One Summer in Santa Fe
Molly Evans

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Table of Contents

Cover Page

Title Page

About The Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Epilogue

Copyright

Molly Evans has worked as a nurse from the age of nineteen. She’s worked in small rural hospitals, the Indian Health Service, and large research facilities all over the United States. After spending eight years as a Traveling Nurse, she settled down to write in her favourite place: Albuquerque, New Mexico. In days she met her husband, and has been there ever since. With twenty-two years of nursing experience, she’s got a lot of material to use in her writing. She lives in the high desert, with her family, three chameleons, two dogs and a passion for quilting in whatever spare time she has. Visit Molly at: www.mollyevans.com

This book is dedicated to my husband. I could not be where I am without your love and support. Whether you know it or not, you’re my real-life hero.

Chapter One

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

“YOU want me to what?” Dr. Taylor Jenkins asked his sister. He’d do anything for her. Except this. This was impossible and entirely beyond his abilities. He was a physician, not a—

“Please, Taylor. I’ve never asked you for anything. After all the things we’ve been through together. I need this.”

Caroline walked forward and placed her hand on his, her pale blue eyes begging. Pleading. Working on the guilt he strongly resisted. For so many years, guilt had ruled his life, and he had vowed long ago to elude its poison. No commitments, no guilt. It was that easy. He lived his life his own way, followed no one’s rules but his own.

“I can’t send him to Mom and Dad. You know that.”

“What about—”

“José? No. His father is off on weekend military camp and could be deployed at any time.” She waved that suggestion aside. “I can barely get him to take Alex one weekend a month. I couldn’t comfortably leave Alex with him for that length of time.”

“But…” Panic clawed up his throat and tried to strangle the life out of him. He was a well-respected professional. He would figure a way to get out of this situation Caroline was presenting him with. There was no way he could—

“You can do this. I trust you completely. And it’s only for six weeks, not forever. He’s old enough to be by himself some. I have babysitter names for you, too, and his cousins will want to see him over the summer. Carmelita’s been very helpful since I divorced José. She doesn’t want her kids to lose touch with him, despite her brother’s problems.” She stepped closer and kept her gaze locked with his.

Damn. Somehow, she sensed he was caving in. Women had an extra sense about those things and used them to their advantage against the men of the world. Resistance was futile. He was going to be assimilated.

Taylor hauled out a long sigh and placed a hand over his face as his shoulders slumped. He just knew he was going to regret this. The idea that he could care for a child, his nephew, for weeks at a time was preposterous. He simply didn’t have it in him to care for another living creature for longer than a few hours. He didn’t even have a plant or a fish in his house.

“I knew you would do it! He’s going to be so excited. Thank you, Taylor. Thank you. You don’t know what this means to me.” She hugged him and nearly bowled the two of them over. If he hadn’t leaned against the desk, they’d both be on the floor.

“You promise you’ll be back in six weeks, Caroline? Not a day longer?” Putting his life on hold for six weeks was about all he could cope with. By the end of it his tolerance would have run out.

“Yes, yes, yes. This is going to help me build a solid future for Alex and me. The company provides everything, so the only cost there is my food, but they absolutely refuse to allow children during the focus training session in California.” She took a deep breath. “It’s the only way I can do this. Believe me, I’ve thought of everything else.”

Sadness crept into her eyes, and Taylor knew he was doing the right thing for his sister. Just didn’t know if it was the right thing for him. His life was about freedom, about adrenaline, and physical challenges, testing himself, testing what he could accomplish after the next challenge was met. Would he have any time for his own life while he was caring for his nephew? If he’d wanted to be a parent, he could have been one by now.

“Anyway,” she said, and playfully slapped him on the shoulder, “it’s about time you got to know your nephew better.”

“I resent that. I know my nephew.” Didn’t he?

Caroline snorted and flung a few tears away from her face. She never cried. “You know his name, his birthday, and stuff like that. But you really don’t know the young man deep down inside him.” Again, she touched him. “Alex needs you right now. His father has let him down so many times that I don’t know if he’ll ever recover. Kind of like you in that way with Dad.”

“I know. I know.” Taylor thought of the times when his father hadn’t been there for him. Had been off doing something more important than getting to know his own son. Pushing those memories away, he focused on Caroline and gave a long, long sigh. “When do you leave?”

“Next Monday. Early.”

“Bring him over Sunday afternoon, and we’ll go through everything I need to know about being a parent for six weeks.”

“Thank you so much, Taylor. Somehow, I’ll make it up to you.”

“Right.” Was there anything that could truly make up for this lost time? Then again, was six weeks that much to sacrifice if he could help out his sister and nephew? He wasn’t that selfish.

“Sure I will. When you have kids, I’ll be the best auntie they’ll ever have.”

“Having kids of my own seems pretty farfetched at this point in my life.” There were no guarantees that he’d be a better parent than his own and childhoods like theirs should be avoided at all costs.

That should be avoided at all costs. Caroline was certainly trying to give Alex a good home and a stable life despite the challenges of being a single parent. No, he’d be better off just living his life single and being a good uncle to his eleven-year-old nephew.

“If you ever stop jumping out of airplanes and climbing mountains by yourself, you might meet a woman that intrigues you enough to keep your feet on the ground.” She patted his shoulder and gave him a look that made his stomach knot. “Then it will be easy.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Didn’t we have this conversation when you tried to fix me up with that nurse friend of yours?” The memory of the disastrous arranged date made him shiver. Never going there again.

“We did, but repetition helps. Someday you’ll get it.”

Doubtful, Taylor ushered her out the door and returned to the ER where it was safe.

Nurse Piper Hawkins walked into the ER on the first day of her new travel assignment to pure chaos. Before introductions could even be made, she shoved her purse under the desk and dove into the fray. Adrenaline pumped through her system, and she was ready to tackle anything. At her best in the midst of an emergency, she just hoped the other staff would accept her help quickly. Every assignment was different, and she hoped this one would be a good one. First impressions were always important, and she was about to make one right now.

“I’m new here, but someone give me a job to do,” she said at the first trauma room. With only one doctor and one patient present, Piper figured this was as good a place to start as any.

“You a nurse? Glove up. I’m going to have to intubate this guy and get him off to surgery.” A tall man in green scrubs spoke to her from behind protective mask and goggles. Only his eyes were exposed, and they were intently focused on the trauma patient in front of him.

“Got it.” Piper grabbed gloves from the box on the wall rack and put them on, then a pair of goggles from her pocket. Automatically, she looked at the monitor and assessed the patient’s vital signs. Blood pressure was low, and the heart rate was erratic. “I’m Piper Hawkins, your new travel nurse,” she said, and grabbed the suction setup and cleaned the patient’s mouth.

“Taylor Jenkins, ER doc on today.”

“Tell me what you need.” While noise and movement went on all around them, Piper felt as if she and Dr. Jenkins were in a world all their own. Just the two of them focused entirely on the patient in front of them. This was why she was a nurse, stepping right into the chaos and knowing exactly what to do to save a life. This was what she had trained to do.

