by Grady, D. R.
His face lit up when she hurried toward him.
“You look terrible,” he stated as his blue-green Morrison eyes swept over her. His square jaw and tussled brown hair were so familiar that she relaxed, despite his statement.
“Thanks,” she said but didn’t mean. She did step into his personal space though, because she was feeling a bit chilled and Leo always managed to suppress the chills. Above average in height, and lean, he sported wide shoulders and lean hips. And plenty of heat, thankfully.
He handed her his coffee as he wrapped his other arm around her. “How long have you been here?”
“Since about two-thirty.” She drank his coffee with relief.
“That pileup on 81?”
“Yeah.” It wasn’t the traffic accident that had caused her weariness though. It was that blasted dream. She sucked down more of Leo’s coffee and then handed it back. “I need more coffee than this. Infused with chocolate.”
He shook his head at her. “Trixi just mumbled something about that.”
Katy perked up. “You’ve seen Trixi?”
“Yeah, she and Mark found each other in about three seconds when they arrived today.”
“Her guest wing still isn’t finished?” Mark, Leo’s older brother, had been renting Trixi’s guest wing, but a fire swept through and destroyed part of it. Mark had since moved back in with Leo until Trixi’s overwhelming, but really nice, inherited estate underwent the necessary repairs.
“No, but they think by the end of the week.”
“So you’ll have your one working bathroom to yourself again soon?”
He brightened. “My cousin is planning to work on my bathroom situation this week.”
“Right.” She had heard this story before. He always had something else come up.
“I’m pretty sure Mark threatened him with a lobotomy if he didn’t fix at least one more bathroom.”
Mark was a neurosurgeon so that was possible. “A good inducement.”
Leo cocked his head and stroked his chin. “I might have also mentioned that you’re a surgeon.”
“Have I met this man?”
“Of course.” Then he frowned. “Maybe not.”
Leo and Mark were Morrisons on their mother’s side. That meant they had eight hundred relatives, at least. It was hard to keep them all straight.
“It’s not nice to threaten people.” Her scold fell flat though because as usual, her and Leo’s humor were far too alike.
“I alluded to the fact that you’re really good with a scalpel.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“Janine said you’re good.”
That sent warmth and happiness through her, because everyone knew Leo’s cousin, Dr. Janine Morris, was the real deal when it came to trauma surgery. She had two tours in a military hospital under her belt and a stint in Johannesburg. The woman knew what she was doing. If she said Katy was good... wow.
“Don’t you two have better things to do than stand around and talk?”
“Speak of the devil,” Leo said as he turned them toward Janine, who joined them.
“I’m on my way for coffee,” Katy told her. Then her stomach growled.
“Yes, and breakfast,” Janine decided.
Leo squeezed Janine and then her before he headed toward the elevators. Katy waved and then she and Janine headed toward food and liquid stimulant.
“Do we still have additional patients?”
Janine shook her head. “Not from the accident. That can all change, of course.”
“Of course.” Since Katy was on duty today, she wasn’t going home anytime soon. “Why were you here during the night? You were supposed to be off.”
Janine rolled her beautiful amber eyes. “Because I had just finished my last surgery and was getting ready to go home when this pileup happened.”
“I thought Dr. Ferguson was supposed to be on duty last night.” Katy selected a coffee cup and then decided on the breakfast blend. She and Janine filled their cups and she doctored hers up before they headed to the food.
“He was supposed to be, but apparently he was in that pileup.”
“Oh no,” Katy said as she turned in alarm to Janine. “Is he okay?”
Janine’s mouth turned grim. “After a stint on my operating table, I think he’ll live, but he’s in no shape to work.”
Katy’s heart dropped. “So we’re one surgeon short now.”
“At least until he recovers.”
“There is hope that he will recover?” Katy paid for her breakfast and followed Janine to a table.
“Of course. He’ll be fine, but he’s going to need a few weeks to recuperate.”
The thought of that empty position caused utter panic to surge.