Читать книгу Her Kind Of Doctor - Stella Bagwell - Страница 11

Chapter Four

The next night, as the evening shift took over, Luke had just pulled on his lab coat and stepped into the treatment area when the sound of a soft footfall behind him had him glancing over his shoulder.

The sight of Paige Winters practically sent him into shock and for a long, awkward moment, all he could do was stare at her dark, wine-colored hair, silver gray eyes and soft, slender curves. He’d never expected to see her on this floor again. The fact that she was standing in front of him and seemingly ready to work caused a flood of joy to rush through him. And without even realizing what was happening, the corners of his mouth tilted into a smile.

“Nurse Winters,” he finally said. “How are you this evening?”

Her hands were stuffed into the pockets on a navy blue scrub top. Which was probably a good thing, Luke thought. Otherwise, he might’ve been tempted to show his gratitude by grabbing one of her hands and kissing the back of it.

“I’m fine. I, uh, just wanted to say hello and to, uh, let you know I’m back in the ER.” She paused and nervously licked her lips. “If you think it will be too difficult to work with me, I—”

“It won’t—be difficult,” he interrupted.

She drew in a deep breath and as Luke took in the dainty flare of her nostrils he couldn’t help but notice her creamy skin and full rosy lips. Had she always looked this way? He didn’t remember her being so incredibly feminine. And why was his heart suddenly making all kinds of crazy flip-flops? Had he suddenly become the biggest fool in Carson City?

Paige was an excellent nurse and this past week had been hell working without her. But that didn’t mean the sight of her should have him reacting like a giddy schoolboy. He was a medical doctor, a man who rarely allowed himself to feel much of anything. But this momentary joy he was unexpectedly experiencing was too special to resist.

“Thank you,” she said stiffly.

She glanced away and swallowed and Luke realized she wasn’t exactly feeling comfortable with him. And he could hardly blame her. Since their heated tête-à-tête, he’d thought long and hard about their working relationship and he’d admitted to himself that he’d treated her badly. Not just once, but many times. The fact that she’d forgiven him enough to return to the ER humbled him greatly.

He cleared his throat and straightened his tie, while wondering why he couldn’t find one sensible thing to say to her. But that problem was instantly put aside as a pair of medics pushed through the swinging doors with the first patient of the evening shift.

Because of the regrettable interruption, he said, “Looks like we’re needed.”

Luke took off in long strides to catch up to the gurney and Paige joined him. As the two of them hurried toward the nearest treatment room, he could only think that having her at his side again felt uncannily close to a homecoming.

* * *

“Something is wrong with Dr. Sherman.”

Chavella glanced over at Paige as the two women entered a small break room situated behind the ER treatment room.

“What do you mean?” the young nurse asked. “I thought he behaved very nicely these past two hours.”

Paige filled a small paper cup with water and sat down at a utility table. “That’s what I’m talking about. He’s not himself. He’s behaving like someone I’ve never met before.”

Chavella took a seat directly across from Paige and opened a can of diet soda. After she’d taken a long drink, she said, “Don’t question a good thing, Paige. Just be thankful for it.”

Paige absently studied the water swirling in the bottom of her cup. For the past two hours, Luke Sherman had treated her in a polite and respectful manner. There had been no caustic demands or shouting. He’d not given her any cutting looks or disgusted snorts. The only way he could have been nicer was if he’d given her another one of those smiles. The kind he’d given her just before they started the shift.

She was still thinking about the way that smile had transformed the doctor’s face. All at once he’d been more than handsome. He’d been human. And that in itself was far more appealing than the sexy dent in his chin, or the way his naturally streaked hair fell over one eye, or even that stealthy lion-like walk of his.

Trying to shake away the disturbing image, she said, “You’re right. I should be relieved. Instead, I have the uneasy feeling this is just a momentary lapse and Dr. Sherman will explode before the shift is over. And when he does...”

“What?” Chavella prompted. “You’re going back to IM?”

During the days she’d worked on the IM floor, she’d felt like a coward, running and hiding from the big, bad bogeyman. She’d not been proud of herself.

Drawing her shoulders back, she said, “No. This time I’m going to stand up to him and his nastiness.”

“Maybe you won’t have to,” Chavella suggested. “I actually think he’s remorseful.”

Paige rolled her eyes. “That’s because you’re young and sweet and you want to see the best in people. Now me, I’ve already learned that most men are selfish and self-centered. It’s impossible for them to be remorseful over anything.”

The corners of Chavella’s mouth drooped with disappointment. “Paige, one of these days you’re going to meet a man who will prove you wrong. There are good ones out there. I ought to know. I had one.”

With a rueful groan, Paige reached across the table and covered the top of Chavella’s hand with her own. “I’m sorry, Chavella. You did have a good man. And it’s so unfair that you lost him in such a tragic way. But you will meet another special man. As for me—I don’t really want one. Or need one, either.”

Chavella gave her a wan smile. “One of these days that will change, too.”

Paige didn’t argue with her. Instead, she glanced at her watch and quickly rose to her feet. “You go ahead and finish your soda. The patient with the lacerations left quite a mess behind. I’m going to check on April and see if she needs help cleaning up everything.”

