NICK had never been so furious with a colleague in his entire life. He wasn’t prone to violence, but if Roland hadn’t stormed off, presumably in search of Rick Johnson, he actually might have socked the guy.
A temptation that wouldn’t have done his surgeon’s hands any good, but would have gone a long way in making him feel a heck of a lot better.
Pushing away his anger, he returned to Mr Fischer’s room with Abby. Standing back, he watched as Abby hovered over her patient, keeping a close eye on him, alert to any changes for the worse. He was impressed with the way she’d stood her ground with Roland. At times like this she appeared so nice and sweet, but when she believed in something—look out.
He silently admitted one of the reasons he’d taken the temporary consultant’s role had been to stay close to her. Oh, he still wanted to help out if there was a problem with patient care on the rehab unit. But the real reason he’d agreed to stay was far more complex.
Abby placed a gentle hand on Mr Fischer’s arm and the patient clutched it gratefully. Abby’s care and compassion made her a great nurse. Of course, being organized didn’t hurt either.
Her smile, though, was her best feature, lighting up her whole face and beaming warmth into a cold soul. He couldn’t exactly figure out how she did it, but just being in her presence made a person feel better. Her patients no doubt loved her.
As Shane had? He rubbed a hand along the tense muscles along the back of his neck. Discovering her plans to move had sent him reeling. He could completely understand the desire to start over someplace new. Had losing Shane factored into her decision to leave?
His gut tightened with apprehension and he quickly sidelined the thought before guilt could swallow him whole. Her reasons for leaving didn’t matter one way or the other. Abby needed a friend and, as much as he hated to admit it, Shane wasn’t here.
But that hadn’t stopped him from arranging things so he was.
A tech from Radiology brought a gurney for Mr Fischer. Nick had already let the ICU know they might need to take him after his CT scan. As much as he’d wanted to pound some sense into Roland’s thick skull, Roland wasn’t the physician responsible for this mess. The doctor who’d initiated the transfer off the acute unit in the first place was at fault.
He left Mr Fischer’s room and headed to the nurses’ station where he could use the phone to track down Mr Fischer’s transferring physician. Multiple phone calls later, he’d finally gotten the information he needed.
“Did you find out why the floor transferred Mr Fischer?” Abby asked after he’d hung up the phone.
“Yeah.” Nick sat back in his chair, massaging his thigh with one hand. “The hospital is in a severe bed crunch. The resident hadn’t seen Mr Fischer since much earlier this morning, but heard how they had patients backed up in the ED, so he basically made the decision to request a transfer to rehab.”
“And Dr Roland accepted the patient.”
“Yep. According to the resident, he gave Roland the symptoms he’d noticed earlier that morning, not anything more recent. Roland went ahead and accepted the patient. As far as he knows, Roland never assessed the patient for himself.”
Her brow furrowed. “Even if Roland had accepted the patient, the nurses on the floor should have recognized how much worse he was. They should have phoned the resident to stop the transfer.”
Nick shrugged. “Yeah, but if they were short-staffed and knew they had to make room for other patients, they may not have taken the time to assess him very closely either.”
Her smile was bittersweet. “At least he’s getting the care he needs now. Thanks for supporting me with Roland.”
“You’re welcome.” As if he possessed the willpower to stay away from her. Abby hurried off to take care of her other patients. The time she’d spent with Mr Fischer had put her behind schedule.
Watching her go, Nick berated himself for being a fool. He was already too emotionally involved with Abby Monroe. Sharing dinner with her family and watching as she took care of her patients certainly wasn’t going to help. He needed distance. Maybe taking the temporary consultant position hadn’t been one of his better ideas. Being this close to Abby without touching her was killing him.
Nick sat at one of the computer workstations, glad for the chance to take some of the pressure off his leg. He finished typing his consult note on Mr Fischer into the electronic record, then reviewed Abby’s documentation as well. She’d stuck to the facts, hardly implicating Roland at all. Very professional.
He stood to stretch, then reached for his stethoscope. His fingers closed around the tubing but the heavy weight of the bell pulled it from his grasp, and it fell to the floor with a clatter. He stared at the stethoscope lying in a twisted heap, then again at his numb fingers. Betrayal lodged in his throat. He’d been fooling himself. When he’d managed to intubate Abby’s patient, he’d figured the nerves and muscles in his fingers were getting better. But when the stethoscope began to fall, he hadn’t felt it slip from his grip.
