to believe who my foster kid's doctor is…"

"Who…?"

"Jonathan, you know, the guy from the club who ran out on me."

"What, how can a mechanic operate on your foster kid?"

"Well, his name is really Jack Thornton, Dr. Jack Thornton, and he's the head of the Cardiothoracic Department at Northwestern Memorial."

"WHOA, well, you said he lied about his name, but not his job. That's quite impressive."

"What…?"

"His job; that's impressive."

"Rosie, he lied… that's a character flaw."

"Elizabeth, get off your high horse; you lied, too. I guess you, two have something in common."

"I know what you're saying, but I did it for safety reasons. What could be his reason?"

"I don't know; maybe he's worried about psychos too. Maybe women are just after his money, I don't know, but he deserves the chance to explain…that is if he wants to."

"To change the subject, is everything ready for the benefit?" Rosie asked.

"You are not going to believe this change of events…"

"Clue me in…" Rosie responded.

"Well, there is going to be a Bachelor and Bachelorette auction, and…"

"OMG, who are you bidding on?"

There was silence on the phone.

"Elizabeth, is the doctor a bachelor? If so, bid on him…please."

"No, he's not one of the bachelors, but guess who got rooked into being a bachelorette?"

"Again…OMG…YOU?"

"Yes, and you know it is going to be so embarrassing when everyone else brings in a lot of money and I get $70.00." Elizabeth laughed along with Rosie, but her fear was real.

"You don't give yourself enough credit," Rosie announced. "There are doctors there; I'm sure you'll fetch an awesome price."

"WOW, thanks, now I feel even more like a cow at the State Fair than I did before."

Mother's Day- Morning of The Benefit (Thatcher Home- Boston)

"Good morning, mom…" Elizabeth called out when her mother answered the phone.

"Good morning, honey. How are you?"

"I'm doing fine. I wanted to call and wish you a Happy Mother's Day. I'm sorry I couldn't get back to see you this year, but the benefit for the hospital and social services is this evening. But once this is done, I'll have free time to fly home for a long weekend."

"Well, I'm so proud of you for what you're doing with this benefit. The money is going for a good cause, and I'm sure the communities will appreciate the help," her mother remarked. "Did you get our donation?"

"I'm not handling the donation part, but I'll check for you, and thank you for the help."

"That's okay; I'll check with your dad. He may have already received the cancelled check," her mother replied. "Honey, while I have you on the phone, what's going on with the court case?"

"Mom, I don't want you to worry about that. Seriously, I have it under control."

"You very well may have everything under control, but don't ask us not to worry. We're your parents and we will always worry about you girls."

Trying to change the subject, Elizabeth asked, "Speaking of which, how are Julie and Viola?"

"Did you know that Viola and Brad bought a new house? With the baby coming, they needed more space," her mother advised.

"Mom, I know we're all busy, but I do talk occasionally with Julie and Viola."

"I know you do, but we hadn't discussed it," her mother explained. "They're planning to come home for a visit in July. That way she can get away from the Miami heat for a little while before the baby arrives."

"That's great. Maybe I can plan a trip home then too. What about Julie?"

"Well, she has that new boyfriend, and they are trying to get the antique shop open. Maybe you can talk to her and encourage her to come home for a visit."

"Well, I think she knows that daddy doesn't care for Eddie, so she just chooses to stay away. I'll talk to her…"

"Are you seeing anyone?" her mother asked.

"No ma'am, but Rosie is dating a guy she met at a club opening. Actually, he owns the club. They've only been out a few times, but she seems to like him."

"Well, that's good. Tell her I said 'hi,' and when you come home, bring her with you if you can."

"I'll let her know."

"Elizabeth…"

"Yes, ma'am…"

Maybe Rosie's new guy has a nice young man they can introduce you to."

"Okay, mom, don't start…"

"Honey, I just want you to be happy."

"Mom, I'm not unhappy. I don't have to have a man in my life to make me happy."

"I'm not saying you do, but if you have a man in your life, and get married, then I can look forward to more grandchildren, and that will make me very happy."

"I understand, mom, but it'll happen when it happens."

Elizabeth's apartment- Mother's Day- late afternoon…

Elizabeth took a shower, and blew dry her hair, leaving it loose to fall in waves over her shoulders. She slipped into a navy-blue dress that fell halfway between her knees and ankles, with ¾ length sleeves, five red buttons going from her neck down to her waist and the outfit was finished off with a pair of red pumps.

