stride.
He shook his head. Rumor mill or not, the truth was he did
have a thing for this educator. Now what?
Erin sighed. She should've taken her chances on the mechanical bull; that situation ended in eight seconds or less. You either
vaulted off the top with a big "Yahoo!" or fell flat on your behind.
A blessing compared to endlessly second-guessing relationships.
She crossed her arms and rubbed the sleeves of her rhinestonestudded Western shirt, fighting shivers that had nothing to do
with the night air. Things were so new with Brad. How could she
make him understand her responsibility to the ER crew? Hospital
teams were a lot like a family; not everyone understood that kind
of closeness. But it was vital. Especially after the shifts they'd had
lately.
Brad leaned against his car, a festive swag of overhead bulbs
splashing color like pirates' jewels over his close-cropped blond
hair and undeniably handsome features. A boyish smile teased his
lips. "So, are you coming with me or going back in there for more
root beer?"
"I reminded you about this fund-raiser. You didn't want to
come, but if you've changed your mind, I think they're still selling
tickets at the door."
"No thanks," Brad said. "And I don't get why you need to be
here." He counted, bending his fingers back one by one: "Five work shifts this week, an extra hour every day to put that hospital prayer
group together, half your day off in a disaster meeting, and ..."
Bible study class? Erin's jaw tensed, wondering if he'd include
something so important to her in his list. She'd heard it often
enough from previous boyfriends, hadn't she? Still, she'd met Brad
at church. Surely he could understand. But they'd been dating
barely three months now, hardly time to know each other. Could
she really expect him to honor what was important to her?
Before she could find words, Brad stepped forward and drew
Erin to him. His arms closed around her until her cheek lay against
his shirtfront. She breathed in scents of shampoo and soap. "Look,"
he said, nestling his chin against her hair, "I'm only trying to figure
out where I fit in, you know?"
He stepped back, holding her away so he could look into her
eyes. "I understand work pressures. I may not be saving lives at
the dealership, but I put in plenty of long hours. Especially on
the days my uncle's hanging around, trust me. Because it's a family business doesn't mean they make it easy for me." He touched
a fingertip to Erin's chin. "But I also know how to play. And
what I'm saying is, I want you to come play with me. That's all."
Dimples appeared as his smile widened into the grin that would
set hearts aflutter in a hefty percentage of the nurses at Sierra
Mercy. "Come on. What's the point of living an hour from Tahoe
if you don't go enjoy it?"
"The lake? Tonight?" Erin considered the ER group. How many
of them had come? Brad was asking her to take off when it was her
idea to get everyone together in the first place? She'd given Claire
a ride.
"Yes!" Brad's eyes glittered. "We could make it there by ten,
catch a late show at South Shore, and maybe hit the seafood buffet." He stroked his thumb gently along her jaw. "I know you
don't gamble, but you could browse the gift shop for a few minutes
while I duck into the casino and roll the dice. Maybe I'll win some
cash for that charity of yours. Wouldn't you like that?"
Cash. Erin's stomach lurched and she looked down, scraping
the toe of her boot in the gravel. She still hadn't found the Little
Nugget Victim Fund envelope. The donations for Jamie and his
mother. She hadn't admitted it to anyone at the ER yet, let alone
Brad. It was probably not a great idea to tell a guy you're just getting to know that you can't be trusted with money. She'd have to
use part of her paycheck to reimburse the cash.
Brad took hold of her hand. "In case you're worrying, I'm not
making moves to get you to stay overnight. I'll drive you back
He shook his head. Rumor mill or not, the truth was he did
have a thing for this educator. Now what?
Erin sighed. She should've taken her chances on the mechanical bull; that situation ended in eight seconds or less. You either
vaulted off the top with a big "Yahoo!" or fell flat on your behind.
A blessing compared to endlessly second-guessing relationships.
She crossed her arms and rubbed the sleeves of her rhinestonestudded Western shirt, fighting shivers that had nothing to do
with the night air. Things were so new with Brad. How could she
make him understand her responsibility to the ER crew? Hospital
teams were a lot like a family; not everyone understood that kind
of closeness. But it was vital. Especially after the shifts they'd had
lately.
Brad leaned against his car, a festive swag of overhead bulbs
splashing color like pirates' jewels over his close-cropped blond
hair and undeniably handsome features. A boyish smile teased his
lips. "So, are you coming with me or going back in there for more
root beer?"
"I reminded you about this fund-raiser. You didn't want to
come, but if you've changed your mind, I think they're still selling
tickets at the door."
"No thanks," Brad said. "And I don't get why you need to be
here." He counted, bending his fingers back one by one: "Five work shifts this week, an extra hour every day to put that hospital prayer
group together, half your day off in a disaster meeting, and ..."
Bible study class? Erin's jaw tensed, wondering if he'd include
something so important to her in his list. She'd heard it often
enough from previous boyfriends, hadn't she? Still, she'd met Brad
at church. Surely he could understand. But they'd been dating
barely three months now, hardly time to know each other. Could
she really expect him to honor what was important to her?
Before she could find words, Brad stepped forward and drew
Erin to him. His arms closed around her until her cheek lay against
his shirtfront. She breathed in scents of shampoo and soap. "Look,"
he said, nestling his chin against her hair, "I'm only trying to figure
out where I fit in, you know?"
He stepped back, holding her away so he could look into her
eyes. "I understand work pressures. I may not be saving lives at
the dealership, but I put in plenty of long hours. Especially on
the days my uncle's hanging around, trust me. Because it's a family business doesn't mean they make it easy for me." He touched
a fingertip to Erin's chin. "But I also know how to play. And
what I'm saying is, I want you to come play with me. That's all."
Dimples appeared as his smile widened into the grin that would
set hearts aflutter in a hefty percentage of the nurses at Sierra
Mercy. "Come on. What's the point of living an hour from Tahoe
if you don't go enjoy it?"
"The lake? Tonight?" Erin considered the ER group. How many
of them had come? Brad was asking her to take off when it was her
idea to get everyone together in the first place? She'd given Claire
a ride.
"Yes!" Brad's eyes glittered. "We could make it there by ten,
catch a late show at South Shore, and maybe hit the seafood buffet." He stroked his thumb gently along her jaw. "I know you
don't gamble, but you could browse the gift shop for a few minutes
while I duck into the casino and roll the dice. Maybe I'll win some
cash for that charity of yours. Wouldn't you like that?"
Cash. Erin's stomach lurched and she looked down, scraping
the toe of her boot in the gravel. She still hadn't found the Little
Nugget Victim Fund envelope. The donations for Jamie and his
mother. She hadn't admitted it to anyone at the ER yet, let alone
Brad. It was probably not a great idea to tell a guy you're just getting to know that you can't be trusted with money. She'd have to
use part of her paycheck to reimburse the cash.
Brad took hold of her hand. "In case you're worrying, I'm not
making moves to get you to stay overnight. I'll drive you back
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