Doctor Difficult and the nurse who can tame him

ER nurse Paige Winters has a knack for working with difficult Dr. Luke Sherman. But when the demanding physician oversteps one too many times, Paige snaps and gives the doctor a dose of his own bitter medicine, then transfers out of the ER. So why is she so miserable? And why can’t she stop thinking about handsome Luke?

Luke is stunned by Paige’s anger...and the truth in her words. Now that she’s gone, he’s missing his best nurse and teammate. Paige was the one person who could light up his days. And Luke realizes Paige is the only prescription he’s ever needed. But can the smitten doctor convince her that love really is the best medicine?

Suddenly he was smiling and the response felt good.

He felt good, and that didn’t make sense. None at all.

He said, “We’re all entitled to get angry once in a while.”

“Yes. Once in a while.”

He chuckled, and the sound caused her brows to arch with surprise. Her reaction made him realize she’d probably never heard him laugh before, and the idea stunned him.

She unexpectedly rose to her feet and carried her mug over to the cabinet area as though she was preparing to leave. Luke was promptly overcome with disappointment.

“There’s no need for you to be afraid and rush off, Paige. I do know how to laugh. I promise I’ve not taken some sort of Jekyll-and-Hyde potion.”

Even though there was a few feet of space between them, he could see a dark blush stain her cheeks. The idea that he’d caused the heat in her face reminded him of just how long it had been since he’d had any sort of personal exchange with a woman. For the past five years he’d been a dead man. But life had suddenly and unexpectedly started flowing through him again. All thanks to this redheaded goddess standing in front of him.

* * *

Men of the West: Whether ranchers or lawmen, these heartbreakers know how to ride, shoot—and drive a woman crazy…

Her Kind of Doctor

Stella Bagwell

www.millsandboon.co.uk

After writing more than eighty books for Mills & Boon, STELLA BAGWELL still finds it exciting to create new stories and bring her characters to life. She loves all things Western and has been married to her own real cowboy for forty-four years. The couple has one son, who teaches high school mathematics and is also an athletic director. Stella loves hearing from readers. They can contact her at stellabagwell@gmail.com.

To editorial assistant Megan Broderick

for all your hard work. It’s so appreciated.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

“Nurse Winters! There is no place in the ER for tears. If you can’t control your emotions then get your things and go home! I’ll not have my patients’ welfare put in jeopardy over your foolish display of histrionics!”

Dr. Luke Sherman’s imperious voice sliced through Paige, just as it had many times before. Over the past three years, she’d grown accustomed to his barked orders and cutting remarks, his sneers and hateful attitude, but this was the end, she decided.

Not caring if there was a murderous expression on her face, she blinked at the moisture in her eyes and whirled to confront him. And even though she wanted to scream at him, she kept her voice tightly controlled.

“For your information, Dr. Sherman, I’m not having histrionics or any other sort of breakdown! I am in perfect control of my faculties and my emotions!”

One of his sandy brows arched upward, implying he found it incredible that she was actually daring to confront him. Paige desperately wanted to step forward and slap the supercilious look off his handsome face.

“Like hell you are!” His caustic retort caused something inside her to snap, releasing the fury she’d been struggling to rein in.

“You would view shedding a tear as criminal,” she said angrily. “You’re not human!”

His jaw clamped into a tight vise. “Are you finished? Or do you have more to say?”

Trying to explain anything to this man would be futile, she decided. He wouldn’t understand that the mist in her eyes had nothing to do with being a nurse and everything to do with being a woman. Earlier in the day, her best friend had given birth to a beautiful daughter and a few minutes ago Paige had held the precious, tiny life in her arms. As she’d gazed down at the baby’s face an empty longing had washed over her, reminding her of everything she’d been missing and all that she’d lost. She couldn’t expect any man to understand the feelings that were still tugging at her emotions. Especially Dr. Luke Sherman.

Through clenched teeth, she said, “I have plenty more to say. You, Dr. Sherman, have to be the most pompous, self-absorbed bastard that’s ever called himself a doctor!”

His nostrils flared and a swathe of red color washed up his neck. No doubt she’d infuriated him and burned her bridges in the process, but she was beyond worrying about the consequences. She was a nurse. Not a doormat or whipping post.

“You have the right to think whatever you like about me,” he said, in a voice cool enough to freeze Lake Tahoe. “It’s my duty to make sure my staff is capable of administering undivided attention to my patients. And right now you’re definitely not capable! I’m telling you to leave the ER! And I don’t expect to see you again until you take care of your problem.”

Her problem? He was the problem! She wanted to scream the words at him. Instead, she turned on her heel and hurried out of the treatment area before any of her fellow nurses could intercept her angry march to the main desk.

Helen, the head nurse of the Tahoe General Hospital emergency unit in Carson City, Nevada, was standing behind the counter with a phone jammed to her ear. Her steel-gray hair was always waved back from her face just as her full lips were a permanent ruby red. The only nurse on staff who stuck to age-old tradition in hospital fashion, a stiff nurse’s cap was pinned to the crown of her head, while a white dress uniform was buttoned over her ample curves. To the staff of the ER, Helen was affectionately known as the Iron Lady and at this very moment Paige wished she had just a fraction of Helen’s tough constitution.

As Paige approached the desk, Helen hung up the phone and began scribbling something on a notepad. When she finally looked up, she tossed down her pencil and folded her arms across her breasts. “Okay, give it to me. What’s happened? You look like you could breathe fire!”

Paige sniffed and stuffed her trembling hands in the pockets on her scrub top so the matronly nurse couldn’t see them.

Struggling to keep her voice from cracking, she muttered, “If I could breathe fire right now, Dr. Sherman would be nothing more than a piece of charred flesh!”

The veteran nurse cocked her head to one side as she surveyed Paige’s red eyes and pale face. “That’s nothing new. What’s he done now? Don’t tell me you let him bring you to tears! I thought you were a better woman than that.”

Paige had believed she was a better woman, too. Before this morning, she’d always been strong enough to hang on to her self-control whenever she was on the receiving end of his wrathful tongue. But this time Dr. Sherman had finally pushed the right buttons and, unfortunately, she’d cracked.

“These tears have nothing to do with him,” Paige said curtly.

“Hmm. My mistake. I thought you said you just wanted to turn him into a grilled fillet.”

“That’s because—” She broke off and shook her head with frustration. “Oh, a few minutes ago while I was on my break I went upstairs to the maternity ward. To see Marcella’s new baby daughter. They’ve named her Daisy and trust me, it fits. She’s as pretty as a flower.”

Helen smiled. “I heard that Marcella had delivered a few hours ago. I’m so happy for her and Denver.”

Paige glanced around to make sure none of the nurses coming and going around the desk were lingering about to pick up their conversation. It was bad enough that Dr. Sherman had ordered her out of the ER, she didn’t want to give the gossip mill any more fodder.

“I’m terribly happy for Marcella, too. She’s wanted another baby for so long. And when I held little Daisy...well, I got a bit misty. So when I returned to the ER, Dr. Perfect spotted my teary eyes, instantly concluded I was unfit for duty and ordered me out. So I’m here to tell you I’m going home.”

Helen gave her a stern look, then turned her piercing blue eyes to the clock on a wall behind them. “There’s only two hours to go until your shift changes. Don’t worry about leaving. If we get real tight, I’ll go back and fill in for you.”

Worry? Paige had just called her superior a pompous bastard. She figured her days in the ER were over. Or at the very least, she wouldn’t be working the same shift as Luke Sherman.

“Uh, there’s a little more to it, Helen. I’m afraid I said some very nasty things to Dr. Sherman. This might be the last time you’ll be seeing me around here. In fact, I’m sure of it.”

Scowling, Helen promptly took Paige by the arm and led her over to a more secluded area of the nurses’ station.

“Paige, I don’t begin to know what’s going on between you and Dr. Sherman. And frankly, I couldn’t care less if you love him or hate him. But you’ve been a nurse in this ER for seven years. You’re one of the best we’ve ever had. I don’t want to lose you.”

