Gage, Ronna - The Search is Over (Siren Publishing Classic) (23 page)

“Sir? Is there anything I can help you with?” Mr. R. Barton asked as he looked at Rafe.

“Yes, there is.”

Dr. Berkley and Candi looked back at him with anticipation. He wouldn’t rock the boat for Candi at her job, but he would find out what was going on…later

“I have been waiting here for over an hour to get my friend’s arm X-rayed.”

Nurse Conkel turned to another medical assistant. “Vickers, help Dr. Berkley. Patterson, go with this man and assist him.” The orders set, Nurse Conkel turned away, leaving her instructions to be carried out.

* * * *

Candi walked in and expected to find a woman sitting on the exam table when she followed Rafe into the room. Dread shrouded her heart, and then to her relief she saw Jack. “Jack! What happened?” she asked as she opened the file and scanned it.

“Football. Rafe tackled me,” he complained.

Rafe looked at him with disgust. “You’re such a pussy.”

“I am what I eat.” Jack stuck out his tongue. He leaned toward Candi. “He’s such a bully.”

Candi smiled. Her focus on her job slipped a time or two at the comments Jack used to rile Rafe. For the third time in the three minutes she stood in the exam room, she inwardly directed her hands to stop shaking and her knees to stop knocking.

Rafe leaned against the exam table behind Jack. “Who was that guy?”

Candi set Jack’s chart down on the table and then answered Rafe’s question. “His name is Dr. Samuel Berkley. He’s an intern at the hospital. Seems he has dated just about all the women here. Now he is looking to date the ones he’s missed.” She took an instrument from the counter and took Jack’s temperature. “
Normal
,” she said, and then wrote the reading down in the chart. She took the stethoscope from her around her neck, applied it to the pulse point of Jack’s arm, and squeezed the blood pressure cup’s bulb, tightening it around Jack’s arm.

“Ow, that hurts almost as bad as my wrist.”

“Wimp!” she teased, and then wrote down the reading. She looked at Jack’s wrist. “How long ago was this injury?”

“Not long,” he answered innocently.

She notated the appearance of the wrist in the chart. Then, she turned to Rafe. “Why are you here?”

He stood up. “I’m here to see you,” he answered softly. “I miss you. I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, and I’m…”

Jack turned toward Rafe. “Maybe you should sit up here,” he advised, and then turned to Candi. “Woman, you can’t let this man suffer, can you?”

She bit her tongue to keep from laughing at Jack’s input. “How did you find me?” she asked, ignoring Jack’s question.

“It wasn’t easy. I looked for a week to find you. Finally, I put the pieces together.”

“What pieces?”

Rafe explained what Minerva had told him last weekend. “It was so obvious, but I still didn’t get it.” He looked at her with such adoration. “I like what you’ve done to your hair.” He took a step toward her.

Immediately, she pulled up her defenses. She grabbed the chart, turned to the door, and gave one final comment. “The doctor will see you in a moment.”

“Candi!”

She stopped, but didn’t turn around.

“I don’t…I am so sorry…”

His apology was interrupted by a doctor’s entrance.

“
Hello, Jack? I’m
Dr. Evans. What seems to be bothering you this evening?”

Candi took that moment to sneak out of the room.

* * * *

Restocking the examination rooms was more for Candi to keep busy until she was certain Jack and Rafe left the hospital.
It’s just a sprained wrist, no X-rays required. They would be out in no time.

Tears formed in her eyes.
Damn him for stirring up these old feelings
.
He looked so handsome in blue.
He likes that color.
A navy blue shirt peeked out from under his denim shirt, which he tucked inside a pair of dark blue jeans.

“Just about the time I’m getting over you, you come back into my life.” Candi felt the frustrated effort to work mount to nonproductive idle chatter….to herself. “I still love him and don’t want to. I won’t live with someone who hurts me when he’s drunk. Then, there was Samuel.”
Acting like his usual sexual-harassing self
. “I wish someone would cut off his balls,” she murmured in anger.

