Authors: Teresa McCarthy
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Women's Fiction, #Contemporary Women, #Romance, #Romantic Comedy, #Contemporary Fiction, #Christian, #Humor, #Sagas, #Contemporary, #Inspirational, #Series, #Westerns
Tanner wanted to shake his brother. Rafe had taken Julie’s death personally. Whether it was because she had died on Rafe’s watch or Rafe felt he was a failure for not getting her to the hospital sooner, Tanner never knew and never asked. But the fact that Julie had pneumonia wasn’t lost on either of them.
Tanner looked about the cafeteria and sighed. “These circumstances are different, Rafe, but it doesn’t make me feel a whole hell of a lot better.”
Rafe grimaced. “Does the lady have anyone she could stay with? Her mother might have been at the hospital earlier today, but Dad mentioned something about dropping off a friend at the airport. I think it was Hannah’s mother.”
“Now that I remember it,” Tanner drawled, “Hannah mentioned something about her mother leaving to visit with a sick sister in Maine. If that was Hannah’s mother Dad dropped off at the airport, the lady’s gone by now. Hannah has no one to take care of her.”
“Not even a neighbor?” Rafe asked.
Tanner thought about the woman from the library and immediately recalled the gorilla brother of hers. That made the decision for him. He didn’t want Hannah anywhere near that ogling beast. He’d be doing her a favor. “No, I don’t think she has anybody.”
Rafe sent his brother a wry smile. “You never were good at lying, Tan. Take her home with you, if that’s what you want.” He couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry to disappoint, but Dad will want to act as chaperone, if you know what I mean.”
“A chaperone? We are not in the nineteenth century! She’s just a nanny for Jeremy!”
Rafe shook his head. “Yeah, right. She isn’t a child, but she does need a little care the next few days. And nothing else.” One black brow rose in warning. “So don’t play with fire unless you want to get burned.”
Tanner didn’t have a chance to get a word in before Rafe continued. “By the way, I don’t know about her insurance, copays, deductibles or whatever. Not that it makes a bit of difference to me, but hospitals...well, you are her employer, and maybe you have offered her some medical benefits with her job?”
“So, it will cost her something out-of-pocket?”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. Dad mentioned something about the lady falling on hard times.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Tanner snapped, hating to think of Hannah ill, and really hating to think of his father talking to Rafe about Hannah. But the lady wasn’t about to have this hospital bill hanging over her head, not if he could help it.
“Never thought you wouldn’t take care of it. But speaking of hospitals, how about a new MRI machine from that new company you just took over. Gifts are tax deductible, you know.”
Rafe chuckled when Tanner muttered something about interfering brothers. At that moment, Rafe’s name was paged on the intercom, and the doctor left the room.
Swallowing the last of his coffee, Tanner sighed. He needed to speak with Hannah. Now.
Hannah lifted her gaze from her bed the second she heard Tanner’s deep baritone voice greeting someone in the hall. Seconds later, her eyes froze on his tall, lean form standing in the hospital doorway. He was dressed in dark green scrubs, holding a bouquet of pink roses in his hands, looking like some wildly handsome doctor from her mother’s soap operas.
His gray eyes searched hers. “Feeling better?”
She gave him a weak smile. Her chest hurt and she felt awful. “A bit. I see you changed your clothes?” He looked good in green, too good.
His brows knitted into a frown as he strolled across the floor and handed her the bouquet. “Thought you could use something to brighten up the room. I take it my brother told you about Jeremy. He’ll be fine.”
She tried to ignore the warm tingling in her body as she took the roses from him and smiled. “I’m so glad Jeremy’s going to be okay, and thank you for the flowers.”
“You’re welcome.”
She watched in amusement as he tried to stuff his hands into pockets that were no longer there. His golden hair still shimmered from the wetness of the storm.
A shiver skittered down her spine when she thought about his drugging kisses.
His features were powerful and a bit intimidating. Just like Nick’s. But he wasn’t Nick, she reminded herself. He wasn’t a man who would lie to her. He wasn’t a man who would deliberately withhold something from her for his own selfishness.
The concern in his gaze touched her. She bent her head to study the roses in her hand. They smelled sweet and fresh, like feel of the man’s lips against hers. Oh boy, she was in real trouble here.
