NYC Angels: Tempting Nurse Scarlet by Wendy S. Marcus Read Free Book Online Page B

baby?
    “That’s why kids shouldn’t drink alcohol,” Jessie said, taking the pressure off of him by filling the silence. “Because it makes them do stupid things they don’t remember doing. I’m never drinking alcohol even after I turn twenty-one.” She took her soda from the waiter and pulled the paper tip off of the straw.
    “Good girl,” he said, knowing a thirteen-year-old’s declaration of long-term sobriety could be recanted without his knowledge at any time as she moved toward adulthood.
    Jessie took a sip of soda then said, “Scarlet’s baby is the reason the two of us met.”
    Very interesting.
    Scarlet stared at her water glass, sliding her fingers through the droplets of condensation on the outside. If he wasn’t mistaken, a hint of a blush stained her cheeks.
    “Jessie, I don’t think Scarlet is comfortable with you telling me all this.” Even though he wanted to hear more.
    “No,” Scarlet looked at Jessie. “It’s okay. Go on.” She glanced at him. “Might as well get it all out.” She turned back to Jessie. “It’s not good to keep things from your dad.”
    Later, he’d thank her for that.
    “The nurses told Scarlet her baby had died.”
    Scarlet jumped in to add, “Which is why I decided when I grew up I’d become a nurse who specializes in caring for premature infants.”
    And from what Lewis had heard and witnessed first-hand, she did a phenomenal job of it.
    “But since her father was totally evil and wouldn’t let her see her baby and refused to tell her where he’d had the baby buried, she started to wonder what if the baby had really survived?”
    If the topic of conversation had been fiction rather than fact, Lewis would have smiled at Jessie’s story-telling, wide-eyed and full of intrigue.
    “I know it sounds ridiculous.” Scarlet picked up the story. “But what if my dad had my baby transferred to another hospital and arranged for her to be adopted? Which, if you knew my dad, you’d know was something he was fully capable of pulling off, considering he also managed to make all documentation from my hospital stay, including any record of the birth, death,or transfer of my daughter, mysteriously disappear. And he did it without any remorse at all to save himself the embarrassment of having an unwed teenage mother for a daughter.” Anger seeped into her voice and Lewis felt her stiffen beside him.
    How horrible to have endured so much trauma at such a young age. He moved his knee to touch hers in a show of support that seemed to relax her.
    “Anyway,” Scarlet went on. “If my daughter is in fact alive, she’d be about Jessie’s age. And when we met I told Jessie I’d hope if someone saw
my
daughter looking as sad and lonely as she did, they’d take the time to talk to her, and try to cheer her up, and see if there was anything they could do to help her.”
    “Which is what Scarlet did for me,” Jessie said.
    “And I am so glad she did,” Lewis said, turning to Scarlet. “I’m sorry about your daughter, but words cannot express how thankful I am for the kindness you’ve shown to mine.” Scarlet Miller had a true compassionate soul beneath her tough, joking exterior.
    “No biggie.” She shrugged off his heartfelt thanks, seeming uncomfortable with the attention. “What do you think happened to our waiter?” She looked down at her menu. “I’m starving.”
    He allowed the change of topic, but someday soon, when Jessie wasn’t around, they’d talk more about his appreciation for all she’d done for Jessie and for him. And he kind of looked forward to getting her alone. Scarlet Miller was fast becoming a woman he wanted to get to know much better.
    In Macy’s Scarlet said, “If you’ll excuse me and Jessie, I have some shopping to do up in the lingerie department.” She shooed him away. “Go shop forman things. We’ll meet you by women’s shoes in half an hour.”
    If there were any way he could have done it without Jessie seeing, and