His hand wasn’t any better at all.
The nerve damage might be permanent. The nerve specialist had tried to prepare him for this, but he hadn’t wanted to believe it.
Outwardly he was calm as he picked the stethoscope up from the floor, but inside impotent rage beat against his chest. He took one deep breath, then another as he walked off the unit. No use thinking about his grim future.
At least Abby had a future. She was a great nurse. She deserved to be happy, to travel wherever her heart desired. To start over and live the life of her dreams. Thinking about it now, he remembered an underlying longing in her letters to Shane, but he hadn’t completely understood the depth of her feelings until now.
I have this crazy impulse to hop an international flight coming to Beijing to visit you. Your descriptions of China are so amazing. The Shanghai open market is easy to imagine, I can practically hear the people chattering in rapid-fire Chinese. I’m dying to see everything for myself. Or at least to see something outside of Wisconsin. Yet at the same time the thought of traveling alone halfway across the world is a little intimidating. I’d do it, though, for a chance to see China with you.
The idea of traveling halfway around the world hadn’t bothered him at all. Once he would have been more than anxious to drop everything and take off for a new adventure.
But not any more.
Months of rehab, lying in his bed writhing in agony with no one to turn to other than the nurse currently assigned to him, had changed his whole perception on life. Thrill-seeking definitely lacked appeal.
Not that he’d gone sky-diving from planes, or bungy-jumping off cliffs, but his entire lifestyle, from the time he had been a kid, had been that of a nomad, moving restlessly from place to place, always seeking something new.
He was tired of wandering from place to place. The one thing he’d longed for during the time of his injury had been something he’d never had. Home. A family. A partner to share his life with.
For a brief moment, when he’d crossed the threshold of the Monroe household, he imagined he’d found what he had been looking for. He’d grown to care about Abby through her letters, but seeing her in person had been like touching a live wire.
She radiated positive energy in a way he envied. Under different circumstances, he’d be more than a little tempted to seduce her into his bed. He couldn’t get close to her without wanting to kiss her. Yet they both stood on opposite ends of the spectrum as far as their personal lives were concerned.
He had no future as a surgeon, no idea what he’d do with the rest of his life.
Abby was well settled as a nurse, doing her best on behalf of her patients.
She devoted much of her time to her family, while Nick had lived only to please himself.
Here in Milwaukee, Nick had finally felt as if he’d come home.
And Abby had already made plans to leave.
“Are you finished for the day?” he asked when Abby finally dropped into a chair behind the nurses’ station. He should have been as weary as Abby looked, but performing consults on the various rehab patients had taken his mind off his own problems. So far, he hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary with the patients’ medical care.
“I think so.” She sighed. “Mr Fischer was transferred to the ICU. That makes two ICU transfers in the past week. I must be jinxed.”
“You’re too smart to believe in stuff like that.” Nick resisted the urge to smooth a stray strand of reddish-blond hair from her cheek. She looked tired, worn out, especially after her interaction with Roland. She’d been so busy taking care of everyone else, maybe it was time for someone to take care of her? “Do you have plans for tonight?” Smooth, Tremayne. Really smooth.
She didn’t seem to notice his poor transition from the professional to the personal. “This was supposed to be my day off.” She grimaced and glanced at her watch. “Instead, I’m stuck doing an hour of overtime.”
“How about if I take you out for dinner? Someplace special, like Carlo’s downtown.”
A flare of pleasure lit her gaze, then almost instantly faded. “Thanks, but I’m pretty tired. It’s been a long day.”
The way her gaze slid from his convinced him she was lying through her teeth. Initially, she’d wanted to go for dinner, then had made up the old I’m-too-tired excuse. Clearly the problem was that she didn’t want to go with him.
His fault, he knew, for sending mixed signals. Hell, his signals were so jumbled they’d been strewn throughout his body by a tornado. They wanted different things from life, but maybe just for tonight they could find a way to meet in the middle. He just couldn’t quite let her go. Besides, he wanted a chance to ask her about Roland. As long as they kept things friendly, what was the harm?
She might mess with his head, but he didn’t care. He swallowed a self-deprecating grimace. So much for thinking he’d given up his thrill-seeking behavior.
“Please?” Nick kept his voice low, although there wasn’t anyone else around to overhear him. “You deserve to be pampered after the day you’ve put in.”
She arched a brow. “Is that the only reason I should go?”
