by Gina Kincade
He wanted to ask more about Erin, but didn’t get a chance before Laney left the room. Several moments later, Erin walked in with a tray filled with medical supplies. Her amber eyes appraised him as she walked toward the gurney. She set the tray down on a stand and tugged gloves onto her hands. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again so soon.”
He removed the gauze from his head and chuckled. “It must be your lucky day.” This wasn’t how he’d imagined seeing her again either.
“Guess so. What happened?” she asked, while sorting some tools on the metal tray in front of her.
“I was chasing a robber who was evading custody. He thought it’d be a good idea to hit me with a landscaping brick. Unfortunately for him he didn’t knock me out and I still booked him. He’s probably being processed right now.”
Erin’s eyes widened as she peered at the wound. “A brick?” Her gloved fingers touched around the gash. “You’re going to have a nasty bump and bruise, but I’d say you got pretty lucky. I should be able to stitch this up nicely with little scarring.”
“I don’t feel so lucky at the moment. But considering you’re the one who's going to be stitching me up, maybe my luck’s changing for the better.”
Erin quirked her brow at him, but didn’t say anything for a few moments. “Has anyone given you ibuprofen yet?”
“No.”
“Do you have any allergies and are you currently taking any medications?”
“No. Neither.” He’d hoped she’d be more relaxed while taking care of him, but it didn’t appear he was going to get that wish. It’d be nice to get to know a little more about her now that he had her by himself.
“Has your day gotten better? You seemed frazzled this morning,” he said, changing the topic.
Erin picked up a packet from the tray and handed it to him. She grabbed a cup and went to the sink, filled it with water, then brought it back to him. “It’s been a busy day here. I’m ready for my break.”
“Break?” It was nearly five. Surely she’d be getting off soon.
She let out a breath, but smiled, one that didn’t quite meet her eyes. “I’m pulling a double today.”
“Long day.”
“It’s been a steady one. Makes it go fast, but also means I haven’t sat down either. What about your day? Doesn’t seem like it's going so well.”
“What, this?” He motioned to his head. “Nah, it’s not so bad. I get to spend the last bit of my shift with you. I’d call it a good end to the day.”
Erin met his eyes as a small smile slipped over her face, but she didn’t say anything.
“What time are you off?” he asked.
“Five am.”
He whistled. “Do you have dinner plans tonight?”
“Only that I’ll get around to it sometime.”
Well, that was a vague answer. “What do you say we go to the diner down the block after you’re done putting me back together?”
“I have to clean the wound before I can suture it. It’s going to hurt.” She didn’t wait for him to say anything before something cool touched his head.
He flinched as a heating, stinging sensation blossomed on his brow. “You didn’t answer my question.” He was being bold and he knew it. But she hadn’t refused him—yet. What was it with women ignoring him today? First Laney now Erin. Maybe he was losing his touch.
Erin removed her hands from his brow and picked up a shot. “Just dinner?” She held the needle in her hand and sighed.
His eyes darted to the needle in her hand as she pulled the cap off it. He forced a smile. “Just dinner. I’ll buy. But before you stick that in me, I have a request if I can?”
“Okay.” She kept the needle poised and ready to strike.
“Can I get removable stitches? Is that what you call them?”
Erin frowned. “I was going to do dissolvable so you didn’t have to come back.”
“I’d like removable. It gives me a chance to see you again.”
Erin shook her head and rolled her eyes. “If that’s what you want.”
“It is.”
Erin recapped the needle before setting it down. “Give me a moment to get some different thread.” She ripped the gloves off and strode out of the room.
Adam leaned back and closed his eyes, relaxing into the too plush pillow. He’d just gotten comfortable when the door swished open again and Erin appeared at his side.
She licked her lips. “I’m going to give you a shot to numb the area.”
He closed his eyes and rested his head on the pillows. “I figured that was coming.”
There was a pinch near his hairline followed by white-hot pain. He blew out a breath, counting backwards from ten.
“All done.”
He opened his eyes and gazed into her amber ones. “So was that a yes to dinner?” He wasn’t used to women not answering him right away.
Erin drew in a deep breath, then let it out. “Adam, I’m not interested in a relationship right now. I just ended a serious one not too long ago.” She glanced away and picked up what looked like thread. “You’ll probably feel me working but it shouldn’t hurt. If it does, let me know.”
He crinkled his nose, but relaxed onto the pillows. The numbing shot was the worst part in his opinion. He could tolerate the odd feeling of being sewn back together. “This isn’t my first time getting stitches.”
“Hopefully it’s your last. Are you ready?”
He closed his eyes and nodded.
The needle pricked his skin as Erin threaded the first suture through. “I suppose I could go to dinner.”
“Gee, don’t sound so enthusiastic.”
“Well, it’d be just to make sure you’re okay.” Her voice took on a lighter note and he fought the urge to smile. “I’m not looking for a relationship, Adam.”
That was the second time she’d said that.
Good, neither am I. “Me either.”
Erin giggled. “Oh, trust me, I know all about you from some of the other ER staff.”
“I’ve only dated like two nurses here.”
“Your reputation gets around.”
