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Ellen smiled. “Is that good or bad?”
“It would make it easier to work with him if he wasn’t.”
“I have to meet this guy.”
“That’s good because I invited him to come by to introduce you.”
Ellen looked over the top of her sunglasses. “Hmm. The blond-haired guy looks young, so I’d say Peter is the hunky surfer dude with the grin heading straight for us?”
Cassie followed her gaze. Damn. Damn. Damn. He looked good in motion, surfboard under his arm. Sunglasses. Backpack slung on one shoulder. She made herself sound bored. “Yes, Ellen. That’s him.” She waved him over, aware her tune lightened when she spoke to him. “That was fast.”
Peter carefully laid his board in the sand. Kneeling, he sat on his heels at the base of the blanket. “I know you won’t be here later when we’re finished in the water, so wanted to stop by now.” He held out a hand to Ellen, “I’m Peter Chapman. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Ellen shook his proffered hand. “I’ve heard about you from John. Welcome to Montauk.”
“I’m glad to be here. Looking forward to working with Cassie and the crew.”
Cassie did all she could to keep the heat from her cheeks when he smiled in her direction. What was wrong with her?
He motioned to his companion. “My new friend, Eric. We’re neighbors at the Oceanside.”
Eric waved hello. “Always start the season with a trip to Montauk. Didn’t think I’d meet a nurse, but I’m glad in case I run into a shark or something.”
The women laughed. Cassie said, “I can hear the theme song from Jaws coming over the water. You’d better take care.”
Eric shot a longing look toward the surf. He gestured down the beach. “Peter, I’ll set up over there. I’ve waited all week for these waves.”
Peter stood. “I’ll go with you.” He smiled at the women. “Glad to meet you, Ellen. Cassie, I’ll catch up with you soon to get your friend’s number about the rental.”
“Sure.”
Cassie watched as the guys walked down the beach. Ellen exhaled a sigh. “Well, if word gets out that he’s the new E.R. nurse, a lot of women may start calling for ambulances.”
Cassie scoffed. “Oh, please.”
Ellen burst out laughing.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING, Peter blew through the doors of the Mercy Hospital emergency room, justifying in his mind why it was perfectly okay for him to be there at eight o’clock in the morning. He didn’t want to spook Cassie and come off as if he were stalking her, but truth be told, he sure felt like he was.
He had two days until starting work and he hadn’t found a place to live. Besides spending most of yesterday thinking about Cassie, he really needed to find a place and who could help him better than a local? And she’d mentioned knowing someone.
He felt foolish. Under any other circumstances, he would have no problem following up on a lead. He hadn’t exchanged phone numbers with Cassie so showing up here would be legit. Only, his chest pounded a bit more asking for this favor because Cassie ignited a hunger in him that tweaked his guilt toward his motives to seek her out again. He liked her. A lot. She was comfortable to be around. Beautiful to watch. He loved the sultry sound of her voice. Her perfume. She was rapidly becoming an obsession. He kept blaming it on being new in a strange town, but who was he kidding? She intrigued him, something fierce. That feeling was brand-new and it was lighting a fire in him.
She’d mentioned yesterday she was working the late shift. He remembered how mornings were after a long night. She’d probably welcome an offer of breakfast. A nurse builds up a powerful hunger after working all night.
Carmen smiled at him through the window in triage as he approached. He motioned to the door into the E.R. She nodded. When he heard the buzzer, he slipped into the treatment area.
Doc, Rachel, Brenda and—thank you, God—Cassie stood around the nurse’s station. It looked as if Cassie and Rachel were filling in Brenda and Doc about the patients from last night.
Doc waved him over. “You’re just in time for the morning shift.”
“Not yet, but I’m looking forward to Monday, for sure.”
“What brings you in?”
He gestured to Cassie. “Wanted to catch Cassie before she left.”
Doc raised a brow. Peter didn’t quite get what his look meant, so he said to Cassie, “I was hoping to get your friend’s number on that apartment.”
She slapped her forehead. “That’s right. I’m sorry. I’d forgotten.”
“No trouble. I was up early. Enjoyed the walk.”
“Let me finish up here and I’ll give you a ride back.”
Damned good luck. “Sure.”
He listened quietly as Rachel and Cassie passed on the morning stats regarding the four patients currently being processed. One elderly woman with chest pains. A landscaper with a broken foot. A parent whose baby had a high fever. One ambulance delivery with lacerations from a minor car accident.
Peter watched the three nurses interact comfortably with Doc from years of working together. Peter looked forward to the day he fit that mold and didn’t feel so much like a fish out of water, even though the emergency department layout and process was familiar to him. What mattered most to him was the personal interaction. Finding out who he’d mesh with best, or who would get as excited as he did over any new technology. The medical field was always changing. Half the satisfaction of nursing was bringing the new treatments to the community.
When they finished, Doc took the charts. “I’ll check Mr. Nelson’s foot and release him. Brenda, see if cardiac care has a bed ready for Mrs. Olsen.” Doc gave the women a thumbs-up. “Thanks for all the hard work last night, ladies. You make it easy to start the day.”
Rachel punched the air. “Go team.”
Heading down the hall, he waved to Peter. “See you on Monday.”
Brenda picked up the phone, and Rachel gathered her things. “See you all tomorrow. Good luck finding a place, Peter.”
Cassie motioned for Peter to join her. “I just have to get my purse.”
He didn’t have to be asked twice. He matched her brisk pace to the nurse’s locker area then out the back door to the parking lot. He snapped his fingers. “I have an idea.”
