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Hilly wanted to groan. Why was everything about Cisco turning out to be so damned wonderful? Couldn’t he do something disgusting like…pick his nose or itch his junk when he thought she wasn’t looking?
Hilly sighed.
“Nel and I would love the company,” she finally managed. “But we don’t want to keep you out too late, especially since you start work at seven in the morning now.”
“Seriously?” he questioned with a raised brow. “Tell me, Hilly. What time do you start your day?”
Caught.
She actually chuckled. “I’m normally up at six to get things organized for the kids.”
“Exactly,” he responded. “Which means it’ll be no hardship for me, either, to be out until…what? As late as ten o’clock?”
Hilly ducked her head sheepishly. “Uh, yeah. I’m normally back in camp just before ten.”
He grinned. “Then I?—”
“Oh my God! Is that Officer Hottie McMotorcycle?”
A sharp voice squealing down the path cut Cisco off mid-sentence.
Officer…who?
Hilly turned toward the offensive comment-maker, and scowled. The camp nurse, Debbie Gorner, had obviously and finally made the effort to leave her cabin, but…just to spew invectives? Hilly took a closer look.
Shit, shit, shit. Was the woman…drunk?
There was no mistaking the flush on Debbie’s cheeks, the glassy eyes, and the way she was walking deliberately so she wouldn’t take a tumble.
And…what had she said about Cisco?
Hilly turned to her companion. “You know our camp nurse?” she asked quietly, taking a step closer to Debbie, and away from the man who may or may not have some kind of past with Nurse Gorner.
“Yeah. From a drunk traffic stop. That’s all,” Cisco practically growled, putting an arm in front of Hilly to stop any additional forward trajectory. “And it looks like she’s inebriated. Again.”
Wow. Cisco had stopped Debbie for drunk driving? Holy shit. Hilly’s ire rose as she confronted the nurse she’d hired, once again honing in on her less-than-steady gait. “Debbie. Have you been drinking?”
The woman chose to ignore Hilly, and instead, stumbled her way toward Cisco. “Hey, handsome. Fancy meeting you here. You were so mean, leaving me with those other officers. I wanted you to stick around.” She pouted, then placed a long, red-nailed finger on Cisco’s chest, running it from his sternum, down, down…
Cisco grabbed her hand before it reached critical territory, and pushed it away. “Cut the crap, Ms. Gorner. Your boss asked you a question,” he snarled.
Debbie shrugged, still not looking at Hilly. “I might have had a little wine before dinner,” she simpered. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Nothing wrong…? Dinner wasn’t for another four hours!
Hilly spluttered. “Alcohol of any kind is forbidden on camp grounds,” she managed. “You know that. You signed an agreement to that affect when I hired you.”
Debbie made a provocative moue at Cisco, paying no attention to Hilly or her assertion. With her eyelids lowered, she sidled toward Cisco until her tits actually touched his chest. “Did you know I’d be here? Is that why you came?” She batted her fake eyelashes at him as she simpered.
“No. I came because I’m the camp’s self-defense instructor,” he hissed, backing up. “And you reek.”
Hilly was done. She’d seen and heard enough.
“Nurse Gorner. Into my office. Now.”
Finally, the woman turned to regard her. “Why? Is there a problem?” she slurred.
“There is,” Hilly said through clenched teeth. “You’re drunk, and about to be terminated.”