The doctor already had one arm shoved into his white coat before Beau moved toward the door. Moments later, the scent of iodine and antiseptic filled the air, burning his nose and mouth as the men walked in silence down the hall. Funny how the familiar combination of odors was an odd comfort to him. He turned a corner, increasing his pace when Dr. Lovinggood pushed through a set of double doors, then moved to the side to hold one open for him.
The emergency room was small, not quite half the size of the bunkhouse he’d been assigned to along with most of his platoon at Stalag 7B. Three beds hugged the wall, allowing for a narrow pathway for hospital personnel to work. A thick white curtain gently swung with each movement around what Beau surmised must be another bed.
An older woman approached them, the starched, white cotton swishing in time with her every step. “Who gave you permission to come into my emergency room, Beauregard Daniels?”
His face flushed hot. Only one person outside of the United States Army had ever dared to use his full name. His lips lifted in what he hoped was his cockiest grin. “Since when did you start working at the hospital, Ms. Arnold? Last time I saw you, you were terrorizing the kids at the high school.”
“And now I’m busy running this hospital.”
“Which is the reason I’ve hired Beau here to help out,” Doctor Lovinggood interjected. “He served as a medic in the army.”
“He looks kind of puny to me.” Ms. Arnold gave him a quick once-over before meeting his gaze, her expression stern. “You sure you’re up to this?”
“Don’t worry about me. Aunt Merri’s home cooking is all I need,” Beau answered.
“So you’ve already been to your aunt’s house. Guess that means you plan on sticking around this time.”
Ms. Arnold never minced words, one of the reasons he’d liked her so much. Beau nodded. “As long as she’s got an available room.”
The older woman gave a little smile, seemingly satisfied with his answer. “Well, every bed in here is full for the moment, and more are standing in the waiting room. So the sooner you can get this girl out the door, the better. Then we can use that bed for someone who’s really sick.”
Beau followed them to the closed-off section of the room, listening as Ms. Arnold gave Dr. Lovinggood a report on their patient. He didn’t catch a name, but gathered that whoever it was had passed out.
“All I can figure is she must have skipped lunch again,” Ms. Arnold said, pulling the curtain to the side. In the bed lay a woman, her familiar gray hat perched on the bedside table.
Edie Michaels.
She looked so serene, her hair an ebony fan spread out against the pillow, her hands folded neatly across her midsection. The rosy color he’d noticed in her cheeks less than an hour ago had drained from her face, leaving her the palest shade of white. Without thinking, he picked up her hand and examined her fingertips. Cool to the touch, but pink.
Beau glanced over at Nurse Arnold. “What happened?”
“Stood up after giving a pint of blood and passed out.” The woman shook her head. “Knowing her, she probably hasn’t had a bite to eat all day.”
Beau’s gut twisted into a tight knot. Despite what he suspected about her, he couldn’t bear the thought of anyone going without food or water. He’d seen enough emaciated bodies on both sides of this war to last until his dying breath.
A faint intake of air drew Beau’s attention back to the bed. Edie’s eyes fluttered open, her unfocused gaze searching the area before coming back to him. “Beau?”
There was something so tender in the way she’d said his name, almost as if she had expected him to be standing there waiting for her to wake up. He squeezed her hand tighter. “Hello there.”
The muscles in her neck contracted as she swallowed. “What happened?”
Ms. Arnold pressed two fingers over Edie’s wrist and studied her watch. “You passed out.”
“That’s impossible,” Edie whispered, giving her head a slight shake.
“Fell harder than Clark Gable did for that Carole Lombard,” the woman answered, dropping Edie’s arm. She flipped open a chart and began writing.
Edie sank farther into her pillows, a pale pink hue coloring her cheeks. “I’ve never fainted before.”
“It can happen.” Beau laid her hand back down on the bed and stood up, the sudden urge to comfort her racing through him. Why would he want to help her when she might very well be the enemy? “It’s easy to pass out after giving blood, especially if you haven’t eaten anything today.”