Dr. Jenkins nodded to a cupboard behind her as he struggled to keep the oxygen mask on the patient’s face. “Intubation tray, in there.”

“You okay with me helping on this?” Piper asked, knowing some physicians preferred to work with certain nurses, but in an emergency situation, that didn’t always work.

“You qualified?” Taylor asked, and paused to shoot her an inquiring look.

“Absolutely,” Piper promised confidently.

“Then I’m good. Open the tray.”

Nerves still made her hands shake, and she almost dropped the tray on the floor, but managed to catch it and keep it sterile. “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She was such a klutz sometimes and a blush lit up her cheeks and neck.

“It’s okay. Just relax a little,” Taylor said. “Take a deep breath.”

The sound of his deep voice and the reassurance he was trying to give her did help. She gave a worried glance at him, but he was as calm and relaxed as he sounded and some of the tension left her shoulders. Some doctors would have just barked at her not to be clumsy, but Dr. Jenkins hadn’t. He must have nerves of steel. That alone calmed her own nerves somewhat, and she connected with the cool energy that seemed to roll off him, trusting him immediately as they worked on the patient together. Confidence like that didn’t come along every day. This wasn’t the first day on the job she had envisioned, but it was the one she was receiving, and she was going to do her best to focus on the task at hand.

Piper tore open the sterile intubation tray and assisted Dr. Jenkins to place the breathing tube through the patient’s mouth and into his lungs. The tube helped to control the airway and allowed the doctor or anesthetist to place the patient on a mechanical ventilator. After the airway was secure, they could deal with the rest of his injuries.

She looked down at the man, who appeared to be in his midfifties. He was unconscious, his face covered in lacerations that oozed blood. A hard plastic neck collar kept him immobilized to prevent injuries to his neck until he could be taken to Radiology for films. He was, in short, a mess. She bit her lip, knowing that he was in serious, if not critical condition. She hoped that their rescue attempt today was going to pull him through and that he had the stamina to survive. The snap of a memory tried to intrude, but she pushed back the unwanted thoughts. Now was not the time to relive the traumatic deaths of her parents. Focusing on the patient right in front of her was her priority.

“Can you keep the suction in his mouth? I’m ready for the tube.” Keeping his gaze focused on the patient’s airway, he held out a hand to Piper.

“Yes, Doctor.” Piper gave him the needed item with one hand and kept the suction in place with the other. She stood beside Dr. Jenkins as he crouched over the patient’s head and slid the tube into place. The tension between her shoulders released. Once the airway was secure, the first hurdle was over.

“That was the smoothest intubation I’ve ever seen,” she said, and secured the tube into place, amazed that it had gone so well as they’d never worked together before.

“Thanks. I did consider a career in anesthesiology, but ER was more to my liking.”

“Well, you certainly are good at it. If I ever need intubation, can I call you?” she asked with a quick laugh.

Dr. Jenkins laughed, too. “Sure.”

She listened to the patient’s lungs. “Good breath sounds, tube sounds like it’s in place. His heart sounds are kind of muffled, though,” she said as she listened to the rest of the man’s chest. “Can you have a listen to be sure?”

Dr. Jenkins applied his stethoscope and listened, confirming her suspicions. “You’re right. He’s had blunt force chest trauma, so I’m sure we’re not out of the woods yet.” He glanced at the monitor and watched for a few seconds.

Piper wiped her forehead with her forearm when the procedure was over. “Where is everyone?”

“We had four traumas come in at once, so everyone’s tied up.”

“Wow. I didn’t think this ER was going to be as busy as my last assignment.” Now she understood why her company had offered such a hefty bonus for this job. She was going to be on her toes from the very start.

“We’re the closest hospital to a major freeway system, so we have all the trauma you could ever want. Today was an unfortunate tragedy.” His jaw clenched and he fell silent.

Though Piper didn’t know this man, she sensed he was disturbed by the events that had taken place today. Those who cared the most often seemed to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.

“Want to fill me in?” Offering to listen was one of the things she did best. Though she often couldn’t change things, listening helped. Stress was an everpresent issue for healthcare workers. Venting could help.

“Head-on crash. Damn drunk driver going the wrong way on the highway access.” He shook his head and reached for a suture kit.

“Oh, my.” The nerves that had been rumbling inside her now shot to every corner of her mind and heart. A few seconds passed before she had control of the emotions that wanted to go wild. Her parents had been killed by a drunk driver when she’d been twenty years old, her sister twelve. An incident that had turned her instantly into the main carer of her young sister. Each time she dealt with the situation again, she had to keep her emotional distance to get the job done. Some wounds never healed completely and this was one of them.

Looking down at the patient between them, she stroked his hair back from his face with a hand that trembled. “In those sorts of crashes, everyone suffers, don’t they?”

The cardiac alarm rang out, and Piper’s gaze flashed to the monitor. Her heart rate accelerated along with the patient’s. Something was going on that they hadn’t picked up on yet. “He’s having EKG changes.”

“Sixty-cc syringe with a cardiac needle—now.” Taylor moved out from the head of the stretcher to the patient’s left side. “No time for niceties, just get it ready.”

“Here.” Piper placed the syringe into his open hand. Urgency hummed through her, and she hoped that Taylor’s efforts could save the patient. Even in the right place at the right time with all of the best medical care available, people still didn’t make it.

Without a word, Taylor placed the tip of the needle between two ribs below the man’s left armpit and inserted it as far as it would go. Blood immediately flashed into the syringe and Taylor extracted excessive blood from the pericardial sac, which was causing pressure on the heart. This was why the heart sounds had been muffled.

“He’s bleeding into the pericardium. We really need to get him to the OR.”

“Are they expecting him?” The alarm continued to screech, and Piper reached up to silence it, the noise making her nerves jump more than they already were.

“Yes. We put them on alert when we got the call.”

Glancing at the monitor, Piper was pleased to see the lethal rhythm resolving. The patient wasn’t out of danger, but at least the immediate crisis was over. “Nice one, Doc.”

“He had a chest contusion, so it was expected. Let’s get this guy to the OR.” Dr. Jenkins removed his goggles and mask.

Piper paused for a brief second, then continued to pack the patient’s IV for transport. When she’d looked up at Taylor, a shock of electricity had shot through her. He was simply the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Even with a two-day growth of beard, the shape of his strong jaw was clearly visible. His full mouth curved up slightly as if he were reacting to some slight amusement. But it was his eyes that devastated her the most. Blue, crystal clear, and piercing, they were look-right-into-your-soul eyes.

She had to focus on the patient and not on the flutters that rolled in her stomach. She hadn’t reacted this way when his face had been covered, so why should she now? He had been just another doctor she’d worked with, right? But unmasked? Oh, he was absolutely gorgeous.

“Piper? Are you ready?” Taylor asked, and shrugged into his lab jacket.

“Yes, Doctor. Just finishing.” She clamped the transport monitor onto the rail of the stretcher.

“It’s Taylor, please.”

