“I only flashed you because I had no choice,” she retorted when she had her breath back. “I was in labor!” Her dark brown eyes glittered with open mirth as Bram felt himself relax with their easy bantering of familiar patient and doctor relations. He didn’t realize until they left her room for the next check up that he had made up his mind.
***
Selene ran her tired fingers under the warm water, scrubbing with the antiseptic soap. In her early years, the pungent smell had been so strong it would actually make her stomach hurt. But she’d grown past it to be no more than mildly annoying now. She’d already tossed her scrubs into the bin and could hear as they finished cleaning the surgery room.
Brian should be a quick recovery now. After reviewing the report and collaborating his information with the slides, her second diagnosis had been right. He’d had a blood clot hugging the bone that had caused an infection and it had snowballed from there. He hadn’t mentioned an injury in his admittance report, but it could have been anything from a horse kick to falling on a jagged rock. He had said he’d been hiking just before he came in to the hospital with his leg tingling and numbing. He probably hadn’t even been aware he’d hurt himself, and there were always ways to do it. She was just thankful she had found all the components to his problems.
She finished at the sink, and released the foot pedals, careful to not toss the water everywhere as she dried her hands. She was making her way back down the hall on the second floor when Priss saw her.
She lifted a hand in her direction to get Selene’s attention. “Doctor Aiza, your brother’s on the phone.”
“Okay, thanks,” she said with a concealed sigh. He rarely called her at the hospital, and it usually wasn’t for a good reason. “I’ll get it in my office.”
She closed the door and sat, taking a long relaxing breath before she hit the blinking button on her phone base.
“Morgan? It’s me. What’s up?” She pushed the now cold cup of coffee from that morning when she and Bram had spoken as far away from her as possible. She’d dump it when she got up again. Maybe next year.
“Hey, thought I’d let you know, I’ve been out and the traps are back.” No, not good news at all.
That was not what she wanted to hear. “Damn it!” she ranted softly. She rested her forehead into her hand, massaging her forehead lightly. “I thought we got rid of him last year.”
“I’d hoped we had too,” he said, a sound of resignation in his voice. “But I guess he didn’t take the hint, and we’re not done. The traps are better. Either that or it’s someone else.”
“Is that what you think?” she asked. She closed her eyes, propping her head on her fingers, feeling the tired she’d been fighting crawl all over her body.
“Not hardly,” Morgan grunted. “They’re set the same and they still stink.”
She wrinkled her nose at the remembered smell. “Whoever thought that smell made good bait needs to be shot anyway.”
She heard the grin in his voice, imagined the flash of his teeth. “I feel the same way.”
Her head snapped up at the inquiring knock on her door. When it cracked open, she waved Bram in. “Look, Morgan. I need to go. I’ll see you tonight and we can talk about it. Maybe we’ll find him in person this year.”
“I can’t wait,” he replied with a deep anticipatory tremor in his voice. She knew exactly how he felt. “Love you, sis.”
“Love you too, brother.” She laid the phone back in its place as Bram took the seat in front of her again. She had smelled him on the other side of the door. Now that his scent was familiar again, she’d know where he was within a mile, easily.
She rubbed her eyes briefly trying to decide what to say, how to start. There was a lot riding on Bram Benedetti’s acceptance of the position. She’d been pushing herself to fill the demand for over a year. She hoped she wasn’t being selfish hoping for his relief. She’d keep up the pace if there was no other option, but she needed a rest. She needed to run free. She’d had to stay close and hadn’t had any real time to enjoy the woods like she had with Morgan and Brooke in the past. She couldn’t deny the need to clear her head now either, to figure out how Bram was supposed to fit into her life, now that he was back. If he stayed.
“Problems?” came his quiet query, crashing her thoughts into scattered shards.
“Not too much.” He lifted a brow at her vague attempt. “Nothing that bears on today, anyway.”
She shifted her body, leaning forward to rest on her elbows. Back to business. “Have you had a chance to explore?”
“I have.” He steepled his fingers in front of him as he regarded her in turn, a steely curiosity in his brown gaze as he regarded her. “However, I am curious to know why everyone already knows who I am and why I am here. No one seemed put out by that.”
She felt the heat rising on her cheeks as she straightened her spine. “Doctor Benedetti, I asked for good behavior, but if anyone had done less, I would have known. Your addition is important to this hospital. Regardless if you think that is presumptuous or not, you are needed here.” Her mouth thinned into a line, fighting her weariness and the defensive nature it seemed to be bringing to the forefront.
“How long has it been since you’ve had a day off?”
Her eyes rounded at the question. “Excuse me?”
“How long? And don’t try to cover it up. I think I already know the answer.” He regarded her with a steady stare that seemed to burn right through her.
“It isn’t relevant, Doctor. I assure you, we’re all perfectly—”
“And I’m aware of that. Please, just answer, Selene.” His words slid over her, a wave of energy that she couldn’t ignore. Her throat went dry hearing her name on his lips. God, how did he do that? Just his voice could knock her senseless. When Roman had told her it hit and it hit hard, he hadn’t been kidding.
