Page 14 of New Year, New Guy
‘From my point of view it’s not doin’ you any harm.’
‘And of course you’re never wrong.’
The things he didn’t say lingered between them. ‘I’ll leave you to wallow in all the blood and gore.’
‘Are you squeamish?’
‘A complete wuss,’ he admitted. ‘I screw up my eyes in horror movies. I don’t care that it’s fake. My older brother used to watch and tell me when it was safe to look again.’
‘Ms Williams, are we likely to have the pleasure of your company anytime soon? One of my patients arrived without the relevant X-rays and I need you to track them down immediately. I was coming this way so I thought I’d save my nurse the trouble. I don’t like to consider myself above the fray.’
Laura sprang away as if she’d been stung. A heavy-set man in a starched white coat glared at them from the doorway and his intrusive pale grey eyes sent a shiver down Hunter’s spine.
‘My apologies, I didn’t realise you were with a patient.’
Hunter thought the man couldn’t sound less apologetic if he’d tried. ‘I’m not. Not guilty of being a patient that is.’ The doctor’s stony expression didn’t alter. ‘Hunter McQueen from Nashville, Tennessee. I’m simply a friend bringin’ sustenance to a poor starving nurse.’
‘Really.’ The man’s thin lips curled in a dismissive sneer. ‘Senior Charge Nurse Williams the phrase “private life” means you conduct it outside of this hospital. Do I make myself clear?’
‘You’re hardly one to . . .’ Laura bit her lip. ‘Of course,sir.’ The man’s face tightened at her unmistakeable disdain. Hunter waited for him to rip into her but he spun around and strode off, the heels of his glossy black wingtips clicking on the tiles.
‘I must go back to work.’ A hint of pleading laced through her words, begging him not to ask any questions.
‘Yeah, sorry I caused a stir.’
The faintest tinge of amusement pulled at her mouth. ‘I suspect that’s your mission in life. Now shoo.’ She swiftly brushed by him and sped past the gaggle of people hanging around near the waiting room. Hunter couldn’t help noticing he attracted more than a few glances and whisperings as he left by a side door.
Outside he hiked up his collar against the heavy drizzle darkening the sky but before he could pull out his phone to call for a taxi a balled up fist slammed into his stomach. Through the excruciating pain he focused long enough to recognise the arrogant doctor who crossed swords with Laura.
‘Go home where you belong, Yank.’
He groaned and his world dissolved into a terrifying blackness.
Chapter Nine
‘Uh, nurse, I hate to bother you but I’m a bit worried. There’s a man outside lying on the ground. I can’t tell if he’s asleep or drunk.’
Laura almost told the elderly woman they didn’t have time to check on every homeless person who loitered around the warm hospital but remembered Florence Nightingale. The icon to nurses around the world put her success down to never either making or taking any excuses. Being rattled by her ex-husband’s boorish manner didn’t excuse Laura’s lack of compassion.
‘Thank you. I’ll send someone to check on him.’ The woman’s cherry-red coat rang a bell. ‘How is your husband doing?’ She recalled they’d recently admitted him after a heart attack.
‘Jim’s coming home tomorrow.’
‘That’s wonderful news. It was kind of you to trouble yourself about the man outside.’
‘It’s no trouble, dearie.’ The woman’s pale blue eyes swam with tears. ‘I only hope somebody will do the same for our boy Sam if he needs help, wherever he is.’
Laura didn’t probe and nothing more was said. People had their pride. She beckoned Pete Richards over and he bounded across the waiting room like an exuberant puppy. The young man was straight out of training and would make a fine nurse when he learned to channel his energy. Laura returned to her paperwork in the hope that filling in routine forms would settle her down after the unexpected clash with Mike. On the rare occasions they bumped into each other they struggled to be polite, so why did he lay into her today? Polly would claim he was jealous but that was ridiculous. That particular unpleasant side of his personality faded where she was concerned oncehe found other more amenable women to practise his dubious charms on.
‘I think you’d better come.’ Pete’s usual smile was now a worried frown. ‘Someone told me earlier about your American . . . friend and, from the description, I think it might be him. He was unconscious when I arrived but he’s come around now. Do you want me to call for a couple of porters and a stretcher?’
‘Yes, do that while I go outside.’ Her heart missed a beat at the sight of Hunter splayed out on the concrete with his head butting up against the brick wall. A grey pallor dulled his winter tan and his eyelids fluttered when she crouched next to him. ‘Hunter, can you hear me?’ He struggled to shift around but she placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. ‘Don’t move. We’ll get you inside and evaluate you there.’
‘I—’
‘—We’ll talk later.’ Laura smoothed the hair away from his face. ‘Please try to be still.’
‘Where do you want him?’ Foxy, the senior porter who’d worked at Derriford forever, appeared with one of his assistants.
