I paused that train of thought as I handed over my keys to the valet. “Good evening, Dr. Cavanaugh.”

“Hello, Marcus. How is your mother doing?” I inquired.

“Great. Thank you so much for the recommendation, Dr. Cavanaugh. Ma’s hip surgery went well, and she loves Dr. Carver. I’m going to Houston to see her this weekend.”

“Excellent. Give her my best,” I said as I walked into the lobby of the building where Vincent seemed to be embroiled in a disagreement with some woman. A very attractive woman with long, straight, dark hair that fell all the way down her back.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. He doesn’t want to see you,” Vincent was saying, and I paused, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up as if I had just walked through an icy shower. I continued toward the elevator when I heard Vincent say to the woman, “Excuse me for one moment, please.” Then he hurried out from behind his desk with a medium-sized Amazon package. “Dr. Cavanaugh, this parcel arrived for Mr. Broxton. Would you mind taking it up when you go? It’s not very heavy.” I felt the woman’s eyes zeroing in on me, though I avoided her gaze out of pure instinct.

“Sure, Vincent. It’s probably the results of another of his and Carrie’s shopping sprees,” I said, rolling my eyes good-naturedly. Those two had been attempting to buy up half of the Amazon toy department so Carrie would “have some things to fill up her playroom.” The damn room was practically overflowing already, but they just kept shopping.

Vincent chuckled and stuck a cherry sucker in the pocket of my scrubs. “Something for my favorite little lady,” he said as I turned back toward the elevator. I made a mental note to increase our dental plan since Vince insisted on plying Carrie with cherry suckers every dang day.

The woman took a step after me, and Vincent said, “Ma’am, I’ve told you that you can’t go up without the permission of the apartment owner.”

She waved him off and asked me, “Are you a friend of Axel’s?” Her tone when she said “friend” and the way Axel’s name rolled off her lips set my teeth on edge.

I raised an eyebrow and said, “You could say that.”

Her eyes raked me up and down and apparently found me lacking. “You’re Blaire, aren’t you?” How the hell did she know my name?

Vincent was hovering nervously, and I threw him a brief smile. “I’ll handle this, Vince. Thank you.” I walked this as-yet-unnamed woman around the corner and out of earshot. I set the box on the floor and asked, “How can I help you, um…” I paused, though I had a feeling I already knew who she was.