The Best Laid Plans (5 page)

“Come sit over here.” She led him into a small care room where she shone a light in his mouth. Her proximity made him feel a little light-headed. At least he hoped it was her and not the punch to the face. She smelled clean, like soap and baby powder.

“I don’t think you need stitches, but I can grab a doctor if you want me to,” she offered.

“No, I’m good.”

She gave him a cup of water to clean out his mouth. Charlie couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. She had a little mole on her collarbone and the thickest eyelashes he’d ever seen. Her eyes were brown but edged in green. They were so unusual and completely mesmerizing.

“Do you want something for the pain?”

“Nah. Thanks for taking care of me, though,” he said. “I’m not used to being the patient.”

“I’m terrible about it, too. I think people in health care make the worst patients. But you’ve been pretty good. I’d treat you again.”

She picked up his ice pack and pressed it carefully against his jaw. He flinched from the coldness.

“Does that hurt?” Emma pulled the pack away. The worry in those gorgeous eyes warmed Charlie’s cheeks right up. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, just cold.” Charlie reached over and pressed her hand and the ice pack back against his face. She was so close that it made his heart beat faster. Thank goodness he wasn’t hooked up to any machines that would’ve given him away.

Serena stepped into the room. “We got another call. Is he going to live?”

Emma smiled as she slipped her hand out from underneath his. “He’s going to be fine.”

Charlie wondered if he would be fine. Emma had a date to the wedding. This date could be a boyfriend. And even though he’d never met the guy, Charlie hated his guts. It was completely irrational for so many reasons. One being that he barely knew Emma. This crush was bigger than any he’d ever experienced, and if he didn’t have a chance with her, it had the potential to crush
him
.

“He might need to come up with a better story than getting punched by a kid to explain that bruise, though. Something tells me the guys at the firehouse are not going to be very sympathetic,” Emma said.

Truer words had never been spoken. It was bad enough that he had to fight for respect in the firehouse because he had chosen to be a paramedic and not a firefighter; the latter were always seen as being the “braver” of the two professions. Charlie was going to take a verbal beating over this incident. That kid couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred and twenty-five pounds soaking wet. He’d be hearing about this for months. At least until Jones did something stupid. Now that he thought about it, maybe he’d be off the hook sooner than later.

“Maybe I staged the whole thing just to be taken care of by the lovely Nightingale.”

Emma’s face turned red and she laughed in an attempt to mask the embarrassment. “Good one.”

“See you around.” Charlie hopped off the bed and followed Serena down the hall and out of the ER.

“Your Nurse Nightingale is nothing like Mean Teacher. I think this one has got potential,” Serena said as they got to the ambulance.

Charlie was happy to get her approval but couldn’t resist giving her a hard time. “You better watch out, Serqueena. Nicknaming people is my thing.”

Serena gave him a look that could kill. “Call me that again and you’re going to have to explain to the guys back at the house how you got beat up by a kid and a woman all in the same day.”

Charlie could only smile. Just like the firefighters, he and Serena were family. She would most definitely give him her right hook if he kept it up, and he wouldn’t hesitate to give his life for hers.

CHAPTER FIVE

T
ODAY
WAS
THE
DAY
. Dr. Spencer was starting in the Saint Joseph’s ER this morning. All Emma had to do was make a good first impression and she knew the rest would work itself out. It always did. When she stuck to her plan, everything else simply fell into place.

“Have you seen him yet?” Tammy asked as she approached the nurses’ station. Tammy, another nurse on duty, was married and had two sons, one in high school and the other in college. She often lamented that Emma wasn’t a few years younger so she could marry one of her boys.

A silly-girl grin found its way to Emma’s face. “Not yet.”

“Who are we talking about?” Tessa set down her tablet and her eyes moved back and forth from Tammy to Emma.

“If you must know, Dr. Gavin, I’ve finally accepted that Emma is too old to be my daughter-in-law, so I am here to see to it that she finds herself a gorgeous, intelligent, wealthy man to settle down with. I believe our newest doc fits the bill,” Tammy answered with a wink.