To emphasize her words, the older nurse reached over and gave Paige’s hand a tight squeeze. Paige was grateful for her support, but she wasn’t at all sure that Helen could intervene on her behalf, or even if she wanted her to.

Leaning closer to Helen, Paige lowered her voice. “Even if Dr. Sherman doesn’t ask to have me kicked off the ER staff, I’m not sure I can continue to work with the man, Helen. He’s...impossible!”

To her surprise, Helen chuckled. “I thought all men were impossible.”

Before Paige could make any sort of retort, the telephone rang and Helen hurried off to answer it. Paige used the interruption to make a swift exit.

Five minutes later, after snatching her wallet and tote bag from her locker, she was out of the hospital, with Carson City fading in her rearview mirror as she drove east on Highway 50 toward Fallon.

The forty-minute drive to the farmhouse of her grandfather, Gideon McCrea, usually gave her plenty of time to unwind from work. Especially when she could watch the early morning sun crest over the mountains and spread a golden haze across the desert floor. However, this morning a bank of clouds blotted out the sunrise and her thoughts were far away from the rough, open landscape.

Darn it! After three long years of working under Dr. Luke Sherman, why had she let his nasty mouth get under her skin? He’d said just as bad or worse to her before and she’d always allowed the barbs to roll right off her back. But this time his words had stuck and sunk too deep to ignore.

It was just as well, she thought glumly. During the past few months the tension of working with the demanding doctor had grown to such a point she’d sometimes felt herself close to crumbling. Especially when she appeared to be the only nurse in the ER that caught the brunt of his wrath.

When she finally pulled her economy car to a stop in front of her grandfather’s farmhouse, the clouds had moved north and the morning sun was already painting pink and yellow fingers across the porch sheltering the front and one side of the structure. Just the sight of the old two-bedroom house, with its rusty tin roof and gray, graveled tar siding, comforted her. No matter what took place in her life, this place would always be her home.

She was pulling her tote from the backseat of the car when the bang of the screen door had her glancing around to see Gideon walking onto the porch. His tall, thin frame was clothed in faded overalls and an equally faded chambray shirt. A mug of coffee was in one hand and a piece of food, most likely bacon, was in the other. As he took a seat in a rusty motel chair, he tossed the food to the dog lying near the end of the porch.

As she approached the house, she called out, “Grandfather, how many times have I told you not to feed Samson table scraps? They’re not good for him.”

“They’ve been pretty good to me for the past seventy-five years,” he argued. “And don’t be thinking Samson is stupid. He knows a piece of crispy fried bacon tastes a darn sight better than a chunk of hard dog food. That stuff isn’t much more than a corn dodger with a few vitamins thrown in.”

Paige wearily climbed the steps to the porch, then walked over and dropped a kiss on Gideon’s leathery cheek.

“Okay. Next time, we’ll buy canned dog food for Samson,” she told him.

As if on cue, the collie mix lifted his head and whined, which in turn made Gideon laugh. The interaction was enough to put a wan smile on Paige’s face.

“So did you leave any of that bacon for me?” she asked.

Gideon narrowed his faded blue eyes at her, then pulled a pocket watch from the bib of his overalls. “Am I mixed up this morning? Or have you come home early?”

He opened the watch and, after a careful check of the hands, snapped it closed.

“I’m early, Grandfather.”

“You’re usually an hour or two later. What happened? No sick folks coming in today?”

Paige could’ve told him there were plenty of ailing folks in the hospital. Including her. She was sick of Dr. Sherman’s endless demands and hateful attitude. She was fed up with looking at his face and wondering whether a nice guy had ever lived behind his handsomely carved features.

Sighing, Paige dropped her duffel and sank into the chair next to Gideon’s. “The ER was very busy. I, uh, had a little run-in with one of the doctors and decided it best I leave early.”

As he weighed her words, he passed a hand over waves of thick hair that had once been auburn but had grayed to a mixture of white and rust. At one time Gideon McCrea had been a young handsome man, working as a welder for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. But once time had begun to catch up with him, he’d retired and contented himself with growing small crops of timothy and alfalfa to sell to the local ranchers. The profit he made wasn’t large, but that hardly mattered to him. He didn’t want much. Especially since his beloved wife, Callie, had died ten years ago.

“You going to quit being a nurse?” he asked.

Wow, she must really look stressed out, Paige decided. Or maybe Gideon was picking up some negative tone in her voice. Either way, she didn’t want him to worry about her.

“Oh, no, Grandfather. I’d never quit being a nurse. I just think it’s time for me to work in a different section of the hospital. I’ve decided I’m going to talk with Mr. Anderson about getting myself transferred out of the ER.”

Just speaking the thought out loud left her feeling empty and lost. The ER was her life. It was where she felt needed the most. Leaving it behind was going to be difficult. But not nearly as painful as trying to deal with another minute of Luke Sherman.

“When?”

Gideon’s question prompted Paige to refocus her attention on his weather-beaten features. Thankfully he didn’t appear overly concerned, but then he wasn’t a man who always wore his emotions on his sleeve. Mostly, she tried to gauge his feelings about a matter by how many words he spoke. More meant he was angry. Less meant worried.

“Later this afternoon. After I’ve had a little sleep.”

“Hmm. This doctor you had the run-in with, you don’t like him?”

Like him? She couldn’t associate such a meek word with Dr. Sherman. A person either admired him or detested him. During the past three years she’d worked with him, she’d forced herself to ignore his abrasive demeanor and focus on his skills. Because he was one of the best doctors she’d ever been associated with, she’d tried to overlook his shortcomings as a person.

Holding back a rueful sigh, she said, “He’s a super doctor. A stickler for details. And he genuinely cares about his patients. But to answer your question, no. I don’t like the man. He’s an ass.”

“Maybe he has to be that way.”

Paige frowned. “Why? Why would anyone have to behave in such a way? It’s just as easy to be nice as it is to be hateful.”

Gideon slanted her a pointed smile. “Not for a man. We’re wired different. You ought to know that by now.”

Oh, yes, she’d learned the hard way that a man’s behavior wasn’t always guided by his morals or conscience. Seven years ago, Paige had divorced her cheating husband and moved from a luxurious house in Reno to live here with Gideon. Most of her friends and coworkers found it hard to believe that she preferred living so far away from her job, with an elderly grandfather, in a small house that had seen very little changes since it had been built in 1940. None of them understood that being close to her grandfather meant more to her than anything. He loved her and needed her. That was more than her own father had ever felt for her and certainly more than her ex.

“Grandfather,” she gently scolded, “you could never be anything but nice.”

He chuckled. “You didn’t know me when I was a young bull and my fist was ruled by the fire in my hair. The years have mellowed me.”

Paige figured Luke Sherman’s age to be at least five years older than her thirty years. And though there wasn’t any fiery red in his sandy hair, she’d seen plenty of sparks in his green eyes. If he lived to be ninety, she couldn’t imagine him ever mellowing into a nice guy.

Rising from the chair, she placed her hands against the small of her back and rolled her shoulders in an effort to ease the taut muscles. “You could tack a half century to Luke Sherman’s age and he still wouldn’t be good-humored.”

Gideon didn’t say anything to that and Paige was glad. She was tired of thinking about the doctor and even wearier of talking about him.

After picking up her tote, she stroked a hand over Samson’s head, then made her way to the door. “I’m going to have a bite of breakfast,” she said. “Before I tend to the chickens and goats. If you go out on the tractor tell me.”

“Yes, little hen.”

Inside the house, Paige walked to her bedroom and changed out of her scrubs and into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Once she was dressed, she pattered barefoot over the old linoleum as she made her way to a small kitchen located at the back of the house. Along the way, she pulled the pins from the heavy swathe of long hair fastened to the back of her head, then shook it free.

