she’d ever taken seriously. They’d met during their residencies at M. D. Anderson Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. She’d been very leery of him in the beginning, but he’d worked on her until he’d finally convinced her to go out with him. He’d made it a point to tell her she could trust him. Their relationship was off and on for nearly a year. It had been as rocky as any rugged mountain terrain. Tristan trying to get Marjorie to trust him in the same way Jordan had gotten her to trust him had reminded her of the worst times of her life.
Tears rolled unchecked down Gabrielle’s cheeks. Jordan had hurt her deeply, nearly making her lose faith in herself and every other man she came into contact with. He’d gotten her to trust him, then he’d done everything possible to make her completely lose faith in him. There’d been a time when she had believed she’d never again trust her heart to a man.
As Gabrielle had matured, she’d claimed a good portion of the blame for what had happened. Her first mistake had been in not following her strong instincts about Jordan in the first place. Natural instincts were everything.
Gabrielle now always listened for that little voice whispering in her ear. It made her think clearly and also helped direct her toward the right path. Because of what had happened with her and Jordan she did her best to steer clear of all hazardous, baggage-ridden men. Love and labor never worked. It wasn’t a good match.
Perhaps I’ll feel differently someday. I’d certainly like to.
The coffeemaker had beeped several minutes ago, but lost in her once painful thoughts of the past, Gabrielle had ignored it. Another glance at the clock reminded her that she had to get a move on. She still had to put on her makeup, comb her hair and dress for her first day on the job.
* * *
Cameron looked up as Gabrielle skidded into the room and tripped on the mat in front of the door. Standing behind the clinic’s nursing station, located on zero level of the ship, he tried to assess what had caused her to nearly fall to the floor. Once he saw she’d kept her footing, he laughed. “Good morning, Dr. Grinage. What’s your rush? You’re hardly late.”
Gabrielle grinned. “I wanted to make it here early, but I got caught up in something. Thank you for breakfast. It was a really thoughtful gesture.”
Cameron breathed a sigh of relief, thrilled that she was okay with his surprise. “It was another way for me to welcome you. I promise not to make a habit of deciding what you eat. You’re all grown up. However, I took pleasure in ordering breakfast for you this morning.”
“It was a nice surprise, Dr. Cameron. I’m assuming official titles are used in the clinic.”
“Just around the patients. All staff members are on a first-name basis. Many of them refer to me as Dr. Q or plain old Q. I won’t be surprised if they start calling you Dr. G. Hmm, it even has a nice ring to it.”
Gabrielle chuckled then looked around. “Are we the only two here?”
“It’s just a matter of minutes before the others file in. There’s only one staffer who has a problem with punctuality.” He laughed. “I’ll let you pinpoint who it is on your own.”
Gabrielle smiled. “I’ll try.” She looked around. “I was given a brief tour of the clinic when I came aboard. I probably should walk around again and check out everything. Is that okay?”
“Fine by me,” he said. “I’ve got the coffeemaker going. If you want a cup, it’ll be ready in a couple of minutes or so.”
“I’ve already had my two-cup limit. The coffee that room service delivered was delicious. It prompted me to brew another cup. I may’ve gotten spoiled.”
“Room service coffee is excellent. Once you finish your tour, I’d like to go over the medical supplies we keep in stock. The nurses reorder all supplies, but there are occasions when doctors have to do it. We’ll also go over the proper handling of various controlled medications.”
“I don’t think it’ll take me long to get the hang of things.” She turned to walk away, only to turn around. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the book she’d promised him. “Here’s the book. No hurry in returning it.”
“Thanks,” he said, watching after her retreating form.
Seemingly of their own volition, his smoky eyes widened, locking onto the swaying of her luscious hips. He could only define it as poetry in motion. The uniform pants were a perfect fit and beautifully outlined her seductive attributes. He found her fine body to be irresistible. Cameron mentally scolded himself on his wayward thinking and quickly returned his attention to his work.
As predicted, all but one of the other employees filed into the clinic at the same time. The habitually late crewmember was not among them. He gave his staff a big smile and a cheerful good morning.
“As some of you know, we’ve been expecting a new physician. Dr. Gabrielle Grinage arrived yesterday and is on duty now. For those who didn’t meet her during orientation, you’ll get the opportunity to do so today. She’s currently touring the facility. Would anyone like to join her?”
Three new female staffers raised their hands. The two veteran employees, Morris Carey and Dean Anderson, didn’t show much enthusiasm one way or the other. Meeting the newly arrived doctor didn’t seem uppermost on their agenda.
Cameron knew exactly where the guys’ heads were when they headed straight back to the break/lunch room, where the aroma of fresh coffee had summoned them. “Ladies, I plan to speak with each of you in an informal meeting.” It was his normal procedure to speak to new crewmembers individually. “I’ll take a half an hour or so with each of you. But for now, I’ll take you back to meet Dr. Grinage. Did you get a chance to do any exploring on the ship last evening?”
Nurse Candi Simmons smiled broadly. “I can’t believe the size of this ship. I know I haven’t seen the half of it, but I’m eager to explore the entire thing.”
“Good for you,” Cameron remarked. “How about you, Carolyn?”
Carolyn Jackson clapped her hands enthusiastically. “Candi, Joanie and I hung out together last night. We plan to see everything during our free time.”
Joanie Caldwell shook her head in disbelief. “I was so overwhelmed by the experience. I know we’re here to work, but I’m also looking forward to playtime.”
“Ah, playtime,” Cameron remarked. “You’ll get enough hours off for that.”
* * *
Gabrielle took a thorough inventory of two of three good-size treatment rooms. She mentally charted the lay of each one and wrote lots of notes on a pad she’d picked up off her desk. Locked metal cabinets appeared to be chock-full of supplies. Large pieces of sterilized medical equipment had been stored away for easy access. Everything appeared pristine. There was a sterile scent in the treatment cubicles and lab areas, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
She turned around when she heard a noise behind her. Seeing Cameron and three relatively young women, she smiled. “Are these lovely ladies a part of your staff?”
“Our staff,” Cameron corrected. “They arrived the same day as you.” He then introduced her to the three nurses scheduled for duty five days out of the seven.
“Once all employees are
