Read Online Foundation for Three by Vella Day - Free Book Online

thanked her, but her words came out harsh and on edge.
    Damn. Had Zoey pushed too hard? Her own nerves were still quite raw, so perhaps she had. If she hadn’t had a lot of patients on her calendar, she would have cancelled the rest of the day and gone home. As soon as Kara left, Zoey checked her office Outlook and noticed her two o’clock was crossed off. As much as she’d needed the break, this one worried her. Zoey called her secretary.
    “Rachel, is Mrs. Fletcher okay?” The woman never cancelled.
    “Her daughter was ill, so Mrs. Fletcher had to keep her home. She rescheduled for next week. I put it on the calendar.”
    Zoey should have looked. “Perfect. Thanks.” That gave her the needed time to see Thad and then grab a bite.
    On her way out, she told Rachel to text her if anything important came up.
    As Zoey headed to Thad’s room, she didn’t want to arrive empty handed. It wasn’t in her nature. Having heard patients complain about the coffee the hospital served, she bet he’d welcome a good cup from Starbucks. When he was working undercover, he’d mentioned his need for his caffeine fix each morning.
    At the small coffee stand in the lobby she purchased the strongest blend they had. She wasn’t sure if he liked sugar or cream, so she grabbed two sugar packets. There weren’t any creamer containers visible, so he’d have to do without.
    When she arrived, Thad’s door was open and the television on. That seemed like a good sign. She popped her head in and knocked. “Hello?” Her palms were a bit moist, but she chalked it up to holding the hot coffee, and not because she might be nervous. She feared the sight of her might remind him of what happened. When he looked up and smiled, the tension in her shoulders faded.
    He turned off the television. “Hey. How are you doing?” he asked, looking better than she expected.
    She chuckled, allowing relief to wash over her. “Good, thank you.” She placed the coffee on the side table. From her purse, she retrieved the sugar packets. “I didn’t know how you took it.” She was glad to see the IV stand had disappeared.
    “Black, but you didn’t have to go to all the trouble.” He cocked a brow and his lips curled up at the ends. “I’m a cop. What? No donuts?”
    She shook her head and grinned. His humor surprised her, but she liked it. She pulled over the chair. “You’re too fit to eat donuts. You told me you ran.” It was something they both liked to do—only she wasn’t as consistent as he was. Also, she was more of a two miler. He did five.
    “I’m surprised you remembered.”
    She tapped her skull. “Just call me elephant brain.”
    “I like it.” They talked a bit more about his rigorous nutrition plan. Not wanting to wear him out, Zoey started to excuse herself, but Thad stopped her. “Can you stay a minute? I’d love the company.”
    “Sure. I don’t have another appointment for a while.” If she had to skip lunch, she would. “I met your roommate.” She was intrigued by Pete. College educated, owner of his own company, family rebel, and yet he listened and seemed to be a caring person. It was an uncommon combination of traits.
    “I heard. Pete stopped by a while ago. I want to apologize for him.”
    Now Thad had her attention. “For what? Pete did an amazing job renovating the house.” While his workers might have done a lot of the actual work, the attention to detail was exceptional. Plus, he held my hand and took care of me when I needed someone the most.
    “His comment about sharing.” Thad’s face colored.
    Oh, that. “It was nothing.” Pete never hinted he was interested in her anyway, so how he conducted his life was his own business. She nodded to Thad’s arm. “How’s it doing? Are you able to go home soon?” If he did, would she ever see him again?
    He lifted his arm that was held in a sling. “Feeling good. Doc says if the wound looks okay tomorrow, I can leave.”
    “Fantastic. How long before they