Page 8 of Wildflower Hearts
“You seem a little young to take on all this responsibility.”
“Age does not denote wisdom.”
“I’m not the literary type,” he smirked. “Don’t ask me to name the speaker of the quote or anything like that.”
She flashed him an amused smile. “It’s an old Jewish proverb, Mr. Kingsley.” She stepped out as the elevators dinged open, and he followed after her.
“How many times do I need to tell you to call me by my name? I haven’t been called Mr. Kingsley since I got a speech from my mother the day they kicked me out of high school.” He chuckled at her sideways glance. “I told you I wasn’t the literary type.”
“What type are you?”
Elias shrugged as they walked toward the cafeteria. “I’m a simple kind of guy. I take care of my family, and I watch my back. Those are the only two things I worry about these days.”
“When you put it like that, you sound more like the complex type of man to me.”
“I hear women usually go for that kind.”
“I’m sure you have no trouble with members of the opposite sex.”
“I’m flattered you think of me that way.”
She sent him a teasing smile and snatched a cup from the dispenser. She turned to face the coffee machine. “Are you trying to flirt with me?”
“I’d say I was flirting versus trying to, Lyla.”
She filled her cup, and taking a lid, she popped back the tiny plastic tab before snapping it into place. “I would say I’m flattered, but I don’t usually fall for smooth lines.”
“Women who say that are open to change in their lives.”
“Well, aren’t you the expert?” She moved away to pay the cashier when Elias leaned over and handed the woman money. He winked as he accepted his change and put it in his pocket. She couldn’t help but smile back. She turned in the direction of the elevators. “Are you hiding more secrets I should know about? Yodeling maybe? Let me guess, you have a weakness for Hallmark Christmas movies.”
He barked in laughter, a wide grin on his face. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
“Sarcasm and quick repartee inspire a rise in your hormone levels?” She acted shocked. “I should put a bulletin out and warn the entire hospital staff.”
“It might be best to narrow my weaknesses down to a beautiful face and intelligent mind.”
She was silent until they arrived back to her floor. She sipped her coffee, and when they exited, she looked up at a nurse calling her name. Without another word, she rushed off, leaving him standing there watching her with an amused expression. He cursed as the doors shut on him.
Chapter Five
She felt so drained, she might as well have been running on empty. At almost nine in the morning, the hospital activity had failed to slow down, not that it ever did. She wasn’t sure she’d love it as much if it ever were to grow completely quiet. Something about the hustle and bustle made her come alive. She was taking a blood sample from a patient when there was a tap on the door. “Just a minute.”
“Lyla?”
She looked up. “Chief Stewart, what can I do for you?”
He smiled comfortingly at the patient, a twelve-year-old boy, and nudged his head at the hallway. “When you get a moment, your mother is here to see you.”
Her shoulders tensed, and she finished her sample as gently as possible. She held down the cotton ball, handed the syringe to a waiting nurse, and placed a band-aid over the ball. Lyla bent the boy’s arm up to his chest. “Hold your arm like that, Timmy. It’ll help stop the blood flow. You can lower it back down in one minute, okay?”
“Okay.”
She patted him on the shoulder. “You did a great job. Nurse Peters will get a sucker for being so brave.” Collecting her clipboard, she stepped out of the room with Bruce and allowed him to pull her to a sheltered part of the hallway. “I don’t think I can handle her right now, Bruce.”
“I’m afraid you have no choice. She’s been on every floor demanding to speak to you, and she said she’s not leaving until she does. She brought a slightly large fellow with her, a bodyguard or something.”
She let loose a dry laugh. “That’d be Bruno. Trust me, he’s like a big puppy dog. He follows her everywhere for show. I’ll get rid of her, don’t worry.”
