A Man to Believe In. Kathleen Pickering

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СКАЧАТЬ in Montauk caused such a ruckus with her female coworkers. She’d met him first, albeit through his accident, so felt a sense of proprietary interest in him. She’d flirted with him against her better judgment because, hell’s bells, he was just too handsome to resist. After hearing the other nurses’ chatter, it was time to rely on reason and behave. Taking Peter Chapman to his hotel and leaving him there seemed like the next best thing to do.

      No matter how capable Peter was, hospital rule insisted that a patient be wheeled to the door. Pushing a wheelchair toward his room, she convinced herself that if Peter’s professional bedside manner proved to be anything like his charm, they’d be working together for a long time. Might as well not ruin their budding friendship by stepping over boundaries.

      She inhaled a fortifying breath and whispered, “I can do this.”

      She wheeled the chair into the room to find Chapman dressed and sitting on the end of the bed, hands on his knees in easy posture, talking with John, who everyone affectionately called Doc. John was of medium height, lean, middle-aged, with a full head of russet hair and a perfectly manicured beard. Dressed in his usual white doctor coat, worn open over a blue man-tailored shirt, striped tie, jeans and well-worn cowboy boots that he insisted were more comfortable than sneakers, John had his hands hooked in his pockets as they chatted.

      His smile reached his warm, brown eyes while he concentrated on what Peter was saying. Doc had been head of Mercy Hospital’s E.R. for ten years running. Before taking charge, he was a resident doctor. Cassie’s mom had worked with him before Cassie attended nursing school.

      Their friendship was one of the perks of small-town living. Doc’s first wife, who was a friend of her mother’s, had died of cancer. He’d since remarried a lovely woman ten years his junior, and before becoming a nurse, Cassie had babysat their two daughters. Cassie also became friends with Ellen Bailey since she was closer to Cassie’s age than her mother’s. The two loved the beach. Wore similar clothes. Biked together early on Tuesday mornings and liked to share gossip over mocha lattes Ellen would make in her kitchen while the kids played at their feet. Such was life in a small village. You worked and played with your neighbors. The bond kept life predictable, despite the occasional drama between locals, and was especially important for a tight-knit fishing community that entertained seasonal tourism and was a haven for celebrities.

      Doc waved her in. “Hey, Cassie. Peter says you’ve taken good care of him.” He gave her a pointed look. “If you’re finished, I’d say he’s ready to go.”

      The heat of a blush immediately burned her cheeks. Doc was baiting her because a year ago she had dated an intern, breaking his heart so badly that he had quit and moved to the city. She had no doubt that Doc was making sure she’d leave Peter Chapman alone so he would stick around.

      She waved a dismissing hand. “You did all the work, Doc. I was merely the first face he saw when he woke up.”

      Doc smiled, clearly enjoying her willingness to banter even though he made his point. “Peter will make a good addition to our crew.”

      She met Peter’s gaze and forced herself to breathe slowly. Doc had spoken highly of Peter when he’d decided to hire him. He’d graduated at the top of his class, spent two years working in Los Angeles and came with excellent references. Amazing that an offer for a job could be made and closed by online conferencing these days. Neither man had to spend precious time or money traveling for the interview.

      Cassie had been impressed by Doc’s description of Peter’s abilities. In person, he became sheer firepower in a glance, but the real test would be watching him in action. She’d seen it before. Book smarts, no matter how impressive, paled in comparison to bedside manner, fast thinking in a crisis and an ability to get along with one’s peers. For her, the jury was still out. Sure, Peter had charm. But, could he insert an IV into an unconscious and severely dehydrated patient, or anticipate a doctor’s call for meds required for a trauma victim, or accurately assess who needed attention first when multiple trauma victims arrived at the same time? His résumé said he had the experience. Now he had to prove it. Mercy Hospital worked hard to establish its reputation as a state-of-the-art facility, especially with the celebrity population in Montauk. Cassie was curious to put him to the test before she made any definitive conclusions.

      Peter pointed to the wheelchair. “I’m not riding in that thing.”

      Doc clapped him on the shoulder. “Sure you are. Cassie has a license to drive wheelchairs. You’re safe in her hands.”

      Peter stood. “I’m fine. No wheelchair.”

      Cassie wagged a finger at him. “Now don’t be a difficult patient.”

      Doc put an arm around her shoulder. “You’d better not cross her, Peter. This woman is my best nurse.”

      Grateful for the compliment, especially in front of the new guy, she made light of his kind words. “John says that to all his nurses when no one else is listening.”

      Doc looked at his watch. “I have to go. Cassie, when Peter comes in next week, I’d like you to show him around the E.R. I want him totally comfortable before Easter.”

      One-on-one with the surfer stud. Could she handle it? Inwardly, she scoffed. Of course she could. They’d be working together now. It was just a matter of getting used to a new employee. She shot a casual look in his direction. “Think you can make the grade?”

      “Bring it on, Cassie Michaels.”

      Doc shook Peter’s hand. “Looking forward to having you on board. Your cut should be healed sufficiently by then.”

      Peter was smiling, probably at her obvious distress over being put in charge of him. Damn her transparent face.

      “Wouldn’t miss my first day at work for the world, Dr. Bailey. I drove a long way to get here.”

      “Call me Doc. Welcome to Montauk.”

      After John disappeared out the door, Cassie pointed to the wheelchair. “Sit. I’m sure you’d like to get settled.”

      Satchel in hand, Peter climbed into the chair with a suddenly cheerful attitude. “Okay, boss. Take me anywhere you want to go.”

      She pushed him from the room and tried with every ounce of control to keep the visual of taking him to bed out of her mind.

      CHAPTER TWO

      SEATED IN THE passenger seat of Cassie’s Jeep Wrangler, Peter checked his face in the visor mirror. His left eye was swollen and bruised magenta. It would blacken in a few days. The sutures pinched a bit over the cut, which now throbbed with a dull ache.

      “Looking like this, it’s a good thing I’m not coming in until next week. I’d scare patients.”

      She glanced his way. “Does it hurt?”

      Mostly his pride for having had the accident. This wasn’t exactly the way he wanted to present himself to his coworkers. He slid on his Ray-Ban sunglasses against the glaring sun, careful of the bandage on his brow. “No. I’m fine.”

      “Why don’t you use that ice pack a little longer?”

      “Because I want to see where you’re going.”

      “Can’t you see with one eye?”

      He СКАЧАТЬ