Since the cool of the morning still lingered, the air conditioner was off and a few of the windows stood open to the breeze. Normally this was Paige’s favorite time of the day, but her quarrel with Luke Sherman had taken the joy right out of her. Just another sign she needed to get away from the man, she thought dourly.

When she stepped into the kitchen, Gideon was already there at the cookstove, placing strips of bacon into a black frying pan.

“What are you doing?” she asked, frowning. “Samson doesn’t need any more bacon today.”

“This isn’t for Samson. It’s for you. Bacon, eggs and toast. Get yourself a cup of coffee and sit down while I get it cooked.”

“Grandfather, I’m a hospital nurse. Not a patient. You don’t need to take care of me.”

“Maybe I want to take care of you. Ever think about that? Besides, I figure you’ve already done enough arguing for one morning. No need to do more of it with me.”

Sighing, Paige crossed to a white metal cabinet and pulled a mug from the shelf. As she picked up a granite percolator from the stove and tilted it over the cup, she couldn’t help but wonder if Luke Sherman was home by now. Would he be eating breakfast alone? It was a known fact he wasn’t married, but he could have a special woman who hung her robe on his bathroom door. Maybe the two of them were having breakfast together, or even worse, talking about the confrontation he’d had with Paige.

Don’t be stupid, Paige. Once Luke Sherman leaves the hospital he wouldn’t waste one minute thinking about you. To him you’re just a flunky who’s paid to do his bidding. Nothing more. Nothing less. Forget about the man. Forget about the ER.

“Paige! Have you lost your hearing?”

Realizing Gideon was practically shouting at her, she mentally shook away the dismal thoughts and glanced over her shoulder.

“Sorry, Grandfather. I didn’t hear you. What were you saying?”

He scowled at her. “I was asking if you wanted green chilies on your eggs.”

“No. I want habanero sauce.” Hopefully the fire on her tongue would burn any thoughts of Luke Sherman right out of her mind.

* * *

Twenty miles west of Carson City, on the south rim of Lake Tahoe, Luke Sherman sat on a redwood pier, staring out at a flock of birds skimming the waves of the deep blue water and soaring high above the giant evergreens shading the shoreline of the private cove. It was a beautiful July morning with the sun shining brightly in an azure-blue sky and a gentle breeze singing through the pines behind him.

During the summer months, he always made it a habit to drink his morning coffee here on the pier, where the beauty and solitude helped him unwind from the rigors of the ER. But this morning, Luke was far from relaxed. The image of Paige Winters’s face continued to float in front of his eyes, blocking out the magnificent view of prime Nevada real estate.

Damn it! What in the world had come over her? Of all the nurses he’d worked with during his ten years as an MD, Paige was definitely the most capable. If anything rattled her, it never showed in the smooth, efficient way she administered care to the influx of ER patients. Before this morning, he’d never once seen a glimmer of a tear in her eyes.

He didn’t know what had caused the waterworks. And he damn well didn’t care. The only thing that mattered to him was that his best nurse remain focused and ready for whatever emergency came through the door.

Luke unconsciously gripped the insulated coffee mug even tighter as the image of Paige’s clear gray eyes swimming in tears replayed itself in his mind. She would never know, or possibly guess, how much it had hurt him to see her crying. He could hardly believe it himself.

You didn’t have to cut into her the way you did, Luke. You were a jerk. A bastard, she called you. And she was right. You don’t deserve to have a nurse like Paige working at your side.

Cursing under his breath, he rose from the Adirondack chair and walked to the edge of the long, planked pier. As he stared down at the deep blue water, he shoved mightily at the accusing voice in his head.

It was possible he’d overreacted, he contemplated. And he might have tendered his words in a gentler manner. But he’d never had to handle Paige with kid gloves. She was tough. She could take anything he dished out. On top of that, he’d been right in confronting her and right in sending her out of the ER. He wasn’t going to allow anyone, even Nurse Winters, to jeopardize a patient’s life. So why did he feel so miserable?

Maybe because Paige Winters is the only person you care about being around. Because without her, your job at Tahoe General would mean far, far less. Face it, Luke, for a long time now you’ve thought of the two of you as a team. Now you’re wondering if you might’ve torn your team apart.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Luke left the pier and began the steep climb up to the massive split-level house he called home.

Built of native rock and rough cedar, it was perched on a rocky shelf that overlooked a finger of the lake. Nestled among a stand of huge ponderosa pine, the solid structure was always shaded from the blistering sun in the summer season and partially guarded from high drifts of snow in the winter. Built onto the back of the house, a wide stone terrace was furnished with comfortable lawn furniture and an outdoor bar and grill. Potted plants, carefully tended by a gardener, were strategically placed to make the sitting area feel like an extension of the yard.

Even to his jaded eye, the place was incredibly beautiful, yet in the past four years he’d lived here, it had never felt like home.

Hell. No place would ever feel like home to him again, Luke thought. Even if he went back to West Virginia and walked into the tiny house where he’d grown up, where his parents had lived until the day they’d died, it wouldn’t be the same. Too much had happened. Too many things had been ripped away from him. Now he viewed everything with stark reality. Home was just a fanciful ideal and a house was simply a place to eat, sleep and take shelter from the elements. As for family—well, they were just something a person eventually lost.

* * *

Later that night, as Luke began his evening shift, it was glaringly obvious that Paige wasn’t present and the remaining nurses in the ER were tiptoeing around him as though he had a communicable disease.

With a steady stream of patients pouring into the emergency care unit, he didn’t have a chance to question where Paige was, or if she’d be showing up later. But as soon as there was a lapse in the number of patients, he caught up to Chavella Honanie, just as she was entering the medical dispensary. From what he observed in the ER, the young nurse appeared to be a close friend of Paige’s. If anyone could tell him about her absence, he figured Chavella would be the one.

“Yes, Dr. Sherman, is there something I can do for you?” she asked.

Feeling a bit embarrassed and hating himself because of it, he said, “I, uh, was wondering if you knew why Nurse Winters isn’t on duty tonight. Is she ill?”

The nurse’s dark gaze awkwardly fell from his. “I don’t think so. Samantha Newton is working a double shift to make up for Paige’s absence. As for Paige, I haven’t talked with her since she left the hospital at five this morning.”

Exactly when he’d ordered Paige to leave. Chavella didn’t say the words, but Luke knew the young Hopi nurse was thinking them.

“Do you think any of the other nurses might know why she’s not here?”

Chavella nervously darted a glance at him. “I’m not sure. You should probably ask Helen. She takes care of the shift roster.”

Nodding, he left the dispensary and walked out to the nurses’ station. When he approached the long, waist-high desk, Helen was on the phone. Trying to hide his impatience, he folded his arms against his chest and waited until she ended the conversation.

“Good evening, Dr. Sherman. Haven’t you ventured a little beyond your territory?”

Since Helen was nearly thirty years his senior and had worked in this very hospital for close to forty years, he felt she’d earned the right to say anything she wanted to say in whatever tone she wanted to say it.

“From time to time, I do stick my head out of the treatment area,” he informed her.

She cracked a smile at him. “Well, it’s nice to see your good-looking face tonight. What can I do for you?”

Good-looking? He’d never thought much about his appearance, other than to keep his face shaved, hair trimmed to a decent length, and his clothes clean and neat. Otherwise, it didn’t matter. But for some odd reason he was suddenly wondering how Paige saw him. Did she ever see him as a man, instead of a doctor? Had she ever thought of him as good-looking?

Silently cursing himself for having such idiotic thoughts, he said, “Nurse Winters isn’t here tonight. Can you tell me why? Did she call in sick?”

Helen’s chin lifted as she drew in a long breath. “Paige is not ill. In fact, she’s at work right now on the third floor.”

Luke stared at the veteran nurse as if she’d lost her mind. “Third floor! Paige is up in internal medicine?”

“That’s right,” Helen said smugly. “She’s been transferred out of the ER unit. At her own request.”

