I Want You

It's All Game

The next day, after picking her up from school early, Ben and Ava walked into Paige's hospital room. Knox was asleep and Paige was awake and sitting up. "Mommy!" Ava said running over to her.

Ben smiled thankful to see that Paige was awake. She looked good. The woman leaned down to kiss her daughter. "My baby! Did you have fun with Uncle Ben?"

Ava nodded. "I had cereal for dinner."

"Benjamin Anthony Warren."

"Paigey," he said tilting his head with a smile.

"Give my daughter real food tonight, please."

"You got it," he winked. Ben pulled up a chair next to Knox and slapped his thigh. "Wake up, old man."

"Jesus, Warren, lower your voice. This is a hospital," Knox said. The two men laughed. "Where's my daughter?"

"Hi, daddy!" Ava said.

"Mmkay, she looked good and healthy," he started reaching over to tickle the five-year-old, "and she's in one piece, but are those the same clothes from yesterday?"

Ben tossed up a hand. "At least I had sense enough to clean them."

"Are you taking credit for my ideas?" Miranda said stepping into the room.

Ben felt his heart swell. God, she was so beautiful. He was so used to seeing her in scrubs when they were in the hospital that seeing her in jeans and a printed t-shirt had feeling some sort of way. He stood up and walked over to her. "Miranda? What are you doing here?"

"That's no way to greet a visitor," Paige said. "Dr. Bailey, right? I'm Paige, Justin's wife."

"Call me Miranda. Please," she said and Ben felt himself blushing. "And this pretty girl must be Ava."

"Hi," Ava said waving. "Who are you?"

All eyes fell on Ben. "Well, this is Dr. Bailey, she... is my friend and a doctor."

Ava nodded. "Like my daddy?"

"Something like that," Miranda said and the adults laughed.

"So, what brings you by, Miranda?" Paige asked.

Miranda shrugged. "Just came to see how you were doing."

"Probably trolling for surgeries even though it's her day off," Ben said.

"Well, at least, I'm minding my business, what are you doing?" Miranda looked up at him with a raised brow.

"I just want to make sure you get your full day of rest," he countered staring at her.

She shook her head. "You're annoying."

"Like you're a walk in the park." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Knox and Paige looking from him to Miranda, grinning. Embarrassed, he laughed nervously.

Miranda sighed. "I am sorry you had to witness that, but your friend truly aggravates me."

"Me, too," Justin whispered pointing to himself.

"So, Paige, how are you doing?" Miranda walked toward the foot of the bed and asked if she could look at the chart. "Oh. Oh!"

"What is it?" Ben asked moving behind Miranda, putting his face by hers. He could smell her perfume and it intoxicated him.

"I'm pregnant," Paige responded with a wide smile.

Ben hugged Paige and then Justin. "W-wow!"

"Yep," Paige said. "I hadn't eaten all day and was feeling dizzy which is why I fell off the stool—"

"Which she won't be getting on anymore," Knox said cutting her off.

Paige waved him off. "I ended up hitting my head and busting my ankle." She dropped her head in her hands, her locs falling.

"Scaring the sh... out of me," Knox laughed. "But now I know she's okay and I can relax."

"Congratulations," Ben and Miranda said at the same time. They looked at each other and she smiled and looked away.

After shooting the breeze for a bit, Miranda said that she was going to go. "I'm glad you're okay and it was nice to meet you."

"Thank you for your help, Miranda. And I'm going to friend you on Facebook."

"It's really no problem," Miranda responded shaking hands with Paige.

Ben turned to her. "Can I walk you out?" The two of them didn't speak until they were alone in the elevator.

"Thank you for coming," he said touching her hand briefly. Miranda didn't respond and he squeezed it softly. "Hey, are you mad at me?"

She shook her head. "No, why?"

"Feels like it." The elevator stopped and they squeezed past the people trying to get on. "You ended the call so abruptly last night. Was it what I said about... thinking about you?"

"No, no, that was actually cute," she said to him over her shoulder.

"Then what?"

"Nothing. I have to go," she said rushing away.

He had to jog to keep up with her. "I'll call you."

Miranda hemmed for a second. "I have a lot to do around the house, so I may not answer."

What the hell? Now his heart was racing for an entirely different reason. "Miranda?"

She was through the door and in the middle of a crowd before he realized that there were a few eyes on him. "Shit," he said beneath his breath.