One Night in New York

by Amy Ruttan

  He laughed. “You’re a strange duck, Mindy Walker.”

  “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

  “As you should.” Sam winked and they boarded the ferry, which would take them on a short ride out on said frigid waters toward Lady Liberty, who faced southeast, greeting all newcomers to the U.S.A. Even though it was cold outside, it was sunny. A brilliant sunny day that reflected off the patina of the statue and her torch, making her seem to glow. Mindy had seen so many pictures of her but hadn’t really paid attention to this famous landmark when she’d arrived in New York just over a month ago. Now close up to her she could see why people loved her. Mindy leaned over the rail, smiling.

  “When you smile like that, you’re really quite stunning,” Sam said.

  “You really shouldn’t flatter me like that.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  “I might let it go to my head and forget myself.” Then she blushed, the heat rushing to her cheeks, even though it was cold. Why was she flirting with him? He was off-limits. Only she couldn’t help herself. It was easy around him.

  Too easy.

  Sam’s eyes twinkled, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he leaned over the railing beside her and though she was kind of hoping he would say something, she was glad that he didn’t. She hadn’t meant to say what she had, but she really had forgotten herself for a moment and who she was with. It was nice.

  It had been so long since she’d been at ease around a man.

  She’d forgotten how good it felt to have that kind of intimacy with someone and she really missed it.

  Sam was surprised by what she’d said.

  “I might let it go to my head and forget myself.”

  He’d momentarily forgotten who he was with, but when she’d said those words his blood had heated with desire. Mindy looked so delectable all bundled up. Her soft purple knitted hat and infinity scarf set off the color of her eyes against her dark, rich red hair and he fought the desire to pull her up against him and kiss her, because at this moment all he could remember was the taste of her lips.

  They had been so sweet.

  All he could think about was her body naked with his. His lips on her ivory throat, his hands in her silky hair.

  Get a grip on yourself, man.

  So he didn’t say anything in response to her, just leaned over the railing and tried to focus on their approach to Liberty Island. He was hoping the cold wind biting at his cheeks would take away the lust singing in his blood.

  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted a woman like this. Other than the first night they’d met, but even then if she hadn’t initiated the kiss, if she hadn’t asked him back to her apartment, he probably would’ve done nothing.

  Vixen that she was, he was absolutely lost to her and he knew he was so weak that if she asked him now to take her in his arms, he would without hesitation.

  She’s off-limits.

  And he had to keep reminding himself of that fact.

  They were friends and nothing more. He wouldn’t walk down the same path his mother had. He wouldn’t sleep or have a relationship with a doctor who was his attending before he was. If she was still available when his fellowship was over, and he was an attending in his own right, then perhaps they could revisit their night of passion.

  But, really, who was he kidding? He still had a couple years of working in the pediatric field before he became an attending. By then she would have moved on. A beautiful, funny, compassionate and talented surgeon like Mindy would have no problem finding someone. If only she would open up.

  There were a few walls she’d carefully constructed around her.

  It’s why he had a feeling she didn’t have many friends and he couldn’t figure out why she was keeping people out of her life. Why she was so closed off.

  Any time they had come close to talking about something personal her walls had gone up. Of course, the same applied to him. His personal life was just that. Personal, and very few people knew his secrets. He preferred it that way. Fewer rumors that way.

  “You hear about Dr. Hanley? The only reason she got that spot was because she slept with her attending, Dr. Langley.”

  “Yes, and it totally destroyed her marriage. I feel bad. She has a son. Poor kid.”

  The problem was the “poor kid” had been him, and he’d heard every word those other surgeons had said about his mother. It still stung to this day and he refused to be lumped in with his mother, even though he seriously doubted Mindy was as much of a jerk as the professor was. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Dr. Chang was at West Manhattan Saints he would never have applied to the surgical program.

  He avoided Langley as much as he could, because he was one of the reasons his parents had split up. Why his mother had a reputation that followed her brilliance. Why people admired her, lauded her, but talked behind her back.

  Sam didn’t want that.

  “Thank goodness!” Mindy exclaimed, breaking through his morose thoughts. “We’re finally going to be on dry land.”

  Sam chuckled. “There, now the sharks can’t get you. Unless I push you off the island.”

  Mindy turned toward him. “You do that and, like at the subway station, I’m going to take you with me. You’re bigger, they’ll eat you first.”

  Sam grinned but didn’t respond as he took her outstretched arm and they headed down to the lower deck to get off the boat and check out the Statue of Liberty.

  He tried to keep his mind off the fact he was with one of the most beautiful women he’d seen for a long time and instead focus on the interesting museum in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

  Okay, the museum was not that interesting and he’d been to it before, but Mindy seemed engrossed in looking over everything.

  “You’re absolutely and utterly bored, aren’t you?” Mindy asked, peering over a display, not looking at him.

  “How can you possibly know that? You’re not paying attention to me at all.”

  She smiled to herself. “I know when someone is bored. You’ve been shifting your weight on the balls of your feet, whistling and just trailing behind me.”

  “Okay, the museum isn’t my cup of tea. I’ve been here before.”

