A Nurse to Tame the ER Doc

by Janice Lynn

  He hesitated a minute, then said, “Amy had a lot to do with that.”

  If she’d had any doubt, there was her confirmation that there was something between her friend and Jack. She fought back a fresh twinge of disappointment that he was taken, reminded herself he was a doctor and she wasn’t interested anyway. Plus, she truly was pleased for Amy. She’d just met Jack and she already liked him.

  “I’m happy for you.”

  He stared at her a moment, then his eyes lit with surprise. “Not sure what Amy told you...” he chuckled as he continued “...but we’re just friends. I’m sure she feels the same.”

  Heat flooded her face. Just friends. “Oh.”

  “You thought she and I were more?”

  Oh, good grief. Her face burned. Her ears burned. Could the ground just please open and swallow her now?

  “Well, you did mention you were at her apartment,” she reminded him, trying to explain why she’d thought what she had.

  “At a party she threw for a co-worker.” His eyes danced with merriment. “Nothing nearly as exciting as what you were imagining.”

  “Too bad for you. Amy is a great catch.” All true, but even as she said it she had to remind herself yet again that she was not interested in becoming involved, especially not with someone in the same profession as Neil. No way.

  “I agree,” Jack assured her. “Amy has been talking with my best friend for the past couple of weeks. Nothing would make me happier than if the two of them continue to hit it off.”

  Amy hadn’t mentioned the best friend either. Had Taylor and her bestie really grown that far apart over the past few years? She’d been so wrapped up in trying to make her marriage work and ashamed of the situation in which she’d found herself that she’d not invested time into their friendship. Yet Amy had always been there any time Taylor had called, like when she’d finally filed for divorce.

  Guilt hit her. She’d do better. Lots better. It had taken her the past year to build a foundation of who she was, who she wanted to be.

  “So, nothing between the two of you?” she double-checked, just to be sure she’d understood correctly.

  “Friendship.”

  “I’m sorry.” She really was. Amy was the best person she knew and deserved the best of everything. Maybe Jack’s friend would prove to be worthy.

  “I’m not.”

  “Why’s that?” Her gaze locked with his and her breath caught. His eyes sparkled like sunshine dancing across lake water.

  “Let’s just say—” he was looking at her as if she were the sweetest soda pop he’d ever wanted to taste “—I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

  Awareness filled Taylor. Awareness that had nothing to with anything except good old-fashioned girl meets boy. Good grief. Her body didn’t seem to care about his taboo medical credentials and her ban against men.

  Eek. Maybe she shouldn’t have been quite so ecstatic about her libido’s revival.

  * * *

  When Taylor’s brow lifted, her expression cautious, Jack chided himself for his admission. If he wasn’t careful, she was going to think he really was a stalker.

  Was it considered stalking if her best friend had talked about her so much Jack had been looking forward to meeting her for weeks?

  Longer.

  She’d caught his eye years ago the first time he’d seen her photo. Something in her eyes, her smile had called to him. He’d been sad to learn she was married. When Amy had mentioned her divorced best friend was coming to work Rockin’ Tyme, he’d been intrigued, wondering if the real deal would intrigue him as much as her photo.

  She did.

  Taylor Hall was a beautiful woman. Thick almost platinum blonde hair, golden brown eyes, pouty lips, and a body he had to force himself not to think about. She was easily one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen, but it was something in her eyes that had snagged his attention years ago and refused to let go even now that he’d met her in person.

  He suspected that although her outside packaging was beautiful, the real beauty was hidden away like a secret treasure.

  Jack introduced her to the crew, all of whom were friendly but really brightened when he told them she was Amy’s friend.

  “Shame Amy’s not going to be here this year,” one said, giving her hand a hearty shake.

  “Sorry to hear about her grandmother,” another commented.

  Robert, a paramedic from a couple of counties away, grinned, stuck his hand out to Taylor, and eyed her in much the way Jack probably had.

  “Tell me I’m the luckiest guy on the planet and you’re single?”

  Jack’s gaze immediately shifted to Taylor’s to see how she’d respond to the man’s blatant flirting.

  Eyes wide with surprise, she eyed him, then laughed softly. “I’m single.”

  Looking upwards, Robert made a thankful gesture.

  “But not looking for a music festival hook-up, if that’s what you mean by lucky.”

  “A pity,” Robert said, eyeing her with a huge grin. “You and I could have had a lot of fun.”

  Jack liked the paramedic, but currently he wanted to throttle the guy. “Ignore Robert. The sun gets to him real quick and he talks out of his head.”

  Taylor laughed. “That explains a lot.”

  “Besides, certain staff interactions aren’t encouraged.”

  Robert eyed Jack as if he’d grown an extra head, and no wonder. “Never heard of it being discouraged, not here.”

  There had been romances pop up between staff. Jack himself had met a few interesting women over the years that he’d enjoyed getting to know. But he didn’t want Robert having the wrong idea about Taylor.

  She was off limits.

  Next thing you knew, Jack was going to be beating his chest and acting like a fool. Shaking his head, he chuckled. “Okay, Casanova, back off and let me introduce her to Duffy.”

