Page 7 of The Candle Palace (Jamison Valley 6)
The only thing exciting about my life at the moment was working here. I was special to my patients. Here, I didn’t feel quite as dull.
With my arms loaded with supplies, I walked into the hall, focusing on keeping the sterile packs off the floor. I adjusted a package of gauze to keep it from slipping, then looked up just in time to crash into a tall figure.
“Ah!” I gasped, staggering backward on my heels, fumbling not to drop anything.
“Sara.” Dr. Vernon’s hands clasped over my shoulders to steady me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.”
“It’s fine,” I breathed, regaining my balance. “I’m okay.” I gave Dr. Vernon a small smile, signaling he could let me go, but his grasp remained firm.
“You’re sure?” His eyes lingered on my lips.
I nodded, shimmying my shoulders until I was free. Then I ducked my gaze, wishing my strawberry-blond hair was down to hide behind instead of up in a ponytail. “Um, thanks.”
That was weird, wasn’t it? He’d probably only hung on for an extra three seconds too long, but that uneasy feeling I’d had around him lately came back full force in those seconds. Was my introverted lifestyle making me paranoid? Maybe if I got out more, I would be better at assessing a man’s attention.
“I’m heading into our new patient’s room,” he said, smiling.
“Great. Me too.” I forced a smile, following him to the room but keeping a few steps back.
Dr. Vernon rapped on the door with a sharp knuckle. His hands matched the rest of his body, lean and long. He had a handsome face, and while most single women around here seemed
to gush and fawn over him, he just didn’t do much for me. It was his eyes. They were too sharp.
I’d always had a weakness for men with kind eyes.
“Morning,” Dr. Vernon announced as he strode into Milo’s room.
Milo flinched as Dr. Vernon flipped on the lights. His abrupt entrance was definitely not my style but I kept my mouth shut. Milo turned his head slowly, his eyelids struggling to open against the sedatives.
I set down my supplies on the counter along the far wall and stayed back from the bed. Dr. Vernon’s tall form and lab coat obstructed much of my view as he bent over Milo and assessed the wounds.
“How are you feeling today?”
Milo’s response was a pained groan.
Dr. Vernon leaned against the side of the bed. “We’re going to start debriding the burns on your ribs today, Milo. We’ll make sure you’ve got some local anesthesia. But with the amount of damage to the nerves in that area, I doubt you’ll feel much. So have a good breakfast, eat as much as you can, and then I’ll be back in an hour or so to get started. In the meantime, Sara here is going to check on your dressings.”
A muttered agreement came from the bed and Dr. Vernon stepped away. “Be back in a bit.”
I nodded, waiting for him to leave the room before gathering up my supplies and stepping closer to Milo. “Hi, Mr. Phillips. My name is Sara. I’ll be your nurse today.”
He nodded, his eyes cracking open, then falling closed, lacking the strength to keep them open. “Milo.”
Milo. His gentle voice captured my attention. It was only a whisper but it filled the room with a rich, smooth hum.
I took a minute while his eyes were closed to study his face. He kept his dark hair short, buzzed close to his scalp. Long enough to feel soft, with a hint of bite, like velvet. His jaw was covered in scruff. The line of his nose was straight except for a small, flat spot just beneath the bridge. His eyelashes weren’t long, but they were full and dark. The envy of this fair-haired girl who had to wear multiple coats of mascara to accent her green eyes.
Milo was handsome. And given that he was my patient, that thought was completely inappropriate. I tore my eyes from his face and concentrated on getting a pair of latex gloves from the box on the wall.
I’d never found a patient handsome before. Surely that had happened to other nurses in their careers though. I could ignore it. I certainly wasn’t going to act on it. Should I leave? Trade rooms with Kym?
I dismissed the idea. This was nothing. So what if I thought Milo Phillips' lips were the perfect shade of pale pink? I could admire them and still be a professional. I could still treat his burns.
I stretched on my gloves and went to Milo’s side. Then I ripped open a pack of sterile gauze. I opened my mouth to explain to Milo what I was about to do, but the words got lost when I met his gaze.
Milo’s coffee-colored eyes were open and locked on me.
All dreariness was gone, his irises clear and focused. The ring of brown was lighter around his pupils, deepening into a brown so dark it was nearly black at the outer edge. Some might call them muddy at first glance. But with nothing to do but stare back, I found his eyes to be fascinating.
