Dear Reader

Welcome to the third book in my New York Hospital Heartthrobs trilogy. When I first learned I was going to write these books, I knew that I wanted a theme about the place to which we are all connected—home. I wanted to write stories about what compels people to want to go home, and what binds their hearts to that special place. In this group of stories it was the love of a generous woman who touched countless lives.

Cherished memories … that’s what home is to me—and that’s what home becomes for the heroes and heroines of New York Hospital Heartthrobs. When Rick Navarro came home it was to accept a job and, as a single dad, to make the best home possible for his son. That’s Rick’s entire world: his son, his job. Until single mum Summer Adair shows up. But then the past Rick wants to ignore rears up to haunt him in ways he never expected—and in the same way Summer’s past won’t let go of her. Yet in two single lives that seem to run parallel in so many ways, and still remain divided, there’s a greater purpose—their children—to bring them together.

I’ve loved writing these three stories about what brings people home and how love enables them to stay there. And, as always, I love hearing from you, so please feel free to email me at Dianne@DianneDrake.com

Wishing you health and happiness!

Dianne

About the Author

Now that her children have left home, DIANNE DRAKE is finally finding the time to do some of the things she adores: gardening, cooking, reading, shopping for antiques. Her absolute passion in life, however, is adopting abandoned and abused animals. Right now Dianne and her husband, Joel, have a little menagerie of three dogs and two cats, but that’s always subject to change. A former symphony orchestra member, Dianne now attends the symphony as a spectator several times a month and, when time permits, takes in an occasional football, basketball or hockey game.

Recent titles by Dianne Drake:

FIREFIGHTER WITH A FROZEN HEART** THE DOCTOR’S REASON TO STAY** FROM BROODING BOSS TO ADORING DAD THE BABY WHO STOLE THE DOCTOR’S HEART* CHRISTMAS MIRACLE: A FAMILY* HIS MOTHERLESS LITTLE TWINS* NEWBORN NEEDS A DAD*

** New York Hospital Heartthrobs * Mountain Village Hospital

These books are also available in ebook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk

The
Runaway Nurse

Dianne Drake

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHAPTER ONE

“DADDY!”

Rick Navarro braced for the impact the instant he stepped through the door, and he wasn’t disappointed when his son launched himself through the air straight into Rick’s arms. This had been cute when Chris was two or three, even four. But he was six now, a big boy for his age at that, and Rick did have to admit that while he hated to break that tradition, Chris’s little flying act now had the potential to knock the wind out of him if he didn’t prepare himself for it. “Easy, sport,” he said, as the boundless bundle of energy hit him dead center in the chest.

“Johnny Redmond let me ride Toffee today! All by myself! And I didn’t fall off.”

“You didn’t? Well, that’s great!” he said, sorry to have missed it. But duty called. He couldn’t help it. Such was the life of a single dad and he hoped that someday, when he looked back, he wouldn’t turn out to be one of those parents who could count the missed moments. Because he was trying to find the balance. Working hard at it. Some days succeeding, some days not. Tough jobs, being a dad, being the head of a hospital. Life was good, though. Not perfect, but good. “I hope somebody took some pictures,” Rick said, easing his son to the ground.

“Lots of them. And a video. Mrs. Jenkins said you should be able to see the whole thing.”

God bless Mrs. Jenkins for that. “I’m sorry I didn’t get there,” Rick said. “I really wanted to, but I couldn’t leave the hospital. You did thank Mr. Redmond for letting you ride, though, didn’t you?”

“Yes. And he said I could come back any time. And it’s OK you didn’t get there. You had to take care of sick people.”

Age six, and Chris was so … wise. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve a kid this great, but there wasn’t a day gone by he didn’t thank God for his good fortune. Christopher Ricardo Navarro was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he regretted nothing about the way he’d come to be a single dad. Not one single thing. “Did you go for ice cream afterwards?”

Chris shook his head. “Mrs. Jenkins said she was saving that for you since she’s dia-dia …” He frowned, shrugged.

“Diabetic. Means she can’t eat much sugar.” Well, at least one bright spot in his day was opening up … a date at the ice-cream shop downtown. He glanced over Chris’s shoulder to the portly older woman who was waving goodbye to him as she scooted out the back door. She was a treasure. Loved Chris, didn’t mind the sometimes odd hours she was called on to take care of him. A literal godsend. But not a mother, and that’s what made Rick feel guilty. Chris had never known a mother, never known the nurturing of another woman besides Mrs. Jenkins. To be sure, it was a loss, but not one Chris even recognized, as it had been just the two of them since the day of his birth. Father and son … “So, how about I go take a quick shower then we’ll head on down to Benson’s Ice Creamery and see what the flavor of the day is?”

“Chocolate chocolate,” Chris said, resolutely. “That’s what I want. Mrs. Jenkins let me call them and they told me it’s chocolate chocolate. I want mine with chocolate sprinkles.”

A boy who knew his own mind. Rick smiled with pride as he stepped around Chris and mussed the boy’s curly black hair. “That’s exactly what I want, too,” he said. “With extra sprinkles.” He was a lucky man. If only the lucky man could find a couple more hours every day to spend with his son, his life would be perfect. “Oh, and put on another shirt. That one looks like you’ve already had a little chocolate chocolate.”

Summer Adair glanced in the front window of Benson’s Ice Creamery, debating the expense. Actually, she was debating whether or not she could buy Alyssa a scoop of vanilla and not succumb to the temptation herself. Pennies counted these days. Especially lately, when there weren’t so many of them coming in, and the ones she had saved were, of necessity, guarded carefully. Grace Corbett had left her a nice sum, enough to help her get by for a while if she was careful. Very generous, considering that Grace had been her employer, not a family member. And there was the cottage … that was a huge blessing. Small, and just on the edge of the Gracie Estate, it was perfect for her and Alyssa. More than that, it was all hers! Another instance of Grace’s generosity. Her very own home … it was the first time she’d ever owned anything of her own outside a few trifles. With this new life and new opportunities simply handed to her, Summer was still a cautious woman in everything she did, including wasting money on a little treat for herself.

“Do you want some ice cream?” she asked Alyssa, positive her daughter, aged four, wouldn’t say no, especially to the bright lights and pretty colors of Benson’s—all designed to capture a child’s eye. Sure, she bought ice cream at the grocery store occasionally. But, darn it, you had to indulge your child sometimes, didn’t you? God knew, there hadn’t been many indulgences for either her or Alyssa since Grace Corbett had died. But here she was, debating a scoop of ice cream like it was a new car she was purchasing. Thinking in those terms, it seemed a little silly, actually. Especially since it was for Alyssa.

“Ice cream, Mommy,” Alyssa said, standing on tiptoe to look into the parlor window. “Can we please go in?”

“Tough choices inside,” a deep, familiar voice commented from over her shoulder.

Rather than turning to see him, she looked at Rick Navarro in the window’s reflection, and bit the inside of her lip to keep herself from grinning a schoolgirl grin that stretched from ear to ear. She really liked Rick. Handsome man. Bronzed skin. Large, broad shoulders. To-die-for wavy black hair. Nice smile. A real breath-taker, if you were inclined to want your breath taken. Which she wasn’t. Still, she was human. Flesh and blood, beating heart that was beating a couple ticks faster now that his breath was tickling the back of her neck. And he was a very nice view, even in reflection. Something she’d been trying not to notice for months. Failing miserably, however. “Not when you have a picky eater. She likes vanilla.”

“No sprinkles?” he asked.