“Good or bad?” He opened his eyes, watching her as she stared at his forehead.
“Depends on what you’re talking about.”
Judging by the teasing in her voice, he’d venture that not everything she’d heard was bad. He’d parted ways with the nurses on a good note too.
“When do you think you can get out?” he asked.
Erin met his eyes briefly before returning to work on his forehead. “Probably when I’m done here. Things were starting to calm down. If they stay that way I should be able to take my lunch undisturbed.”
“How quickly can I get discharged?” he asked. Hospitals took forever. She could be ready to go but by the time all his paperwork was filed away and he was discharged the ER could be bustling with activity again.
Erin reached under one arm and grabbed a pair of scissors. They swished together as she clipped the thread then sat back. “I could probably speed up the process. You’ll want to keep the area clean and dry and wash it twice daily with mild soap and water. You can use Neosporin or Bacitracin if you’d like. Obviously showering is allowed, but make sure you get all soapy residue out of the wound and clean it after you get out of the shower.”
“Got it.”
Erin rolled one glove off then the other, putting the first inside the second one before throwing them away. “You’ll have definite bruising and swelling, but that should decrease by tomorrow. If you have any blurred or doubled vision, nausea, vomiting, or excessive fatigue you should come back to the ER to be rechecked for a concussion. I’ll go see what I can do about expediting your release and then we can get something to eat.” She smiled as she picked up the tray. “I’ll see you in a few.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Chapter Two
Erin shoved a forkful of pancakes into her mouth and savored the way they melted on her tongue. Her
belly grumbled and she took another bite. When was the last time she ate? Breakfast? That had been rushed too due to running late. She was starving. The few minutes she’d promised Adam had turned into three hours. She’d almost finished processing his paperwork when a patient had a code blue.
To her surprise, Adam had waited for her even after getting discharged. She was glad he had. She was starved and her packed PB&J didn’t sound appetizing.
“Thanks for dinner,” she said as she picked up her soda and took a gulp.
“No problem. But I wouldn’t call pancakes and bacon dinner.”
She rolled her eyes. “Are you one of those types?”
“What types?”
“The ones who can’t eat breakfast as another meal,” she said with a laugh.
“Breakfast is breakfast.” He picked up his burger and took a bite.
“I could eat it anytime of the day.”
“If you say so.”
“Seriously, you don’t know what you’re missing.”
Adam chuckled. “You work doubles often?” he asked.
“Lately, yeah.” She picked up her bacon and took a bite. Money was tight right now. Her boyfriend had walked out eight months ago, leaving her and her son to fend for themselves. Life had been too hard for him apparently, or that’s the excuse he’d given in the note he’d left for her. He was in Texas with his mom and dad, living on their couch and doing nothing. With the responsibility of a three-year-old, rent, and a car, she needed every penny she could get. Thank God for her mom helping out and watching Caden so she could work extra shifts.
Her mom knew all about being left with a young kid to raise. Erin’s dad had done the same thing to her. Men were pigs. She met Adam’s gaze. He seemed nice, but she knew he was only after one thing. Sex.
Heat pooled in her belly at the thought. It had been a long time since she’d seen any action other than her vibrator. A girl had needs too. But could she do a relationship without getting romantically invested? Was that even what Adam was after? Sure he flirted and was always nice, but what if he was just being friendly? Yeah right. Men like him—playboys—would probably get involved with anyone they found pretty. She’d had a crush on him for a while, but had never thought it could be something more. It wouldn’t be a relationship –just fun. Hot sweaty fun. Can I do that?
“It must be hard working sixteen hours. I know when I do twelve it's rough.”
She shrugged, focusing her attention on him again. “I’ve gotten used to it. I need the hours to pay rent and make my car payment.”
“Us single people have it rough since there is no one to share the expenses with. I wouldn’t want to get married though. I know I can depend on myself and divorce is too messy.”
“You’ve been married?” she asked, lifting her brow. Maybe that’s why he went through women so quickly.
“God no.”
“How do you know then?”
“My mom. She gets married and divorced at least once every five years. At least she doesn’t get completely screwed in the divorce. Graham on the other hand,” he trailed off and took a sip of his soda.
“Right.” She nodded. Laney had told her about Graham and his bitchy ex. The poor guy had gotten taken to the cleaners. Kirk and her had never gotten married—thank goodness. Her breakup wasn’t so bad, considering her ex didn’t want custody of their son and pretty much just wanted out. It was a win in her book. She just wanted to start getting child support. Her mom only helped out in the evenings due to her own work schedule. Day care was expensive. Not being married had its benefits. She could wipe the slate clean of Kirk. Caden was another story. She felt bad that her boy was going to grow up without a dad. This isn’t the time to think about that.
“Speaking of Graham, what do you think about him and Laney?” Adam asked.
Erin took another bite of bacon. “What do you mean? They’re friends. He’s her brother-in-law.”
Adam shook his head. “I mean, do you think they’d make a good couple?”
She lifted her brow and took another sip of soda. “I guess I’ve never really thought about it. Laney doesn’t think about him like that, at least not that she’s told me anyway. Then again, she doesn’t date—ever.” Erin had considered dating over the past eight months, she just hadn’t found the time to go on an actual date. Until tonight. This was a date. Or was it just two friends having dinner? She couldn’t be sure.
