All of Me Read Online Free

Then this opportunity came up.”
    “You should take it if that’s what you want. Couples break up all the time, and it doesn’t mean one of them has to leave town. That was your choice.”
    She seemed to swallow hard at that. “I’m aware of that.”
    The elevators doors opened, and Ivey continued walking towards Lillian’s office, so he followed. If she wanted off this committee, they’d probably appoint someone else. Meanwhile he’d be stuck with the responsibility. Hopefully the new subcommittee member would be ugly.
    Ivey knocked once on Lillian’s door, then hesitated and knocked again.
    Lillian opened the door, tissue in hand. “Come on in.”
    It appeared that the medical director had been crying. Her eyes were red and her cheeks blotchy. But that couldn’t be, because there was no crying in medicine. Only patients were allowed to cry. Sometimes.
    So far this day was not shaping up to be any better than the last forty-eight hours.
    “Is everything okay?” Ivey asked.
    “Wonderful. I  just have something in my eye. I’ll need to find a new babysitter though. My son hid the babysitter’s dentures. I could barely understand the woman when she called to quit on me. This is the third babysitter we’ve been through. Did I mention that? But you don’t need to hear my problems. What can I do for you?” Lillian sniffed into her tissue and offered them a brave smile.
    Jeff turned to Ivey and didn’t say a word. It was for the best that he remain mute.
    “I wanted to tell you that—” Ivey began and then stopped. Glanced at him.
    For help? Really?
    “Yes? What is it?”
    Ivey let out a breath. “I’m going to enjoy working with Dr. Garner. I think we’ll make a good team.”
    The director sighed deeply. “That’s what I like to hear. Finally some good news. You’ve made my day.”
    On the way back down in the elevator, Ivey pointed a finger in his direction. “Not a word. It’s hard for a working mother to find good help. Besides, we can make this work, can’t we? If we sit on opposite sides of the table and divide up the work.”
    Funny how Ivey behaved, when she’d been the one to leave him. Suddenly he’d had enough of her games. “Explain why you’re so pissed when you’re the one who broke up with me.”
    “That’s good, Jeff. Are we now going to rewrite history? Let’s go ahead and get rid of the Vietnam War while we’re at it. You broke up with me .”
    “Speaking of rewriting history, you just did that.” He stepped off the elevator and walked briskly ahead of her to the conference room.
    He opened the door and stood aside for her. Ivey started to walk through, then stopped. She took a deep breath and then gave him a long look with those blue eyes that sometimes looked violet, depending on the light. “Before we walk in there, we have to agree to leave our personal lives outside. That’s the only way I’ll do this.”
    He nodded. “You got it.”
    “Good.” Ivey walked to the conference table and opened her tablet. “Let’s get started.”
    Jeff went ahead and pretended that magical pixy dust had settled over them the moment they crossed the threshold. For the next two hours, they talked birth statistics, labor and delivery, and emergency C-sections. Ivey’s cheeks got a little pink every time they discussed a woman’s pregnancy and risk factors, a bit strange for someone who claimed to be a midwife.
    “I’m sure your part in all of this is to sway the board that it might be best to keep midwives out of a hospital,” Ivey said, tapping away furiously on her tablet.
    “Wrong again.” He leaned back. “My part in all of this is to remain objective and give an honest recommendation.”
    And he would try like hell to remain objective, even if all he wanted to do was take her home and show her how much he’d missed her. Then do it all over again.
    She raised a single eyebrow. “And you think you can do that?”
    Maybe. Probably. Oh hell. No. “What part of