“There’s a group called Care Ride that helps patients with transportation to and from appointments. They either send a car or see that the family has a subway pass for X number of times. I’ve already signed up Miguel’s family and they have been approved.”
“Excellent.” Ryan smiled at her. “Then I think we’ll send the young man home the better for his visit to Angel’s.”
The group standing around him chuckled and he winked at her.
Lucy’s heart leaped and did a somersault. He’d included her. A warm feeling washed over her. She was starting to belong somewhere, even if it was just at her job. She was a part of Ryan’s team.
Twenty minutes later, with purse in hand, she was on her way to meet Nancy in the lobby. Her co-worker needed to deliver some paperwork to a different department so they had decided to meet downstairs. Lucy circled by the nurses’ station on her way out. Ryan sat behind the desk.
He rolled the chair back when he saw her and smiled. “Hi.”
She tingled all over at the sight of him. It happened so often around Ryan she’d begun to think of it as her body’s normal reaction. She’d given up fighting it and settled for not letting it be on display.
“It’s more like bye. See you next week.” She kept walking.
He stood and met her at the end of the long nurses’ desk. “Hey.” He scanned the area as if looking to see if anyone was paying attention to them. His blue gaze met hers. “How about we have some Volpentesta’s pizza together tonight?”
She wasn’t sure she could handle being alone with him again after last night. He was well aware of her loneliness and vulnerabilities. Would he take advantage of that? Could she trust him? She certainly couldn’t rely on herself to stop him if he kissed her. Wanting to belong so badly, would she recognize it if Ryan didn’t feel the same? Could she survive if he treated her like he had before? She was a basket of nerves.
With a sense of relief she said, “I’ve got plans.”
His look of surprise, then disappointment, made her heart flip. Ryan didn’t get turned down.
“I want someone to be interested in eating with me for me, not for the pizza my landlord makes.”
“That has nothing to do with it. I…I—”
“I’m kidding Ryan. You’re not the only one who can make a joke.”
He looked around again before his gaze came back to bore into hers. This time the crystal blue held a sauna-warm intensity. “I thought I proved last night that I like you. You taste better than any pizza I’ve ever had.” His voice had softened.
Heat filled her and she looked away.
“What’re you doing tonight?”
“Hey, Lucy, I thought you were going to meet me in the lobby?” Nancy said as she approached them.
“I was on my way. Sorry you had to come back up.”
Nancy looked from her to Ryan and grinned. “Ryan, we’re on our way to O’Malley’s for a drink. Want to join us?”
Only with supreme self-control did Lucy suppress a groan. No way would she ever relax with Ryan in the group. It was all she could do not to act like she had a schoolgirl crush around him as it was. She certainly didn’t want anyone else to notice. Nancy was already too suspicious for Lucy’s liking.
“Sure. I’ve got a couple of other things to see about here. I’ll meet you there.” Ryan grinned at Lucy.
“Great. We’ll save you a seat,” Nancy said.
O’Malley’s Pub was loud and busy when Nancy and Lucy arrived. Lucy was grateful for all the noise because it made it more difficult for Nancy to quiz her about Ryan. The questions had been free flowing since she and Nancy had left the hospital and during the short walk to the bar.
Nancy waved at a group in the corner. Lucy followed her as she weaved her way through the mass of people to the table. They settled in and Nancy introduced her to everyone. Some of them Lucy recognized, but others were completely new to her.
“We need to save a seat for Ryan,” Nancy announced.
Those that heard Nancy turned to look at her in surprise. “Dr. O’Doherty? He never comes out with us. What gives?”
As popular as Ryan was with the staff, Lucy was surprised he’d not spent more time socializing with them. As she thought about the man, in he walked. Had she been watching for him? Even across the crowded room he’d managed to zero in on her. He smiled and headed her way.
Ryan had changed from his ever-present scrubs into worn jeans and a light blue sweater. The collar of his button-up shirt showed above the neckline. As he approached, women turned to watch him. Her insides trembled.
“Room for another?” he asked, standing between her and Nancy.
“Sure.” Nancy scooted over and Lucy did also. Ryan squeezed between them on the wooden bench. The tight space meant Ryan’s firm body was sandwiched against hers from hip to thigh. His heat branded her along the length of her leg. She squirmed, trying to put as much room between them as possible.
