week.”
“Yeah, sucks to be me.” Julian smirked, but Zack narrowed his eyes, thinking it seemed a little forced. “Anyway, we’re not talking about my love life. What gives with the luscious Ms. Shannon?”
“Nothing. A little bonding between victim and rescuer, maybe some subconscious, misplaced feelings of guilt on her part over my accident, whatever. Now that she’s seen I’ll be okay, it’ll pass. Happens all the time.” He hoped not, but wasn’t about to get warm and cozy with Jules, of all people.
“I don’t know, man. That’s not the vibe I was getting from her these past few days when we didn’t know if you’d make it. She practically camped here, bullying the doctors and nurses to keep us informed, sitting by your side when we couldn’t. Seems like more than—”
“Drop it, Salvatore. I don’t want to talk about Cori.”
Not with you hung in the air between them. Appearing stung and determined not to let it show, Julian changed the subject. “All right. Well . . . work has been busy.”
“I’ll bet.” The unspoken accusation resounded in his soft tone. Shit, now things were getting awkward.
Heaving a sigh, Julian straightened in his chair. “Okay, listen good. I’m not after your job, Knight. I don’t want it, not like this.” He held up a hand, cutting off Zack’s protest.
“I mean, sure, I want to be FAO one day. But even you can’t believe I’m a big enough prick to walk over your corpse to get it.”
Zack frowned. “Julian—”
“I’m not willing to settle for what I haven’t earned, and I’ll put in for a transfer before I let Tanner screw me over with the team and alienate me any more than I already am.”
Zack knew he was staring at the other man as though he’d started speaking in tongues, but he couldn’t help it. Jules had a conscience. Who knew? “I don’t—”
“Whatever you think, I’m really glad you’re going to be okay. Get well and get the hell out of here. We need you. I’ll send in Eve or Six-Pack next.”
He stood, heading for a quick escape.
“Hey, wait!” Julian stopped, glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks for saving my ass. For . . . everything.”
“Forget it, geek. Had to do it over, I’d throw you back in the river.”
Well, it was a start.
5
The Explorer was a total loss, and now this.
Cori slapped a hand on the steering wheel of her rental in frustration. “Arrrgh! Stupid piece of shit!”
Normally, she wouldn’t lose her temper over a trivial matter out of her control. For example, the egg-shaped scrap heap the rental company stuck her with failing to start. This week, however, had been a teensy bit hard on her blood pressure.
A knock on her window nearly sent her into cardiac arrest.
“Cori?”
Splaying a hand over her pounding heart, she exhaled a whoosh of breath, trying to squash the spurt of annoyance at being surprised. She hated surprises, and holy macaroni if this week hadn’t been chock-full of them. Pasting on a smile, she got out of the car to greet Tony Banning, an artist whom she’d met several months ago at the local coffee bar where she and some of the other nursing students liked to hang out.
“Tony! What brings you here? Not a sick friend or relative, I hope.”
Delight shining in his dark eyes, Tony stepped up to her, skimmed a palm down the sleeve of her sweater, and zeroed in for a kiss. Quickly, she turned her head so he landed a harmless buss on the cheek. A maneuver she’d had to use more than once lately with him.
“No, no, nothing like that,” he said, apparently undaunted by his intended target avoiding full lip service. “Actually, I was looking for you. I called you at home and stopped by the coffee shop first. Then it occurred to me that you might’ve been scheduled for rotation.”
“No, not today. I was just visiting someone.”
Eyeing his tall, lean form from head to toe, Cori thought for the millionth time what a shame it was that Tony’s going to the trouble
“Yeah, sucks to be me.” Julian smirked, but Zack narrowed his eyes, thinking it seemed a little forced. “Anyway, we’re not talking about my love life. What gives with the luscious Ms. Shannon?”
“Nothing. A little bonding between victim and rescuer, maybe some subconscious, misplaced feelings of guilt on her part over my accident, whatever. Now that she’s seen I’ll be okay, it’ll pass. Happens all the time.” He hoped not, but wasn’t about to get warm and cozy with Jules, of all people.
“I don’t know, man. That’s not the vibe I was getting from her these past few days when we didn’t know if you’d make it. She practically camped here, bullying the doctors and nurses to keep us informed, sitting by your side when we couldn’t. Seems like more than—”
“Drop it, Salvatore. I don’t want to talk about Cori.”
Not with you hung in the air between them. Appearing stung and determined not to let it show, Julian changed the subject. “All right. Well . . . work has been busy.”
“I’ll bet.” The unspoken accusation resounded in his soft tone. Shit, now things were getting awkward.
Heaving a sigh, Julian straightened in his chair. “Okay, listen good. I’m not after your job, Knight. I don’t want it, not like this.” He held up a hand, cutting off Zack’s protest.
“I mean, sure, I want to be FAO one day. But even you can’t believe I’m a big enough prick to walk over your corpse to get it.”
Zack frowned. “Julian—”
“I’m not willing to settle for what I haven’t earned, and I’ll put in for a transfer before I let Tanner screw me over with the team and alienate me any more than I already am.”
Zack knew he was staring at the other man as though he’d started speaking in tongues, but he couldn’t help it. Jules had a conscience. Who knew? “I don’t—”
“Whatever you think, I’m really glad you’re going to be okay. Get well and get the hell out of here. We need you. I’ll send in Eve or Six-Pack next.”
He stood, heading for a quick escape.
“Hey, wait!” Julian stopped, glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks for saving my ass. For . . . everything.”
“Forget it, geek. Had to do it over, I’d throw you back in the river.”
Well, it was a start.
5
The Explorer was a total loss, and now this.
Cori slapped a hand on the steering wheel of her rental in frustration. “Arrrgh! Stupid piece of shit!”
Normally, she wouldn’t lose her temper over a trivial matter out of her control. For example, the egg-shaped scrap heap the rental company stuck her with failing to start. This week, however, had been a teensy bit hard on her blood pressure.
A knock on her window nearly sent her into cardiac arrest.
“Cori?”
Splaying a hand over her pounding heart, she exhaled a whoosh of breath, trying to squash the spurt of annoyance at being surprised. She hated surprises, and holy macaroni if this week hadn’t been chock-full of them. Pasting on a smile, she got out of the car to greet Tony Banning, an artist whom she’d met several months ago at the local coffee bar where she and some of the other nursing students liked to hang out.
“Tony! What brings you here? Not a sick friend or relative, I hope.”
Delight shining in his dark eyes, Tony stepped up to her, skimmed a palm down the sleeve of her sweater, and zeroed in for a kiss. Quickly, she turned her head so he landed a harmless buss on the cheek. A maneuver she’d had to use more than once lately with him.
“No, no, nothing like that,” he said, apparently undaunted by his intended target avoiding full lip service. “Actually, I was looking for you. I called you at home and stopped by the coffee shop first. Then it occurred to me that you might’ve been scheduled for rotation.”
“No, not today. I was just visiting someone.”
Eyeing his tall, lean form from head to toe, Cori thought for the millionth time what a shame it was that Tony’s going to the trouble
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