WINTER SOLSTICE
By MICHELLE GARREN FLYE
LYRICAL PRESS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/
For Chris. You are my inspiration.
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I have to thank my wonderful husband Chris, who read this book for me in its earliest form and made sure I had all the medical facts straight. Thank you, my love.
Second, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Stephanie Szymanski, my editor, who took yet another manuscript and turned it into a novel. And she did it with such grace and good humor, it wasn’t painful at all! Thank you, Stef. I’ll miss working with you.
Third, thanks to my friends and family who read Secrets of the Lotus and encouraged me to do it again, even if the sales figures weren’t what I wanted. Also, thanks to the reviewers who told me I had written a good book, whether anybody else read it or not.
And finally, my kids. Josh, Ben and Jess, thanks for letting Mom sit at the computer and type stories I won’t even read to you. I love you so much and no matter what I write, the three of you are the most precious things I’ve ever had a hand in creating.
Chapter 1
Becky wished she could stay right there in her roommate Ellen’s car, but her new job at the hospital waited. “Why the hell would I be scared? It’s just a job, and not even my dream job or anything. Just a stopgap.”
Ellen shrugged and patted her shoulder. “It’s who you are, kid. You put your heart and soul into things when you do them.”
“Give me a break.” Becky sighed and drew a breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to–”
“Bite my head off?” Ellen’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Don’t sweat it. You’re just sexually frustrated.” Then she grinned. “Kidding.”
“Right.” Becky picked up her purse. “Are you sure you can’t come back for lunch?”
“I wish I could, Becks, you know I do–for you and the handsome docs. If it weren’t for the county commissioners meeting, I’d be happy to.” She gave Becky a little push. “Now go on. Knock their socks off. You look fantastic, by the way. Do you think you can get a ride home? I’d come back as soon as the meeting’s over, but those guys get pretty long-winded when they get the chance, and this is an election year, so I doubt I’ll be done by that time.”
“Yeah, I know.” Becky knew Ellen probably had plans for after the meeting, and if she didn’t actually have plans, she could probably make some. Ellen was like that. People loved being around her, and they didn’t care if she called them on the spur of the moment. “Thanks for the ride. Hopefully my car will be out of the shop tomorrow.”
She got out and waved as Ellen drove away in her little red convertible. For a moment, Becky wondered how she got to be the new public relations guru to a small community hospital in Asheville, North Carolina when at one time she’d imagined herself in Ellen’s shoes–speeding off to cover city politics for a newspaper.
Instead, she stood on the curb outside the hospital on her first day, and she didn’t even have a guaranteed ride home since her car was in the shop. Fucking wonderful.
Not that her new job was a bad one. In fact Becky had fallen in love with the hospital the moment she saw it sitting on top of its mountain like a fortress. With nine hundred and six beds, one hundred doctors on staff and a full range of services from emergency medicine to medical and surgical, Buncombe County Hospital had provided medical care to the residents of Buncombe and several surrounding counties for more than fifty years. During that time it had expanded, taking over much of the surrounding area with wings, outlying buildings and even a separate children’s hospital. More than just a small community hospital, it was a haven for those in need, Becky reminded herself as she walked into her new place of employment with a little more confidence.
She found Adam Greeley, head of marketing for the hospital and her direct supervisor, waiting in her new office. Becky had liked Adam from the moment she’d met him. Within half an hour of her first interview, she’d heard that he was gay. Of course, in almost any work environment a good-looking, single man was likely to be classified as gay, but Becky was pretty sure the rumor was true in Adam’s case. None of the rumors were petty or sounded like gossip. Everybody really seemed to like and respect Adam.
“Good morning, beautiful.” Adam greeted her with a warm handshake and a smile. The friendliness of the welcome helped alleviate some of her anxiety, and when he offered to take her on a tour of the hospital, she accepted, grateful for an opportunity to get to know more about her new place of employment.
Adam’s knowledge, as it turned out, was not limited to work matters. As he introduced her to the who’s who of the hospital, he muttered colorful and informative asides. “Dr. Radin’s wife slept with a male nurse… Everybody knows Dr. Knowles had plastic surgery last year. She came back from ‘Hawaii’ with no tan and huge boobs… Watch out for that nurse. She’s the gossip at the hospital… Dr. Finder’s wife slept with a female intern.”
Throughout Adam’s both official and unofficial introductions, Becky found it difficult to keep a straight face and refrain from looking over her shoulder at his most recent target. By lunchtime she felt more confused than ever as she tried to figure out which department heads she still needed to meet.
“How about lunch?” Adam asked suddenly. “The cafeteria’s not half bad. I’ll buy.”
“Sure.” Her head whirling with too much information, Becky could find no excuse to refuse, especially since she was stuck on the hospital campus without a car.
In the cafeteria, they were joined by Dr. Radin, who sat at their table with an air of familiarity. He and Adam chatted about business, and Dr. Radin asked if they’d made it through the whole hospital yet.
“Still have the emergency room to go.” Adam plucked a wilted lettuce leaf off his chicken salad sandwich. “What do you think our reception will be like down there?”
Dr. Radin shrugged and grimaced. “You know John.”
In spite of the enigmatic answer, Adam nodded, a grim expression on his face.
“I don’t,” Becky said, and both men laughed.
“You will.” Adam’s voice sounded ominous with prophecy. “He’s a publicity nightmare.”
“He’s the head of emergency medicine.” Dr. Radin frowned at Adam. “A very gifted physician.”
Adam rolled his eyes. “He’s caused me more headaches than any other employee of the hospital from the janitors on up.”
“Sorry to hear that, Adam.” Becky had a brief impression of a giant shadow descending on the table, then the air cleared and she realized an enormous man had taken the last empty chair. He had a hard, chiseled face with incredibly blue eyes. His hair was a thick curly auburn that pulled back from his forehead just enough to give him an air of maturity. Becky couldn’t help noticing his muscular build, even under the freshly starched white shirt and khaki pants he wore.
The man’s gaze flicked toward her, then back to Adam. “To be fair, janitors don’t attract nearly as much attention as doctors, though.”
“John.” Adam nodded as if the other man hadn’t just caught him mid-insult. “I hope you’re staying busy and out of trouble.”
“Busy and out of trouble