Kathleen Pickering - A Man to Believe In

* * *

BUZZING IN HIS ears grew louder. An antiseptic scent invaded his nostrils. Hospital. Familiar. Peter tried to open his eyes, but the light hurt. He closed them once more.

“Well, this is a fine way to introduce yourself to new coworkers.”

The laughter and warmth in the woman’s voice made him want to see the person coaxing him awake. An odd satisfaction filled him. The calmness in her voice tugged at his awareness until he could no longer resist.

Peter opened his eyes. In the few seconds it took to focus, he was pretty damned sure an angel stood over him. A halo of honey-gold hair framed clear blue eyes and the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. Surely he’d died and gone to heaven.

“Who are you?”

Her smile widened. “Cassie Michaels. Your ID says that you are Peter Chapman. You passed me on your way into town. Good thing I was there when you ran off the road.”

Ahh. The beautiful wildlife of Montauk on the road. Sans hat or sunglasses. Man, was she pretty.

“You shouldn’t ride without a helmet.”

She winced. “I know. I know. I broke my helmet in my last fall. I’ll take care of that.”

“Your last fall?” He closed his eyes. If he had any say, she’d not ride again until properly equipped. “Am I at Mercy Hospital?”

“Yes. We were expecting you next week. Thought you’d walk through the door instead of arriving early by ambulance.”

“You were expecting me?”

“I work here in the E.R. Today is my day off.”

His new coworker? Could it get any better? He managed to grin. “I like to make memorable entrances.”

She laughed. “I’ll bet you do.”

Despite his throbbing head, he didn’t miss that she spoke with just enough emphasis to be flirting. He liked that. He also liked the way she rested her bombshell blue gaze on his. Oh, yeah. This one had keeper written all over her. He glanced at her left hand. No wedding ring.

“Did I hurt the deer?”

“No. They got away.”

“Thought so.” He closed his eyes, but the vision of her burned in his mind. He opened his eyes to find her staring at him. She was smiling, and he wanted to die. “You were the first local I saw, and we’re meant to work together. That’s a coincidence.”

“Not really. Montauk is a small town.” She looked around the room with a satisfaction that seemed soul-deep. “I hope you like it here. I’ve worked at Mercy full-time for three years now. My mother retired and I took her place. I’ve been haunting these halls since I was a little girl.”

“I guess you like your job.”

“You could say that.” Her affable gaze turned serious. “So, how do you feel?”

He closed his eyes again to assess the damage. “Bit of a headache, but I’m okay.”

Her voice grew quiet. “You have a black eye, which will probably swell more. You were out for a while.”

Her concern zapped right through him. “I probably needed the sleep. I drove through the night.” He touched the tender spot on his forehead. Bandage. Tape.

“You took a few stitches,” Cassie explained.

“That’s it?” He didn’t really hurt anywhere else, but his throbbing forehead held his attention.

“Otherwise you’re fine. We did a pan scan.”

Full-body X-ray. Standard procedure. Check. “Good news. My truck?”

She laid a reassuring hand on his. He must be delusional because he felt a tingle, like electricity, where her fingers rested. “Towed to the station. Jack, one of the local police, is making sure your possessions are safe. He was a great help. I left you in his care once the ambulance arrived so I could ride the bike home and get my car.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. We take care of our own here.”

Our own. She’d already included him in the community. Nice. Inhaling a deep breath, he rested, absorbing the sounds of his new workplace. A ringing phone. Call for a doctor over the intercom. The squeaking of sneaker-clad feet moving down the hall. Nurses chattering at their station. The E.R. seemed to be moving smoothly for a Tuesday.

“So you’re a surfer.”

The curiosity in her voice was as sexy as her mouth. He caught the tilt of her head, the friendliness in her eyes. Damn. She was sweet. He couldn’t believe his good luck.

“Yeah. Love to surf. Do you?”

“I ride a mean boogie board.”

Oh, man, that smile! “I hear the waves are good here.”

“The locals like to keep a low profile.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “One of our best secrets is that a very popular musician known for his songs about the tropics surfs his long board at Ditch Plains regularly.”

He slowly sat up. Cassie reached to prop a pillow behind his back. She smelled great. Baby powder and something sweet like honeysuckle and incense. Made his chest tighten, so he inhaled deeper.

“You have an excellent bedside manner.”

She blushed and took a step back, giving him a chance to take in her slim, lithe body with curves in all the right places. Oh, yeah. Great curves in those biking clothes.

“I think you’ve recovered, Nurse Chapman. Let’s get you released. I’ll introduce you to Dr. Bailey then we’ll get you to wherever you are staying.”

He was naked under the hospital gown. “Not sure I want to meet my new boss undressed. Tips the balance of power from my favor.”

Her grin grew wider. “You two have already met.”

He glanced at the plastic bag on the chair holding his bloodstained clothes. “Who cut off my shirt and shorts?”

“Doc Bailey. The other three nurses wanted to insure that you hadn’t sustained any further injuries.”

A sense of humor. He liked that. He liked her. His new job already had its benefits. Carefully, he swung his feet over the side of the bed. He wondered what his new boss, John Bailey, thought about his odd arrival. He wanted to make himself more presentable as soon as possible.

“I’ll need clothes.”

She opened the small closet. His satchel stood on end in the narrow space. “Jack figured as much and brought this for you.”

“That’s great. Gotta love the local police.”

Feet on the floor, he stood to test his equilibrium before covering his exposed rear end. She didn’t seem to notice.

“Dizzy?”

He shook his head. “No. Hungry.”

“Where are you staying?”

“Booked a room at the Oceanside Resort.”

She pulled his satchel from the closet. “That’s pretty close. Do you need help dressing?”

All sorts of inappropriate answers flew through his mind. “I think I can handle it.”

“I’ll be happy to drive you to the Oceanside.”

* * *

CASSIE WAS HALFWAY down the hall before she realized she was holding her breath. Oh. My. God. They sure knew how to grow men in California! Peter Chapman had rocked her balance from her first glance of him out on the road. Now that she’d seen him up close and personal, heard the deep timbre of his voice then had a chance to lose herself in those smoking dark eyes, her knees practically shook.

It was bad enough his brief smile had practically knocked her off her bike this morning. One glance at the California license plates had her sending a small prayer skyward that maybe he’d be the new coworker they were expecting. Witnessing him crash his truck had been surreal. She’d seen him watching her in his side-view mirror and felt guilty for distracting him.

His dark blond sun-bleached hair and tanned body, built and muscled like a man used to physical activity—and lots of it—had her wondering just how much work she could get done in close proximity to him. He was freaking hot and she couldn’t catch her breath.

She hadn’t had a reaction to a man so deeply in over a decade. That thought turned off her come-on button like a flicked switch in a dark room.