“My new intern? Oh, Em! Don’t let her talk you into marrying a doctor. We’re horrible creatures, really. Find yourself a nice plumber or maybe a sweet schoolteacher.”

If all doctors treated their significant others the way Tessa treated her boyfriends, Emma would have taken the risk and changed her plans. Thankfully, Tessa was the exception to the rule. Therefore, she would not be deterred.

Grace, the nursing assistant on duty, joined the conversation. “Oh, I think Emma should get together with that paramedic who’s always here. He is one tall drink of water.”

“Charlie?” Emma could only laugh at such a suggestion. Charlie Fletcher was...
Charlie
. Granted, he was handsome and completely adorable, but he was the guy who lived below Max, the guy who gave everyone silly nicknames, the guy who was helping her plan Kendall’s wedding because Max didn’t trust her. Spy Charlie was not her favorite.

“Oh, I know who you’re talking about,” Tammy said, nodding and waggling her eyebrows.

“Why are you nodding? Stop nodding,” Emma demanded. She was not going to date Charlie. That was not the plan.

Grace sighed. “He’s so totally charming. Did you hear him tell the story about delivering that baby a couple weeks ago? He was amazing.”

“Paramedics usually know how to have a good time,” Tessa added, twirling her pen around her fingers. “Maybe I need to date him. What’s his name again?”

Emma’s stomach knotted up. The thought of Tessa getting anywhere near Charlie made her want to wrestle her to the ground. That was an unexpected feeling, one she wasn’t about to give any credence to, so she quickly pushed it aside.

“Knowing Charlie the way I do, I’d say he’d be a better fit for someone like Grace,” she said, fully aware that Grace had a boyfriend—a serious boyfriend who had taken her to look at engagement rings last month.

“Don’t tease me.” Grace pulled on Emma’s ponytail before leaving to check on a patient.

“You know the cute paramedic?” Tessa’s interest in Charlie was bothersome, and that in and of itself was even more bothersome. Charlie could date whomever he wanted. It shouldn’t matter to Emma one bit.

“He’s my sister’s fiancé’s friend. I think he’s a little too nice for you. He’s...like our favorite psych resident.” It was a lie, but very effective in chasing Tessa away.

“Well, never mind, then,” she said with a disgusted expression. “Did you recognize the guy who supposedly threw his back out sneezing? I feel like I’ve seen him before. I swear he’s the guy who wanted pain meds for some other injury not too long ago.”

Emma had thought the same thing and did some digging. It wasn’t unusual for drug-seeking patients to use the emergency room to get their fix.

“His records show he was here three months ago complaining of shoulder pain, and four months before that, he was here because of a shooting pain down his leg. No diagnosis—he was given pain meds and a referral.”

“Suspicious,” Tessa said. “I’m going to give him my speech about the ER not being the best place for pain management and offer him some Tylenol.” She went to check on him, leaving the two nurses alone.

“I saw what you did there,” Tammy said knowingly.

“What?” Emma feigned obliviousness.

“The paramedic likes you, too.”

Did he?
She shook it off. It didn’t matter. “I am not interested in Charlie,” she insisted.

Paramedics hadn’t made the cut as her perfect mate because their job was a little too risky for Emma’s liking. Paramedics were right up there with firefighters and police officers in terms of on-the-job danger. Emma wanted someone whose career didn’t put him in harm’s way. A punch in the jaw from an autistic teenager was nothing, but paramedics in the city of Chicago dealt with much scarier things than that.

Tammy threw her hands up. “Whatever you say. Maybe you were just being a good friend. Lord knows I wouldn’t let Dr. Gavin within a hundred yards of my boys.”

That was it. She was being a good friend. Emma could absolutely be friends with Charlie. There were no rules against that. Being friends wouldn’t interfere with her well-laid plans.

Emma’s next patient was a five-year-old boy who had fallen off a park swing and possibly broken his arm. His father had brought him in and seemed rather anxious. He kept checking his phone, unable to sit still.

