The Lone Wolf's Craving

“Good.” At least he’d made the right call in staying with this particular patient. “Careful with her back and with the ribs on her right side. The steering wheel is still making contact there.”

As soon as they’d secured the patient, he turned to Kate. “Do you have your international driver’s permit?”

“Yes, why?”

“I need to ride with her in the ambulance, if possible. We’re about a block away from the hotel. Just turn right at the next corner. And for heaven’s sake, keep to the left. Think you can get there without killing yourself or anyone else?”

“Yes, but what about your car?”

“I’ll pick it up later. I don’t want to leave it here, and I need to go. Now.”

Her glance went to his leg, where his fingers were still working to relieve the cramping. “Are you going to be all right?”

So she had noticed. Perfect.

He made his hand go slack, digging into his pocket for his car keys, instead. “I’ll be fine.”

One of the EMTs called over, “Ready to transport.”

Kate reached over and plucked the keys from him. “Go. I’ll take care of your car. Call me when you’re done, okay?”

CHAPTER FIVE

WHAT WAS WRONG with Luke’s leg?

She’d been shocked by the way he’d hurried over to the scene of the accident. He’d had a kind of uneven, hobbling run that had done the job but certainly hadn’t looked very comfortable. She’d never noticed him limp before. Had he twisted his ankle in his hurry to get over there?

Hmm...no, his hand had massaged his upper thigh, like he’d been working out a kink. A cramp? Maybe.

But the way he’d lowered his arm the second he’d seen her looking at it didn’t fit that scenario, either. Kate put the keys to his car on the table in her hotel room and paced, the thick beige carpet beneath her feet deadening the sound. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was just after eight. Already dark outside. Who knew how long he’d be at the hospital? He’d seemed to indicate he’d call, although he hadn’t actually said the words.

Well, she did have his car. So he’d have to get in touch with her eventually.

Even as she thought it, the phone rang. Wow, that was fast.

She picked up the receiver. “I was wondering how long you’d be.”

“Sorry?” The soft, clipped tones bore no resemblance to the low, intense murmur that had sent shivers over her in the supply closet. “Is this Kate, then?”

“Um...yes.”

There was a pause. “You sound like her, you know.”

Kate realized in a flash who it was and sat on the edge of the bed. “Nick?”

There was another pause, longer this time. “Yes.”

She thought there might be a slight edge of hurt to his tone, but surely he didn’t expect her to call him Dad. Only one man had earned that right. But the fact that Nick thought she sounded like her mother made a fresh wave of grief wash over her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize your voice.”

“That’s to be expected, I suppose.” He cleared his throat. “I’m actually calling on my wife’s behalf. She wondered if you might like to have dinner at our house some time next week. I realize we haven’t had much time together, and...well, she thought it was the right thing to do.”

Surprise washed over her. “That’s very kind. I’m sure none of this has been easy on her. Maybe it would have been better if I hadn’t come to London.”

“No. Absolutely not. I’m glad you did. I just wish I’d known that...well, that’s neither here nor there. Could you come, do you think?”

“If she’s sure.”

“She is. She’s had a rough go of it recently, but she’d like to get to know you. As would I.” Another voice sounded in the background, and Nick answered before coming back on the line. “I’d invite Luke as well, of course.”

Of course. She almost smiled. Maybe he and Tiggy thought they’d need Luke’s help sorting out her Southern accent. Funny how she never thought of herself as having one. But then again, no one ever thought they did. “Will you be well enough to have company? I mean, with your surgery.”

“I’m a bit sore still, but, well...I don’t know how long you’ll be here or when you’ll be back.”

Kate didn’t know if she’d ever be back. It all depended on how everything went. And she had told Luke she wanted to get to know Nick better, and possibly help with his therapy in some way. “If you’re sure.”

“We are.”

She couldn’t help but smile at the emphasis he’d place on the word we. He sounded...happy.

* * *

He didn’t want to pick up his car.

Oh, some perverse part of him did, but the realist in him wanted to just call her up and say, “Keep it.” His flail chest patient, despite everyone’s best efforts, hadn’t made it. If that wasn’t bad enough, she’d evidently been a single mom, and no one knew who the baby’s father was.

So the child—a little girl—was now at the mercy of the system. At least until they could find someone to give them some answers about her relatives. A social worker had already come to the hospital and carried the baby away, saying she’d get her into foster care.

And his leg hurt like the devil. The stress of running—something he normally avoided—had done a number on it. And standing for another three hours as they’d feverishly fought to stabilize the patient hadn’t helped, although he’d barely noticed the throbbing pain while they’d been in the thick of battle.

The thick of battle.

There’s a term he hadn’t used in a while. But it was true. Emergency medicine never knew what it might face on any given day. Some days were good. And some days were horrific. Like the day he’d taken Kate by storm after losing another patient.

A day very much like today. He leaned against the hallway wall just outside the break room to take the weight off his leg.

Only he couldn’t afford to let his guard down like that again. There was that little promise he’d made to Nick to consider, but it was also ridiculous to think Kate would simply fall into bed with him whenever he lost a patient—for as long as she was here, anyway.

Not only that, but he had a feeling that she was going to ask questions as soon as he saw her. She’d already looked at him oddly at the accident site, and it was doubtful he’d be able to hide the limp that went along with overdoing it. The last thing he wanted to do was trudge through old, familiar territory.

Okay, so he could take a cab over to the hotel, meet her beside his car, jump in and take off. She’d be none the wiser, right?

Unless she asked him to come up.

He didn’t see that happening.

But just in case... He straightened, exhaustion taking hold as he made his way to the nurses’ station. Luckily, there was a familiar face behind the desk, her dyed hair just a shade shy of blue beneath the cool light of the tube fluorescents. Mimi Copeland. His favorite nurse.