A Time for Us - By Amy Knupp Page 0,2
grant, Rachel hadn’t hesitated. STGH was a reputable small hospital. One where she could begin to make a name for herself in preparation for the day when she could move on to bigger places.
Of course, everything had been different then. Her sister had been very much alive. San Amaro hadn’t been full of haunting memories and choking guilt.
Rachel dragged herself up, supporting her tired body on the porcelain sink. Being home didn’t have to derail her. She wouldn’t let it. There might be moments when reminders of Noelle popped out at her like deadly vipers when she least expected them. Like coming face-to-face with Cale, for instance. But she’d just have to be ready for them. Steel herself and do what she’d always done—focus on her beloved career.
She ran ice-cold water over her hands and splashed it on her face, thankful she hadn’t bothered with makeup when she’d come into work hours ago. She fished out a pack of minty gum from the front pocket of her scrubs, unwrapped a stick and shoved it into her mouth. Her reflection caught her attention—she wore death-warmed-over oh-so well.
Out of habit, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail and held it there, staring at her reflection. Noelle had often worn her hair up in a ponytail and if Rachel squinted, it was her sister she saw gazing back at her now.
Some people might think she was twisted, but she looked for her sister in the mirror frequently. Somehow it comforted her. Made her feel as if she weren’t so alone. After several seconds, she dropped her hair, cringing at the dark circles under her eyes. Compared to the nurses who she’d guess were about the same age as her, her eyes looked old.
With a deep breath, she smoothed her scrub shirt and walked out of the restroom, trying to look unruffled. In control. Like she could handle whatever came her way. Medically speaking, she could.
As she turned the corner into the hallway that gave her a view of the nurse’s station, she hesitated. Sank heavily against the wall. There he was again—Cale.
He leaned his tall frame over the high counter, filling out some of the endless paperwork that was such a tedious part of both of their jobs. His light brown hair had been lightened further by the summer sun until it was almost blond in spots, and he wore it slightly shaggy and decidedly tousled. His face was rounded, with wide cheekbones and a strong chin. Cale was unquestionably attractive, but it was the caring nature so inherent in his intense green eyes that had sucked in Rachel from the moment she’d met him. She distinctly remembered catching her breath that night more than three years ago at the party Noelle had dragged her to. Rachel didn’t believe in love at first sight, but her reaction to him was a testament to instant attraction. And then he’d smiled. When Cale smiled, he went from good-looking guy to hel-lo.
As she watched him from afar, his killer smile appeared as he gave his attention to someone out of her line of sight. Rachel took a half step forward to satisfy her curiosity.
Gena Mathers. Of course. The cutest, friendliest person in the entire hospital. The E.R. nurse everyone seemed to like—Rachel included. Gena had welcomed Rachel her first day on the job, while the other nurses had kept her at a distance.
Gena laughed at something Cale said. Rachel wasn’t close enough to hear their words over the constant bustle, but she suspected they were flirting. Gena moved from the far counter to the spot where Rachel had stood earlier, near Cale. He’d apparently finished his reports and was preparing to leave. Before he walked away, back to the ambulance, he touched her upper arm and smiled as he spoke again.
A familiar emptiness gnawed at Rachel and she tried to ignore it. But she couldn’t deny it—it bothered her that Cale was talking to, maybe even flirting with, Gena.
Was it that he was getting over her sister, moving on with his life? Or was it because he wasn’t flirting with Rachel?
She forced the thought out of her mind. It was totally wrong. Her feelings for Cale were wrong, both in the past and now.
CHAPTER TWO
CALE WAS STARTING to feel like a stalker by the time Rachel walked out of the hospital the next morning. He’d been sitting there in the early morning sunshine for over an hour, staring at the exit that most of the