NEW YORK CITY DOCS

Hot-shot surgeons, taking the world by storm…by day and by night!

In the heart of New York City, four friends sharing an apartment in Brooklyn are on their way to becoming the best there is at the prestigious West Manhattan Saints Hospital—and these driven docs will let nothing stand in their way!

Meet Tessa, Kimberlyn, Holly and Sam as they strive to save lives and become top-notch surgeons in the Big Apple. Trained by world-class experts, these young docs are the future—and they’re taking the medical world by storm.

But with all their time dedicated to patients, late nights and long shifts, the last thing they expect is to meet the loves of their lives!

For fast-paced drama and sizzling romance, check out the

New York City Docs quartet:

Hot Doc from Her Past Tina Beckett

Surgeons, Rivals…Lovers Amalie Berlin

Falling at the Surgeon’s Feet Lucy Ryder

One Night in New York Amy Ruttan

Available now!

Born and raised on the outskirts of Toronto, Ontario, AMY RUTTAN fled the big city to settle down with the country boy of her dreams. When she’s not furiously typing away at her computer she’s mom to three wonderful children, who have given her another job as a taxi driver. A voracious reader, she was given her first romance novel by her grandmother, who shared her penchant for a hot romance. From that moment Amy was hooked by the magical worlds, handsome heroes and sigh-worthy romances contained in the pages, and she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. Life got in the way, but after the birth of her second child she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a romance author.

Amy loves to hear from readers. It makes her day, in fact. You can find out more about Amy at her website: amyruttan.com

One Night in New York

Amy Ruttan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

Thank you for picking up a copy of One Night in New York.

I had a lot of fun writing this book, and I had a great time plotting out this series with my fellow quad authors Tina Beckett, Amalie Berlin and Lucy Ryder. Lots of giggling was to be had.

In its past, New York City was the city where immigrants found a chance to start again. It’s a city that’s alive and vibrant. It’s the kind of city my heroine needs. It’s a place where she can find herself again after her heartbreaking divorce.

My hero is no stranger to New York, but he too finds out who he really is and who he is as a doctor, just about to start on the path he’s always dreamed of and step out of the shadows as a brilliant pediatric surgeon. New York is the city of dreams, after all.

To paraphrase that great song ‘New York, New York’ and Ol’ Blue Eyes: If my characters can make it here, they can make it anywhere.

I love hearing from readers, so please drop by my website, amyruttan.com, or give me a shout on @ruttanamy

With warmest wishes

Amy Ruttan

This book is dedicated to my fellow quartet authors:

Tina Beckett, Amalie Berlin and Lucy Ryder.

Thank you, ladies, for such an awesome experience.

I had so much fun creating an exciting world with you and bringing West Manhattan Saints to life.

Table of Contents

Cover

About the Author

Title Page

Dear Reader

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

EPILOGUE

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

Manhattan, winter

THE BAR WASN’T particularly packed tonight, but that wasn’t overly strange as it was the middle of the week. Still, as Sam Napier peered around the glitzy nightclub on the Upper West Side, far from his local watering hole in Brooklyn, there were a few glitterati mingling, drinks in their hands, trying to escape the wintry blast of cold air outside. It was a good night to people-watch and he had nothing else to do.

He leaned back against the bar, sipping his Scotch and people-watching. This was a place where he could just melt into the woodwork, if there was any wood in the chrome and glass bar, and no one knew who he was. It was nice.

The local watering hole in Brooklyn was great, but there would be a ninety-nine point nine percent chance that he would run into someone from work and/or one of his roommates and tonight he didn’t want that. He didn’t need to talk about how there was a new attending who could possibly mess with his future at West Manhattan Saints Hospital.

Besides, Enzo, his closest friend, had paired up with Sam’s roommate Kimberlyn and those two had recently moved to Tennessee. His other roommate, Tessa, had moved out and there was no way he could handle the girl talk with Holly his only current roommate, though some more were moving in. Just the thought of her chattering made him shudder.

There was no one to commiserate with. No close friends and those he was close to wouldn’t expect him to open up anyway. He kept most things to himself, but tonight he really needed to drown his sorrows. No one would understand that one of the department heads who had a say in his appointment as a pediatric fellow had retired and a new replacement surgeon had been appointed. And apparently the surgeon replacing Dr. Powers, the former Head of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, was one of the top surgeons in the field and a slave-driver.

But Sam didn’t see the need for maternal-fetal medicine at West Manhattan Saints. Dr. Amelia Chang, Head of Pediatrics, could handle most issues in utero with the OB/GYN, and even then they could send the patient on to a larger hospital if necessary.

In all Sam’s years at West Manhattan Saints he’d barely seen Dr. Powers in surgery. So why did she need a replacement for such a small department? The obstetrics department at West Manhattan Saints was not large. The hospital was known for trauma, with Dr. Ootaka at the helm, and Pediatrics.

This new attending was a waste of money as far as Sam was concerned. But not surprising, given who the chief of surgery was. This new attending was probably BFFs with Professor Gareth Langley.

Great. Just what he needed: another egotistical, maniacal surgeon like the chief of surgery at West Manhattan Saints or, worse, like his mother…

At least he’d learned one thing from her numerous failed relationships and dalliances: successful surgeons couldn’t have a family.

“You need to find someone, Sam. You’re lonely.” Kimberlyn’s plea popped into his mind. “I know some nice girls,” she had said repeatedly.

Sam had always rebuffed her. The last thing he wanted was a relationship. He didn’t have time for one. Still, he kind of wished sometimes he had someone, even if just for a moment.

Sam was knocked out of his reverie and his drink was splashed down the front of his sweater when he was whacked by an icy wet scarf.

“Holy crackers! It’s cold out there,” a big puffy yeti said, sitting down on the bar stool next to him as it began to pull off its layers.

“Bloody hell…”

“Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.” As the last layer came off a beautiful redheaded vixen reached for a napkin and began to dab at his sweater in a futile attempt to soak up the expensive Scotch that had seeped into the fibers. “I can’t believe I did that. I didn’t see you there.”

“Obviously not.” Sam wiped away the chunk of snow that was melting in his eye. “Then again, I don’t how much you could see with that many layers on. It’s not that cold outside, lass.”