Summer shook her head. “So far she hasn’t wandered into the world of sprinkles. I’ve tried keeping things a little more simple than that.” She glanced at Chris, who was pointing out to Alyssa a picture in Benson’s window of an ice-cream cone with sprinkles. “Although I suppose it’s coming, isn’t it?”

“Probably sooner than you think. So, would you two ladies care to join us two gents for ice cream?” Rick asked. “With sprinkles?”

“Sprinkles?” Alyssa mimicked, pointing to the picture in the window. “Can I have sprinkles, too, Mommy?” “You’ve started something,” Summer said to Rick. He tossed Summer a wink. “Wait until she knows she can have whipped cream and a cherry on top. That’s when the fun really begins because it will lead to things like ice-cream sundaes, banana splits, milk shakes …”

“Oh, I think sprinkles are enough for one day.” Did she look pathetic, gazing into the store longingly, nose pressed to the window? Or was Rick simply being kind? He was a nice man. Also, her boss, part time. So far, though, there hadn’t been a reason for anything other than loosely casual, translated to mean safe at a distance—the way she tried to keep herself with everybody. “Then it’s an ice-cream date?” OK, maybe not as loosely casual as she’d thought. But the word date startled her a little. She didn’t date. Wouldn’t date. Wouldn’t budge on her position about that either. Of course, she was sure Rick hadn’t meant anything by date. She was also sure she had to quit overreacting to things that weren’t meant to be anything other than what they were. Like this. It was meant to be ice cream. Nothing more. Yet overreacting was a foible of her nature, more ingrained than she wanted it to be, especially these past couple of years. “An ice-cream … date. For one, though. I, um … I don’t indulge.”

“Only one?” Rick asked, holding the parlor door open for them. “Am I going to have to use some fancy persuasion to get you to change your mind?”

Chris went in first, and ran straight to the see-through display of all forty kinds of ice cream. Alyssa got caught up in the excitement and broke right away from her mother, which caused Summer to panic. She didn’t let go of her daughter in public. Not ever. Too many things could go wrong in the blink of an eye, and while this was only a small ice-cream shop where nothing was more than a few feet away from her, the sensation of fear, mixed with the need to grab Alyssa and run, nearly doubled her over. She resisted the outward manifestations, of course. Over time, being a single mother, the way she was, she’d gotten good at putting on the right outward appearance for the occasion, even when her gut was knotting and her lungs were going into spasm. Like they were doing right now. “I’m not much of an ice-cream eater,” she said stepping up behind Alyssa, who was busy peering into the case at all the different kinds of ice cream.

“What are these?” her daughter asked innocently, pointing to the virtual rainbow of colors.

Proof of a sheltered life, Summer thought, taking hold of Alyssa’s hand, instantly feeling better. “Ice cream comes in different flavors, and different flavors come in different colors.”

“Would you like some samples?” the boy on the other side of the case asked. He was about sixteen, seemed harmless. Wasn’t paying more attention to one person than another, Summer noted, finally relaxing a little.

“She likes vanilla,” Summer said, deliberately not looking at the disappointment she knew would be registering on Alyssa’s face. OK, so her own panic reactions were about to ruin her daughter’s whole experience. Summer couldn’t help the panic. It was a given in her life now. Always on caution. But to deprive Alyssa because of her problems? She couldn’t do that. Wouldn’t do that. “But, yes, a few samples would be good. Thank you.”

“Chris is really into the chocolate chocolate,” Rick suggested from behind her.

Standing so close to her, his voice practically in her ear … Summer startled again. Sucked in a sharp breath, held it until the panic passed, then let it out. “Chocolate chocolate’s fine,” she said, then also picked out one sample of strawberry, and one of mint chocolate chip for her daughter.

“You’re really not going to have anything?” Rick asked her. “I mean, look at all these flavors. Bubble-gum surprise, blue goo, mystery chunks … They all sound pretty tempting to me.”

She reached over and took a mini spoon of chocolate chocolate from the counter boy, handed it to Alyssa, then turned to Rick. “Maybe they tempt you, but they scare me. Blue goo, for example. What, exactly, goes into ice cream that turns it blue? And I don’t even want to think about the goo part.”

“Then have vanilla. It’s safe. No surprises. Not particularly imaginative, but very good for the soul in its dependability.”

She took another sample and handed it to Alyssa. Actually, dependability for the soul was everything she wanted in her life … in her world. And it had nothing to do with vanilla ice cream “The soul?”

“Any ice cream is good for the soul.”

“Just how do you figure that?”

“It makes you feel good. Makes you happy. Puts a smile on your face.”

Exactly what she needed but couldn’t have for more than moments at a time. Summer did smile for one of those moments, though, thinking about that life, thinking about how hard Rick was working to make her happy right then. She didn’t smile often, but she really appreciated his enthusiasm. More than that, she was flattered by the way he was trying so hard to make this a nice experience for her. Nobody, other than Grace Corbett, had done that for her in a very long time.

“See, I’m right. You’re smiling already. And you haven’t even eaten any ice cream.”

“Maybe I’m not hungry,” she said, taking the third mini-spoon and handing it to Alyssa.

“But eating ice cream isn’t about being hungry. It’s about … relaxing. Kicking back, letting the day’s troubles go, even if for only a little while. Enjoying a simple pleasure.”

As if she could. “So, what if I raise the calorie argument? Tell you that I’m watching my weight.” Which wasn’t true. If anything, it was a struggle to keep weight on these days, thanks to the stress. “Will you quit trying to force feed me ice cream then?”

Rick moved backwards a step, then took a long deliberate look at her, toe to head and back again. “Trust me … and this is strictly a professional medical opinion … you don’t have any worries in the weight department. Besides …” he pointed to the five-gallon tub at the end of the display “… sugar-free, low-fat.”

In spite of herself, Summer’s smile bubbled into laughter. It was a simple thing, really. Go with the moment. Have a scoop of ice cream. Enjoy herself. “OK, so maybe one scoop … blue goo, though. Not vanilla. It’s so … ordinary.”

“So the lady really knows how to cut loose,” Rick commented, then stepped forward to order the rest of the ice cream … chocolate chocolate all the way around, except for the blue goo. “Extra sprinkles for everybody,” he said. “And, Chris, why don’t you and Alyssa go play in Kiddieland while we wait?”

“Kiddieland?” A knot of panic rose up in Summer again as she looked across the parlor at the sectioned-off area for children. It was full of games and toys, little penny rides in the form of horses and dinosaurs, and small tables meant for the kids to enjoy their treats without the parents breathing down their necks. A perfect place for children, as a matter of fact. And it scared her to death. “Um, Alyssa and I don’t really have time to—” Before her words were out, Alyssa had broken free of Summer’s hand once more and scampered off with Chris.

“It’s really very safe,” Rick said.

“I, urn …” There was no explaining this away. She was an over-protective parent. Alyssa grew up in a very guarded world. That was just the way it was. “I’m worried about the germs,” she lied.

“There’s not anything there she won’t be exposed to anywhere else. And Tom Benson is fastidious about cleaning everything every day. Sometimes several times a day.” He paused, contemplated her for a moment. “Are you OK, Summer? You look … nervous.”

She was. And she was embarrassed it showed so much. “We live a quiet life. I probably go a little overboard with Alyssa, but she’s all I have in the world.” Not really a good explanation, but good enough.

“Well, I do understand that,” he said, taking two of the ice-cream cones and handing them to Summer. “Chris is all I have, and I treasure my time with him. Maybe go overboard myself, spoiling him a little, probably trying to compensate, or even overcompensate, in some ways, for his not having a mother around.”