“I’m glad Jeremy has such a good doctor to look after him,” she said, feeling flustered.
“Yeah, Rafe’s good all right.”
She lifted her gaze, noting the irritation in Tanner’s voice. His lips were drawn tight across his mouth and a muscle seemed to twitch in his jaw.
Maybe he was still recovering from the scare of his son’s injury. The man was a mixture of emotions that she wasn’t even going to try to understand.
“These flowers are beautiful.”
She lifted the roses and started coughing. His fingers lightly brushed hers. He took his gift from her hands, placing the flowers on the table beside her.
“Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all.”
She was still conscious of where his skin touched hers and felt a bit lost when he moved away. “No, no, I adore roses. It’s just this nasty cold.”
She coughed again, and her whole body fought against the weariness that consumed her.
“A cold? It’s a bit more than a cold.” There was a hard edge to his voice as he leaned forward, his nose almost touching hers. “You have pneumonia, Hannah. Fluid in the lungs, a fever. You could die if you didn’t have the right medication or rest.”
She sunk into her pillow, confused at the grim line whitening his mouth. “I’m on antibiotics. Dr. Clearbrook said I can go home today.”
His face froze into a granite-like expression. “You need rest.”
She managed a tremulous smile, knowing she couldn’t stay one more day in the hospital. She couldn’t afford it. “I know. You might have to do without a nanny for a day or two.”
Later, she would call her mother, who was staying at her aunt’s house, and let her know everything was going well. There was no need to make the lady worry. Yet it was obvious Dr. Rafe Clearbrook had told Tanner the truth about her condition. She had told him he could. But as to her mother, she needed to inform the lady about her condition only when she was home and rested.
She tried to sit up, but Tanner kept staring at her as if she were about to break. She froze. What else did the doctor say to him? “What?”
“I don’t think the doctor meant a day or two. You need to rest for at least a week.”
“What ever happened to patient confidentiality?” she snapped, not feeling herself.
“Confidentiality? That went out the window the moment you had pneumonia. Besides you gave Rafe permission to tell me what was wrong.”
“That doesn’t give you a license to tell me what to do,” she said more sharply than intended.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling sick?”
I needed the money, that’s why.
She shrugged. “I wasn’t feeling that bad.”
His hand slid beneath her chin. “I don’t believe you.”
She was caught off guard by the warm effect a simple touch could make. He dragged his finger along her cheek. She visibly shuddered, fighting against the attraction she had for this man. His touch instantly rekindled her memory of the passionate kiss on the mountain.
Her sanity suddenly kicked into gear. No, she couldn’t become involved with this man. Hadn’t she already learned her lesson the hard way? Even though he wasn’t totally like Nick, there was still that determined arrogance about him and that scared her.
“You didn’t tell me you were sick because you needed the money. Right?”
She stiffened. “Is that such a crime? To need money? This economy isn’t exactly booming.”
“No, it’s not a crime.” There was a steely determination in his tone as he hitched himself onto the edge of her mattress and dropped his finger from her cheek, only to slip his hand in hers.
Her heart thumped in alarm. He had kissed her twice. It had been the heat of the moment in the car and on the mountain. But this was different. His eyes smoldered with a mixture of passion and concern that shook her. Warning bells started ringing in her brain. She couldn’t let herself go down that path again. He was too sure of himself. Too like—
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. He was utterly charming and the tenderness of his action brought tears to her eyes. “You taste as sweet as you look, Miss Hannah Elliot.”
There was that teasing glint of amusement back in his eyes, and she let out a tremulous smile. She was weary, too weary to fight him.
“Mmmmm,” he smacked his lips. “Even better than that gingerbread of yours.”
She chuckled. “You’re impossible. Do you treat all your son’s tutors like this?”
He leaned forward, capturing her face in her hands. “No, I don’t think Mr. Harrison would have cared for it.”
She let out a choked laugh, feeling the strength of his rough hands against her cheeks. Blood pounded in her brain, sending ripples of awareness throughout her entire body.
“And I don’t think of you as just my son’s tutor, Hannah.”
She bit her bottom lip. “You don’t?”
“Hannah, Hannah, Hannah. When will you ever see that you are more than a tutor?”