Her brown eyes widened. “You’re Scottish.”

“Half,” he mumbled, snatching the napkin from her hand and trying to fix the damage to his sweater himself. When he got agitated his accent came out thicker. His mother was American, but since his father had mostly raised him in the Highlands he had more Scot in him than Yankee, though he had been born in Manhattan at the hospital he was currently completing his residency in.

“I hope it’s not designer,” she said with concern.

“What’s not?” Sam asked confused.

“The sweater.”

He chuckled. “Hardly. No, it’s not designer. I just like it, that’s all.”

And he did. His gran had knitted it for him. It was a blue-gray V-neck sweater, which had seen better days, but it gave him a sense of home.

She smiled, a lovely warm one that made his heart skip a beat. There was something about red-haired women that made him melt just a bit. Maybe it was something about gingers sticking together, even though his hair was more auburn and hers was a bit more mahogany than the classic ginger.

Bloody hell. Why am I analyzing hair color? How many drinks have I had?

Then he remembered the Scotch currently soaked into his sweater had been his first and he’d only had a taste of it.

“I’m really sorry. Can I replace the drink I spilled?” she asked.

“That you can do.”

“I have to say I’m disappointed.”

“How so?” he asked.

“I thought you were going to answer me with ‘Aye.’”

Sam laughed. “No, I only save that for when I’m really tetchy. My name is Sam, by the way.”

“Mindy.” She held out her hand and he took it in his, brushing a quick kiss across her knuckles, which made her gasp.

He heard it and it pleased him to know he’d gotten that response out of her. Something his dear old dad had taught him.

“A pleasure to meet you, Mindy.” Sam was still holding her hand as she stared up at him for a moment, her eyes wide, her pink lips open, but only for a moment then pink tinged her cheeks and she took back her hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She cleared her throat and turned to the barkeeper. “One Merlot and a…?”

“Scotch.”

The barkeep nodded and moved away. Sam took the bar stool next to her. “So, I take it you’re not from around these parts.”

“What makes you say that?” she asked.

“You were bundled up enough to make a trek to the South Pole.”

Mindy chuckled. “I’m really not used to the cold.”

“I gathered that.”

The barkeeper returned with their drinks and Mindy slid him some money. He could just say thanks for the drink and move on, really he should, but she was just the kind of distraction from his own problems that he was looking for. It had been some time since he’d indulged, he’d been so focused on his residency. He never entered into one-night situations, because he refused to follow in the same footsteps as his mother, but maybe tonight if Mindy was interested he could relent, just a bit.

“Where are you from?” Sam asked.

“California. Born and raised. And where are you from?”

“Here,” Sam replied, winking at her.

“Oh, come on. I told you mine, now tell me yours.”

“Well, I was born in Manhattan, but I was raised in the Highlands by my father.”

“How interesting.” She took a sip of her wine. “Was he a laird?”

It was meant as a tease. He knew it. It always was.

“Aye, he is.”

Mindy choked on her wine. “You’re not serious?”

“I am. Very. Did you not hear my ‘Aye’?”

“I thought that was only saved for when you were tetchy?”

“Or when I’m very serious.” He winked at her.

“He’s a laird?”

“It’s not as romantic as you’re thinking it is. It just means he owns a large bit of land in the Highlands. He doesn’t serve out justice to his lowly tenants. He’s not nobility.”

“So what does that make you?”

“Make me?”

“Or are there other heirs apparent?” She winked as she took a sip of her Merlot.

Sam laughed. “I’m the eldest, but really it doesn’t make me anything other than what you see here.”

Mindy cocked her head to one side. “And here I thought I was talking to royalty.”

Sam chuckled. “Hardly. So what brought you from the warm confines of California to the harsh and bitter environment of Manhattan?”

“You’re mocking me, aren’t you?”

“Just a wee bit.”

Mindy sighed and tucked a long strand of mahogany hair behind her ear. “A new job and a new…start.”

“I can tell from your tone that you wanted to get as far away from California as possible.”

“How can you tell that from my tone?”

“It was tight, like you were in pain.”

What are you doing?

As Mindy glanced over at the devilishly handsome man, warmth spread through her, a zing of something she hadn’t felt in quite some time.

Maybe it’s the wine?

No, not the wine. Even when she’d still been with Dean, the last few years of their marriage had been detached and they had just been going through the motions. Of course, she’d thought it was their careers that had kept them apart, she’d never suspected someone else and she had certainly never expected that someone else to be her best friend and colleague. Dean and Owen’s betrayal cut her to the quick. She’d trusted Dean. He had been her husband and he betrayed her.

Trust was something she never gave freely. She’d been burned so many times by so-called friends. She’d thought she’d been able to trust her husband. The one person who’d held her heart. So when he’d done the unthinkable she’d had a hard time believing in any one else, in trusting another person. Intimacy was a huge leap of faith, letting someone see that vulnerable side to you.

So, yeah, it had been a long time since she’d even contemplated thinking about a man in a sexual way. It had been a while since a tingle of excitement at the possibility of something more had revved her motor, but when his lips brushed against her knuckles suddenly the cold winter temperatures had no longer bothered her.

Sam’s blue eyes were twinkling mischievously. He was a bad boy. There was no mistaking it, but the way he leaned against the bar, the emotional walls he had in place, the devilry in those blue, blue eyes. Sam was the kind of man her mother had always warned her to steer clear of. Yet it had been the nice man, the respectable one, whom her mother had approved of, who had betrayed her trust.

Besides, she was just flirting with this handsome heir of a Scottish laird in an upscale Manhattan bar. It didn’t have to go any further than this.

Why not?

It might be nice to cut loose and celebrate a new life, at a new hospital. Tonight she didn’t have to be a world-renowned maternal-fetal surgeon. Tonight she just had to be Mindy. She’d never see this guy again. He wouldn’t use her or hurt her.

She could just be Mindy. Lonely and scared out of her mind Mindy, but still…

What was he saying? Oh, yes, he thought she sounded in pain. Great.

She giggled nervously.

Maybe he sensed she needed a change of topic because he asked, “So, what makes me so funny, then? Is it the accent that amuses you so much? Or is it my boyish charm?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, making her melt just a bit.