“I was so busy with work and everything.” Her cheeks flushed a faint pink. “I forgot.”
Nurse Arnold blew out an aggravated breath. “I swear these girls today don’t have the sense the good Lord gave them.”
Why couldn’t Ms. Arnold just be quiet? Couldn’t she see how embarrassed Edie already was? Beau glared back at the older woman. “She was only trying to help someone who needed blood.”
“I don’t remember any of our patients needing a transfusion.” It was Dr. Lovinggood from somewhere behind him.
“One of the new transfers was bleeding out, and no one could be found to come in and donate a pint. I’m a universal donor so I figured…” Edie’s voice drew his gaze. Her coal-black lashes fluttered down, caressing the slope of her cheek.
She’d given her own blood to the Negro soldier. But for some odd reason, it didn’t surprise him, remembering how she’d been protective of Claire even when there had been no reason. Not exactly what you’d expect from the enemy.
But Germans were crafty, sliding into any persona to get what they wanted.
“Just who is this soldier?” Dr. Lovinggood bit out, reminding Beau of a drill sergeant ordering a platoon of grunts. “And why wasn’t I told of the situation?”
Gertie stepped forward from her post at the foot of Edie’s bed. “I was on my way to tell you when I ran into Edie. When I told her the problems I was having getting a donor, she volunteered to help.”
“So Ms. Michaels’s blood is being transfused.” Was it Beau’s imagination, or was the doctor gritting his teeth so hard, they might break? “Into a patient on your floor?”
Gertie nodded. “Private Benjamin Watson of the 92nd Infantry Division.”
“Nurse Stephens, I want to see you in my office,” the doctor snapped.
Beau stole a glance over his shoulder at the doctor. Even if rules had been broken, what was done was done. Edie and Gertie had ensured the well-being of their patient.
“Go home, Ms. Michaels.” Lovinggood gave Edie a distasteful look, then turned to the young nurse, anger blazing in his gaze. “Now, Nurse Stephens.”
He wouldn’t like to be in Gertie’s shoes right now. Lord, rein in Lovinggood’s temper. Let him see that they were only trying to help.
“How did your interview go?”
He turned back to the bed to find Edie’s clear blue-green eyes watching him. Laid out in a hospital bed and the woman was concerned for his interview. Beau’s heart skipped a beat. He cleared his throat. “Just like a woman. Always asking questions, aren’t you?”
Her lips quirked to one side. “Claire says it’s the only way to learn the answers.”
“You two know each other?” Nurse Arnold asked.
He nodded. “I had the pleasure of meeting Edie at my aunt’s boardinghouse early this morning.”
“He broke in through the front window.” There was no condemnation in her voice like he might have expected, but no other emotions either.
“That doesn’t surprise me none.” Ms. Arnold shot him a sideways glance as she shook her head. “He’s been pulling stunts like that since he was just a runt of a boy.”
Beau ignored the nurse. “Are you feeling any better?”
“I could use a glass of water.”
“How about some juice?” The older woman fussed with the covers at the foot of the bed. “Apple or orange?”
“Apple, please.”
“Be right back.” The nurse hurried a
cross the room and disappeared behind the door.
“So,” Beau started. “When’s the last time you had anything to eat?”
A flash of white teeth nibbled at her lip, drawing Beau’s attention to her soft mouth. “I had one of Merrilee’s cookies last night before I turned in.”
Foolish woman. Or too kind for her own good. “You know you need three square meals when you donate blood.”
Her cheeks flushed a bright pink now. “With work and everything, I guess I just wasn’t thinking.”
Blast, but the woman looked so contrite, with her dark brows furrowed in a worried line. Made him almost wish he could forget the letter in his pocket and explore this sudden protectiveness he felt toward her. “I think it’s time for some supper then, don’t you, Ms. Michaels?”
“Supper?”
“Beau Daniels.” Nurse Arnold’s voice cut through the haze of his straying thoughts. She held out a paper cup of juice to her patient. “Are you asking this young woman out on a date while she’s under my care?”
