Cedar Bluff's Most Eligible Bachelor (Cedar Bluff Hospital) by LAURA IDING Page A

believe Hailey didn’t own a car, but didn’t ask about it as he pushed her wheelchair out to the ED surface parking lot, where the towing company had left his vehicle. The tow-truck operator had told him there wasn’t a scratch on his car. That made him feel even more guilty.
    Of course Hailey and her bike had sustained the brunt of the damage.
    The torrential rain had tapered off to an annoying drizzle. Hailey was wearing a pair of scrubs Rachel had dug out of her locker and a borrowed windbreaker to help keep her warm.
    After setting the brakes on the wheelchair, he went over to open the passenger door. Hailey didn’t wait for his help, though. She pushed herself up on her good leg, balancing precariously as she reached around for her crutches.
    He muttered an oath under his breath and tucked his arm around her waist. “I’ve got you,” he murmured. “Don’t worry about the crutches for now. All you need to do is to pivot around and I’ll get you into the car.”
    Her breath was warm and moist against his neck as he held her close, supporting the bulk of her weight so she wouldn’t have to do anything.
    Hailey reached up to wrap her arm more firmly around his shoulder, bringing her body even closer to his. He could feel every sensual curve pressed against him, and he froze, alarm bells clamoring in the back of his mind.
    Holding her close like this felt good. Sinfully good. For a moment he was tempted to breathe deeply, basking in her fresh scent.
    He yanked his mind away from that train of thought. Hailey would not appreciate knowing he was thinking along these lines when she was in terrible pain from a broken leg he’d caused, no matter what she’d claimed about who had been to blame.
    Grimly, he concentrated on the task at hand. Somehow he managed to swing her around so that she was close to the passenger door. He ignored his physical response to her nearness, tucking one hand behind her thigh to support her casted leg and the other around her shoulders as she lowered herself into the passenger seat.
    “Thanks, I have it now,” she murmured breathlessly. He could see she was breathing rapidly, as if she’d run a marathon instead of simply getting settled in the car. The way she avoided his gaze made him think she was embarrassed.
    Hell, if anyone should be embarrassed, it should be him. For thinking with the lower part of his anatomy instead of his brain. Hadn’t he learned his lesson the hard way?
    He tucked the crutches into the backseat. After closing the door, he walked around to the driver’s side, momentarily turning his face up to the rain, welcoming the coolness.
    He needed to stay in control. No matter how his body managed to betray him, he would not act on his feelings.
    Not now.
    Not ever.
    As he slid behind the wheel and started the car, Simon did his best to think of Hailey as a patient. She’d latched her seat belt, he saw with approval, but had leaned back against the headrest, her eyes closed.
    “Are you okay?” he asked, as he backed out of the parking space. He knew she had the prescription bottle of non-narcotic pain pills tucked in the pocket of her windbreaker.
    “Fine,” she whispered, keeping her eyes closed.
    He could appreciate how exhausted she must be, but he needed to know where to go. “Hailey? What street do you live on?”
    She turned her head and cracked one eye open to look at him. “The Rose Glen apartment building, off Howard.”
    “Got it,” he said, turning right to head in that direction.
    Hailey didn’t move, but her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, so he knew she wasn’t sleeping.
    No, not sleeping. More likely, she was fighting the pain. It would take a while for the full effect of the pain medication to work.
    He pulled into the parking lot behind the apartment complex, somewhat relieved to notice it was only a two-story building. He was willing to wager, however, that Hailey lived on the second floor.
    “I can do it,” she said testily, but