Strictly Professional Read Online Free Page B

she’d been accepted to Vanderbilt University to start pre-med and then medical school, the distance got to be too much. He’d stayed in Destiny working his father’s cattle and playing football—or at least that’s what she’d heard.
    “Sit down, Tony. This isn’t going to be easy.”
    “Just say it, Savannah.”
    “Tony—God! How do I say this?” She focused on his rumbled hair where he must have run his fingers through it while he waited and she forced a small smile. He had always done that. “Stacy is dead. She died on impact. I’m not sure of the particulars of the accident. The police will have to tell you. Molly is okay for now, but she probably needs surgery. She was awake, but she crashed and we had to code her.”
    “You’ll have to speak English, Savannah. Not doctor talk.”
    “Her heart stopped.”
    “Oh, God.” He sank into a chair and put his hands on his knees.
    Savannah crouched on the floor and took his hands in hers. “She’s alive, Tony, but she’s on a ventilator. I’m not sure what happened yet. I’m headed back down there to see her.” She fought the awkwardness of the fact that she’d given this man her virginity and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I’m sorry, Tony.”
    Tears rolled down his cheeks and she pulled him closer while he wrapped his hands around her and sobbed.

    * * * *

    Brandon pushed open the door on the conference room and then backed out, softly closing it. He ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. The sight of Savannah comforting the distraught father of her patient bothered him and he wasn’t sure why.
    Hell! I just met her for crying out loud!
    Once he reached the nurses’ station, he glanced at the variety of woman hanging around. There were several pretty females and he knew if he showed any interest, he could hook up with one of them. It didn’t take too much effort on his part if he wanted to get friendly with a girl. He didn’t think he was conceited, but when a woman found out what he did for a living—that he rode rodeo in his spare time and owned his own small ranch—he usually didn’t have to work very hard at getting her into bed. Savannah didn’t seem to be that type of girl.
    “Doctor Cooper?”
    Brandon spun around to find the object of his thoughts behind him with the man she’d been comforting standing to her left. “Yes?”
    “This is Anthony Sanders. He’s Molly’s father and Mrs. Sanders in room three is his wife.”
    “I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Sanders.”
    “Can I see Molly?”
    “Sure. Savannah? I think it would be better if you took him into her room. I’ve called surgery for the consult. They should be here shortly.”
    She cocked her head to the side before he realized he’d let her given name slip from between his lips.
    Damn!
    “Thanks.” She turned to the other man and said, “This way, Tony.”
    Tony?
    She disappeared through the door of the exam room where Molly still lay and he turned back around only to find several sets of eyes looking at him rather strangely. “Don’t you people have patients to take care of?” he grumbled and returned to his chair.
    Brandon spent the rest of night between patients and watching Savannah from a distance. He didn’t trust himself to get too close to her. She’d already wormed her way into his thoughts before he could stop it and he didn’t like it. Not one bit. He had to admire her work ethic, though. He knew she’d spent the day in surgery, but still jumped in and stayed throughout the night. She worked on getting the patients from the accident stabilized, getting Molly off to surgery, and comforting Molly’s father when he had to face the body of his wife.
    The sky turned bright purple, pink, and then orange while the sun struggled to rise over the hillside. Morning had come and he was beat. It had been a long, laborious night and he wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep for about twenty-four hours. He’d already given a