Would she be in a heap at the bottom of the stairwell if he hadn’t come along?
* * *
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Army nurses have fascinated me since M*A*S*H was first on television, so I’m thrilled to introduce Grace Ann Riley. Following in her mother’s footsteps as a nurse with the US Army Nursing Corps, Major Riley knows all about service and sacrifice and she’s learned to handle life on her own terms.
She’s tough and resilient and the type of nurse we all hope for during challenging circumstances: competent, kind and dedicated. She’s also a woman you’d want to call a friend: someone who will be in your corner, ready to crack a joke or leap into action as necessary.
In Derek Sayer she’s found an easygoing friend who gives her space from the demands of military service. But when her life and career come under fire, Grace Ann must decide if she has the courage to open her heart and receive Derek’s help—and love: an offer that could make what she thought was a full life truly complete.
Live the adventure!
Regan
For all of our military heroes who give so much of themselves, at home and abroad, to protect our beliefs, freedoms and way of life.
Contents
Note to Readers
At the nurses’ station of the orthopedic post-op ward, US Army Major Grace Ann Riley peeked at the monitor showing the status of various ongoing procedures in the surgery suites. So far this morning there’d been no update on Kevin Sayer, the patient everyone in her unit was watching for. Coping with a seriously injured friend was proving to be one of the biggest challenges in her career.
It was too soon for updates, even without factoring in the notorious unpredictability of spinal surgeries. Deliberately, professionally, she shifted her focus to the busy day ahead. Brooding wouldn’t be any help to her or the patients under her care. She could indulge that need—and burn off any other stressors—after her shift.
Most days Grace Ann relished the demands of her current rotation here at Walter Reed. Each day posed new hurdles and new successes. She put her heart and mind into every shift, leaving pleasantly exhausted, but rewarded as well. Today couldn’t be different, couldn’t be less, not even with the distraction of a teammate in the operating room. The post-op patients under her care needed her full attention. What she did made a difference, in the lives of her patients and for the families waiting for them to come home whole. Or as whole as possible, in some cases.
Her father always said a good nurse could change a soldier’s world. Of course her father, the highly decorated and equally beloved General Benjamin Riley, had met an army nurse early in his career and been smart enough to marry her. Thinking of her parents eased some of the ache weighing on her heart today and put a little spring in her step. The rubber soles of her shoes squeaked against the flooring as she aimed her stride toward the room at the end of the hallway.
She checked the name on the chart: Trisha Jenkins. Pushing open the door, she smiled and introduced herself. “Good morning. I’m Grace Ann and I’ll be your nurse today.”
The woman lying in the bed gave a weak smile in return, squirming to sit up a bit more. “Trisha,” she rasped. “Your patient.”
“My mother is a Patricia. Occasionally
