The Runaway Nurse by Dianne Drake

Author:Dianne Drake [Drake, Dianne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460376669
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

“NOTHING’S going on,” Rick said. “Not a damned thing.” He didn’t want to deal with this, didn’t want to talk about it. Yet Jess had a way of pressing him. “We’re not involved, and we’re not going to be. But if you think my friendship with Summer is going to pose a problem in the way I run this hospital…”

Jess thrust out his palm to defuse what seemed to be an impending argument. “I just asked if you were bringing Summer to the Equus Charity Ball this Friday night. Rafe wanted me to tell you that Myra will be watching the children up at the mansion. And Edie will be there, helping out, since she’s just had the baby and doesn’t want to go out of the house quite so soon. Thought Summer would be relieved to hear that, in case she hadn’t made arrangements for Alyssa. Or you, for Chris.”

“Nice to know, and I’ll pass that along to Summer. But I haven’t asked her. Haven’t even mentioned it to her.”

Jess raised his eyebrows. “I assumed you would.”

“No assumptions. We’re friends, colleagues.” He shrugged, almost too exaggeratedly, like he was trying too hard to make his point. “That’s all there is to it, OK?”

Jess arched his eyebrows, but kept a straight face. “OK. My mistake. Though I’m not the only one making that assumption. And don’t get me wrong, Rick. I’m not trying to start rumors or anything, but there are some people around here who are wondering what’s going on between you two. You and Summer together, you have that…look.” He drew in a stiff breath, then pushed himself out of the chair across the desk from Rick and headed toward the door. “Anyway, the invitation stands. Bring the kids up to the mansion if you want to. And so you won’t think I’m trying to push you into something, I’ll go extend the same invitation to Summer, and you both can decide if you want to come together or separately. However the two of you work it out is up to you.”

“We’re not a couple,” Rick insisted once more, this time a bit grumpily, before Jess stepped into the hall.

“And I never said you were. But, damn, you’re so defensive about it, that’s what everybody’s going to think if you’re not careful. You know what they say about protesting too much!”

What everybody was going to think…Rick reared back in his chair to ponder that, but was cut short by a minor emergency in the ER. Food poisoning, multiple cases coming in from the Ladies’ Garden Society. Refreshments gone bad at their monthly meeting. Nobody serious, but everybody with miserable symptoms. And that’s what took up all his thoughts for the next two hours, except for those unguarded moments when Summer managed to slip in there somewhere between one lady’s nausea and another lady’s chills. Truth was, if he allowed himself a type, Summer would be it. But he simply couldn’t allow himself a type because he didn’t trust his judgement.

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