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She had to go to work this afternoon and had planned to leave Wags and Woofer in the yard alone, but they still needed supervision.
Mike wouldn’t get off until six this evening, so she was stuck without any chance of taking a nap before her shift started. That is, unless she found someone else to puppy-sit.
Think, she told herself. There had to be someone she could call.
Oh, wait.
Talk about lightbulb moments.
Maybe Millie would take Wags and keep him at Tails a Waggin’ today. Then Simone could get some sleep before she had to work.
“Come on, you guys.” She turned and headed up the back steps to the service porch, the dogs on her heels. She was going to call Mike at the station and tell him he could pick up Wags at the pet store when he got off work.
Once inside the house, she grabbed the phone book and looked for the number, then placed a call to the Walnut River Fire Department.
Woofer, who couldn’t have gotten much sleep either, curled up at her feet, while Wags took off, exploring the part of the house that had been off limits to him all night.
Someone grabbed the phone on the second ring. “Fire department.”
She didn’t recognize the man who’d answered, but supposed it didn’t matter. “This is Simone Garner. Is Mike O’Rourke available?”
“He sure is. I’ll get him for you.”
She was placed on hold for a moment or two, until a familiar voice came over the line.
“Hey, Simone. How’s it going?” His tone was light and upbeat.
Hers, unfortunately, was not. “This isn’t going to work, Mike.”
“What’s the matter?”
“The dogs. I didn’t get any sleep last night. I’m going to have to ask Millie Baxter if she’ll look after Wags so I can get some rest before I have to go to the hospital. And I hope she’ll say yes. If so, can you pick him up at Tails a Waggin’?”
“Sure.”
“You’ll have to watch them tonight. Woofer isn’t always happy about sharing his territory with a pesky pup, so sometimes they’ll have to be separated.” She glanced up long enough to see that Wags had returned, carrying something in his mouth.
When he growled as though he’d captured a pint-size prowler and was going to shake the life out of it, she took a closer look at what he’d locked his teeth onto.
Her shoe!
“Oh, no!” She dropped the phone on the counter and hurried toward Wags, who had chomped down on one of the brand-new black heels that she’d spent entirely too much money on.
But the moment Wags saw her coming, he dashed off, taking the shoe with him.
She’d probably never have reason to wear it again anyway, but that wasn’t the point. “Come back here with that! You’re going to ruin it.”
As Wags ran through the house, dodging her at every turn, she swore under her breath.
Now this was something she could blame on Mike.
Mike gripped the receiver and strained to hear what was going on at Simone’s house.
“Honey?” The endearment slipped out before he could catch himself, and when there was no response from her, he blew out a sigh of relief.
What in the hell was going on over there?
He could hear her yelling at Wags, who’d undoubtedly taken something of value.
“No, Wags. No!” she said. “Bad dog.”
He heard the approaching footsteps as she returned to the phone.
When she got back on the line, he asked, “What happened?”
“Wags chewed up my brand-new shoe.”
Uh-oh. The puppy was going to wear out his welcome, if he hadn’t done so already.
Maybe Mike had better find him a home with one of the guys in the department who had a family. He’d have to ask around.
“I’m really sorry about the shoe, Simone. I’ll buy you another pair.”
“You don’t have to do that. I probably wouldn’t have worn them again anyway. It’s just that…that…” She sniffled, then broke into tears.
Damn. Simone never cried. At least, not out loud or in front of anyone. He’d seen emotion well in her eyes, but she’d always managed to hold it back. So what was with the tears?
Maybe it was that time of the month.
Of course, it could be something else. A buildup of some kind of stress, and Wags had been the last straw.
Either way, Mike had dumped the puppy on her, and the timing had been bad. Talk about guilt trips.
“I’m really sorry for the trouble I put you through, Simone.”
“You’d better be sorry.” She sniffled again, the words practically drowning in her throat. “See what happens when I don’t get my rest? I fall apart.”
“Aw, don’t do that…”
As much as he dreaded the sound of her crying, a part of him liked to see the emotional side of her; it was so rare that anyone did.
Again she sniffled, and he wished he was there to put an arm around her, to let her lean on him.
