THE BENNETTS' CHRISTMAS (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family Book 6)

by Brenda Jackson

  He raised a brow. “The nurses?”

  “Yes. They’re nice enough, but none have any real ambition. If they had, they’d be doctors.” She smiled smugly.

  Parker stared at her, wondering where she got her nerve. But then, he knew a lot of people thought the way she did. His mother, Candace Stanhope, once had a similar attitude, thinking a lot of herself and not much of others. It had taken almost losing the love and respect of her only brother Grady, whom she adored, as well as a life-threatening bout with cancer, to make her realize that regardless of race, creed or color, all people bled red.

  “I’m sorry you feel that way, Dr. Nestor. I happen to appreciate nurses for the professionals they are. They do things we don’t, and our patients are lucky to have them. But regardless, I’m much too busy to have a social life right now. I’m still learning my way around.”

  “I’ll be glad to show you everything you need to know.”

  Parker caught the double meaning in her offer. He was about to tell her that she didn’t have anything he wanted to see when his beeper went off. Pulling it out of his jacket pocket, he looked at it and said, “Sorry, I’ve got to run.” Then he quickly walked away, not feeling sorry at all.

  A few hours later, after getting his patient’s condition stabilized, Parker entered his office and closed the door. He appreciated peaceful moments, no matter how infrequent they were. It was hard to believe he’d been here almost a week already. So far, he liked this hospital although it was a lot different from Boston Harbor Medical Center. It wasn’t as big but was just as busy.

  And staying busy was a good thing. Then he wouldn’t have to think about his confusing feelings for his housemate. He hadn’t seen Sebrina in a few days. After they had spent time that first day together, he’d only caught sight of her twice on her way home.

  She had explained that since her shift was from eleven at night to seven the next morning, she usually slept from around two in the evenings until it was time to get dressed for work.

  He had enjoyed spending time with her that first day. Especially at lunch and while they had decorated the Christmas tree. Their conversation had been comfortable, light-hearted and relaxed, and he’d felt like they’d made a connection. But he hadn’t yet had a chance to find out if there was more to it.

  Parker would often hear the sound of the garage door when she left at night for the hospital, and on occasion he would spot her car on the road while driving to work when she got off and was headed home. They were like ships that passed in the night. On his second day in town, he’d been away from the house for hours running errands—updating his driver’s license, getting new license plates for his car and establishing a post office box for his mail.

  He had gone grocery shopping, stocking up on food as well as spices. The kitchen cabinets had been almost bare—with the exception of several bottles of wine—but the freezer was filled with microwave dinners and ice cream. He intended to do something about both.

  Still, he loved the layout of the kitchen. It was spacious and he could hardly wait to put it to good use.

  Two nights ago, Parker had been in bed watching television when he’d heard Sebrina move around downstairs, getting ready for work. He’d decided to come out of his room to say hello and remind her she was welcome to anything he cooked.

  She had thanked him, then given him a smile as she’d headed out the door. He hadn’t been able to get that smile out of his mind since.

  Dr. Miller, the Chief of Neurology, spoke highly of Sebrina. He’d told Parker that she was a fine heart specialist who cared about her patients, and whose talent at handling patients, as well as their families, was almost legendary. She was well liked by the nursing staff and maintenance crew, and he wished there were more doctors like her.

  Although Parker hadn’t shared a whole lot of time with Sebrina, he thought she was pretty wonderful, too. Evan always claimed Parker had a knack when it came to reading people.

  Glancing at his watch, he saw that he had time for a long overdue call to his good friend, Dr. Sean Crews. Sean was Chief of Surgery in the Orthopedic Division of Boston Harbor General, and his wife Liz was Chief of Surgery in the Cardiac Division. Sean and Liz were two of the nicest people Parker knew, ranking them right up there with Rae’jean and Ryan. The couple had a set of four-year-old twin girls, Kaylee and Haylee, and a two-year old son, Sean, Jr. Grabbing his phone, he pulled up his contacts list.

