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A smart man would accept her refusal. But Seth already knew he wasn’t remotely intelligent when it came to that woman. Nope. He was already making plans to regroup and try again, because giving up on Heavenly Young simply wasn’t an option.
CHAPTER FOUR
The following day was Friday, and all the crazies flooded the ER. It wasn’t even a full moon, but she’d already seen a near-fatal drug overdose, a weekend warrior who’d done stupid things with a nail gun, two car accidents, an expectant mom in labor, and a party girl who’d been mugged while walking home from a rave. It was barely noon, and Heavenly was already exhausted.
As she passed the nurses’ station, Jennifer stopped her. “Hey, you’ve got a visitor in the lobby.”
Who? Her father couldn’t make his way here without help. She didn’t know her neighbors and hadn’t made any friends, except maybe Dr. Beckman. But if he wanted to see her, he’d simply come to the unit.
“You’re sure?”
“He asked for you by name.”
Bemused, Heavenly headed to the lobby. Maybe a former patient had come. It was possible, but she really hoped—
Yes, there he was. Seth. She couldn’t stop thinking about the man. He blinded her with his handsomeness, tongue-tied her with his charm, and overheated her with his smoldering stare.
“Hi.” She tried to be professional, smile like a normal person. After all, he was just a man, and she’d known those all her life.
But none affected her the way Seth did. Well, except Dr. Beckman, but he merely helped her when she didn’t understand something medical. Seth seemed determined to flirt.
“Hey, angel.”
That grin of his was powered by megawatts of charisma. His low voice rumbled the growled endearment, exciting all her distinctly female parts. She resisted the urge to sigh at him like a girl over her favorite teen idol.
“Hi.”
You already said that, dummy.
He grinned even wider. Gosh, he must be used to females bumbling and throwing themselves at him. What woman wouldn’t turn into a puddle at the sight of him? Piercing green eyes, chiseled jaw, hard, wide shoulders… A dreamy sigh escaped her lips.
Get it together, girl. “Are you hoping to see Raine before they discharge her?”
“Actually, I came to bring you something.” He turned and lifted a cellophane-wrapped basket from the chair beside him. “You said you were busy studying, so I thought I’d help in whatever small way I can.”
He’d brought her a gift? Yes, and it wasn’t small at all.
Heavenly took it, spotting so many thrilling goodies through the clear wrap she almost squealed. “This is for me?”
“Of course. You’ve helped Raine so much, I wanted to spoil you.”
“I, um… Wow.” She sank into the nearest chair. Tears stung her eyes. Blinking wasn’t making them go away. He’d done something thoughtful, and she was blubbering? “Thank you. You didn’t have to get me anything.”
He sat beside her. “I wanted to. Open it.”
Excitement bubbled up. What a thrill!
Heavenly plucked at the bow and tore away the cellophane. Chocolates spilled into her hands and made her mouth water. A few cans of Red Bull and some Emergen-C lined the front rim. Behind that, she saw ibuprofen, lip balm, and hand sanitizer. Oh, pens, pencils, and notebooks to make studying easier, which she needed and could never afford.
After she pulled those out, she found flavored coffee—an indulgence she never had funds for—and a coffee mug that read: THE MOTTO OF EVERY NURSING STUDENT—SORRY. CAN’T. GOTTA STUDY. She laughed, even as more tears gathered. Rolled up inside was a white T-shirt with a big red heart bisected by an EKG line. Above, it read: CUTE ENOUGH TO STOP YOUR HEART. Under the drawing were the words: SKILLED ENOUGH TO RESTART IT.
Heavenly gave Seth a sniffling smile as she met his gaze, then dug deeper. Wine! She squealed. She’d always wanted to try it, and he had seemingly read her mind.
Buried at the back was a purple clipboard with a built-in calculator she’d eyed for months.
“Oh, my goodness. Thank you! It’s…everything. No one has given me a gift since high school graduation. But this is…”
When she blinked Seth’s way, shock and horror crossed his face. The expression punched her in the chest. She knew that look. She’d seen it on others in Wisconsin after she and her dad had been forced to sell their farm and move to a cramped apartment.
Pity.
The gift that had made her feel so special now made her feel like a charity case.
Heavenly jerked her stare to the floor, her face burning with humiliation. She’d hoped that maybe he like-liked her. But no. He felt sorry for her. Gosh, that hurt.
She gathered the contents of the basket and pasted on the brightest smile she could manage. “This was very thoughtful. I appreciate it.”
When Heavenly stood to escape, he gently pulled her closer. “Tell me what upset you. I only wanted to make you happy, angel.”