“I can’t handle this two nights in a row, Mike.”
And he couldn’t handle her tears—at least, not at a distance.
“I’ll take care of everything,” he said, not sure that he could. “If you drive to the pet store and ask Millie to look after Wags, I’ll pick him up there when I get off duty. Then, if you don’t mind, I’ll sleep on your couch and take care of the dogs for you tonight. And when you get home from work, you can go into your bedroom, close the door and get a full night’s sleep.”
It was a last-ditch effort to pull things back together, and he really expected her to say no, to suggest he and Wags find somewhere else to hang their hats.
But she surprised him. “Okay. But if that doesn’t work, you’ll have to figure out something else.”
Nice save. “Okay. Will do.”
“I’ll leave a key under the potted plant on my porch.”
A grin tugged at his lips. He’d been hoping she would give him a key to her place, although he had to admit, these weren’t quite the circumstances he’d had in mind.
But hey. He wouldn’t complain.
A selfish side of him wanted to hold on to every little inch Simone gave him.
Later that afternoon, while seated at the desk at the nurses’ station and reading the doctor’s orders on one of the patient files, Simone yawned, wishing she could curl up in a corner and take another nap.
Bless Millie for keeping Wags earlier today.
Upon returning home from the pet store, Simone had slept for several hours, then showered and got ready for work.
So why was she still so tired?
The only explanation was pregnancy hormones, which meant she’d have to get used to feeling sluggish.
She glanced at the clock displayed on the wall that was directly across from the nurses’ desk: 8:34.
It had been fairly quiet this evening, just the typical Wednesday-night complaints. They’d treated a toddler with a case of croup, a woman with a sliced finger that required sutures and a teenager whose intestinal flu had left him dehydrated.
Currently, they were examining a child with a broken thumb, as well as a middle-aged woman who’d fallen off a scooter and presented with a nasty scrape on her knee and a sprained wrist.
Just steps away, Dr. Ella Wilder was making notes in the injured woman’s chart.
At twenty-nine, Ella was one of the youngest doctors on staff. She was also one of the most attractive.
Her hair, dark brown and straight, was cut in a neat bob that reminded Simone of the style worn by flappers in the Roaring Twenties. It suited her.
And so did her chosen profession.
Ella Wilder had come from a long line of doctors. Her father, Dr. James Wilder, had been chief of staff before his recent death. Her oldest brother, Peter, an internist, was the acting chief of staff until a replacement could be found. Another brother, David, a renowned plastic surgeon who’d been living in Los Angeles, had just relocated here in Walnut River, where he would open a practice.
Only Anna, Ella’s adopted older sister, had opted for a different career path.
From what Simone had gathered, the two sisters had been close growing up, but there was a strain between Anna and all of her siblings now.
Simone, an only child, didn’t understand family dynamics, nor did she try to. Suffice it to say, she found it best to keep her nose to herself and just do her job.
Still, Simone liked Ella, a young woman who’d recently completed her residency in orthopedics at Boston Mass and now worked at Walnut River General. Simone wouldn’t exactly say they were close, since she didn’t warm to many people, but there was something about Ella that Simone admired.
“Dr. Wilder,” Simone said to the orthopedist, “when you have a moment, Dr. Fitzgerald would like you to take a look at some X-rays. Jeffrey Colwell, the little red-haired boy in 4-A, broke his thumb and, apparently, knocked the growth plate out of whack.”
“All right. I’m almost finished here.”
Unable to help herself, Simone yawned again, and Ella chuckled.
Simone felt a little guilty. She prided herself on not missing work more than a handful of days in the last fifteen years, but maybe she should have called in sick today.
“I’m afraid I didn’t get much sleep last night,” she admitted.
Ella slid a glance her way and smiled. “I hope you had a good reason for staying awake—like a special man in your life. Maybe a handsome paramedic.”
There was a glow to Ella these days, which was undoubtedly due to the “special man” in her own life, J. D. Sumner, who had recently resigned from his position with Northeastern HealthCare, the conglomerate hoping to take over Walnut River General.
But Ella was jumping to a conclusion Simone didn’t want anyone to make.