That much was true. Over-protecting, over-compensating … it was what she did, who she was. Or who she’d turned into. There was nothing in her parenting that happened by chance. Not even by trial and error. For her, every bit of it was a well-planned daily existence. “Whatever works,” she said, following Rick across the room to the table that sat square in the middle of the front window. Table with a view, overlooking main street. Best one in the house. But not the one Summer wanted. So, while Rick took ice cream cones to the children, she moved to a more secluded table in the corner, and took the seat with the best view of Kiddieland.

“He’s a really good father,” Julie Corbett said, stepping up to Summer. Julie had her niece, Molly Corbett, in tow. “I knew Rick when we were kids, would have never pictured him this way. But he does it right.”

Summer turned and smiled at Julie, who was married to Jess Corbett, one of the two owners of Lilly Lake Hospital. She and Julie worked together as nurses occasionally, as well as shared the same love for the abandoned and abused horses taken in and cared for by the Gracie Foundation. “How’s Edie feeling? I saw Rafe a couple of days ago and he said she’s ready to … well, his exact word was pop.” She laughed. “I remember that stage with Alyssa, where all I wanted to do was go into labor, get it over with, and move on into the next step of being a mother. For me, that’s when time really dragged out.” She was referring to Edie Corbett, who was married to the hospital’s other owner, Rafe, brother to Jess.

“Well, that’s what Edie’s going through right now. She’s ready to deliver any minute and getting pretty anxious about it since, technically, she’s a week overdue. Which is why I’ve got Molly for the day. Molly was being pretty rambunctious, and I thought Rafe and Edie could use some alone time before the blessed event … time without having to worry about Molly. Besides, after the new baby is born, that’s not going to happen again for a while.

So I thought this would be good for them. Especially for Edie, since Rafe’s all into pampering her right now.”

What a wonderful thought, spending those last moments before birth with the father of your child … the man you loved. She hadn’t had that. Hadn’t had anything even close to that. “I’m sure they appreciate it,” she said, sounding wistful.

“Aunt Julie, can I go play with Chris and Alyssa?” Molly asked, tugging at Julie’s hand.

Julie let go of her niece immediately, allowing her to scramble over to Kiddieland. “What kind of ice cream do you want?” she called after her.

“Chocolate,” Molly called back.

“The flavor of the day is chocolate chocolate, with extra sprinkles,” Summer said, her gaze fixed on the children. Taking quick peeks at Rick, though, when he wasn’t paying attention.

“And look at you, eating blue.”

“Yes, just look at me, eating blue.” She sighed, finally relaxing back into her chair. All in all, this whole ordeal was only a little thing. But sometimes those little things counted. If the expression on her daughter’s face right now meant anything, this impromptu trip to the ice-cream parlor was counting for a whole lot. Alyssa was glowing, playing with her friends. Having the time of her life. “Blue, with sprinkles.”

“Well, I think they’re all settled in for a few minutes,” Rick said, returning to the table, not mentioning a word about Summer’s table switch. Holding out a chair for Julie, he asked, “Care to join us?”

“I’d like to but I’ve got some phone calls to make. I thought I’d go sit in the other corner and work for a few minutes while Molly plays. With the ER expansion under way now, I’ve got a lot of new equipment to look at, more sales reps to talk to than I ever thought I’d have to deal with, and not enough hours in the day to get it all done.” She held up her cellphone. “So, work goes with me, even to Benson’s Ice Creamery. I appreciate the offer, but duty calls.” With that, she headed to the back corner of the parlor and sat down.

“She’s dedicated,” Rick said. “We’re lucky she decided to come back to Lilly Lake once she finished her education, because she’s got amazing talent as a nurse and also as an administrator.”

“She said you two go back a long time.” Somehow, she felt a little envious. Nobody in her life went back very far.

“We were kids. Ran around together for a while. Got into trouble a couple times.”

“Like boyfriend and girlfriend?” OK, that was none of her business, but she was curious.

He shook his head. “Nope. More like allies. Julie was one of Grace Corbett’s foster-children, and I was the son of Lawrence Corbett’s maid. We both felt a little left out or excluded from certain things. Gave us a common bond.” Thinking back, he grinned. “Or a common goal to raise a little hell wherever we could.”

Summer knew what feeling excluded felt like. These days, she felt it acutely herself. “Well, whatever kind of past she had, she’s certainly a talented woman … in her nursing skills, in her ability with horses.”

“You’re not bad with the horses yourself. And as a nurse, I’d rank you right up there with Julie. Speaking of nursing …”

As a nurse … she didn’t want to get into that issue right here. She and Rick had gone round and round before, and nothing had changed. She wasn’t going to take the full-time position he’d been offering her. So she quickly scuttled that part of conversation and turned it around to horses … safe territory. “Grace gave me that experience with horses. I love animals … all animals. Hadn’t ever been around horses, though. Didn’t grow up in a situation where anything like horseback riding was available to me. So when I moved into Gracie House to take care of her, she offered me the opportunity to do something I’d always wanted to do … learn to ride. And I loved it. Loved her for giving it to me.” A faint smile slipped to her lips, remembering that first day Grace had taken her down to the stables. She’d found Jasmine right off, a shy, gentle chestnut. Had fallen in love with her. A week later, Grace had given her Jasmine. “I really miss her,” she said fondly.

“So do I. Grace touched a lot of lives. Mine included, when she endowed me to go to medical school.” “She did that for you?”

Rick nodded. “At the time, I didn’t even know I wanted to be a doctor. I was in college, not majoring in anything. Kind of on the verge of washing out, actually.” He smiled. “Let me rephrase that. I was being a real screw-up. Mad at my mother, mad at the world in general. On academic probation, on disciplinary probation. Probably days away from being kicked to the curb. Then one day, Grace showed up at my dorm room, walked right in and made me an offer. Get my act together, start taking pre-med classes to see if I liked medicine. If I did, she’d send me to medical school.” He didn’t talk about himself much. No reason to. People here either remembered him as a kid and held onto their prejudices or accepted what he’d become, or they’d come to know him as an adult only and based their opinion on what they saw. He did his job, raised his kid, kept to himself. That was his world, and that was all he wanted in his world. But something about Summer compelled him to be, well, a little more loquacious than he normally was. In fact, Summer was the first person he’d ever told about Grace making his medical education available to him. He wasn’t even sure Rafe and Jess knew, and didn’t feel inclined to mention it to them.

“So, just like that, you changed your life?”

He shook his head. “Not really. I gave it some thought. Didn’t like the idea of all the years of study I’d have ahead of me. I wasn’t very focused then so I turned her down. In due course, I grew up some, and got a little more serious about my studies … at least, enough so I wasn’t in imminent danger of getting myself kicked out. Then about a year later I went home on semester break and she offered me a one-week job at the hospital. Hard work, no pay, was what she said.” He chuckled. “I’d always had free access to the stables and the horses. She told me for that door to remain open during my holiday, I had to work that week at the hospital in exchange for my privileges. No hospital, no horses. So I took on the hospital. Did grunt work, nothing glamorous. It nearly broke my back. In fact, I was so tired I never rode once during that week. But after one particularly rough night, where I actually assisted in a resuscitation … I was the one to do the chest compressions that helped save the patient’s life … let’s say that my life changed. It was the first time I’d ever done anything I considered worthwhile, and I floated around on a high from that for weeks. I saved a life. The rest is history, and here I am. Thank God for Grace Corbett and her phenomenal insight into people.”

“I wish I’d known her longer, but she …” Summer paused, drew in a ragged breath. “Taking care of her all those months when she was dying, it was never like I was really working. It was more like being part of something important. And she was so good to Alyssa … I didn’t know Grace as long as everybody else around here did, but I don’t think I’ve ever respected anybody more in my life.”