“Okay, thanks.” She smiled at him and swallowed down the bubble of attraction that wanted to surface. “Ready to go, but you’ll have to lead the way. I don’t know where the OR is.”

“Happy to.” Taylor grabbed a rail on the stretcher and assisted Piper to push the patient down the hall where an OR team waited to put him back together again. Taylor gave his verbal report to the surgeon, and Piper gave hers to the anesthesiologist.

After handing the patient off, Taylor was ready for a break. The new nurse had certainly had her trial by fire and survived, so he was sure she could use a break, too.

“Ready for a cup of coffee?” he asked, and led the way back to the ER and to the staff lounge.

“I should really check in with the charge nurse and let her know I’m here.”

They entered the staff lounge. Someone had brewed a fresh pot, as the bright fragrance of exotic coffee hung in the air. Piper sniffed appreciatively, and her eyes went soft. “Oh. I suppose one cup first won’t hurt, will it?”

“Hardly.” Taylor poured for them, and Piper fixed hers with milk and half a packet of sweetener. “It’s not like you weren’t working. Emily just didn’t know it.” “Emily is the charge nurse, then?” Piper asked, and plopped down into a chair.

“Yes. She was with one of the other traumas that didn’t survive.” He hated that. Hated that he couldn’t fix each and every patient that came through his doors no matter the cause.

“Oh. It’s tough to lose patients that you work hard on, isn’t it?” There was something in her eyes that was vulnerable, painful, but it wasn’t any of his business.

“Yes, it is. Especially when the problems could be prevented.” Taylor sat beside her and tried not to think of the two patients he’d lost that morning. Though the odds had been stacked against survival from the start, he still felt like a failure when patients under his care died right in front of him. He didn’t like to lose.

His cellphone rang.

“Dr. Jenkins.”

He listened for a moment with his eyes closed and a finger pinching the bridge of his nose. “And just how messy is it, Alex?”

Pause as he listened. “Can you clean it up by yourself?”

More listening. Bigger headache forming behind his eyes.

“I’ll come home at lunch. Don’t worry about the stain on the carpet. Or the walls. Or the couch. It’s okay. See you at lunchtime.”

Amusement fairly sparkled off Piper as he looked at her.

“What?” There was nothing amusing about his end of the conversation.

“Nothing.” She sipped her coffee, but couldn’t hide the gleam in her eyes. “Your son home alone?”

“Nephew. Staying with me for…” he looked at his digital watch “…five more weeks and six days.”

“Not counting down the days, are you?” she asked.

“No, just the seconds.” He showed his watch to her and the time counting down every second of that period.

“You’re serious. You’re really counting down the time like that?” Her blue eyes widened as she looked at him in surprise.

“I’m doing my sister a favor, and that’s when the favor ends.” Not one moment longer. He had a life to live, airplanes to jump out of and mountains to climb, all before the summer ended. Putting his life on hold was a temporary measure. Very temporary.

“I take it you aren’t happy your nephew is with you?” she asked, then paused. “Not that it’s any of my business, I realize.”

“It’s not that I’m not happy. It’s just a completely different way of life than I’m used to. People here are taking bets on how long it will be before I drag my sister home from California to take Alex back.” He leaned his head on the back of the couch and groaned. There were headaches and then there were headaches.

“Oh, that’s so sad,” she said, but laughed.

“No, what’s sad is that he opened a grape soda on my couch, carpet and walls.” Not that it was a huge deal, but it was going to be on the couch and carpet for a very long time. From his memory of being a kid, grape stains came out of nothing.

“They aren’t white, are they?” Piper asked, and a sneaky little smile curved up the corners of her lips.

Was she psychic or something? “Not everything. Just the walls and beige carpet. Couch is light brown.”

“Oh, dear.” Her eyes widened abruptly. “You can’t let that sit, or you’ll never get it out. Call him back. Do you have any peroxide or seltzer water at the house?”

“Peroxide, I think.” He was hardly there, so he really didn’t know what might be in his cupboards. Hadn’t he bought a bottle of peroxide about a year ago when he’d sliced open his hand on a piece of broken climbing rigging?

“Call him back and tell him to pour half the bottle on the carpet stain and half on the couch. The walls should be okay. At least you can paint over them.”

“Why?”

“Getting purple stains out is like getting blood out of your clothing. Peroxide might take it out.”

He opened his mouth to protest and then thought of how much more difficult it would be to argue. “I’ll call him.”

Piper stood. “And I’ll check in with Emily. Thanks for the coffee.”

Chapter Two

PIPER had survived her first very long day at the hospital. The high desert capital city of New Mexico was lovely with its classic southwest architecture and way the city seemed built into the cliffs and hills rather than taking over the landscape. No highrises here. Living at 7000 feet was going to be a challenge for her, having come from sea level at her last assignment. The air was much thinner at elevation and would take some getting used to.

Piper sighed. Exploration would have to wait for another day as she was scheduled for three more days of work before her first weekend off. Some of the staff had given her information on must-see places and restaurants around the area, so she had a plan for when her time was free. Santa Fe was starting to look like a great assignment. Her travel nurse assignments satisfied her need to travel and explore exotic places that she wouldn’t otherwise be able to visit. Most of the time she stayed close to her sister, but some assignments were too good to resist.

New Mexico so far seemed a spectacular mix of cultures from the old-world Mexican and Native American that had blended over the years to form a new culture altogether, one unique to the area. No wonder people were drawn here, as she had been. There was magic in The Land of Enchantment, as the state motto claimed. She was thoroughly looking forward to getting to know this place before she moved on to her next assignment. If there was another assignment. Though she had hoped to find a place to settle down eventually, the lure of travel and another city to discover seemed firmly enmeshed in her blood. She loved the travel and had no reason to put down roots yet.

As she entered the ER the next day, a small case of nerves shot through her. This would be a quick assignment. Just six weeks, then she’d be off somewhere else. Eventually she’d have to find a place to settle down for good. She’d put her life on hold long enough. Her own needs had always taken a backseat to those of her sister. Now her sister wouldn’t need her financial support any longer, and she could…have a life of her own. What a concept. She’d been so dedicated to supporting her sister and providing financial stability for Elizabeth that Piper hadn’t really had her own life in a long time. Except for one disastrous relationship that still stung her ego, she had remained relatively free of entanglements. Even thinking of her ex-boyfriend made her clench her jaw and narrow her eyes.

She sighed, trying not to think too hard about him and his wandering ways. After this assignment her responsibility would be over. Then what? She tried to put the question out of her mind when voices from behind her interrupted her train of thought.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, Alex, but I have no choice today.” Dr. Taylor Jenkins and a boy she assumed to be his nephew entered through the doors right behind her.

Turning, she took in the sight of the very tall man dressed in scrubs and the tousle-haired boy dragging his feet beside him. Once again, she noticed what an incredibly handsome man Taylor was. Part of being a nurse was paying attention to details, and she noticed every detail of him. Part of her wanted to allow her eyes to linger on his tall, lithe form, but another part of her shuddered. Finding a man attractive and being attracted to a man were two different things. She was too far into the being attracted to Taylor, and every red flag in her system was waving.

