Page 8 of Worth the Risk

Dr. Hayes just grinned. “Would you mind getting a line started in each arm, Zoey?”

I nodded and Ford’s frown deepened. He was always careful to call me ‘Nurse Simms’ at the hospital to keep the professional boundary in place—despite occasionally slipping in some private time with me in empty rooms—and I didn’t think he liked Dr. Hayes’ less formal way of addressing me.

I just rolled my eyes. He couldn’t exactly act possessive of me when we were in a secret relationship. Besides, Dr. Hayes didn’t mean anything by it. He was just easy-going and casual. All of the private doctors with privileges at Lakeview seemed to be like that.

I set to work on the IVs while the doctors stepped out of the room to talk. By the time I was done with Scott, Dr. Hayes had returned to the room, and Ford was gone, probably having moved on to another patient.

“It’s lucky that you came into the hospital today,” Dr. Hayes said. “Infections like this can get serious fast, and you’re going to be here for a while.”

Scott frowned. “You know I don’t like hospitals.”

“No one does. But sometimes, it’s the best place for you to get better. Don’t worry, I’ll come by every day, and Dr. Whitmore will keep me informed of your progress over the next few days. He’s a good doctor, so stop giving him a hard time, okay?”

He patted Scott on the shoulder, and we both left the room.

“That was nice of you,” I said, closing the door behind us. “It’s not exactly easy to treat patients that don’t trust us.”

“That’s the benefit of private practice. We form relationships with our patients.” His eyes darted around the hallway for a moment, as if he was making sure we were alone. No one was around, but he leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “Just between you and me, one of the doctors at my clinic is retiring in two months.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I know nurses are the ones that really keep a hospital running. They know the patients and the doctors better than anyone. So, if you know of anyone that might be tempted to join my practice…” He trailed off with a shrug. “Just think about it.”

I wasn’t sure if there were any doctors at the hospital that would be interested, but I promised to let him know if I thought of anyone.

The day went on in a flurry of patients and charting and devouring a protein bar when I had a free minute. I saw Ford in passing a couple of times throughout the morning, but we were working on different patients, so we didn’t interact. That wasn’t unusual. The ER could be a madhouse at the best of times, and there were days when we worked side-by-side constantly and days when we barely saw each other.

But there was a moment in the early afternoon that was out of the ordinary.

I was walking past a lounge area used to deliver bad news to patients’ families when I spotted Ford and Dr. Serrano together. It wasn’t strange that they were having a conversation, or even the location, because the empty lounge was as good a place as any for a private discussion.

It was the tension in Ford’s body and the dark look on his face that sent a chill down my spine. He looked angrier than I’d ever seen him, but beneath that, I could have sworn I saw a flash of fear.

What the hell is that about?

I couldn’t stand around to find out. There was work to be done, and it wouldn’t look good if the chief of medicine saw me lingering around while he was having a conversation that clearly wasn’t meant to be overheard.

So, I went about my day and didn’t get a chance to ask Ford about it until I was about to leave at the end of my shift.

He was in his office, his white doctor’s coat hanging by the door and his tie hanging loose around his neck. I knocked on his open door, and his head snapped up.

“Zoey.” He stood, running a hand through his blonde hair and letting out a sigh. “I meant to text you…”

I frowned as I stepped into the room. “What’s wrong? Is it something to do with Dr. Serrano?”

Surprise flickered across his face, then he narrowed his eyes. “Why would you ask that?”

My stomach flipped over his unexpected reaction. I wanted to go to him, to place a comforting hand on him, to connect with my boyfriend.

But the door was still open, and we were still at work. So, I stayed in front of his desk.

“I saw you guys talking earlier and it looked… intense.”

“It was nothing,” he said, his eyes dropping as he gathered up the papers spread across the surface of the desk. “You know Serrano. He’s uptight and already worried about how he’ll manage things next week while we’re on the island.”

I smiled at the thought of going to Sirona Isle for my oldest brother’s wedding. Ryan was marrying his girlfriend Leanne on a tropical island, and Ford was one of the groomsmen. I’d introduced them when Ryan came into the ER after breaking his leg on the job. He was constantly at risk as a firefighter, but this was the first time he’d ended up in the hospital, and I wanted the best doctor in the ER to treat him. I wasn’t even dating Ford back then, but I knew he was the one I wanted to take care of my brother.

What I didn’t expect was for them to become instant friends.