“She was one of the truly good people.” He licked his ice-cream cone, then pointed to the blue melting down the side of Summer’s cone. “You’d better get after that blue stuff fast,” he said, handing her a napkin. “And in the meantime, while I’ve got you distracted, I’m going to make that offer again.”

Summer shook her head. “No, Rick. Don’t do it, because I haven’t changed my mind. I like my working situation as it is. Being a temp nurse is … good.” Kept her largely unnoticed, off to the side, which was exactly where she wanted to be these days. She raised her daughter, she worked occasionally. It was enough. Although she did have to admit that she missed full-time involvement. Missed the financial security, too. Maybe again someday …

“But it doesn’t pay you as much as you could earn coming on staff as a full-time RN, and you’re a damned good nurse, Summer. I wouldn’t be asking you to head the pediatric ward if I hadn’t already seen how you work. The hospital needs you and I think you need the hospital.”

“See, that’s the thing. I don’t need the hospital. At least, not in the capacity you’re offering me. Coming in occasionally, working wherever I’m needed … that’s all I want to do.” She glanced over at Alyssa, then back at Rick. “I value my time with my daughter, and a full-time job would take too much of that away from me.”

“Like my job as chief of staff takes too much time away from me. But I make it work, Summer. Sometimes I don’t like all the hours I have to put in, but at the end of the day, it works out.”

“I’m glad it does. But I can’t do it.”

This was the third time he’d offered her this position, and had been turned down that many times. Yet he still wanted her in that job. Hadn’t even considered looking for someone else yet. Summer was a good nurse. No, she was great. She had the right instincts as well as a natural gift with children. Maybe her greatest ability was the way she put people at ease. As far as he was concerned, she was the only person he wanted, and he wasn’t going to be deterred by what he was sure was going to be his next rejection. “Look, I don’t know what’s stopping you. If it’s someone reliable to look after Alyssa, bring her to my house. Mrs. Jenkins is there looking after Chris, and—”

Summer thrust out her hand to stop him. “That’s not the point, Rick. I … I can’t get that involved right now. Not with anything.”

“What if I sweetened the pot by telling you that we’re going to start a day-care program for employees’ children? Alyssa could be included in that program, and you’d get to be with her throughout the day. So, would that be enough to make you consider accepting?”

She hesitated. Narrowed her eyes. Didn’t refuse right away, which gave him his first glimmer of hope.

“It does make it more intriguing,” she admitted.

Finally, he was making headway. Letting his hopes rise just a little bit.

“But not enough to accept the offer. I’m sorry, Rick. I can’t do it.”

Hopes dashed to pieces again. But he’d almost hooked her, which meant he wasn’t giving up. Summer was odd, though. Intriguing. Beautiful, with her long blonde hair, her ocean-blue eyes. And she was frustrating as hell. He wanted her, and the more she refused, the more he wanted her. “Well, I’m not giving up. You’re the right person for the position, and I’m pretty damned stubborn.”

“So am I,” she said, smiling. “If you still want me to temp, and I hope you do, I’ll be glad to do that occasionally. But I don’t want … responsibility. Not the kind you’re offering me.”

Yet when she stepped into a position, even a temporary one, she assumed the responsibility like nobody he’d ever seen. It was her nature. The people around her looked to her for leadership. Unfortunately, this was not an argument to wage today. There would be no giving up on her, though. There would be other days, other opportunities, other trips to Benson’s Ice Creamery, he hoped as he watched the children playing together. Watched with pride as his son stood right up for Alyssa, showed her the so-called ropes of Kiddieland.

Summer saw the children’s relationship going on. In fact, she was paying more attention to the children than she was to him which was, admittedly, a little bit of a blow to the ego. Even though he wasn’t interested in Summer that way. But to get upstaged by the children? He could feel the slight sting of it. “Of course I still want you as a temp. But this isn’t over, Summer. Not by a long shot.” In fact, for a moment the thought of a real date with her passed before his eyes. He had to blink pretty hard to get rid of it, though. Because that wouldn’t work. He didn’t have time. He didn’t want the drama either, and one way or another those kinds of relationships always led to drama. For this part of his life, he was dad first, then doctor after that. That’s all. “So I’m warning you …”

Summer laughed, but kept her eyes focused on the children. “You got your way with the blue goo. What more do you want?”

What more did he want? The sun, the moon, and Summer Adair. His hospital needed her, and what was good for the hospital was good for him. So now all he had to do was find a way to convince Summer she needed what he wanted.

As it had turned out, the evening had been nice. Rick was very good company in spite of how he’d pestered her again about the pediatric job. Alyssa had certainly enjoyed playing with Chris. Then, on top of all that, sprinkles became the most important thing in her daughter’s life. She’d asked if she could have them on her breakfast cereal in the morning and on her peanut-butter sandwich for tomorrow’s lunch.

It was her daughter’s horizons broadening. Made Summer proud, scared her, too, as it changed their direction. Turned one step forward into something a little unsure simply because Alyssa had asserted herself today. Under other circumstances, Summer would have been excited about that. But under these circumstances, her real inclination was to pull her daughter closer, protect her a little more.

In a sense, Summer did feel guilty sheltering her daughter the way she did. When they’d lived with Grace she’d had Molly to play with. Still did, whenever she took Alyssa up to Gracie House for either Edie or Mrs. Murdock, the housekeeper, to watch. And now Chris Navarro was in her life. So Alyssa’s world was definitely expanding. But was that enough for her? Summer did worry about that. Worried about Alyssa picking up her anxieties, too.

“So maybe taking that job at the hospital and giving Alyssa the chance to interact with all the children in the day-care center would be a good thing,” she said to Clancy. He was the huge orange tomcat that had adopted them when they’d moved into the cottage. Apparently, he’d called it home for quite a while before she and Alyssa had arrived, and had no problem at all sharing it, especially with people who fed him on a regular basis. A gentle soul, really, he snuggled into Summer’s side when she plopped down on the sofa and picked up a medical journal to read. “She just lights up around other children,” she continued to the cat. “Loved playing with Molly and Chris this evening. So tell me, Clancy. Am I being too over-protective? I mean, this is Lilly Lake, New York. It’s safe here. Out of the way. Who’s going to come here looking for me?”

Who, indeed. Maybe an ex-husband? A thought that chilled her to the bone. Only thing was, thinking about the job Rick had offered warmed her. So did the image of Rick that popped into her mind.

“Besides, I’d really love to work again. Have a permanent position. And Rick’s offer …” She scratched Clancy behind the ears, eliciting his purr. “Sure, life is easy for you. You have someone to take care of you. Don’t have to worry about anything because it’s all being provided for you, you lucky cat.”

In a sense, though, Grace had done the same for her. And it was Grace on her mind when she picked up the phone quite a while later and dialed Rick Navarro’s cellphone.

“Hello,” he said, his voice thick.

“Hi, Rick. It’s Summer. Did I wake you?” She glanced at the clock, surprised to see that it was well after eleven.

He cleared his throat before he answered. “You’re not craving more blue goo, are you?”

He always did that, always made her smile. “What I’m craving is a meeting in the morning. One where we discuss the terms of my new job.”

“Well, that was definitely worth waking up for,” he said, suddenly sounding alert.

The thing was, she was having quite the opposite reaction. Now that she’d committed herself, all she wanted to do was go curl up for a nice, cozy sleep. Something she hadn’t done since she couldn’t remember when. Normally, her sleep was rigid, interrupted, unrestful. But something about her decision, something about hearing Rick’s voice the last thing in her day … definitely a good night’s sleep ahead.