He was danger on a grand scale. Attraction was what had gotten her into trouble with her last failed relationship. Being attracted to Taylor was out of the question. She’d sworn to herself, never again. Unfortunately, it appeared that never had arrived.

Attraction needed to leave her alone, but she had a feeling that wasn’t going to happen. Especially as that little flutter in her stomach grew wings.

“It’s way early, Uncle T. I should be in bed, sleeping away my summer vacation, not hanging around a gross hospital all day.”

“Be that as it may, this is where I work, and where you are going to spend the day. The babysitter wasn’t available and, frankly, after yesterday’s fiasco, you can’t be trusted at home by yourself.”

“But it was an accident, I told you that. I said I was sorry.”

Clearing her throat, Piper caught their attention, watching as the two males who couldn’t have been much more different in physical appearance entered the lobby. “Hi, guys.”

As if just noticing he was about to plow her over, Taylor stopped a few feet from her. “Oh, hello, Piper. Back for more?” he asked, but his eyes were distracted.

“Wild horses couldn’t drag me away.”

“They could drag me away. Pu-lease.” Alex made a rude sound deep in his throat.

“Piper, this bundle of enthusiasm and joy is my nephew, Alex.”

“Nice to meet you, Alex.” The kid couldn’t be more miserable looking. He didn’t look at her and kicked at the floor. The backpack slung over one shoulder looked weighty. She supposed that he had every book for summer reading in there.

“Hi.”

Hearing the tension in his voice, she fished into her purse and extracted a large mixed package of bubble gum and candy. “I was going to put this in the staffroom, but I’ll bet you’d like some.” Piper tore the bag open and offered it to him.

“Whoa, yeah. Awesome.” Alex took two packs of gum and a few wrapped candies, and for the first time looked up into her face, his dark brown eyes intelligent and curious.

“What do you say?” Taylor prompted.

“Thanks.” Ducking his head, he flushed and looked away.

“See you inside, Piper,” Taylor said with a sigh.

“Okay.” Piper followed a few paces behind.

As they walked away, Alex leaned closer to Taylor, who bent over to hear what he had to say. “Wow. She’s hot.”

Taylor straightened with a look of amusement on his face and turned to Piper with an extremely male glance. “Yes, she is.”

At that moment, Piper heard her name paged overhead. “Oh, gotta go.” She dashed around the two and hoped that Taylor hadn’t seen her flush. She colored ridiculously, and it was something she had tried to overcome, but couldn’t.

Arriving at the nurses’ station, she found Emily.

“Oh, you are here. I was hoping that we didn’t scare you off yesterday with that wild start to your contract. Some nurses would have headed for the hills.” She shook her head and her straight black hair bobbed around her shoulders.

“Not me. I’m tougher than that.” She’d had to be. When her parents had been killed, she’d had little time to feel sorry for herself or grieve the loss. So she’d found strength that she hadn’t known she’d had. Anything else, compared to that, well, just didn’t compare.

“Well, good. I’d like to pair you up with one of the nurses for the orientation you were supposed to have yesterday, and then we’ll go from there. After yesterday, I’m certain you won’t have any problems.”

Emily introduced her to her preceptor, and she spent the rest of the morning familiarizing herself with the ER.

At lunch, she entered the staff lounge to find a sullenfaced Alex sitting with a book on his lap.

“Hey, kiddo. What’s wrong with you?” she asked, and took a seat beside him. He looked as if he was about to have a meltdown.

“I’m s-o-o-o bored.” He snapped the book shut and held it out to her to see. By the look of Alex, it certainly was going to be a long, hot summer. “Reading isn’t part of my summer plans. Uncle T. gave me this. Said it was a good book, but I just don’t get it.”

“I don’t think I got it when I was your age, either. Might have to be a little older to appreciate it. What grade are you going into?”

“Sixth.” He folded his arms over his chest.

“What do you want to do instead of reading? Anything?”

“Yeah, I want to skydive, and climb mountains and ride a motorcycle really fast, just like Uncle T.” For the first time today excitement shone in his eyes, and he came alive right in front of her.

“He does all that, does he?” She was beginning to see worship of Uncle Taylor, Super-Hero, in Alex’s eyes.

“Yeah, and a whole lot more really cool stuff, like base jumping in Norway. He took videos and it was so awesome.” Alex flopped back against the couch. “But I never get to do anything. I’m gonna be stuck inside all summer.”

Taylor opened the door to the lounge to check on Alex, but stopped when he heard Piper’s voice. It was soft and filled with compassion. Knowing he shouldn’t listen, he seemed powerless to stop himself.

“Maybe there’s a day camp you could go to. My younger sister used to go to one when I worked back in San Francisco,” Piper said.

“Did she like it?” Doubt was heavy in the boy’s voice.

“Sure did. Had to drag her out of there every day.”

There was a momentary pause. “What kind of stuff did she do?”

“Biking, hiking, crafts, and maybe some sewing, I think.”

“Those are girl things. I want to do guy stuff.” The sigh that followed said it all.

“Why don’t you talk to your uncle when he comes for lunch?”

Another pause. “I don’t think he’ll listen to me. He’s kinda like my dad that way. He doesn’t listen, either.”

Taylor closed his eyes and allowed the door to shut silently. Caroline’s parting words had been not to disappoint Alex as his father had done. What had he done so far with Alex? Total disappointment.

Determined to fix it right now, he coughed loudly and entered the staffroom.

“Hey, Alex. How’s it going?” Taylor asked, and glanced between them.

“I’m sick,” Alex said, and made a face, then clutched his abdomen.

“Sick?” Taylor frowned and grew concerned. The kid hadn’t been feeling poorly that morning, just ornery because Taylor had dragged him out of bed at the crack of dawn. Maybe bringing him to the hospital had been a bad idea after all. Though he’d been here just a few hours, there were all sorts of bacteria in hospitals that he could easily pick up. “Sick how?”

“Sick of being here. Can I go back to your house if I promise not to spill anything again? I won’t drink anything. Not even water, I promise,” Alex said, his dark brown eyes beseeching in a way that cut right through Taylor. He ran a hand through his hair. He wasn’t prepared for this. He couldn’t work sixty hours a week and care for a child. That camp thing Piper men tioned might have potential, though. Dammit. He just didn’t have it in him. The family he’d grown up in was no role model to draw from, either.

“You just can’t sit at my house and play video games all summer, Alex.” Taylor ran a hand through his hair, more than frustrated already and Alex had only been with him a few days.

“Why not?” he said, and gave Taylor a very adult look. “It’s what I do, Uncle T.”

“Didn’t you just say you wanted to climb mountains and jump out of airplanes like your uncle?” Piper asked from her seat beside Alex.

“Piper,” Alex whispered out of the corner of his mouth and cast her a conspiratorial glance. “He wasn’t supposed to know.”