“I want to try hooking them up. Will you help me?”
“And I thought you invited me out because you wanted to get in my pants,” she said, her voice lowering to a whisper as she wagged her brows at him. Heat crept over her cheeks. I can’t believe I just said that out loud. God I sound desperate.
Adam chuckled. “I’m not opposed to that, but I don’t want to complicate things. I’m not looking for anything serious.”
Yeah, you already said that earlier. But...
She shifted in her seat as stared at her plate. He was giving her an easy out. They could keep things entirely platonic, but it had been a long time since she’d been with someone and if someone was going to burst her semi-recently single cherry she kind of wanted it to be Adam. “Who says it has to be complicated? I recently ended a long relationship, and I know you aren’t looking for anything serious. After all, we’re two consenting adults.”
Adam leaned forward. His sea-blue eyes sparkling as he met her gaze. “Too bad you have to go back to work in a bit.”
She licked her lips as her heart fluttered in her chest. So, he is interested. Good to know. “Too bad.”
Adam reached out and touched her hand, rubbing his thumb over her palm in a soft caress. “What time do you get off again?”
“Five in the morning.” She’d be more tired than hell by then and he wouldn’t want to wait up for her. It was probably better that she didn’t pursue this, even though she really wanted to.
“Yikes. I have to be at work tomorrow at 7.”
“Don’t you think you ought to take a day off?” She motioned to his forehead where the freshly sewn gash was. Even with his forehead split open he still managed to look stunning. “You took quite the hit to the head.”
“Nah. I’ll be fine. I have a high pain tolerance and I don’t like to be stuck lying around. I’d probably find myself in more trouble without something to do all day.”
She shook her head and took a sip of her drink. “If you say so.” Her eyes drifted to her wristwatch and she sighed. “I have to get back.” Sixty minutes wasn’t enough time.
Adam set his napkin on his empty plate. “I’ll walk you back.”
“You don’t have to.” Nor had she expected him to. The hospital was in a fairly good neighborhood, and she darted across the street a lot during her late night shifts.
“Are you kidding? It’s almost eleven. I’ll walk you back.”
She smiled at his thoughtfulness. “Thanks.”
Adam paid for the check and they left the diner. He took her hand in his and they walked hand in hand down the sidewalk.
“There’s a Fourth of July party at Ricardo's. What do you say we get together with Laney and Graham then?”
Fourth of July. That wasn’t too far away. “I don’t think I work that night, but I’ll have to double check. Why are you so intent on getting Laney and Graham together?”
“Graham’s in love with her. I just want to help them along.”
“You’re meddling? I thought you didn’t believe in marriage.”
“I guess, yeah, I am meddling. I don’t believe in marriage for myself, but Laney and Graham, I don’t know, if anyone deserves happiness it's them two.”
He had a point. Graham was a great guy from what she’d seen, and Laney deserved a man who would be attentive to her and her daughter. “I can get her there assuming we are both off.”
“Good. In the meantime, when can I take you out?” he asked.
Erin’s mind raced. Between work and finding a sitter for Caden there wasn’t much free time. “U
m.”
“When’s your next day off?”
She was off all day tomorrow, but she hadn’t seen Caden since dropping him off at daycare and she usually spent the afternoon and evening with him after pulling a double. There was no way she was telling Adam she had a kid. They weren’t getting serious and the news would likely scare him away. Men always seemed to run when they found out you were a single parent. She imagined it’d be the same thing in a no-strings attached relationship.
“Why don’t you give me your number and I’ll look at my calendar,” she said.
“You’re not trying to blow me off now are you?” he asked with a grin.
“No.”
He laughed at her immediate response. They started up the steps to the hospital and the icy blast of the AC met them as the ER doors slid open. The waiting room was empty. She glanced around to be sure. No one was in sight.
“Wow it’s—”
“Don’t say it,” she interrupted. “You’ll jinx us.”
“You sure you have to go back?” he asked with a sly grin as his eyes slid up and down her body.
There was no way they’d let her leave. It may not be busy now, but that could change at a moment's notice. Not to mention, she needed the money. “I can’t.” A thought occurred to her and she grinned. “I have another idea. I never took my earlier break I could probably take it now.” Sure she could catch up on her charts, but why not relax for another thirty minutes while she had the chance. “Assuming you don’t mind hanging around for another thirty minutes that is? I understand if you want to go home and get some rest.”
Adam leaned in, pulling her closer as he did. “I’m enjoying spending my time with you.” His breath whispered over her face and heat flooded her.
“In that case, I know what we can do.” Her heart sped up as she led him by the hand through the ER. Only a few patients were in the whole department. Most of the rooms were empty. The staff was quiet too, probably off using the restroom and grabbing bites to eat while they could.
She inhaled a deep breath and pushed on the handle of one of the private family consultation room’s doors. It clicked open and she tugged Adam into the pitch black. There were no windows in the room, for optimum privacy for grieving families, or for staff who wanted indiscretion. That wasn’t what it was meant for, but she’d heard of it happening.