Looking at her watch, she sighed.
It’s almost two.
The chaos will begin soon
. Normally, she welcomed the hectic spurt of the mid-shift rush. The traumas would speed her shift, and she could end another day of loneliness.

“I came here looking for you…I like your hair. I miss you…I can’t eat...I can’t sleep…”

She
let herself laugh at Jack’s comment then it hit her
. Is he feeling the same things I am?
Candi didn’t want to get her hopes up.

Susan entered the supply closet. “Hey, Candi, I have a message for you.” She handed her an envelope. Her name written in Rafe’s handwriting almost tore her up inside. “It’s from that guy who came in with Jack Posen.” The dreamy-eyed triage nurse shrugged her shoulders in excitement.

“I saw your note in his folder.” Candi looked at the woman daring her to deny it.
I could eat him up with a spoon.
She repeated the notation on the yellow sticky notepad in Jack’s file.

Susan grinned. “I meant every word.” She looked at her skeptically. “What is it?”

“I’m in love with his friend.”

“Already?”

The look of utter confusion and shock on Susan’s face was comical. Candi laughed in spite of her new pain. “Tonight isn’t the first time we met.”

“You want to talk about it?” Susan’s soft reply of concern broke the dam, and down came the pent up tears.

“Susan, I don’t know what to do. I thought I was over him, but he comes in and the old feelings are still there. I haven’t healed. I’ve been nursing a festering wound.”

“What do you think the treatment should be?”

“I need to face him, get it off my chest, and let him go.”

The crashing sound outside the door got their attention. “Those sounds like good ideas, but right now, get those rooms stocked. It looks like we got our first customer for the mid-shift rush.”

Candi and Susan left the stock room geared up and ready to take on the shift.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Jack left the hospital strutting around like a cock rooster, his chest bowed out, his back erect, and a lift in his step. He looked around and gave Rafe a smug smile, which irritated him.

“You feel pretty sure of yourself about now, don’t you?” Rafe stated with soft agitation.

“Hell yes! Not only do I have a mended hand, but…” He lifted his bag of samples. “Some good drugs and Susan’s phone number.” He smiled. “I may have to call in sick and have her come
nurse
me back to health.” At the car door he paused. “So, what did you get?” he prodded.

Rafe gave him a cool look. “Get in the damn car.” Unfortunately, he didn’t fare as well. He left empty-handed.

“What’s the plan now?” Jack asked when Rafe got into the car.

Rafe started the engine, sat for a moment, and contemplated the next move.
There is no way in hell I’m giving up so easily.
“I’m going to drive you home and come back.”

“Okay,” Jack agreed with a silly grin. Lifting up the bag of samples again, he gushed, “I’ve got some goodies here.”

“I wouldn’t take too many of those. I won’t be around to make sure you don’t die.”

Jack pouted. “Party pooper.”

Rafe chuckled. “Look, one crisis at a time, okay?”

Five minutes after dropping Jack off at the trailer, Rafe headed back to the hospital, He thought of several elaborate excuses to see Candi, but nothing came to mind that would guarantee she would see him or keep her in place so he could talk to her. He looked at his watch. The time barely ticked past the three o’clock hour. He glanced at the door. Her small frame came in and out of view as she carried on with her work. “I have no idea what time your shift ends, but I will be here waiting for you.” Settling back into his seat, he let himself rest without sleep.