“So how are you going to do any of this stuff if no one knows about it?” she asked, her manner totally at ease while talking to Alex. Taylor wished he could be that way, but his experience with kids was limited to birthdays and holidays and presents sent from far away.

Apparently, Alex had to think about that a moment because he didn’t have his usual snappy comeback ready. Then he shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Why don’t we go get a burger and fries and talk about it?” Taylor asked. “I’m sure there’s something we can fix you up with that we can both agree on.”

With only a sullen expression on his face and a noncommittal shrug, Alex tucked his belongings into a worn backpack. “Okay.”

“Want to join us, Piper?” Taylor asked, hoping she would.

“I brought a sandwich.”

“You can have that any day. Today is green chile cheese fries day at the cafeteria.” For whatever reason, he really wanted to have lunch with this woman. She’d offered him some hope in dealing with Alex and he’d…needed that.

“Sounds like death by french fry.” But she stood and followed them from the room. “But I’m game.”

Taylor slowed as Piper tugged on his sleeve and pulled him back.

“Just so you know, a bored kid is a bad kid. Especially the really smart ones.” She nodded at Alex who continued down the hall in front of them.

“So, tell me about this camp business I overheard,” Taylor said, and ushered Piper forward. “I ran wild on military bases as a kid, so I don’t know anything about how they work.”

Piper smiled up at him, and Taylor took a second look at her. Though not beautiful in the classic sense, her heart-shaped face and full lips were definitely attractive. But her warm blue eyes that sparkled with suppressed humor intrigued him more than anything. Straight caramel-colored hair in a shoulder-length bob swung enticingly as she moved. She was tall and trim, but curvy in the right places. Though he’d observed those things yesterday, he really hadn’t noticed them. Too busy with patients and work as usual.

Something in his chest cramped as he watched her catch up with Alex. If he’d been too busy to notice a woman as lovely as Piper, there was something seriously wrong with him.

After lunch, Piper returned to the ER to relieve another nurse for her break. Emily, the charge nurse, called her aside to make the assignment. “By the way, I hope I’m not intruding here where I don’t belong,” she said, and chewed thoughtfully on her lip a moment. “But I think I need to give you a warning.”

“A warning? What did I do?” Piper stared transfixed at Emily, unable to think of any infraction so far.

Emily touched Piper’s arm in a friendly gesture and Piper relaxed somewhat. “No, not in your work. Sorry. But I happened to notice that you had lunch with Taylor.”

Still not sure of what to make of this conversation, she said, “Is that against the rules or something?”

“No. But just to give you a heads up, Taylor’s a player, got a reputation with the ladies, especially the nurses who come through here.”

“I see.”

“He’s got CDD.”

“You mean ADD? Attention Deficit Disorder?” Piper asked, puzzled at the mistake.

“No.” Emily shook her head. “I mean CDD. Commitment deficit disorder. He hasn’t stayed with one woman for more than a few weeks at a time.” She patted Piper’s arm. “He’s a wonderful man and a great doctor, but he acts as if he’s at a dating buffet. He keeps going back for more.” She waved a hand. “Anyway, you’re a grown woman, but before you proceeded any further with him, I wanted you to have that information. Take it or leave it, at least you have it.”

“Thanks.” Piper said, then tried to change the subject, certain she wasn’t going to have to worry about Taylor getting too interested in her. He was just grateful and had bought her a burger. But Emily’s warning was certainly something to consider.

Chapter Three

“OKAY, so rock-climbing camp it is,” Taylor said as he clicked the “send” button on the computer and registered Alex for the camp with before- and after-care programs, starting tomorrow. No more bored days spent at the hospital.

Alex raced through the living room at full speed. “Yeah! I’m going climbing!” He raced back to the office and nearly flung himself at Taylor. “Thanks, Uncle T. I’ll never ever forget this.”

Taylor caught the boy to him before he knocked them out of the office chair and stood Alex in front of him. “Whoa, there. It’s okay, Alex.” He gave Alex a pat on the shoulder, surprised at the amount of enthusiasm sparking off the boy.

“I’m serious. You have no idea how totally cool this is.” He looked wide-eyed at Taylor. “Wait. You do know how cool this is, ’cause you already go rock climbing. Duh,” Alex said, and slapped himself on the forehead.

“It’s okay. I’m just lucky we got you in.” When Taylor had been Alex’s age, and living under the domineering thumb of his father, he had been lucky to get out of the house without an altercation of some sort. There had been no camps for Taylor. Climbing trees and rock formations had saved his sanity in his pre-teen years, challenging himself in ways that his father couldn’t understand. After that, progressing to bigger and more dangerous excursions had seemed natural. Honing his muscles and growing into his height, his father had no longer been able to control him. That’s when things had really changed between them, and they hadn’t spoken for years. Thankfully, he’d had an uncle help him figure out how to get what he wanted out of life. He hoped to pass that gift on to Alex. Perhaps not medical school, but whatever the kid wanted to pursue in life.

“Let’s finish this conversation another day. Time you’re off for a shower. You don’t want to smell like a polecat your first day at camp, do you?”

“No, I don’t wanna smell like a polecat,” he said, and frowned, staring up at Taylor. “I…I don’t even know what a polecat is.”

Taylor gave a laugh. “It’s a kind of skunk. Hit the shower, kiddo, just to make sure,” he said, and tousled Alex’s hair.

“Okay.”

Taylor laughed as Alex headed for the bathroom. Maybe this thing with Alex was going to turn out okay after all. Caroline was right. He didn’t really know his nephew, and he should. Even though his life was a little on the wild side, Taylor was the only stable male influence in the boy’s life. But now, spending so much time with Alex stirred up feelings that he thought he’d put to rest long ago. His relationship with his father was not much different than the one Alex had with his own father. More like they tolerated each other than liked each other’s company. Whatever. Over and done with for him. Rising from the chair, he changed into jogging pants and his running shoes. The last two days he’d been off his exercise schedule and desperately needed the release it gave him. Endorphins, here I come. He knocked on the bathroom door.

“Alex, I’m going for a jog. I’ll be back in an hour.”

“Okay.” Alex called through the door.

Once out into the evening air, Taylor drew in deep breaths and stretched a few minutes before walking to the park. Exercise and strength training had made him physically strong, and he needed that endorphin kick he’d been missing the last few days. Sometimes that was all that got him through some very long and intense days at work. Though he worked with a lot of very good nice people, he had few truly close friends. A few guys he climbed with, a few doctors like Ian McSorley, and a few women he’d had casual relationships with. Nothing serious. Nothing long-lasting and that was how he needed it. At least at this point in his life.

In minutes he reached the nature park, filled with desert flora and fauna native to the high desert of New Mexico. Breathing in the cooling evening air, he relaxed into his pace and sought the zone that had been his salvation for many years.

Piper watched as Taylor loped around the sand-filled track. She’d never catch up with him with the pace he set, so she just walked along behind him, enchanted with the plant life and terrain that was so different from any place she’d ever been. Now she understood what was meant by high desert. Muted browns and greens covered most of the ground, but here and there were fabulously colored blooms, usually attached to thorny cacti. There was beauty here, you just had to look for it. Up ahead, a jackrabbit zigzagged in a crazy move to dash away and hide beneath a bush. Unaccustomed to the 7000-foot elevation of Santa Fe, Piper was winded after a few minutes, so she found a large rock to rest on, took in the nature scene and caught her breath.

