better.
This whole trip carried a surreal element he struggled to understand. Some of the nurses at the hospital had thrown him looks that held veiled invitations, but he’d never been tempted to return the flirtation or even ask for a phone number. He valued his hard-won freedom far too much to risk messing things up. And he had no intention of moving back to Anchorage to be with another woman.
But his reaction to Molly made him wonder if he was really as immune to the opposite sex as he liked to think. He started the car and tried to put the thought out of his mind. Unfortunately the very thing he’d decided not to think about ended up being the one subject he couldn’t banish.
Go home. Take a shower. Go to sleep.
If he could do those things, in that order, this whole crazy day would soon be behind him. Before he knew it, Molly McKinna would be out of his life forever. Unless she actually decided to stay on the island, in which case they were bound to run into each other on a regular basis. And there was the fact that he was one of the few medevac pilots who flew these islands. But that didn’t mean he and Molly had to be anything more than casual acquaintances or professional colleagues. She would still be tied to the hospital in Anchorage and would probably return there eventually.
He gave himself a mental thump.
Thick skull, meet harsh reality. You two are about to become really good friends.
* * *
Molly stood in the white-tiled waiting room of the clinic as Blake made the introductions. Sammi Trenton, the community health aide, tossed her thick dark braid over her shoulder. Tall and slender with high cheekbones that spoke of an island heritage, the young woman smiled in welcome. CHAs played a huge role in healthcare in Alaska, especially in the Aleutians, where population density was low and funding dollars were scarce. Learning about the medical problems the island faced on a regular basis would give Molly a head start for when she actually came to work in a few weeks. Besides, she could do with a few friends right about now.
“Glad to have you.” Sammi shook her hand. “We could sure use the help. Hope you plan on sticking around longer than…”
The woman’s eyes cut to Blake, a playful smirk on her face. “Oops. Sorry. Don’t know where that came from.”
“Still kicking me in the shins after all these years, I see.”
Sammi’s brows lifted. “I didn’t have a choice back then. That was the only thing I could reach.” She glanced at Molly. “I was the runt who always got picked on.”
“You were the runt who always did the picking on,” Blake returned, with an easy smile that carved out a deep groove in his cheek.
Molly’s heart rolled over for a second before righting itself.
Okay. No staring. She forced her gaze back to Sammi.
“How was the flight in?” Sammi tilted her head at Blake, her thumb rubbing at a tiny spot on her monkey-stamped smock.
Great. Here it came. The perfect opportunity for Blake to get in a shot at Molly’s expense. She tensed in preparation.
“We hit a stormy patch on the way in, but once we got through it, it was smooth sailing.”
A sardonic brow lifted in her direction made her wonder if he was referring to the actual weather or to the clash of tempers that had gone on between them. As for smooth sailing, that was yet to be seen.
“Well, now that you’re here, let me give you the grand tour. Besides, that’ll give us girls a chance to get to know each other better.”
Blake’s brow furrowed. “Be nice.”
“Moi? I’m always nice.” She motioned for Molly to follow her through the door that led to the back of the clinic, wiggling her fingers at Blake as a goodbye.
Although these two were obviously friends from way back, nothing seemed to suggest there was anything more between them than that. Even if there was, it was none of her business. She had to admit, though, they’d make a gorgeous couple, with Blake’s rugged good looks and Sammi’s dark hair and striking features. And the other woman was tall enough to almost look Blake in the eye, whereas Molly barely reached his chin. Talk about runts.
Sammi took her to one of the exam rooms which, along with the familiar scent of disinfectant, was clean, airy and well appointed. The soft green walls and creamy Formica countertops gave the space a cool, calm atmosphere, a definite plus when working with worried parents or frightened youngsters. “We have three exam areas, but there’s normally only one of us on duty at any given time. Having the Anchorage hospital sponsor you will make our jobs a lot easier.”
“You said, ‘our.’ What’s the staffing like?”
“We have two receptionists, a nurse and a PA, who can also write prescriptions. During medevacs, things get hectic because someone has to accompany the patient.” She gave an innocent blink. “That’s where you come in, right? You’ll be taking over that part of the job, unless we have more than one emergency.”
Molly was tempted to plead ignorance and say she was strictly part of the ground crew, but the hospital had specifically wanted one of their own doing the medical transports. So that line of reasoning wasn’t going to fly. “That’s what they tell me.”
“Blake’s great. You’ll like working with him.”
This was her chance. “You’ve known each other a long time?”
Sammi led her back out into the hallway and pushed open a door to the restroom, so Molly could see it. “We grew up together, so I guess you could say that.” She hesitated. “His ex put him through the wringer a couple of years back. He can be a bit touchy about the subject.”
“Understandable.” Molly was a little raw from her own experience with her ex, Gary, so she’d be happy to swing clear of that particular subject.
The door at the end of the hallway opened to a tiny break room, complete with refrigerator and microwave. There was also a cot along one wall. “You spend the night?”
“Every once in a while, if we’re waiting on a birth or need to transport a patient to the airport to be medevaced. But we all carry cellphones. If there’s an emergency, most folks know how to reach us after hours. Are you okay with going on the phone list?”
“Of course. Anything I can do to help.”
“Now for the all important question: when do you want to start?”
Molly swallowed. If she wanted to back out, now was the time. But Sammi was so nice, seemed eager for her to take some of the load off the other workers. And she really, really didn’t want to go back to Anchorage and face Gary day in and day out or field his constant calls. He refused to believe it was really over, even after six months. As did her mother. Was it really fair to allow them both to keep holding out hope?
No. It wasn’t. “I have to go back to Anchorage to finish packing. I could probably start in two weeks. Oh, and I’ll need to find a place to rent. Do you know of anything?”
“Let me check and give you a call in the morning. Blake says you’ll be over at the hotel? We’ll find you