The little boy’s name was Oliver Grady, and he reminded Emma of her nephew. She got him settled in an exam room and put in the request for an X-ray. While they waited, she blew up a latex glove and drew a smiley face on it.

“Can you hold on to this with your good hand?” she asked Oliver, who nodded with tear-stained cheeks. “Whatever I do to you, I’ll do to Mr. Smiley first, so you can see that it won’t hurt, okay?”

“Promise?”

“I promise. Watch this.” She put on her stethoscope and pressed the chest piece against the makeshift puppet and pretended to listen carefully. “See, he didn’t pop. Let’s try you.” She listened to the little boy’s heartbeat, which slowed as he relaxed. “Good job.”

“Ollie’s very brave, aren’t you, bud?” Mr. Grady stood beside the bed and gently swept the boy’s hair out of his eyes. “I could use some of that bravery for when his mom gets here. She’s going to kill me.”

“Accidents happen, right?”

“Not when my ex-wife is in charge of him. Accidents are always my fault.” He ran his hand through his hair as his phone beeped with a text. He checked it and held it up for Emma to see. “Told you she was going to kill me.”

That was exactly what the text said. She planned to kill him when she got to the hospital. Angry exes in the ER were never a good thing. Emma made a mental note to ask the intake nurse to give her a heads-up when Oliver’s mom arrived.

“We’ll make sure everyone survives this trip to the emergency room,” she promised. “Now, Oliver, I need you to do one thing for me while we wait for an X-ray.” She grabbed the bag of ice she had brought in with her and set it on top of the blown-up glove. “Mr. Smiley can handle a little ice. I bet you can, too.”

The boy cringed and tightly squeezed his eyes shut as she lifted the bag and set it gently on his swollen and most likely broken arm. His face relaxed and his eyes opened. “That doesn’t hurt,” he said with obvious surprise.

“I knew you could handle it.” Emma smiled and ruffled his hair. “I’ll be right back, tough guy.”

The best thing to do was avoid trouble before trouble happened. Emma went out to the waiting area to follow up with the intake nurse. Unfortunately, it appeared that Oliver’s mom was already there. Perhaps what gave her away was the woman’s insistence that she be allowed to see her son “this second or else.” Or maybe it was her threats to press charges against her ex-husband for neglect.

“I can take her back,” Emma offered. “Her son is waiting for an X-ray.”

The intake nurse was more than happy to pass the irate woman off. Even the people waiting in the family-and-patient room seemed relieved to see her go.

Emma tried to appeal to the more rational side of the former Mrs. Grady that had to be dwelling somewhere inside. “He’s been very brave and is resting comfortably. We see so many kids this time of year who get carried away at the park or fall off a bike—it’s really not that unusual. He’s going to be fine, but it’s really important that we keep him calm.”

“This never would have happened if it weren’t for his father’s inability to do anything right,” she snapped.

Clearly, she was not going to let her ex off the hook so easily. Emma would have to be more direct. “I understand you’re worried, but Oliver needs to know everything is okay. He needs his parents to get along while we do our best to get him fixed up.”

“I think I know what my son needs.” The woman’s face turned red.

Emma was treading on thin ice. Instead of backing down, she smiled as sweetly as she could. “Good, because I would hate to have to escort you out of the ER after I just brought you in.” She pointed to Oliver’s room. “He’s right over there. Exam room five.”

Oliver’s mom harrumphed, but thankfully she headed into the room without any words for his dad. Satisfied that she had prevented a fight, Emma spun around to tell Tammy about her good deed but accidentally slammed into someone instead. Not just any someone.
The
someone.

Dr. Spencer was a pretty man. His honey-blond hair was carefully and purposely styled to look messy, and his big brown eyes exuded the perfect mix of warmth and wonder. He steadied her with his hands and began to apologize at the same time she did.

The sound of his laughter was like a gentle breeze on a warm day, exactly what she needed. “I’d give you a hard time about not watching where you’re going, but I never complain when a beautiful woman bumps into me.”

