Page 11 of Healing Her (Pulse Medical #1)

“ D arling, you haven’t changed a bit.” Maria’s throaty laugh was still robust, despite her obviously declining health. It gave Jen hope. “I hate how gracefully you’ve taken to aging. You look years younger than me even with that shining silver hair.”

“I am years younger than you,” Jen replied puckishly, laughing as her old high school friend swatted at her leg.

“Two years are hardly a blip on the clock! You look under fifty.” Maria tossed her hair—the gleaming chestnut of which Jen knew was expertly maintained by Los Angeles’ best private hairdresser.

But even Philippe Casals had been unable to fully hold back the ravages of Maria’s advancing cardiac condition.

Jen could see the hair was thinning, and brittle at the ends.

“I don’t, Maria, but it’s lovely for you to say so.

And we’ll take years off your own clock once we get your heart condition sorted out.

” Jen scooted closer to her friend on the hospital bed so that she could take her hand, carefully avoiding the IV butterfly stuck into the soft, smooth skin.

“You’ll feel better than you have in years. ”

“I’d like that.” Maria smiled and settled back into her pillows.

“They still haven’t come up to tell me what surgery it will be.

” She sighed. “I don’t like the idea of either option.

Either some foreign plastic and metal thing stuck to my heart, or I get someone else’s heart entirely.

” Pulling her hand free from Jen’s, she patted her heart, face pensive.

“All of my best work came from my heart. Will my work be the same if someone else’s heart beats in my chest? ”

“Of course it will.” Jen recaptured her friend’s hand and gave it a soft little kiss before letting go. “The heart is a machine, a wonderful and glorious organic machine, but a machine, nonetheless. The work came from your beautiful soul, my friend.”

Maria’s chuckle was fond. “Thank you, Jen. You always did have a knack for making me feel better.” Her eyes darkened with sympathy. “Now, can I make you feel better? You seem tired, querida . And I bet you aren’t seeing anyone.”

Jen pushed back a flash of memory, the taste of peppermint coffee and the feel of Ashley’s nimble fingers at the waistband of her panties.

“I just got here, Maria. I haven’t had time to do anything but work.

I’m overhauling the entire transplant program here.

Presentations, fundraising, getting to know my colleagues… ”

“You could get to know a special colleague, no?” Maria’s eyes gleamed. “You like doctors, are there no doctors here that have caught your eye?” She laughed as Jen blushed. “Oh, tell me, tell me everything.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Jen said firmly, drawing herself to sit up straight. “But since you’re the biggest nosy-pants I know, I did find a bar here that I like to go to.”

“You must take me once I’m all fixed up.” Maria clapped her hands. “You know I love to watch you work.”

“Are you sure you only like men?” Jen joked, tilting her head. “You love going to lesbian bars more than I do!”

“I’m an artist, a master of my craft,” Maria replied, spreading a hand over her chest and opening her eyes wide.

“I study the human condition, amiga , and your human condition is fascinating .” She clicked her tongue and sighed.

“I wish I did love women. I’ve never found any love with a man that came close to what you and Nina had. ”

Jen swallowed back the lump of grief that formed in her throat. “Oh, Maria. I miss her so much.”

“I know, querida .” This time, it was Maria who reached out to take Jen’s hand. They sat together quietly, remembering Nina. Maria had been at their wedding, had flown to visit as often as she could when Nina was diagnosed.

She had sent the most beautiful arrangement of flowers to the funeral.

The door cracked open, and Jen turned to see who was interrupting.

At the sight of Ashley Proctor slipping into the room, chaos twisted her stomach and lust made her cheeks flush hot.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Maria’s eyebrows lift with interest. Jen got to her feet as smoothly as she could. “Doctor Proctor.”

“Doctor Colton.” Ashley’s eyes darted between the two women. “Is this a professional consultation or a chat between friends?”

So Sundstrom had let Ashley know that Maria and Jen knew each other. That probably meant the cardiac surgeon also knew that Jen was going to be an immovable part of Maria’s team. Won’t this be fun?

“Maria and I do go back a ways, that’s true.”

“We met in high school.” When Jen dared to glance at her friend, Maria’s eyes were alight with mischief and curiosity. “And we’ve been friends ever since, haven’t we, Jen?”

“We have.” Jen turned so that only Maria could see her and made a face that she hoped said don’t you dare . “It’s been a great privilege of my life to watch Maria grow into one of the greatest actors of our generation.”

“And one of mine to see my great friend become a greater surgeon.” Maria looked at Ashley and smiled broadly. “I’m so glad she will be part of your team.”

Jen turned around back in time to see Ashley’s face pinch into a tight but polite smile. “Indeed. Doctor Colton, if I could see you out here for a moment?” Without giving Jen a chance to reply, Ashley turned on her heel and strode out the door, closing it firmly behind her.

“Oh, ho ho,” Maria chortled immediately, glee in her voice. “I was going to ask you to tell me what you thought of this uptight little thing, but I don’t think I need to, now!”