Elizabeth reached into her closet and grabbed a tote bag, filling it with a pair of jeans, a white crop top, and a pair of her favorite tennis shoes.

She scurried out the door, thankful that she still had use of the social services vehicle at her disposal.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital- 5pm…

Elizabeth checked in at the front desk and was advised that Marcus was reportedly doing well, but was still in ICU. She received her visitor's badge and proceeded toward the elevator.

Knowing that Jack was likely in the hospital, her eyes roamed as she walked, but had no sighting of him by the time she entered Marcus' room.

"Hey, you, how are you feeling today?" Elizabeth asked.

"Better than yesterday, and I'll bet I'll feel even better tomorrow," Marcus responded.

"I'll bet, you're right," Elizabeth took a seat, holding his hand as they talked. Before long, Marcus drifted off to sleep. Preparing to go to the benefit, Angie entered the room and took her seat on the other side of the bed.

"Why are you so dressed up; Do you have a date?" Angie asked.

Elizabeth nervously laughed, "By the end of tonight I assume I'll have one."

"What, are you going trolling?" Angie giggled.

"WHAT…? No, tonight is the benefit and lucky me, I'm one of the bachelorettes being auctioned off."

Before Angie could respond, Elizabeth's phone rang.

"Hello…"

"Hey, Elizabeth, this is Brooke. We have a problem."

"Oh great; what's the problem?"

"One of the dresses we have is a wedding dress…"

"Okay, so what's the problem?"

"The model who was going to wear it was just called out of town for a family emergency."

"Can someone else wear it?"

"Everyone here has tried it on. Their rears and busts are either too big, or too small."

"Well, can't we do it without the dress?"

"No, it's a Pnina Tornai…"

"Okay, sorry, that really doesn't mean anything to me."

"Well, the dress retails for $5,000.00."

"WOW, okay, what does that mean?"

"Well, the designer is giving us the dress to model and auction off, but we need a model to wear it."

"Well, can any of the men wear it?"

"Haha, that's funny. You are the only person who has not tried it on. We need you down here like yesterday."

Elizabeth swallowed hard, "I'm on my way…"

Once she hung up the phone, she grabbed her purse. "Gotta go."

"What's wrong…?"

"Well, my attempt at keeping myself behind the curtain tonight has backfired. Not only am I one of the bachelorettes, but apparently unless my butt's too big, or my breasts are too small, I get to model a famous wedding designer's dress."

Elizabeth walked to the door and turned around, "Would you like to change places with me?"

"Nope, I'm good right here…"

Elizabeth made her way down to the garden level, and slipped into the staging area through a back door. Several women were waiting on her when she entered the room, taking hold of her and swiftly moving to another room.

In no time, Elizabeth was wearing a one-of-a-kind, A- Line wedding dress with a fitted lowcut bodice with beads and lace, spaghetti straps, and a blush skirt with a white chiffon cover.

"Oh my, this was made especially for you. Are you getting married?" one of the women stated.

"Well, hopefully one day, but no prospects at the moment," Elizabeth replied.

"Well, that's a shame." She turned to the rest of her group, each one scurrying around trying to complete last minute tasks, "Look at this everybody, it fits her perfectly, no alterations at all are needed." Turning her attention back to Elizabeth, she stated, "You know, no one says that you can't have someone bid on this dress for you."

"Well, since I'm not dating anyone, a wedding dress is the farthest piece of apparel from my mind."

The women helped her out of the dress, but reminded her that she would be the final model of the evening just before the bachelor and bachelorette auctions.

The Benefit begins…

Elizabeth stayed behind the scenes hoping that by some miracle, something would happen, and she wouldn't need to model or sell herself for a date. The words of the woman who 'forced her to be a bachelorette ran through her head on a constant loop… "Honey, you don't have to sleep with them; I mean, you can if you want, there's no rules about it. It's a dinner out with a nice man. Most are doctors…"

Elizabeth couldn't hide her nerves, but was thankful that all aspects of the benefit were running as planned. The fashion show went on without a hitch with Anthony talking his best friend, and cousin, Jaylon Brewer, son of the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, into being the final male model. A philanthropist to the core, Jaylon was more than happy to participate, and although Elizabeth was greatly appreciative, she fairly certain that she should never have told Anthony, "I owe you one…"

Enthralled with the program, Elizabeth had nearly forgotten her required participation until she felt a tug on her arm…

"It's time to get dressed…" one of the volunteers advised, as she led Elizabeth to the dressing room.

