by Scott, Laura
Which was fine with him. He was happy enough to admire her from afar. She’d only be part of the Lifeline crew for another five months before she’d graduate to a full-fledged physician.
“Yes? What is it?” He pulled himself together with an effort.
“With the ice on the blades, how close were we to crashing?”
He hesitated, tempted to gloss over the risk, but decided he couldn’t lie to her. It wasn’t fair, not when her life had been on the line as much as his. “Too close.”
“I see.” Her eyebrows drew together to form a solemn line. “Thanks for telling me.”
He nearly groaned. Why couldn’t she just yell at him or something? He deserved that much. He was the captain of the ship. And he’d almost gotten her killed.
“Get your gear, we’re ready to roll.” His brusque response dimmed the sparkle in her eyes, but he told himself it was for the best. Theirs was a professional relationship, nothing more. He quickly stashed the supplies back in the hangar, then pulled the bird out of the shelter. Within moments, they were airborne once again.
The return ride was less than ten minutes, but there was an obvious lack of chatter amongst the crew as he set the helicopter on the ground. He gave Samantha and Andrew the signal to disembark, then shut down the engine.
Reese took a few extra moments to go through the basic post-flight checklist, then headed into the Lifeline lounge. Andrew and Samantha were standing there, along with some sort of delivery man holding a flower arrangement.
“Dr. Samantha Kearn?” the guy was asking as he stared down at his clipboard.
She didn’t answer right away, forcing him to look up at her. “You’re Dr. Samantha Kearn?” he repeated.
She nodded.
“Flower delivery for you, ma’am. Please sign here.”
He thrust the clipboard at her, and she signed the form, a careful blankness in her normally expressive gray eyes. Reese frowned. What was this about? Most women were thrilled with surprise gifts, but Samantha looked green as if she might throw up.
“Wow, Dr. Kearn, someone loves you,” Andrew teased. “Who is it from? Hey, there isn’t a card.”
The tiny hairs on the back of Reese’s neck lifted in alarm. The delivery man thrust the cellophane-wrapped flower at her, but Samantha quickly pulled her hands away, stumbling backward out of reach. When she regained her footing, she gestured to the table. “No, ah, set it there, please.”
There was something wrong with this picture. Reese recognized pure fright when he saw it. In fact, Samantha looked as awful as he’d felt when he’d seen the ice coating the chopper blades.
“Andrew, did you file the flight paperwork yet?” He pinned the paramedic with a pointed look.
Andrew shook his head. “No, but I will.”
“Good. I have my report here, too. Let’s get these finished.”
Andrew took the not too subtle hint and obediently left the lounge. Reese followed more slowly. At the doorway, he hesitated, then turned to walk back inside, just in time to see Samantha gingerly pick up the flower, still encased in plastic wrap and hurl it into the metal trash can in the corner. A loud crash reverberated through the room.
Definitely, something wrong.
“Who sent it?” Reese asked softly. He wasn’t just being nosy, he could feel Samantha’s tension all the way across the room. He suddenly wanted to protect her from whoever was bothering her.
She spun around to face him, swallowed hard, then squared her shoulders, bravely meeting his gaze. “There wasn’t a card.”
“Still, you know who sent it, don’t you?”
She remained stubbornly silent, but the guilty flash and abrupt lowering of her eyes was answer enough.
2
Sam froze, caught by the imploring gaze of Reese’s dark eyes. She knew he was waiting for her to tell what she knew, but she didn’t want to admit her past failures out loud, and especially not to the handsome chopper pilot.
During the flight, she felt connected to Reese, as if their minds were completely in sync, each instinctively working together to bring Jamie safely to Trinity. He’d helped her as much as Andrew had, maybe more. She knew Reese deserved part of the credit for making her first solo flight a resounding success.
But when she returned to the hangar and found the lily, her brief euphoria had faded, replaced by a sick clenching in her gut. Dennis Markowitz, her controlling ex-husband, had found her again. She’d once loved lilies, until Dennis had showered her with them over and over again. Now the very scent of a lily made her feel sick.
