Send the Snowplow Read Free Page B

those questions a guy asked, and there were more than enough people willing to tell him all about her split-up. He tried to ignore the guy, although he noticed he seemed to be a little squidgy around the mid-section. Gym memberships weren’t that difficult to manage, were they? He gave what he hoped was a sympathetic nod. “How long have you been in Splitzville, Jaycee?” Not that he didn’t already know the answer to the question.
    “Nine months on Tuesday. This was a few weeks before he packed his bags.” A moment of pain flashed across her features.
    Chris looked at the photograph again. The expressions on Jaycee and her husband’s face said they’d rather have splinters shoved under their nails than touch each other. He zoomed in on the kids, settling on the daughter, then glanced from her to Jaycee. “Clarissa’s the spitting image of you. I’ve got a big hunting knife I can sharpen on your porch when she’s old enough to date.”
    Jaycee shuddered. “Oh, thanks for reminding me I have that to look forward to.”
    He leaned in, turning on the sultry charm in his voice. “She will be beautiful, like her mother.” His eyes lingered on the flecks of gold in Jaycee’s eyes. Like spun amber. “So... over for good?”
    Her shoulders slumped. “Not my decision. Never has been.”
    Not a great sign, but he could work with it. Chris stood up and brushed a lock of hair from her face with the crook of his finger. “What you choose to do now? That’s your decision.” He pushed in his chair and walked down the hall toward Harold’s room. Yeah, he made sure there was plenty in his retreating gait for Jaycee to admire. If anyone would make her forget the loser of a husband willing to walk away from those eyes and smoking hot body, it would be him, and using all of his assets—pun intended—was definitely part of the plan.

Chapter 4
     
    Nights with few patients meant there wasn’t a lot to do, but that was also a hazard when you needed to stay awake and alert. Jaycee took the extra time to update care plans and charting—things she never seemed to find the time to get done when things were busy. Diana sat nearby, documenting her routine cares in flip-charts.
    Chris joined them. “I can’t see our cars it’s snowing so hard. No one’s getting to work tomorrow. We should take turns and get a little sleep.”
    Diana nodded and yawned. Jaycee smiled. “Go ahead, you can go first.” It didn’t matter to her, and besides, she wasn’t all that tired right now. Might as well save it for later when she might really need it. For now, the coffee was doing the trick.
    Diana rose and brushed past Chris. “I’ll be on the couch in the nurses lounge. Come wake me up later.”
    Chris watched her walk down the hall until she disappeared into the lounge and the door closed. He grabbed a chair and scooted close to Jaycee, a goofy grin on his face. “Got you all to myself, at last.”
    Jaycee shook her head, but heat rushed up her neck and across her cheeks. “You, me, six patients, four family members, Diana, and a dog.”
    Molly’s tail thumped against the floor from her nearby doggy bed.
    Chris’s voice dropped into that sultry tone he’d used earlier. “Everyone’s asleep. It still counts close enough as being alone.”
    “Close only counts in horseshoes and shotguns, right?” Jaycee shivered and rubbed her shoulders. She was more tired than she’d realized. One thing she’d noticed was that she was more sensitive to cold on overnights, and it wasn’t because the thermostat setting changed at night. She was thankful for that too.
    Chris grabbed a scrub jacket from a nearby cabinet and placed it over her shoulders. His hands lingered longer than necessary. “I had a survival course. They say you need to cuddle to share body heat.”
    Jaycee gave a nervous laugh. There was no doubt he was flirting with her, but where did she stand on flirting back? It had been nine months, and it wasn’t like she