“Boyish charm for sure.” She smiled at him, which was easy to do. She couldn’t recall ever smiling and flirting with Dean, but, then, she had always been a wallflower. Shy and meek. This was new, it felt good. She picked up her drink and took a sip, wincing at the burn of alcohol. Honestly, she didn’t know why she’d ordered wine, she wasn’t much of a drinker.

“Something wrong with your wine?” Sam asked.

“No, nothing. It’s fine. I don’t usually go to bars.”

“Then can I ask why you wanted to brave the harsh, bitter environment of winter to come to a bar and suffer through what looks to be a very painful glass of wine.”

Mindy shrugged. “As I said, I’m new here. I wanted to meet people.”

Sam leaned over. “Well, you’ve met me.”

“You’re laying it on very thick now.”

“It amuses me to do so.” He cleared his throat and then swigged down the last of his Scotch. “There, that’s better. My mellow American accent is back. What do you think?”

“I prefer the Scottish one.” Then she giggled.

It was pathetic that she was giggling. It had been a while since she’d dated or flirted, but when you spent your whole career operating on such delicate humans as fetuses you didn’t really have much of a life. Not when their tiny little lives were in your hands. Not when their mothers’ lives were in your hands. She spent a lot of time in research, in ORs, sitting by patients’ bedsides.

Too many happy families depended on her and being one of the top surgeons in her field meant she was in high demand.

There was no time for socializing or anything else. She’d met Dean when they had both been interns, learning under the same surgeon. They’d both been maternal-fetal specialists. They’d both been on the same trajectory.

Or so she’d thought.

“Dean, don’t you want to have kids? I’m ready. I think we’re ready.”

“We’re not ready, Mindy. You just think you’re ready. You work around kids and babies all day long. We have to focus on our careers now. Once we’re both really settled and in the top of our chosen fields, then we’ll settle down. We’ll have a couple of kids.”

And then that had never happened and now it wouldn’t happen because, number one, she was no longer Dean’s wife, number two, he was still in California, and, number three, Dean was gay.

There had been a lot of sniggers in the private practice she’d worked at in Los Angeles with Dean about how she’d found out he’d been cheating on her. Mindy had known Owen was gay, he had been her best friend. She didn’t care that Dean was gay, it was the fact that he’d gone behind her back and cheated on her with Owen and that the two of them had been carrying on for over a year and hadn’t told her. She’d shared her insecurities with Owen about her marriage. She’d trusted him too and he’d used those secret hurts and concerns against her.

That’s what had hurt the most. Dean knew everything she’d told Owen.

“You look angry all of a sudden. Are you okay?” Sam asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

“I’m fine.” Well, she wasn’t. Not really. She was still letting Dean and Owen get to her. Even though it had been a year since her divorce had been finalized.

Dean and Owen had moved on and were in the process of adopting a child.

A child. Mindy had wanted a child for five years, but Dean had never been ready and Owen had told her not to push Dean on the matter.

“I’m fine,” she said again, and swigged back the last of her Merlot. “Just. Fine.”

So many years of her life wasted. Too many.

“I don’t think you are.” Sam got up. “Do you want me to walk you home?”

“You can do more than walk me home.” She wasn’t sure if it was the wine or what, but she grabbed the collar of Sam’s sweater, or where there would’ve been a collar if he wasn’t wearing a V-neck, and pulled him close to her, planting a kiss on his lips because she had to see for herself if those lips against hers would be just as thrilling as when they’d brushed against her knuckles.

And God help her. They were.

Stop. Stop. Stop.

Only she couldn’t. His arms went around her, his strong hands on her back as their bodies pressed together. The kiss deepened, so even if she wanted to turn back now she couldn’t. It had been so long since she’d had this kind of human contact.

So long that she’d forgotten what it was like and maybe even forgotten that she craved it, to have a man be aroused by her and not by her best friend.

Just her.

Sam broke off the kiss. “If you continue to do that I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.”

“What if I don’t want you to stop?”

Sam’s blue eyes twinkled. “Well, then, that’s a whole different story.”

“My apartment is next door.”

He grinned. “Oh, aye?”

“Yeah.” Mindy grabbed her copious layers and took his hand, leading him out of the bar. She was going to be impulsive. Even if it was just this once in her life. She was going to live a little and she was going to do it with this dishy Scottish laird heir, or whoever he claimed to be.

She just needed this.

She badly needed to wipe the slate clean.

“Hold on. I just need to get my jacket. I may be more used to the winters than you, but I don’t want to freeze out there.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

He grinned and winked at her. “It’s okay. For a moment I wasn’t thinking either. I was just thinking about kissing you again.” Then he leaned in, brushing his knuckles down the side of her face, which made her knees go weak, just before he kissed her. A light kiss that made her whole body tingle with anticipation.

Mindy watched the dishy Scot go to the coat check and slip on his jacket.

She couldn’t believe that she was actually doing this, that she was taking a strange man home to her apartment to have sex with. A younger man to boot.

In all her thirty-seven years she’d never done anything like this. She’d never lived dangerously. She was always too afraid to take the chance, to take the risk. Except when it came to surgery. When she was in the OR it gave her a whole different kind of rush. When she was in the OR and a mother and her baby’s lives were in jeopardy she went with her gut instinct. It was the same instinct she was using now.

Mindy was trying to listen to her gut more often, especially about non-medical situations. She’d been terrified about leaving California, which was safe and what she knew, but she’d listened to her gut and made the decision to travel across country.

So when she’d seen Sam and spoken with him, her gut had told her to take a chance, to live a little. She hadn’t been with anyone since Dean and even then that had been some time ago.

It was time to start afresh.

She could do this and, more importantly, she wanted to do this.

He joined her. “Lead the way.”

Mindy’s cheeks flushed with heat and she knew she was blushing, but she didn’t care as she took his hand. They walked across the street to her condo. The doorman let her in and didn’t even bat an eyelash over the fact that she had gone to the bar alone less than an hour ago and was returning with a man.

They got into the elevator and she hit the button to her floor.

“Penthouse?” he remarked.

“It’s the best.”

