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“Come on, kitty. Let’s go find you something to eat,” her mother said, taking her hand. “Thanks, again.”
“Cute kid. Makes me think of...” Chrissie’s voice trailed off and rather than finish she took another sip of her coffee.
“Of?” he prompted, curious about her family. Did she have nieces and nephews? Cousins? He really knew nothing about her other than that she was a CVICU nurse who worked in Chattanooga. Did she come from a big family? A little family?
But rather than elaborate, she smiled and asked, “Were you able to get any sleep?”
“Some.”
“But not much?”
“More than enough. Do I look that bad this morning?”
She ran her gaze over him and Trace fought the urge to straighten his shoulders and suck in his non-existent gut.
He was wearing what he’d put on after his shower the night before: a clean CCPO T-shirt and a pair of khaki cargo shorts. Although he’d shaved the previous night, he didn’t need to run his hand over his jaw to know he’d find a light growth of stubble there.
“Not that bad,” she finally said, lifting her gaze to his, mischief dancing in the green depths. “But I’ve seen you better.”
The corners of his mouth tugged upward. If she had regrets about what she’d said the night before, she wasn’t showing them. Instead, she was outright flirting with him and he wanted to puff out his chest like a prized rooster.
“Maybe later we can talk about you seeing me better again.”
She smiled a little smile that spoke volumes. “Who needs to talk?”
Oh, Chrissie, he thought as his body responded to her flirty grin and comment.
“Who indeed?”
Talking certainly wasn’t what was on his mind while he took in the petite blonde woman in her mid-thigh-length shorts and CCPO medical staff T-shirt that fit her curves just right.
The rest of the medical crew had joined them in the tent and two of the members were rolling up the sides to the tent so they could see out, while another had flipped on a large commercial-grade fan to circulate air through the tent.
Outside, the event campgrounds were coming to life as volunteers and participants made their way toward the main tents. Everything would officially kick off for the day at seven. Once things got rolling, so would minor injuries.
“Do you want to come with me to grab a bite?” he asked, despite the fact that she’d already been to the food tent.
She shook her head and held out her coffee cup. “I’ve eaten and this will hold me over until later. I’m going to go man my triage station. I’ll see you when you get back.”
“Definitely,” he promised. She’d be seeing him as much as he could arrange this weekend.
Beyond that, who knew? Maybe he’d suggest spending as much time together as possible before he headed back overseas.
* * *
Flirting with Trace was fun. And easier than it should be, Chrissie thought later that afternoon.
Had someone told her just twenty-four hours ago that she’d be catching Trace’s eye and winking at him, she’d have told them they were certifiable. But she and Trace had some serious sparks flying back and forth between them.
Sparks that were bubbly and exciting and made her feel gloriously feminine.
Not just feminine...sexy.
Sexy.
Something she’d not felt in far too long.
Her days and nights were filled with being a good nurse and a great mother. She was content with her life. Better than content. She was happy and felt blessed.
