Gotta Get Next To You (14 page)

Vince pointed a thick forefinger at him
again. “I smell trouble. Don’t let a nice body and pretty face suck
you in.”

Lee grunted. “Not a chance. And don’t give me
that look,” he snapped. “But you’re right about the sheriff.” “I’m
getting a bad feeling about this case.” Vince squinted at him.
“Let’s get our money. Let Mandeville and the sheriff deal with the
rest of the garbage.”

“Yes, Mother,” Lee teased.

“Good. Now tell me what you think about this
thing with the Latham Company.”

Vince went on to describe his investigation
into suspected corporate espionage in a New Orleans advertising
agency. Lee listened, but his thoughts were on Andrea. Vince was
wrong about her. Lee’s suspicions had eroded with each day as he
worked beside the lovely nurse. In truth, he now wanted to prove
Andrea’s innocence. For the sake of the clinic, and the people of
Lafourche Parish, he told himself in a firm voice.

Lee was afraid the state department of health
would decide the problems at Bayou Blue Clinic called for drastic
measures. Poor record keeping was one thing, but missing drugs
something else altogether. Patients would have to travel fifty or
sixty miles to another clinic. Those without transportation would
not get care at all. Lee grimaced at the thought of how children
would suffer as a result. He would do whatever he could to save the
clinic. Vince’s gruff voice broke through his thoughts.

“That’s what I’ve got so far. What do you
think?”

Lee blinked at him. “Sounds good.”

“Yeah, so I’ll be through with them today.
You should be finished in Bayou Blue soon, right?” Vince squinted
at him.

“Right, right,” Lee said.

“Man, your mind is on her.” Vince stood.
“Listen to your big brother, leave her alone. You’ve already had
enough grief to last you a lifetime.”

Lee tensed at the memory of his bitter
divorce and custody battle. He’d lost too much over the years, his
mother to drugs and alcohol, his brother, Chris, to the streets.
And now he realized that Denny reminded him of his brother way too
much. Vince was right; Lee had begun to think of ways to save Denny
from himself. Maybe he could do a better job than what he’d done
with his baby brother. Losses, he’d had his fill of them. Which was
why he guarded his heart. Lee vowed to avoid Andrea. No more
good-byes, no more getting his heart kicked like a damn football.
And if he jailed another filthy gang that specialized in ruining
young lives, all the better.

“My mind is on getting a check out of this
dude Fred Jones. He’s been dodging us for days. Now leave so I can
get some work done.” He picked up the phone and punched a
number.

“Yeah, right. Like I believe it,” Vince
retorted, and left.

***

Lee sighed when he was gone and tried to
focus on something other than Andrea Noble.

Andrea walked into the clinic and couldn’t
help but smile. Kids were everywhere, climbing over the furniture
and bouncing around like cute jumping beans. Exactly as she’d
planned, she thought happily. This waiting room had been added on
especially for children.

The walls were painted with baby animals,
flowers, and clouds in bright, cheery colors. In one comer a four-
year-old little girl happily hugged a stuffed giraffe and babbled
to it. A burst of giggling to Andrea’s right caused her to turn
around. Jamal had a group of six children captivated with magic
tricks. His tall, muscular body made him look like a mighty giant
compared to them. His thick arms bulged as he waved them. The
playful gentleness he exuded was in sharp contrast to the raw
physical power implied by his stature and build. A gentle giant,
Andrea thought. Jamal Turner was not just a pretty face. He really
seemed to care about people.

“Now, where did that mysterious magic coin
go?” Jamal reached behind a little boy’s ear and then showed them a
big gold Mardi Gras doubloon. “Mickey, you’ve been hiding it all
along!”

“Oooh,” came a chorus of childish voices.

“Make the stuffed rabbit appear again, Mr.
Jamal,” a boy called out, followed by the clamor of shouts.

“Yeah, we wanna see that one again!”

“Where’s bunny?” A five-year-old girl clapped
her hands.

“Hey, I’ve done that one three times
already,” Jamal said with a weary laugh. He rubbed his forehead. “I
better see what’s taking Miss Katy so long.”

“Stay with us!”

“We wanna play some more!”

He was hemmed in on all sides. “Now, come on.
I’ve got to get some work done.”