CHAPTER TWO

“IT’s a pretty straightforward idea, Summer. We want to expand the pediatric department, integrate more kinds of medical services, especially rehabilitation.” Rick pushed a rough-up of the floor plan across the desk to Summer. “We’ve got the space allotted, and the architects are working on some ideas to maximize the space we already have so they can integrate that into the new space we’re going to build. In total, we’re going to double the square footage and bring in an additional five services we haven’t offered before. In size, this expansion equals what we’re doing in trauma, and it’s going to give us the largest pediatric service in the region.”

She studied the plan for a moment, liked what she saw. Lilly Lake Hospital, as it operated now, had a tidy little pediatric department that offered the basics. It was good already, but what Rick had in mind was going to make it great. Being part of it excited her. More than that, it revived the passion she’d once felt for medicine, passion she’d lost during her marriage and had never recovered. Now she could feel the tingle. But she had to keep it reined in until she was actually hired, and Rick did still have to go over her credentials. That made her nervous. They were solid, no faking her background, but would they be enough for him now that she was under the microscope, so to speak? “I’ve never run an entire department. Just an intensive care unit. Is that good enough for you?”

“Grace found you and hired you, so that’s good enough for me.”

“And the day-care unit?”

“Maybe not a top priority, but we can get it launched in a small capacity almost immediately.”

It was sounding more and more appealing.

“So, what aren’t you telling me?” There was always a catch, wasn’t there? That little hidden bit of information that didn’t come out until after the fact. Like a husband who enjoyed beating his wife but hadn’t shown the proclivity until after they were married.

“Nothing that I can think of.”

She looked hard into Rick’s eyes, studied them for a moment, then nodded. “OK, then …” She saw no guile there. Saw no mean spirit. “With the provision that there will be a day-care program, I’ll take the job.” And just like that, she was committed. Also excited.

“Done deal, then.”

“That’s too easy,” she quipped.

“It was meant to be. I realized somewhere between your second and third refusal that we had to figure your daughter into the equation. I have a great housekeeper and nanny looking after Chris, but if I didn’t, I’d want him here, with me. So I put myself in your position and saw that someone to care for Alyssa was probably the only thing stopping you from accepting.”

“That’s being overly optimistic, don’t you think?” Or extremely observant.

“Maybe. But the gamble paid off, didn’t it? I’ve done the preliminary work toward getting the day-care center off the ground, and you’ve accepted the job.”

“I’m not really that easy,” she said, feeling flattered, and a little awkward about how well he could anticipate her.

“Not easy at all. You’ve caused me to lose sleep, Summer.”

“Let me guess. You lay awake at night, trying to figure out what it would take to persuade me to accept the position. Right?”

He grinned. “Something like that.”

“Well, then …” She stood, not sure what else to do at this point. “I’ll start tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow. Oh, and day care will be open. I hired someone to watch the children until we’re fully functional and have a real staff in place.”

“Qualified?”

“Eminently. She was my third-grade teacher. Retired now. I’ve put her in charge, temporarily, with the option of staying on to head the program, if she’s as good as I think she’ll be.”

A new job, a place where Alyssa would be safe … Just like that, her life had changed yet again. But it was a good change. This time. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself all the way home.

Jess Corbett plopped down in the chair across the desk from Rick. “You look like you just opened a whole bunch of Christmas presents,” he said, smiling. “All of them good.”

“In a way, I did,” Rick said. “Summer’s finally consented to being head nurse in Pediatrics.”

“Well. I’ll be damned. It only took you, what? Three months? Julie said she wasn’t sure Summer would ever do it, but I figured if you wanted her bad enough, you’d figure out a way to get her. So, what did it take?” Jess stretched out his long legs and leaned back in the chair, cupping his hands behind his head. “And is this going to be a long story? Because I’ve got to go see a patient on my way out, go home and have breakfast with my lovely wife, then teach a class on CPR.”

Rick was beginning to like Jess. Not completely there yet, but working on it and trying hard to get over that last hurdle of trust. They had history, most of it pretty bad. Jess and his older brother, Rafe, had been the bullies, and he their favorite victim, when they were kids. Kids’ stuff, most of it, but pretty hurtful at times, since his mother’s livelihood had depended on their father employing her. Which meant he himself had had to sit back and take it. And they had known how to dish it out, Rafe physically, Jess verbally, all of it owing to the abuse they’d suffered at the hands of their father. When he’d been a kid, Rick hadn’t known the whole psychological profile of how abuses often begat abuses. All he’d known had been that Rafe and Jess had come at him whenever they’d had a chance, and he’d hated them for it.

Well, it was all in the past now. They were adults. Rafe and Jess had apologized many times over. More than that, their earnestness came through in their actions toward Rick. They owned the hospital, but had turned it over to him to run the medical aspects of it. More than that, he had equal weight in all the decisions. They treated him fairly. “Not so long as it is complicated. And it only took me two months, not three.”

Jess chuckled. “Isn’t that always the way when a beautiful woman’s involved? I mean, look what happened to me when I got involved with my beautiful woman. All the things I swore I’d never do … well, I’m doing them. And I’m very happy with my life since I met Julie. So tell me, what’s your beautiful lady got you caught up in?”

Rick shook his head, conjuring up a quick flash of Summer when she’d flounced out his door. And flouncing it had been. Or maybe he’d wanted her to flounce, fantasized her flouncing. Whatever … “Well, she’s not mine, not going to be mine. Did that once, and my ex was beautiful, but I’m not going to let my head be turned like that again with anybody else. My marriage woes aside, though, this particular beautiful woman wanted a little extra incentive to come and work here.”

Jess arched amused eyebrows. “Let me guess. A day-care center for hospital staff? Julie’s mentioned that to me a time or two and, so you’ll know, she’s pretty well lined up with Summer on this one. She wants a day-care program, too, for when we get started on the family situation.”

“So you knew this was going to happen?”

“You want Summer. We all want Summer. And Summer’s all about her little girl. According to Julie, she has the worst separation anxiety she’s ever seen. It’s so bad she nearly has panic attacks when Alyssa is out of her sight. Plus, she’s got a pretty short list of people she trusts to watch Alyssa when she’s working. So, yes, I figured it was going to happen sooner or later. You know, give a little, get a lot.”

“But it’s a good move for the entire staff, too,” Rick explained. “Not just Summer, and not just for Summer. As we expand our services, we’ll be bringing in more people to work. To get the best-qualified people we can, we’ve got to offer them the perks that other hospitals our size don’t. Salary and nice facilities aside, it has to be about the human touch … our day-care program, for starters. Then other quality-of-life issues. And before you tell me this is something I should have discussed with you and Rafe …”

Jess thrust out his hand to stop him. “Your decision, Rick. If you think we need it, then we’ll do it. You don’t need our permission to dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t’. OK? And for what it’s worth, I’m with you on it. Rafe will be too, although he’s probably too tied up with Edie right now to care about much of anything going on around here. He’s taking these last days of pregnancy much harder than his wife is. But he’ll be behind you when he’s not so distracted, because he’ll understand the benefits of this, too.”

You don’t need our permission … That was the part of his job he was still getting used to, the part where he had all the authority. The Rafe and Jess Corbett he’d spent half his growing-up years fighting and hating trusted him implicitly with their hospital. They’d even mentioned bringing him on as a full partner at some point, an idea he couldn’t quite wrap his psyche around because sometimes it still felt like he was treading on eggshells, waiting for them to resort to their old selves. They were the ones who were past all that, though. Which made his trust issues entirely his problem as there were still days when he woke up wondering if this would be the day they pulled the rug out from under him.

