The Heart Doctor and the Baby by Lynne Marshall

of the rabbit struck him funny.
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    The following Saturday morning, René rode her bicycle on a different route, along the Cabrillo Boulevard bike path. The early morning air was crisp and the sun bright. She squinted, despite wearing sunglasses. Up ahead on the palm-tree-lined path, a tall, fit figure ran at a near sprinter’s pace. From the crowd of joggers, she’d recognize him anywhere.
    She’d never seen Jon jogging, and definitely had never seen him shirtless before. It shook her a little. His musculature surprised her, too. Intrigued her. Long waisted, like a swimmer, his shoulders were broad and his upper arms were surprisingly buff. Jon? His stomach was flat and obviously no stranger to crunches. Another surprise. Long solid legs finished off his six-foot frame, and carried him at a rapid clip along the shore.
    He concentrated on his run, and didn’t see or recognize her when she pedaled toward him. Maybe it was the bike helmet? Vanity prompted her to take it off and fluff out her hair before she called his name.
    â€œJon!” She waved.
    His pace stuttered, he turned and followed the sound.
    â€œJon! Hi!”
    He waved and ran off the path, circling back toward her. “What’s up?”
    â€œJust enjoying the sunny morning.”
    â€œYeah, it’s beautiful today, isn’t it.”
    As they chitchatted, she worked hard at concentrating on his face so he wouldn’t think she was checking him out. His gaze passed over her shorts-clad legs once or twice. What was that about?
    A large group of cyclists advanced, so she cut things short.
    â€œI just wanted to thank you again for…you know.”
    â€œAh,” he said, suddenly finding his running shoes fascinating. “That.”
    They exchanged a secret-handshake kind of look, something that was quickly becoming routine.
    â€œYeah. That. You know how grateful I am.”
    â€œYep.”
    â€œOkay. Well, I’ll see you Monday,” she said.
    He nodded and waved. She noticed the well-formed muscle ripple up his arm and shoulder, and couldn’t stop herself from waiting until he’d run off before putting her cycle helmet back on. Once she’d set off, she couldn’t resist a glance over her shoulder for the back view. She swerved and had to put her foot down to keep from falling. But it was worth it! A straight spine with triangular muscles fanning across his back, flexed with the natural swing of his arms. His torso angled down to trim hips and a backside barely covered by his shorts. Never in a million years would she have imagined him to look this hot. She’d come to a dead stop and soon realized several more cyclists were headed her way, so she pushed off and continued in the opposite direction.
    She’d been up all night thinking about Jon. Not in a sexual way. No. But in a new and different light—a beam of potential. Seeing him like this mixed her up, especially now, when things were moving ahead as planned.
    She had nothing but respect for Jon Becker. They’d been through a lot together launching the medical practice. She remembered how flattered she’d been when Jason and Jon had approached her about joining them on the venture. She’d only been board certified in OB/Gyn for a year and yet they’d invited her to take a chance on a new direction for her career, one where she had more say and control. She remembered blinking two or three times andsaying yes! And she hadn’t looked back or regretted it since.
    She’d almost broached the subject foremost on her mind with Jon last Friday afternoon, just to tell him thanks for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past few weeks, but he’d been waylaid by his girls. She’d caught them in a cuddle with the oldest, Amanda, sporting a sleek dark-brown bob, kissing his cheek, and the honey-haired Lacy, with wild shoulder-length curls, snuggling his chest. He never looked happier than when he was