The elevator stopped and they walked down the hall to her apartment. She was shaking. She was very nervous about what was going to happen, but she wanted it to happen.

“Here it is,” she said, hoping that her voice didn’t wobble too much.

Get a grip on yourself, Mindy! You’re not some inexperienced virgin. You’ve done this before.

“Are you nervous, Mindy?” he asked.

“A bit.”

“Look, we don’t have to do this. I won’t be mad.”

He was being a gentleman. He was giving her a way out, but she didn’t want a way out. She wanted this. She needed this night. Tomorrow she was going to start her new job and she wouldn’t have time for moments like this.

As of tomorrow she planned to focus solely on building her career and her patient list at West Manhattan Saints. There would be no time for dating, gorgeous men or trysts. It was now or never.

“No, I want this. It’s just that I’ve… I’ve never done this before.”

He smiled at her tenderly, stroking her face. “I have a confession.”

“Oh, yes?”

“I haven’t done this for a very long time, and if you want to stop at any moment, I’ll stop. I won’t force you, I won’t pressure you.”

Mindy smiled and then kissed him, just like she had in the bar. His arms came around her, their bodies pressed together.

“I want this.” She unlocked the door to her apartment and pulled him inside.

There was no turning back now for her.

CHAPTER TWO

SAM HURRIED DOWN the hall of West Manhattan Saints at a quick pace, but considering he was late it was a pace that wasn’t quick enough for his liking. He’d been reluctant to leave that temptress’s bed this morning, but he had and before she’d woken up.

Which was good. He didn’t want to deal with any aftermath. At least her apartment was close to the hospital, but he was still late. He was never late and people would notice. It wasn’t good.

Not when today was the day the new head of maternal-fetal medicine was being introduced to the peds floor. He’d barely made it to the hospital in time for a shower and a fresh set of scrubs. His sweater, currently hanging in his locker, still smelled strongly of Scotch. He straightened the collar of his white lab coat and slung his stethoscope around his neck without missing a beat.

“Holly said you didn’t make it home last night,” Rebecca, their new roommate, teased as she fell into step beside him.

“Since when did you become my keeper?”

“You’re tetchy this morning. What happened last night?”

“Nothing. Look, shouldn’t you be on the trauma floor?” Sam asked, trying to get rid of Rebecca before she pried too much deeper. His roommate didn’t need to know that he’d had a one-night stand. He didn’t know her well enough yet and she seemed to report everything back to Holly, Tessa or Kimberlyn. And those three were always purporting to know nice girls to set him up with. The three of them were in cahoots.

Sam figured it had something to do with the fact that he had been the only male in the brownstone for some time. Not to mention that they were all loved up themselves and seemed determined to push soulmatedom on everyone else.

“Heading there now. Just wanted to wish you good luck with the new head. I hear she’s tough.”

Sam grunted his thanks as Rebecca headed down another hallway that led back to Trauma and he kept on his course to Peds. Before he pushed open the rainbow-colored double doors that led into the pediatric department, he straightened his hair in the reflection of the mirror.

There was already a crowd gathering in the main thoroughfare of the department, right in front of the main charge desk. Sam could see Dr. Amelia Chang talking calmly to the group of surgeons who were all vying for the two coveted fellowship positions in Peds.

As he moved into the group he caught Dr. Chang’s gaze and could see she was quite aware that he was late. Her quiet disapproval and disappointment was hard to miss.

Mother would not be impressed.

At least Dr. Chang wouldn’t humiliate him and call him out on the carpet for being late. His mother’s way of teaching her residents was shaming them so they didn’t do it again. Dr. Chang would probably put him on scut duty. Labs and charting he could deal with.

“Now that we’re all here, we can finally get down to business. As you are all aware, this pediatric fellowship is one of the top five on the eastern seaboard, and we can only open this fellowship to two worthy residents. Because of that, the hospital has always felt that those two positions should not be decided solely by the pediatric head. That’s why the head of Neonatology, Dr. Hall, taking over from Dr. Powers, the head of Obstetrics, Dr. Finn, and also the new head of Maternal-Fetal Medicine will all have a say in who gets those two spots.” Dr. Chang leaned against the charge desk, her eyes scanning the crowd, silently assessing them in that unnerving way she had before continuing.

“I know some of you have questioned the need for Maternal-Fetal Medicine to have an impact on your career as a pediatric fellow at West Manhattan Saints. We don’t see a lot of births that require a need for that, but that is changing. West Manhattan Saints hopes to become an innovative leader in maternal-fetal medicine and high-risk pregnancies. We will be expanding our birthing center to accommodate high-risk pregnancies.”

Sam was stunned, but pleased that this new head wasn’t a waste of resources and he could see the potential of Labor and Delivery, Neonatology and Pediatrics hand in hand to become one of the best hospitals on the eastern seaboard. Still, how many high-risk pregnancies could they possibly see?

“As you know, Dr. Powers retired, and after many years of excellent service we wish her the best. Thankfully, Professor Langley was able to find a replacement for the maternal-fetal role, which means the selection for fellowship won’t be delayed any longer. Dr. Walker is one of the top maternal-fetal surgeons from California.”

A knot of dread formed in Sam’s stomach and he quickly scanned the room and then saw Dr. Walker approaching the group. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Mindy.

The vixen from last night, the bumbling yeti who had spilled his Scotch and then seduced him, was walking with Dr. Finn. She looked so different from last night. All that glorious, silken mahogany hair was tied back and she wore black square glasses with only light lip gloss. Her look was demure, professional, but as Sam let his gaze rove over her, her appearance didn’t fool him. He knew what was lurking under the surface and just the thought of her in his arms and under him caused his blood to boil.

This was not good. Not the sex, that had been beyond good, but the fact that it had been with one of his new bosses was not good. If he had known that, he would’ve walked away from her. He refused to follow the same path as his mother. She’d used sex to get what she wanted when she’d been a young surgeon and he’d seen how that had broken his father’s heart.

He wanted to get the fellowship on his own merits, because he had talent. He wanted to prove to his mother that he had what it took to be the very best, to get where he was without sleeping his way there. He’d show her.

Mindy’s appearance was bad.