If someone had hit Luke square in the forehead with a baseball bat, he wouldn’t have been more stunned than he was at this moment. For as long as he’d known her, Paige had worked the ER. Sure, they’d exchanged heated words, yet he’d never thought she’d go to this extent to get back at him. But perhaps he was jumping the gun in assuming he was the reason she’d left the ER. Maybe there was a different reason.

He looked blankly at Helen. “Why?”

“Excuse me?”

He grimaced. “Why did Nurse Winters ask for the transfer?”

Helen rolled her eyes. “Think hard, Dr. Sherman. You’ll figure it out.”

Drawing in a harsh breath, he started to stalk away from the sarcastic nurse. But that would hardly garner the answers he was seeking.

Swiping a hand through his hair, he tried to keep his paper-thin patience from slipping completely away. “I don’t have time for mind games, Helen. Yes, Nurse Winters and I exchanged a few cross words last shift, but it hardly warranted her flying the coop!”

Helen’s head tilted to a challenging angle. “Perhaps you view the incident in those terms. Paige obviously sees it differently. Hmmph. I don’t suppose you bothered to ask her why she had tears in her eyes.”

His back teeth snapped together. “The reason for her breakdown didn’t matter then,” he uttered slowly and concisely. “Nor does it have any bearing on the issue now.”

The way in which the older nurse was eyeing him, Luke got the impression she’d like to spit a few salty words at him. Instead, she turned back to the desk as though to say her job was far more important than dealing with his demands.

Picking up a clipboard and pen, she said crisply, “Naturally you would have that attitude. You’re a man. You wouldn’t understand the deep pull of a woman’s maternal instincts.”

Maternal! Before he’d caught Paige crying, there hadn’t been any children visit the emergency unit. She couldn’t have been crying over a sick baby or an adolescent. Unless Helen was implying in a roundabout way that Paige was pregnant! No! Surely that couldn’t be!

“Helen, it might be helpful if you would explain that cryptic remark.”

“I think you should be having this conversation with Nurse Winters. Not me.”

He wasn’t going to have any more conversations with Paige, he thought crossly. She’d clearly made her choice to move on. Away from him. Away from the ER. If she’d gotten involved with some man and gotten herself pregnant, then he didn’t want to know about it. And he definitely didn’t want to think about it.

“Can you kindly explain if you have another nurse lined up to take Nurse Winters’s place? The unit was already short-handed on nurses.”

“I’m working on that, Dr. Sherman. Just give me a bit more time. Filling Paige’s shoes isn’t going to be easy, you know.”

Before he could make a retort, the telephone rang and Helen excused herself to answer it. Luke didn’t wait around to see if her conversation was going to be brief. He figured Helen had already spoken her piece on the matter.

Determined to put Paige and the whole incident out of his mind, he turned on his heel and started back to the treatment area. Yet as he passed the elevator used exclusively for ER patients, he suddenly wondered what Paige would think if he did show up on the third floor.

Would she tell him to go jump in the lake? Or apologize for calling him a bastard?

The nagging questions were rolling through his thoughts when the corner of his eye caught a flash of movement and he looked around to see Nurse Honanie motioning to him.

“Dr. Sherman, the paramedics are bringing in a patient with stroke symptoms,” she called to him.

Hurrying forward, he promised himself he’d think about Paige Winters later. Right now saving a life was his only priority.

Chapter Two

Friday morning after Paige had finished her night shift, she was walking across the parking lot to her car when she heard a familiar voice calling to her.

Pausing, she glanced over her shoulder to see Chavella hurrying to catch up to her. The young woman had changed out of her scrubs and into a pair of jeans and a shirt. Her coal-black hair bounced against her back as she trotted across the asphalt. She was so very young and beautiful, yet tragedy had wiped away too much of her youthful spirit when her fiancé had been killed in a freak construction accident. Paige had often wished Chavella would meet a man who would fill the emptiness in her life, but so far she’d shown no interest in forgetting her late fiancé.

“Hey, sweetie!” Paige called to her. “On your way home?”

Chavella nodded as she came to a stop at Paige’s side. “Yes, what about you?”

“Me, too. In fact, I have the next two nights off. I’m still pinching myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.”

The young nurse’s dark eyes widened. “Two nights off? Are you kidding?”

“No. Seems the internal-medicine floor has plenty of nurses to rotate. And my break just happened to fall this weekend.”

Chavella shrugged. “Lucky you. We’re still short-handed, so none of us are expecting days off.”

“Oh. You mean Helen hasn’t replaced me yet?”

“Three different nurses have come in for the past three nights. All of them are just temps.”

Confused by this news, Paige shook her head. “What is the woman thinking? She knows the ER always has a demanding load of patients!”

Chavella glanced away as she pulled the strap of her tote higher onto her shoulder. “I think she expects you to return.”

The hollow feeling in Paige’s stomach spread until it culminated in a dull ache in the middle of her chest.

“I’ll have a talk with her. She needs to understand that I’m not coming back. Not for any reason.”

Disappointment clouded Chavella’s pretty features. “Oh. So you like the internal floor?”

“I like anywhere I’m needed,” she said evasively. She wasn’t going to come right out and admit that she’d been bored out of her mind for the past three nights. The morbidly quiet hallways of the third floor were nothing like the hustle and bustle of trauma patients rolling through the ER. And never in a million years would she reveal to Chavella, or anyone else, that she missed Dr. Sherman and his acid tongue. Even more, Paige missed his confident manner in treating the patients and his knack for being able to make a rapid diagnosis when every second counted. Most of all she missed having the solid strength of his presence and knowing he was only a few steps away if she needed him. “And the IM doctors only show up when they’re making rounds. Makes for a peaceful shift.”

Chavella smiled wanly. “I’m glad your transfer has turned out so well. You must be very happy.”

She’d never been more miserable in her life, but she gave the other nurse the brightest smile she could manage. “Thanks, Chavella. I think—yes, even though I miss you and the other nurses, this move was best for me. Tell everyone hello for me, won’t you?”

“What about Dr. Sherman? Do you have a message for him?”

Paige glanced around the parking lot as though she expected to see the man suddenly walking toward her. Which was a ridiculous reaction. Dr. Luke Sherman always remained at the hospital long after his shift ended. She didn’t know if that stemmed from dedication to his job, or because being a physician was the only thing he had going in his life.

“Chavella, you’re far too nice a person to repeat the words I’d have to say to Dr. Sherman,” she said ruefully.

The young nurse studied Paige with dark eyes that held far more wisdom than most women her age. “None of us nurses ever understood why he was always so hard on you, Paige. Most of us thought it was because he was...well, sweet on you. But now, I guess we were wrong.”

“Dead wrong,” Paige said bluntly.

Chavella cleared her throat. “I think he misses you. He’s not seemed the same since you left.”

In spite of his hateful words lingering at the edges of her thoughts, a bereft feeling shot through her. “Of course he isn’t the same,” she argued. “His whipping post is gone. So who is he yelling at now? Dear Lord, I hope it’s not you.”

“That’s what none of us nurses can figure out, Paige. He’s not yelling at anyone. He’s quiet. Scary quiet. We’ve all been tiptoeing around him, expecting him to explode at any moment. So far it hasn’t happened.”

Chavella’s news was like a knife to Paige’s chest. All this time she’d been telling herself that Dr. Luke Sherman was the type of man who would always need someone to browbeat, someone he could spew his bitterness at. She’d believed that once she was gone, he would move his insufferable treatment to another nurse. But apparently she’d been all wrong. For some reason she would never understand, it was her and only her that he’d wanted to hurt.

Trying to paste a smile on her lips, Paige said, “Well, that’s good news. With me gone there’ll be peace in the ER. I’m glad for all of you.”

Pressing her lips together, Chavella gazed back at the hospital building, which was now bathed in warm morning sunlight. “I don’t like it peaceful, Paige. I’m thinking I’ll go to Mr. Anderson and ask to be transferred, too.”