  “I figured as much,” she said. “I do appreciate you bringing me.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “Should we race to the top?” she teased.

  “Are you kidding? It’s like over two hundred stairs to the top.”

  “It’s three hundred and fifty-four, to be precise, but of course you would’ve known that had you read what I just read.” And for good measure she made a superior face.

  “Why, you little…”

  Mindy laughed and raced to the stairwell, taking the stairs quickly while Sam chased her. They didn’t run the whole way, they took breaks and stopped their mad chase when they came across others who were tackling the spiral staircase at a more leisurely pace and probably thought they were out of their gourds, racing around a national monument.

  When they got to the top Sam leaned against the wall to catch his breath for a moment, so he didn’t sound too winded in front of her.

  “You’re such an old man,” Mindy teased.

  “I’m younger than you.”

  “Low blow, old man Napier. Very low blow indeed.”

  Sam grinned and came up beside her so they could look out over the water. Even though it was chilly out, the brilliant morning sun reflected against the water like diamonds.

  “It is beautiful,” Mindy admitted. “I’m glad you brought me out here to see this. Even if it’s cold.”

  “You’re welcome.” He glanced at her, actually he couldn’t take his eyes off of her, watching her delight in their trip. “Well, we’d better head down if we’re going to get to our next destination in time.”

  Mindy cocked an eyebrow. “Next destination. No, we don’t need to go anywhere else. This was great.”

  “I won’t hear any arguments. We’re going to t
he Empire State Building.”

  “What is with your obsession with tall buildings today?”

  “I’m taking you to all the touristy spots, like I said I would. I can’t help it that a lot of touristy spots are tall buildings. Well, two are for sure.” And he winked at her. “You’re at my mercy today, Mindy.”

  Mindy just rolled her eyes and then laughed. “Whatever you say.”

  Sam chuckled as he followed her down the endless steps back to the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. He kept his hands firmly jammed in his pockets so as not to reach out and pull her into his arms.

  The idea of having her at his mercy excited him.

  Stop thinking that way or you’ll be in trouble.

  It seemed to him that he had to keep reminding himself of this fact.

  Frequently.

  It was hard not to, though. There were so many things he liked about Mindy. Even though she seemed to have her own walls firmly in place, keeping him out, she still was this bright, shiny and happy person. Her brilliance, her enthusiasm for everything she put herself into appealed to him.

  She had fire in her. When residents or interns displeased her, especially when working on a fragile case, when a mother and her unborn baby’s lives were at stake, she was a fierce protector of her patients.

  Dr. Mindy Walker was someone you didn’t want to cross professionally, but sometimes he got the feeling that she wasn’t always like that. That the fierceness was a defense mechanism, part of the walls.

  He’d done a bit of research about her, read some of her papers. She’d had a very lucrative practice in California. What would make her sell it, pack up her life and move to a place where the air hurt her face?

  Sam chuckled again to himself as he thought of her saying that a couple times since they’d left her apartment.

  “Why am I living where the air hurts my face?”

  And then she would make a pouty face.

  “Ugh,” she groaned, as they stepped outside and headed toward the dock to pick up their ferry back to Battery Park.

  “Yeah, yeah, the air. It hurts.”

  Mindy punched him in the arm. “Smart aleck.”

  They boarded the ferry and soon they were pushing off away from the Statue of Liberty. This time they sat on the benches inside. He leaned back against the bench, his arms spread, and she leaned back into his arm. She didn’t snuggle in but she didn’t move away either.

  It was nice.

  “So, why did you move here again?”

  Mindy cleared her throat. “I told you. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Professor Langley made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

  Sam snorted at the mention of the chief of surgery. “I see.”

  “You don’t really like Professor Langley, do you?”

  “What do you mean?” Sam straightened up and crossed his arms.

  “Aha, so you have some secrets too.”

  Sam shrugged. “We just don’t get on, that’s all.”

  “That’s funny, because I could’ve sworn that he mentioned to me that you were one of the residents to watch.”

  The compliment just slid off of him. He didn’t care if Langley thought highly of him. If it had been Dr. Chang that would’ve been different. He respected Dr. Chang. In fact, he respected most of the surgeons as West Manhattan Saints except Langley, because he’d ruined his parents’ marriage.

  “Was it worth it, Monica? The promotion meant so much to you, you felt it necessary to throw our marriage away?”

  “You don’t understand me, Frasier. You don’t understand what it’s like being a surgeon. Being the best. Langley understands my needs. You don’t. You just want me to be a mother, a housewife, grubbing around on your land in the Highlands. That’s not what I want. That’s not what I deserve. I never wanted to be a mother!”

  His parents’ last fight haunted him.

  The heartbreak in his father’s voice because his father had truly loved his mother. Sam’s father had been blinded by love to the point that he had fallen in love with someone who didn’t value love and family the same way he did.

  It had nearly destroyed his father and it cut Sam to the quick when she hadn’t wanted full custody of him. That he’d moved from New York to Scotland. In the end, living with his father and being raised in the Highlands had given him a happy childhood, but it was the rejection of the woman he called Mother that still hurt.