  He and Duffy had worked numerous events together and he genuinely liked the fifty-something travel nurse who craved adventure almost as much as Jack.

  “Duffy Reynolds is who you need to see if you have questions and I’m not around.”

  “Or you could ask me,” Robert volunteered, earning a glare from Jack. “I’d be happy to help with any questions. Or to give a tour of the grounds.”

  Glancing toward Jack first, Taylor smiled at Duffy and ignored Robert’s comment. “Nice to meet you.”

  Once he’d shown her their “twenty-bed” operation, he asked, “You checked out the stages?”

  She shook her head. “When I arrived, I went straight to the main medical tent, registered, then came here.”

  “You camping?”

  She nodded. “Amy and I had planned to tent together with maybe a trip to her place for showers and refreshing ourselves if the shower lines were too long. I’m camping solo now.”

  “Don’t let Robert hear you say that or he’ll offer to share his tent.”

  Her gaze lifted. “He was just teasing.”

  “Don’t you believe it,” Jack warned. “You so much as give him a smile and he’s going to be all over you in hopes of a festival fling. If that’s not what you want, steer clear.”

  “Noted.”

  Jack eyed her a moment, waiting for her to elaborate or say something further. “Is that what you want, Taylor?”

  “A fling with Robert?” She shook her head. “I came to spend time with my best friend, not to have a fling.”

  “That’ll make my job of keeping you safe easier.”

  “He’s dangerous?”

  Feeling guilty he’d given her that impression, Jack shook his head. “No. Just making sure I keep my promise to Amy to watch out for you. She wouldn’t be happy if I let someone break your heart while you’re here.”

  “There is that,” she agreed, studying him. Smilin
g, Taylor’s eyes narrowed. “Why do I get the feeling you’re way more dangerous than Robert ever thought of being?”

  He laughed. Yep, she was onto him.

  “Come on, let’s walk around the grounds before it gets too crowded. People will be pouring in over the next twenty-four hours as this party gets started.”

  * * *

  Taylor had to admit she was impressed at the organization of the event. There were three main stages and several smaller ones. The five-night event offered everything from big-name pop stars to small-time local bands hoping to make it big someday. There were huge rows of food vendors and a shopping village made up of tents offering their wares. There was a comedy tent, a dance party tent, sponsored by a popular music television station, and a dozen more entertainment tents. Some tents were huge commercial numbers with electricity and some having generator-run air-conditioners even. And people. People were everywhere.

  “It already looks crowded,” she mused, taking in the multitude checking out their surroundings prior to the first show kicking off. “How many more are expected?”

  “They’re expecting about a hundred thousand attendees. By this time tomorrow night this place will be packed.”

  Taylor nodded. She’d expected most of the festival-goers to be college-aged kids. Most were, but there was a huge variety of ages represented, even some young parents with two or three kids in tow and some who appeared to be older than Taylor’s parents.

  “Most of what we’ll see in the medical tent will be dehydration and intoxication, but there’s always a mix of other things thrown in just to keep things interesting.”

  Taylor knew security screened for drugs, but that where there was a will there was a way. Amy had told about some of the patients they’d seen over the years. Unfortunately, there had been a few overdose deaths.

  “From what Amy’s told me, boredom shouldn’t be an issue.”

  He laughed. “Boredom is what I hope for at these events.”

  Taylor glanced his way. “Oh?”

  “Boredom means everyone is having fun with no worries.”

  “Ah.” Glancing out over the happy, energetic crowd, she nodded. “Then that’s what I’m going to hope for, too. Boredom.”

  But glancing toward the man walking beside her, who was telling her about the different tents and upcoming acts as they made their way over to the main medical tent, Taylor suspected boredom was the last word she’d be using to describe the next few days.

  CHAPTER TWO

  TAYLOR FROWNED AT the pile of poles and canvas, then went back to studying the instructions. She was a highly skilled ICU nurse. She could put together a tent. No problem.

  Well, okay, some problem.

  Mainly, that every time she put one pole end in the designated loop it would pop out when she tried to put in the other end. What she needed was—

  “You need help with that?”

  Taylor jumped, then looked up at Jack. She started to tell him she had it, because she would figure it out and hadn’t she made great strides in not depending on a man for anything?

  But common sense won out, so she smiled and said, “Um...yeah, I do. I’ve got a tarp down for a moisture barrier, got my tent all spread out like these say...” she waved the instructions “...but that end doesn’t want to stay in that loop thingy when I put in the other side.”

  Jack’s lips twitched. “The loop thingy?”

  Before she could say more, he bent down, threaded the pole back into the end loop just as she had. But when he bowed the pole and hooked the other side, the pole behaved and didn’t slip out on the other end.

  “Well,” she mused, putting her hands on her hips, “you made that look easy.”

  “It’s all in how you handle the pole.”

  Taylor’s cheeks heated and she ordered her mind to get out of the gutter.

  “Um...yeah...well...” She hemmed and hawed, then brushed her palms down her shorts. “Thank you for your help.”