“Well, I’m glad you’re good with this because Summer’s going to start tomorrow, and our new day-care programs starts tomorrow, too. Anita Johnson will head it up to begin with and with any luck maybe permanently. Remember her?”

Jess arched his eyebrows. “I’m impressed. She was probably one of the best school teachers I ever knew. But I thought she was retired.”

“Retired, and bored. So I thought who better than to take care of the kids of the kids she taught?”

“You cover all the angles, don’t you?” Jess asked, chuckling.

“As many as I have to.”

“Good. I’m glad we’re moving forward. Aunt Grace put her trust in the right man when she hired you.” He stood. “Anyway, like I said, I’ve got to teach a class in two hours, and I’ve got a lot to do before that.” Jess was a part-time trauma surgeon as well as paramedic trainer and second in charge of the Lilly Lake Volunteer Fire Department, walking the line between the two careers. One of those rare individuals who could do it all.

“How’s the program coming?” Rick asked, referring to the paramedic training that was actually a hospital and fire department cross-over program.

“Got three people in it right now. Give us a few months and I think we’re going to have a good team in place and an even better training program going into our next round. I’ve got about a dozen people interested in taking the upcoming class. A few of them coming in from other towns.”

Times were changing in Lilly Lake, Rick thought as Jess headed out. Suddenly, he was excited. The times really were changing, and he was cautiously optimistic. And smiling. Although that smile had more to do with Summer than anything else.

“Oh, my,” Summer said, placing a pillow behind Edie Corbett’s back. “I think you’ve doubled in size since I saw you … when was it? Day before yesterday?”

“Not doubled. Tripled. At least, that’s what it feels like.” She sank back into the pillows on the couch and very gingerly lifted her feet. “You know I’ve been pregnant for two and a half years, don’t you?”

Laughing, Summer sat down in the chair across from her. “My last month carrying Alyssa was miserable. Everything was swollen, including my fingernails. And it felt like there were forty-eight days that month, thirty-six hours in each and every day.”

“Well, if nothing happens in the next couple of days, they’re going to induce labor.”

“But everything’s OK, isn’t it?” Summer asked.

Edie nodded, grimaced, then smiled. “Everything but my mood. I’m being grumpy. That’s why Rafe took the girls down to the stables. He told me I could use some alone time. Loosely translated to mean he needed to get out of the house and Molly needed a break from my last few days of jitters.”

“Is Alyssa going to ride?” Summer asked, growing concerned with the idea.

“Rafe promised to put her up on a pony. Molly wanted to give her a tandem saddle and the three of them go up to Hideaway Bluff, but Rafe’s pretty cautious when it comes to putting the kids on the horses. So right now they’re out in the smaller paddock, going round in circles, and Alyssa’s riding with Rafe until he thinks she’s safe to do tandem.”

Gracie House, and the whole estate, was one of the few places she actually felt safe. And knowing that Alyssa was with Rafe didn’t bother her as much as it might have at one time because Gracie House was home. Even though she didn’t live in it now, the safety she’d felt when she had still seeped in. It was always good to come back. Although, in reality, she still lived on the property, not even half a mile away. “Well, since she’s having a good time and I don’t want to take that away from her, I suppose I could come back for her later on. Or maybe Rafe could drop her by the house when they’ve finished.”

“Or, you could relax and have tea with me. And I’ll promise not to be too grumpy while we wait.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather take a nap? You’re about to give up any hope of sleeping for the next few months.”

“Except I’ve got Rafe. Half the sleep deprivation is going to be his, since this is his endeavor, too.” She patted her belly. Grimaced yet again, this time reaching around to massage the small of her back.

“You’re lucky. I spent my first few months learning to sleep anywhere, any time I could.” Because she hadn’t had a husband who would help. In fact, the couple of times when she’d asked for it, he’d either stormed out, which had been preferable, or he’d—

“You did it alone?” Edie cut in, interrupting Summer’s thoughts.

Summer nodded. Didn’t volunteer any more information.

“I guess I didn’t know that. For some reason, I thought you were still married when Alyssa was born.”

“In name,” she said, wishing the topic had never come up. She didn’t talk about it. Not to anyone. Not ever. Oh, Grace had known how bad her marriage had been, but that was different. And while she trusted Edie, silence on the topic of her marriage was still the best thing. Battered wives didn’t make for great conversation. In fact, the topic had a way of stopping the conversation cold. “Look, I’m going to go make us that pot of tea. Think happy baby thoughts or take a nap … I’ll be back in a minute.” With that, she practically jumped off the chair and sprinted to the kitchen, only too glad to get away from the subject.

Slumping against the fridge for support, with the one and only purpose of steadying her nerves, Summer shut her eyes, drew in a deep breath … New direction. New life. That’s what she had to keep telling herself.

“You OK, Summer?” Myra Murdock, the Corbett housekeeper, asked.

“Fighting off a headache,” Summer lied, pushing herself away from the fridge. “Um … what kind of tea does Edie prefer?”

“These days it’s green because it’s a little lower in caffeine. One cup a day is all she gets, though.” Myra pointed to a tin on the counter top. “She likes it with cream. Oh, and help yourself to anything you want. There’s a tea caddy in the pantry … the Ceylon is my favorite.”

“Ceylon,” Summer repeated, as her pulse finally settled down to a normal rhythm.

“Could I ask you for a favor, Summer?” Myra continued. “Since you’re going to be staying for tea, would you mind looking after Edie while I run to the post office to mail a package to my granddaughter? Her birthday’s next week. I was going to wait until Rafe came back to the house, but if I hurry, the package may still go out today.”

“Go,” Summer said. “And don’t rush. As often as you’ve watched Alyssa for me, it’s the least I can do.”

Tea made, Summer carried it back to the living room, where Edie was trying to readjust her back pillow. “Can’t get comfortable,” she said, clearly agitated. “No matter which way I turn it, I still get back spasms …”

“Back spasms?” Summer asked, setting down the tea tray. “How long have you been getting them?”

“Most of the day. They’re not bad. Just annoying, because every time I get comfortable, I have another one.” Edie flinched. “Just like that.”

“When Rafe went down to the paddock with the girls, did he know you were having back spasms?” She pulled her cellphone from her pocket.

“I didn’t tell him. He’s been saint with me, and I’ve been complaining about so many things lately, I thought he needed the time away. And like I said, they’re more an annoyance than anything else.”

Summer glanced at her watch, then punched in a number, waited for a ring, and heard it coming from the table next to the front door. Rafe had left his phone behind. “Well, ready or not, I think you’re going to have a baby in a little while,” she said, punching in another number. “You’re probably having back labor,” she said, as the ringer on the other end kicked in.

“It’s only little twinges.” Edie protested. “Labor’s supposed to be … painful. These are just …” Another twinge hit, and she readjusted herself on the sofa. “It really couldn’t be labor, could it?” she said a moment later.

“Well, I’ve been timing your twinges, and they’re coming pretty regularly, and less than a minute apart,” Summer said. “Hey, Rick,” she said when he picked up on the other end. “I’m at Gracie House. Edie’s contractions are less than a minute apart, Rafe’s down at the paddock with the girls … Oh, and his phone is here. So, is Jess still there? I saw him heading down the hall on my way out earlier.”

“He’s on duty at the firehouse,” Rick said. “And we got word they’re out on a run, about halfway over to Jasper. Car wreck, minor injuries.”

Now she was getting concerned. “And the ambulance is tied up at the wreck?”