Marcus' room…

The door swung open, and Jack walked inside. The smile, which initially covered his face, disappeared once he realized that Elizabeth wasn't there.

Jack approached Marcus' bed, checked the various machines, and then asked, "How are you feeling this evening?"

"Good, but you guys need to get a better cook in your kitchen," Marcus advised.

Jack laughed. "I'm assuming you'd rather have a Big Mac and some fries…?"

"Yeah, can I…?"

"Nope." Glancing around the small room, Jack asked, "Has Ms. Thatcher been in to see you today?"

"Yeah, but she could only stay for a little while…she has plans tonight," Marcus replied.

Writing in Marcus' chart and pretending that it was simply a passing question, Jack asked, "Did she have a date tonight?"

At that point, Angie stated, "Well, I assume she'll have one by the time the benefit is over."

Jack looked at her with an odd expression, causing her to clarify, "She's one of the bachelorettes being auctioned off at the benefit. So, by the end of the evening, I assume she'll have a date."

Jack looked down for a moment, before bringing his eyes upward, "Do you need anything, Marcus?"

"No sir, I'm good…"

Jack clipped his pen on the pocket of his white coat, "Okay, then I will see you tomorrow."

Jack moved toward the door as if it were 'business as usual.' However, once he left the room, he placed Marcus' chart at the nurse's station and took off running.

Jack had paid little attention to the scheduled benefit, having had no plans to attend. Therefore, he didn't even know where it was being held. As he turned a corner, a flyer caught his eye and directed him to the banquet hall on the Garden Level.

Jack quietly walked in through the closed doors, and took a seat in the back row next to Dr. Carter Cavanagh, a Board-certified Neurosurgeon.

There was truly no love lost between these two, with Jack and Carter going back to their first meeting on 'move in day' for medical school. Jack found Carter to be a pompous ass, someone who was quite comfortable using his money and status to get whatever he wanted…which included, supreme trip packages, hard to come by concert tickets, and the one that galled Jack the most, women.

Jack's and Carter's taste in women couldn't have been more polar opposite. So, it wasn't that he 'got' any woman he wanted, it was the way he treated them once he reeled them in. In Jack's eyes, Carter possessed them until they were no longer useful to him at which time, he'd cast them aside…each one assuming that by his words, they would become the Mrs. to Dr. Cavanaugh, well, at least until he kicked them out and slammed the door.

He recalled passing the Cavanaugh Science building daily while attending Northwestern University, and although Carter was a talented surgeon, he was sadly more well known for his horrible bedside manner. So, Jack assumed it was Karma for lying to Elizabeth that led him to arrive at the benefit late, and finding only one seat available, the one next to Dr. Cavanaugh.

Leah Lightly, the bachelorette to be auctioned off just before Elizabeth was standing by the host, as men called out their bids.

"$2000, going once, going twice…Sold…" the host stated, and was immediately admonished by the women on the front row who yelled out that he was acting as if he were auctioning off a prize heifer.

"Okay we've changed things around slightly this evening. In your brochure, the modeling was to be done before the bachelor and bachelorette auctions. Most have been done, but we have one final model, and as it is, she will also be our final bachelorette for this evening.

So, ladies and gentlemen, both sexes will be interested here. First, those ladies with diamonds on your fingers, but you haven't yet said 'yes to the dress,' this is a one-of-a-kind Pnina Tornai. So, get your checkbooks out. The price does include all alterations."

Jack's jaw dropped as Elizabeth began her walk down the makeshift runway, while "Speechless" by Dan and Shay, began playing throughout the facility…

You say you'll be down in five
The smell of your perfume
Is floatin' down the stairs
You're fixin' up your hair like you do

I know that I'll be a mess
The second that I see you
You won't be surprised
It happens every time, It's nothin' new

It's always on a night like tonight
I thank God you can read my mind
'Cause when you look at me with those eyes
I'm speechless

Carter turned to Jack, "I'll bet I could make her speechless."

"Shh," Jack's admonition was short and sharp, hoping to put an end to any further crass comments. Jack, however, was speechless, as Elizabeth seemed to glide down the makeshift runway, and although he wasn't planning to get married any time soon, for a moment, he envisioned himself in a tux, walking beside his bride.

