the regional lingo. Is there no escape from this backwoods place ?
Just as she decided that she could take no more of Mansfield Park...at least for the day...her handsome prince arrived.
Despite her annoyance at his tardiness, she couldn’t help but absorb the sight of him. One would think that Grace would tire of looking at Jack Ellis, but she was a glutton for visual punishment where he was concerned. She had already decided that the person who marketed those hip-hugging, low-riding jeans of his had to be making a mint. For crying out loud! She was almost prepared to chip in half her trust fund just to see them a couple of times each day.
Grace’s pulse hummed. Before she reached her twentieth calming breath, he was at her side.
“Gracie!” Jack’s smile was so infectious that she didn’t even correct him for using the pet name he’d given her...although she had royally protested the first time he’d used it.
“Jack,” she managed, her previous ire dissipating with each second in his presence. “Busy morning?”
“So far,” he nodded his head and pulled out the only remaining chair at the table. Between her foot, her suitcase-sized briefcase, and her own backside, Grace had the other three covered. As he dragged his right hand through his hair, Grace noticed that it was peppered with sawdust.
“What’s going on today?” She had been reviewing the time-line for the renovation, and she was interested to see how close they were to achieving the projected goal.
“We’ve gutted the recreation room and started on the plumbing for the whirlpool area. It’s a mess in there.”
“I can imagine.” She got a momentary grip on her schoolgirl crush and proceeded to the reason for her meeting. “I received a call from the building inspector this morning.”
“Yeah, me too.” He clenched his jaw and let out a heavy sigh. “Already breathing down our necks.”
“He said that an anonymous complaint was phoned in regarding our lack of safety features.”
“Watson?”
“You think so, too?” Grace was shocked to find that she was not as paranoid as she had believed.
“Either him or that sneaky head nurse he’s involved with.”
“Miss North?”
“Yeah, that’s her,” he nodded. “That one’s definitely trouble. You can’t treat old folks the way she does and have a heart. I’d keep my eye on her.”
“I will,” she assured him. “I’m actually planning to release her from her duties as soon as possible, but I’ve been unable to find a replacement. She’s the only registered nurse on staff, and the state requires a licensed person when medications are involved. That’s a big part of our job here.”
“Medications?”
“Storing them and seeing that the residents take their medicine as prescribed.”
“I see.” He smiled then, and Grace barely caught herself before her chin hit the table.
“How’s the patient doing?” He pointed to her arm then leaned down to get a look at her ankle.
Grace froze for a moment then sighed in relief. Because of her injuries, she hadn’t shaved in over a week. If only she’d listened to her cousin, Sophia, and endured the pain of laser hair removal. Oh well, hindsight, and all that. At least she was safe for today with her ensemble of ankle brace and pleated trousers
“My ankle is coming along nicely, but the arm is giving me fits,” she admitted. For the past two days, she had attempted the range of motion exercises the doctor had prescribed, but they were painful. Since Grace did not handle pain very well and had sworn off pain killers after her embarrassing behavior with Jack, her efforts hadn’t been all that effective.
“Hurt a lot?” He touched her left hand, the one on the pillow. She considered jerking it away, but she’d been down the sudden movement road already, and her arm was having none of the pain she’d experienced with that. She’d finally figured out that her arm would cooperate only with the gentlest
Just as she decided that she could take no more of Mansfield Park...at least for the day...her handsome prince arrived.
Despite her annoyance at his tardiness, she couldn’t help but absorb the sight of him. One would think that Grace would tire of looking at Jack Ellis, but she was a glutton for visual punishment where he was concerned. She had already decided that the person who marketed those hip-hugging, low-riding jeans of his had to be making a mint. For crying out loud! She was almost prepared to chip in half her trust fund just to see them a couple of times each day.
Grace’s pulse hummed. Before she reached her twentieth calming breath, he was at her side.
“Gracie!” Jack’s smile was so infectious that she didn’t even correct him for using the pet name he’d given her...although she had royally protested the first time he’d used it.
“Jack,” she managed, her previous ire dissipating with each second in his presence. “Busy morning?”
“So far,” he nodded his head and pulled out the only remaining chair at the table. Between her foot, her suitcase-sized briefcase, and her own backside, Grace had the other three covered. As he dragged his right hand through his hair, Grace noticed that it was peppered with sawdust.
“What’s going on today?” She had been reviewing the time-line for the renovation, and she was interested to see how close they were to achieving the projected goal.
“We’ve gutted the recreation room and started on the plumbing for the whirlpool area. It’s a mess in there.”
“I can imagine.” She got a momentary grip on her schoolgirl crush and proceeded to the reason for her meeting. “I received a call from the building inspector this morning.”
“Yeah, me too.” He clenched his jaw and let out a heavy sigh. “Already breathing down our necks.”
“He said that an anonymous complaint was phoned in regarding our lack of safety features.”
“Watson?”
“You think so, too?” Grace was shocked to find that she was not as paranoid as she had believed.
“Either him or that sneaky head nurse he’s involved with.”
“Miss North?”
“Yeah, that’s her,” he nodded. “That one’s definitely trouble. You can’t treat old folks the way she does and have a heart. I’d keep my eye on her.”
“I will,” she assured him. “I’m actually planning to release her from her duties as soon as possible, but I’ve been unable to find a replacement. She’s the only registered nurse on staff, and the state requires a licensed person when medications are involved. That’s a big part of our job here.”
“Medications?”
“Storing them and seeing that the residents take their medicine as prescribed.”
“I see.” He smiled then, and Grace barely caught herself before her chin hit the table.
“How’s the patient doing?” He pointed to her arm then leaned down to get a look at her ankle.
Grace froze for a moment then sighed in relief. Because of her injuries, she hadn’t shaved in over a week. If only she’d listened to her cousin, Sophia, and endured the pain of laser hair removal. Oh well, hindsight, and all that. At least she was safe for today with her ensemble of ankle brace and pleated trousers
“My ankle is coming along nicely, but the arm is giving me fits,” she admitted. For the past two days, she had attempted the range of motion exercises the doctor had prescribed, but they were painful. Since Grace did not handle pain very well and had sworn off pain killers after her embarrassing behavior with Jack, her efforts hadn’t been all that effective.
“Hurt a lot?” He touched her left hand, the one on the pillow. She considered jerking it away, but she’d been down the sudden movement road already, and her arm was having none of the pain she’d experienced with that. She’d finally figured out that her arm would cooperate only with the gentlest
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