One Sure Thing (Mamma Lou Matchmaker Series) (13 page)

“Hope, dear, what a pleasant surprise.”

“Hello Dr. Adams,” Colonel Wheeler said as he closed the door.

Dennis instantly hopped up and dashed across the room to aid Colonel Wheeler in helping Louise into her bed. Bookend by two handsome gentlemen, Hope just shook her head. Louise Gates was truly a one-of-a-kind.

Hope stood and moved closer to the bed after Louise settled in comfortably. “Hello,” she said. “You look much better.”

“I feel much better,” Louise said. “Hope this is a dear friend of the family, Dennis Hayes. Dennis this is Dr. Hope Adams. She’s my physician.”

“Yes, we’ve just met.” Louise couldn’t help but notice the smile on Hope’s face when she looked at Dennis. He returned her smile with equal enthusiasm.

“Hope and I were getting more acquainted when you returned. I see why you raved about her Mamma Lou. She is quite a rare gem.”

Hope nearly blushed. To her amazement Dennis Hayes was every bit as charming and charismatic as Raymond. She shook her head and wondered if Louise Gates knew every handsome man in New York City. She stood a few moments then grabbed her now cold coffee and excused herself to go meet Hugh.

As soon as she stepped outside of the room she paused to make note of Louise’s good spirits. She was spry and lively. Hardly the sick patient she’d seen just hours earlier.

Her thoughts were still on Louise as she entered Hugh’s outer office and was told by his assistant that he would be right out. The door was closed and she could hear him speaking rather loudly. She assumed he was on the telephone since she only heard Hugh’s voice.

After a few minutes, the door opened slightly. Hope stood and walked toward the door, assuming that Hugh had opened it and walked away leaving her to close the door as was his usual practice.

Raymond ran full force right into Hope.

As she staggered backward, her coffee spilled down the front of her sweatshirt, splashing all over her, including her jeans and sneakers.

She looked up at him from the carpeted floor outside Hugh’s office. Her expression said it all.

Then Raymond’s dimples winked at her.

She stiffened, tried to ignore his charm, and looked down at her clothes, as did Raymond.

“Are you all right?” he quickly asked.

“Yea, great, covered with coffee, but uh, fine. Thanks for asking. How about you?” she said, her sarcasm thinly veiled.

“I am so sorry,” he said with a broad smile.

“Hope looked up at him. “Yea, I can tell.”

“No, really,” he began, “Really, I am very sorry. I guess we just can’t get our timing right.”

“Gee, yah think?”

Raymond pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and began gently rubbing the stain across the large letters of Hope’s University of Pennsylvania sweatshirt. A few seconds later, it dawned on both of them exactly what he was doing.
Whoops.

Hope snatched the handkerchief from his hands and continued to wipe the front of her shirt and jeans. “Look, I’m really sorry, what can I do to make it up to you?”

“Nothing, you’ve done quite enough,” she said too quickly, then breathed deeply, aware of Raymond’s closeness and thankful the heavy sweatshirt hid her aroused nipples. “Don’t worry about it really, it’s okay.”

Raymond reached out and steadied her busy hand. “But, it’s not okay. Please, allow me to pay for it.”

“It’s just an old sweatshirt, no big deal.”

“But it
is
a big deal, and I’m sure it holds a lot of sentimental value.” His voice was softer.

Hope refused to look at him, afraid of the effect he would have on her. She was instantly mindful of their meeting in the doctor’s lounge earlier that morning. “It was just as much my fault. I should have been watching where I was going.” She looked into those hazel eyes, brimming with dangerous thoughts.

An uncomfortable silence passed between them as they smiled and realized the impact of their physical collision. “We really do have our moments, don’t we?” Raymond offered.

“I guess we do,” she agreed.

Suddenly the door to Hugh’s office opened wider, jolting them out of their trance. They proceeded to go in opposite directions, but bumped into one another again. They spared each other a parting glance.

Hugh Wescott had emerged from his office and witnessed the two stumbling into each other. He opened his door wide to allow Hope to enter. Hugh got a glimpse of Raymond as he watched her walk away. The way Raymond looked at Hope spoke volumes, even though he tried to appear disinterested. But it took an interested man to know one. Raymond was apparently very interested in Hope, and Hugh was very interested in getting Raymond on his staff.

Hugh Wescott shut the door soundly. Barely acknowledging her, Hugh didn’t even offer Hope a seat. He got straight to the point. “You will attend to your ER rounds this evening and tomorrow morning. But I am also putting you on temporary assignment to the fifth floor recovery ward until further notice.”

“Excuse me?” Hope said.

“Please don’t interrupt. I’ve changed your schedule and added to your regular ER duties. Starting tomorrow, you are solely responsible for the health and well being of a single patient—Louise Gates. And I expect her and her family to receive the best possible care this hospital and its staff has to offer.”

“You’ve gone too far this time Hugh. I’ve put up with all of your crap since you came here. You put me on the graveyard shift. You’ve extended my hours, now you’re adding to that by assigning me to the fifth floor until further notice?” You have absolutely no basis for doing that.”