“No. You should come with me because I enjoy spending time with you.” Admitting the bald truth wasn’t as hard as he’d thought. Besides, whether she realized it or not, between her family and work, she needed a night away. And he wanted to be the lucky guy sharing it with her.
Abby was quiet for so long he figured he’d struck out. Again.
“So you’re asking me out? Like on a date?” Abby toyed with the simple gold necklace hanging around her neck.
“Yes.” He swallowed hard. Damn, when she stated the words so bluntly, he felt nervous. When was the last time he’d had a date? He couldn’t remember. The women in his past were a total blur. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“But you don’t have a car,” she protested.
“Seven,” he repeated. “Don’t worry about me, just be ready to go by seven.”
“All right.” Abby stood, a hesitant smile tugging at her mouth. “I guess I’ll see you later, then.”
He nodded then forced himself to leave. But as he walked back to his motel room across the street, the swell of anticipation made his heart race. He placed a hand over the center of his chest and pressed hard. Cool it, Tremayne. You’re treating Abby to a nice dinner because she deserves it. Keep things light and friendly and you’ll do fine.
In his room, the bed seemed to laugh at him mockingly. He turned his back on it. Kidnapping her and dragging her back to his room was not an option.
Abby had the whole house to herself and she did a little dance as she headed up the stairs. Because she was supposed to be off, her sister Alaina had invited her parents over to her house. Adam was on call. Alec was doing some sort of special SWAT team training. Thank heavens none of her annoying siblings were around to ply her with questions about her plans for the evening.
At times like this, she really, really missed her apartment. Even with Alec living one floor above her. Still, she supposed helping out her parents wasn’t the end of the world. Only a few more weeks until she was out on her own again.
Far, far away in another state. Where no one could drop in at a moment’s notice to spy on her or make her feel stupid and inept.
She headed into the shower, intent on rinsing thoughts of her family from her mind. Unbelievable how Nick had actually asked her out on a real date. As she scrubbed shampoo through her hair, she couldn’t prevent the thrill that played laser-tag along her nerves. The sane, rational part of her brain wondered if this was just another of his pull-me, push-me moves. One minute he’d kissed her, the next he’d shoved her away. Now he’d asked her out. Because he knew she planned to move? Maybe Nick figured she wouldn’t ask for more than he could give.
The idea made her pause. Was that true? What did she want from Nick? A brief fling? Her stomach did a back-flip. She wasn’t sure she could handle a brief fling with Nick. Too bad she hadn’t met him before she’d made arrangements to move. Her feelings toward him were a tangled mess. Yet wasn’t she looking for adventure? For too long now the men she was interested in, like Shane, had persisted in seeing her as the girl next door. Aaron’s cute little sister. Adam’s cute little sister. Or Alec’s cute little sister. Or…
But not Nick. When he looked at her through those intense tiger-eyes of his, she didn’t feel like the wholesome girl next door at all. Her pulse spiked and she twisted the shower knob toward cold.
When the icy water made her shiver, she turned it off and stepped out. After drying off, she lathered vanilla-scented lotion over her damp skin. Wrapped in a fluffy towel, she hurried into her room and contemplated the items in her closet. She wanted to wear something flirty and feminine. Alluring.
Sexy.
A flowered sea-green skirt caught her eye, along with a spaghetti-strapped camisole top. Clutching the clothes with one hand, she dug through her dresser drawer with the other until she found the skimpiest pair of panties she owned. The camisole top had a built-in shelf bra, so she donned the flowered outfit and regarded herself critically in the mirror.
Her skirt flared when she gave a quick spin, showing off her tanned legs, one of her best features, if she did say so herself. A wicked grin tugged at her lips. A fling was sounding better and better.
Nick wasn’t going to know what hit him.
Abby emerged from the bathroom when she heard the doorbell peal. Thank heavens she was ready. She didn’t use much make-up, just a bit to heighten her eyes, and a touch of lipstick was more than enough. But she’d taken a little extra time with her hair, pulling the blond curly mass up on top of her head and leaving just a few tendrils down to frame her face.
She smoothed a hand over her skirt, then headed downstairs. Nick stood straight and tall on the other side of the screen door. His eyes flared and he smiled with appreciation when he saw her. “Hello, Abby. You look lovely.”
“Thanks.” She cursed herself for sounding breathless when he opened the door. “I’m ready if you are.” Rather than inviting him in, she stepped out onto the wide, wraparound porch, invading his space.