She kept her eye on the lone jogger working his way up and down the hills through the park. There were no trees to speak of, just clumps of large bushes, so she could see him as he moved around the park. Numerous other people walked and ran past her on the trail, but no one captured her attention as Taylor did.

The man was intense. As intense as any doctor she’d ever worked with, and her heart noticed every time she’d been close enough to smell his spicy cologne. She wondered how he was going to cope the entire summer with his nephew at his side, but she was not willing to take a bet as the other staff had done. Men like Taylor valued their freedom and independence more than anything. That had been her ex-boyfriend exactly. Another physician. Another assignment. Another town, miles away. Another heartbreak she was not going to repeat. She’d never been enough for him. He’d made that clear from the start. She’d never be enough for a man like Taylor, either.

Taylor dropped behind a hill, and Piper lost sight of him, then he reappeared on the next rise, closer to where she was. The man in motion was definitely a wondrous sight.

Eventually, he jogged right up to her. “Hey, Doc.”

“What?” He looked at her then. “Oh, hey, Piper.” He stopped and bent over to catch his breath. “What are you doing out here?”

She caught herself looking at his lean, muscled legs, bared by almost indecently short jogging shorts, and the way his chest pumped with each breath he dragged in and pushed out. “Er, just reviewing my anatomy.”

“What?” He tilted his head up to look at her, a frown on his face.

“Nothing. Don’t let me interrupt your exercise. I just wanted to say hi.” Embarrassment flooded her. She hoped he hadn’t caught her looking at his legs or that magnificent chest. Working with someone and finding them physically attractive could be a snag. Not that she couldn’t be professional about it, but it could certainly make her assignment, uh, interesting. A perk she hadn’t thought of. Working with a handsome man could never be termed a hardship.

“No problem.” He waved away her concern. “I was just about through anyway, ready to cool down.”

“Did you find a camp for Alex?” Distraction. That’s what she needed to keep her mind off of Taylor’s gorgeous body revealed by those shorts and tight T-shirt.

“Yep. Got him all signed up, and he starts tomorrow morning. Thanks again for that suggestion. I don’t know what I’d have done otherwise.”

“I’m sure he’s thrilled.” A warm feeling pulsed through her that he’d taken her advice. Though it had been a little thing for her to make the suggestion, she had been glad to do it.

“Yeah. He about hugged me to death.” A frown briefly crossed Taylor’s brow, and he looked away.

“Hugs bother you?” she asked, watching him closely. Many men weren’t comfortable with affection. They wanted sex, sure, but real affection was another thing. Intimacy? Forget about that, too. She’d found that out with her doctor ex-boyfriend. Sex equated intimacy, then you rolled over and went to sleep. Right. While your partner stared at the ceiling for a few hours.

“Not usually. Just not used to them.” He placed a foot up on the rock beside her and stretched out his leg, then switched to the other side. “I’m not very demonstrative by nature.”

“There’s a theory out there that we need four therapeutic hugs a day for survival, eight a day for maintenance and twelve for growth,” she said. “I read that somewhere. Stimulates the immune system and fosters well-being.”

“That’s a lot of hugs in a day.” He trained piercing eyes on her and raised his brows.

“I kind of like it. And there are documented benefits of therapeutic touch.”

“There’s a lot of that stuff going on in Santa Fe, but not much in the traditional settings. More in the outpatient setting, though I think there could be benefits for inpatients, as well.”

Piper nodded. “I took a few courses on healing touch and have used it successfully for pain control when nothing else works.” The touch was a form of meditation and self-healing that some people responded to.

“Really? There is a school for healing touch here, and I think it’s mostly for nurse-type people if you’re interested.”

“I’ll think about that, but as I’m only going to be here a few weeks, I probably won’t have the time.” She’d witnessed too many incidents of success with the technique to doubt it. “Works for me when I need it.” Boy had she needed the human touch over the years. Raising her sister, losing her parents at a young age. That had been a brutal loss to her and her sister. That single event had changed her life. She’d been forced to grow up overnight.

The loving hands of her aunt Ida had sustained her when she’d needed it. Those loving touches were a thing she missed now. Unfortunately, the current ache in her life couldn’t be filled by the simple touch of family. She was beginning to suspect that she craved a satisfying relationship, that she just hadn’t found and wasn’t willing to stick her neck out for. Maybe loneliness was something she’d just have to get used to, like an ache that would never go away. By now, it was certainly her constant companion. Sure, she had friends and people to do things with, but she always went home alone. That hollow ache could be dulled, but never seemed to go away completely. Looking at Taylor, she knew he’d never be able to fill that void. She wasn’t what someone like him craved.

He took a step closer, but then stopped, recalling his conversation with Alex about personal hygiene. “I’m hot and sweaty now, but I’d be willing to give the hug thing a try another time.” His gaze dropped to her mouth and lower and the breath that had returned to him after his run was somehow stuck in his throat.

Hugs, huh? He’d have never thought that hugs were beneficial, just some sort of activity that made people think they felt better. Denial was powerful, especially during emotional situations, which was why he tried to avoid them. But standing here looking at Piper and how attractive she was, the hint of a flush on her face and neck, he’d be willing to consider testing her theory at some point. Her full lips curving up at the corners nearly made him reconsider. It had been way too long since he’d been in a relationship, considered having another one. Not that he’d do that with Piper. She was a coworker and a temporary staff member. As he glanced over her figure again, he reflected she was a fine-looking staff member.

“So, I know you’re a traveler, but what brings you to Santa Fe? Family, boyfriend?” This wasn’t like him, he thought, and frowned at that. He wasn’t this interested in people and generally didn’t make polite conversation. Something about Piper made him want to know more.

Before answering, she tucked her hair behind one ear and shot a quick glance at him. “Oh, I’m not really sure. I’ve been a lot of places, but not New Mexico. This short assignment seemed like a quick way to see the area and grab a bonus, too. And you?”

“I started out in Albuquerque at the university there and migrated up to Santa Fe. My sister lives here, too.” Piper’s answer just generated more questions in his head. “I was wondering how you know so much about children. Do you have any?”

“No. I don’t have my own children, but I’ve had to pretty much raise my little sister since our parents were killed years ago.”

“I see. That must have been tough.”

She gave a small, sad smile. “More brutal than you’ll ever know.” Unable to look away from the intensity of him, she met his gaze and held on, seeing how far it took them.

The heat of attraction poured off Taylor as he stared at her mouth, and her heart skipped a beat just imagining long, slow body contact with him. She swallowed, a hint of desire crawling along her spine in reaction to him.

Attractions between nurses and doctors happened. The intensity of their work lives pushed the attraction to higher levels. Unable to look away, she stared at Taylor, and he held her gaze, seeming unafraid of the connection forming between them. But then, according to Alex, he wasn’t afraid of anything. Someone like her wasn’t going to scare him one bit.