Very bad.

He tried to move to the back of the crowd, but it was too late. She looked out over the crowd, and that bright smile faded, wavering slightly as their gazes locked.

“Without further ado I would like to introduce the new head of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Dr. Mindy Walker.”

Mindy blushed slightly and broke the visual connection as she came up beside Dr. Chang, shaking her hand as everyone applauded her politely.

Sam tried to swallow the lump in his throat as he pretended that he didn’t know her. Even though no one else had seemed to notice the interplay between the two of them, he felt singled out.

Why did it have to be her? Why did his only one-night stand in the last three years have to be someone who was responsible for the fate of his career?

Bloody fates.

He slid his attention back to Mindy, who was now addressing the crowd.

“I want to thank everyone here. I’m a perfectionist when it comes to my specialty. I don’t tolerate a lot of things when it comes to my surgical practice. Fragile lives are in our hands. There is no time for mistakes and because I’m new to this hospital and have yet to get to know all of you, I’ll be requesting each one of you to work on my rotation for at least a week or more before I make any decisions about who will be getting a fellowship. My department is not large by any means yet. I’m also one of the top IVF and fertility doctors in the country. I’m a board certified OB/GYN. Pregnancy and the safe of arrival of babies and their mothers are my passion. One I take seriously.” She paused, her gaze penetrating him, and it was then Sam knew he was in trouble. Deep trouble.

“I look forward to working with all of you.” She turned and began to chat with Dr. Chang and the other heads.

Everyone clapped politely as the crowd dispersed to start their rounds. What else could they do? The committee had the control over the fellowship. He just had to make sure he kept his nose down and worked hard.

And keep his distance.

Sam tried to slip away with the crowd.

“Dr. Napier, could you come here a moment, please?” Dr. Chang called out.

So much for slinking off and going unnoticed today.

He turned around and walked over to Dr. Chang and Dr. Walker. Mindy’s face was expressionless as he approached them.

“Yes, Dr. Chang?” He said his words carefully, because he didn’t want his Scottish accent to bubble up. He’d told Mindy that it surfaced when his emotions weren’t in check.

“You were late this morning. Are you okay?” Dr. Chang asked.

“I…” He tried not to make eye contact with Mindy, who had a pink tinge to her cheeks. “I overslept, that’s all. It won’t happen again.”

Dr. Chang nodded, assessing him. He hated disappointing her. She embodied everything great in pediatric surgery and he wanted one of the fellowship spots. It’s why he had been willing to come to West Manhattan Saints and work in a hospital that had ties to his mother and ties to Professor Langley, who was the first man his mother had had an affair with.

Sam detested Langley, but having a chance to work and learn beside Dr. Amelia Chang? He could put aside all his animosity for that.

“See that it doesn’t,” Dr. Chang said.

“I’ll make sure of it, Dr. Chang.”

“Dr. Walker has requested you join her service for the first rotation.”

Sam cringed inwardly. “Of course.”

“It’s a great honor to learn from her. The skills you’ll learn from her will be invaluable.” Dr. Chang didn’t say any more as she walked away, presumably to start her rounds. The only people around the charge station now were him and Mindy.

No. Not Mindy. Dr. Walker.

Well, whoever she was. She looked none too pleased to see him.

“Dr. Napier?” Her eyes were positively flinty, her arms crossed and her lips pursed together in a thin line. Sam wasn’t exactly sure how she got the words out.

“Dr. Walker,” he acknowledged. He wanted to ask her why she hadn’t told him what her job was, but, then, the conversation last night had never really stretched to that.

“Well, I hope you have a good understanding of high-risk pregnancies and have clocked some hours in OB/GYN and genetics. My caseload here is heavy. I have mothers coming in from a lot of different hospitals, some as far west as California, to seek my professional help. I don’t want an inept surgeon bumbling around in my OR.”

She was clearly angry.

“I can assure you I’m one of the top residents in this program, Dr. Walker.”

Mindy snorted. “That remains to be seen.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sam asked.

“You know what I mean,” she snapped under her breath. “Don’t think sleeping with me gains you any extra footing here, Dr. Napier. In fact, it’s detrimental to your position in this program. I don’t play favorites.”

Sam vibrated with anger and without thinking he grabbed Mindy by her arm and dragged her to the nearest empty exam room, not caring who saw them. Which was saying a whole lot. He hated drawing attention to himself, but suggesting he’d slept with her to get ahead? That was taking it too far.

He was here to work hard for himself. He needed to nip this in the bud. He didn’t want any rumors flying around.

And he wasn’t going to allow a rumor to destroy his career, his reputation.

He pushed her into the exam room, flicked on the light, shut the door and stood in front of it, stopping her only means of escape.

“Do you think I slept with you to gain footing? If that’s what you think, you had better change your opinion right now.” His brogue was coming out very thickly, but he couldn’t control it.

He was angry.

Very angry.

Mindy was shaking with a mixture of anger and betrayal.

Dammit.

Of course the one time she had a one-night stand it had to be with a surgical resident and one she was going to have direct involvement with. The day before she’d slept with Sam, she’d been going over the residents’ files, reading over notes from other attendings, reports from other doctors and patients.

Dr. Samuel Napier was well respected, admired and most if not all of the surgeons who worked with him commented on his bedside manner with pediatric patients and his skill in the operating room. Though he dealt more with older children than babies.

She’d earmarked him as one to watch, but hadn’t intended to choose him as her first resident. Her process was to weed out the weaker members of the herd. Mindy had had another resident in mind, but when she’d walked into that meeting and learned that her hot, brooding one-night stand was none other than Dr. Samuel Napier she had been absolutely furious.

No wonder he got good reports.

He probably slept with all his attendings. Not a hard thing to do when most of the surgeons in Pediatrics at this hospital were female. He’d used her. She knew she shouldn’t have let her guard down, because she couldn’t trust anyone.

And now he’d frog-marched her into this exam room to give her a talking-to? And she was his superior? No, this wasn’t happening. Mindy refused to be pushed around again.

“I’m not changing my opinion of you just because you say that I should. Why should I trust you? You didn’t even tell me you worked at the hospital, that you were a surgical resident.”