“I hate to blow your theory to smithereens,” Simone said, “but my special someone is a puppy.”
“Oh, really?” Ella closed the file in which she’d been writing. “You adopted another dog, a playmate for Woofer?”
“No. I’m puppy-sitting for Mike O’Rourke.”
Ella’s grin broadened, and her eyes glimmered. “I was wondering how you two were doing. That guy is crazy about you.”
The day after Peter’s cocktail party, while talking privately to Ella, Simone had let it slip that she and Mike had slept together. After all, Ella had seen the two of them locked in a heated kiss beside Mike’s Jeep the night before.
Simone couldn’t blame Ella for wondering, but not everyone was destined for a romantic happy ending.
“Mike’s a wonderful man,” Simone admitted. “And he’ll be a great catch for some lucky woman. But I’m a loner, and I always have been.”
Hooking up with anyone, even a female roommate, would be tough on Simone, who’d grown comfortable with the peace and quiet at home. Of course, having an additional dog around was going to push her comfort level to the limit, but Mike was supposed to be looking for a place that would allow him to keep Wags. So, hopefully, her life would be back on track soon.
“You’ll have to forgive me for wishing it had been the man keeping you awake instead of his dog.”
Simone yawned again. “And you’ll have to excuse me. Boy, what I wouldn’t give to go home early and call it a night.”
“Give me a moment to check that X-ray of Jeffrey’s thumb,” Ella said, “then you can join me for a cup of coffee in the doctors’ lounge.”
“All right.” Simone doubted that the caffeine would be good for the baby, but she also needed to be able to function while at work. She wasn’t going to get off until eleven. Maybe half a cup would be okay.
Fifteen minutes later, as Jeffrey and his mother prepared to head home with his hand stabilized in a cast, Ella returned. “Come on. Let’s take a quick break before we get another rush.”
After letting the E.R. resident and a fellow nurse know where she could be found, Simone joined Ella in the employee lounge, where they poured two cups of coffee and took a seat at the table.
“I’ve been off for a couple of days,” Simone said. “So fill me in. What’s the latest news about Northeastern HealthCare?”
The question shouldn’t have surprised Ella. After all, it was on everyone’s mind.
The threatened NHC takeover had many of the medical staff up in arms. The hospital had a reputation of providing the human touch and the kind of medical treatment patients deserved, while NHC was known in the industry for focusing on the bottom line at the expense of patient care.
“Well,” Ella said, taking a sip of her coffee, “the attorney general’s office has decided to investigate the claims of insurance fraud.”
Simone had known that the state examiner’s office claimed that the hospital was keeping patients longer than necessary and billing for treatment that wasn’t given. She blew out a sigh. “I know we tend to keep patients longer than the average, but that’s because we don’t want to rush them out of the hospital too soon. I can’t believe there’s anything fraudulent going on here.”
“I can’t, either,” Ella said. “But I don’t like what a charge like that means in regard to an NHC takeover.”
“Neither do I.” Simone rested her cup on the table, yet held it in both hands. “If the hospital is found to be at fault, profits will go down and we’ll have problems operating. Then NHC can swoop in like a superhero and save the hospital’s reputation by including it in their ‘family.’”
“Exactly.” Ella glanced at her watch. “Where did the last hour go? I need to call it a day. I’ve been here since early this morning.”
“You’ve got to be tired, too,” Simone said. “Maybe you shouldn’t have had the coffee.”
“It’s definitely been a long shift, which is the reason I wanted a bit of caffeine.” Ella smiled, her eyes glimmering and her cheeks taking on a pretty flush. “J.D. has been staying with his dad since he quit NHC, but today we started living together, and we’re having a celebratory dinner as soon as I get home.”
The couple had been seeing a lot of each other for the past two months, and apparently things had gotten serious. Ella’s happiness was impossible to ignore.
“Congratulations,” Simone said. “Is he taking you out?”
“No, we’re eating in. In fact, he’s cooking and even has a bottle of champagne chilling. Apparently, I’m in for a romantic evening.” She grinned. “So I need to get out of here.”
Simone could understand why. “Have a wonderful night.”
“Thanks. I intend to.”
Simone’s thoughts drifted to the man who was waiting at her house.