This was not how she wanted to make a first impression. Running him over wasn’t part of the plan. She tried to forget it and focus on the fact that he wasn’t bothered by her clumsiness. “I appreciate the compliment.”

His smile revealed two rows of the straightest and whitest teeth Emma had ever seen. “I appreciate the bump, Nurse—” he studied her name tag “—Everhart.”

“Well, until we bump again, Doctor.” He laughed once more and stepped around her. Heat rose up her neck to her cheeks. Her plan had been to impress him with her wit and skills. Instead, she’d been ridiculous. He had dazzled the brain right out of her head.

She watched as he pushed the sliding door to Oliver’s room open and greeted the boy’s parents. Taking a deep breath, she told herself that years from now she and Dr. Spencer would reminisce about how they’d first met by colliding outside the room of the boy with a broken arm. He’d tease her about having been so awkward and she’d admit to enjoying the contact more than she should have. They would both laugh and remember the moment fondly.

“It
is
your fault!” someone screamed from the examination room. “If you used your head, you would have realized he’s too little to go on the swings!”

“You treat him like a baby! He’s a boy. He likes to run around and go on the swings and get dirty.”

“That doesn’t mean he can jump off a swing eight feet in the air!”

Emma headed over to run interference. Dr. Spencer didn’t need to deal with this on his first day.

“How would you know how high he was when he jumped? You weren’t there.”

“I have witnessed your incompetence firsthand more times than I’d care to admit.”

“Oh, come on, Laurie. I’m sure you’d love to tell everyone exactly how many times I’ve screwed up. You probably have a nice long list in that briefcase of yours. Please, tell the doctor all about it!” Mr. Grady’s face was almost purple. His ex-wife was equally enraged. Poor Oliver seemed on the verge of tears, while Dr. Spencer looked absolutely shell-shocked.

“Excuse me,” Emma said as she closed the door behind her. “This is a hospital. There are very sick people here who gain nothing from hearing the two of you air out your differences in public. If you cannot keep your voices down, I will have you both removed from the emergency room. I thought I made that clear, Mrs. Grady.”

“He started it,” she replied like a child.

Mr. Grady snorted. “Seriously?”

“Believe this—
I
will end it.” Emma meant business. If there was one thing she didn’t tolerate in the ER, it was grown men and women behaving badly, especially when she knew they knew better. “Dr. Spencer is here to help your son, not to referee your shouting match. I suggest you let him do his job.”

The two sparring parents retreated to their corners. Dr. Spencer’s mouth hung open as he stared wide-eyed at Emma. One corner of Oliver’s lips curled up ever so slightly in a silent thank-you.

“Carry on, Dr. Spencer,” she said with a nod.

He came to his senses, a smile replacing the previous dumbfounded expression on his face. “Thank you very much, Nurse Everhart.”

Emma left the room with one more warning glance in Mrs. Grady’s direction. Mission accomplished. Dr. Spencer was thoroughly impressed. Her plan was moving along brilliantly.

* * *

A
FTER
WORK
, Emma went straight to Kendall’s house. There was no little boy to greet her at the door. She found her sister relaxing on the couch, listening to music with her eyes closed.

“Where’s Simon?”

Hopefully, Kendall’s serenity was contagious. She didn’t bother to look at Emma when she answered. “Boys’ night out with Max and Charlie.”

“No Aidan tonight?”

“Katie said no because he’d have to stay up way past his bedtime. Max didn’t see the point in fighting over it.”

“Probably a smart move on his part.” Emma flopped down on the couch hard, causing Kendall to crack open one eye. “At least you got a nice quiet evening to yourself.”

“It
was
nice and quiet. Until you arrived.”

Emma snuggled up against her. “Aw, come on. I came to talk about the wedding and to tell you about finally meeting my future husband.”

Kendall perked up. “He started today, huh?”

“He did, and he is gorgeous and thinks I’m beautiful. Maybe a little scary, too.”