She hid the quiver in her own voice as much as possible knowing he’d take as insecurity when it was the furthest from the truth. “Eight months.”
He was stunned into silence for several seconds. His words however, were explosive when he did speak. “Good God! You’ve been running this hospital and staff for eight months straight?”
She nodded once, sharply, not letting his reaction sting her. She knew she was capable. He didn’t, not yet. “It’s been necessary.”
He sagged into his chair. “But surely there are others in the community—”
She raised a hand to stop him. “Doctor Benedetti—”
“Bram, please,” he cut her off, calmer after his outburst.
“Bram,” she relented. “I’ve already been through the community and neighboring systems twice. It was by my hand that you’re even here.” His brow rose at the implication of that statement. She felt her resolve stiffen as she laid it on the line for him. “What I am offering is not a big city practice, but an entire hospital.”
“Who are you?” he asked. He gaped, still stunned even if his voice hid it.
“I am Selene Aiza, director, specialist, doctor and nurse. I work any and all shifts, can perform any surgery within my knowledge and probably a few that I did by the seat of my pants, but I have found I have limits. I wasn’t kidding when I said I had done an exhaustive search looking for the right person to come into here. I have looked for over two years.”
“Why did you choose me?” His expression was just as stunned as her words previously had left him, but now he sounded equally perplexed.
“You had the credentials, experience and the bedside manner that we want. We did research your background extensively to make this offer.” She saw as his lips curled at the loose use of the ‘we’. “But even beyond that, you had something that I was looking for.”
“What?”
She gave in to the urge and rubbed her eyes again. “The ability to adapt. Your reaction to situational circumstances in your history is what drew my eye, professionally, over a year ago. I need someone who can walk in here tomorrow and know what is go
ing on, and be able to handle the pressures that come with it. We aren’t big, like I said. I’m sure you’ve seen that, but the communities do rely on us. I won’t let them down. I need to know the person chosen to aide and support this hospital won’t either.”
He nodded once, slowly, as if considering her reasoning. “I can understand that.”
She stood, weary beyond measure at the day’s events and it was still early afternoon. “I don’t expect an answer today,” she informed him gaining her feet. “Or even by this weekend. And I will not use tactics to try to sway you. I want a sincere honest answer, yea or nay.”
He held the door open for her when she rounded her desk. She faced him again in the hall, aware that all her hopes for his acceptance were in her gaze. She’d never been a good poker player. Morgan took her to the cleaners regularly.
She felt something gentle swarm over her with the way his eyes looked at her, when his gaze lingered on her face. “If I gave you an answer today and told you it was sincere, would that work?”
She shook her head firmly. “I couldn’t possibly ask you to make that decision in less than four hours. This is too big for casual consideration. You would have to move, make notice, find a place to live. No, I couldn’t ask that of anyone.”
“No wonder everyone speaks so highly of you,” he whispered under his breath. When she turned to walk to the nurse’s station he fell into step next to her. “I’ll tell you this,” he told her, standing next her as reached it and grabbed the next file. “I can honestly tell you that I accept. I made the decision two hours ago if that will alleviate any concerns. In ten days time, you are to plan at least four days of off duty time.”
“Doctor Benedetti…” His gaze silenced her when she looked up at him. His mouth was firm when he told her, “No. I need this as much as you do. I just didn’t know how much until I got here.”
Her vision swept the length of the hall, torn between wanting to jump at the opportunity of having him join the hospital, what having him there would ultimately mean for their continuation and stability, and between what his presence would mean for her. It was too hard to even debate at the moment. Her own needs would have to be ignored completely.
When her silence stretched out, he continued. “I will see to what I can while I’m here. I have until late Monday before I am due back in St. Louis. And I will take the first step by forwarding my resignation after we’ve stopped for lunch.”
She couldn’t fight the relief as it welled up inside of her. She blinked away the pressure behind her eyes. She was more tired than she thought if this was messing her up so easily. His voice was kind when he turned her by the shoulder, facing him. “You’re not in this alone anymore. In fact, you might have just given me back my reason to keep going.”
She sucked in a breath, her chin dropping a little. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I had my hopes, but even I know better than to put too much weight into certain ones.”
“Somehow, I think I know exactly what you mean,” he told her just before he gave her a smile. The one she remembered. The real one.
He stepped back and offered a hand. “Doctor Aiza. It will be a pleasure to work with you.”
Her hand settled into his, the warmth of him covering her skin. A roaring rushed against her ears as her heart sped up. She plastered on a smile to hide her physical reaction. “I look forward to it, Doctor Benedetti.”
Bram studied her, seeing the growing fatigue in her cloud gray eyes, the overdone smile. The apparent need of a break was so out in the open, he wondered how anyone else hadn’t noticed, or had and couldn’t do something about it. “Now, how about that lunch? I know you haven’t eaten since I’ve been here.” She stilled with the exact grace of a startled doe.