They’d been divorced for six months and separated longer than that. Why did he persist in seeking ways to make her life miserable?
Because he can, she silently admitted. Because I let him, by overreacting to his childish gestures. In a few months, she’d graduate and take her emergency medicine boards to become an attending physician. How was it that the minute Dennis pulled one of his stunts, she felt hopelessly trapped in his manipulations?
Self-doubt seeped through her mind. Maybe Dennis was right. Maybe she’d never make it alone.
As quickly as the thought came, she shoved it away. She was strong. She could do this.
“You know who sent it, don’t you?”
Since Reese was still looking at her expectantly, she forced herself to answer. “No, I don’t.” She kept her expression carefully blank, hoping Reese wouldn’t notice her hands were shaking.
“Sure, you do. It’s okay, I understand.”
His matter-of-fact statement caught her off guard. She fought the urge to confess. Usually, she could keep one step ahead of prying questions. She certainly had more than enough practice at hiding the truth.
She strove to sound casual. “Doesn’t matter. Past history.” Holding his gaze wasn’t easy. Nearly six feet tall and broad-shouldered, Reese was the strong, silent type. He didn’t talk about himself much, but he had a knack for drawing out confidences from others.
One look from his melt-your-heart chocolate-brown eyes and she’d nearly blabbed the truth.
For a long moment, he simply waited. His intent expression spoke volumes, basically telling her he knew she was lying and was debating whether or not to call her on it. Finally, he nodded.
“I’m here for you, if you need anything. You can always call me.”
“Sure thing.” She released her breath in a soundless sigh. Not that she planned to seek him out, but if she did choose to confide in him, what would his reaction be? Would Reese look down at her for being divorced? Or would he understand her desperation to be free from her husband’s overly controlling nature? As a woman in a male-dominated profession, she knew only too well how the male species stuck together.
Reese turned away, then glanced back over his shoulder. “Dr. Kearn?”
His formal address almost made her wince. So much for feeling as if they were true partners in flight. He didn’t use titles when he spoke with any of the others, so it couldn’t be by accident that he’d singled her out. “Yes?”
“If you really don’t want any more deliveries, let security know. We take our safety very seriously around here.”
Samantha stared after his retreating figure. Did he think she would do anything to harm the crew?
Dennis wanted to control her, to convince her to come back to him, not to physically hurt her. Reese didn’t have to act as if she was a total safety risk.
Some of her anger evaporated, though, because she knew Reese only cared about keeping them safe. And she hadn’t told Reese the truth, so how could he know Dennis’s intent? Besides, the way Dennis had found her at Lifeline was creepy. She hadn’t heard from him in two months, so why now? Should she make plans to move out of her new apartment? Quit her Lifeline rotation? She could only imagine what Dr. Ben Harris, her boss and the medical director of Trinity’s emergency department, would think about that.
Endless questions rattled in her brain like a box of uncooked noodles. Now that Dennis had found her, he wasn’t li
kely to just simply leave her alone. Maybe she should call the police and tell them about the lily. After the divorce, she had taken out a restraining order against Dennis, for all the good it did. She crossed the room toward the phone, then stopped. There wasn’t a card, which meant they wouldn’t be able to prove Dennis had sent the flower. Oh, they’d investigate the flower shop where the delivery had originated, but she’d been down that road before. No doubt the transaction had been made with cash, and if Dennis had run true to form, he’d found someone else to do his dirty work, ensuring there would be no tracing the lily to him.
The one thing Dennis excelled at was covering his tracks.
Samantha gave herself a mental shake. Better to stop dwelling on Dennis the Menace. Agonizing over his next move played right into his psycho scheme. She detested his ability to intrude on her thoughts.
Abruptly she straightened and squared her shoulders. What was she worried about? She was a free and independent woman, not the naïve person who had married too young. It was about time Dennis realized the truth.
She was determined to remain immune to his mind games.