“On its way back in with a patient.”

“Well, I don’t think I can get Edie into my car …” She glanced down at Edie, who was already well into another of her “twinges”. “So, with the rate she’s speeding up here, and given the fact that this has been in progress for several hours now, this could be a home birth. And unless I miss my guess, she’s ready to push.” “Ever done a home birth?”

“No, but I assisted in a few births when I was a student, and did one on my own. One, Rick. That’s all.” She desperately wished Rick was there. Or Rafe. Or Jess. Truth was, in trying to keep up a calm facade for Edie’s sake, she was turning into a quivering heap of nerves inside. Delivering babies wasn’t her thing. She loved taking care of them, but had never really gained much experience helping them into the world. Other than that one delivery done as a nurse, and having Alyssa, she was totally inexperienced in this.

“Um, Summer …” Edie said. “I think maybe you’re right about me needing to push. I’m beginning to feel a lot of pressure …” This time the grimace came with a groan.

Well, this was going to be her third time. So, what was it they said about the third time being a charm? She was keeping her fingers crossed that would be the case. “Look, Rick, I need to go find some towels …” She turned away from Edie. “Real fast,” she whispered. “Edie’s labor has done a major acceleration, and this baby is fighting to get out. As in right now!”

“Towels are in the laundry room, off the kitchen,” Edie panted.

She turned around, nodded at Edie, then broke into a dead run, talking to Rick on the way. “So I need someone here as fast as you can get them. Someone more experienced at this than I am. And see if you can find someone to go get Rafe. He should be here for this, too. Oh, and don’t hang up on me, Rick,” she said, grabbing an armload of freshly laundered towels and running back to Edie. “I need someone to talk me through it. The last time I even went near a birthing, other than Alyssa, was ten years ago.”

“Ten years? Then you should be good to go,” he teased.

“Easy for you to say,” she quipped, then dropped the load of towels down next to Edie.

Edie began to pant. “Are we going to do this right …?” Another twinge, this time much harder than the others.

“Rick is sending help,” Summer said, then clicked the phone over to speaker and set it aside. “In the meantime, I need to take a look to see what’s going on. So if you don’t mind …”

Edie not only didn’t mind, she squirmed herself into the position as fast as she could.

“Help is on the way,” Rick’s voice cracked out on the wobbly phone connection. “Ten minutes … sooner … I’ll be …”

Rick was coming? Was that what he was trying to tell her? Somehow, Summer felt better already. “OK, Edie,” she said, removing the shade from the lamp sitting on the table next to the sofa. “Let’s see what’s happening.”

One look told her everything. Edie was fully dilated. Ready to crown. And one feel to Edie’s abdomen confirmed it all. “So, are you ready to be a mother?” she asked. “Because we’ve got a little work to do now.” Summer had to remember that even though Edie held an important position at the hospital, she wasn’t considered medical staff and hadn’t had medical training outside some basic first-aid skills. Her position, as Child Life Specialist, was more about stepping in as the go-between, the person who helped the child through the whole hospital experience, explained the procedures in the way a child could understand them. “I know you feel like pushing, and we’ll get to that in just a minute. But I’d like to wait as long as we can, since …”

“No waiting,” Edie gasped, grabbing the edge of the couch so hard her knuckles went white. “I want this baby born. now!”

“Let me see what I can do.” Summer felt Edie’s abdomen again, while the next contraction hit, trying to discern the baby’s position. “OK, I think your Mary Grace is as impatient as you are, because she’s not waiting.” Although Summer wanted to wait for Rick, for Rafe, for anybody.

“So give the ladies what they want,” Rick said from the phone, sounding almost breathless.

He was on his way. Running, she thought. She knew it. More than that, she felt it. Somehow, that made everything feel better, feel right. Rick being on the other end of the phone that was the only reason she was getting through this and appearing reasonably steady. “I think I will. So, let’s get you in a little better position. Try sitting up as much as you can. Then draw your knees up. And … I see her! I see your daughter, Edie. At least the top of her. Which means, on your next contraction, go ahead and push.”

Edie struggled into place, with Summer’s help. Then, winded, she laid her head back on a cushion and shut her eyes for a moment. “Remind me to renew my gym membership. I didn’t know I was so out of shape.”

“Neither did I when I went through this,” Summer said, as she placed a few extra pillows behind Edie’s back. “And let me warn you, while it’s a beautiful thing, and I’d do it all over again, several more times actually, afterwards I ached for days in places I didn’t know could ache. But it’s worth it.”

“Just get her out,” Edie begged. “Just, please, get her out of me!”

Summer took a quick pulse, wishing she had something to monitor fetal progress. So far, this process had taken mere minutes … minutes that seemed like hours. “Rick, I’m going to attempt to lift the baby’s head. Anything you want to tell me?”

“Um … good luck?”

Summer laughed. “And for that you got your medical degree?”

“Are you two …?” Edie began, then another contraction hit, and this time she pushed hard. The baby progressed, but not all the way, and Edie fell back into the pillows.

“Next time,” Summer said, taking a second to unclench her clenched muscles. “A couple?” Edie managed. “What?”

“Are you and Rick together? You seem so in tune … Oh, oh …” Another contraction hit, and at that exact moment the front door finally, literally burst open, Edie screamed the scream of her life, and Mary Grace Corbett made her entry into the world in one grand whoosh.

“She’s beautiful,” Summer gasped. “Ten fingers, ten toes …” Then she handed Rafe’s daughter over to Rafe, who was standing shoulder to shoulder with Rick, and collapsed on the floor, a bundle of nerves, a flood of happy tears. With some very gentle arms wrapped around her.

“You did it,” Rick said, holding onto her, rocking her like she was a child to be protected. “Summer, you did it all by yourself!”

She glanced up at Mary Grace as the next wave of medical workers hurried in to whisk mother and daughter off to the hospital. “I did,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Laying her head against Rick’s chest, glad to be there, glad for the support, she drew in a deep breath. Smiled. This was a nice place to be. All of it. Everything. A very nice place to be.

CHAPTER THREE

“SHE’S beautiful,” Summer murmured, looking through the nursery window at Mary Grace, who was swaddled in a pink baby blanket and sleeping peacefully. The nostalgia was overwhelming Summer. She truly had never thought about having another baby, but looking at the one she’d helped into the world was doubling her maternal instincts. Another baby girl, or a boy, for her to hold in her arms would be wonderful. A perfect dream. Maybe someday … If, and only if, her life ever got straightened out.

“For someone who’s delivered only one baby by herself, you did a good job,” Rick said. “Actually, you did a great job. You’ve got exceptional instincts, picking up on Edie’s labor when Edie didn’t even know she was in labor, let alone how far along into it she was.”

“Labor is different for everybody. If you’re expecting pain, and you don’t get it, I can see how you wouldn’t recognize what those little twinges were, like Edie was having.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you were there, and did see the situation for what it was.”

Summer turned around, with her back to the glass, and leaned. Felt exhausted, which didn’t matter. Looked a mess, which did, because she didn’t want Rick seeing her like this. Sure, they’d logged time together in the stables, grooming horses, cleaning up messes. But that was different. They’d been in it together. He’d looked as bad as she did. Here, though … she really wanted to look better. Probably her new position as Nursing Supervisor in Pediatrics finally making its mark. “You know what? I need to go home, clean up … spend some time with Alyssa. She wants to hear all about the baby, and I promised her we’d make spaghetti for dinner. So I have to run to the grocery store to pick up a few things for the sauce.”

“Home-made sauce?” Rick asked, his eyes widening. “You can make that? The only sauce we ever get comes from a jar. You know, open it up, heat it in the microwave.”