  “You’re calling me in the middle of the day, Dr. Stanhope. Does that mean you’re bored already?”

  Parker threw his head back and laughed. “Hardly.”

  “So how are things working out at St. Paul General, Parker?”

  “I’m fitting right in, but I miss Boston.”

  “Just remember there’s a reason you left here. You’re securing your future in medicine. You’ve been given an opportunity of a lifetime and will only be in St. Paul a year. Then you’re off to sunny Florida to work under the renowned Dr. Robert McIntyre. That’s not bad for a thirty-four-year-old. It took me a lot longer than that to reach where you are. I swear, you and Liz have all the luck.”

  Sean was a few years older than Parker and Liz. A couple of years ago, Liz had been selected to be Chief of Surgery in the Cardiology department. “I’m sure your wife told you luck had nothing to do with it. We worked hard for it.”

  Evan had as well. In fact, they’d all worked hard to be where they are. And it had paid off. A few years ago, in a show of goodwill, President Obama had created a task force filled with some of the most noted medical doctors in the country. Their job was to travel together around the world and perform acts of medical goodwill for individuals living in impoverished countries. Sean and Liz had been part of the first wave, and Parker and Evan had been part of the second.

  Sean chuckled. “Whatever. But seriously, how are things going?”

  “At the hospital? Fine.”

  “And when you’re not at the hospital?”

  “Temptation at its hottest. I’ve only met one of my housemates, but I have to say, she’s a knockout.”

  “You’ve dated plenty of knockouts before. What makes her different?”

  “I’m not sure, but I need to keep my hands to myself. She’s Rae’jean’s cousin, after all.”

  Although Rae’jean worked at a different hospital in Boston, they were all part of the same local medical community that met occasionally during the year for both formal and informal gatherings.

  “That might be a good idea, especially if your intentions aren’t good,” Sean said.

  Parker lifted a brow. “I’ve never not had good intentions when it comes to women.”

  “Oh, come on. Are you saying that you didn’t leave any broken hearts behind you when you left Boston?”

  “If there were, it’s because those women thought they could change my mind, even though I’d warned them up front that I didn’t want a relationship.”

  Parker heard a beeper go off and since it wasn’t his, he figured it was Sean’s. “You have to go. Give the family my love.”

  “Will do,” was Sean’s quick reply before ending the call. Parker stood and went over to the window and looked out. St. Paul was a beautiful city, but then he’d thought the same thing when he had moved to Boston. The only difference was that he wouldn’t be in St. Paul long enough to let any grass grow under his feet. By this time next year, he would be moving to Florida.

  He was about to sit back down at his desk when the phone on his desk went off. He picked it up. “Dr. Stanhope.”

  “Dr. Stanhope, this is Dr. Miller. Dr. Jenkins had an emergency come up and can’t work his shift tonight. I know this is last minute, but could you give me at least four hours tonight? Anytime between the hours of eleven and seven? And of course, you’ll have tomorrow off.”

  Parker figured he could go home and grab a few hours of sleep before returning. “Sure. How about between three and seven?”

  “That’s great. I really appreciate it, Dr. Stanhope.�
��

  “I’m happy to help.”

  Parker leaned against his desk. He’d deliberately chosen that particular block of hours because that meant he would be getting off in the morning about the same time as Sebrina. He wanted to see her again. And this would be the perfect opportunity to invite her to breakfast at the café she had taken him to that first day.

  Hopefully, she would accept his invitation.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “MR. FLETCHER SEEMS TO be doing better tonight.”

  Sebrina glanced up from reviewing a patient’s chart to smile at Ravene Gillespie, the head floor nurse for the night shift. She’d worked with Ravene for the past three years and Sebrina was lucky to have her. They worked well together and Sebrina appreciated that.

  It would be nice if all their patients slept through the night without any medical flare-ups, but that was not usually the case. It was often during the wee hours that emergencies happened.

  “I’m glad of that, but I’ll check on him anyway,” Sebrina said, placing the chart back in the assigned slot.

