thought I’d come by and make sure you got all patched up and on your way.”
“I’m good to go,” he answered with the same short, clipped tone she’d used with him earlier.
Rolling her eyes, she told him, “Good. Take care.” She pivoted on her heel, exiting the room with her nose in the air, as if she was too good for the errand and had been forced at gunpoint to check on him. But Jim knew better. She was one of those people who couldn’t stand to think that something had gone askew on her watch, even if she despised him with every bone in her body.
“Are we bouncing?” Boxer asked, his eyebrow raised in expectation. “Because if we’re not, I’m chasing that little vixen down the hall and all the way into the foxhole, if I have to.”
Something about the words pissed Jim off. “Get the truck,” he growled. “I’ll meet you in the parking lot.” Boxer and Willie both knew better than to fuck with him when he used that tone, and they didn’t waste time standing around. That suited Jim just fine; he limped off down the hall in the opposite direction, toward the blonde ponytail swinging above a perfectly round ass.
CHAPTER FIVE
What the hell was I thinking? Susan chided herself as she strode down the hall toward the bus barn where they’d parked after their last call. Some five-year-old left alone had swallowed bleach and was in critical condition upstairs, his mother allowed nowhere near him. Eric was still talking to Social Services, and she’d gone and made the incredible error of checking in on Jim Wade.
He’d already done his best to offend her with his crude remarks in the ambulance. In fact, he’d proven that everything Susan hated about bikers was valid, with one exception – she’d snuck a peek at his chart, and his tox screen was clean. Hallelujah , she thought bitterly, the guy has one redeeming quality. It did nothing to make her feel better about him.
“Susan!” Someone was yelling her name. When she turned and saw that bastard limping down the hall as quickly as his bloody leg would carry him, a chill went down her spine. What did he want now? How many more lewd remarks could one man make in an evening? She was tempted to turn around and leave.
But something glued her in place— perhaps that same morbid curiosity , she thought with chagrin. As he approached, she asked, “How can I help you now, Mr. Wade?”
A bit breathless, he came to a halt, and this time, his smile wasn’t so damned cocky. “Look, I wanted to apologize for being a little crass tonight. I’m not a bad guy. It’s just… a rough night for me.”
She nodded toward his leg. “Obviously.”
He shook his head. “No, that’s the thing. This—” he gestured to the injury, “happened because I was already having a rough night.” He turned away from her, staring at nothing in particular, and Susan scowled as she noticed a muscle twitching in his cheek. “Tonight’s the anniversary of my wife’s death, and my head was somewhere else, not on driving.”
All the wind rushed out of her as if someone had socked her in the gut. She’d known it had been about that long, but she would never have guessed the woman’s overdose had happened a year ago to the day. She felt like a heel for giving him such a hard time. Even if she knew nothing else about Jim Wade, she knew that woman had meant everything to him.
“I’m very sorry, Mr. Wade,” she said softly.
“Dammit—please stop calling me that. Jim. My name is Jim.” He ran a hand through his dark brown locks in frustration, releasing a shower of dirt and grass onto the floor. “I just… I thought I owed you an explanation.”
Susan’s shoulders slumped. Maybe it was his looks, or maybe he had a certain charming appeal. Whatever it was, she couldn’t hate him, regardless of the fact that he consorted with the scum of the earth. He’d thought enough of her to offer her what seemed
“I’m good to go,” he answered with the same short, clipped tone she’d used with him earlier.
Rolling her eyes, she told him, “Good. Take care.” She pivoted on her heel, exiting the room with her nose in the air, as if she was too good for the errand and had been forced at gunpoint to check on him. But Jim knew better. She was one of those people who couldn’t stand to think that something had gone askew on her watch, even if she despised him with every bone in her body.
“Are we bouncing?” Boxer asked, his eyebrow raised in expectation. “Because if we’re not, I’m chasing that little vixen down the hall and all the way into the foxhole, if I have to.”
Something about the words pissed Jim off. “Get the truck,” he growled. “I’ll meet you in the parking lot.” Boxer and Willie both knew better than to fuck with him when he used that tone, and they didn’t waste time standing around. That suited Jim just fine; he limped off down the hall in the opposite direction, toward the blonde ponytail swinging above a perfectly round ass.
CHAPTER FIVE
What the hell was I thinking? Susan chided herself as she strode down the hall toward the bus barn where they’d parked after their last call. Some five-year-old left alone had swallowed bleach and was in critical condition upstairs, his mother allowed nowhere near him. Eric was still talking to Social Services, and she’d gone and made the incredible error of checking in on Jim Wade.
He’d already done his best to offend her with his crude remarks in the ambulance. In fact, he’d proven that everything Susan hated about bikers was valid, with one exception – she’d snuck a peek at his chart, and his tox screen was clean. Hallelujah , she thought bitterly, the guy has one redeeming quality. It did nothing to make her feel better about him.
“Susan!” Someone was yelling her name. When she turned and saw that bastard limping down the hall as quickly as his bloody leg would carry him, a chill went down her spine. What did he want now? How many more lewd remarks could one man make in an evening? She was tempted to turn around and leave.
But something glued her in place— perhaps that same morbid curiosity , she thought with chagrin. As he approached, she asked, “How can I help you now, Mr. Wade?”
A bit breathless, he came to a halt, and this time, his smile wasn’t so damned cocky. “Look, I wanted to apologize for being a little crass tonight. I’m not a bad guy. It’s just… a rough night for me.”
She nodded toward his leg. “Obviously.”
He shook his head. “No, that’s the thing. This—” he gestured to the injury, “happened because I was already having a rough night.” He turned away from her, staring at nothing in particular, and Susan scowled as she noticed a muscle twitching in his cheek. “Tonight’s the anniversary of my wife’s death, and my head was somewhere else, not on driving.”
All the wind rushed out of her as if someone had socked her in the gut. She’d known it had been about that long, but she would never have guessed the woman’s overdose had happened a year ago to the day. She felt like a heel for giving him such a hard time. Even if she knew nothing else about Jim Wade, she knew that woman had meant everything to him.
“I’m very sorry, Mr. Wade,” she said softly.
“Dammit—please stop calling me that. Jim. My name is Jim.” He ran a hand through his dark brown locks in frustration, releasing a shower of dirt and grass onto the floor. “I just… I thought I owed you an explanation.”
Susan’s shoulders slumped. Maybe it was his looks, or maybe he had a certain charming appeal. Whatever it was, she couldn’t hate him, regardless of the fact that he consorted with the scum of the earth. He’d thought enough of her to offer her what seemed
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