“I do, and I have.”

“I didn’t spend eight years of my life in med school, interning and doing my residency to be a glorified babysitter.” She stood and walked toward the door then paused, turned, pointed her finger in a home-girl manner. “If Mrs. Gates needs constant attention, I suggest she hire a private duty nurse. And you can tell her family for me that they have some nerve.”

“Please sit down Hope and let me finish.” She hesitated and glared at him before finally sitting down in the chair. “This is not a request from Mrs. Gates, or any member of her family. This is a request from the hospital administrator and Barclay Medical.”

“I’m sure Barclay could care less about Louise Gates.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Barclay Medical is very interested in Louise Gates.” He noted her reluctance then decided on a different approach. “A few extra hours of your time to care for a very sweet, very dear, elderly woman, who thinks the world of you, isn’t a burden is it?” Hugh knew at that moment he had her.

“Why?”

“Mrs. Gates is a very important patient and we’d like to keep her happy.”

“Aren’t all of our patients important?”

“Yes, of course they are.” He lied easily, annoyed by Hopes insistence.

“So why the special treatment for Louise Gates?”

Hugh, never one to be dissuaded, launched into a spiel that would snow even the most cynical observer.

“Actually, none of this matters because Scott took me off the case. He’s Louise Gates’ physician now. So you’ll have to talk to him, not me.”

“Consider yourself back on the case.”

Hope was unmoved.

“I’ll relieve you of a few extra hours in exchange.”

“No thanks.”

“It isn’t a request doctor. It’s an order.”

Her face remained expressionless.

“I can, however, make this more difficult for you. I can assign you to the fifth floor permanently.”

Hope was more than a little surprised. Something was up and she wanted to know what.

The implication was obvious. It was a threat and it wasn’t the first time Hugh had used his power to his advantage.

“All right, fine I’ll do it,” she huffed.

Hugh stood and extended his hand to give her Raymond’s business card and address.

She looked away purposefully. “Thank you, doctor. Your commitment and generosity to this hospital will not be forgotten.”

“Whatever,” she muttered too low for Hugh to hear. She snatched the card then turned towards the door. As she reached for the knob she paused when Hugh spoke to her.

“Oh, and Hope, your attendance at the fundraiser this weekend has been requested.”

“What?”

Hugh handed her an invitation. She took it, staring at it as if it were a foreign object. He turned and went back to his desk, closed his briefcase and prepared to leave for the day.

“What?” Hope asked a second time, still staring at the envelope in her hand. “Are you kidding? I can’t go to this. I have a double shift this weekend.”

“You’re off this weekend. It’s been arranged.”

A nervous laughter erupted as Hope walked back to the desk and placed the envelope on Hugh’s closed briefcase. “I still have other plans.”

“It might be in your best interest to change your plans. If you need a few hours, fine. I’ll have someone cover for you.” Hugh picked up the telephone and began to dial.

“No!” Hope shouted.

Hugh stopped dialing.

“No, I just don’t do parties like this. My plans were to spend the time doing another shift in the ER.”

Hugh placed the receiver in the cradle. “Oh, well, then it’s settled. For the time being, you’re no longer working in the ER,” he said cavalierly as he picked up the envelope and gave it back to her. She inched away as if it were the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.

Hugh picked up his briefcase and came around to the front of the desk. “Hope, no excuses,” He placed the invitation securely in her hand. “I’ll see you at the fundraiser this weekend. Oh, and before I forget. You have a meeting with Dr. Gates at his office later this evening, eight o’clock. Don’t be late.”

She went numb as she looked at the white envelope then slowly sat back down in the chair looking dazed. She looked up when Hugh called her name a second time.

“Hope, have a good evening and I will see you this weekend at the fundraiser, and don’t forget your meeting with Dr. Gates this evening.”

Chapter Ten

Raymond smiled as he took the stairs, two at a time, down to the fifth floor. He was in a good mood. The smell of coffee on his hands brought a quick and easy smile. Thoughts of Hope had made him smile a lot lately.

Seeing her in tight jeans as she walk away from him toward Hugh’s office brought an interesting thought to mind. He could see that hidden under her drab-looking scrubs, Hope had a nice body. Not skinny or anorexic, but full-figured, with just the right amount of curves that could drive a man wild. She had a heart-shaped bottom that swayed like bottled heaven. Her breasts were voluptuous perfection, and her rounded hips begged to be caressed.

A sly smile crept across Raymond’s face at the direction his thoughts had taken. Hope was a refreshing departure from most of the women he met and was usually attracted to. She was a breath of fresh air. There was something about her that made him want to smile a lot.

Her temper and aloofness only added to his budding attraction. She’d put a smile on his face that was becoming impossible to erase. Each time he thought about the way that she lit into him, he laughed out loud.

As he walked down to the nurses’ station on the fifth floor he introduced himself and asked to use the phone. As he dialed, he requested and received Louise’s chart.