In the distance, the faint yip-yip of a coyote signaled the fall of night. Desert nights were a sight to behold, especially, when she was out in one with Taylor in front of her.

She blinked as the persistent yip penetrated the web of attraction between them. Oh, God. She was simply staring at him. And he was…staring back. She licked her lips, and pushed her hair behind her ear as her mouth went dry, feeling much like the desert around her. This wasn’t good.

Then Piper sat up and listened, not sure what she had heard. “Did you hear that?” Whew. Anything to provide a distraction, divert Taylor’s attention from her and hers from him. Taylor seemed to break free of the hypnotic spell between them, took a step back from her and huffed out a quick breath. The tension stretching between them snapped.

“Oh. Hear what?” Taylor asked, running his hands through his hair as he turned away. “I don’t hear anything.”

“Kind of sounded like the noise I heard earlier. I was thinking it sounded like a coyote, but I’m not sure.”

Sudden cries for help echoed through the park. “Now I hear something.” He paused a second, listening, and cries for help carried through the park. “Let’s see what’s going on.”

They raced to the top of a small hill and found an elderly gentleman sitting on the ground, a pile of bloodcovered fur at his feet.

“Oh, dear,” Piper said.

“What happened?” Taylor said as they approached the distressed man. Piper knelt beside him.

“Coyote. Attacked my dog,” he said between wheezing gasps.

Piper checked his pulse, then pressed her hand to his cheek. His coloring was a startling red. “Sir, do you have any medical conditions?”

“Please. Just help. My dog,” he said, and tears flowed down his rounded cheeks.

Piper looked up at Taylor, her blue eyes full of inquiry. He knew the question in her gaze, and when he looked down at the animal, he knew it was already too late and shook his head.

“Let’s see what we can do about you first.” Her calm voice and soft tone was designed to comfort the man beside her.

“Oh, no! Is Muffin dead?” he asked, and clasped her arm.

Piper took his hand and drew his attention away from the site. “I don’t know. We’ll help Muffin all we can, but I think you need some help, too.”

The man responded to Piper and nodded. “Okay. Okay.” He fumbled in his pocket and withdrew an inhaler. Piper held his trembling hand to his mouth as he took two puffs of the medication that would assist his breathing. Tears still trickled down his face. “I’m short…of breath.”

“Were you bitten, too?” Taylor asked, and knelt beside them. The dog was past any help they could give it. A small dog was no match against a coyote that was probably rabid. The kind of behavior the man described was unusual for the normally reclusive coyote. They would have to report it after the man was seen to.

“No. It just tore out of the brush and attacked poor Muffin.” He wiped his tears with his hands, which were covered in scratches. “I tried to pull it off.”

Taylor assessed the man’s condition. Without medical equipment, he was limited as to what he could do. Basic first aid was about it. “That was a very brave thing to do, but it appears that the coyote got a piece of you, too.”

“What?”

Taylor pointed to the puncture wounds on the man’s hands and forearms. “It bit you, too.”

“Oh, no.” The man looked at his arms, apparently seeing the wounds for the first time. With wide eyes, he looked from Piper to Taylor and fainted.

Piper tried to catch him, but landed in a heap with the unconscious man. Reaching forward, Taylor lifted the man so Piper could scoot out from under him.

“Are you okay?” he asked, and eased the man to a prone position.

“Yes. Do you think he’s just passed out?” she asked, and checked his pulse again. “His pulse is okay, but his color is ghastly.”

“I think he’s simply overcome with emotion. Some people react badly when they see their own blood. I’m going to call 911 and have him checked out. He’ll need treatment for the bite in any case, especially if the animal was rabid.” Taylor pulled his cell phone from his pocket and gave the necessary information. “They should be here in a few.”

“I feel so sorry for the guy,” she said, and looked at the mess that had once been the beloved Muffin. “Yuck. Do you think it’s really a rabid coyote or just a dog attack?”

“He was probably right. We have coyote attacks a few times a year here, and they are always rabid. Fish and Game Department keeps close tabs on rabies cases and want people to report it if they find suspicious animals.” He hoped that Piper was going to be okay and not frightened of being out in the desert. This was definitely an unexpected event at the park.

Piper looked around them as the night deepened, casting shadows where there had been none moments ago. “We aren’t in danger, are we? I mean, you don’t think it’ll come back, do you?”

Taylor glanced around. The coyote was probably long gone. “Don’t know. But keeping an eye out for a coyote heading toward us with bared teeth is probably a good idea.”

“Taylor!” She laughed despite the tense situation. “That’s awful.” But she glanced around anyway.

“Made you laugh, though.” And that was a wonderful sound.

“You certainly did.”

The man on the ground between them moaned and raised a hand to his head.

“Don’t try to move, sir,” Taylor said, and pressed a hand to his shoulder to keep him down. “An ambulance is on the way.”

“What for?” he asked, his voice sounding weaker than it had moments ago.

“Piper, can you go to the entrance and lead them over here?” Taylor asked, now not so sure the man was as stable as he appeared.

“Yes. I’ll be right back.” She stood. “I see the lights.”

In minutes she returned with the crew, carrying medical equipment. They hooked the man to the monitors, checked his blood pressure and watched his heart rhythm bounce across the screen.

“I’m Piper and this is Dr. Jenkins. What’s your name?” Piper asked, and patted his arm gently, her voice a soothing tone that even Taylor was responding to.

“Jesse. Jesse Farmer.”

“BP’s low,” a paramedic said.

Taylor watched the heart monitor, interpreting the rhythm. “Looks like he’s in third-degree heart block, too. No wonder he fainted.” Potentially not good. “Jesse, have you ever been told you have a heart condition?” He spoke to Jesse, but kept his eyes on the monitor.

“Once. But it went away.”

“Heart conditions don’t generally go away,” he said, knowing that many patients resisted the idea of their bodies failing. He would, too, he supposed. But ignoring medical advice and symptoms only led to disaster.

“My cardiologist said I need a pacemaker, but I didn’t like that idea.” Another paramedic placed an oxygen mask over Jesse’s face.

“Well, this incident tonight proves that you definitely need one. That means immediately. Boys, take him in. Have the external pacemaker on him and ready in case he loses his rhythm during transport.” Taylor helped them lift the stretcher while Piper reassured Jesse.

“What about Muffin?” Jesse cried, and gripped Piper’s arm.

“We’ll take care of Muffin,” Piper said, and patted Jesse on the arm. “You need to call your family as soon as you get to the hospital so someone can come be with you. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“Okay. Okay.” He lay back on the stretcher as exhaustion overcame him.

Taylor stood beside Piper as the ambulance pulled away. “So how do you think we should deal with Muffin?” he asked.

“I have some supplies in my car and can put him in a hazardous materials bag. If it’s been killed by a rabid coyote, isn’t someone going to want to know about it?”

