Seduced in September (Spring River Valley Book 9) by Clarice Wynter Read Free Book Online

long will that take?” Lily felt like a prisoner at her station. The huge carts, packed with extra blankets, towels, bandages and patient gowns, filled the ER reception area, making it nearly impossible to maneuver. The tropical storm sweeping up from the south was set to collide with the nor’easter coming down from Canada. Unseasonably cold wind and rain was already causing traffic problems and increasing the chaos in the ER. The influx of extra supplies only added to the confusion.
    Carl checked his watch. “I’m waiting for someone to sign off on the deliveries. Then I can move all this.”
    Lily sighed. There was nothing more difficult in a hospital than trying to get someone’s signature on a form. It could take hours to get authorization. “I’ll see if I can find Audrey. I’m sure she can—” A familiar voice distracted her, and she found herself ducking behind the cart she’d just been hoping to move.
    She’d definitely heard Quinn; his laugh was unmistakable.
    Damn. This was exactly what she had been hoping to avoid. Cautiously, she angled her gaze through the mesh backing of the cart until she caught sight of him. Quinn and Tanner were heading toward her desk. She hadn’t seen them arrive, and now it appeared they were making their way back out to the ambulance bay. All she had to do was stay out of sight until they were gone.
    Careful to keep the metallic cart between her and the two EMTs, she heaved the heavy cart aside a few inches and sidled out of the reception station. Watching the corridor, she backed up, step by step until a body blocked her path.
    “Ow!”
    She whirled around and came face to face with Audrey Desmond. Just the person she’d been hoping to find. “I’m so sorry. Did I step on your foot?”
    The pretty brunette nurse nodded. “I’m fine. What’s going on with these carts?”
    “I was just asking the same thing. Carl says they need to be—”
    “Why are you whispering?” Audrey asked, one eyebrow rising.
    “I’m not. I…well, this is a hospital. Quiet is better for the patients, right?”
    Audrey eyed her sidelong and nodded slowly. “Sure.”
    “If you sign off on the supply delivery, I’ll be happy to help Carl take these to the nurses’ lounge.” There, that was the perfect excuse to disappear for a few minutes until Quinn and Tanner were gone.
    “The where ? Oh, no. Who told Carl these were going to the nurses’ lounge? Nada. No way.” Audrey’s voice rose, and she set her sights on the hapless orderly. “Hey, Carl, Lily just told me—”
    “Oh, no-no-no, don’t get me involved.” Lily cringed at the sound of her name. Not that Quinn knew it anyway, but she didn’t want his attention drawn to her as he passed her station. She mentally kicked herself for not thinking Audrey would freak out about extra supplies being stored in the already too small nurses’ lounge. Mortified, she ducked behind the cart while Audrey confronted Carl.
    “Whose idea was it to put this stuff in our lounge?”
    Carl sputtered and his eyes darted from side to side as though he was looking for an easy way to escape from the wrath of the nurse they all called Iron Audrey. “Um…Dr. Cranford said—”
    “Oh, he did? Well, I need to have a word with Dr. Cranford. Lily, can we—”
    Lily had been slowly backing up, keeping the cart in front of her, one eye on Quinn until she lost sight of him around the bend in the corridor. She sagged in relief at his timely disappearance, and then someone tapped her on the shoulder.
    Turning around, she nearly collided with Tanner.
     
    * * * *
     
    “So then the guy with the duck says…” Quinn stopped talking mid-sentence. In the middle of telling Tanner a joke on their way out of the ER, he hadn’t noticed his partner disappear.
    S hrugging in confusion, he made a u-turn and noticed there was currently some dustup taking place at the reception desk. He recognized Iron Audrey Desmond, who seemed to be interrogating one of the