Bright and early, the sun’s bright rays of light hit him in the face and woke him. “I must have nodded off. But when?” The last thing he remembered was the radio announcer calling time as three thirty. His body slouched over with stiffness. He yawned and stretched and felt the catch of his muscles. Sucking in his breath, he extended his legs out to get the circulation back into them. “Son of a bitch, my back hurts.” He turned his head, and it popped in protest and stiffened another degree. He massaged the sore spot in his neck. “Maybe sleeping in the truck wasn’t the best place to sleep…” Realizing why he stayed at the hospital, he glanced toward Candi’s car and found it sitting in the same spot. “…but at least, I’ll be here when she gets off her shift.” He looked toward her unattended car and sighed. “I need coffee.” Last night he’d parked close enough to her vehicle to know the exact moment she got off work, making it difficult for her to leave and not talk to him. “Come one, girl.” As if by magic, she exited the building. Walking toward her car, her bowed head, she didn’t notice Rafe get out of his truck and stand by her car. “Want to get a cup of coffee?” he asked when she was within ear shot.

Candi screamed and jumped back. “God, Rafe! You scared me!” she shouted and slapped his shoulder.

Rafe laughed and rubbed the mildly uncomfortable spot. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What do you want?” she asked abruptly unlocking the door to her car. She tucked her tote bag behind the driver’s seat.

“Right now, coffee. Would you like to get a cup with me?” he motioned toward the coffee house next door.

Candi’s curt nod was hopeful.
She doesn’t hate me enough not to have coffee with me.

They walked across the parking lot. Neither of them said a word. They each ordered a cup of coffee with hazelnut cream, waited for the coffee order with nothing said between them. A few minutes later, they left the crowded coffee house. Again, they walked in silence to the hospital parking lot.

Rafe opened the passenger door to his truck. “Would you like to sit down?” Her hesitation brought on a slight panic. “I can imagine you’re exhausted being on your feet all night,” he sympathized.

Candi took a tentative step forward. A gust of cold wind hastened her pace. She got in, and while he rounded the front of the truck to get in the driver’s side door, she shut her own door. Together they sat in the truck drinking their coffees. Again, neither spoke for a moment. Candi looked off into the distance as if mulling something in her mind.

“Who is Dr. Berkley?” The question caught her off guard almost as much as it did Rafe. “I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t pry.”

“I’ve already explained him to you.” The softness in her voice sounded harsh.

“Isn’t what he said and implied sexual harassment?”

“Yes, but I’m just a lowly medical assistant.” Again more silence. “Besides, I can handle him. Nurse Conkel is aware of the situation.” She let the explanation fall quiet.

Outside, the clouds covered the sunshine and a light mist threatened the area. “Looks like rain.” Rafe stated the observation.

“Rafe.” She looked up into his eyes. “Why are you here?”

“I want to invite you to Thanksgiving dinner with my parents.”

“What?” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“I have to bring a date. My mom said I had to bring you,” he elaborated.

“Oh, really!”

“I agree. I can’t think of one other person I would rather share my holidays with than you.” Rafe gently picked at an errant piece of her ponytail and pulled it between his fingers. “I was a jackass, but I do love you.”

Candi bowed her head, but she didn’t argue.

Rafe saw tears well up in her eyes. It surprised him that he didn’t feel the annoyance that usually came from tears. Knowing that he was the one that caused her pain settled over him, and his pride ached. He knew her tears were from her pain and loneliness, like that which befell him lately.

“You know, for once I envy women.” Candi’s soft chuckle of disbelief spurred him to explain. “They have the unspoken luxury to cry when they're hurting. But I don’t have that luxury because I’m a man…who wants to cry, scream, and stomp like a spoiled child.”

“Why?” she asked, wiping her face.

“I will do just that if you don’t take me back and let me make hurting you right again.”

“Oh, Rafe, you almost blew it.” She cried softly. “I’ve often wondered if we would work.”

“Yes, we can, baby. Together we can make it work,” Rafe avowed.

“All I wanted to do when I came here to this hospital was to heal. But I just couldn’t let go of my love for you.”

“Candi, how can I convince you that I’m for real? Look, I don’t blame you for doubting me. I only know that I don’t want to lose you.” His words stuck within the lump lodged in his throat. “Hold onto that love.”

“You could never lose me, but you have to be willing to fight with me and for me. Tell me what’s going on.”