Gage, Ronna - The Search is Over (Siren Publishing Classic) (22 page)

“You’ve lost the smile in your eyes, Rafe.” The sadness in Sheila’s voice matched his soul.

Rafe said nothing as he took a huge swallow of his drink.

“Would you like to go to
Austin
with me?” she asked.

Rafe’s head shot up so quickly he thought it would stretch his neck. “Where did that come from?”

Sheila shrugged her shoulders. “Just curious.”

Rafe narrowed his eyes.

“I wondered if your relationship with Candi is really over.”

“I don’t know where she is, so what does that tell you?”

“Men like you commit only to the woman that holds your heart, which I do not.”

“So, what’s your point?”

Sheila gave him a lost in thought look, then she said, “Decisions, decisions, decisions.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I’m going to do the honorable thing for once.” Sitting up in her chair she said, “I’m going to take the matters of your life into my hands.”

“How are you going to make matters in my life your control?”

“I’m going to direct you to the right choices. First of all, I think you need to finish that drink, get your ass out of this lounge, find her, and win her back.”

“Have you not been listening? I don’t know where she is.”

“Haven’t
you
been listening? You do know where she is. She’s on the north side.”

“The north side is a large fucking area,” he shot back.

“Rafe. You know her. Where would she be? Think!”

Sheila drank the last of her drink. “This round’s on me.” She stood up and gathered her bag. “I suggest you heed my advice. I’m not going to recommend this again. If I see you again, and you’re unattached, I’m setting my hook in the water.” Sheila bent down and brushed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Just remember that.”

Rafe watched Sheila settle his tab and leave the lounge. The song on the jukebox spoke to him as if another friend was telling him to go get the one that stood by him
. Love was right before my eyes
.

He stared down into the glass at the last swallow.
You’re a mean drunk, Rafe Sines. And it’s because of it that so many friends don’t trust you, and the reason Candi left without a fight.
His fear of his feelings for her pushed her away, but she would have stayed if he hadn’t told her he wanted to be alone.

“Where is she?” he asked himself again.
Put the pieces of the puzzle together to find her.
She lived on the north side, still going to school—until December, and then she would be finished with her medial assistant’s training. “Minerva said she was working in her field.” She told him once before she would work in a hospital for OJT. It would give her good money, while she studied for her physician’s assistant credentials.

North side.

School.

Hospital.

Rafe felt the rapid beating of his heart immediately as the realization dawned on him. “I know where she is!”
She has to be there.

Rafe stood up and dug into his pocket for a generous tip. He picked up the glass and set it back down on the table. Leaving one swallow in the bottom was symbolic of his conscious choice.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Rafe walked into the trailer and stomped to the chair. He huffed and puffed his frustrations out in a series of noisy snorts.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jack asked.

In his need to vent, he turned his anger on Jack. “Candi is at the
North
Side
Hospital
, and I can’t see her.”

“How do you know she’s there?”

“I know, but unless I have an injury, falling down sick, explosive diarrhea, projectile vomiting, or some other horrific symptom, she isn’t going to see me. I need her to be more or less a captive audience.”

Jack grimaced. “Ewww! Explosive diarrhea?”

“Is that all you got out of this conversation?”

“No, but well, it’s not much, but will my football injury help?”

A moment of hope engulfed him. In two steps he covered the distance between he and Jack, and then grasped his hurting wrist.

“Ow! That hurts, fucker.”

Rafe looked at him, a surmountable pressure lifted off his shoulders. “This wimpy injury just might work.”

“Wimpy? It hurts like hell.”

“I bet it does,” Rafe soothed with a minor tinge of empathy. “And we’ll go have it looked at,” he cooed, leading Jack out the door.

“Good,” Jack pouted. “I need someone to kiss it and make it better.”

“You’re fucked-up.” Rafe laughed for the first time since Candi left.

On the way to the hospital, Rafe used his cell phone to make a single call. “Minerva, I want to thank you for what is in my opinion, a not-so-subtle clue to Candi’s whereabouts.”

“You figured it out, did you?”

“She’s at
North
Side
Hospital
.”

“Ding! Ding! Ding! Give the man a prize. It took you long enough.”

“I have to admit that it was easy to figure out, once I put the pieces together.”

She laughed. “I couldn’t very well say, ‘Hey, Rafe, she’s at
North
Side
Hospital
,’ could I?”

“No, I guess not. Do me one more favor.”

She hesitated for a second. “What’s that?”

“Don’t tell her I’m here.”

“You’re at the hospital…now?”

“Yes, and let me show her.”

“Not a problem. Good luck. Rafe, don’t fuck this up. I will not take it lightly.”

“I won’t. This is too important to me.”

Just as he pulled into the parking lot, he hung up the phone. He turned to his injured buddy. “Well, here’s to nothing.”

“You have the wrong attitude. Think positive,” Jack insisted. “Like me, I’m positive I will walk out of there with something worthwhile to take home.”

Rafe laughed. “I guess I can give it a shot. She will have to see us.”

* * * *

Thanks to Jack’s wimpy injury and his flirtatious smile, the triage nurse, Susan Thomas—according to her badge—pulled them back immediately. Rafe steadily maintained his distance while Jack worked his magic. She just about creamed her panties giving Jack her phone number. When she left the room, Jack sat on the exam table with a wide satisfied smile on his face. Rafe caught the door before it shut completely. With care he cracked it open just a fraction of an inch and peeked out into the emergency ward.

“There she is!” he whispered to Jack.