Sam’s eyes narrowed, those delectable lips which she could still feel imprinted against her body, were pursed together.

“You didn’t tell me you were a surgeon either.”

“I did too.”

A diabolical grin spread across Sam’s face. “No, you didn’t.”

Mindy opened her mouth to argue further and realized through those hazy, jangled memories of their meeting in the bar that all she’d told him had been her first name and that she’d moved to New York to start a new job, but not what that job was.

“You know that I’m right.” His grin turned smug and he leaned against the door.

“You could’ve still looked up my CV online once you learned about the new head of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and our meeting was just an opportune moment.”

The grin disappeared. “I did not sleep with you for personal gain. I’m extremely good at my job, so if you need to test me, so be it. I will take whatever challenge you have for me, and gladly. Though it’s a waste of time.”

Mindy snorted. “You think that maternal-fetal medicine and working on my service is a waste of time?”

“I do. My plan is to work with Dr. Chang and become a pediatric surgeon. Infants go to the NICU or the neonatologist. You’re just a glorified obstetrician.”

Mindy shook her head. “You’re a bit arrogant, aren’t you?”

“You have to be in this line of work. You have to be tough for the patients, for the parents and you have to be that tough to swim in this shark tank.”

“You think surgery is a shark tank?”

“I do. Don’t you?”

Mindy couldn’t argue with him on that. It was. She’d learned the hard way that you couldn’t trust other surgeons, especially not when you had ten or more residents competing for OR time, competing for attendings’ attention and competing for only a couple of spots in a small fellowship pool.

When she’d entered surgery she hadn’t been a shark. Dean and Owen had been sharks, but she hadn’t. All she’d had had been raw talent. It used to infuriate Dean when she was chosen over him when they’d been residents. That should’ve been a clue.

Well, now she was one and she wasn’t going to let an arrogant resident think that she wasn’t. She needed to be tough. When she’d taken this job and uprooted her life to start fresh in New York City, she’d known she was going to have to be a shark from the get-go.

“Well, I guess I’ll be wasting your time, but know this, some of those pediatric patients’ problems start in utero. You think my specialty is a waste of time? Let me tell you something. The more my specialty advances, the more genetics advances and the more likely your job as a pediatric surgeon will become obsolete. Operating and taking care of those issues while the baby is still in utero will save them countless surgeries later in life. Dr. Chang is an excellent pediatric surgeon, but she doesn’t have the skill to operate in utero. If people like me have our way, all pediatric problems will be taken care of while still in the protective walls of the womb and there will be less children on the pediatric floor.” She moved closer to him. “Soon pediatric surgeons will be like the dinosaurs. Extinct.”

Sam didn’t say anything. In fact, for a moment he looked at bit shocked.

“So you think my specialty, my service is a waste of time? Well, I won’t hold you to your rotation on my service, but I can tell you, Dr. Napier, that I won’t be basing my vote on a resident who isn’t willing to graciously learn all the specialties that are involved with taking care of children.”

Mindy tried to move past him, still shaking.

“Wait.” Sam grabbed her arm to stop her.

He was so close. Only a couple of hours ago he’d been in her bed. When she’d woken up and he’d been gone, it had stung, but she had been almost euphoric and definitely relaxed when she’d got into work. Until she’d seen him standing with the residents.

It had been like a slap to the face.

Just reaffirming to her that she couldn’t trust men. They were all users.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Walker.”

Mindy was stunned. “Thank you, Dr. Napier.”

“I’ll gladly work on your service and I’ll prove to you my merit as a surgeon, but please know that I didn’t sleep with you because you were my attending. Had I known, I would’ve kept as far away from you as possible. Nothing will taint my career at this hospital, or my chance to become a fellow in Dr. Chang’s program. Nothing.”

As Mindy looked up at Sam she wanted to believe him, but couldn’t. “Okay. I’ll give you a fair chance, Dr. Napier, but one toe out of line…”

“The implication is clear.” He let go of her arm and stepped away from the door. “I look forward to learning from you, Dr. Walker.”

Mindy nodded. She was pleased that she’d gotten through to him, but she could see the barriers, ones that had come down just a teeny bit last night, were building again. Walls that were meant to keep people out, from knowing the true Sam.

She didn’t know the true version of him. Maybe if circumstances had been different, if something more could’ve stemmed from their night of passion, she might know the real Sam who remained locked behind those protective walls.

There could’ve been something more there.

Whatever he was protecting, it ran deep and Mindy would never know.

It was for the best.

She was his boss; he was a resident. That’s all it could ever be, but she couldn’t help but feel an inkling of regret.

“I’ll see you at rounds in thirty minutes.” Mindy didn’t look at him, but he didn’t stop her from leaving this time, which was good, because she had to distance herself from him emotionally.

Dr. Samuel Napier was off-limits, even if she didn’t want him to be.

CHAPTER THREE

SAM STOOD BACK because the ER was absolutely packed full of casualties from a multi-car pile-up. Usually, he’d be right into the fray, helping, but Mindy didn’t want him to so much as touch a patient.

There were more than enough trauma residents and general surgeon residents to lend a helping hand.

Mindy wanted him watching as she assessed an injured pregnant mother. One who was only twenty-six weeks. Mindy and neonatologist Dr. Hall were assessing the mother in a trauma pod and Sam was watching them.

Which kind of annoyed him. Greatly. He wanted to be in the throng, helping the wounded. This was going against the grain for him.

As he scanned the medical staff out on the floor he could see at least two residents he knew doing what they did best. Practicing medicine.

Rebecca looked up from where he was working and shot him a look of What gives? And all Sam could do was shrug. He had his orders. He was to observe. Very similar to his mother’s methods.

Don’t think about her now.

“Get out of the way!” Dr. Chang’s voice was shrill above the din and he watched as she ran beside a gurney, a little body wrapped up and bagged, as they pushed through the crowds toward the surgical floor.

Sam’s gut instinct was to run after Dr. Chang and that child. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to go.

“Dr. Napier?”

Sam cursed under his breath as he turned around.

“Distracted?” Mindy asked, slinging her stethoscope around her neck.