She felt his unwavering gaze puzzling and looked away. The door was slightly open and anyone coming down the hall could see them. “What exactly do you mean, more than a tutor?”
“You love Jeremy and that’s more than being a tutor.”
Her heart dropped to her stomach. She thought he would declare his love for her or something silly like that. Her fever must have gotten the best of her.
Her face burned with the memory of his passionate embraces. He made her too vulnerable. She had already fallen in love with Jeremy, and now she felt herself falling in love with Tanner. But she wanted Tanner’s love in return.
When she left the two of them for Reach Medicals, it would be so hard. So very hard. “I see.”
“Do you? Maybe you need a little persuasion.”
He snaked a firm hand around her neck and leaned toward her, his breath whispering along her cheek. “Hannah.”
Heart aching, she pushed at his chest. No, her soul whispered. Not again. She needed a man who wanted the things she wanted. Love, honor, respect, even children. Not a substitute mother for his child.
“I’m sick, Tanner.”
A glint of mirth played about his eyes. “And I’m sorry you’re sick.”
Without any force at all, he leaned his face to within inches of hers. He smelled deliciously of soap and rainwater. She shivered as his warm breath heightened her senses.
“You’re going to spread germs like that, Tan. I don’t mind, but this is a hospital after all.”
Hannah jerked back as Dr. Rafe Clearbrook’s amused voice sounded from the doorway.
Tanner looked over his shoulder and scowled. “Perfect timing,” he said with disgust, pulling away. “What do you want?”
Rafe shrugged. “I’m between patients. Thought I’d check on my beautiful invalid.” He gave Hannah a wink, then shot a wicked gaze toward Tanner. “But I see you have everything in hand. Must be those new duds you’re wearing. You’re acting more like me every second.”
Rafe sent Hannah another wink, and then he was gone.
Groaning, Hannah sunk back into her pillow and closed her eyes. “That was embarrassing.” Her lashes flew up at the sound of Tanner’s laughter. “What’s so funny?”
“My brother. Believe me, someday he’s going to get what’s coming to him, and when he does, I’m going to be there to watch it.” Suddenly, his face turned serious. “I’m taking you home. Today.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” Confused, Hannah glanced toward the door. Had Tanner been about to kiss her? Or was she just another one of the many women she had heard about from Candy?
“I don’t think you understand, Hannah. I’m taking you home...with me.”
She stared at him, baffled that he would want her to work so soon. “I won’t be able to watch Jeremy for a couple of days. I told you so. Doctor’s orders.” She thought he had understood.
“You won’t be working. I’m the doctor now. Can’t you see that?” He brushed his hand across his green shirt and gave her one of those dimpled smiles that turned her heart to oatmeal. “You’re going home with Jeremy and me until you can take care of yourself. Think of it like this. Fritz can act as chaperone. So you have nothing to worry about.”
Fritz as chaperone? She thought chaperones went out with the stagecoach. And nothing to worry about? She had everything to worry about. She had almost given her heart to one of the most notorious bachelors in town. And a bossy bachelor at that!
He wanted her to be a tutor and nanny to his son, a mother in a way, with a few kisses along the way. Those kisses meant nothing to this handsome man. He was a practiced flirt. Sly as a fox, gentle as a lamb, that was Tanner Clearbrook. The combination was scarier than Mrs. Gould’s blue hair.
She was so confused, she didn’t see him turn to leave.
“Hannah?”
Her gaze lifted. There was a slight hesitation in his eyes before he spoke.
“You don’t have to worry about money, you know, with the hospital. I have everything under control. Any copays or insurance premiums. You work for me now.”
Her brows puckered into a frown. “What?”
“We’ll talk about it later. Consider it part of your health care package.”
Her cheeks burned with humiliation. Was he saying he was going to pay her hospital bills besides taking her to his home to recuperate? She fought against the stinging tears that collected in her eyes. She wasn’t a charity case. She needed that job at Reach Medicals, and when she felt better in a few days, she vowed to give them a call. She would not be dependent on this man. Now or ever.
He turned with a start. “Are you crying?”
“No. I’m sniffing.”
She tilted her head toward the window, knowing that a good rest was imperative for her to get better. She didn’t want her mother coming home to take care of her. The lady didn’t need the added stress, not with her already visiting her sick sister.