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Authors: Sandy Sullivan

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BOOK: Strictly Professional
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Coming to her feet, she started to pace. “Doctor Cooper.”

“Since we are passing out first names, you can call me Brandon.”

“Brandon, I’m sorry about our run in. Yes, I was upset because of something someone said about my ability to be a physician.” Her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth and she chewed it for a moment before she continued. “I feel close to Molly. I sat with her. I held her hand, but I couldn’t tell her that her mother died. Now I feel responsible.”

 
The warmth of his hands on her shoulders, made her tense before she relaxed. Firm and steady, the heat of his skin seeped through her lab coat and her scrubs to spread down her arms and back again.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“All right, then. Do what you need to, but if at any time I feel you’re getting too personally involved, I’m pulling you from the case.”

Savannah turned to face him and looked up into his eyes. His baby-blue gaze stared back. His long eyelashes curled out from his piercing stare that seemed to look right into her soul. Dark brown hair framed his face and a five o’clock shadow of whiskers had just begun to coat his jaw. She had the insane urge to run her fingers over the stubble on his cheek and see if she could coax the dimple she’d seen earlier to reappear. Her lips parted instinctively when she focused on his full lips.

He cleared his throat and stepped back. “I’ve got patients to see and you’ve got a father to talk to.”

She nodded sharply and mentally kicked herself.

He’s a cowboy, damn it! The last kind of guy I want. It doesn’t matter whether he’s drop-dead gorgeous or not.

Squaring her shoulders, she grasped the doorknob and pulled.

Marie stood on the other side with a worried expression as her gaze shifted back and forth between her and Brandon. “You okay, Doctor Gibson?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. Doctor Cooper and I had a bit of a disagreement on Molly’s treatment, but it’s okay now.” She shot Brandon a glance. “Right?”

Frown lines appeared between his eyebrows for a moment. “Yes. I’ll be in exam one if you need me.”

“Sure.”

Striding purposefully down the hallway without a backward glance, Savannah couldn’t help notice his ass in his scrubs and wondering what they looked like in tight Wranglers.

Marie waved a hand in front of her eyes, bringing her focus back from his butt.

“Damn girl, you’ve got it bad already, too.”

“What?”

“The 'hots' for Doctor Cooper.”

“Whatever Marie. I do not. He’s just another overbearing, cocky, arrogant… cowboy!”

Marie laughed so hard tears sprang into her eyes and Savannah frowned before she left her standing in the hall and headed for the conference room to talk to Molly’s father.

Inhaling a fortifying breath, she opened the door. “Mr. Sanders?”

The man spun around and Savannah’s heart skipped a beat when she met the eyes of the man she'd given her heart to in high school.

Oh my God! Not Tony!

“Savannah?”

Ah shit!
“Tony? What are you doing here?”

“A cop called and said my wife and daughter are here. What are you doing here?”

“I’m doing my residency and I’m working in the emergency room tonight.” Savannah took a deep breath. “Molly’s your daughter?”

“Yeah. She’s okay, right? What about Stacy?”

She closed her eyes until she felt his hand on her arm.

“Savannah, tell me.”

Her gaze met the green of his and flashes of their youth came rushing back. Tony had been the love of her life when they were in high school. The two of them had been inseparable for over a year, but when she’d been accepted to Vanderbilt University to start pre-med and then medical school, the distance got to be too much. He’d stayed in Destiny working his father’s cattle and playing football—or at least that’s what she’d heard.

“Sit down, Tony. This isn’t going to be easy.”

“Just say it, Savannah.”

“Tony—God! How do I say this?” She focused on his rumbled hair where he must have run his fingers through it while he waited and she forced a small smile. He had always done that. “Stacy is dead. She died on impact. I’m not sure of the particulars of the accident. The police will have to tell you. Molly is okay for now, but she probably needs surgery. She was awake, but she crashed and we had to code her.”

“You’ll have to speak English, Savannah. Not doctor talk.”

“Her heart stopped.”

“Oh, God.” He sank into a chair and put his hands on his knees.

Savannah crouched on the floor and took his hands in hers. “She’s alive, Tony, but she’s on a ventilator. I’m not sure what happened yet. I’m headed back down there to see her.” She fought the awkwardness of the fact that she’d given this man her virginity and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I’m sorry, Tony.”

Tears rolled down his cheeks and she pulled him closer while he wrapped his hands around her and sobbed.

* * * *

Brandon pushed open the door on the conference room and then backed out, softly closing it. He ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. The sight of Savannah comforting the distraught father of her patient bothered him and he wasn’t sure why.

Hell! I just met her for crying out loud!