“I really couldn’t.” She turned away from him and he let her hand fall away. Facing the counter to sign a patient release form, she hid her expression from him. It was something he had already discovered—she had a very expressive face. A beautiful expressive face.
“When was the last time you ate?” he asked remembering what Doctor Davenport had mentioned. She waved a slim dismissive hand. “I eat when I can. I always eat when I’m at home,” she informed him. She faced him again, a disarming smile on her lips. “I’ll be off in a few more hours anyway. Please don’t worry over it. I’m used to it.”
“Well, I know that’s one of the things that will change when I get here. You shouldn’t be used to not eating.”
Her quiet laughter denied his concerns, but her smile lightened as she started to speak. “Please, really. I know, I know. I hear it from my brother constantly. I keep snacks in the lounge anyway.”
Her assessing look went from the top of his head and traveled the length of his body. Her voice was gentle and lower, a private statement between them when she said, “I knew I was right about you. I just hope I was right about everything.”
There was nothing sexual in her tone or in her gaze, just a blunt honesty that showed how much she had put on the line to have him there. It made him respect her further for being a careful and dedicated individual.
He gave her space as she stepped back again. “All right then. If you’re sure I couldn’t tempt you?”
he offered one more time. She had turned as he spoke and he was almost sure that she had blushed a rosy pink hue at his words, but the curtain of hair hid her from his view. She shook her head in answer. “Okay. I’ll be in touch before I leave and before I return.”
“Thank you again, for considering.” This time there was no mistaking the lowered meaning of her voice even though she didn’t look up to speak to him. “And thank you from all of us for accepting.”
If he hadn’t caught the impulse, he would have kissed her. Right there in the middle of the floor with nurses passing and patients just doorways beyond. Her whole body spoke of vulnerability, an attitude that he wouldn’t have counted on being a part of the strong woman he stood with. He cleared his throat as he forced another step between them. “You’re very welcome, but I think I’m the one who should be thankful.”
“Good, then both of us can be grateful,” she said, a flip of a rise on her lips that flashed along with her eyes before she nodded once more and left him to administer and check on patients. His gaze followed her as she disappeared around the corner unable to not watch.
“Doctor. Doctor? Doctor Benedetti?” He shook himself, focusing on the young brunette who manned the counter. “Are you all right? You look a little flush.”
He laughed ruefully at himself. “Yes, thanks. I’m fine.” He swiveled his attention down the hall.
“I’ve just never met anyone like her,” he admitted.
“Doctor Aiza is a real gem. Everyone really does love her. No one was putting on a show if it crossed your mind. We all adore her, even when she has to be firm.”
He turned to lean in on his elbow, his attention split between the nurse behind the counter and woman who had vanished down the hall. “How long has she been working here? It sounds like she’s very well known.”
“She’s been here since she started her training.”
By the closed look that followed, that was all the young lady was saying. He patted the counter with a palm. “Oh, well, thank you.”
He turned on his heel and left the hospital behind him as he set the next course for his future.
***
Monday, he contacted the hospital to let Selene know that he was on his way back to St. Louis, but he wanted to talk to her. For three days, as he’d made arrangements for moving his life, he hadn’t been able to forget her. He was disappointed to learn that she wasn’t due in until second shift, and he couldn’t even explain why it was so imperative to talk to her again, to see her before he left. He was going to be working with her, everyday, for a very long time.
Bram made his way down the highway after getting directions to her place from the hospital, telling himself the purpose was strictly professional. Doctor to doctor. He wasn’t interested in women at the m
oment anyway. He placed that foremost in his thoughts as he started to hit the forks that led to her home.
He saw the cabin in the clearing and knew it was the right place. It looked like her. A home. A place of serenity and beauty. The wood of the cabin was bleached even though the natural red hue still shone through. There were wide windows that opened onto the front porch with a large overhang. The landscaping was natural except for a few well placed rocks, or maybe they were just meant to look that way, he thought as he turned off the engine.
He sat and waited for a greeting of the canine type. When none appeared, he slid from his rental and closed the door. He couldn’t resist the urge to just breathe, and that he did with zestful abandon. The scent, the warmth. It brought peace.
As he started to walk to the front door to knock, he saw it. It looked like a large dog in the shadow of the house watching him intently. As it stepped out into a band of sunlight, a careful paw forward at a time, he reached for the hood of his car with a blind seeking hand. The wolf from his vision!
He swallowed as they stared at one another for a few brief seconds, then with a flash of a tail, it turned to disappear behind the cabin. As his mind started working again, he straightened. No, it couldn’t have been. He’d dreamed of that wolf. Wolves did not live out here, and certainly not this close to people. Although after the drive he’d just made, he knew he was further out than he had anticipated.
His head snapped up as the door opened to find Selene standing on the porch, staring at him with cool curiosity. He pushed off the car, refusing to admit how seeing the wolf had shaken him.
A Trust Earned Page 4