She tended to a small boy with a bloody knee. Her bright smile warmed his heart. She applied antiseptic and blew on it. “All done.” She reached her hand into the pocket of her pants and pulled out a sticker. “You were such a big boy. How about a sticker?” she offered. His shuddering body calmed. He took the proffered paper. She looked over her shoulder and then the other. “If you don’t tell anyone, let it be our secret, I’ll give you a surprise. Okay?” The little boy’s watery smile reflected his liking to a surprise. She handed the boy a blue sucker, pretending to sneak it to him. His little hands grabbed for it immediately.

She’s the one
.

As he watched her through the cracked door, Rafe, with a deeply ingrained ache in his heart, longed to go to her.
To be this near and not know what to do almost drives me insane.

Jack cleared his throat loudly. Vaguely aware of Jack’s presence, Rafe turned to him. “Lucky for you, I hurt my wrist playing football at the lake two days ago.”

“I hope our little plan works.”

Jack lifted his unwrapped hand. “I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.”

Rafe said nothing, but continued to watch Candi through the small opening of the supposedly closed door. Her smile greeted each patient warmly and yet there was something different about her eyes. They seemed hollow, unfeeling, almost like the warmth didn’t meet them. Guilt made his heart heavy.

“Candice?” A male’s voice called her.

Candice? When did she start going by Candice?

She looked up at the man with barely a grin and the tension around it tightened. Not that anyone would really notice, but Rafe knew. He knew when she was happy, sad, pissed, and about to give someone hell, which was what this guy was about to receive, if he didn’t watch his step.

“Would you come here, please?” the soft-spoken voice ordered.

Why was Candi so hostile toward him?

“I’ll be right there. I just need a moment to…”

“Now!” the voice repeated with a sense of authority.

Candi slammed the clipboard down on the counter. “I’m on the way.” The metallic sound caught the other nurses’ attention. They rolled their eyes in response, but stayed clear.

“Yes, Dr.
Berkley
.”

Candi’s voice was sweet as sugar, but Rafe knew that tone.
Back off, dude,
s
he’s gonna snap on you.

“Mr. Jacobs needs to be sent to Radiology,” Dr. Berkley stated.

Who does this son of a bitch think he is?
“What is it about him that makes Candi so volatile?”

“What?” Jack asked from the bed.

Rafe waved him off with his hand.

“He should have been sent there two hours ago. If you can’t handle this job, I will find someone who can.”

Candi let the whip go, so to speak, “Mr. Jacobs has just returned from Radiology this half hour. The specialist has not read the X-rays as of five minutes ago. That’s what I notated in the patient’s file.” She stood with her arms crossed over her chest.

Rafe’s thoughts focused on her in her scrubs.
In those scrubs she’s cute.
She looked every part the professional medical staff.
There’s something different about her hair.
Pulled back from her face into a ponytail wasn’t unusual for her, but still something was different and he couldn’t figure it out.

Dr. Berkley stared down at her. He pulled her toward the seemingly closed door of Jack’s room.

Rafe’s gut twisted at the sight of the doctor putting his hand on Candi. Furthermore, to make matters worse, he wasn’t an unattractive man. The wavy locks of his high-dollar haircut flashed his well-bred society that would appeal to Sheila Mason.

“Candi, you’re one hell of a fireball. I think we would make a great team.”

Dr. Berkley’s sultry compliment angered Rafe. His hands knotted up into fists at his side.

“What is it?” Jack whispered suddenly.

“Shut the hell up, or I will break your injured arm,” Rafe said through clenched teeth.

Jack blinked back his surprise to the threat. “Ho, that’ll hurt.” Rafe’s narrowed eyes met his. “Sorry!” he whispered, turning away from his gaze.

“Dr. Berkley, I believe we have already discussed that topic. My mind hasn’t changed. I would appreciate it if you not continue on this endeavor.”

Impressive
. Candi was all but going to tear his head off, but she handled herself in a very professional manner.
But I want to kick the good doctor’s ass.

“You know, I have to tell you.” Dr. Berkley took a step closer to her. “I like redheads.”

That’s it! Her hair is red
. I love it!
The color fit her personality. What he didn’t like was the sight of the good Dr. Berkley putting his hand on her shoulder.

“Get your hands off me,” Candi demanded in hushed anger.

Her clenched voice put Rafe into action. He wouldn’t stand by and let him or any other man, maul her.

Rafe opened the door. “You heard her,” he said, his tone menacing.

Candi’s eyes registered shock and then bliss at seeing him. A smile lit up her face and reflected in her eyes.

“Who are you?” Dr. Berkley asked.

Rafe looked at Candi and saw the subtle pleading in her eyes. “No one, but I did hear the lady ask you to leave her alone.”

The soft whisper sent a vibe in the ER that caught the attention of all the staff.

“Dr. Berkley?”

Rafe, Candi, and Dr. Berkley turned to the sound of a woman, who stood next to a man in a business suit. “Is there a problem?”
Hospital administrator.

The administrator was a large man. Well over six feet tall, and his girth was large, but not soft. Blue eyes looked onto the three of them. “I’m waiting for an explanation.” His name badge read R. Barton.

“No, sir, no problem here.” Dr. Berkley looked at Candi, giving her a silent warning.

“Miss Patterson?” the head nurse questioned.

Candi looked to Rafe and then to Dr. Berkley. Her anger wasn’t as prominent as her embarrassment.

“No, sir, no problem. Just a difference of…opinion.” She explained the situation away as a professional mishap.