“What?”
“What do you feel like having for breakfast?”
“Excuse me?”
He shrugged. “Let me buy you breakfast. I know what it’s like coming off graveyard shift.”
She thought a moment then grinned. “Okay. I am hungry, but I’m also wiped. So I can’t hang out.”
“Perfect. I have to hunt for new digs anyway. It’ll be nice not eating alone.”
“Oh, yeah. Brian. Let’s call him when we stop.”
“Affordable?”
She shot him a knowing glance. “I think we can negotiate with him.”
She said we. He liked that. A lot. “Well, then I’m happy to buy breakfast. Where shall we go?”
She brightened. “I know just the place.”
God, he loved her grin. One would never know she’d just finished working through the night. Her color was high. Her hair was a crown of curls held back by a baby blue headband that matched the color of her scrubs. Just like on Thursday, she wore a white long-sleeved T-shirt beneath the scrubs, a perfect solution for the air conditioning in the hospital. Her fingers tapped the steering wheel in time to the music playing low on the radio. Being in her company was so comfortable, Peter felt like he’d ridden every day of his life in a car with her.
Cassie pulled into a spot in front of John’s Pancake House. The restaurant was a converted Cape Cod-style house with a red-and-white-striped awning across the front. The place was pretty busy for a Saturday morning before the summer season hit.
“I heard that Montauk was a ghost town until summer.”
“The pancake house is always crowded with locals on the weekend. It’s a favorite spot.”
He opened the restaurant door for her and ushered her in. He followed and almost ran into her back when she stopped short.
A wary surprise filled her voice. “Well, hey, you guys.”
Cassie greeted five people seated at a round table just inside the door. The older two were a handsome-looking duo. The other couple looked to be around his mother’s age, casual in jeans and light sweaters. One woman looked suspiciously like an older version of Cassie. Her mother, perhaps? They seemed glad to see her.
The older woman with the silver braid said, “Morning, Cassie. Just getting off work?”
“Yeah. Friday night was busy.”
All five pairs of eyes fell on Peter. The woman who looked like Cassie’s mother said, “And who do we have here?”
Cassie stepped aside. “Peter Chapman, meet my family. My mother, Beth. Grandma Mica, Grandpa Phil, Aunt Judy and Uncle Micky.”
He shook hands with them all. “I’m Cassie’s newest coworker. I start on Monday.”
Beth gestured to his eye. “Ah, the man who had the run-in with the deer.”
“My reputation is preceding me. Don’t know if that’s good or bad.”
Beth smiled. She even had the same dimple in her right cheek that Cassie had. “All good. Don’t worry.”
He glanced at Cassie and saw the color rise in her cheeks. Had she been saying good things about him? Damn, she was cute when flustered.
“I’ve offered to drive Peter around while his truck is being repaired,” she said.
“And I’ve been stalking her,” Peter added, thinking he was being funny.
The group laughed. “Well, that’s not unusual, young man,” Cassie’s grandfather said.
Grandma Mica winked. “I’m sure Cassie doesn’t mind a bit.”
“So, you came all the way from the Left Coast?” The look in Micky’s eyes said he’d love to help Peter out from this awkward moment by changing the subject.
Peter smiled back, grateful. “Glad to be here, too. Montauk is beautiful.”
“Well, we hope you like it here.”
Cassie gestured toward an empty table far enough away to give them some space. “We’re just going to grab a quick bite. I’m exhausted and want to head home.”
Grandma Mica gestured to Cassie’s figure. “Make sure she eats a pile of French toast. She’s been getting too skinny.”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “Grandma!”
The five said their goodbyes. When she and Peter were seated, Cassie lowered her voice. “Stalking? Really? Did you have to say that?”
Seeing her discomfort, he felt like an idiot. “I thought I was being funny.”
“You don’t know my family. If they even get a whiff of a guy showing interest in me, they start pushing.”
“Why? Are you a charity case or something?”
“You don’t understand.”
“I’m listening anytime you want to fill me in.”
She stared at him a long moment. She might have been miffed, but she sure looked pretty with her hair scooped away from her face exposing the curve of her cheek and those tiny diamonds glistening in her earlobes.
A look of incredulity flashed across her face as something occurred to her. “Are you really stalking me?”
He handed her a menu from the stand on the table. “Nah.” He winced. “Um. Maybe.” He held up a hand. “But I’m not dangerous. Just interested.”
She waved away the menu. “I know what I want.”
He glanced at the choices. “Banana pancakes. Maple syrup. Perfect.”
She was frowning. “You might want to order something without syrup. You’re giving me cavities already, you’re coming on way too sweet.”
He sat back in his chair. “I’m making you uncomfortable.”
“Truthfully? Yes. We’ve only just met. You’ve been flirting with me since you opened your eyes in the E.R.”
He shook his head. “No, I started flirting with you just before I met that deer.”
Gratefully, she laughed, and he noticed her body begin to relax. He released a sigh, leaned closer. “But you’re right. Error is mine on the flirting. I apologize.”
The waitress came by and they gave their orders. When she walked away, Cassie seemed to have relaxed even more at his apology. She smiled, sheepish. “I may have given you the wrong impression, though I have to admit, I had no problem flirting right back with you.”
Wow. Responsible for her actions. He admired that immediately. “I can’t say I didn’t appreciate your attention.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
Peter leaned closer. “Okay then. How about we start over?” He held out a hand. “Hi, I’m Peter Chapman. New hire. How do you do?”
