Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 105868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Hah. She found that very hard to believe. The guy was immature and selfish, although she had noted a kindness in him.
“Are you going to patch me up, or what?” The blood had begun to congeal.
“That’s my job,” she said dryly, studying his eyes. Clear with normal sized pupils. “Before we move to an examination room, do you have any other symptoms?” It was doubtful, but if he passed out, she’d have trouble getting him up by herself. Ace was a muscled machine at well over six feet tall, and she, well, wasn’t. “Dizziness, nausea, headache, ringing in the ears?”
He gingerly probed the wound. “Nope. My face just hurts.”
“It’s killin’ me,” she retorted, slapping his hand away. “Don’t touch it.”
“Don’t hit,” he groused.
She sighed. “I didn’t hit you, you big baby.”
He grasped her wrist as she started to move back. “Doc? Why don’t you give in and just let me take you out one of these nights? As a thank you for all the stitches, if for nothin’ else.”
She easily twisted free of his loose hold. “You know? I should just take you up on that so you stop asking. We both know you don’t mean it.”
He sobered, his eyes turning an even deeper green. Or maybe it was just the soft lighting in the waiting room. “I do mean it. I’d give you a night you’d never forget.”
Something ached inside her. “I have enough of those. Believe me.”
His gaze narrowed. “What does that mean?”
Yeah, she sounded sad and not amused. “Not what you think.” She slid her hand beneath his arm to pull him up. “Come on. Let’s clean that and put a butterfly bandage on it. I don’t even need to stick you with a numbing needle this time.”
He stood, easily towering over her. “See? You’re coming around.”
Humor tickled through her just as the door opened again and Ivy Carter hurried inside, a latte cup in her hand. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail and her blue eyes sparkled.
May paused. “Ivy? I thought you were taking the afternoon off?”
“Yeah, but I saw you come back, and I wanted to make sure you didn’t need me.” Ivy tilted her head. “What a shock. Ace is back and bleeding.”
May bit her lip to keep from smiling. Hiring the young nurse last month had been an excellent decision, although that had meant scrimping on luxuries. Like coffee for the clinic. “I think I can handle it. Enjoy this afternoon and go out tonight. It’s Friday.” She tried to let her staff, which included Ivy as her nurse, her friend Nancy as a part-time receptionist, and a college kid as her overall helper, time to have lives. Unlike her. She was always on call. Before Ivy could turn, the door opened again, and a trio of men walked inside.
May jerked, her heart rate accelerating. It couldn’t be. The man out front of the pack, wearing a suit in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, smiled at her. He held up a swollen hand with bruised knuckles. “I think I might’ve broken my wrist.” His blue eyes sparkled. “Hi, May. Miss me?”
May went cold.
The hair rose on the back of Ace’s neck, and he stood fully upright. Instinct told him to step between May and the newcomers, so he did just that.
Shockingly, she didn’t push him out of the way.
Instead, the woman took a moment and then moved to his side, remaining surprisingly close. “Senator. I hadn’t heard you were in town.” She sounded polite in a manner Ace had never heard before.
Senator? Ace studied the man. It was Senator Kyle Mercer. The guy appeared older than his mid-thirties on television. “Looks like you hit a wall, Senator,” Ace drawled.
The guy kept smiling with his perfectly white teeth. Were those caps? “Nah. I just fell. It happens.” His gaze didn’t leave May. “I know what a good doctor you are, even out here in the middle of nowhere. I hope I don’t need an x-ray.”
May’s chin lifted. “We’ll see.” She glanced at Ivy. “Would you please take the senator to Exam Room Two? I’ll be there in a minute.”
Curiosity was stamped all over Ivy’s pretty face, but she nodded. “Of course.” She gestured to the senator. “Sir? Your staff needs to stay here in the reception area.” She focused on the other two men, both wearing suits. “We just got new chairs yesterday. They’re comfortable.”
“Coffee?” The youngest looking guy asked, his suit a bit more off-the-rack than the others.
Ivy winced. “Budget cuts. Sorry.” She brightened. “However, you can get a decent cup from Sam’s Tavern across the street, or there’s Hitty’s one street and a bit of a walk over. She has lattes and fancy cappuccinos. We’ll take good care of your boss.”
The guy ruffled his blond hair. “That’s kind of you, ah…”