  “Please do. He’s been asking where you were. I think he’s sweet on you.”

  Sebrina chuckled. “I wished some guy was sweet on me, but I’ll pass on an eighty-four-year-old man.”

  She saw Ravene glance to her right and then to her left to make sure the two of them were alone, before saying, “You haven’t told me anything about your new housemate.”

  Sebrina sighed, wondering how the conversation had moved from someone being sweet on her to the topic of Dr. Parker Stanhope. Ravene and Sebrina shared a personal friendship in addition to their working relationship. She had been in Ravene’s wedding last year and Ravene was the only person she’d confided in that the new doctor at the hospital was her housemate.

  “What’s there to tell?” Sebrina asked.

  “A lot, from what I’m hearing. Word around the hospital is that he is handsome as sin. I saw a picture of him and will have to concur.”

  Sebrina lifted a brow. “A picture of him?”

  “Yes. Marla Douglas took a picture of him that first day—without his knowledge—and sent it to some of the nurses.”

  “Did you get it?”

  “No, it was only sent to the single ones. But my friend Iris showed it to me. He is definitely a hottie. But no one mentioned he was your housemate, so I figured the two of you are keeping your lips sealed on that.”

  Sebrina shrugged. “I honestly don’t care. All we are is housemates—really. I just don’t put all my business out there, like some people.”

  “Still, I’m wondering how you can share a living space with all that fineness and not be affected by it,” Ravene said grinning.

  “That’s easy enough—we barely see each other. He’s gone when I come home and then I leave after he’s gone to bed.” Though she had seen him a couple of nights ago before she’d left for work. She hadn’t been able to get him off her mind since.

  “Well, just so you know, rumors are circulating that he and Dr. Nestor are dating.”

  Sebrina shrugged again. “Good for them.”

  “I’m not saying it’s true. In fact, I wouldn’t put it past Dr. Rosemarie Nestor, knowing her like we all do, that she’s the one who started the rumor just so everyone else would back off,” Ravene said, pulling another patient’s chart out the rack.

  “Well, like I said, good for—”

  “Hello.”

  Sebrina jerked around to find Parker standing there. Had he overheard their conversation? She glanced at Ravene to see if she was wondering the same thing, only to find her friend staring at Parker speechless, as if in total awe.

  Deciding to speak up for the both of them, Sebrina said, “Hello, Dr. Stanhope. What are you doing here this time of night?”

  “I’m covering part of Dr. Jenkins’ shift. I understand an emergency came up,” he said, looking at her with a quiet, yet intense gaze.

  “Oh.”

  Ravene cleared her throat. “Dr. Stanhope, we haven’t met. I’m Ravene Gillespie, head nurse on this shift,” she said, coming forward and offering Parker her hand.

  Sebrina fought back a grin at the way Ravene was acting. She hadn’t seen her friend this taken with a man—other than her husband—since that time actor Jason Momoa arrived at St. Paul General to visit a sick friend. Sebrina clearly recalled several nurses coming close to passing out that day.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Nurse Gillespie,” Parker said, giving her a smile that showed his drop-dead-gorgeous dimples. Ravene caught her breath. Sebrina could understand—those were the same dimples she had drooled over when she’d first seen them.

  “I need to check on some of Dr. Jenkins’ patients,” he said, pulling several charts from the rack.

  He was about to walk off, but then turned back to Sebrina. “I’ll be getting off in the morning about the same time you do. If you don’t have any plans, would you join me for breakfast? I’d like to try out the best breakfast in town.”

  “Sure.”

  Parker smiled again, then turned to walk down the hall.

  “Hmm, sounds like you and Dr. Hottie have a date in the morning.”

  Sebrina glanced over at Ravene. She had been so busy watching Parker’s sexy walk that for a minute she’d forgotten her friend was still standing there. “It’s not a date, Ravene, so please don’t get any ideas.”

  “I can’t help it. Now that I’ve seen Dr. Hottie in the flesh, I have to admit, he is handsome and fine. He also seems really nice and he didn’t look down his nose at me.”

