Foundation for Three by Vella Day Page B

no idea her boyfriend had been guilty of all the mercy killings in the hospital. So far, she’d been remarkably resilient, but there were a lot of issues they still needed to work out in therapy.
    Melissa Williams, an OB-GYN nurse, set down her drink, her eyes looking wistful. “He was a real hero to protect you like that.”
    Zoey sipped her refreshing wine. “I completely agree. I’ve never met a man that brave. He brought down my captor after being shot.” The group oohed and aahed.
    Melissa snagged a handful of chips. “I wish I could meet someone like that.”
    Except for Jamie, who’d thought she’d found her Prince Charming when she’d met Benny, and Amber Delacroix who’d recently landed her two perfect men, all of the women at the table had expressed that sentiment at one time—including Zoey.
    Amber dipped the pita bread into the hummus. “All I can say is that I’d have been scared shitless if someone grabbed me around the throat like that.”
    “Trust me, I was petrified.” Zoey was about to say Amber should know the feeling, but then thought better of it. Her friend had a gun pointed at her by Jamie’s boyfriend, which would be a hell of a lot worse in Zoey’s opinion.
    Melissa wiped her hands on her napkin. “We’ve never had any of our patients come in with gunshots wounds, but wouldn’t any kind of surgery leave him woozy for days?”
    “I would have thought so, too, but he’s tough.”
    “And hot,” Amber added. If her good friend wasn’t engaged to two hunky men, Zoey might have told her to back off.
    Becky Andrews, another nurse at LACE hospital, sipped her margarita. “You need to start from the beginning. I must have been spacing out because I didn’t even know this went down.” She waved her glass. “Where was I?”
    Zoey could see the girls wouldn’t leave her alone until she gave them enough details. “I’ll give the short version for Becky here. I was walking down the hall intently reading my notes, when this guy grabs me.” While Zoey told them how she thought she might die, she left out a lot of the details—like nearly peeing in her pants. “After I got out of the ER and made sure Thad was okay, I went home.” She inhaled. All four of her friends seemed glued to her story. “I was shaken, but I was holding it together.”
    Jamie’s lips were pressed together. “You sure you weren’t in denial? I know I would have been.”
    They’d spoken about that in their session. “At the time, I was just mad and upset, mostly because of Thad. I had a mean headache from the gun butt, some of that man’s blood on me, and was hungry and tired.”
    “Sounds just like PMS to me,” Melissa said with humor in her voice.
    The crowd chuckled. “Trust me. It was worse. Remember I told you I was having my kitchen and bath redone?” The girls nodded. “They were supposed to be finished that day, but when I got there, the owner was in my bathroom cleaning the tub.”
    “No way,” Becky said. “I’d have been pissed. When I’m upset, I want to be left alone.”
    “I was a bit peeved. Having Pete—a stranger to me—where I wanted to be the most set me off. I lost it. I’m not proud of my reaction, but it’s what happened.” She told them how she’d cried and how Pete had held her hand, brought her something to drink, and listened to her tale.
    “Aw,” Becky said, her frustration from a moment ago having all but disappeared. “He sounds so nice.” Becky was the dreamer of the group who yearned for love in the worst way.
    “He was. He even ordered me Chinese food.” Everyone knew Zoey’s penchant for the stuff.
    Becky placed both hands over her mouth. “Why can’t I meet someone like him?”
    “You sound like Melissa. Don’t worry. When the time’s right, he’ll walk into your life.”
    “I can’t wait.” Becky drew her glass to her lips. “You find a man willing to risk his life for you, and then meet a second man who’s equally wonderful in the same