  When he had visited her, she’d barely spent any time with him unless he’d been in the hospital with her and he’d got to watch her and Langley together.

  It was when she’d taken her posting at Harvard and left West Manhattan Saints that he’d stopped visiting her as often, because she hadn’t had time for him.

  “What’s wrong?” Mindy asked. “You just totally closed off.”

  “Just thinking.” Sam gave her a half-smile. “We’re here. You ready for your next adventure?”

  “And if I say no?”

  “You don’t have a choice, remember? I’m in charge today.” He held his hand out and she took it as they disembarked from the ferry and moved through the crowds heading to the subway station so they could catch the next ride up to the Empire State Building.

  Sam shook the thoughts of his mother from his head.

  His mother was not allowed in today. She wasn’t going to ruin this day. This day was all about him and Mindy.

  Today he was going to have fun too, because he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much fun.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  MINDY PEERED THROUGH the binoculars on the top of the Empire State Building. Usually she wasn’t one for heights—she wasn’t afraid of them, but she didn’t go out of her way to visit tall buildings and ride an elevator to the top of one.

  At least the Statue of Liberty had stairs, but the Empire State Building had an elevator and she didn’t really like elevators or their enclosed spaces too much, but she just squeezed Sam’s hand tight.

  He gave her an encouraging smile and squeezed her hand back, but once they were at the top it was fine and she was glad she was able to have a nice vantage point of the city. It was truly beautiful.

  She could only imagine what it would be like to be at the top of the Empire State Building as the sun was setting. From her penthouse apartment, when she actually looked out her window at night, she would stare at this building all lit up. Another true icon of the city she was slowly growing to love.

  And she was.

  She may not be used to the winters yet, but she could see the appeal of living and making it in New York.

  Sam shivered beside her.

  “Now who’s cold?” she teased, as she focused the viewfinder on him. The money had run out so she couldn’t see anything anymore, but he didn’t know that.

  He tutted under his breath. “Well, it’s a bit windy up here. At least when we were at the top of the Statue of Liberty we were in an enclosed space. This is out in the open.”

  “Okay, well, how about we head down? I’m a bit hungry. Do you want to grab a slice of pizza? Isn’t that the traditional thing to do in New York City?”

  “We’re not going for a slice.”

  “We’re not?” She was a bit disappointed.

  “No, I have somewhere better we can go.”

  “But you’re not going to tell me, are you?”

  He shook his head and grinned in that annoying but sexy way of his.

  “Did anyone mention that you’re a pain, Dr. Napier?”

  “Aye, several times. Especially my roommates. Remember, most of them are female.”

  “Right. You did mention that. Oh, didn’t I see one of your former roommates on the OB/GYN list for an appointment? Uh, Dr. Camara?”

  Sam frowned. “Yes, she’s pregnant, but she’s seeing you? Is something wrong?” There was genuine concern in his voice.

  “No, nothing is wrong. I happened to be a licensed OB/GYN as well. I was covering for another doctor. There’s nothing wrong there.” She smil
ed. “It’s nice, you know?”

  “What is?” he asked, as they stood in line, waiting for the elevator to go down.

  “That you care about your friends so much, but I don’t think you show it much.”

  Sam snorted. “Of course I care. She’s pregnant. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her or the baby.”

  “Okay, now you’re putting the accent on thick, and as you’re not annoyed you’re doing it on purpose.”

  “Does that bother you?” he asked, a twinkle of devilment in his eyes.

  Yes. It turns me on.

  And Mindy could distinctly remember the last time his thick accent had turned her on. She’d jumped into his arms when he’d been a perfect stranger and had begged him to go home with her. When they’d been at her apartment his brogue had been thick the more aroused he’d become, and just thinking about it made her hot under the collar.

  “No, it doesn’t bother me in the least.”

  Liar.

  “Then why even bring it up?” Sam teased.

  “If you don’t shut it soon I’m going to…”

  Sam leaned over to whisper in her ear. “You’re going to what, Dr. Walker?”

  Mindy was going to retaliate but the doors to the elevator opened and they shuffled on and were surrounded by other people. So she kept her mouth shut, but she could see Sam smirking to himself, because he knew she wouldn’t continue the conversation on an elevator crammed full of people.

  He was such a pain in the butt.

  At least it was a fast ride down. Once they were out on the street and the crowd of people leaving the lobby of the Empire State Building dispersed she turned to him.

  “What now?”

  “Now I’m going to take you for lunch,” he said with a wink.

  “How do I even know I’m going to like this lunch? I mean, you won’t tell me where we’re going,” Mindy groused.

  “You’ll like it. Well, maybe you won’t. I don’t know what kind of food you like. Perhaps I should’ve asked you that before I made reservations.”

  “I like pizza.”

  Sam winced. “Sorry, no pizza where we’re going.”

  “Am I dressed okay, then? You said you made reservations.” She was dressed casually. She wasn’t dressed in her yoga attire, but still it wasn’t business casual. “Will jeans and a nice sweater do for wherever it is you’re taking me?”