  Sebrina hated to admit it but there were some doctors who did that to the nurses or others they thought were beneath them. “I’m surprised you recovered from your shock of seeing him long enough to notice.”

  “Hey, I couldn’t help it. He looks good and you know what I noticed?”

  She didn’t really want to know but decided to ask anyway. “What?”

  “He likes you. I can tell.”

  Sebrina smiled. “Of course, he likes me. I’m his housemate. There is no reason for us not to get alone.”

  “No, Sebrina. I mean he really likes you. The sexual tension between the two of you is so thick, you’d need a surgeon’s scalpel to cut through it. Things ought to be pretty darn interesting at your house.”

  Sebrina rolled her eyes. “They are not. I told you, I barely see him, and I’m sure he only invited me to breakfast just to be kind.”

  “Yeah, right. You know what you were saying earlier about wishing some guy was sweet on you? Well, I think you’ve hit the jackpot.”

  Parker glanced at his watch. It was quitting time.

  He had enjoyed working the night shift with Sebrina and another doctor named Carla Burns. The three of them had been kept busy, but thankfully, there had only been one emergency to resolve. Other than that, the night had gone smoothly.

  Parker liked Ravene—she was highly efficient. But then, he’d found that to be a common attribute among all the nurses he had been blessed to work with over the years. And that was why, when Rosemary Nestor had complained about the nurses at the hospital, he had set her straight.

  “Ready?”

  The corners of his lips curved into a smile when he turned and saw Sebrina. His gaze took her in, from head to toe. Even in a lab coat, she was beautiful. It had only taken one night of working with her to know what Mr. Miller and her cousin Rae’jean had said was true. She was an exceptional doctor. She had a way with her patients that was seldom seen among doctors of her caliber. And he noticed everyone she worked with treated her with the utmost respect. She never talked down to anyone, no matter who that person was. He’d even witnessed her getting a smile from the night janitor. Parker believed you could tell a lot about a person’s character by the respect they received.

  It was quite obvious that like Parker, she loved being a doctor…and was very good at it.

  “Yes, I’m ready. I’m also hungry. What about you?” he asked, walking beside her toward the elevator. It
was the changing of the shifts and they were getting attention. He didn’t mind, and it seemed she didn’t either.

  “I’ve never had what one would consider a hearty appetite,” she said. “Except for when it comes to ice cream.”

  He grinned as they stepped on the elevator and was glad it was empty. “Is that why the freezer is loaded with butter-pecan ice cream?”

  “Guilty as charged. I know you went grocery shopping. Between the ice cream and microwave dinners, I apologize for taking up so much of the freezer space. I can rearrange things.”

  “No problem. I managed to get all my stuff in.” When the elevator came to the ground floor, they stepped out, and he turned to her. “I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed working with your crew last night.”

  “And we enjoyed having you.”

  “Thanks.”

  They had just walked out the building when he heard his name being called. He cringed, recognizing that annoying voice. But good manners insisted he acknowledge her, even if he didn’t want to. “Good morning, Rosemary.”

  “Good morning, Parker. You’re headed the wrong way, aren’t you?”

  Before he could response, Sebrina added, “Good morning, Rosemary.”

  Parker figured Sebrina was showing she had class, even if Rosemary didn’t. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that Rosemary hadn’t acknowledged her presence.

  “Good morning, Dr. Bennett,” she said, then quickly returned her full attention to Parker.

  Parker couldn’t help noticing that although Sebrina had referred to Rosemary by her given name, the other woman had referred to Sebrina by her professional one. Why? Had she done it to make a point, as if she preferred for them not to be on a first name basis? And if so, why? The thought bothered him. “And what makes you think I’m headed the wrong way?” he asked her.

  She glanced at her watch and then smiled up at him. “We’re on duty in a little bit.”

  “Not today, I’m not. I covered for another doctor last night, so I have the rest of the day off,” he said. Not that it was any of her business.