Paige instantly snatched up Chavella’s hand and patted it. “Oh, no, Chavella. Please, don’t do that. The ER is so important. It needs nurses like you, who are compassionate and dedicated. And what would Helen do if all of you started migrating out of there? She and the patients would be in trouble.”

The young nurse sighed. “Yes. I suppose you’re right,” she said glumly.

Paige gave Chavella’s hand another pat before she released it. “Cheer up. In two months Marcella’s maternity leave will be up and she’ll be returning to part-time work in the ER. She’ll make everything better.”

Chavella smiled faintly, but said nothing. Paige reached over and gave her shoulders a hug. “I need to get going. Why don’t you stop by the farm and have a cup of coffee with Grandfather? I don’t have to tell you how much he enjoys your company.”

“Maybe soon,” Chavella said, then sighed. “I promised Mother I would take her into Fallon this morning for grocery shopping. I keep hoping that one of these days she’ll learn how to drive a car.”

Grinning faintly, Paige suggested, “Maybe you should teach her.”

Chavella chuckled. “Then I might wind up as a patient in the emergency instead of a nurse.”

Paige laughed along with her, then after a brief goodbye, walked on to her car.

For the next few minutes Paige concentrated on maneuvering through the morning rush-hour traffic in the city, but once she was traveling on the open highway toward home, her thoughts turned to Chavella’s remarks.

I think he misses you. He’s not seemed the same since you left.

Could it be that Dr. Luke Sherman had actually noticed she’d been gone? Could he be missing her? No. He’d never miss her, Paige Winters, the woman. But he might be missing Nurse Winters.

Don’t be an idiot, Paige. Luke Sherman has never seen you as a woman. And if you worked at his side for another three years, he’d still see you as nothing more than a nurse. A nurse he loved to yell at and step on. Forget him. Forget the ER. And forget the empty feeling in the middle of your chest. You’ll get over it just like you got over David.

The mere thought of her ex-husband put a frown on Paige’s face. He’d been a liar and a cheat. And seven years ago, when she’d left him and his mistress behind in Reno, she’d basically pushed the idea of love and marriage out of her life. She didn’t need to go looking for another heartache. That had been her motto.

But earlier in the week, when she’d held Marcella’s daughter in her arms, she’d suddenly been swamped with loneliness and the feeling had startled her. All these years she’d lived as a single woman, she’d thought her life was complete. She’d never thought of herself as lonely. She’d never gone around longing for a husband or children. After all, she had her busy job at the hospital, along with helping her grandfather on his little farm. She didn’t need anything else.

But the night Paige had held newborn Daisy, something deeply maternal had called to her. Suddenly she’d been remembering how much she’d once wanted a man’s love. How much she’d longed to have babies and be a mother.

When Luke Sherman had spotted her tears, he’d accused her of being emotionally out of control. He couldn’t know that for the first time in years, she’d allowed herself to be a woman and all the feelings that went with it. But he wouldn’t care about that. No, with him it was always about rules and stipulations. Well, she’d stepped over that rigid line he expected her to follow and she had no intention of ever going back.

Forty-five minutes later, when she arrived home, she spotted Gideon and Rob Duncan in front of the barn, changing a tire on one of the tractors. As she exited the car and started to the house, both men waved to her. She waved back, but didn’t make a point to go greet them.

Rob had never hid the fact that he wanted to date her and though he was a nice, generally good-looking man, she was tired of repeatedly turning down his invitations, and Gideon didn’t seem to understand. As far as her grandfather was concerned, the neighboring farmer would be a good catch for Paige.

Inside, Paige changed into a pair of old jeans and a checked shirt, then went straight outside to the henhouse. She’d fed the chickens and was gathering the eggs that had been laid since yesterday, when Gideon stepped into the dimly lit structure.

“Hey, girl, couldn’t you find enough eggs in the house for your breakfast?”

Paige placed the last brown egg in the basket on her arm before stepping over to her grandfather. “I didn’t want any breakfast. I wanted to come out here. It makes me feel good to hear the hens cluck.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “What’s the matter—you don’t want to eat? You getting sick on me?”

“No, Grandfather. I’m fine.”

He lifted a worn gray cap from his head and swiped a hand over his hair. “Rob was wondering why you didn’t come say hello.”

Paige inwardly winced. “I waved hello to him.”

“The man is crazy about you, Paige. The least you can do is be friendly.”

Sighing, Paige shook her head. “He views being friendly as encouragement. And I don’t have any romantic interest in the man.”

“Maybe you should,” he retorted. “You could do a lot worse than to marry Rob.”

It wasn’t like Gideon to pry into her private life. Sometimes he suggested that she needed to get out more and do something fun with friends, but he’d never pushed her about men or marriage until recently.

“What’s the matter, Grandfather? Are you thinking I’m turning into an old, cranky spinster?”

“Hell, no. I...well, sometimes I get to thinking you’re wasting yourself living here with me. Never having much of a life of your own.”

Smiling now, she curled one arm around the back of his waist and gave him a squeeze. “Hush, Grandfather. Not one minute of my life is wasted when I’m with you. So if you’re getting tired of me, you’re out of luck. I’m not going anywhere. And you can tell that to Rob Duncan, too.”

“I’ll tell him,” Gideon muttered. “No use in letting the man hang on to false hope.”

Trying not to roll her eyes, Paige urged him out of the henhouse. Once they were away from the chicken yard and walking toward the back of the house, she asked, “When did you have the flat on the tractor?”

“Don’t know. I found it that way this morning. I would’ve fixed it myself, but since it was on Ole Red I thought I’d better wait until I got some help.”

Ole Red was Gideon’s biggest tractor. The one he used for plowing and cultivating the alfalfa field. The tires on the Farmall were much too enormous and heavy for one man to handle. Especially a man of Gideon’s age.

“I’m glad you did. But you could’ve called a garage in Fallon to send someone out. I would’ve paid for the service. You didn’t need to bother Rob.”

“He was on his way to Carson City and just happened to come by to say hello. Being neighborly, he offered to help. And speaking of being neighborly, old lady Krenshaw is feeling poorly again. If you ask me she’s just wanting attention, but I thought you might go visit her this evening. On your way back to work.”

By now the two of them had climbed onto the back porch and Gideon held open the screen door in order for Paige to precede him into the kitchen. The room smelled of sausage and pancakes, and normally, the scents would have whetted her appetite, but for the past few days she’d found it impossible to eat more than a few bites at a time.

“I won’t be going back to work this evening,” she informed him. “I have the next two days off.”

Pausing in his tracks, Gideon stared at her. “Glory be. What are you going to do with yourself?”

“Just what I want to,” she joked, then added in a more serious tone, “I honestly don’t know yet. Hoe the garden and wash curtains. Maybe even make you some pies.”

Gideon pushed back the bill of his cap and scratched the top of his head. “Guess things are going to be different around here with you not working in the ER. Maybe your transfer was all for the better.”

It would be for the better, Paige thought, if she liked the slower pace and could get used to not having Dr. Sherman standing over her shoulder, barking out orders. Darn it! Why did his memory have to keep butting in? For days now she’d tried to forget the awful things she’d said to him. True, he’d deserved every word and more. But it wasn’t in Paige’s nature to be nasty to anyone. Even someone who’d treated her unfairly.

“I hope so,” she told him, then directed their conversation away from her job. “So explain this to me, Grandfather—how do you know Hatti Krenshaw isn’t feeling well? Have you been calling her?”

“Now why would that idea surprise you?” he asked with a grin. “Your old grandfather knows how to talk to a woman.”

Paige placed the basket of eggs on the cabinet and began to gather fixings for a fresh pot of coffee. “I didn’t know you were that acquainted with the woman. The only time we see her is at church. Have you been making trips over to her house?”

His wry chuckle had Paige arching a brow at him.

“You don’t know what goes on around here all the time,” he said, a sly sparkle in his blue eyes. “I still drive, you know.”