DESPITE HER DETERMINATION TO forget her past, the heavy, cloying scent of the lily seemed to follow her as she restocked the supplies they’d used from the flight bag. She was glad to be alone, away from Reese’s all too knowing brown eyes. What she wouldn’t give for a call out now. Something to occupy her mind would be heavenly.
“Hungry?” Reese asked from the doorway of the supply room.
She snapped her head around. Already, her muscles were tighter than a coiled spring. She let her breath out in a soundless sigh. “Ah, sure. Give me a few minutes.”
Reese waited patiently for her to finish. His silent presence was overwhelmingly close, and her fingers turned clumsy, nearly dropping a small stack of catheters on the floor.
She managed to get them packed into the flight bag, then double-checked to make sure she had everything. “I’ll put this away and meet you in the lounge.”
“I’ll take it for you.” He easily slid the bag from her grasp.
Logic told her Reese was simply being polite, but his take-charge manner rubbed her the wrong way. Plus, she couldn’t help but wonder if he didn’t trust her near the helicopter. She’d noticed over the past few weeks how Reese watched Mitch the mechanic like a hawk while he worked on it. The other crew members teased Reese about it, although he didn’t seem to care. And hadn’t his reaction to the iced blades been a little strange? Surely, as a pilot, he’d been forced to de-ice choppers before.
Of course, the danger had been very real. He’d admitted as much when she’d asked him point-blank.
Normally she didn’t think about the danger of flying any more than ambulance drivers probably considered the threat of a potential crash while they raced to an accident scene. The helicopter was just a means of transport, one she happened to prefer. And the Lifeline had an excellent twenty-five-year cash-free history.
She was just being paranoid. Reese took his responsibilities seriously. So seriously, she wondered about him sometimes. During these past few weeks, she couldn’t remember ever hearing him laugh out loud. But Reese’s somber attitude wasn’t her concern. She couldn’t afford to worry about him. Her goal was to graduate and to move on with her own life, in that order.
Andrew joined her in the lounge. A few minutes later, Reese strode in.
“What are you hungry for? Take-out pizza or the deli across the street?” Reese asked
Samantha was about to suggest the pizza until she realized it was her way of avoiding going outside because she feared seeing Dennis. Don’t do this, she warned herself. Don’t let him force you into hiding from life. This is all part of his need for control.
“The deli,” she quickly spoke up before she could change her mind.
Andrew grinned and rubbed his hands together. “Yeah, I’m in the mood for a Reuben sandwich.”
She felt Reese’s gaze on her but tried to ignore it as they grabbed their thick quilted Lifeline jackets. The frigid Wisconsin winter wind was sharp enough to etch steel. Reese gestured for them to precede him out the door. Sam kept her gaze forward as they crossed the street, refusing to search for signs of Dennis following her.
The deli was packed with people, even on such a cold day. They were close enough that, if a call came in, they’d still be able to get into the air within the designated five-minute time frame. They stood in line and placed their orders, then waited another few minutes until their food was ready. Samantha only hoped she’d have time to finish her turkey sandwich before the next call came in.
While the noisy deli was hardly an intimate atmosphere, she was keenly aware of the slightest brush of Reese’s knee against hers as the three of them sat around a small table. When his knee stayed warmly against hers, she waited for him to move. When he didn’t, she subtly shifted away. Concentrating on her food, she knew she was being ridiculous. No doubt Reese hadn’t even noticed the innocent touch.
“I still can’t believe you inserted a chest tube in flight,” Andrew gushed around a mouthful of his corned beef sandwich. “That was totally awesome.”
Reese raised a brow. “Is a chest tube such an unusual procedure?”
Sam shrugged. “Not really. It’s pretty commonplace in the emergency department.” Andrew’s praise made her uncomfortable. Secretly she had been worried during the procedure, but Reese’s calm voice had helped keep her fingers steady.
“I’ve been at Lifeline for three years, and I haven’t seen it done until today,” Andrew stubbornly persisted.
Sam ate her turkey and tomato sandwich but could feel Reese’s intense gaze on her, silently agreeing with Andrew’s assessment.