Andrea smiled. The strong man who had rescued
her twice now needed to be rescued, and from a mob of children, no
less. He spotted her and tried to escape.

“Miss Andrea is here to take over,” he said.
His voice and eyes pleaded with her.

“You’ve got things under control. See ya.”
She waved her fingers at him and started to back out, but stopped
when he yelled.

“No, wait!” Jamal quickly handed out toys
from a box, then made an end run around the children and cut off
her exit. “I’m just helping out. Lisa and the other student nurses
are running late.”

“If they don’t come, you might have to stay
in here,” Andrea said with a wicked grin.

“Please tell me you’re joking!” He glanced
around him in distress.

Andrea laughed at the expression of alarm on
his face. She couldn’t torture the poor man. “They just got here. I
was coming to tell you they’re helping Katy set up now.”

“Whew! You almost gave me a heart attack,
woman.”

“You had them eating out of your hand.”
Andrea nodded at the children.

“I’m winging it, to tell you the truth.” He
rubbed his hands together and followed her gaze. “I’m used to
trying to amuse one kid, mine. And he has to give me help most
days.”

“You’re married?” Andrea felt a stab of
dismay. Something in her voice must have betrayed her.

“Divorced,” he said softly.

His eyes seemed to hold a message, but Andrea
was afraid to read it. “Oh,” she said, and glanced away. To her
relief, Lisa bounded in.

“I’m sorry, y’all. We got held up at school.
I’ll take over,” Lisa said in a breathless voice.

“Am I glad to see you,” he said with vigor as
he gazed at the young woman.

Lisa blushed. “Really?” She smoothed down the
front of her bright pink scrub shirt.

“They might look cute, but they’ll eat you
alive when they get bored. You got here just in time.” He laughed
and gave her a big-brother pat on the shoulder.

“But you’re so wonderful with children, all
of the patients actually,” Lisa purred. She looked at him with
adoration written all over her pert face.

Andrea groaned inwardly with irritation, at
herself as much as Lisa. The young woman only mirrored what she
must have looked like only seconds before, a foolish woman
simpering over a man. An image of her mother flashed through her
mind. Charlene was a master at the art of flirting. Andrea had made
it a point not to behave like her. Not that Jamal didn’t turn on
his special brand of charm at the drop of a hat. He loved the
attention he generated from women of all ages. Well, she would not
join the Jamal Turner fan club.

“I’d better get back to work.” Andrea turned
to leave.

“Me, too,” he said quickly. He said good-bye
to Lisa and followed her down the hall. “Hey, thanks for staying
with me.”

“No problem.” Andrea did not risk looking at
him again. “We’re a team.”

“Yeah. Listen ...” His voice trailed off.

Curiosity made her glance at him briefly.
“Yes?”

“I... I really like working here. A lot more
than I expected to,” he said, eyes averted to some point past her
shoulder.

Andrea was captivated in spite of her attempt
to be cool and professional. This brawny man who could make thugs
cower seemed to have a shy side, too. There was no macho
seductiveness flavoring his words now. He seemed genuine. Still she
held back. Getting caught up in some guy was not what she wanted or
needed, a little voice reminded her. Andrea looked away.

“Like I said, we’re a team. I’m lucky to have
good people working here. It makes work pleasant,” she said with
forced cheer, and continued toward her office.

“Very pleasant,” Jamal said with
emphasis.

Her heart thumped faster at his tone. “Yes,
well...”

Andrea got to the door to her office and
turned to find him standing only inches away. She gasped at the
heat generated by being so close to him. The broad expanse of his
muscular chest filled her vision until all else seemed to fade. The
whole world tilted in his direction. His body called to her,
enticing her to stroke it with the tips of her fingers. Andrea
looked up into his eyes and breathed in the scent of his
aftershave. Her gaze traveled down his face, back to his chest. It
rose and fell in a hypnotizing slow motion.

“You’re the reason, you know,” Jamal said
softly.

“I am?” Andrea’s head swam when she looked
into his eyes.

“Yeah. You’re the reason this place has a
whole new feel to it.” Jamal gazed at her hair. He tucked a stray
tendril back in place.

“Thanks,” she replied, thrilled more by the
intimate gesture than of the compliment.

The sound of Katy’s voice broke the spell.
Andrea stepped back and leaned against the doorframe.

