Read Online Just Like That by Erin Nicholas - Free Book Online Page B

the ibuprofen he’d pilfered from Natalia’s kitchen cupboard was helping.
    “Dr. Mitchell is in with the guy with the cardiac arrhythmia, Sam,” Kaylee told them just then. “It’s going to be a while for you.”
    Sam sighed. He wanted Danika seen, x-rayed and fixed. Now. Dammit.
    “How’s your pain?” he asked her.
    “Not terrible if I don’t move it.”
    “Want to come meet Tommie?”
    Danika shrugged. “Why not?”
    He liked that about her. That she just went with the flow. He’d prefer to be having her go with it in the sex shop, or bed, or the front seat of his car, but it looked like this night wasn’t going to go exactly the way he wanted no matter what. “Let’s go.”
    He took her good hand, wanting, needing to touch her. Stupid as it was. They stopped at the soda machine in the hallway and got a can of Pepsi, then continued to room two.
    “Who’s Tommie?” Danika asked.
    “He’s this homeless guy who ends up in the ER about once a week. His injuries are always minor, but they’re enough to get him in the doors where he can be fed and fussed over. He’s harmless but demanding when he shows up. He only drinks Pepsi, only eats Lorna Dune cookies or orange Jell-O—but preferably both—always wants new socks and only takes advice from me.” She raised an eyebrow. “Wow, what makes you so special?”
    “My crew and I found him about a year ago, nearly frozen to death, in front of the library. We wanted to bring him in, but he wouldn’t come. Then he saw my empty Pepsi can in the ambulance. He decided I could be trusted and it’s lasted. I’m always the one to talk him into going to the shelter.” She smiled at him. “Maybe I can help. I’m a social worker.”
    “No kidding.” Now that she said it, it fit somehow. “Where?” 44
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    Just Like That
    “Here.”
    “At St. Anthony’s?”
    “Yes.”
    He stopped and stared down at her. “Since when?”
    “Two weeks ago.”
    She’d been here two weeks? Here? Where he spent most of his day, every day? Where he knew everyone? How had he missed her? “Jack is definitely off my Christmas card list.”
    “Jack?” she repeated.
    “Jack Conner. He’s a drug counselor on fifth floor. He’s supposed to let me know whenever a beautiful woman joins the staff.”
    He knew that she knew he was teasing her, but she said, “I haven’t met him yet.”
    “What’s he been doing ? Your office has to be right down the hall from his. How could he have missed you for two weeks?”
    “I’ll make a point of introducing myself on Monday.”
    “No, don’t do that,” he said quickly. Jack didn’t have Sam’s reputation, but he was a single guy who would definitely find Danika attractive. He was straight and had a pulse, after all. Worse, she probably had a lot in common with Jack.
    “Why not? We have offices right down the hall from each other,” she said with a smile.
    “He believes in polygamy.”
    She snorted. “He does not.”
    “How do you know?”
    “Does he?” She put a hand on her hip.
    “Yes. Absolutely. And he hates dogs.”
    “I’m not a big dog person.”
    “He spends every weekend at the racetrack.”
    “I love a man who knows how to take chances.”
    “He’s killed eight people.”
    “I’m sure he had a good reason.”
    Sam gave up with a reluctant grin. She was funny. But he couldn’t resist one final quip. “He doesn’t know anything about orgasms.”
    She raised an eyebrow. “Something more in common. We’d make a good pair.” Even though they were kidding around, Sam hated that idea. Even though they’d only known each other for a few hours, he hated that idea.
    “Hey, Tommie, what’s up?” he asked a moment later as he opened the door to Tommie’s favorite exam room.

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    45

    Erin Nicholas
    “My hopes, Brad.”
    Sam chuckled. “Good answer.”
    Tommie chuckled in return and inexplicably started whistling “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”