appreciate the offer, but I’ve got to deal with things in my own fashion.”
Reaching out, she laid her hand over his where it rested on the steering wheel and asked gently, “Are you sure that’s best?”
The touch of her hand made his heart stumble, miss a beat and then race like it did when he was surfing into the pipeline at Oahu. And like being inside the curl of a giant wave, Phillip knew he’d just entered dangerous waters.
His next move could shoot him into the clear or send him headlong into a painful battering.
Amber meant her touch to be comforting, an offer of friendship. It turned into something more in an instant. The warmth of his skin sent her heart racing. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from his. What was he thinking? Did he feel it, too, this strange and wonderful chemistry that sparked between them? On some purely feminine level, she knew he did.
The attraction both thrilled and frightened her. She’d never reacted to any man this way, and she’d been in a few relationships over the years.
The ambulance pulled out of the E.R. bay as they sat staring at each other. Phillip slowly withdrew his hand. Looking out the window, he said, “We should go in and find out how Martha is faring.”
Embarrassment flooded Amber to her very core. Did he think she was making a pass at him? She’d only known him a few days. He was her boss. Nothing had been further from her mind, but that might not be the way it looked to him. She quickly opened her car door and got out.
Inside the E.R. doors, the charge nurse came to greet them. “Hello, Amber. I heard about your excitement.”
“Yes. Give me pregnant women and crying babies any day.Gloria, this is Dr. Phillip White, Harold’s grandson. Dr. White, this is Gloria Bender. She’s the head of the ER department.”
The two shook hands. Gloria said, “Dr. White, I received the notice just this morning that you’ve been granted privileges here.”
“Excellent. Where is Mrs. Nissley and who’s seeing her?”
“Dr. Kline was on duty when Mrs. Nissley came in. X-rays confirmed a spinal fracture. She’s been taken to MRI to assess the complexity of her injury. The two of you did a good job stabilizing her in the field. It made our work much easier.”
Wearily, Phillip rubbed a hand over his face. “Thanks. Do we know yet if her spinal cord is compressed or if it is severed?”
“I haven’t heard. Dr. Kline started her on steroids to reduce any swelling. I know he wants to speak to you as soon as he’s done. His plan is to take her straight from MRI to surgery where he’ll clean out and close the gash on her leg. If she needs spinal surgery, she’ll be airlifted to Akron.” Glancing at her watch, she noted, “They should be finished in about thirty minutes.”
“Thank you.” He sighed heavily. Amber could sense his frustration.
Gloria returned to her office, leaving them alone once more. Phillip’s face mirrored the same worry running through Amber. If Martha’s spinal cord was severed, she’d never walk again.
He said, “Thirty minutes. Guess that leaves us enough time to get a cup of coffee.”
“It’s not gourmet, but the coffee in the cafeteria here is drinkable. Let me tell Gloria where we’ll be and then I’d like to wash up first.”
He smiled and looked her over. “Good idea. You’ve got grass in your hair.”
“What?” she squeaked as her hands flew up and brushed at her scalp.
“Come here.” He pulled her over and plucked the offending blades from where they’d lodged in her braid.
She kept her gaze riveted to the floor.
I’m not going to blush and babble like a teenage girl with a crush on the top jock. I’m a professional and I can act like one.
Phillip took a step back. “There, I think that’s all of it.”
“Thank you.” Without looking at him, she made her escape to the ladies’ room, where she splashed water on her heated face.
Staring into the mirror for a long time, she said, “I
Reaching out, she laid her hand over his where it rested on the steering wheel and asked gently, “Are you sure that’s best?”
The touch of her hand made his heart stumble, miss a beat and then race like it did when he was surfing into the pipeline at Oahu. And like being inside the curl of a giant wave, Phillip knew he’d just entered dangerous waters.
His next move could shoot him into the clear or send him headlong into a painful battering.
Amber meant her touch to be comforting, an offer of friendship. It turned into something more in an instant. The warmth of his skin sent her heart racing. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from his. What was he thinking? Did he feel it, too, this strange and wonderful chemistry that sparked between them? On some purely feminine level, she knew he did.
The attraction both thrilled and frightened her. She’d never reacted to any man this way, and she’d been in a few relationships over the years.
The ambulance pulled out of the E.R. bay as they sat staring at each other. Phillip slowly withdrew his hand. Looking out the window, he said, “We should go in and find out how Martha is faring.”
Embarrassment flooded Amber to her very core. Did he think she was making a pass at him? She’d only known him a few days. He was her boss. Nothing had been further from her mind, but that might not be the way it looked to him. She quickly opened her car door and got out.
Inside the E.R. doors, the charge nurse came to greet them. “Hello, Amber. I heard about your excitement.”
“Yes. Give me pregnant women and crying babies any day.Gloria, this is Dr. Phillip White, Harold’s grandson. Dr. White, this is Gloria Bender. She’s the head of the ER department.”
The two shook hands. Gloria said, “Dr. White, I received the notice just this morning that you’ve been granted privileges here.”
“Excellent. Where is Mrs. Nissley and who’s seeing her?”
“Dr. Kline was on duty when Mrs. Nissley came in. X-rays confirmed a spinal fracture. She’s been taken to MRI to assess the complexity of her injury. The two of you did a good job stabilizing her in the field. It made our work much easier.”
Wearily, Phillip rubbed a hand over his face. “Thanks. Do we know yet if her spinal cord is compressed or if it is severed?”
“I haven’t heard. Dr. Kline started her on steroids to reduce any swelling. I know he wants to speak to you as soon as he’s done. His plan is to take her straight from MRI to surgery where he’ll clean out and close the gash on her leg. If she needs spinal surgery, she’ll be airlifted to Akron.” Glancing at her watch, she noted, “They should be finished in about thirty minutes.”
“Thank you.” He sighed heavily. Amber could sense his frustration.
Gloria returned to her office, leaving them alone once more. Phillip’s face mirrored the same worry running through Amber. If Martha’s spinal cord was severed, she’d never walk again.
He said, “Thirty minutes. Guess that leaves us enough time to get a cup of coffee.”
“It’s not gourmet, but the coffee in the cafeteria here is drinkable. Let me tell Gloria where we’ll be and then I’d like to wash up first.”
He smiled and looked her over. “Good idea. You’ve got grass in your hair.”
“What?” she squeaked as her hands flew up and brushed at her scalp.
“Come here.” He pulled her over and plucked the offending blades from where they’d lodged in her braid.
She kept her gaze riveted to the floor.
I’m not going to blush and babble like a teenage girl with a crush on the top jock. I’m a professional and I can act like one.
Phillip took a step back. “There, I think that’s all of it.”
“Thank you.” Without looking at him, she made her escape to the ladies’ room, where she splashed water on her heated face.
Staring into the mirror for a long time, she said, “I
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