“Thanks, Mrs. Williams. We’ll see you in two
months. We’re ready for the next one, Troy,” Katy said from an
examining room down the hall.

“Right this way, ma’am,” Troylyn replied.

Andrea tugged at her blouse, feeling as
though she’d been caught necking in the hallway. Indeed, her mind
and body had taken a sharp turn into an erotic zone she’d thought
was dormant. Obviously Jamal Turner had awakened it. She would have
to find a way to work with him and not be affected. Talk about a
challenge, she mused. Months of celibacy had made her vulnerable,
Andrea told herself. It was nothing deeper. She wouldn’t let it be
anything more. Andrea stood straight as Katy, Troylyn, and the
patient walked by. She even risked looking into those eyes again.
What she saw stunned her. Desire lit his dark eyes. Then in a split
second a curtain dropped and he was back to normal. Had she
imagined it?

“As I was saying, I’m really pleased with our
progress. Everyone is working hard,” she said in her prim nurse
voice again. She went into her office.

He exhaled slowly and walked in with her.
“Yeah. Even Denny. I don’t know what kinda scare you put in him,
but the kid is working like a dog.”

“Denny’s a good person deep down. He just
needs a firm hand,” Andrea said.

Jamal nodded. “I notice you’ve given him more
responsibility.”

“He’s earned it. Katy, the pharmacist, and
even a couple of the doctors have told me how much he’s
changed.”

“Is that right? Listen, I could help him out,
too.” Jamal looked at her with his head cocked to one side. “He’s
putting in a lot of hours.”

“That’s nice of you, but that would double
your workload.” Andrea went to her desk.

“I don’t mind. It’s not like I’m giving up an
active social life,” he joked.

Andrea glanced at him sideways and cleared
her throat. “I find that hard to believe. You’ve got women
fluttering around you like bees to honey,” she said, hoping her
tone sounded casual.

“There’s no one special, at the moment,” he
replied.

The last phrase sent a now familiar tingle
down her spine. Andrea had to do something to stop it from taking
over again.

“Yes, well, a positive male role model would
be good,” Andrea said.

“Like you said, he’s not a bad kid.” Jamal
grinned. “I’ll start on those records he’s buried under.”

He smiled at her, dimple and all. It was as
though he deliberately let go one last sensuous salvo before
leaving. Andrea shook herself to recover. She dove into a
voluminous single-spaced bureaucratic report to block out thoughts
of his strong hands touching her in all the right places.

***

The husky man the color of burnt cork stared
at Denny through hooded eyes. “What you gonna do?”

They stood in a cluttered, dirty apartment in
Bayou Blue’s only subsidized housing complex. There were four
cinder-block duplexes, painted drab mint green. Three other men
watched with implacable expressions. They were one third of what
passed for the local gang in Bayou Blue. Yet they had ambitions to
go further and do bigger things. Ty’Rance, their leader, had
decided Denny could help them. They had grown up together in Bayou
Blue, both running the same dusty streets and getting into trouble.
Now Ty’Rance was convinced Denny could use his L.A. contacts to
help him.

“Look, Ty, that new lady they put in charge,
uh, she keeps an eye on everything. I dunno ’bout all this.” Denny
licked his lips nervously.

“When you took my money you knew, punk. We
had an understanding.” Ty walked close to him, cutting off any
chance Denny might have to escape. “You knew payback time was
comin’.”

“Yeah, I’m sayin’ ...” Denny’s mouth worked
for a second until he registered the threat that hung heavy in the
air. “The clinic doesn’t keep heavy drugs,” he finished lamely.

“Don’t he to me. My cousin Shonda already
told us they got local anesthetics, sometimes even stuff like
Soma.” He referred to the highly addictive muscle relaxant.

Denny rubbed his mouth with a shaky hand.
“What I meant was they don’t keep much of that stuff around. And
the pharmacist keeps a list.”

“‘And the pharmacist keeps a list,’ ” Bo
mimicked. “Man, this dude takin’ us for fools.”

“Look, you ain’t backin’ out, so get that
outta your head.” Ty’Rance thumped Denny’s chest with a thick
forefinger.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t gonna help y’all.”
Denny raised both arms as though to protect himself from a
blow.