At least her medical skills were something to be proud of, not like her personal life. There, she was a complete failure.
The morose thoughts caused her appetite to evaporate. She crumpled her napkin and tossed it on her half-eaten food. “I’m finished, so I’m heading back.”
Before she could stand, Reese’s hand clasped her arm. She caught her breath at his touch. His fingers were warm, holding her securely but nowhere near hard enough to bruise. “Wait. Don’t go alone.”
The urge to pull away and stomp out of there was strong. Instinctively, she bristled. Who is he to tell her what to do?
“I’m fine. Really.” She flashed him a reassuring smile.
“Please?”
His quiet plea stopped her from leaving as nothing else would have. Dennis had never asked, he’d demanded. She knew most men weren’t like her ex, but somehow her first reaction was to lash out as if they were.
“I guess I can wait.” She settled back into her seat.
“Thank you.” Reese stared at her for a moment, then slowly withdrew his hand from her arm.
She almost stroked the spot where he touched her, amazed at the strange, tingling sensation left by his warm palm. Normally her skin crawled when a man touched her. What had changed? Why didn’t she have the same reaction with Reese Jarvis?
She couldn’t come up with a good answer as the guys finished their meals and in record time, no doubt virtually inhaling their food on her behalf, just so she wouldn’t have to wait.
Guilt returned to full force. “Don’t rush. It’s not as if we have calls waiting,” she urged them.
“We’re not rushing, are we?” Reese asked Andrew after swallowing his last bit of food.
“Nope. I always eat fast, drives my wife nuts,” Andrew cheerfully replied.
She gave up as they quickly rolled their wrappers into balls and stood to leave.
Outside, Reese and Andrew fell into step on either side of her as they walked back to the Lifeline hangar. Sam was struck by how hyperaware she was of Reese on her right, while Andrew could’ve been nonexistent on her left. The faintest whiff of Reese’s spicy aftershave enticed her to move closer.
What was wrong with her? Reese certainly seemed like a nice guy, but heaven knew, she’d been wrong before. She
didn’t have time for this weird attraction. Not when she needed all her energy to focus on finishing her residency and getting her personal life on track.
She would follow Reese’s example and keep a professional distance between them. Which shouldn’t be too difficult, especially since during their flight time Reese sat in the cockpit while she was in back caring for patients.
If she could only get his husky voice out of her head, she’d be fine.
REESE STARED BLINDLY at the weather radar screen. Even the icy blades were a distant memory. The strange flower delivery Samantha had received nagged at him, wreaking havoc with his concentration.
Surely it was just the idea that she might be in trouble, rather than the woman herself, that bothered him.
“Reese?”
He glanced up, startled to find the woman occupying his thoughts standing in front of him. Samantha—or rather Dr. Kearn— looked incredibly tiny in the navy blue figure-hugging flight suit. Too small to hold her own against some creep bugging her with a stupid gift.
“I want you to know I called security.”
He was surprised at her blunt admission. The way she’d refused to tell him the truth earlier had him betting she wouldn’t have continued to deny anything was wrong. A surge of anger about the situation caught him off guard. Who in the world had sent the thing to her anyway? And why didn’t she just tell the creep to shove off? “Good. I’m glad.”
“So there’s no need to worry about a security breach.” Samantha’s gaze bored to his for a moment, then she gestured to the screen. “How much longer before the snow clears?”
“Not sure. Another hour at least.” Reese frowned when she returned to leave. “Wait a minute, I wasn’t implying you had caused a breach in security.”
“Weren’t you?” Her cool tone flayed him. She spun on her heel and stalked away.
Reese stared after her, then dropped his head into his hand. Man, he’d really botched that one. He never intended to hurt her, but maybe it was better she stayed ticked at him. Her slender arm had felt far too good beneath his hand. Listening to her lilting voice through the headset in flight was bad enough. Every word she spoke made him think of warm fires and endless winter nights. Being so close to her was tempting.