Firefighter With A Frozen Heart. Dianne Drake

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      “But I’m not going to think about him,” she said, heading down three flights of stairs, grappling with the last of the things she was taking to her new life. She had an emergency room to expand. New responsibilities to think about. And thinking about Jess distracted her. So she wouldn’t. That’s all there was to it. She would not think about Jess Corbett.

      An hour later, as she turned onto the interstate taking her north, she was still trying not to think about him. Of course, this new life she’d chosen for herself wasn’t going to make that easy, was it? Not when her destination was Lilly Lake, and Lilly Lake was the place they’d almost started a life together.

      For early spring, the evening was pleasantly warm. Tonight, the sun was setting in gold hues over the lake, and in the distance the wail of a loon saddened the expanse. Heard for miles, across land, and from lake to lake, it was the haunting call of mates looking for each other, mates lost to each other and calling out to find them. Jess knew what that was about, what it felt like to search. “So that’s the long, sad story of my exile from New York City.”

      “Smoke inhalation?” Rafe Corbett snorted a laugh. “They grounded you a week for smoke inhalation?”

      “Two weeks,” Jess grumbled, then chuckled. “Let’s just say that I overstepped my bounds. After my clean bill of health I shot off my mouth when I should have kept it closed, and my captain decided to put me on ice for a little longer to think about it.”

      “In other words, you don’t play by the rules.”

      “And you do?”

      “Okay, so the Corbett men do things their own way. But for me, that’s fine. I’m an orthopedist, I don’t really have to get into much of the team spirit the way you do.”

      An orthopedist who, not so long ago, hadn’t been all that different from Jess. Except now Rafe was a married man with a daughter, and another one on the way. The picture of perfect contentment, and happy to be in that place. “Well, team is where it’s at. And between us, big brother, I do have some problems with that. I’m more used to …”

      “Doing it on your own?”

      Jess winced. It was true. He was a loner in most aspects of his life. In fact, he could probably count on one hand the number of times he and Rafe had actually sat down and talked as brothers these past dozen or so years. “Yep, doing it on my own. But I get the team concept, realize how important it is, even if I get ahead of myself sometimes.”

      “Get ahead of yourself? You ran into a burning building without telling anybody you were going in. That’s a hell of a lot more than getting ahead of yourself, Jess.”

      “You’re going to give me a lecture, too?” he asked, clearly annoyed, not with Rafe so much as with himself. He’d been wrong. He’d admitted it. But there was something inside him … something he just couldn’t control at times. Sometimes he had to act, consequences be damned. “Because I’ve already heard it, and now I have two weeks to reflect on the error of my ways.”

      Rafe held up his hands in mock surrender. “Then it’s over, okay? Not another word. So, do you want to come stay up at Gracie House? We’ve got better accommodations. Molly would love having her favorite uncle there to play with.” Six-year-old Molly was Rafe’s new daughter and part of his newfound contentment.

      “No. The cabin’s fine. But tell Molly she’ll be seeing enough of me over the next couple of weeks that she’ll probably get sick of me.” In truth, he liked the cabin. Liked its rustic charm. A mile from nowhere, with just enough amenities to call it modern, it kept him isolated. What more could he want? “Tell Edie, though, I appreciate the offer, and that I wouldn’t mind stopping in a couple of times for a good home-cooked meal if she’s up to it. I don’t want to put her out, though, considering …”

      “She’s pregnant, working until her due date if she can and she loves to cook. How about tomorrow night? That’ll give her the chance to plan it, and give you the chance to settle in.”

      “You can do that, just make plans for your wife like that?”

      Rafe chuckled. “Hell, no. But Edie didn’t figure you’d stay at the house with us, so she told me to invite you over tomorrow night for dinner.”

      “And you’re just trying to score points with me, making me think it was your idea.”

      “I need some points, because I’ve got a favor to ask you.”

      “Sounds ominous.”

      “Not ominous. More like a matter of practicality. And to be honest, I’m glad you’re home because I was going to come to the city next week to talk to you about it.”

      Jess twisted in his seat. Was on the verge of getting up and going inside. Shutting the door on what Rafe was here to discuss. “Another time?” he asked, trying to put off the talk for no good reason other than he didn’t want to deal with it at present. In fact, his preference would be signing his share of Lilly Hospital over to Rafe, then be done with the whole thing. But that’s not what Rafe wanted. So Jess was hanging on, but in title only.

      “Look, Jess. I understand it’s hard for you, and if there was any other way to do this, I would. But we are co-owners …”

      “One of which who wants nothing to do with the hospital. So, here’s what you can do, Rafe. Anything. Anything you want. I trust your judgment, and I’ll give you my blessing but, please, leave me the hell out of the decisions.

      Okay?”

      “What I want, Jess, is to take Rick Navarro on as a partner. He’s earned it. He deserves it. And he has good ideas for expansion …”

      Jess waved him off. “What, in the definition of anything don’t you understand?”

      “For once, just listen to me, okay? Before you start spouting off your opinion or telling me all the reasons you don’t give a damn, just shut up and listen!”

      Jess huffed out an impatient sigh. “Do I have a choice?”

      “You’ve always got a choice, but I was hoping you’d give me some support in this.”

      “You’ve got my support, Rafe. Just not my attention.” He pushed himself up out of his seat and headed toward the front door, but stopped before going inside. Change of heart? Not at all. But a sure change of mind. Rafe was the only person he had in this world, and it wouldn’t hurt him to listen to his big brother. After all, Rafe had taken the beatings for him, quite literally. All those years, all the tirades, Rafe was the one who’d stood up to their old man and taken the punishment. So at the least he owed him another minute to listen. “Okay, tell me, but don’t expect anything from me other than listening. Because I’m not going to get involved in this.”

      Rafe stood, and went to lean on the banister across from the front door. “Fine. I’ll make it fast. We’re expanding pediatric services, which you already know. We’re looking into some growth in obstetrics, too. But the first thing we’re taking on is an expansion to our emergency services, because what we have isn’t good enough.”

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