Pushing aside the desperate feeling building inside her, she said, “How are things on the outside?”
“As bad as I’ve ever seen them. This town’s a wreck.”
“That’s why it’s a miracle you were able to get here.”
“It would’ve taken more than high water to keep me away.” Gordon reached for her hand again.
“Your food’s going to get cold.”
His frown deepened. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you didn’t want me to touch you.”
Amanda shifted her gaze. “That’s absurd.”
“Is it?” he asked in a nonchalant-sounding voice, but she knew better. He sensed something was amiss, only he didn’t know what. And he must never know, either. As soon as the weather settled and the power was restored, her feelings of discontent would disappear, along with her renewed infatuation with Noah.
“I’ve been thinking,” Gordon said, focusing back on the moment at hand.
“About what?”
“Your dream.”
She gave him a startled look, her mind on another dream. Shaking her head, she forced a smile. She didn’t know what she’d expected him to say, but it hadn’t been that. “Oh?”
“You act like you don’t have a clue what I’m talking about.”
“Well, I do.”
Gordon grinned. “That’s a relief.”
“So what about it?”
“As you know, my investment firm’s not doing half-bad financially.”
“Thanks to your initiative and sound business mind.”
He glowed at the compliment, then went on, “So how `bout I loan you the money to set up your private practice?”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t joke about a thing like that.”
“That’s generous—”
“Generous? That’s not what it’s all about. It’s an investment in our future.” When her eyes widened, he cleared his throat. “I guess the upshot of this conversation is that I’m asking you to marry me.”
“Marry you?” Her tongue turned thick.
He leaned forward. “Surely that doesn’t surprise you?”
“Well, yes. I mean, no.”
“Look, I know I probably chose a bad time to propose, but the words just came out, actually.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I love you, but then you know that.”
“Oh, Gordon—”
“Oh, Gordon what?”
“It’s just a bit much, that’s all.”
“Okay, let’s forget the proposal for now and talk about you leaving the ER. You still want to open your own sports medicine clinic, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. With tourism on the rise, I think there’s a golden opportunity for me. I may have to go back to school, though.”
“I don’t have a problem with that.”
“Whoa, I’m overwhelmed.”
“And exhausted, which means we shouldn’t discuss anything so heavy right now. I was hoping to relieve your stress, not add to it.”
“You’re sweet.”
“I’d be sweeter, if you’d let me.” His voice had dropped another octave and his fingers tightened around hers.
“I—” The rest of the sentence locked in her throat as Noah chose that moment to walk into the cafeteria. Damn. Maybe he wouldn’t see them.
No such luck.
He paused, then looked straight at her as though he’d come there for that exact purpose. She ducked her head practically into her cup.
“Amanda, what—”
A shadow fell over the table. Unwittingly, she raised her head and stared into Noah’s blue eyes, her heart hammering in her chest.
“I wondered where you’d disappeared to,” he said, his gaze passing between her and Gordon.
She fought back the urge to slap the proprietary look off his face. “I wasn’t aware I had to report to you,” she said with saccharine sweetness.
He grinned, but she knew he’d gotten her message. He nodded toward Gordon. “How `bout introducing me to your…friend.”
Amanda did so, but with reluctance. “Gordon Bishop, Dr. Noah Howell.”
Once the handshakes were behind them, Noah turned back to her. “I’ll see you later, okay?” Without waiting for a reply, he sauntered off.
“What was that all about?” Gordon demanded in a surly tone.
“Nothing. Just forget him.”
Gordon snorted. “I don’t like the way he looked at you.”
“Look—”
“Who is he, anyway?”
Amanda hesitated, then said, “My ex-fiancé.”
“Your what?”
Oops, it looks like Amanda forgot to mention a major detail about her life—and Gordon doesn’t sound too happy. Amanda is convinced that her feelings for Gordon won’t change. But now that Noah is back, is she lying to herself? Noah wants Amanda back, but is he in any position to be with her? Can he be honest about where he’s been or is he like his sister, Randi, running off when things got too close for comfort? Working these issues out while the ER is filling with patients isn’t going to be easy. Being an ace surgeon doesn’t guarantee all will survive, including a teenage girl who was in a car accident or another one who just had a baby boy. And they aren’t the only teens in trouble. Dr. Karen Sloane’s daughter has fallen into a cave. This hospital family is thrown into another tailspin. Will this night ever end? In the concluding Part 3, we’ll find out whose lives will be changed forever…
eISBN-13: 9781460330661
LIGHTNING STRIKES PART 2
This is the revised text of a portion of a work first published by Harlequin Enterprises Limited in 1997.
Copyright © 1997 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Second part of revised text Copyright © 2014 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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Lightning Strikes Part 2 (36 Hours) Page 8