"Let's start the bidding at $3000…"

"$3000…"

"$3500…"

"$4200…"

"$4300…"

"$4600…"

Starin' at you, standin' there, in that dress
What it's doin' to me, ain't a secret
'Cause watchin' you is all that I can do
And I'm speechless

You already know that you're my weakness
After all this time I'm just as nervous
Every time you walk into the room
I'm speechless

It started when you said hello
Just did something to me
And I've been in a daze
Ever since the day that we met

You take the breath out of my lungs
Can't even fight it
And all of the words out of my mouth without even tryin'
And I'm speechless

Starin' at you, standin' there, in that dress
What it's doin' to me, ain't a secret
'Cause watchin' you is all that I can do
And I'm speechless

The women present who were consciously looking for a wedding dress were filled with emotion as the song played. The women interested in bidding consisted of the young girl who ran the hospital gift shop, the X-ray technician whose daughter, currently in attendance as well, advised her mother "That's the one," a social worker from Elizabeth's office, a general practitioner, the young switchboard operator, and many others in between.

You already know that you're my weakness
After all this time I'm just as nervous
Every time you walk into the room
I'm speechless

Yeah, baby

It's always on a night like tonight
I thank God you can read my mind
'Cause when you look at me with those eyes
I'm speechless

You're standin' there in that dress
Girl, it ain't a secret
'Cause watchin' you is all that I can do
Ooh ooh, I'm speechless

You already know that you're my weakness
After all this time I'm just as nervous
Every time you walk into the room
I'm speechless
Oh, you know it baby

Multiple women belted out bids for the dress. Jack's eyes never left Elizabeth, but the words coming out of Carter's mouth made him nauseous as the bile crept up into his throat when the lewd comments were made.

"$4700…"

"$4800…"

"$5000…"

"Man, she's beautiful. So glad she's mine…" Carter commented, doing his best to torment Jack.

"Wait…what, are you dating her?" Jack asked, his heart somehow felt as though it had exploded, right in front of everyone.

"We've been out…"

"When…?" Jack managed to formulate only one word although his brain had seemingly shut down. He was never competitive with Carter where women were concerned, until now!

"Recently. I'll tell you what, she certainly makes every part of me stand at attention, if you know what I mean," he jabbed Jack in the arm. Carter blew out a hard, but excited breath, "Just think of all the things you could do with her, Jack. I'm getting my checkbook out; she's going home with me…"

"You do know you aren't bidding on a hooker, right? You take her out to dinner; you don't take her home."

"Who says I don't get to take her home. She's a grown-up, right? Besides, we've already had one date. So, she can go home with me if she wants, and let's be real, Jack…you know a woman gets all swoon-like to be with a doctor. The truth is, I'll bet you I could get her without even bidding," Carter joked. "I'll bet you… what do you want to bet?"

"I'm not making a bet on whether or not you can get a woman back to your place," Jack quietly snapped back, somewhat worried thinking that Elizabeth seemed to be the prize Carter was after. From experience Jack knew that once Carter set his eyes on a woman, he never backed down until he'd conquered her. "Hey, if you are really dating her, why would you allow her to be a bachelorette to be bid on by other men?"

And when Carter opened his mouth, Jack knew it was a lie…

"Well, you know I'm all about our community and doing for others who may need the help…" Carter replied. "Come on, Jack, bet me. I'm not talking about just any woman…I'm betting you that I can get this woman back to my place, and I'll even go so far as to say, she'll be in my bed. I'll take a picture of her sleeping naked beside me to prove it."

"You are so offensive, Carter. I'm not playing this game with you."

"What, are you afraid you'll lose like you have ever since medical school?" Carter asked. "How about this, whoever gets her into bed first, wins. What do you want to bet? I personally like your Mercedes."

"You aren't asking me to bet on a horse race; you want me to bet on a person, and I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I still wouldn't do it."

"I think it's because you know I could have gotten any of those bachelorettes in my bed."

"So why didn't you bid on the others?" Jack asked.

"Because she's the one I want…" he stared back at the runway, lust in his eyes as he glared at Elizabeth. "I've got the money, and no one here is going to keep me from getting this girl."

Jack didn't know Elizabeth well…yet, but he certainly didn't get the impression that she would be interested in whatever it was Carter was selling. From what Jack could recall, there had been very few instances where Carter had been shot down by a woman, if ever…oh wait, there was the one time a medical student told him where to shove his stethoscope when he got rather 'handsy' with her outside the local college club, with Jack coming along to put him in his place. That's when Jack determined that Carter made it his life's mission to make him miserable whenever possible.

For the most part, Jack and Carter ran in different crowds, so they rarely connected, except for the occasional pseudo pleasantry as they passed each other in the hall of the hospital. Where Carter was looking for fun, 'eye candy' on his arm, and a one-night stand, Jack, on the other hand, sought the love of his life, the woman he could settle down with, raise a family and enjoy their lives together.

