The Best Laid Plans by Amy Vastine Read Free Book Online Page A

balm.
    “Maybe you should take a look,” he relented, opting to take advantage of every second he could get with her.
    “Come sit over here.” She led him into a small care room where she shone a light in his mouth. Her proximity made him feel a little light-headed. At least he hoped it was her and not the punch to the face. She smelled clean, like soap and baby powder.
    “I don’t think you need stitches, but I can grab a doctor if you want me to,” she offered.
    “No, I’m good.”
    She gave him a cup of water to clean out his mouth. Charlie couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. She had a little mole on her collarbone and the thickest eyelashes he’d ever seen. Her eyes were brown but edged in green. They were so unusual and completely mesmerizing.
    “Do you want something for the pain?”
    “Nah. Thanks for taking care of me, though,” he said. “I’m not used to being the patient.”
    “I’m terrible about it, too. I think people in health care make the worst patients. But you’ve been pretty good. I’d treat you again.”
    She picked up his ice pack and pressed it carefully against his jaw. He flinched from the coldness.
    “Does that hurt?” Emma pulled the pack away. The worry in those gorgeous eyes warmed Charlie’s cheeks right up. “I’m sorry.”
    “It’s fine, just cold.” Charlie reached over and pressed her hand and the ice pack back against his face. She was so close that it made his heart beat faster. Thank goodness he wasn’t hooked up to any machines that would’ve given him away.
    Serena stepped into the room. “We got another call. Is he going to live?”
    Emma smiled as she slipped her hand out from underneath his. “He’s going to be fine.”
    Charlie wondered if he would be fine. Emma had a date to the wedding. This date could be a boyfriend. And even though he’d never met the guy, Charlie hated his guts. It was completely irrational for so many reasons. One being that he barely knew Emma. This crush was bigger than any he’d ever experienced, and if he didn’t have a chance with her, it had the potential to crush
him
.
    “He might need to come up with a better story than getting punched by a kid to explain that bruise, though. Something tells me the guys at the firehouse are not going to be very sympathetic,” Emma said.
    Truer words had never been spoken. It was bad enough that he had to fight for respect in the firehouse because he had chosen to be a paramedic and not a firefighter; the latter were always seen as being the “braver” of the two professions. Charlie was going to take a verbal beating over this incident. That kid couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred and twenty-five pounds soaking wet. He’d be hearing about this for months. At least until Jones did something stupid. Now that he thought about it, maybe he’d be off the hook sooner than later.
    “Maybe I staged the whole thing just to be taken care of by the lovely Nightingale.”
    Emma’s face turned red and she laughed in an attempt to mask the embarrassment. “Good one.”
    “See you around.” Charlie hopped off the bed and followed Serena down the hall and out of the ER.
    “Your Nurse Nightingale is nothing like Mean Teacher. I think this one has got potential,” Serena said as they got to the ambulance.
    Charlie was happy to get her approval but couldn’t resist giving her a hard time. “You better watch out, Serqueena. Nicknaming people is my thing.”
    Serena gave him a look that could kill. “Call me that again and you’re going to have to explain to the guys back at the house how you got beat up by a kid and a woman all in the same day.”
    Charlie could only smile. Just like the firefighters, he and Serena were family. She would most definitely give him her right hook if he kept it up, and he wouldn’t hesitate to give his life for hers.

CHAPTER FIVE
    T ODAY WAS THE DAY . Dr. Spencer was starting in the Saint Joseph’s ER this morning. All Emma had to do was make a