wanted him on the subcommittee. No explanation. Could that have been Lucy? “No kidding.”
Ivey froze, then turned from him and snapped the TV off. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“She’s the one that wanted me on the subcommittee, isn’t she?” He would have a little fun with this tonight. And maybe someday personally thank Aunt Lucy, since he’d had more excitement lately than he’d had in the past year. “Maybe to get us back together.”
“Why would you say that? My God, the ego on you! Are all doctors like this? Don’t answer that. I happen to know they are.”
She tried to get by him, but he grabbed her wrist. “Tell the truth. It will only hurt a little. It’s like tearing off a band aid.”
“I’ve said enough.”
And maybe she had, because he had his answer. Aunt Lucy had played matchmaker, because somehow even she knew that they weren’t done with each other. “Thank her for me.”
“I will not.”
“Then I’ll thank her.” He let his fingers trail up her arm and then back down again.
“I can’t stop you.” Her eyes didn’t betray a single emotion, but he did feel her arm shiver.
Then his pager went off, because that thing had the timing of a metronome on crack. Reluctantly, he ended the standoff and went to find his pager on the counter where he’d unloaded it.
He recognized the ER’s number, and called them back on his cell phone. “Dr. Garner. You paged?”
“It’s Nancy. I thought I’d let you know that Frank Sullivan came in and he was taken up to cardiology. Apparently there’s something abnormal on the EKG. I know how fond you are of him, so I wanted to let you know.”
“Thanks. I’ll be right over.” He gathered his wallet, his keys.
“Don’t you dare. You’ve already logged too many hours, and the board will have our hide if they hear about it. I shouldn’t have called you—Donna was right. And you know how I hate it when she’s right. Stay where you are, Doctor, or I’ll be force to take drastic measures.”
He let out a breath. With all the extra shifts he’d pulled, he needed the break. But this was Frank. How many EKGs had he ordered, all perfectly normal? What had he missed, dammit?
“Fine. I’ll drop by to see him tomorrow.” He hung up the phone.
“Is anything wrong?” Ivey asked from the couch. She had a book in her hands now, something that looked like a romance novel.
“Nothing,” he lied. Something was wrong with Frank, and he’d missed it. Maybe because he’d been too tired, working too hard. Thinking too much about his own needs and whether the ER was where he wanted to land.
“You care about your patients, don’t you?” This was said kindly, and took him by surprise.
“Does that surprise you?”
She smiled a little. “I wasn’t sure how you’d do with patients. I’ve always known how smart you were, but not every doctor has the compassionate side of them fully engaged.”
“I think they wind up being radiologists.”
Ivey laughed. “We’re not so different, you and me.”
“Uh huh.” Damn, he was tired. Not too tired to flirt with Ivey, but too tired to talk about what a great doctor he was. Or wasn’t. The jury was still out. And he had an early call tomorrow morning. He took one last longing look at Ivey and made a snap decision. “Good night. I’m going to bed.”
With any luck, he’d actually sleep.
Chapter 9
Ivey blinked awake as the pale moonlight spilled from the overhead skylight. She jerked up, forgetting where she was for a moment. She’d fallen asleep on Jeff’s couch. Her last memory was of fighting off sleep so she could read a few more pages. She’d almost finished the novel, and soon Melody and Bobby would be together again after all the trouble. They were meant to be.
She stretched and yawned. The digital clock on the kitchen microwave read four in the morning when she staggered towards her bedroom, eyes bleary and half-mast.
Once in her dark room, she fumbled for the
Ivey froze, then turned from him and snapped the TV off. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“She’s the one that wanted me on the subcommittee, isn’t she?” He would have a little fun with this tonight. And maybe someday personally thank Aunt Lucy, since he’d had more excitement lately than he’d had in the past year. “Maybe to get us back together.”
“Why would you say that? My God, the ego on you! Are all doctors like this? Don’t answer that. I happen to know they are.”
She tried to get by him, but he grabbed her wrist. “Tell the truth. It will only hurt a little. It’s like tearing off a band aid.”
“I’ve said enough.”
And maybe she had, because he had his answer. Aunt Lucy had played matchmaker, because somehow even she knew that they weren’t done with each other. “Thank her for me.”
“I will not.”
“Then I’ll thank her.” He let his fingers trail up her arm and then back down again.
“I can’t stop you.” Her eyes didn’t betray a single emotion, but he did feel her arm shiver.
Then his pager went off, because that thing had the timing of a metronome on crack. Reluctantly, he ended the standoff and went to find his pager on the counter where he’d unloaded it.
He recognized the ER’s number, and called them back on his cell phone. “Dr. Garner. You paged?”
“It’s Nancy. I thought I’d let you know that Frank Sullivan came in and he was taken up to cardiology. Apparently there’s something abnormal on the EKG. I know how fond you are of him, so I wanted to let you know.”
“Thanks. I’ll be right over.” He gathered his wallet, his keys.
“Don’t you dare. You’ve already logged too many hours, and the board will have our hide if they hear about it. I shouldn’t have called you—Donna was right. And you know how I hate it when she’s right. Stay where you are, Doctor, or I’ll be force to take drastic measures.”
He let out a breath. With all the extra shifts he’d pulled, he needed the break. But this was Frank. How many EKGs had he ordered, all perfectly normal? What had he missed, dammit?
“Fine. I’ll drop by to see him tomorrow.” He hung up the phone.
“Is anything wrong?” Ivey asked from the couch. She had a book in her hands now, something that looked like a romance novel.
“Nothing,” he lied. Something was wrong with Frank, and he’d missed it. Maybe because he’d been too tired, working too hard. Thinking too much about his own needs and whether the ER was where he wanted to land.
“You care about your patients, don’t you?” This was said kindly, and took him by surprise.
“Does that surprise you?”
She smiled a little. “I wasn’t sure how you’d do with patients. I’ve always known how smart you were, but not every doctor has the compassionate side of them fully engaged.”
“I think they wind up being radiologists.”
Ivey laughed. “We’re not so different, you and me.”
“Uh huh.” Damn, he was tired. Not too tired to flirt with Ivey, but too tired to talk about what a great doctor he was. Or wasn’t. The jury was still out. And he had an early call tomorrow morning. He took one last longing look at Ivey and made a snap decision. “Good night. I’m going to bed.”
With any luck, he’d actually sleep.
Chapter 9
Ivey blinked awake as the pale moonlight spilled from the overhead skylight. She jerked up, forgetting where she was for a moment. She’d fallen asleep on Jeff’s couch. Her last memory was of fighting off sleep so she could read a few more pages. She’d almost finished the novel, and soon Melody and Bobby would be together again after all the trouble. They were meant to be.
She stretched and yawned. The digital clock on the kitchen microwave read four in the morning when she staggered towards her bedroom, eyes bleary and half-mast.
Once in her dark room, she fumbled for the
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