“No.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Well, Ms. Bayberry is your responsibility. Get her up to Ultrasound and monitor her contractions. She’s pregnant with twins and was involved in the collision. We’re looking for signs of pre-term labor. Also contact her current practitioner. I’d like her updated files about her pregnancy.”

“Isn’t that best left to an intern?” he asked, annoyed that he wasn’t with Dr. Chang.

Mindy crossed her arms. “I asked you to do it, Dr. Napier. Do you have a problem with that?”

“No. Of course not.” Sam moved passed Mindy toward Ms. Bayberry’s bed. Dr. Hall ignored him as she conferred with Mindy about the treatment should poor Ms. Bayberry go into labor.

“Will my babies be okay?” Ms. Bayberry asked nervously, her eyes wide with fear. This was the part of the job he hated the most, when he couldn’t answer the patient’s questions.

“Will this treatment help my son?”

“Will this cure him?”

It tugged at his heartstrings. It ate him up inside and he didn’t know where the parents found strength. He’d talked to his father about that once, after watching children struggle with life-threatening conditions. It scared him, bringing a child into the world, and for one moment, when he had first been starting his residency and focusing on pediatrics, he’d thought about leaving and following in his mother’s footsteps.

“I don’t know how you do it. How do you find the strength when your child is sick?”

“You just do. What else can you do? You give them everything. That’s what being a parent is,” his father had said. “I would do anything for you and your brothers. I don’t care what happens to me. Only my children matter.”

And as Ms. Bayberry looked up at him, fear in her eyes, it affected him. Only he couldn’t let her see it. For her, he had to be strong so that she could be strong for her babies, but he couldn’t promise her anything.

That was something he learned from his mother.

Never promise a patient something you couldn’t deliver with one hundred percent certainty. Even though Ms. Bayberry was in the best hands with Mindy, of that he was sure, he didn’t know the future so he could only offer her what he could to ease her mind.

“You’re in the best hands, Ms. Bayberry. Let’s get you upstairs for some scans.” And he smiled at her and she relaxed. Though she was still terrified, he could see a bit of that fear dissipating and the goal was to keep her calm.

He was taking some vitals and making sure the machines monitoring her contractions were ready to transport when he glanced up.

Mindy was watching him. She wasn’t listening to Dr. Hall her gaze was focused on him. He wasn’t sure if it was with admiration or surprise, but whatever it was it made his heart beat just a bit faster and he looked away as he worked with the nurse to get Ms. Bayberry to transport.

Mindy made it clear that he was to stick by his patient’s side and make sure that she didn’t go into pre-term labor. He had to stay focused. He was already in Mindy’s bad books, even though he’d made it clear to her that it had been a mistake.

And it had been. A huge mistake.

If only Mindy hadn’t been his new boss.

If only what?

Could he honestly tell himself that he wouldn’t have pursued her? No, he wouldn’t have, because right now he didn’t have time for that sort of thing. The only thing about their one night together was he wouldn’t have thought it a mistake. Never a mistake.

He wheeled Ms. Bayberry out of the emergency department, with only one glance back to see residents in his class darting through Trauma after their attending, getting their hands dirty, wishing he was working with Dr. Chang on the child she’d been wheeling up to surgery.

A touch from Ms. Bayberry brought him back to the present. The gauze on her forehead was soaked and as they waited on for the elevator to come, he reached down and gingerly touched her forehead.

“Has anyone seen to that?”

“It’s just a scratch,” she said, but wincing as she did so.

“Let me take a look.” As he peeled back the bandages, he could see a large gash. One that would leave a nasty scar but wasn’t life-threatening. “That’s not pleasant.”

“I’m sure it’s not,” Ms. Bayberry said, her voice rising. “I was more concerned about getting my babies checked out than having them attend to my cut.”

“Of course, but I think we’ll have someone with real talent stitch that up for you, okay?”

She smiled. “You?”

“No, not me. I’m a pediatric surgeon, I deal with delicate stitches, but we’re very fortunate to have a former plastic surgeon to the stars on staff.”

Ms. Bayberry chuckled and the doors to the elevator opened. Sam stopped an intern who was getting off the elevator.

“Page Dr. Alexander in Plastics to come to the fourth floor OB/GYN ultrasound room. Stat.”

The intern looked confused, but nodded.

“You don’t have to page a special plastic surgeon to stitch me up, Doctor. I’m sure you can do a fine job.”

Sam smiled down at her. “I could do an okay job but, come on, we have to have you looking spiffy when those babies come out and you have your first photographs with them. Wash away any reminder of today.”

Ms. Bayberry grinned and leaned back against the pillows as the elevator headed up to the fourth floor. He’d take care of her scars. He just wished all scars were all that easy to wash away.

“Dr. Napier, what is going on in there?” Mindy stood in the doorway of the ultrasound room, watching as a tanned, blond-haired Adonis from the plastic surgical ward was bent over her patient, working on her forehead.

“I’m trying to concentrate here,” Dr. Alexander said over his shoulder in an annoyed tone.

Sam rolled his eyes and Mindy could tell there was tension between the two of them. Who wasn’t Sam fighting with at this hospital? Sheesh. She had been hearing some tales about the so-called lone wolf of the residency program.

After her lengthy discussion with Dr. Hall, Mindy got called to assess on another small case, one that wasn’t urgent, but as Sam hadn’t paged her that Ms. Bayberry had gone into pre-term labor or that there were unusual findings with her ultrasound, Mindy foolishly trusted Sam was okay.

She did not expect to walk in on one of the top plastic surgeons, working on her patient and in the ultrasound room.

“What is going here, Dr. Napier?” Mindy asked again in hushed undertones as Sam shut the door. “You were supposed to report back to me with the results of Ms. Bayberry’s ultrasound.”

“You told me not to leave her side. You told me to monitor her for pre-term labor.”

Mindy crossed her arms. “Why the heck is Dr. Alexander in there, stitching up her forehead? I thought her wound was shut with skin glue?”

Sam winced. “I know, but it was going to leave a nasty scar.”

“So you thought that putting her through more stress of unnecessary stitching would be better for her? What if she goes into pre-term labor?”

“She won’t. The babies are fine and she hasn’t been having any contractions or bleeding. I checked her myself.”

