Sweet Salvation Read Free Page B

compliment. Smiling was something he knew instinctively she didn’t do often enough.
    “Oh, you are a charmer. Her name is Jessica and she’s a redhead, a little shorter than I am and much more, uh… well, voluptuous is a good word for Jessie. She just started in surgery about a week ago.” Lillian eyed his name embroidered on his lab coat, which covered his scrubs. “She’s having dinner at the counter.”
    His eyes followed the direction of her pencil as she pointed, but he didn’t see a redhead, only a large man on a corner stool, a hot blonde in killer white shorts, and a long line of interested men on stools watching as the blonde paid for her to-go order.
    “I’ll tell her to watch out for Dr. Trent. You’re not married, are you?”
    “Married?” Jared laughed as he slid into the opposite side of the booth. “No woman would put up with this putz.”
    “Butt out, I’m getting fixed up.” Marc winked outrageously at the older woman who was staring at Jared contemplatively.
    “You’re a doctor too, aren’t you? I’ve seen you here for lunch before wearing scrubs.”
    “Guilty as charged. I’m the better, handsomer, more talented doctor. Who are you fixing him up with?”
    “Her pretty, curvy, redheaded daughter,” Marc growled mockingly, “so once again, butt out, butthead.”
    Lillian laughed, giving Jared a once-over. “Two handsome charmers… Jessie’s going to have to be on her toes. I’ll tell her to be on the lookout for both of you.”
    As the bells on the diner door jangled, another customer called for Lillian’s attention and she held up a finger asking for patience. “The natives are getting restless. I had better get a move on. So what can I get you?”
    A minute later, she was off with their order.
    “So tell me about the Georgia peach.”
    “I’ll see her long blond ponytail and painted-on white shorts in my dreams tonight. I think she had a belly ring, too.”
    “Hm… Did she drive a red Jeep, by any chance?”
    Jared stared at him in shock. “How did you know?”
    “You just missed her, bud, but the eight gawking guys at the counter didn’t. Nine if you count me.”
    “You are shittin’ me.”
    “Nope, small world, huh?
    “It doesn’t matter and there’s no point in dreaming. I’m sure I’ll never see her again, which is exactly my shitty luck with women.”
    Jared had been through so many bad dates and hookups that he had pretty much taken himself off the market to concentrate on work, instead. An occasional date here and there, but if Marc’s memory was accurate, it had been well over a year since he’d had anything serious.
    “Have you seen any new redheaded nurses at St. Joe’s?”
    “Nope, but a pretty curvy redhead sounds to be right up my alley about now.”
    “Bullshit. You like tall with a great ass, Jare. I know your type after seeing you in action all these years.”
    “First, I was joking. Second, I didn’t know I had a particular type. And third, I’ve come to the conclusion recently, today as a matter of fact, that like they say, good things come in small packages.”
    “If you use that line on women, no wonder you haven’t had a second date in a while. The words ‘small package’ is not something I’d figure they’d want to hear.”
    Jared snorted and shook his head. “Good thing you have a day job, because as a comedian, your material sucks.”
    Marc laughed. Jared was what women called the strong, silent type. Some women fell for that hard. He was a great guy, but more serious than Marc who was usually joking, laughing, and flirting. Marc loved the ladies, but he found that working sixteen-hour days between the OR and the clinic, severely limited his dating options. Cruising for chicks at the usual places was difficult enough, but when you had little time or energy, it became next to impossible.
    With his options narrowed, he’d begun doing what he’d been warned not to do. That’s right; he’d dipped his pen in the company