“Wildlife Department. Let’s collect the remains, and then I’ll call them.” He looked at his watch and noticed the timer continued counting down the seconds of his commitment to Alex. “It’s probably too late for them to come get it. They’ll tell us what to do, though.”

Fifteen minutes later they had trekked to Piper’s car, collected Muffin’s body and placed it in Piper’s trunk. “That ought to do it,” she said, and squirted hand sanitizer in her palm and offered some to Taylor. “Just in case.”

“You come prepared, don’t you?” he asked, and rubbed the solution into his hands.

“Girl Scout of long ago and a home-care nurse sometimes.” She held up three fingers of her right hand and crossed her thumb over her pinky in the Girl Scout salute.

Full darkness had fallen and streetlights flickered on.

“Damn. I almost forgot about Alex.” Taylor looked at his watch, near to panic. “I was only supposed to be gone an hour and it’s been nearly two.” He was such a failure at being responsible.

“He would have called you if something was wrong, right?”

“Probably. Just the same, I’d better get home.” If something happened to the kid, he’d never forgive himself. He’d not only disappoint Alex, he’d disappoint his sister, too.

“Why don’t I drive you? It’ll be faster.” She placed her hand on his arm in a small gesture of reassurance.

“Thanks. It’s not far.” Relief poured over Taylor. He’d known Piper about two days, and she’d already been incredibly helpful to him. Somehow he was going to pay her back.

“With wild coyotes out there, you shouldn’t take any chances, right?”

“Right.” He grinned as Piper climbed into the little sedan he barely fit into.

Chapter Four

WITHIN minutes, Piper had delivered Taylor to his house.

“Come in a minute while I check on Alex, and then I’ll call the Wildlife Department. Let me at least offer you a glass of water or something.”

Piper followed him through the garage, the kitchen and into the living room where Alex sat on the couch in his pajamas, listening to a headset and reading a book.

Startled at their abrupt presence in front of him, he jumped slightly and ripped the headset off. “What?”

“Are you okay?” Taylor asked. He stepped closer and ran a hand through his hair. “I was gone a lot longer than I told you.” He’d promised to take care of Alex. He just didn’t know how he was going to accomplish that by himself. Being thrust out of airplanes was a lot easier than being thrust into fatherhood. Or unclehood, or whatever you wanted to call it. The domain of the responsible adult male. A place he’d purposefully avoided and here he was standing kneedeep in it.

“You were?” Alex shrugged, his eyes wide and just a bit too innocent. “I didn’t notice.” He patted the book in front of him.

“What are you reading?” Piper asked, and stepped closer to the boy.

“Uh,” Alex said, and looked down.

Piper followed his glance and tried to hide the smirk that wanted to erupt onto her face. Reaching for the book, she turned it right side up and returned it to his lap. “You might want to try reading it this way. It’s a lot easier.”

Beneath his tawny skin, Alex flushed to the roots of his hair. “Busted,” he said under his breath, his lips barely moving.

“Busted is right,” Taylor said with a frown. “I thought you said you were going to read.”

“I was. I mean, I really wanted to, but I got so excited about tomorrow that I had to play some video games to calm down.” He leaped from the couch to reveal a horrific large stain on the fabric that the peroxide obviously hadn’t conquered. “Piper, Uncle T. signed me up for rock-climbing camp tomorrow. Thanks!” He gave her an exuberant hug and then raced to Taylor. After a brief hug, he pulled back. “Oh, gross. You’re sweaty.”

Taylor’s face revealed momentary shock before he laughed. “I am, man. Sorry.”

Alex backed away and walked toward the hall to the bedrooms. “Well, at least now I know what a polecat smells like. ’Night.”

“’Night, Alex.” Piper stood and redirected her attention to Taylor. “What was that about a polecat?” she asked.

“A previous discussion on personal hygiene,” Taylor said without elaborating. The light sparkling from her eyes intrigued him. He’d been around plenty of women who climbed mountains, jumped from planes and raced bicycles. The intensity flowing off Piper was a different sort of energy. One he’d not been around much before. One that was comforting and settling. Completely foreign to him. “Yes, well. I’ll call Wildlife and see what we need to do with the dog.”

Minutes later, Taylor hung up the phone. “It’s too late to send someone over tonight from their office, so Animal Control is coming over. We’re not supposed to touch it any more than necessary and to wash well.”

“Sounds good.” She sighed. “I feel so bad for the poor thing. But at least, from the sound of it, it was quick.”

They noticed a young presence at the door and turned. “Can I see it?” Alex asked.

“No,” they said in unison.

“Aw, c’mon.” He scuffed a bare foot on the tile floor.

“You’re supposed to be in bed.” Taylor stood and turned Alex by the shoulders and nudged him back to his temporary bedroom.

“I needed a drink, and I heard you talking about the rabid coyote.”

“Suspected rabid coyote,” Taylor corrected. Piper was right, this kid was smart. Smarter than he’d realized. Caroline was right and that saddened him, too. He didn’t know his nephew. Somehow he was going to make up for not being there for his nephew. In six weeks.

“Uncle T., even I know enough about coyotes to know it was rabid. They just don’t act like that.”

“You’re right. But it’s long gone now, and it’s bedtime for you.”

“It’s summer, can’t I stay up longer?”

“You have your first day at camp tomorrow, so I’d suggest getting a good night’s sleep. When I’m going on a climbing expedition, even I go to bed a little early.” For him that was midnight, usually. Sleep was a luxury he didn’t always have or take advantage of when he had it.

“Okay.” Ducking his head down, Alex shuffled his way down the hall. A large yawn interrupted his goodnight, and he disappeared from sight.

“I think I’ll head home, too.” Piper raised her brows, her inquisitive gaze holding on Taylor’s for just a lingering second, and a hint of that sizzle between them returned. “It’s been a lot more interesting evening than I had anticipated. From a walk in the park to a medical rescue to a rabid coyote. Wow.”

“No kidding. Got more than you bargained for.” Taylor walked her outside, retrieved the animal carcass from her trunk and placed it on the sidewalk by the front door. Animal Control should be arriving soon.

“See you tomorrow,” Piper said, and drove away.

In silence, Taylor watched until the small car faded from view. What was it about Piper that had captured his attention? The blue eyes, the sensual mouth that looked like it needed a long, hot kiss? Or the curves his hands itched to try out.

Taylor entered the house and flopped down on the couch, pressing his hands against his face. Though the enormous stains on the carpet and couch were glaring in their contrast to the fibers, Piper hadn’t said anything. She was certainly polite, intuitive when it came to children, a good nurse. But none of those things were what had intrigued him. Maybe it was the spark of laughter in her gorgeous eyes or the sizzle of attraction that had unexpectedly flared between them. Kissing her would be—

His thoughts came to a screeching halt. He had no business thinking of a coworker this way, no matter how attractive he found her. He knew well enough that he was a poor candidate for a relationship, and she had long term written all over her, something he was incapable of giving a relationship. Knowing that about himself had kept him away from entanglements. That settled it for him. He was no longer going to be attracted to Piper.

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