Of course, it wasn’t the same.
Even if Mike thought that it should be.
Chapter Five
Mike, whose primary motivation for being at Simone’s house wasn’t because of the dogs, had gone grocery shopping when he’d gotten off work. And now that Simone was due home within minutes, he had a late-night snack ready for her.
He’d prepared a platter of cheese, crackers and fresh fruit for them to munch on, and if she was really hungry, he had all the fixings for a Dagwood-style sandwich.
Now all he had to do was wait.
Ever since he’d picked up Wags from the pet shop, where the puppy had been harassing Popeye Baxter all day rather than Woofer, the little guy had been playing hard. And now both dogs were resting near the hearth, where a steady flame licked the logs Mike had just added to the fire.
Simone’s little house looked especially warm and cozy tonight. The candles he’d lit and placed on the fireplace mantel gave it a romantic glow.
In truth, Mike hoped Simone liked the idea of coming home to a guy who loved her, a guy who knew what she needed without being asked.
As a car sounded outside, alerting him to her arrival, he met her at the door. Wags, apparently, was too tuckered out to even care that someone had entered, and Woofer merely raised his head and assured himself that Simone was home and that all was now well in his world.
“Good evening,” Mike said as Simone hung up her jacket on a hook by the door.
Even after a tiring shift at work and wearing a pair of blue scrubs, she was an attractive woman who could turn his heart on end with a smile.
She scanned the small living room, took in the sight of the fresh flowers he’d placed on the coffee table. “What’s that?”
“A peace offering,” Mike said. “From Wags. He may not look very contrite at the moment, but he’s very sorry for being such a pain in the butt last night.”
A smile stretched across Simone’s face, but he couldn’t help noting the hint of crescent shadows under her eyes. He suspected they looked worse in the warm glow from the flickering candles.
He didn’t mention how worn and tired she appeared, though. But he would do whatever he could to see that she got plenty of sleep tonight.
“If you’re hungry, I have something for you to eat. And if not, I’ll put it in the fridge.”
“Thanks,” she said. “That was sweet. A little snack sounds good. If I don’t keep something in my stomach, I get…”
“You get what?”
She gave a half shrug. “I get a little shaky. No big deal.”
“You need to have that blood test. Did you call your doctor like you said you would?”
“Yes. And I have an appointment next week.”
“Good.”
Mike went into the kitchen and brought out a tray bearing the cheese, crackers and fruit platter, as well as a bottle of merlot, a corkscrew and two goblets. “I also thought a little wine before bed might help you unwind and fall asleep easier.”
“I’d better pass on the wine, but there’s some apple juice in the refrigerator. That sounds a lot better to me.”
Was she afraid of the effect alcohol might have on her? That it might lower her inhibitions like last time they’d spent the evening together? That she might let down her guard and allow herself to feel again?
If so, he hoped she didn’t think he was trying to ply her with wine. He’d only meant to set a romantic ambience, not get her into bed. The next time they made love, he wanted her to be completely sober and still willing. And, more important, he didn’t want her to have any regrets in the morning.
“Look at this cheese plate.” A smile that reached her soulful brown eyes sent his pulse topsy-turvy. “Have the guys down at the department been reading magazines on entertaining? This is pretty, as well as appetizing.”
“Actually, a lady Leif has been dating invited a few of us over to watch the game and she set out a tray like this. It was pretty cool, and I thought you’d agree.” He shrugged, cheeks warming. He hoped she didn’t think he’d gone over the top.
“It’s a nice touch,” she said. “No one has ever prepared anything special for me.”
Someone ought to.
And often.
“Then you’re welcome.”
As Mike turned to get the juice for her, she stopped him. “I’ll get it. Why don’t you have a seat and unwind. I took care of the dogs yesterday, so I know how tiring that can be.”
“Actually,” Mike said, glancing to the hearth where the canines lay side by side, “they weren’t that bad tonight.”
He’d taken them out in the backyard and thrown a ball to them until they were both worn-out and ready to settle down.
While Simone was in the kitchen, Mike poured a glass of wine for himself.
She’d just returned and settled into a comfortable position on the couch when her phone rang.