A date? He shook his head. It had been years since he’d been out with a woman, before the Lord had stepped in and saved him from himself. Until he got his life on a more even keel, he had no intention of getting involved, particularly not with a woman who could be the enemy.
“I just figured that I should keep an eye on her and make sure she gets home okay after she’s got something in her stomach.”
“But I’m supposed to help with dinner tonight,” Edie replied, a slight rise in her voice as if something had irritated her.
Well, he didn’t want her running away, at least not until he was sure she was okay. “I’ll give Merrilee a call and tell her what’s happened.”
“You can’t.” Edie shot him a pleading glance. “She’s over at Goldstein’s with Maggie, looking at material for her wedding dress.”
“I’m sure they’ll understand. And you know what? Maybe the saleslady will send them home with some samples so you can still help her pick things out.”
She fell back against the pillows. “Oh, I just hate the thought of disappointing her.”
Beau patted her hand, aware of the delicate bones of her knuckles. “They’ll be more disappointed if you took a nosedive in the asphalt.”
Edie laughed, a joyful sound that he found completely charming. “You’ve got a point there.”
“Well, if you’re about finished with your juice, let’s see if we can get you up.” Nurse Arnold looped an arm under Edie’s shoulder. “I’m sure there are other people who need this bed more than you.”
Beau stood. “I’d better go see if I can get a message to Aunt Merrilee before she heads out.”
Her hand grasped his. “Would you please tell her I’m sorry about dinner?”
He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze before letting go. “There’s nothing to apologize for.” But her expression told him she didn’t believe that. He nodded. “Sure.”
Beau turned and headed across the ward, aware that Nurse Arnold followed close behind. As they passed the nursing desk, she spoke. “You’ve changed, Beau Daniels.”
“Most people do, you know.”
“What are you wanting to do now that you’re home?” She gave him a smile.
The Ms. Arnold he knew never smiled at anyone. “I’d like to go to college, maybe medical school down the road.”
“You’ve got a nice bedside manner, son. Kind, yet sure of yourself.” Her white cap bobbed up and down on a bed of silver curls. “I believe you’re going to be a great asset to us.”
Turning to her, Beau held out his hand. “That means a great deal coming from you, ma’am.”
Nurse Arnold snorted, giving his hand a firm shake before releasing it. “Fuss and fiddlesticks. Just be here first thing in the morning.”
“Looking forward to it.”
As he opened the door and stepped out into the sunlight, Beau scoured the landscape of Marietta’s town square. With the influx of new people and businesses, it felt as if the town, with all its new construction, had grown up while he had been gone.
The heat radiating off the sidewalk chased the chill he’d felt since first seeing Edie Michaels so fragile and feminine passed out in the hospital bed. Something about the woman appealed to him, which didn’t make sense. He didn’t know her. Well, that wasn’t necessarily true. He knew she loved his aunt and cousins, would protect them at the risk of her own life. That she was a hard worker, a volunteer willing to help anyone, black or white.
And she had a laugh that lit up her whole face.
A horn honked. Beau stared at the short line of cars waiting for him to cross then shook his head. Better to keep his mind on the letter in his pocket, on protecting his family. But as he stepped off the curb, thoughts of Edie Michaels wouldn’t release their hold on his mind.
* * *
“I could have made it home, you know.” Edie clasped the coffee cup in her hands, the heat from the porcelain warming the last of the chill from her fingers. “I wouldn’t want to keep you from something important.”
He rested his spoon against the edge of his plate and glanced up at her, his green eyes dancing with laughter. “But I am doing something important, Ms. Michaels.”
She frowned. Why did it bother her that Beau was back to calling her Ms. Michaels? “And what would that be?”
“Protecting my future, of course.”
Edie choked on her coffee, sputtering and coughing at the intimacy of his words. When she finally caught her breath, she glanced up to find him watching her. “How’s that?”
“What would people say if my first patient passed out in the middle of Powder Springs Road?” He sipped his coffee. “Not much for confidence building.”