Once he reached the nurses’ station, he glanced at the variety of woman hanging around. There were several pretty females and he knew if he showed any interest, he could hook up with one of them. It didn’t take too much effort on his part if he wanted to get friendly with a girl. He didn’t think he was conceited, but when a woman found out what he did for a living—that he rode rodeo in his spare time and owned his own small ranch—he usually didn’t have to work very hard at getting her into bed. Savannah didn’t seem to be that type of girl.

“Doctor Cooper?”

Brandon spun around to find the object of his thoughts behind him with the man she’d been comforting standing to her left. “Yes?”

“This is Anthony Sanders. He’s Molly’s father and Mrs. Sanders in room three is his wife.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Sanders.”

“Can I see Molly?”

“Sure. Savannah? I think it would be better if you took him into her room. I’ve called surgery for the consult. They should be here shortly.”

She cocked her head to the side before he realized he’d let her given name slip from between his lips.

Damn!

“Thanks.” She turned to the other man and said, “This way, Tony.”

Tony?

She disappeared through the door of the exam room where Molly still lay and he turned back around only to find several sets of eyes looking at him rather strangely. “Don’t you people have patients to take care of?” he grumbled and returned to his chair.

Brandon spent the rest of night between patients and watching Savannah from a distance. He didn’t trust himself to get too close to her. She’d already wormed her way into his thoughts before he could stop it and he didn’t like it. Not one bit. He had to admire her work ethic, though. He knew she’d spent the day in surgery, but still jumped in and stayed throughout the night. She worked on getting the patients from the accident stabilized, getting Molly off to surgery, and comforting Molly’s father when he had to face the body of his wife.

The sky turned bright purple, pink, and then orange while the sun struggled to rise over the hillside. Morning had come and he was beat. It had been a long, laborious night and he wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep for about twenty-four hours. He’d already given a report to the oncoming physician, grabbed his bag from the lounge, and reached his bike when Savannah came around the corner.

She stopped at the side of her car and looked across the parking garage before she moved toward him.

Hers must be the old Volkswagen.

“Doctor Cooper...”

“Brandon.”

She sighed before she started again. “Brandon. Thanks for helping me tonight. I haven’t had that rough of a shift in a long time.”

“You’re welcome. It’s never easy losing a patient.”

“No it’s not. It’s even worse when you know the family—or sort of.”

His eyes narrowed. “Care to explain?”

Her shoulder lifted in a half shrug. “I know Tony from back home.”

He didn’t like the way his heart clenched when she said the other man’s name. “Back home?”

“Texas. We went to high school together, actually.”

That makes sense.

“I see.”

Her stance shifted from foot to foot before her gaze met his again. “I guess I should get going. I’ve got a plane to catch in a few hours and I need some shut eye.”

“Going somewhere?”

A dry chuckle left her tempting pink lips. “Yeah. Home. Texas, that is.”

“Ah.”

“I guess I’ll see you around the ER.”

“Yeah. I guess so.” She took a couple of steps back. He couldn’t help it. He had to ask. “When are you working again?”

“Wednesday next week.”

He nodded and smiled. “Me too.”

Her lips lifted at the corners, showing off her even white teeth and she dropped her gaze to her feet for a moment before it returned to his. “I’ll see you then.” She turned around and walked back to her car, but shot him a look and a small smile before she slid inside.

Brandon unzipped his duffle, pulled out a t-shirt, and lifted his scrub top over his head. The v-neck pieces of material drove him crazy and he hated them with a passion. A nice t-shirt fit his personality much better and he loved the feel of the soft cotton against his skin.

The Volkswagen started with a grumble and he glanced over just in time to see Savannah run her tongue across her lips while she stared across the expanse of concrete separating them. He wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn her face flushed with color before her gaze slipped down his chest then snapped back out her windshield.

He chuckled softly and watched her back out then disappear around the corner.

Doctor Gibson might be attracted after all. Interesting thought.

Once he had his shirt on, he pulled out his helmet and then straddled the heavy Harley Davidson. The bike turned over with the tell-tale growl when he hit the ignition.

* * * *

 

Savannah reached out and smacked her alarm clock to shut it off before she squinted in the light streaming through the window.

God I’ll be glad to get home so I can sleep in. Shit!

She groaned when she thought of the dinner party her parents had planned for tonight after they all arrived.

Taking a deep breath, she forced her body to sit up and throw her legs over the side of the bed. Her head swam from lack of sleep. “Why the hell did I ever decide to become a physician?” Hair hung in her eyes and she swept it out of her face as she struggled to stand on her feet. "I need a shower. Five hours just isn’t enough sleep.” Grabbing the clothes she’d laid out across the chair by the window, she headed for the bathroom.

BOOK: Strictly Professional
7.61Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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