He looked at her, which brought his face much too close for her comfort, and whispered, “If you continue to wiggle like that, I might think you’re issuing an invitation.”
She sucked in a breath and jerked her head around to look at him.
He grinned.
The waitress circled by them and took their order.
“I’ll get this round,” Ryan said, smiling at Nancy then her, “just for asking me along.” His look said he knew Lucy would have never invited him.
The conversation flowed around the table. She mostly listened. Ryan told a story and everyone laughed. He really was fun. Despite all his story-telling and jokes, he rarely shared anything personal about himself. What little she’d learned he’d been forced to tell her in order not to appear rude. Even his story tonight was about someone else.
Was he hiding something or was he just so closed off he couldn’t share?
At one point, he leaned forward to hear what someone was saying farther down the table and Lucy had a wonderful view of his broad shoulders and back. The muscles across his back rippled beneath his sweater as he reached for a basket of peanuts. His hair brushed against the top of his collar and there was a line around the back of his head where his surgical cap had been tied. It looked like he’d tried to get rid of ‘cap hair’ by running his fingers through it, leaving it with a mussed look that had a boyish appeal.
Lucy folded her hands tightly in her lap, stopping if not completely relieving the desire to touch those irresistible locks.
He leaned back and looked at her. “Is something wrong?”
People were always asking her that when she thought about him. She was going to have to work on not showing her emotions so much. In answer to his question, yeah, she was beginning to feel too much. She didn’t trust herself. Didn’t trust him.
“I’m fine. Just tired, I guess.”
“We’ve both had a long day. Come on, I’ll see you home.”
“That’s not necessary. I’ve learned to manage on my own. I wasn’t late but once this week.”
He leaned closer. “My, that is an improvement. Still, I’d like to see you get home safely.”
She wouldn’t have thought it possible but Ryan moved further into her personal space. Somehow it seemed safer to take her chances on her own.
Glancing away from his compelling look, she found the others at the table watching them. Did they think he was going to kiss her, like she was afraid he would? “Uh, sure.”
He stood, stepping over the heavy bench, and waited for her to do the same.
“I’m going to see Lucy home. She isn’t feeling well.”
There were mummers of concern around the table. Lucy smiled at them weakly.
She couldn’t refute Ryan’s statement because it would make her look silly. Waving a hand, she murmured, “Goodnight.”
The table quickly returned to their discussions. Ryan led the way, taking her hand. He used his big physique as a wedge through the crowd of people and pulled her along behind him. They picked their coats off a p
eg by the door and put them on. Soon they were out on the sidewalk, standing in the cool, windy night air. Ryan let go of her hand and she felt the loss immediately. She hefted her purse strap over her shoulder then stuffed her hands into her pockets in an effort to contain the warmth he’d left behind.
Lucy faced him. “You know that they all think something is going on between us.”
“Isn’t there?” He cocked his head to the side and gave her a slight grin.
“Not that I know of.” She started down the sidewalk. He fell in beside her. “A week ago you treated me like I had the plague. You weren’t even speaking to me. Why would I think anything has changed?”
“Maybe because I kissed you and you kissed me back.”
“You think just one kiss is going to make a difference?”
He stopped and she did too. “I’m shocked that the tender-hearted, make-everyone-feel-better woman is really a skeptic at heart.”
“You can’t turn a cute phrase every time you don’t like the subject matter.”
He grinned. “I’m pretty sure I can.”
“I wished I could stay mad…” she muttered.
“I heard that.”
They fell into silence by mutual agreement as they walked. All the lights in Manhattan had been switched on. Lucy missed being able to see the stars in the sky but there was also something intriguing about living in a techno show. “I’m always amazed at all the lights and sounds here,” she breathed.
“Yeah, it’s pretty fascinating. And noisy. You should see the lights from my place. I think you’d be impressed.”
“You sure that isn’t some come-on line, like ‘Would you like to see my etchings?’”
His deep-throated laugh made her think of hot fudge over a brownie. Sinfully wonderful. He really had a magnificent, heartfelt laugh. She needed more laughter in her life. Ryan being the source both flabbergasted and unnerved her.