Maverick In The Er

Matthews Jessica

As much as he’d like to know Sierra on a more personal level, his gut told him that she wasn’t the sort who would embrace such a temporary and superficial relationship.

Instead, she was the type to make a man think about the future in terms of the next twenty or thirty years. At times, he tried looking ahead that far, but he simply wasn’t ready to let a woman get that close. Between coping with Mitch’s downward spiral after Marcy’s death and his struggle to meet all of his family obligations, he didn’t have the time or the energy to devote to anyone else.

That hard truth, however, didn’t prevent him from wishing Sierra would be happy with what he could offer, especially after today when he’d seen her face turn a beautiful shade of pink. What woman in this day and age, especially one who’d survived the rigors of medical school and residency, actually blushed? Be that as it may, that small flaw only enhanced her already attractive features.

Her fine bone structure gave her an ethereal quality, as if she didn’t belong in a field as brutal as emergency medicine, but her athletic frame suggested she wasn’t a stranger to hard work.

As lovely as he considered her face and form, her thick auburn hair was nothing short of awesome. The color reminded him of flames dancing on the hearth and without any effort at all he pictured her shaking out her braid until every strand cascaded over her beautiful shoulders.

If that wasn’t enough, her shapely legs with their miles and miles of soft skin made his throat go dry. Today, like most days, she wore low-heeled pumps and a dress that fell to just above her slim knees. Her garb wasn’t practical for the demands of working in Emergency and she’d probably switch to baggy scrub suits and tennis shoes tomorrow, but he’d enjoy the view while it lasted.

His libido and personal preferences aside, he was still glad she’d finally joined the emergency-services staff. For that reason, he found himself grinning like a loon whenever he saw her.

Actually, she hadn’t joined as much as she’d been transferred. Over the past year, he’d created a paper blizzard that had gone to every department head, vice president and hospital-board member, protesting the fact that his department’s extra medical position had never been filled. As soon as he’d learned of Sierra’s credentials and past experience in Emergency, he’d intensified his efforts. If Administration had agreed they’d needed the position, he’d argued, then it was pointless not to fill it, especially when someone already on staff was ideal for the job.

While everyone agreed with his reasoning, Sierra’s boss, Lane Keegan, hadn’t wanted to lose her from the medical unit. If not for pressure from above, they’d still be at an impasse, but finally, after weeks of negotiating details, Keegan had given in. On one point, however, he’d refused to budge.

Sierra would only fill Trey’s position until they found a replacement who met the criteria, but not for longer than sixty days. Which meant Trey still had fifty-nine to work his magic and convince her to stick around permanently. His philosophy was, Better the devil you know than the one you don’t, and he’d prefer to keep Sierra, who got along well with the staff, rather than bring in a new person who might clash with everyone.

Roma Miller, the nursing supervisor who’d just received her thirty-year service pin, strode in. “Where was Dr. McAllaster going in such a hurry?”

He shrugged. “Lunch, I guess.”

“No kidding? I’ve never seen her walk so fast.”

Interesting. “She must be hungry,” he offered, although he suspected the reason for her rush had had nothing to do with her appetite and everything to do with regaining her composure after he’d caught her studying him.

In spite of her cool attitude, in spite of her standoffish ways, Sierra McAllaster obviously wasn’t as resistant to his charm as she pretended.

Munching on an apple, Sierra strolled along the circular concrete pathway of the hospital’s favorite attraction—the Healing Garden and Labyrinth—which had been created just outside Emergency. Normally, she walked the circular concrete pathway in order to recharge her mental batteries when she had a tough patient, but today her reflections were far more personal and far more immediate.

Her ridiculous reaction to Trey’s flattering comment still bothered her. Her marriage had taught her to not fall victim to a man’s flattery and until now she hadn’t. Why today was different remained a complete mystery. In her opinion, Trey’s charm was a strike against him.

He had also earned a second strike because if it weren’t for him, she’d still be reporting to work on the fifth floor, where she belonged. Although, in all fairness, she didn’t know if she should be upset with him or with herself.

If she’d been in Trey’s position, she would have presented the same case he had, asking that the vacant position be filled with a doctor who was already on staff and who possessed ED experience. As Fate would have it, she was the one with the least seniority—the only one, in fact—who fit the criteria.

Her options had been limited—either take this assignment or end her contract.

Leaving hadn’t been a viable option. She’d finally unpacked the last box of household goods this past weekend and the idea of hunting for a new job was too tiring to contemplate.

On the other hand, she did have a third option. If she’d been honest and explained why she couldn’t work in Emergency, perhaps Dr. Keegan might have chosen someone else. Pride, however, had stopped her. She’d come to Good Shepherd with a clean slate and if she dragged out her history to use like a get-out-of-jail-free card, her past would become an open book. The doubts, the pitying glances and every emotion in between would start, and she refused to deal with that from staff and her colleagues.

Consequently, she’d decided it might be time to face her fears and put those horrors behind her. Although she didn’t want to work in Emergency, she suddenly had a desire to prove she was able to.

Fortunately, Dr. Keegan had offered her several consolation prizes. One—and the most important—she was only filling in temporarily. So what if she was back in the area where she’d sworn she’d never work again, treating everything from acid reflux to herpes zoster infections, traumas to diabetic comas? She’d endured far worse and for a far longer period. Sixty days was nothing more than a wrinkle that would iron itself out in due time.