said.
She stopped, planting her feet, mortally afraid of what might happen to Adam if he dared to challenge so many tough-looking men alone.
“No,” she said.
Adam turned toward her in an ominous motion centered in his muscular waist. “Damn it, O’Brien—”
She remained where she was.
Adam scanned the room once more, swore under his breath, and helped the half-conscious fellow at the table onto his feet. Together, he and Banner squired him out into the fresh air and the snow and hoisted him into the buggy.
He lolled between them, looking befuddled, as they drove back up the hill to the magnificent house and its adjoining hospital.
The patient had been undressed and settled into one of the ward beds before Adam turned a scathing, now-you’re-in-trouble gaze on Banner.
She stumbled backward as he advanced upon her between the two rows of beds, his hands on his hips.
“O’Brien,” he simmered in deadly tones, still approaching, “the men in that saloon back there were not gentlemen, waiting to scribble their names in your dancebook! Why didn’t you leave when I told you to?”
Banner reached the far wall, beside the stove, and could go no further. “I was only—I didn’t want—”
“When I give you an order, obey it!”
Rage surged into Banner’s face, staining it a hot battle-red. “Who are you to give me orders?”
Adam was only a few feet from her then, and he looked so furious that Banner was certain that he would lunge forward and do her bodily harm. She was never to find out, however, because a feminine voice intruded at the crucial moment, ringing from the houseward end of the ward like a rescue bell.
“Adam? Is this Banner? Introduce me at once!”
Adam’s massive shoulders slackened, and his hands relaxed at his sides. Banner watched him assume a thin smile before turning to face the slender blond woman behind him.
“Hello, Mama,” he said gravelly, as the beauty embraced him.
Banner was amazed that such a wonderous creature could be the mother of four grown children, but the clear Corbin-blue of her eyes gave further evidence that she was. She bent around her son’s forbidding shoulder and peered winningly at the woman he’d been about to throttle.
“Jeff and Melissa were right—you are lovely!” she chimed. “And a doctor in the bargain. My, my, my—I’ll bet that nettles you, doesn’t it?” She shifted her gaze to Adam, and it was instantly imbued with a sporting sort of tenderness. “Mercy,” she added as an afterthought.
Adam laughed. “I was about to strangle her, as a matter of fact. Mother, Dr. Banner O’Brien, Banner, my mother, Katherine.”
Katherine extended a small, stately hand in greeting. “He wouldn’t really strangle you, you know,” she said, her wide blue eyes sparkling. “He knows I’d have him horsewhipped.”
Relief and the warmth of this woman’s personality combined to make Banner laugh. “How do you do, Mrs. Corbin?” she asked.
“Quite well, thank you,” replied the lady, taking Banner’s arm and ushering her away from Adam andthrough the ward, toward the main part of the house, “But you must call me Katherine. Tell me all about yourself, Banner O’Brien.”
* * *
Jenny not only had dinner waiting that night, but she’d heated water for a bath, too.
After eating, Banner hurried into the small bedroom, took off her clothes, and sank gratefully into the tub of steaming hot water.
“I imagine you’ve had a long day,” remarked Jenny, who was standing at the bureau, her back to Banner, arranging and rearranging the brush and comb set she’d unpacked, along with a few other things.
“That is an understatement,” sighed Dr. O’Brien, as the pulsing soreness in all her muscles began to ease a little. “By the way, Jenny. How did you come to be here, in this house?”
“Adam hired me,” Jenny answered without turning around. “He said that, since the rooster was away, it would be a good time to clean the
She stopped, planting her feet, mortally afraid of what might happen to Adam if he dared to challenge so many tough-looking men alone.
“No,” she said.
Adam turned toward her in an ominous motion centered in his muscular waist. “Damn it, O’Brien—”
She remained where she was.
Adam scanned the room once more, swore under his breath, and helped the half-conscious fellow at the table onto his feet. Together, he and Banner squired him out into the fresh air and the snow and hoisted him into the buggy.
He lolled between them, looking befuddled, as they drove back up the hill to the magnificent house and its adjoining hospital.
The patient had been undressed and settled into one of the ward beds before Adam turned a scathing, now-you’re-in-trouble gaze on Banner.
She stumbled backward as he advanced upon her between the two rows of beds, his hands on his hips.
“O’Brien,” he simmered in deadly tones, still approaching, “the men in that saloon back there were not gentlemen, waiting to scribble their names in your dancebook! Why didn’t you leave when I told you to?”
Banner reached the far wall, beside the stove, and could go no further. “I was only—I didn’t want—”
“When I give you an order, obey it!”
Rage surged into Banner’s face, staining it a hot battle-red. “Who are you to give me orders?”
Adam was only a few feet from her then, and he looked so furious that Banner was certain that he would lunge forward and do her bodily harm. She was never to find out, however, because a feminine voice intruded at the crucial moment, ringing from the houseward end of the ward like a rescue bell.
“Adam? Is this Banner? Introduce me at once!”
Adam’s massive shoulders slackened, and his hands relaxed at his sides. Banner watched him assume a thin smile before turning to face the slender blond woman behind him.
“Hello, Mama,” he said gravelly, as the beauty embraced him.
Banner was amazed that such a wonderous creature could be the mother of four grown children, but the clear Corbin-blue of her eyes gave further evidence that she was. She bent around her son’s forbidding shoulder and peered winningly at the woman he’d been about to throttle.
“Jeff and Melissa were right—you are lovely!” she chimed. “And a doctor in the bargain. My, my, my—I’ll bet that nettles you, doesn’t it?” She shifted her gaze to Adam, and it was instantly imbued with a sporting sort of tenderness. “Mercy,” she added as an afterthought.
Adam laughed. “I was about to strangle her, as a matter of fact. Mother, Dr. Banner O’Brien, Banner, my mother, Katherine.”
Katherine extended a small, stately hand in greeting. “He wouldn’t really strangle you, you know,” she said, her wide blue eyes sparkling. “He knows I’d have him horsewhipped.”
Relief and the warmth of this woman’s personality combined to make Banner laugh. “How do you do, Mrs. Corbin?” she asked.
“Quite well, thank you,” replied the lady, taking Banner’s arm and ushering her away from Adam andthrough the ward, toward the main part of the house, “But you must call me Katherine. Tell me all about yourself, Banner O’Brien.”
* * *
Jenny not only had dinner waiting that night, but she’d heated water for a bath, too.
After eating, Banner hurried into the small bedroom, took off her clothes, and sank gratefully into the tub of steaming hot water.
“I imagine you’ve had a long day,” remarked Jenny, who was standing at the bureau, her back to Banner, arranging and rearranging the brush and comb set she’d unpacked, along with a few other things.
“That is an understatement,” sighed Dr. O’Brien, as the pulsing soreness in all her muscles began to ease a little. “By the way, Jenny. How did you come to be here, in this house?”
“Adam hired me,” Jenny answered without turning around. “He said that, since the rooster was away, it would be a good time to clean the
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