Fated Love Read Online Free Page A

used to feeling just a little bit behind all the time.
    "How did it go today?" Honor found herself feeling slightly sorry for the young surgeon. She'd kept an eye on Quinn throughout the day and noticed that she had worked steadily, barely even stopping to eat. She didn't slack off, and to her credit, she'd also seen her fair share of routine medical complaints. She might be a surgeon, but she wasn't flaunting it or expecting special treatment.
    "Fine, I guess. I only had to holler for help a couple of times." Quinn smiled wryly, remembering a time when
she
had been the one making all the calls. The one in charge. "I haven't felt quite so ineffectual in a long time."
    Honor couldn't help but hear the frustration and, surprisingly, the hint of sadness in Quinn's voice. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask the surgeon why she had chosen to take this job, but it was none of her business. It
would
have been within her province to ask for an explanation, had she had the opportunity to interview Quinn before she'd been hired. But not now. Now it was done. "You're allowed a lunch hour, you know."
    "I'm not used to a formal schedule. I'd rather just work."
At least then maybe I'll feel useful. Like maybe the last ten years haven't been for nothing.
    "Your call. See you tomorrow."
    "Right. Tomorrow."
    Quinn gave the child's mother the prescription for antibiotics along with instructions to follow up with her pediatrician in two days. After filling out the paperwork, she dropped the chart into the Completed bin and headed back to the locker room. She packed up her gear, stowed the bloodied jeans in her backpack, and headed out.
    She ran into Honor and Linda as the two women were leaving together.
    "Need a ride somewhere?" Linda asked as the three of them converged on the outer doors.
    Quinn couldn't help but notice that Honor looked slightly perturbed by her friend's offer. She shook her head. "No, thanks. I've got my bike."
    "Ooh." Linda made an excited sound. "You've got a motorcycle?"
    Laughing, Quinn replied, "No. A Fuji road bike."
    "A bicycle?" Honor questioned, surprised once again. Thus far, Quinn Maguire had managed to dispel almost every preconception she'd had about her. She'd even been forced to make allowances for her arrogance.
    "I'm only a couple of miles from here on Morris," Quinn supplied.
    "Hey! We're all practically neighbors." Linda beamed. "Honor and I are a couple of houses apart right around the corner from you on Schoolhouse Lane."
    "That's...nice. Well," Quinn put her hands in her pockets, aware that Honor Blake was slowly edging away toward the adjoining parking lot. "Good night, then,"
    Quinn watched the two women walk quickly away and then turned in the opposite direction toward the bike rack. Clearly she hadn't been wrong in her impression that morning that the chief of emergency services was less than thrilled to have her. Ordinarily, she didn't care what anyone thought of her—except for her previous chief, Saxon Sinclair. But she had cared about what Sinclair thought because she had wanted to be like Sinclair.
Every
trauma fellow to pass through St. Michael's wanted to be like Sinclair. She was a surgeon's surgeon —the best hands, the quickest mind, the ultimate in cool command.
    The reasons that Quinn wanted Honor Blake to think well of her were a little more complicated than simply desiring professional respect. Sure, she wouldn't mind if the chief of emergency services was impressed with her skills or thought well of her clinical acumen. But Honor wasn't just her chief, she was also an attractive and intriguing woman. During moments when Honor hadn't been aware of her scrutiny, Quinn had noticed how Honor's eyes softened when she smiled and the way her lips curved upward when she laughed. Those events seemed rare, but worth the wait. She wouldn't mind being the one to make Honor smile that way.
    Yeah, right. Remember your own number one rule. Never ever get involved with a married woman.
    Quinn