Summer laughed. “Well, there’s that. And there’s the real thing. You know, chopped vegetables, cook down the tomatoes, add lots of garlic, mushrooms, peppers … My grandmother was Italian and she would have fainted at the sight of commercially prepared sauce.”

“I don’t suppose you make your own pasta, do you?”

She nodded. “It’s easy. Even Alyssa knows how to make pasta.”

“And now you’re putting me to shame,” Rick confessed, “because I can’t cook if it doesn’t come already prepared, in some sort of package. If it weren’t for Mrs. Jenkins, I don’t think Chris would even know that food can be made from scratch at home. And even then, she’s not a great cook. Sticks to basics, but not a master chef by any means.”

“Well, I don’t suppose Alyssa even knows you can have spaghetti sauce from a jar, or pasta from a box. But, then, I don’t go out a lot, so that gives me more time to cook. In a way, it keeps me connected to my grandmother.”

“She’s gone now?”

Summer nodded. “I’m the only one left, except Alyssa.”

“No aunts or uncles or cousins?” “Too distant to count. Anyway …” She pushed herself off the glass wall, took one final look at the baby, then headed down the hall. Halfway to the door leading to the main foyer she turned back to Rick. “Bring the wine for us. Nothing fancy. And something without high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweetener for the kids.” “For what?” he asked.

“For home-made spaghetti and sauce. If you want to come for dinner.”

OK, so that was probably a huge tactical error, inviting him over for dinner. He was her boss, after all, and fraternizing wasn’t a good idea. But having adult conversation over a meal was something she didn’t get very often. In fact, this would be the first time she’d invited anybody over socially. Of course, if they discussed work, well … that would make it better, or at least seem less personal. She’d drag out her preliminary plans for the day-care center, let the children play together while the adults kicked back, sipped wine and talked about a way to knock out the wall between the storage closet and the waiting area. They’d make it a casual night. Part business, part pleasure.

Suddenly, Summer was excited about the evening ahead. But she wasn’t sure if it was about the prospect of moving forward with her new job, sitting across the dinner table with an adult, or because that adult was Rick Navarro. Whatever the case, she fairly floated through the grocery store, picking up various items for the sauce, almost nervous over the prospect of cooking for a man. The last time she’d done that had been … She had to think about it for a moment. These days, she tried blotting out everything she could about Cameron. Tall, handsome, brutal. Ice for a heart. Oh, she’d cooked for him, cleaned for him, serviced him in bed the way a dutiful wife was supposed to. And she’d worked, too, as the head nurse in a pediatric intensive care unit. None of it had been enough, though. No matter what she’d done, no matter how hard she’d tried, it had never been enough. Men like Cameron couldn’t be pleased. Not even with her culinary skills, which she knew were good.

Well, no more thinking about that. No way she wanted those memories ruining the evening, and they would, if she wasn’t careful. They always did when her resolve wore down and her anxieties reared up. But not tonight. Not when Rick was coming to dinner. But only casually, of course.

“Looks easy enough,” Rick commented, gazing over Summer’s shoulder. He’d watched her though the process of making the pasta, cooking the tomatoes down to a sauce, chopping up the vegetables. He’d even had a hand in chopping the onions, until Summer had called him off because his pieces had been too large. She was very persnickety about those culinary details. Now she was adding green peppers and getting ready to toss in the mushrooms, all in unmistakably smaller pieces than the onions had been until she’d re-chopped them. “Are you sure you don’t want me to do something else … non-vegetable?”

She pointed to the cheese grater sitting on the counter. “Block of Parmesan cheese is in the refrigerator. I like it fresh on the spaghetti, not from a tub or can.” Smiling, she turned to face him. “Do you know how to grate cheese?”

He faked rolling up his sleeves. “Let me at it. I’m the best cheese grater you’ll ever come across in the entire state of New York.”

“I have my doubts,” she teased. “In fact, I’m betting you didn’t even know Parmesan came in a block.”

“Would you be saying that because I botched the onions?” He arched amused eyebrows.

“I’m saying that because you’re a man whose idea of a good meal is opening a can of something, or stopping for take-out on his way home from work.”

He clutched his chest. “You’ve hurt me to the very core.”

“If you’re hurt to the core, it’s because of the food you’ve been eating. But my home-made pasta is guaranteed to cure you … to the very core.”

This conversation was getting dangerously close to turning flirtatious, and she was enjoying it way too much. Meaning it was time to stop, take a deep breath, re-group and come back at it from an entirely different angle. “Look, I think it’s way too quiet in the other room. Maybe you should go check on the kids?” In other words, get him out of sight, but quick, then hopefully he’d be out of mind as well.

Rick gave her a curious look, then backed away.

“Maybe I should.”

In a matter of seconds she was alone in the kitchen, feeling a little weak in the knees.

Which was stupid. But for a minute there she’d started to feel … secure and snug. Part of something she really shouldn’t feel part of. Or maybe the word was happy. In other words, her guard was down, pretty much all the way to the floor. Naturally, it was a mistake she would have to correct, of course, but she enjoyed Rick’s company, his conversation. And living in the moment was nice for a change. Too bad she couldn’t go there again. Or, at least, not as far as she’d almost gone. Her resolve slowly being restored, Summer returned to chopping vegetables.

Rick stood off to the side of the doorway, unseen to Summer yet watching her. Beautiful, confident in her skills, still trying to stay emotionally detached. She was a puzzle for sure, and while she had a right to be any way she wanted, staying detached didn’t suit her. Wasn’t her natural personality. He’d worked with her at the hospital, and also at the Gracie Foundation. He’d seen her when she wasn’t being so careful or guarded, so he knew what was under that restrained exterior. But that exterior was what she wanted people to see, so he’d respect it. What else could he do?

“The kids are fine,” he said, keeping himself well away from her when he finally stepped into the kitchen. “They were playing games, and right now Chris is reading a book to Alyssa. It’s about a little bunny that’s afraid to come out of its bunny house.” Like Summer, who was afraid to come out of herself. When it came right down to it, though, so was he. “And I, um … I want to go back and hear how the story turns out, if you don’t mind.” Let her have her space, which was clearly what she wanted.

“It’s a great ending,” she said, her voice unusually reserved, as if she’d tied up her emotions and put them away for safekeeping. “Go, listen to it.”

What made Summer tick? He wondered about it as he sat down next to Alyssa on the floor to become part of Chris’s audience. In fact, he thought about it so much he missed the ending to the story and had to pick up the book and read it for himself after the kids scampered off to play in the yard. What got the bunny out of the bunny house? It was a simple answer. Someone the bunny trusted.

The thing was, he was pretty sure Summer didn’t trust. Same with him, and he knew that. He also knew he shouldn’t get involved. As in no more ice cream, no more spaghetti. No more thoughts. Now all he had to do was find a way to go against that deeper urge to connect because damn if he didn’t like being with her.

Dinner was casual. They sat on the kitchen floor, balancing plates on their laps. Not because Summer intended to entertain that way, but because the children had ganged up on them about having a picnic. OK, so maybe some people wouldn’t agree that the children should get their way, but this was a simple thing. Since it was drizzling outside, Chris and Alyssa wanted to picnic on the floor, and Rick had jumped right into that line. So they spread out a blanket and picnicked in the kitchen, with salads and bread set out in front of them and precariously perched plates of spaghetti. Had she known this was going to turn into a picnic, she would have made sandwiches. But this was actually nice, and kind of funny, watching Rick trying to juggle his plate and get the spaghetti all the way to his mouth without spilling it.

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