“No, it’s not like that,” Jen began, exasperated.

“Well, why the hell not ? She’s pretty, even if she is wound tight.” Maria tsked .

“We are colleagues, and she doesn’t like me.” Except that Jen had it on good personal authority that Ashley did, and the memories bubbled up again and made her blush harder while Maria laughed and laughed.

“Get out there before she comes back and pinches her face even more. But come back after!” Maria commanded. “You’re going to have to spill, hermosita .”

“There’s nothing to spill,” Jen hissed, and hurried to open the door.

Ashley was standing there, predictably pinched of face as she looked at her watch. She glanced up as Jen closed the door behind her. “About time.”

“I feel sorry for your friends if your idea of a good farewell is a hasty one,” Jen shot back. “Can I help you, Doctor Proctor?”

“I wanted to talk to you about your input for Ms. Rivera’s treatment,” Ashley replied, her face somehow pinching even further. “I don’t think it’s appropriate. You clearly have a very personal connection.”

“Yes. We do. Which would be why she asked for my inclusion on her surgical team.” Jen worked to keep her voice steady.

If this prissy cardio doc thought she was going to allow herself to be thrown off Maria’s treatment team, she was going to get a very nasty surprise.

“I believe Chief Sundstrom has already advised you that my inclusion on this team is non-negotiable.”

“It was mentioned.” The words emerged as if they were being pushed out against Ashley’s will. “I came to appeal to you directly to remove yourself. You’re too close to this case. I don’t believe that’s helpful.”

“Unless Maria herself asks me to step down, I won’t, Doctor Proctor.

” Jen tucked her hands into the pockets of her lab coat so that she could clench them unseen.

Her nails dug into her palms. “So. I believe that settles that. Have you had a chance to look at her records? Do you have a course of action planned?”

Ashley hesitated, eyes narrowed. “I do. I’ve discussed it with the Chief and with Dr. Martin.”

“You should probably discuss it with me, too,” Jen prompted, feeling like she’d somehow gone into dentistry. Why did this woman make everything feel like pulling teeth?

And why was the tension of it all such a catalyst for desire? Jen shifted from foot to foot.

At least Ashley also looked uneasy the longer this conversation went on. “I intend to discuss it with the team at a meeting tomorrow. You’ll find it on your calendar and in your email. There’s no point in me handing out information piecemeal, one doctor at a time.”

“I’d like to have some idea,” Jen began, but stopped when Ashley waved an impatient hand in her face.

She was tempted to grab that hand and bite it. Then to push up the sleeve of the lab coat and kiss her way up Ashley’s arm, tasting the soft skin leading into the crook of her elbow…

Jesus!

“I also don’t want to give you any details that you might let slip to our patient and unnecessarily alarm her,” Ashley was saying when Jen tuned back in.

“I’d like to have our meeting tomorrow and then come directly to the room and present the plan to her myself. You don’t need a chance to interfere.”

“Interfere? Oh, wow.” Jen stepped back, blinking. “And calling my actual professionalism and ability to distance myself appropriately into question? You’ve got some nerve, Proctor.”

“I’ve got an important patient with critical needs who must be handled with care.

Having you involved at all is already a risk, but as you say, it seems to be a non-negotiable point and you don’t have the sense to recuse yourself.

” Ashley’s cheeks were red, and tendrils of her glossy brown hair were starting to slip from her tight French twist. “I’m doing what I need to do, saying what I need to say, to keep this entire delicate operation from going entirely off the rails.

You’re a wild card as far as I’m concerned, Doctor Colton. ”

“You’re an audacious bitch with a lousy ability to read people or accept that you might be wrong,” Jen snarled, furious at herself as much as she was at Ashley, but it was past time she gave back as good as she was getting.

“That’s a more dangerous approach and attitude than anything I could ever dish out.

Ease up, Doctor Proctor, or the fuck-up you’re trying to prevent is going to be entirely your fault when it does happen. ”

She had turned and stomped her way noisily back into Maria’s room before she realized it, mortified as she saw the amused look on her friend’s face. “Maria, I am so sorry to come in hot like that. I didn’t mean to make that much commotion.”

“Please, it’s the most excitement I’ve had in months, everyone tiptoes around me.

” Maria’s dark eyes were practically glittering with delight.

“I didn’t hear everything, but I heard enough to know there’s a very delicious tension between you and the pretty prissy one.

” She clasped her hands under her chin and batted her eyelashes.

“Tell me everything. Have you fucked her? Are you going to?”

“Maria! My God!”

“He doesn’t have to be involved, querida. ” Maria patted the space at the edge of her hospital bed, face alight with anticipation. “Now, come, this is better than any of the books I brought with me, and I want all the details.”

With a sigh, Jen obediently took her seat. “There aren’t many,” she began.

“Yet,” Maria said sweetly, knowingly.

“Yet,” Jen conceded with a groan.