When the night was over, she couldn’t find Grace anywhere. She was just gone, and what was even more suspicious was that Camden was absent as well. Hmm.
“I’ll give you a ride home,” Spence said.
Sage had drunk a little too much of the eggnog and she was grateful she hadn’t driven over, but she didn’t need a ride. “I’ll just go with my grandma and Eileen.”
“I think Dad has plans with them. They’re going to be busy for a while,” he said with a laugh.
“Oh. Well then, I’d best get home,” she said, suddenly feeling nervous.
“There’s no hurry. I was just telling you that I’ll give you a ride when you’re ready.” He moved slowly toward her.
“I’m ready now. I have to work tomorrow, you know,” she said, turning and moving away from him.
“Not until the afternoon. I don’t think you have to be in bed by midnight or risk turning into a pumpkin.”
“Are you implying that I act like a princess?”
“You are a princess, Sage, and I think I have just the right slipper to place on your foot.”
“Now that’s an impressive line, Spence.” She let out a giggle, but it dried up instantly when she found Spence cornering her, his warm breath just inches away.
“Then it deserves a kiss. I’ve been wanting to do this since the moment you walked through the front door.”
He leaned down, and all her thoughts of escape vanished when their mouths connected. Spence Whitman really knew how to kiss. Even the foreign exchange student she’d been so fond of was forgotten.
When he pulled back and she looked into his deep green eyes, her stomach dropped. She knew she was in serious trouble. She was beginning to fall for this man again, and he was all wrong for her. She couldn’t let this happen. He was her boss, one of the main people who determined if she became a full-fledged doctor. And she didn’t have time for an affair. She barely had time for herself, her grandmother, and her best friend.
“I’m ready to go home,” she said, and when she noticed he was about to protest, she added, “Please, Spence.” He opened his mouth as if to speak, and then she saw when he knew it was useless.
“Of course,” he said, and then found her coat.
The day hadn’t been bad at all, but the night would most likely prove to be quite lonely. That was okay, though. She had a career to think about, and she had her family—her grandmother and Grace. When she was finished with her residency, then there would be plenty of time for romance, but it certainly wouldn’t be with a man like Spence, with whom she would never feel on an equal par.
Thanksgiving was over. It was back to the real world for her.
Sage wore a big smile as she slipped outside to the ambulance bay. She’d be off work in an hour, and, rarity of rarities, the sun would still be shining. Sure, it was winter and the ground was covered in snow, but at least it was bright out and she could soak up some vitamin D.
Though Sage really didn’t have time for a relationship, Spence had been wearing down her defenses. She wouldn’t admit that, but it was the only reason she’d accepted a date with another man to the hospital’s annual Christmas party.
She didn’t like Dr. Ted Lipencolt—could barely stand him, actually—but she felt it was a much safer move than going alone. Spence would surely be there.
“Dr. Banks, we have a patient in room three. Looks like he’ll need stitches.”
“Thanks, Tina.” She came back inside. This was mindless work, something she could easily perform and still leave the hospital in plenty of time to get ready.
For someone who didn’t care about Spence’s opinion, she’d sure been putting a lot of effort into this party. No matter how much she told herself it was for her alone, in the back of her mind, she knew she wanted to make an impression, knew she wanted to feel beautiful.
But, hey, that was natural behavior for any woman. It was nice to feel desirable, even if she had no plans for entering a relationship.
“Hello, Mr. Harris. How are you feeling?”
The man sitting on the table was sweating, his face a little green.
“I’ve had better days.”
“What happened?”
She put on her gloves and took inventory to make sure all the supplies she’d need were there. Her aide had done a great job of prepping the area.
“I was hanging the Christmas lights. My wife was really nagging at me, said they should have been hung weeks ago. I work hard, but does she appreciate that? Of course not. All she cares about is that the Dames and Hendricksons have their lights up already. So I go outside, get the ladder out, and start hanging the lights. It was all going fine until the ladder slipped on some ice, and there I was just flying through the air. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was the missus exacting revenge for me taking so long to do the job.”
“Do you suspect this wasn’t an accident?” Contrary to popular belief, there were a multitude of men out there who were abused.
“No, of course not. I called for her for like ten minutes before she finally came through the front door. Did I get any sympathy? No. She just rolled her eyes and said I wasn’t gonna use this as an excuse to not get the lights finished. Hell with that. When I get home, I’m cracking open a can of beer and watching a football game. If she complains, I’ll break every strand of lights we have.”
“Well, the cut isn’t too bad. You were really lucky. And no bones were broken. You should be back to full health within a day or two,” she reassured him, trying desperately to stifle her laughter. “So how long have you been married?” She liked to talk to her patients, ease their anxiety while she took care of them. After preparing a hypodermic, she inserted it near the cut to numb the area, then picked up the sterile needle and thread.