Page 12 of Guarding Over You
It wasn’t even lunchtime and she was already drained.
On her way back through, she detoured to the ER hoping to see Dr. Ridgeway and fill him in. Just to keep him informed, not to get another look at him.
He was busy after all.
After swiveling her head a few times and not catching sight of him, she went to leave.
“Arden.”
She turned and there he was. “Hi. I was looking for you.”
He held his arm out and moved her to a corner out of the way. The sounds of monitors, moans of pain, high-pitched voices, tearful explanations and nurses asking questions were all background noises.
“How did it go?”
She filled him in. “All in a day's work,” she said. “I hope for Abigail’s sake that they can at least separate her from her brother for now. Or at least the parents are scared enough knowing there are eyes on them.”
“It’s hard with siblings,” he said. “I’ve got four of them and my brothers and I beat on each other enough but nothing like that. Nothing was tolerated to that extent and if one of us left a mark on our sister... yeah, best not to say what happened then.”
It was the charming smirk on his face, his lips lifting, a tiny dimple appearing, his blue eyes dancing as if they both needed that weight lifted if for only a moment.
“I feel as if the mother is cornered or she’s blind. Could be both. I hoped working here would be easier, but thought wrong.”
“Where were you before?”
“The county. And I think you need to return to work.”
“Yeah. Hey, the other day. Are you okay?”
She laughed. “I’m fine. Just a pesky ex. Not sure how much you heard.”
Though the doctor wasn’t out there for the entire conversation, she was betting the guy got the gist of it. His eyes and ears had been everywhere that she could see today.
“Enough. If you need me, I’m only a few down. Don’t hesitate.”
“Thanks, Dr. Ridgeway. Good to know, but I should be fine.”
“I mean it, Arden. And it’s Blaze.”
“Blaze?”
“Yeah. Blaze Ridgeway.”
Somehow that name fit. Intensity in motion. Steady, focused and impossible to ignore.
Scary for a woman who had closed her mind and body off to any man for years.
Yet, this doctor set off a dangerous calm inside of her with the threat of fire simmering beneath the surface.
She had to get out of here.
“Nice to meet you, Blaze. See you around.”
He put his hand out for her to shake and the spark shot up her arm ready to consume every nerve ending in her body. By the look in his eyes, he wasn’t immune to it.
4
MUCH CALMER FASHION