So her seventy-five-year-old grandfather had more romance going on than Paige did. That pretty much summed up her love life, or lack of one, she thought glumly.

“If that’s the way things are with you and Hatti, then I’d like to know why you call her ‘old lady.’ Hatti’s probably five years younger than you.”

He sidled up to the cabinet counter and watched as Paige poured water into the coffeemaker. “I call her old because she acts old. Ever since her husband died she’s sat down and gave up on life. I’ve told her she’s wasting herself. But she doesn’t listen. None of you women do.”

Paige’s grunt was full of humor. “What do you think Hatti needs to do? Kick up her heels and go dancing?”

“It sure as heck would be a start. Get her legs limbered up and her heart pumping. Use it or lose it. That’s what I tell her. Any way you look at it, life is short. Nobody should sit around frittering away precious time.”

Paige could hardly be accused of sitting around. In fact, she rarely took any leisure time for herself. But ever since she’d held baby Daisy, she’d been thinking about time and her future and whether she was going to end up childless and alone.

Paige pulled two clean cups from a wire dish drainer sitting next to the sink. “You mean, like me?”

“Didn’t say that at all,” Gideon replied. “You ought to know whether you’re making good use of your time.”

“Right now I’m going to use mine to sit on the front porch and drink a cup of coffee,” Paige told him. “Want to join me?”

“No thanks, honey. Now that my tractor tire is fixed I’m going out to the east pasture and lay down some fertilizer. If we’re lucky we’ll get a second cutting on the alfalfa mix.”

Compared to some of the neighboring farms and ranches, Gideon’s hay production was small. But growing the crops was more than enough to keep him busy and make a profit to boot. One thing was for certain—her grandfather would never be idle. A few of her fellow nurses often advised her to discourage Gideon from farming. They all insisted the job was too strenuous for a man of his age. And how would Paige feel, they often asked, if he had a heart attack and died while out on his tractor?

Paige always answered the question honestly. If dying on his tractor was the way it was meant for her grandfather to leave the world, she’d be happy. At least he’d go while doing what he loved. And she wouldn’t have to see him lying in a care facility, withering away a little each day, until he was just a shell of himself.

Just like Gideon doesn’t want to see you withering away without a husband or children.

The tiny voice popped into her head before she had a chance to push it away, causing Paige to frown as she filled a mug with coffee. It had been years since she’d put David Raines and their ill-fated marriage in her rearview mirror. So why was she suddenly thinking about a man to love and babies to bear? It was bad enough to have Dr. Luke Sherman constantly eating on her mind.

Leaning over, she pecked a kiss on Gideon’s cheek. “Be safe out there.”

Grinning, he dismissed her words with a wave of his hand and headed out the door. “I’m always safe.”

* * *

Early Monday morning, shortly after Luke finished his shift and handed the reins over to Dr. Bradley, he rode the elevator up to the sixth floor. Since it was only a few minutes past seven, he didn’t expect Chet Anderson, Tahoe General’s nursing director, to be in his office yet, but Luke was prepared to wait for as long as necessary.

However, when he reached Chet’s office, he found the door ajar and the other man already busy at his desk. Just as Luke started to knock on the door facing, Chet glanced up.

“Hey, Luke. Come in,” he invited. “Have a seat.”

Luke stepped into the room. “Sorry to interrupt, Chet. Do you have time to speak with me for a minute?”

The dark-haired man, near Luke’s age, gestured to the plush chair sitting in front of his desk.

“I always have time for you.” He pulled off a pair of black framed glasses and tossed them onto a nearby mouse pad. “You must have just finished your shift. Would you like coffee?”

Luke shook his head as he made himself comfortable in the black leather chair. “No thanks. I’ll have some later with breakfast.”

“So is this a hospital call?” Chet asked. “Or did you drop by my office just to say hello?”

Luke had never been an outgoing, social person. It wasn’t that he disliked people. It was simply easier not to develop close friendships. Especially when he knew how abruptly those could end. But Chet Anderson was one of the few people at Tahoe General that he considered more than a colleague. In spite of the fact that they often sparred over hospital policies, Chet remained his friend.

Luke crossed his ankles and tried to relax. “Sorry. I should’ve been by before now to see how you’ve been doing. But things get hectic. You know how it is.”

Smiling vaguely, Chet picked up a pen and absently turned it end over end. “I know exactly. I got a call from my parents last night. They’re wondering if they still have a son.”

A cold fist suddenly grabbed onto something in the middle of Luke’s chest and squeezed tight. “You should make time for them, Chet. You might not have a chance later.”

The nursing director leveled a rueful look at him. “Sorry, Luke. I shouldn’t have mentioned my parents. Not when—”

“Mine are gone?” he said, finishing the other man’s sentence. “Don’t be silly, Chet. It’s not your fault that my parents died together in a car crash.”

“No. But you don’t need a friend to remind you of the fact.”

Shrugging a shoulder, Luke glanced toward an arched window. Beyond the glass he could see the morning sun shedding a golden light across part of the city and the mountains to the far west. Strange how he’d been born and raised in the east, but as soon as he’d settled here in Nevada he’d felt as though this was where he was supposed to be. Perhaps that was because there was nothing back in West Virginia for him. No parents. No wife. Even his sister had moved on to a different town.

“It’s been nearly five years now. I’ve accepted the fact that they’re gone,” Luke said.

“I doubt that I could ever be as strong as you, Luke. Not after the losses you’ve been through.” Chet left his desk and walked over to where a small table held a coffeepot, cups, condiments and a plate of pastries. As he poured coffee into one of the cups, he said, “I don’t know if I ever told you this before, Luke, but when you first came to work here I thought you were a real bastard. I had nurses lined up at my door complaining about you. And I wondered what in hell the administration was thinking when they hired you.”

“Apparently there’s a shortage of doctors out here in the west,” Luke said with sardonic humor. “That’s why they keep me on.”

“Hell! Everyone in this hospital, especially me, has learned that you are one of the best doctors we’ve ever had here at Tahoe General.”

Luke inwardly winced. “There’s one person who doesn’t agree with you.”

Stirring a spoonful of sugar into his cup, Chet turned to look at him. “Oh? Who’s that?”

His jaw tightened. “Nurse Winters. Paige Winters, to be exact.”

“Ahh. Nurse Winters,” he said with slow deliberation. “Are you here because you want me to fire her?”

Luke’s mouth fell open. “Fire her? Hell, no! What gave you that idea?”

Chet took a short sip from his cup before he answered. “Isn’t it fairly obvious? You two got into it and she admitted she said a few choice words to you. I thought you might be expecting me to fire her for insubordination.”

Luke muttered a curse word under his breath. “Paige—I mean, Nurse Winters—has never disobeyed one of my orders. She simply lost her temper. I don’t want her to be reprimanded over the incident. I want her back in the ER!”

Chet’s dark brows slowly inched upward. “Why? If you two can’t get along there isn’t—”

“Damn it, except for this one time, we’ve always gotten along! She’s the best nurse I’ve ever worked with. I need her in the ER! You worked the unit before you became nursing director. You know how hectic it gets. I need someone at my side that I can trust. Someone that knows what to do and how to do it without being told.”

Chet took another long sip from his cup, then walked over to the window and gazed out at the view. “I understand, Luke. But nurses aren’t robots, they’re human. And it’s my job to consider their feelings and make certain each one is working where he or she is most effective and happy. In my opinion, Paige needs a break from the pressure of the ER.”

Pressure? Paige thrived on it, Luke thought. “What about the other nurses on my shift who’ve worked the ER unit for as long as Paige? I don’t see you trying to ease their pressure.”

“Hmm. Well, none of them have come to me requesting a transfer.” He glanced over his shoulder at Luke. “If you’re asking me to order Paige to return to the ER, then you’re out of luck. Considering a nurse’s welfare is the first priority of my job.”

Luke wearily rubbed a hand against the back of his neck. “I don’t expect you to order her. But you could ask, couldn’t you?”

