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had to anyone other than her family. They knew all too well what her motivation had been for choosing medicine, and they didn’t entirely approve of her choice, fearing she was doomed to have repeated heartaches. “I vowed to save other kids like him.”
    Mack regarded her with what appeared to be real sympathy. “Like I said, you take it personally.”
    She sighed at the assessment. “Yes, I suppose I do.”
    “How long do you think you can keep it up, if you take every case to heart?”
    “As long as I have to,” she insisted tightly. “I only see a few patients. Most of my time is spent in research. Our treatments are getting better and better all the time.” Sadly, Tony wasn’t responding well to any of them, which was why she’d taken such an intense interest in his case.
    “But not with Tony,” Mack said.
    Beth fought against the salty sting of unexpected tears. “Not with Tony, at least not yet,” she admitted softly. Then she set her jaw and regarded Mack defiantly, blinking back those tell-tale tears. “But we’re going to win this battle, too.”
    He gave her an admiring look. “Yes, I think you will,” he said quietly. “Will my being here actually help Tony?”
    “Hopefully it will improve his spirits,” Beth assured him. “He’s been a little down lately, and sometimes boosting a child’s morale is the most important thing we can do. We need to keep him from giving up on himself or on us.”
    Mack nodded. “Okay, then. Let’s go in there and talk football.” He gave her an impudent grin. “I assume you won’t be saying much.”
    Beth laughed despite herself, liking Mack far more than she’d ever expected to. She could forgive a lot in a person who had a sense of humor, whether about her foibles or his own. “Probably not.”
    His expression sobered. “Good. What I do for a living may not be medicine or rocket science, but I’d hate to have you dismiss it in front of a kid who thinks it matters.”
    Beth stared at him as his point struck home. Her opinion of football or of Mack Carlton didn’t matter right now. “Touché, Mr. Carlton. I’ll definitely refrain from comment. This is all about Tony.”
    He winked. “Call me Mack. My fans do.”
    “I’m not one of your fans.”
    “Stick around,” he taunted lightly. “You might be, after this.”
    Beth bit back a sigh. Yes, she could be, she admitted to herself. Not that Mighty Mack Carlton needed another conquest in his life. The gossip columns were littered with the names of women who thought they had the inside track in his life. She’d noticed that few of them ever got a second mention. She wasn’t the least bit inclined to test her luck in an already crowded field.
    “Don’t hold your breath, Mr. Carlton. Besides, the only person whose adoration counts is Tony, and you’ve already got a lock on that.”
    “I wouldn’t mind at least a hint of approval from you, too,” he said, his gaze capturing hers and holding it.
    Despite the obvious attempt to disconcert her, Beth felt herself falling under his spell. She found it irritating. “Why? Do you have to win over every woman you meet?”
    He hesitated then, and an odd look that might have been confusion flickered in his eyes. “How well do you know my aunt?” he asked.
    The out-of-the-blue question caught her off guard. “Your aunt?”
    “Destiny Carlton, the woman you contacted who made sure I came over here today.”
    Beth shook her head. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” she said. “Though I recognize the name. I think she raises a lot of money for the hospital. I never spoke to her, though.”
    Mack seemed surprised. “You really don’t know her?”
    “No.”
    “And you didn’t call her?”
    “No. Why?”
    He shook his head, obviously more puzzled than ever. “Doesn’t matter.”
    Despite his denial, Beth got the distinct impression that it mattered a lot. She simply had no idea why.

Chapter Two
    M ack had been in his share of hospital rooms.