Carl almost crashed into the two women in the hallway outside Jason’s private room, two hours after the meeting with the city council. He’d spent most of that time worrying about Jason and digging through his private copies of records that had dated back two decades.
He’d found nothing that Turner would be able to use to solve this latest problem. Found some rabbit holes to go down, but nothing that blared up at him.
He barely caught his breath before the women came to an abrupt stop.
The woman in the hospital gown gasped. “Oh, we’re so sorry!”
“I’m always forgetting to check the mirrors,” the woman pushing the wheelchair said. “Are you ok…Mr. Buchanan?”
He recognized her, then. Dr. Nikkie Jean Netorre. He almost winced. Jennifer had had a lot to say about the daughter of her old friend. It had taken him a moment or two to put the two together.
Carl had been the one to court Jordan Carrington and his medical group to Texas in the first place. It had been a sound business move. Carl had been invested in the private Finley Creek University and its hospital for the last forty years, ever since the hospital had been in dire need of funding and had briefly opened up to investors.
Carl had just built on those investments, eventually taking over a small medical supply company that had been located across the parking lot. Before a decade had passed, he had secured himself a position on the hospital board, followed by an appointment to the city council. He’d taken the deputy mayoral position when Turner Barratt had approached him about helping out after they’d lost Richard.
Jordan Carrington was going to be one hell of a business asset. Carl needed that now.
He was ready to retire from his business endeavors. His grandson needed more of his attention right now. Jason had a long road ahead of him. Corrective surgeries on his arm and hand would take years to complete. Physical therapy was a given. Carl needed to be there for him, not running around doing business in all parts of the countryside.
He was going to retire from being the deputy mayor, too. As soon as this new problem was solved for Turner. It didn’t feel right leaving him in the lurch.
“Dr. Netorre, no harm done. No bumps and bruises.” Carl straightened his tie and smiled at the two young women. The patient looked familiar, but he couldn’t place her. He’d seen her before, somewhere. “You ladies ok?”
“I was just taking Annie around, getting her some fresh air before I left. Annie, you remember Mr. Buchanan?”
“Of course. From the hospital board, and our deputy mayor.” The woman in the wheelchair smiled quietly at him. That’s when he placed her.
She was one of the nurses from the ER, he believed. He’d seen her a time or two around the hospital. “How are you feeling, Miss…”
“Gaines. I work in the emergency department. I’m usually the one wearing the scrubs, and not the gown.”
“Of course. Were you one of ours that were injured in the storm?” The hospital had had a handful of injuries, but only one death. Jennifer’s nephew Raymond had been caught outside when the storm hit.
“In a matter of speaking.” She shot a rueful look at her friend, before looking back at him. “It’s probably not a secret for much longer. I was in city hall with the mayor when it was hit.”
Of course. The mystery woman. The reporters had been speculating on her identity since the day it became known that Turner was trapped with a young, pretty woman.
No one knew who she was. But Turner was being touted as a hero. He’d saved her life.
It hadn’t hurt the younger man’s image one bit. Carl suspected it was just the opposite. A strong, handsome hero facing down a storm with a beautiful woman in his arms. This girl would look perfect, standing next to tall, broad-shouldered, classically handsome Turner Barratt.
His daughter had looked like her, with big, blue eyes and warm brown hair. A sweet face with freckles that made her look younger. In fact, she greatly favored Kami, especially from the side.
Grief for his daughter Kami hit him. The ache of loss was just as strong now as it had been twenty-six years ago when she’d died from heart complications. She’d been afraid of the side effects of her medication. Kami had always had extreme fears.
The reporters were going to love knowing it was this young woman who had been with Turner. The image of a strong leader was more than needed right now. The city needed a hero.
Carl knew enough about the human condition to know that.
It was a matter of survival.
Turner was good hero material.
“I’m glad to see you’re recovering, Ms. Gaines. And I’m sorry for what happened to you.”
“I’m very fortunate I was with the mayor at the time. He heeded the warning and got us closer to the basement before the storm hit.”
No doubt. If they had been in Turner’s third floor office at the time, it would most likely have been fatal. Thank God it hadn’t been.
But he had no clue why this young nurse had been meeting with the mayor in the first place. “The business you had with Turner? Has he been able to resolve it for you? I would be happy to help, if needed. Take a bit of his load off his plate. He’s working himself to death right now.”
She hesitated. Such a pretty girl. Who’d been alone with Turner after hours.
That in itself was odd. Turner was rabidly obsessed with keeping Carl in the loop. He shouldn’t have been in his office with a pretty woman.
Not on city business, anyway.
It was probably something more than that. Hell, if Carl was thirty years younger and in Turner’s position, he would have been attracted to this woman. Would have called her to his office and had some private time with her, himself.
It was just their misfortune to have been in the building when the storm hit.
Carl was proud of Turner. He’d been after him for months to get out of the office a bit and enjoy his life while he could. Turner needed a wife and kids of his own. He’d be good at being a family man. It was time Turner stepped into the real world, where life wasn’t so neatly kept in the little boxes he believed.
Turner was a bit on the naïve, idealistic side. Carl just hoped he kept that once the recovery was done.
The idealists in the world were who gave the rest of the people out there hope.