He watched Chet walk back over to his desk, all the while thinking the nursing director was the only person he’d be having this type of conversation with. Luke wouldn’t want anyone else knowing just how fiercely he missed Paige.

Chet sank into the big leather chair behind his desk. “Sure, I could ask. But the situation would be a whole lot better for you, and her, if you did the asking.”

His hands gripping the arms of the chair, Luke leaned forward and stared at the other man in disbelief. “Me? I hardly think she’d listen to me!”

Smiling faintly, Chet shook his head. “Luke, when a man tears down a fence it’s up to him to build it back. If Paige is your prize nurse, then you need to do some apologizing. Why don’t you try to get a few sweet words out of your mouth? If you make the effort I’m confident you can woo Paige back to the ER.”

Like hell, Luke thought. He wasn’t about to beg any woman for anything. Before he’d divorced Andrea, he’d pleaded with his wife to understand his feelings about his work, his duties and obligations as a doctor. But in the end, none of his pleas had meant anything to her. No, Luke’s begging days were over.

Pushing himself from the chair, he said, “Thanks for listening, Chet. I’ve taken up enough of your time this morning. Stop by the ER sometime and say hello. Maybe we can actually figure out a day we can make a trip to the golf course.”

“I hope that day comes soon,” Chet agreed. “I think we could both use a break.”

Luke started out of the room only to have Chet call out to him.

“Luke, you haven’t said what you intend to do about Paige.”

Luke continued walking. “I’m not going to do anything. Those fences you were talking about will just have to stay broken.”

And he was going to make himself forget he’d ever worked with Nurse Winters.

Chapter Three

Monday night Paige had been back at work only a few minutes when she heard a familiar voice calling to her. Pausing in the busy corridor, she turned to see Helen hurrying to catch up to her.

The sight of the ER matron took Paige by complete surprise. She couldn’t remember a time she’d seen Helen in another part of the hospital, unless it was the cafeteria.

“Helen! Oh, it’s wonderful to see you!” She gave the staunch woman a brief hug, then stepped back and smiled. “What in the world are you doing up here? Don’t tell me you’ve transferred out of ER, too?”

The woman’s ruby lips pursed with disapproval. “Me out of ER? Never,” she said, then promptly took Paige by the arm and marched her to one side of the hallway and out of the path of passing nurses and orderlies. “I only have a couple of minutes and I’m sure you’re rushed for time, too.”

Paige nodded. “I need to dispense a few meds. But I can take a minute for you, Helen.”

“Okay, I’ll make this short and sweet. Dr. Sherman is miserable without you. I want you to come back to the ER. For his sake and everyone else on the night shift.”

For some idiotic reason Paige felt very near to bursting into tears. “Oh, Helen. This is—did Dr. Sherman send you up here?”

Helen scowled. “Are you kidding? He’d be irate if he knew where I was.”

Paige wanted to kick herself for even asking Helen such a question. Luke Sherman would never put anyone up to luring her back to the ER. If the truth was known, he’d probably been whistling a silent tune of relief to have her gone.

“Naturally he’d be irate,” Paige retorted. “He doesn’t want me around.”

Helen let out a short, sarcastic laugh that had a passing nurse glancing their way.

“You’re wrong. I’ve never seen Luke like this. He’s lost and trying terribly hard not to show it.”

Luke. Paige rarely heard anyone call Dr. Sherman by his first name. He wasn’t a person that invited that sort of closeness. To hear Helen call him Luke made him seem far more human. And that notion touched something very close to Paige’s heart.

“Helen, I’m just now starting to get the hang of things up here. I—”

Helen grimaced. “The hang of baths, breakfast and handing out pills? Don’t try to fool me, Paige. You miss the disorder and constant change that goes on in the ER.”

Moving closer, Paige lowered her voice so that only Helen could hear her. “All right! I do miss the ER. But I can’t go back. Dr. Sherman is...well, I just can’t be his floor mat anymore.”

Helen shot her a meaningful look. “I’m quite certain you’re going to find a different Luke Sherman,” she said emphatically. “Trust me. He’s learned his lesson.”

Frowning, Paige said, “Helen, I’m not working up here on the internal medicine floor just to teach Dr. Sherman a lesson. I’m moved up here to keep my own sanity!”

Helen reached out and gave Paige’s arm a placating pat. “Luke needs you.”

Massaging her forehead with her fingertips, Paige said, “I find that very difficult to believe. But I am tempted to come back and give things another try. I—”

“Good! That settles it. You don’t have to do a thing. I’ve already approved it with Chet. He’ll have a replacement here in IM for tomorrow night’s shift. All you have to do is show up in ER.”

“Show up? Don’t you mean have a showdown? I’m pretty sure sparks are going to fly when Dr. Sherman sees me again.”

“Don’t worry, Paige. If any sparks fly it will be the good kind. Now I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

Paige didn’t have a chance to argue the point. Helen quickly hurried away. For one second, she considered going after the woman and telling her there was no way she was going back to the ER. But for some strange reason her feet suddenly felt like two lead weights.

Darn it! What was she going to do now?

Paige, you’ve never been a spiteful person. You’re going to go back to the ER and treat Dr. Luke Sherman with the same respect that you’d like to be treated with. And no matter how nasty he gets, you’re going to hold your temper and your tongue.

Sure, Paige thought, as she hurried to the drug dispensary. Holding herself together around the demanding doctor would be an easy task. About as easy as running a marathon across Death Valley in the middle of summer.

Chapter Four

The next night, as the evening shift took over, Luke had just pulled on his lab coat and stepped into the treatment area when the sound of a soft footfall behind him had him glancing over his shoulder.

The sight of Paige Winters practically sent him into shock and for a long, awkward moment, all he could do was stare at her dark, wine-colored hair, silver gray eyes and soft, slender curves. He’d never expected to see her on this floor again. The fact that she was standing in front of him and seemingly ready to work caused a flood of joy to rush through him. And without even realizing what was happening, the corners of his mouth tilted into a smile.

“Nurse Winters,” he finally said. “How are you this evening?”

Her hands were stuffed into the pockets on a navy blue scrub top. Which was probably a good thing, Luke thought. Otherwise, he might’ve been tempted to show his gratitude by grabbing one of her hands and kissing the back of it.

“I’m fine. I, uh, just wanted to say hello and to, uh, let you know I’m back in the ER.” She paused and nervously licked her lips. “If you think it will be too difficult to work with me, I—”

“It won’t—be difficult,” he interrupted.

She drew in a deep breath and as Luke took in the dainty flare of her nostrils he couldn’t help but notice her creamy skin and full rosy lips. Had she always looked this way? He didn’t remember her being so incredibly feminine. And why was his heart suddenly making all kinds of crazy flip-flops? Had he suddenly become the biggest fool in Carson City?

Paige was an excellent nurse and this past week had been hell working without her. But that didn’t mean the sight of her should have him reacting like a giddy schoolboy. He was a medical doctor, a man who rarely allowed himself to feel much of anything. But this momentary joy he was unexpectedly experiencing was too special to resist.

“Thank you,” she said stiffly.

She glanced away and swallowed and Luke realized she wasn’t exactly feeling comfortable with him. And he could hardly blame her. Since their heated tête-à-tête, he’d thought long and hard about their working relationship and he’d admitted to himself that he’d treated her badly. Not just once, but many times. The fact that she’d forgiven him enough to return to the ER humbled him greatly.

He cleared his throat and straightened his tie, while wondering why he couldn’t find one sensible thing to say to her. But that problem was instantly put aside as a pair of medics pushed through the swinging doors with the first patient of the evening shift.

Because of the regrettable interruption, he said, “Looks like we’re needed.”

Luke took off in long strides to catch up to the gurney and Paige joined him. As the two of them hurried toward the nearest treatment room, he could only think that having her at his side again felt uncannily close to a homecoming.

* * *

“Something is wrong with Dr. Sherman.”