  “Anytime.”

  His grin was cocky as all get-out. “Anything else I can help with?”

  “I feel guilty you had to help with that,” she admitted. A strong independent woman should have been able to figure out how to put up a tent, right?

  “Wasn’t any trouble. I was on my way to my tent to grab a drink.”

  “Your tent?”

  He gestured to the tent next to hers.

  Next to hers. Seriously? The medical staff parking/camping area located behind the main medical tent wasn’t that big. What were the odds?

  He was offering help, but that hard-won independent streak refused to be silent. “Grab that drink and check on me in a few minutes, if that’s okay.”

  “Be glad to.” His eyes danced with what she could only describe as happiness. How could any one man radiate so much positivity?

  Trying to ignore the fact that Jack was a tent away, that if she coughed, sneezed, or made any other weird noises, he’d hear, Taylor pulled the air mattress from its box and placed it inside the tent. She hit the battery-operated control button and was relieved when the unit blew up perfectly. Within minutes she had her bed made and her bag to one side. The tent was large enough that both she and Amy could have set up their air mattresses, so with just the one she had floor space.

  “Everything going okay?” Jack asked when she climbed out of the tent.

  “So far,” she told the man sitting in a fold-up chair facing in her direction.

  He held a refillable drink container and a protein bar. “You know it’s killing me not helping, right?”

  “White knight syndrome?”

  He shrugged. “Momma taught me to be useful syndrome.”

  Taylor laughed. “Fine. You can help.”

  Immediately he rose, set his water bottle down on his much sturdier appearing table than the one she’d just pulled out of the back of her car.

  “I take directions well.”

  Taylor arched her brow. “A man who takes directions well? I thought those were the things of unicorns and fairies.”

  He winked. “Try me and see.”

  Taylor gulped back the thoughts that ran through her mind. “Well, I’ve got to set up the canopy tent. Amy said to be sure to put it as close as possible so it would help shade my sleeping tent.”

  “Yep, otherwise your tent will be hot as Hades in the daytime.”

  She pulled out the canopy tent her friend had left in her living room along with the other camping items for Taylor to pick up on her way to the festival. “Let’s see if we can figure this out.”

  The canopy tent was easier to set up, and not just because Jack was helping.

  Well, maybe because he was helping. Certainly, it was more fun and had gone faster.

  “What’s next, ma’am?”

  “The table?”

  He lifted the folding table from where she’d propped it against her car and set it up beneath the canopy tent, which had been scooted partially over the entrance of the smaller tent she’d be sleeping in.

  Holding up a lightweight tarp she’d pulled from a duffle bag that contained at least one more, Taylor said, “I found the tarp with the tent and used it as a moisture barrier per Amy’s instructions, but was I supposed to do something with these?”

  “Amy usually attaches them to the sides of the canopy to create shade and keeps one to put over her tent if the weather doesn’t co-operate and it decides to flood.”

  Taylor wrinkled her nose. “If it decides to flood, I’ll be sleeping in my car.”

  Jack laughed. “You wouldn’t be the first person to do so. Just set an alarm so you don’t overheat after the sun comes up. It gets too hot fast inside a vehicle.” He took one of the tarps and began attaching it to the canopy. “With Amy canceling, I’m surprised you decided to camp rather than stay at her place.”

  Tr
ying to mimic how he was hanging the tarp, Taylor began attaching a second tarp to another side. “She insisted that rather than go back to her place I stay here and enjoy my first music festival.”

  “Really?” He looked incredulous. “This is your first music festival?”

  “Hard to believe I’ve been missing out on this all these years.” Giving him a wry look, she spread her arms to indicate the festival just beyond the main medical area.

  Together they worked to attach the third tarp, leaving the fourth side open. “Since this is your first music festival experience, I’ll make sure it’s a good one so you’ll want to come back.”

  Butterflies danced in Taylor’s belly. “Oh?”

  “Since neither of us are on duty tonight, you want to watch the shows with me?”

  Ha. Was this a trick question or what? Wander around by herself or sit next to a charismatic man who had awakened her dormant hormones? Hmm...hard decision.

  It should have been a harder decision given his profession.

  Still, she was smiling when she said, “I’d love to.”

  * * *

  Taylor could get into music festivals. Or maybe it was the man beside her she was into. Glancing over at him, she couldn’t help but think how fortunate she was to have him there this week since Amy hadn’t been able to attend. Otherwise she might really have packed up and gone to Amy’s.

  Amy had texted earlier to make sure she’d arrived, and everything was okay. She’d not mentioned her unexpected reaction to Jack but had said everything was great.

  Maybe if Jack were anything other than a doctor, she’d give in to the heat, let herself have a free pass life experience.

  She wrapped her arms around her knees and looked back toward the stage where a band with a current chart-topping song had kicked off the festival an hour before and was still jamming out.

  Around them others on blankets were watching the show and others danced along to the tunes, some dressed similar to Taylor’s shorts and T-shirt, some in costumes, some in not much of anything at all.

  “Having fun?”

  She smiled at Jack and nodded.