Heaven help him, but after regaining his wits and seeing the wariness in her eyes, as if she expected him to act as boorishly as he had before, he wanted to redeem himself.
“I wish I could say the same,” he remarked. “The only crazy thing I can claim is being stuck in this hospital bed for no good reason.”
“How’s the head?”
He didn’t want to discuss his aches and pains. “Getting better as we speak,” he prevaricated. “Did you have any trouble finding my stuff?”
“No, but I had a slight problem with your toothbrush and had to buy another. It’s the same brand as the one you had, just a different color.”
He raised an eyebrow, unable to imagine anyone having a problem with a toothbrush. It wasn’t a normally breakable item. “What happened?”
She avoided his gaze. “Long, boring story. Not worth mentioning.”
“Dropped it in the toilet bowl, then had second thoughts?”
“If I had, trust me when I say I wouldn’t have bothered to replace it,” she said tartly.
He grinned. Every now and then he caught a glimpse of her simmering temper, which meant she was probably keeping her full fury in check because of the bump she’d given him. There weren’t any thrills in kicking a man when he was already down, so he was more than content to play the injured soul until she’d vented a portion of her pent-up anger.
“So what happened?”
“What’s with the third degree?” she asked, clearly exasperated. “It wasn’t a priceless Ming vase, Adrian. It was a cheap toothbrush that you would have replaced in a few months anyway. You should be grateful I went out of my way to buy you a new one. I didn’t have to, you know.”
“I’m grateful. Really. It’s just that I never knew you to be accident-prone.”
Her face colored. “Yeah, well, life happens. Today just hasn’t been my day. In more ways than one,” she finished darkly.
He glanced around. “So where’s my food?”
“I didn’t order it in time to pick up before I came. They should deliver it before long.”
“Good. I’m starved.”
A baby giggled in the background, sounding as if it was right outside his room. “I didn’t realize you admitted babies to this wing,” he mentioned.
“Oh, we don’t,” she said lightly. “Peds is to the left of the elevators. You know how sound carries.”
The baby cackled again. “This place has terrible acoustics if people can hear the kids throughout the entire floor,” he said.
“He did seem close by,” she admitted. “One of the nurses is probably walking around, trying to entertain a fussy one.”
Her story didn’t quite ring true. A nurse might be strolling a colicky baby around the hallways, but she wouldn’t expose an already sick infant to the germs on an adult ward. She would have remained on the pediatrics wing. Neither did it explain Sabrina’s hurried glances toward the doorway, but at this moment, he had more important issues to tackle.
The infant’s laugh suddenly became more of a shrill, happy scream. Adrian winced as the pitch caused his head to throb. “If that child is fussy, I’d hate to hear him when he’s happy. In fact, he doesn’t sound like a sick kid at all. Do they allow visitors to bring babies on to the floor?”
“Sometimes. Under extenuating circumstances.” She rushed to close the door. “There. The noise shouldn’t bother you now.”
“I didn’t say it bothered me,” he protested.
“Whether it does or not, you need peace and quiet,” she insisted. “And you really need to reconsider your decision to work tomorrow.”
“I won’t.”
She muttered something about mule-headed doctors, then sighed. “I didn’t think you would, even though we both know it’s for your own good.”
“I’m fine now and I’ll be even better in the morning.” He changed the subject, tired of having his health the sole topic of conversation. “I hear you’re scheduled to work Emergency for the next month.”
“Unfortunately, I am.” She sounded resigned.
“Unfortunately?” He studied her closely. “Don’t you like covering that department or are you afraid to work with me?”
“Afraid?” She sputtered, and bristled like a porcupine, which suggested he’d nailed the reason for her concern accurately. “I may not want to work with you, but I’m not afraid to. I’m a good nurse. A careful, meticulous, nurse. Just ask anyone. If you’re not convinced, feel free to ask the director of nursing to reassign me while you’re here,” she finished caustically. “It wouldn’t be the first time you pushed me out of your life.”
He started to shake his head, then stopped as his skull protested. “Ask to reassign you? Not a chance.”
“Oh, I get it. You’re just planning to question my nursing skills and nitpick everything I do to death so that I’ll ask for a transfer.”
“I won’t.”
She eyed him dubiously and he continued, “Working together will be good for us.”
Her jaw dropped. “You clearly need another CT scan. Your brain is obviously bruised.”
Adrian laughed at her response. “I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
The apparently happy baby now yelled its rage so loudly Adrian heard him through the closed door.
“I have to go,” she said instantly.
She couldn’t leave yet! He hated the idea of spending the rest of the evening with only the television, his thoughts, and the eager-beaver nurses for company. More importantly, they hadn’t had time to talk about his idea of starting over with a clean slate.
“What’s the rush?” he asked. “It’s still early. You can share my pizza.”
“It’s later than you think,” she mumbled before she lifted her chin in defiance, “and I’m not hungry. Besides, I have things to do and…and someone’s waiting for me.”
The news caught him by surprise, although it shouldn’t have. Bree, as he’d called her, always had a lot of girlfriends coming and going and he said so.
She bit her lip. “It’s not a friend. He’s my…guy.”
He’d been celibate since their break-up and the idea of Sabrina having a relationship burned like a hot poker in his gut. After giving her the freedom to date someone else, his response was completely illogical. “Someone special?”
“Someone I love very much.”
His spirits deflated like a punctured inner tube. It was depressing to think she’d moved on with her life so easily when he’d struggled. For now, he simply summoned a smile to hide his resentment and disappointment. “Be sure to introduce us.”
“Yeah. Probably. Some day. I have to go.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“Right. Tomorrow.”
Adrian watched her scurry from the room like a mouse escaping a cat before it could pounce. Sabrina had never been secretive before and if she’d been a typical woman scorned, she would have rubbed his face in the fact that she had a new man in her life. Yet she hadn’t. She hadn’t bragged or said anything about him—hadn’t even mentioned his name—which seemed odd. In