Page 5 of Condor’s Vow

Chapter 2

Hattie could hold her own with hot men. Having two older brothers and working in an emergency department, she came into contact with more than her fair share of alpha males. The two men she was talking to were nice, not pushy but friendly and funny.

Hawk was tall with beach blond hair, ocean blue eyes, and a sexy smirk. He seemed a bit of a joker but had a seriousness underneath it all that made her think he played a part a lot of the time. He was a Texas Ranger, and she’d bet her house that he had more than his share of women chasing him with his Ma’am this and Ma’am that.

Sandstorm was the polar opposite with short dark hair, a short beard, and brown eyes. He was tall and muscular but not as built as Hawk was. He was also quieter but no less engaging; he just listened and asked relevant questions. He was a fed, and they were all working on some new task force they seemed excited about.

Hattie was just grateful to have a day off work. The ED had been crazy busy this week, and she was exhausted, but when Mack and Mickie had asked her to come to a party, she couldn’t refuse. The two women were her friends, and she knew from experience that when they got the bit between their teeth there was no stopping them.

Hattie noticed another man come in but couldn’t see him over the two giants in front of her—they weren’t really giants but at five feet four she thought everyone was huge.

“So, you both work with Dax and Cruz?”

Hawk nodded. “I work with Dax but haven’t worked with Cruz before now.”

“I’ve worked with Cruz but not Dax. Our SAC knows them both pretty well, though.”

“SAC?”

Sandstorm chuckled. “Sorry, Special Agent in Charge.”

“Ah, I see.”

Hawk and Sandstorm turned as a third man joined them, and Hattie felt her heart try and jump through her chest. Her belly fluttered with excitement at seeing him again.

“Nurse Pollard.”

Hattie swallowed back the galloping horses of her hormones at his crooked smile and the light in his deep brown eyes. “Clay. It’s nice to see you again.”

“You two know each other?” Sandstorm asked.

“Yes, we met a few months back when I had a case that involved a kid that got shot.”

“How is Sammy doing?” Hattie was impressed with how calm she sounded.

She and Clay had spent a bit of time together after Sammy Roach had been transferred to the pediatric unit. The kid had barely scraped through with his life, but Clay had been there every day until the boy’s family had arrived and even after that, he’d visited regularly until they’d released Sammy from the hospital.

A man who would do that for a child he didn’t know was worth getting to know in her book. She’d thought there had been a connection, that he’d ask her out, but he never had. It had been disappointing, but she’d lived.

“Great. He lives on a farm with his grandparents in Wales and is doing well.”

“That’s great news. He was a tough kid to get through what he did.”

“Yes, he was.”

Hattie barely heard Hawk and Sandstorm excuse themselves, so entranced was she with Clay East. He was probably six feet two inches, with thick, sandy brown hair that was short at the back and longer on top, with brown eyes and long lashes. He was broad across the chest, and she’d bet muscular if his arms were anything to go by.

“So, you’re the boss man now, I hear.”

He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned, and it did strange things to her body, made her heart beat faster just like it had the first time she’d met him.

“I am, but it’s new. Hopefully I won’t fall on my face with the first case.”

“What is the task force for?” Clay’s face went serious, and she wondered if she wasn’t supposed to ask that question. “Sorry, I’m nosey. It’s a fault.”

Clay reached out and touched her arm to reassure her, and she felt it all the way to her womb. “It’s okay. It’s a serial killer task force.”

“Oh wow, so nothing important then.”