* * *

Early the next morning, just as Paige’s shift was ending, she was walking to the nurses’ locker room to pick up her things when Dr. Sherman called to her from behind. She should’ve known the past few hours had been too good to be true, she thought, as she paused and waited for him to catch up to her. Since she’d never seen him in this area of the building before, he must be determined to rake her over the coals before she left the hospital.

“Nurse Winters, are you on your way home?” he asked.

She tried not to sound wary, even though every muscle in her body had suddenly tightened into knots. “Yes. As soon as I collect my things from the locker room.”

He cleared his throat as though he was nervous. Which was a ridiculous thought on her part. Luke was a man of steel. Nothing made him uneasy.

Drawing to a stop in front of her, he said, “Before you leave I was wondering if you might have a cup of coffee with me—in the doctor’s lounge. You do like coffee, don’t you?”

If the slightest puff of wind had passed through the hallway, Paige would have fallen face-first on the polished tile floor.

“Uh, yes—I like coffee.”

A faint smile curved his lips and Paige suddenly wanted to grab the front of his lab coat and give him a hard shake. She wanted to ask him what the hell he thought he was doing. Was he trying to play some sort of mind game with her? If so, he was succeeding. For reasons she couldn’t imagine, she was seeing things about the man she’d never seen before. Like the tempting curve of his lower lip and how his eyes were as cool as a green glade in early spring.

“Good,” he said. “Since the shift is changing, I’m sure we’ll find a fresh pot. Shall we go?”

He gestured for her to precede him and though Paige wanted to turn and race out of the building, she forced herself to nod.

“We had an extra busy shift tonight,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t sound as strained to him as it did to her. “Coffee would be nice.”

The two of them started walking back in the general direction of the ER until they reached an intersection of connecting hallways. Beyond it on the left wall, Luke pushed open a door marked Doctors’ Lounge. Which basically meant, barring an emergency, no nurses or orderlies were allowed. In the seven years she’d worked at Tahoe General, Paige had only been in this lounge once and that had been long before Luke Sherman had been hired to attend the night shift.

Compared to what she’d seen of the doctors’ lounges located on the upper floors of the hospital, the space allotted for the ER physicians was tiny. Yet this one made up for space with a comfortable couch and matching stuffed armchairs, along with a TV and a small cabinet area stocked with beverages and snacks.

Currently the room was empty. Which was hardly a surprise since Dr. Bradley was already at work on the floor and one doctor handled the whole shift on his own—unless some sort of catastrophic situation occurred and the hospital had to summon more doctors to handle the crisis.

At the moment, Paige would have given half her paycheck for another doctor to suddenly walk through the door of the quiet lounge. Being alone with Luke Sherman was not a situation she was accustomed to.

He gestured toward the seating area. “Sit down, Nurse Winters. I’ll get the coffee. How do you like yours? With a bit of cream?”

He must be a good guesser, she thought. She doubted he even knew her first name, much less how she liked her coffee. “Yes, cream would be nice.”

By the time she’d made herself comfortable on one end of the couch, he was standing in front of her, holding two red mugs.

Murmuring her thanks, she took the one he offered her, then waited until he was seated before she took a cautious sip. As he had predicted, the brew was fresh. She breathed in the rich aroma and tried to relax. But that was so very hard to do when his presence was taking up practically every inch of the small lounge.

Before he’d poured the coffee, he’d taken off his lab coat and hung it on a hook on the wall. Paige tried to remember a time when she’d seen him in only a shirt, but couldn’t, and the sight of his broad, muscular shoulders and trim waist was disturbing her peace of mind. Not to mention the hard, masculine line of his jaw, the thick sandy hair falling in a boyish hank over his forehead and those piercing green eyes focusing directly on her face.

What was the man up to? In all the years she’d worked with him, he’d never so much as asked her to share a drink of water with him at the water fountain, much less join him in this private doctors’ domain. All she could think was that he was about to give her a lecture about doctor/nurse protocol and warn her to never talk down to him again. Or else. Well, she had news for him. She was darn good and ready to deal with the “or else.”

“I suppose you’re wondering why I invited you here,” he said, as he settled himself in an armchair positioned in front of her.

Because I looked sleepy and you thought I needed a jolt of caffeine before I drove home. Or you wanted to make a point of reminding me who’s the boss around here.

Although the thoughts were shooting through Paige’s mind, she managed to keep them from rolling off her tongue. Instead, she said, “I am a bit curious. It’s not like the two of us are...chummy.”

His brows pulled together in a faint frown. “We aren’t? I always thought we were a team.”

A team? She was so jolted by his remark it was a miracle she didn’t spill coffee across her lap. Maybe they did work in tandem, but that’s all it was, she silently reasoned. One professional working with another. She could probably count on one hand the times he’d spoken to her about something other than a patient’s treatment.

“Yes, we do work together,” she said primly. “I meant...we’re not, uh, chummy off duty.”

The slow, intimate way his gaze was slipping over her face gave Paige the sudden urge to clear her throat. Instead, she took a quick gulp of coffee and very nearly burned her tongue in the process.

He said, “I don’t exactly know what made you decide to return to the ER, but I’m grateful you did.”

Was she dreaming? Her hands tightened around the mug and though she tried to look away from him, her eyes refused to obey. That’s what happened when a person went into shock, the nurse in her realized. Everything about the senses stopped working. And hers had definitely come to a screeching halt.