These two men were so far apart in what they wanted in life, and although Jack had said 'good riddance' to any woman who chose Carter's money and empty promises, over his honesty and true heart, right now he wanted nothing more than to fight for his opportunity to get to know Elizabeth.

Jack felt the sweat on his palms as he ran them along the pants legs of his scrubs, "You know what I think…I think you're all talk. I think she turned you down, and that's a concept that the great Carter Cavanaugh hasn't experienced."

"You wish she turned me down. We had a wonderful talk, and even discussed going away for the weekend."

"What…what weekend?"

"Well, we have to check schedules. I'm telling you Jack, just like in med school, I'm a chick magnet."

"You're a pig…" Jack responded as his heart began to pump harder, and his right leg seemed to be uncontrollably bouncing off the ball of his foot.

As Elizabeth walked down the makeshift aisle, her eyes were focused ahead, and Jack smiled as she went by, but it didn't appear that she saw him, or anyone else for that matter.

"Okay ladies, three of you want the dress, so who's going to get it…

"$5200…"

"$5300…"

Unfortunately, for some of those interested, the cost was simply too rich for their

blood, and they disappointedly dropped out.

Several of the women began flipping through checkbooks, each one desperately wanting the dress that would make them look much like a princess on their big day. Sadly, the price was rising, and instead of going up in $100 intervals, it quickly dropped to $50 increments, and then even lower. That was until one woman, adamant that the dress was hers sealed the fate of the others.

"$5500…"

"$5550…"
"$5575…"
"$5580…"
"$5585…"
"$5590.25…"
"$5600…"
"$6500…" was the final bid before the room went silent.

"Okay, $6500 once, $6500, twice…SOLD for $6500…"

"Okay gentlemen, this is the last bachelorette to be auctioned. Let's start the bidding at $1500… Come on, guys, don't shy away because she's in a wedding dress…"

Elizabeth looked at the host, "Isn't that too high; I mean, it's a bit aggressive, and frankly unrealistic that anyone will pay that much to spend time with me, don't you think?" she asked as suddenly voices around the room began yelling…

"$1500…"

"$1750…"

"$1850…"

"Nope, not aggressive, at all," the auctioneer responded. "Get onboard; I think it's about to be a wild ride."

"$2000…"

"$2300…"

"$2500…"

"$5000…"

"$6500…"

"$7500…"

"$8500…"

"$9250…"

Then Carter raised his hand, "$10,000."

"Are you serious?" Jack asked.

"I told you, Jack; I want her… she'll be in my bed before the night's over, and your Mercedes will be in my garage, as well."

"I didn't bet you. My Mercedes isn't on the table."

"Look around, Jack, there is no one here who will stop me…"

Elizabeth felt like a deer caught in headlights when she observed the owner of the current bid. She'd had enough of Carter Cavanaugh in the few minutes she spoke with him at the coffee shop, and to have to spend an entire evening fighting him off was more than she could fathom. Elizabeth even thought about bidding on herself to keep from having to go out with someone she didn't know. It would be money well spent, but 'is that even allowed?' she thought to herself.

"Any other bids…?' the auctioneer called out. "$10,000 going once, $10,000 going twice… $10,000 going…"

"$12,500…" a bid was called out from Jamison Smythe, a 68-year-old philanthropist who had just ended his fifth, or was it his sixth marriage.

"Oh no, old man, she's mine…$15,000…"

"$17,500…" Jamison Smythe countered, with a smirk as if to say 'bring it on; I've got money, too…'

"Old man, you're getting on my nerves," Carter muttered before yelling, "$20,000…"

"Did I pass out or something?" Elizabeth asked the auctioneer, feeling as though the room was spinning as the yelling of the dollar amounts broke the silence in the room.

"No, honey, but there are two men out here with a lot of money, and both of them seem to be set on you."

Jamison Smythe turned to his friend seated to his right, "He thinks he's going to beat me…$22,500…"

"WOW, $25,000…" Carter yelled, his voice harsh, practically daring Mr. Smythe to counter.

As both men contemplated their next move…

"$35,000," a voice in the back of the room called out.

Elizabeth heard the bid, but didn't know who'd made it. Turning to the auctioneer, she stated, "You can't accept that. He's got to be crazy…"

"Like hell I can't…SOLD to Dr. Thornton for $35,000."

To be continued…