Trauma Plan by Candace Calvert

Author:Candace Calvert [Calvert, Candace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Mercy Hospital, Christian
ISBN: 9781414361116
Publisher: Tyndale
Published: 2012-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

18

“Bandy?” Riley tapped at the clinic’s back door. It was only a little after nine, but she felt certain he’d be up. Making sandwiches, no doubt.

She’d dropped the Mercedes off at Vesta’s, leaving the keys and saying only a quick hello because the social worker was there. Then she walked to the clinic, wanting to have a peek at the schedule for tomorrow and see if Jack was working. If he was, Riley was going to ask one of the other nurses to trade shifts with her. Seeing Jack at the hospital yesterday had felt confusing and awkward. It would be best if she simply stayed away from him.

“C’mon in, Riley!”

She headed toward the kitchen, sniffing what smelled more like cake than sandwiches. Then she stopped in the doorway, staring in amazement. “What . . . ?”

“Howdy!”

Bandy was loading mini cupcakes into a Tupperware carrier while dressed in full clown gear: stars and stripes shirt, rainbow suspenders, and baggy, patched pants. “You’re just in time.” He grinned, red lips rimmed in white, black freckles dotting his cheeks, and a battered red cowboy hat pulled over a neon-blue wig. “I could use a hand with the sprinkles. I’m down to my last bottle, and it’s gonna require a surgeon’s touch not to spill most of them on the floor. These old paws are more suited to hoeing a garden than baking. I usually ask Doc Travis to help, but he was anxious to hit the road for—”

Riley raised a palm. “Let me guess. Rappelling from the top of the HemisFair tower? Juggling swords?” She glanced at a jar on the sink. “Uh . . . maybe smearing himself with peanut butter and lying down on an anthill?”

Bandy chuckled. “No ma’am. Much scarier than any of that.” He handed her the confetti-colored sprinkles. “He’s down at the Sunshine Center. Totin’ a guitar. And right about now I’ll bet stage fright’s rearin’ its ugly head as he’s trying to remember the words of the ‘Good Morning’ song. While fourteen little faces watch every move.”

“Sunshine Center?” Riley shook the last of the sprinkles onto the cupcakes while Bandy tucked the others into another carrier.

“Down in Midtown. It’s a program to help kids who’ve been victims of crime. Either themselves or a family member.” His painted lips pressed together. “Those little souls could use some sunshine. We go down there every other Monday and do what we can.” Bandy shook his head. “When Doc first got the idea of helpin’ out, he told me he thought maybe he’d volunteer to do something medical. I asked him, ‘You think pokin’ a stick in a kid’s mouth and asking him to say ah is going to spread sunshine?’ I told him what those kids needed was a serious reminder of how to laugh. Hobo and I did that for years and we still have the gear. It took some convincing, but we finally talked Doc into it.”

“So . . .” Riley struggled to get her mind around the impossible image.

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