Of course, he was protecting his career. What else could it be? But the thought didn’t stop her from feeling like a bit of a knucklehead. “I would have thought breaking into someone’s house in the middle of the night would have made people think twice before entrusting you with their health.”
His warm chuckle surprised her, but it was a nice sound. Warm, husky, real. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
Spearing a piece of Mr. Smith’s delectable roast with her fork, she glanced over at Beau, remembering his words from the previous night. I don’t have anywhere else to go. “I’m sorry. It’s just that today hasn’t gone exactly the way I had planned. I guess I was taking it out on you.”
“It’s okay.” Beau’s green eyes seemed a shade darker, more solemn. “It wasn’t my intention to scare the living daylights out of you, coming in through the window like that. I hope you can forgive me.”
Edie took another sip of coffee, watching him over the edge of her cup. She hadn’t lied to Claire when she’d said Beau was a handsome man. His short hair had been combed back, fine threads of pale gold a stunning contrast to the dark auburn hues. The black suit coat he’d borrowed from Merrilee barely held the muscled shoulders and broad chest Edie had been too nervous to notice the night before. And she’d never felt as safe as when she woke up in the emergency room and found Beau staring back at her, concern in those pale green eyes.
“So? Am I forgiven?”
Edie set her cup down. If Papa hadn’t been so strict, she’d know how to handle this attraction she had toward Beau Daniels. She’d just have to make sure she didn’t encourage him in any way. Maybe she should just tell him the truth, that she was German. That would nip even friendship in the bud before he learned the whole truth of her parents’ involvement with the Nazi movement.
But something deep inside, where she used to feel things, wouldn’t let him go. “I’ll forgive you on one condition,” Edie said.
His brow wrinkled together. “And what would that be?”
“Use the front door from now on.”
She hadn’t expected him to laugh but it was a nice sound, one she found increasingly appealing. A rush of awareness skated down her spine. “I think that can be arranged, though old habits die hard.”
; Edie’s gaze shifted to her saucer. “Sounds like you’ve used that window quite a bit.”
“Merrilee wanted me to have a safe place to go when things weren’t going too well at home.”
Beau said it so matter-of-factly, she wasn’t sure she’d caught his full meaning. “A safe place?”
“You may not know this, but my father has a bit of a temper.”
Oh, she knew. In fact, the whole town knew. When James Daniels had been dragged out of the woods behind Merrilee’s house, the trees behind him smoking embers from the explosion of his moonshine still, it had taken three officers to bring him down, so livid was he at his failed attempted to gain ownership of the family homestead. And as the police cuffed and put him in the back of the squad car, he had yelled out to whoever would listen that the homestead belonged to his heirs.
What if Beau was back after all these years to make a claim on Merrilee’s home?
Edie cleared her throat. “You said something about patients. Are you a doctor?”
“No, not yet. I have to get through college first.”
All the men her father had introduced her to may have been educated, and a few practiced medicine, but none had the natural people skills Beau appeared to have. She blotted her mouth with her napkin. “What got you so interested in medicine?”
Beau leaned back, his wide shoulders seeming to fill his side of the booth. “I guess you could say Uncle Sam helped me decide. I was a medic.”
She broke off a small piece of her biscuit. “Where were you stationed?”
“Tunis first, then Italy.”
“And now you’re home. With the shortage of men, I’m surprised the army didn’t reassign you.”
His eyes darkened to a somber shade of emerald green. “I guess they just didn’t need me anymore. At least, that’s what they told me when they shipped me back home.”
“The army really told you that?”
He gave a slight nod. “In so many words.”
Something in the way he’d spoken made Edie think coming home hadn’t been his idea. She guessed she could understand. The men she knew would want to fight to the very end. Maybe he was thinking about all the lives he could have saved as a medic on the battlefield. But Beau had been hurt, and if truth be told, he could be as much use here as in Italy. With the shortage of medication and supplies, even a common illness could prove deadly. There were lives in Marietta that needed saving, too.
Hearts in Hiding Page 6