Mindy cocked an eyebrow. “You checked her yourself?”

“I have done that kind of procedure before.”

“Do you really think her having the stitches is a top priority?”

“I do. The babies are stable, for now, but there was an irregularity I need you to look at. I had you paged ten minutes ago, but figured you were with another patient.”

Mindy pulled out her pager. “I wasn’t paged…” And then trailed off when she saw that she had indeed been paged over ten minutes ago by Sam, but the darned thing was on silent mode.

Dammit.

When she had her private practice, she was only dealing with her patients. She wasn’t on a rotation at a hospital. She wasn’t called in to deal with traumatic events to pregnant mothers. When she was needed in the hospital it was because she scheduled her time there. She was not used to working in a busy hospital, not used to dealing with trauma patients or residents who were in her service.

She was not off to a good start.

“My apologies, Dr. Napier.” The blood rushed to her cheeks.

“There’s no need to apologize, Dr. Walker. Now that you’re here I’d like to show you the results of Ms. Bayberry’s ultrasound.”

“Of course.” Mindy followed him into the consult room, where they sat down in front of the computer.

Sam brought up the ultrasounds of the twins. “As you can see, there is no fluid or blood pooling anywhere. The placenta is attached and no obvious tears.”

“She’s lucky. When she was rammed by the car behind her and pushed into the car in front of her the steering-wheel pushed into her abdomen.”

“Well, that’s it exactly. I know it’s not your field of surgery.” Sam did some more clicks. “But there’s lots of blood in her spleen. I think she’s damaged her spleen and it could rupture.”

Mindy leaned forward. “I think you’re right, Dr. Napier.”

Dammit.

Taking a ruptured spleen out of a woman who was not so far into her pregnancy was going to be tricky. Not impossible, but tricky. It could send her patient into pre-term labor and that’s not something she wanted.

They needed to keep those babies in utero for as long as possible.

“We’re going to need a consult from someone who is used to repairing and or removing spleens in high-pressure situations. Page Dr. Ootaka for a consult.”

Sam nodded. “Of course, Dr. Walker.”

“Good catch, Sam. Thanks for looking at the bigger picture.”

Sam shrugged. “In pediatrics we sometimes have to look at the bigger picture when it comes to kids.”

He left the consult room and Mindy leaned back in her chair, but only for a moment. She got up and entered the exam room where Dr. Alexander was just dressing his handiwork.

“There, all done.” He grinned down at Ms. Bayberry. “Now, when those babies are born, there won’t be any sign of a scar.”

“Thank you, Dr. Alexander,” Mindy said.

Dr. Alexander shrugged. “Sam’s my girlfriend’s roommate. It was the least I could do.” He collected up his things and left.

Mindy turned to her patient. “Your babies are fine, Ms. Bayberry. There is no sign of injury to your uterus or your placenta. Things with the babies look stable. However, your spleen was damaged in the accident.”

“What does that mean?” Ms. Bayberry asked, her voice rising an octave. The monitors on her alerted Mindy to the up-kick in blood pressure.

“It means we have to go in and repair your spleen.” Mindy moved toward the bed. “May I look?”

Ms. Bayberry nodded and Mindy lifted the blanket, to see the bruising on the left side of her abdomen. The patient winced.

“Yes, we need to go and repair the damage,” Mindy said gently.

“How are you going to do that?”

“Laparoscopically,” Dr. Ootaka said, coming into the room, trailed by two of his residents. “I’m Dr. Takeo Ootaka. I have done this procedure countless times. You are in good hands.”

“What about my babies?” Ms. Bayberry asked nervously, her eyes instantly darting to Sam, who stood by the door. She’d obviously latched onto Sam as a bit of a safety blanket, which often happened in traumatic situations.

“Dr. Napier and I will be in the OR the entire time. We’ll monitor your babies and make sure they stay right where they belong.”

Dr. Ootaka grunted in approval and then turned to the male resident with him. “Prep this woman for a CT and then surgery. May I look?”

Dr. Ootaka didn’t wait for permission as he leaned over Ms. Bayberry’s left side.

“Yes. Yes. We’ll take care of this, Ms. Bayberry,” Dr. Ootaka said.

Mindy gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder as Dr. Ootaka’s residents began to prep Ms. Bayberry and Mindy walked with Dr. Ootaka to the hall, with Sam trailing behind.

“I plan to have your patient down to the OR in the next hour, maybe less. I don’t need to tell you that massive internal bleeding will put those babies in jeopardy.”

Mindy nodded. “My resident and I will be ready, scrubbed in and waiting.”

Dr. Ootaka nodded. “Good.”

“Let’s go, Dr. Napier.”

“I thought you wanted me to stay with Ms. Bayberry?” Sam asked.

“She’s in good hands with Dr. Ootaka’s residents. They can monitor her. Right now we have to get a neonatal team ready and on standby in case Ms. Bayberry goes into premature labor.”

“You think that will happen?”

“I hope it won’t,” Mindy said quickly as they moved down the hall to gather their team and ready them for surgery. She stopped and stretched her back, groaning.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked.

“Just a sore spot. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a long rotation in a hospital.”

Sam grunted. “What, they don’t have long rotations at the hospitals in California?”

“For your information, Dr. Napier, I had a private practice, or did you not hear a word Dr. Chang said when she introduced me?”

“You told me in no uncertain terms that your personal life was not my concern. I’m just your resident.” There was a devilish twinkle to his eyes as he said it.

Darn him.

He was proving to be a challenge.

“You’re right. I did. So why don’t you go back to Ms. Bayberry and continue to monitor her until she’s brought down to the OR. Also, make sure her next of kin is updated on the situation.”

“Of course, Dr. Walker.” Then he did a little bow of his head and headed back to the exam room where Ms. Bayberry was.

Mindy sighed. He was a pain, but he was a good physician. The way he was with Ms. Bayberry, reassuring her, taking care of her.

She’d seen the look of longing when he’d been watching Dr. Chang working on patients. The drive, that look of ambition, she knew it well. When she had been in her obstetrics fellowship she and Dean had worked side by side to gain the attention of one the most noted maternal-fetal specialists on the West Coast, Dr. Guild.

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