her head as she looked down at Megan’s clothes. “The scrubs are a dead giveaway. You’re working.”
“I was. The patient is impossible.” She smiled ruefully at her taller friend. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to see someone impossible, too.” Something flickered in her eyes and an expression that looked like comprehension crossed the older woman’s face. “Your difficult patient isn’t a man, is he?”
“Yes.”
“His name isn’t Simon Reynolds by any chance?”
“How did you know?” Megan asked, surprised. “Since when did you become psychic?”
“Oh, Megan—” She put a hand to her chest and shook her head. “I can’t believe this.”
“What is it? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Janet glanced to her left and nodded toward a bench, the focal point of the corner and surrounded by landscaping that included flowers and bushes marking the entrance to the condominium complex. “Let’s sit down for a minute. You might not need to, but I definitely do.”
“Okay.” Megan held her elbow.
Together they walked the several steps, then sat side by side on the wooden slats. Megan took a deep, bracing breath. The previous day’s rain had washed the air clean and left behind a brilliant blue sky. In the distance she could hear waves from the Pacific Ocean crash against the shore. The only storm on her horizon had been Simon Reynolds, but he was behind her. Or was he? Megan had the strangest feeling that life as she knew it was about to change. Now who was getting psychic?
She looked at her friend. “What are you doing here, Janet? How do you know Simon?”
“He’s my son-in-law. Ex, technically.” She waited.
Megan felt the impact of those words wash over her in shock waves. “He’s Marcus’s father?” she whispered.
The precious little boy who’d donated his corneas to Bayleigh was Simon’s son?
“Yes.” Janet sighed and clutched her purse in her lap. “I was here a little while ago to check up on him.”
“So you know about his motorcycle accident?” When the other woman nodded, she said, “But in the ER last night he said there was no one to notify. How did you find out?”
“I just knew.” She laughed without humor. “It’s not as twilight zone as it sounds. Marcus and Donna died two years ago yesterday. I had a bad feeling he would hurt himself.”
Megan remembered his haunted look last night when he’d said he knew the date. Oh, God. “Are you saying he deliberately dumped his motorcycle?”
“No. Nothing like that. But since he lost them, he’s been rash, reckless. It’s as if he doesn’t care.”
“I gathered,” Megan said. “His hospital rap sheet is proof of that.”
“He takes chances without regard for his personal safety. I came by to check on him so I guess you could say I had an informed gut feeling.”
“And he told you a nurse was coming,” she said, knowing the woman would have stayed with him otherwise.
Janet shook her head. “I told him off and left after he was abrasive and sarcastic.”
“That sounds like him.”
“But I felt guilty. He tried to hide it, but I know he’s in a lot of pain. I didn’t think he would allow anyone to nurse him. So I came back, armed for battle and prepared to bully him into accepting assistance.” She met Megan’s gaze. “How did you get involved?”
“I was doing a per diem shift in the ER last night when he was brought in.”
“When is that hospital going to realize what a find you are and give you a full-time job where you really want to work?”
“Unlike you, I have no twilight zone moments, so I really can’t say. But thanks for the vote of confidence.” Megan sighed and pulled her sweater more closely around her when the breeze picked up. She thought back to the previous evening, which seemed a lifetime ago. “There’s just something about Simon,” she commented almost to herself.
“He’s definitely serious hunk material,” Janet commented.
“I wasn’t talking about that,” Megan said, but couldn’t suppress a smile.
“So you agree with me.”
“He wouldn’t have to wear a paper bag over his head in public,” she answered cautiously. “But that’s not what I meant. Every emergency is different, but patients’ reactions are similar. They want to know if they’re going to be all right or if the injuries are life-threatening. He did all that, but there was a subtext to his questions. As if he was hoping for the worst. As if he didn’t care whether he lived or died.”
“I don’t think he does. So he’s still being impossible?”
“How did you know that?” Megan was distracted, still shaken by his kiss. He was impossible all right—impossibly attractive and appealing.
“You just told me. Is your shift over?”
Megan shook her head. “I walked out.”
“But you’ve talked to me about dealing with difficult patients. To the best of my knowledge you’ve never given up on anyone. What happened?”
Janet’s approving words troubled Megan. How could she tell the woman he’d kissed her and she’d liked it and that’s why she couldn’t stay?
“Sooner or later I was bound to run into a patient I couldn’t manage. Simon was mine. He specifically asked for me, but—”
Janet reached out and gripped her arm. “He asked for you?”
“Yes. But I was crossed off the schedule because Bayleigh had an eye doctor appointment.”
“How’d it go?” Janet asked, concerned.
“Perfect.” A bubble of happiness expanded inside her then was promptly deflated by a pinprick of guilt. “Thanks to you and Marcus and excellent medical care.”
“I’m so glad. She’s a dear child.” Her lips compressed as she nodded. “Now tell me more about Simon.”
“There’s not much to tell. He signed himself out last night against medical advice, but apparently thought better of it this morning because he called the agency to send over a nurse. Then he sent her packing and said they’d better get me. So here I am. Or was,” she said ruefully. “I finally had to wave the white flag.”
“Why? Does Simon know Bayleigh is the recipient of Marcus’s corneas?”
“No. Until you just told me, I had no idea.”
“Then I don’t understand why you left him. I can’t believe sarcasm sent you running. You’re made of sterner stuff.”
“It wasn’t that.” Megan twisted her fingers together in her lap. “He kissed me,” she blurted out. Janet stared at her, stunned, and she hastened to add, “It’s only because he was trying to get rid of me.”
“Oh, Megan, that’s wonderful.”
“That he got rid of me?”
“Of course not.” Janet clasped her hands together. “My goodness, this is his first hopeful sign since Marcus died. You have to go back in there.”
Megan shook her head. “He deliberately drove me away.”
“He’s recuperating. He needs you. He needs help.”
“I know that and you know that, but I don’t think he got the memo. It might be best for him to suffer a bit and call the agency to send out another