Passions in the North Country (Siren Publishing Classic) by Summer Newman Page B

phone off the counter and made the call, then he knelt opposite Jenny and looked at Miriam’s face, now an ashen gray. The other painters hurried into the room and Danny told them to go outside and flag the ambulance when it came.
    A few minutes later Devon suddenly rushed into the room. The moment he saw Miriam on the floor, a look of terror came over his face. Jenny assured him that the ambulance had been called. He checked Miriam’s pulse and listened to her slow, shallow breathing. “What happened?” he asked, lightly holding the old woman’s hand.
    “She just collapsed,” Jenny said with a frightened look. “She looked faint and then it just happened.”
    “She’ll be all right,” Devon insisted, though it seemed he was not convinced.
    Miriam opened her eyes with a start.
    “Miriam!” Jenny said.
    “Are you all right?” Devon asked her.
    “Did I fall?” Miriam asked weakly, trying to sit up.
    “Just lie still,” Jenny said. “We called an ambulance.”
    “Don’t be silly,” she said, again trying to get up.
    “Don’t move,” Devon said firmly, like an authoritative father who will not be overruled. “I don’t know what happened, but we’re not taking any chances with my number one girl.”
    Jenny felt a rush of love—literally felt it—when he said that.
    “They’re going to check you over before you move.”
    Miriam needed to feel special. And she did feel special. You could see it in her eyes. She laid down and took a deep breath, her arm quivering slightly, the blue veins visible under her wrinkled, frail skin. Jenny held her other hand and smiled with compassion. Devon grabbed a pillow off the couch, then knelt next to Miriam and gently placed it under her head. At that moment he and Jenny looked at each other, their faces inches apart. It was as if Devon was seeing Jenny for the first time, and it was if she was seeing him for the first time.
    “The paramedics will be here in a few minutes,” Devon informed Miriam. “Until then, I want you to lie perfectly still.” He winked at her. “I know that for you taking a break will be a first, but that’s how it’s got to be.”
    She reached up and touched Devon’s face. “You remind me so much of my husband. So strong. So reliable.”
    He lightly rubbed his fingers over her cheek. Jenny got up and paced the floor, walking to the window and silently urging the ambulance to arrive. “Maybe you better go home today,” she told Danny.
    “No!” Miriam called, lifting her head. “They’re doing a wonderful job and I want them to finish as soon as possible. I’m fine. Fine, I tell you.”
    The painters waved in the ambulance and within minutes Miriam was being transported to the hospital. Devon asked Mrs. Roberts, a neighbor who had been hired to work the desk, to keep an eye on things.
    “Ms. Lamb and I are going to the hospital,” he said, obviously worried, “and we’ll be back as soon as we can.” He glanced at Jenny. “Come with me.”
    If Ivan had said those exact same words, Jenny would have bristled and felt intimidated, but coming from Devon they had a whole different connotation. He was saying that he wanted Jenny’s support and company. He was upset and he was reaching out to her. Not only was she part of the team and somebody important to the Riverview Hotel, she was somebody important to Devon, too.
    Though they drove to the hospital in silence, Jenny never felt so keenly aware of another person’s presence in her entire life. She was still trembling with fear because of Miriam’s fall, but she felt secure next to the big, powerful man. He really did have a presence. His arms were strong, capable. His whole body expressed power and independence. Even his hands stood out. If Ivan tried to hurt her, Devon could make mincemeat of him. And if the situation was ever right, those exact same hands could remove her panties and caress her into an unknown world of pleasure. And those same hands—those big, strong