Chavella glanced over at Paige as the two women entered a small break room situated behind the ER treatment room.

“What do you mean?” the young nurse asked. “I thought he behaved very nicely these past two hours.”

Paige filled a small paper cup with water and sat down at a utility table. “That’s what I’m talking about. He’s not himself. He’s behaving like someone I’ve never met before.”

Chavella took a seat directly across from Paige and opened a can of diet soda. After she’d taken a long drink, she said, “Don’t question a good thing, Paige. Just be thankful for it.”

Paige absently studied the water swirling in the bottom of her cup. For the past two hours, Luke Sherman had treated her in a polite and respectful manner. There had been no caustic demands or shouting. He’d not given her any cutting looks or disgusted snorts. The only way he could have been nicer was if he’d given her another one of those smiles. The kind he’d given her just before they started the shift.

She was still thinking about the way that smile had transformed the doctor’s face. All at once he’d been more than handsome. He’d been human. And that in itself was far more appealing than the sexy dent in his chin, or the way his naturally streaked hair fell over one eye, or even that stealthy lion-like walk of his.

Trying to shake away the disturbing image, she said, “You’re right. I should be relieved. Instead, I have the uneasy feeling this is just a momentary lapse and Dr. Sherman will explode before the shift is over. And when he does...”

“What?” Chavella prompted. “You’re going back to IM?”

During the days she’d worked on the IM floor, she’d felt like a coward, running and hiding from the big, bad bogeyman. She’d not been proud of herself.

Drawing her shoulders back, she said, “No. This time I’m going to stand up to him and his nastiness.”

“Maybe you won’t have to,” Chavella suggested. “I actually think he’s remorseful.”

Paige rolled her eyes. “That’s because you’re young and sweet and you want to see the best in people. Now me, I’ve already learned that most men are selfish and self-centered. It’s impossible for them to be remorseful over anything.”

The corners of Chavella’s mouth drooped with disappointment. “Paige, one of these days you’re going to meet a man who will prove you wrong. There are good ones out there. I ought to know. I had one.”

With a rueful groan, Paige reached across the table and covered the top of Chavella’s hand with her own. “I’m sorry, Chavella. You did have a good man. And it’s so unfair that you lost him in such a tragic way. But you will meet another special man. As for me—I don’t really want one. Or need one, either.”

Chavella gave her a wan smile. “One of these days that will change, too.”

Paige didn’t argue with her. Instead, she glanced at her watch and quickly rose to her feet. “You go ahead and finish your soda. The patient with the lacerations left quite a mess behind. I’m going to check on April and see if she needs help cleaning up everything.”

* * *

Early the next morning, just as Paige’s shift was ending, she was walking to the nurses’ locker room to pick up her things when Dr. Sherman called to her from behind. She should’ve known the past few hours had been too good to be true, she thought, as she paused and waited for him to catch up to her. Since she’d never seen him in this area of the building before, he must be determined to rake her over the coals before she left the hospital.

“Nurse Winters, are you on your way home?” he asked.

She tried not to sound wary, even though every muscle in her body had suddenly tightened into knots. “Yes. As soon as I collect my things from the locker room.”

He cleared his throat as though he was nervous. Which was a ridiculous thought on her part. Luke was a man of steel. Nothing made him uneasy.

Drawing to a stop in front of her, he said, “Before you leave I was wondering if you might have a cup of coffee with me—in the doctor’s lounge. You do like coffee, don’t you?”

If the slightest puff of wind had passed through the hallway, Paige would have fallen face-first on the polished tile floor.

“Uh, yes—I like coffee.”

A faint smile curved his lips and Paige suddenly wanted to grab the front of his lab coat and give him a hard shake. She wanted to ask him what the hell he thought he was doing. Was he trying to play some sort of mind game with her? If so, he was succeeding. For reasons she couldn’t imagine, she was seeing things about the man she’d never seen before. Like the tempting curve of his lower lip and how his eyes were as cool as a green glade in early spring.

“Good,” he said. “Since the shift is changing, I’m sure we’ll find a fresh pot. Shall we go?”

He gestured for her to precede him and though Paige wanted to turn and race out of the building, she forced herself to nod.

“We had an extra busy shift tonight,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t sound as strained to him as it did to her. “Coffee would be nice.”

The two of them started walking back in the general direction of the ER until they reached an intersection of connecting hallways. Beyond it on the left wall, Luke pushed open a door marked Doctors’ Lounge. Which basically meant, barring an emergency, no nurses or orderlies were allowed. In the seven years she’d worked at Tahoe General, Paige had only been in this lounge once and that had been long before Luke Sherman had been hired to attend the night shift.

Compared to what she’d seen of the doctors’ lounges located on the upper floors of the hospital, the space allotted for the ER physicians was tiny. Yet this one made up for space with a comfortable couch and matching stuffed armchairs, along with a TV and a small cabinet area stocked with beverages and snacks.

Currently the room was empty. Which was hardly a surprise since Dr. Bradley was already at work on the floor and one doctor handled the whole shift on his own—unless some sort of catastrophic situation occurred and the hospital had to summon more doctors to handle the crisis.

At the moment, Paige would have given half her paycheck for another doctor to suddenly walk through the door of the quiet lounge. Being alone with Luke Sherman was not a situation she was accustomed to.

He gestured toward the seating area. “Sit down, Nurse Winters. I’ll get the coffee. How do you like yours? With a bit of cream?”

He must be a good guesser, she thought. She doubted he even knew her first name, much less how she liked her coffee. “Yes, cream would be nice.”

By the time she’d made herself comfortable on one end of the couch, he was standing in front of her, holding two red mugs.

Murmuring her thanks, she took the one he offered her, then waited until he was seated before she took a cautious sip. As he had predicted, the brew was fresh. She breathed in the rich aroma and tried to relax. But that was so very hard to do when his presence was taking up practically every inch of the small lounge.

Before he’d poured the coffee, he’d taken off his lab coat and hung it on a hook on the wall. Paige tried to remember a time when she’d seen him in only a shirt, but couldn’t, and the sight of his broad, muscular shoulders and trim waist was disturbing her peace of mind. Not to mention the hard, masculine line of his jaw, the thick sandy hair falling in a boyish hank over his forehead and those piercing green eyes focusing directly on her face.

What was the man up to? In all the years she’d worked with him, he’d never so much as asked her to share a drink of water with him at the water fountain, much less join him in this private doctors’ domain. All she could think was that he was about to give her a lecture about doctor/nurse protocol and warn her to never talk down to him again. Or else. Well, she had news for him. She was darn good and ready to deal with the “or else.”

“I suppose you’re wondering why I invited you here,” he said, as he settled himself in an armchair positioned in front of her.

Because I looked sleepy and you thought I needed a jolt of caffeine before I drove home. Or you wanted to make a point of reminding me who’s the boss around here.

Although the thoughts were shooting through Paige’s mind, she managed to keep them from rolling off her tongue. Instead, she said, “I am a bit curious. It’s not like the two of us are...chummy.”

His brows pulled together in a faint frown. “We aren’t? I always thought we were a team.”

A team? She was so jolted by his remark it was a miracle she didn’t spill coffee across her lap. Maybe they did work in tandem, but that’s all it was, she silently reasoned. One professional working with another. She could probably count on one hand the times he’d spoken to her about something other than a patient’s treatment.

“Yes, we do work together,” she said primly. “I meant...we’re not, uh, chummy off duty.”

The slow, intimate way his gaze was slipping over her face gave Paige the sudden urge to clear her throat. Instead, she took a quick gulp of coffee and very nearly burned her tongue in the process.

He said, “I don’t exactly know what made you decide to return to the ER, but I’m grateful you did.”

Was she dreaming? Her hands tightened around the mug and though she tried to look away from him, her eyes refused to obey. That’s what happened when a person went into shock, the nurse in her realized. Everything about the senses stopped working. And hers had definitely come to a screeching halt.

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