“You smell great, too.” He lightly clasped her arm, then turned to maneuver the porch steps with his awkward gait. “We have reservations for seven-thirty. I hope you’re hungry.”
She was ravenous, but not for food. Still, she nodded. “I’m impressed you rented a car just for this.”
“You’re worth it.” His simple statement shot through her heart like an arrow, stealing her breath. “And, in case you’re wondering, I haven’t taken any meds for over four hours. I’m fine to drive.”
She frowned a little, not liking the thought of him being in pain. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean about the pain meds, that is. I can drive.”
“I’m backing off on the meds anyway, remember?” he answered lightly, but the slanted expression in his eyes warned her to leave it alone.
She settled in the front seat and waited for him to go around to join her. “So, do you know any more about Mr Fischer?” Abby had been concerned the elderly patient was going to end up dying, just like Mr Goetz had. “Did you hear how he’s doing?”
Nick reached over the gearshift in the center console to cover her hand with his. “I called the hospital for a status report just before I left. He seems to be doing fine. They have him on a heparin drip and his symptoms haven’t gotten any worse.”
“Good.” Abby sighed in relief. “I’m glad.”
Within a few minutes Nick had pulled up to the restaurant. At first she was surprised he used the valet parking, then remembered his cane. She was so accustomed to seeing him walk with it now, she didn’t even notice.
Their table was tucked in a secluded corner, with a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan. Everything was so perfect, she was tempted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
“How about some antipasti for starters?” Nick asked, scanning the menu.
“Sounds great.” She already knew exactly what she wanted from the menu—reading the description of the grilled swordfish was making her mouth water.
A discreet waiter took their order. Music from the piano bar drifted over. Nick reached across the table to take her hand in his, pinning her with his intense gaze. “Abby, I need to ask you a question.”
Her mouth went dry and she nervously licked her lips. This was it, she already knew what he was going to ask. And what her answer would be. Getting through dinner wouldn’t be easy with images of the two of them sharing his motel room tumbling through her head. “Yes?”
His lean fingers lightly stroked her hand. She shivered. But then he pulled away, to reach for his water glass. “What action are you going to take against Roland?”
She blinked. “What?”
“I heard the way he spoke to you, Abby.” Nick frowned darkly at her across the table. “Surely you’re not going to let that slide without taking some sort of formal action against him? I know very well veterans’ hospitals have strict rules about professional conduct.”
Please, God, don’t tell me Nick asked me out just for this, to grill me about Roland. She struggled to remain calm. “I’d rather not think about him, if you don’t mind.”
Her weak attempt to change the subject didn’t work. Nick leaned earnestly toward her. “Abby, I can help, because I overheard the whole thing.”
“I don’t believe this.” She pushed away from the table.
Now he was the one to look at her warily. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” she echoed as she leaped to her feet. “Do you see this dress, Nick?” She plucked at the silky fabric. “Do you remember asking me out for dinner because I deserved to be pampered after such a stressful day?”
Wordlessly, he nodded.
“Then why are you obsessed with Roland? Are you so blind that you can’t see what’s sitting right in front of you?”
“Abby.” He stood, using the table for leverage instead of his cane. “Calm down. Of course I see you.”
“Do you?” She couldn’t seem to find her usual calm demeanor, and didn’t care if they were attracting attention from the rest of the patrons in the restaurant. “Do you really? Because I have to tell you, Nick, work was not the reason I came here with you tonight.” She leaned toward him. “I had something far more intimate in mind.”
“I—Uh, wait a minute, where are you going?” Nick gaped at her when she reached for her purse, slung it over her shoulder and stepped around the table.
“I’m leaving.” She didn’t care if she never ate swordfish again. So much for her idiotic, romantic notions of having a guy actually like her for herself.
“Don’t go, please, Abby. You don’t know what you’re saying.” Nick tried to grasp her hand, but she eluded his grip.
Still, she paused and turned back toward him, making sure he saw the blatant intent in her eyes. “Oh, yes, I do. I know exactly what I’m saying.”
Nick ran a frustrated hand over his short hair. “You’re driving me crazy. I’ve met your family, Abby. They are very nice people. I’m trying to be a gentleman, to give you the respect you deserve.”
“Oh, yeah?” She lowered her voice, but kept her eyes trained on his. “Did you think maybe your respect isn’t what I’m after? I’m more interested in your desire.”