He stood, easily towering over her. “See? You’re coming around.”
Humor tickled through her just as the door opened again and Ivy Carter hurried inside, a latte cup in her hand. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail and her blue eyes sparkled.
May paused. “Ivy? I thought you were taking the afternoon off?”
“Yeah, but I saw you come back, and I wanted to make sure you didn’t need me.” Ivy tilted her head. “What a shock. Ace is back and bleeding.”
May bit her lip to keep from smiling. Hiring the young nurse last month had been an excellent decision, although that had meant scrimping on luxuries. Like coffee for the clinic. “I think I can handle it. Enjoy this afternoon and go out tonight. It’s Friday.” She tried to let her staff, which included Ivy as her nurse, her friend Nancy as a part-time receptionist, and a college kid as her overall helper, time to have lives. Unlike her. She was always on call. Before Ivy could turn, the door opened again, and a trio of men walked inside.
May jerked, her heart rate accelerating. It couldn’t be. The man out front of the pack, wearing a suit in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, smiled at her. He held up a swollen hand with bruised knuckles. “I think I might’ve broken my wrist.” His blue eyes sparkled. “Hi, May. Miss me?”
May went cold.
The hair rose on the back of Ace’s neck, and he stood fully upright. Instinct told him to step between May and the newcomers, so he did just that.
Shockingly, she didn’t push him out of the way.
Instead, the woman took a moment and then moved to his side, remaining surprisingly close. “Senator. I hadn’t heard you were in town.” She sounded polite in a manner Ace had never heard before.
Senator? Ace studied the man. It was Senator Kyle Mercer. The guy appeared older than his mid-thirties on television. “Looks like you hit a wall, Senator,” Ace drawled.
The guy kept smiling with his perfectly white teeth. Were those caps? “Nah. I just fell. It happens.” His gaze didn’t leave May. “I know what a good doctor you are, even out here in the middle of nowhere. I hope I don’t need an x-ray.”
May’s chin lifted. “We’ll see.” She glanced at Ivy. “Would you please take the senator to Exam Room Two? I’ll be there in a minute.”
Curiosity was stamped all over Ivy’s pretty face, but she nodded. “Of course.” She gestured to the senator. “Sir? Your staff needs to stay here in the reception area.” She focused on the other two men, both wearing suits. “We just got new chairs yesterday. They’re comfortable.”
“Coffee?” The youngest looking guy asked, his suit a bit more off-the-rack than the others.
Ivy winced. “Budget cuts. Sorry.” She brightened. “However, you can get a decent cup from Sam’s Tavern across the street, or there’s Hitty’s one street and a bit of a walk over. She has lattes and fancy cappuccinos. We’ll take good care of your boss.”
The guy ruffled his blond hair. “That’s kind of you, ah…”
“Ivy Carter.”
“I’m Jack Jones. Thanks for the tips.” The guy flashed a full-wattage smile.
Ivy blushed. “Ah, all right. Senator? Would you come with me, please?” She walked gracefully around the reception desk and opened the door to the rest of the clinic.
“Of course.” The senator followed her, leaving an oaky cologne trail in his wake.
Jack looked at the older guy, who had grayish blond hair and was typing furiously on his phone. “Pete? This’ll take a few minutes. Let’s go grab coffees. The senator will want one.”
Ah. Peter Langford, the senator’s chief of staff. Ace had seen him on television the other day campaigning for his boss. Peter looked up from his phone, nodded, and turned on a polished Italian leather shoe to head out the door. Didn’t say a word.
The younger Jack followed him, also tugging out his phone and starting to text.
Ace couldn’t remember where he’d even left his own phone. He glanced down at May, who stared at the now closed door, her face pale. “May?”
She jumped and then turned, facing him. “Oh. Sorry.” Squinting, she looked up at his face. “Let’s get a bandage on that.”
He grasped her arm, warning flowing through his veins. “What’s going on?”
She shook her head, sending her platinum blonde hair spinning over her narrow shoulders. Her sapphire blue eyes were sharp behind her oval-shaped glasses. In her lighter green scrubs with a pale white shirt beneath them, she looked both smart and fragile. “Nothing.”
That was bullshit if he’d ever heard it. “Let me help you.” Not the words he intended to say. At all.
She blinked. “I don’t need help.”