“Uh-oh.” She furrowed her brow as she turned and reached for the telephone that rested on the lamp table. “I don’t know who it could be at this hour.”
“A woman called earlier,” he said, “but she wouldn’t leave her name. I told her you wouldn’t get home until after eleven.”
Mike watched as Simone snagged the receiver and answered on the second ring.
“Hello?” The furrow in her brow grew deeper. “Yes, it is.”
He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he listened to her side of the conversation. It obviously wasn’t a wrong number, but who the hell called people after eleven o’clock at night?
“That’s too bad. No, I didn’t know.” She raked a hand through her hair, as though forgetting she wore it held back in a clip. Then she stood. “Would you please give me your number. I’d like to have it in case I need to speak to you later.”
She made her way to the small rolltop desk against the wall and pulled out the top drawer. She fumbled inside until she withdrew a notepad and pen. Then she made a note.
“Thank you. I’ll…uh…call her first thing in the morning.”
Mike tensed, his senses on alert. Just from listening to Simone’s side of the conversation, the news sounded serious.
She cleared her throat. “Yes, well…I don’t know why she didn’t call me, either.”
When she hung up the phone, she remained standing, her back to him. She’d always carried herself with strength and pride, but her shoulders slumped and she blew out a heavy sigh.
Mike put down his glass and made his way toward her. “Is everything okay, honey?”
Damn, there went the endearment again. But this time, he wasn’t sorry he’d let it slip out. Not when he sensed she needed some tenderness.
“I…uh…yeah. I’m fine.” She turned to him, her eyes red and welling with tears. “It’s just…well, my mom found a lump in her breast last week. But for some reason, she didn’t want to bother me with the news. That was a friend of hers who took it upon herself to call and let me know. She figured, even if my mom and I weren’t close, that I was a nurse and could answer some of her questions and put her at ease.”
Mike slid his arms around her, and she leaned into his embrace, resting her head against his chest.
He held her for a while, providing her with all he had to offer. His sympathy, his heart.
Finally, as she drew away, her gaze caught his, and he saw the pain inside. The grief.
What did one say to a woman who’d just learned of her mother’s frightening discovery?
“That’s just like my mom,” Simone said, tears spilling from her eyes.
“What do you mean?”
She wiped the moisture from her cheeks and sniffed. “Needless to say, I’m concerned about her health and sorry she’s struggling with all that lump could mean, but this is the kind of thing a mother should share with her daughter, whether she’s a nurse or not. And it hurts to be reminded of just how lousy our relationship is. Especially if her condition proves to be life-threatening and I stand to lose her without ever having the kind of bond other mothers and daughters have.”
Mike didn’t know what to say, what to do. He couldn’t get a handle on how a woman might feel upon finding a lump in her breast. Nor did he have any idea what that woman’s daughter might be going through.
He figured they’d both be scared, anxious.
A simple, well-meant “I’m sorry” slid out. Yet it seemed so…inadequate.
“I’m sorry, too. And not just because of the news. I’m used to having my mom shut me out. She’s been doing that to me for years. But I got the feeling that her friend thought I was too busy to be bothered. And that’s simply not true.”
“I know it isn’t.” If anyone had a heart for a person who was ill or hurting, it was Simone. And Mike was sorry that she and her mom were not close.
Maybe, in its own way, a diagnosis like this might draw the two of them together again. He hoped so; he couldn’t imagine what his life would be like without the love and support of his family.
A shank of glossy hair had fallen from the clip Simone wore; now the strands hung along her cheek. Mike brushed them aside. “If you need anything, if your mom needs anything, you can count on me for help.”
“Thanks.”
“That’s what friends…and lovers are for.” As he brushed a kiss across her forehead, she gripped his waist as though hanging on to him, to everything his offer held.
When her lips parted, tempting him to place his mouth on hers, he was lost in a whirl of desire. He half expected her to push him away, but she slipped her arms around his neck and drew him closer instead.
It had been so long…
Too long.
The kiss deepened, and their tongues mated, sweeping and swirling in sleek, hot need. He couldn’t get enough of her taste, of her touch, of her scent. And he held her tight, yearning to make them one.