Luke(14)

Still, the hope that had begun like a small seed in her chest earlier in the week blossomed, and she couldn't contain her smile as she came downstairs from her little apartment into the staff room.

Shelby, Guy and Catherine—their herbalist—were sitting at a table sharing wheat muffins and arguing over which one of the wildflowers in the vase in the center of the table provided the most calming effect. The muffins were clearly from Shelby—their resident health nut—and the coffee was from Guy, who needed caffeine by the bucketful.

Faith joined them, her stomach going happy, but before she stuffed in her first bite of muffin, Luke opened the back door.

Immediately the dynamics in the room changed from light and easygoing to speculative. Shelby, Guy and Cat all looked at Faith, clearly waiting for her reaction in order to decide upon theirs. So she did what she had to do even though she had no idea how she felt at the sight of him. She smiled brightly. "Well, good morning, Dr. Walker."

Looking at least far more rested than he had last Saturday, he nodded curtly. "Schedule?"

Okay, so he wasn't an easygoing, exchange-banalities kind of guy.

And he probably would rather be doing anything else today.

"Here." Shelby handed him a copy of the day's schedule, then checked her watch. "Oops, gotta run." She nudged Cat and Guy, both of whom made a big spectacle out of leaving Faith alone with Luke.

"Subtle," he said when the door shut behind them.

"Don't tell them, they think they pulled it off." Leaning back against the counter, casually crossing one long leg over the other, looking unreasonably gorgeous and edgy in his dark trousers, and dark shirt sleeves shoved up to the elbows revealing forearms corded with strength, and big, clean hands, he studied her with an inscrutable expression. "So what's up? You going to fire me?"

Startled, she laughed. "Why would I do that?"

He lifted a broad shoulder. "Because last week we clashed over just about everything except breathing."

She looked into his light, light eyes and was startled by the vulnerability there. "We didn't clash on our passion over healing people."

"Imagine that … common ground." His gaze held hers for an immeasurable beat, during which time she couldn't have looked away to save her life. In her quest to resent him last week—resent him and need him at the same time—how had she missed the fire, the passion burning in his eyes?

"Actually," she said, "I didn't expect you to show."

"I promised three months."

"Your hospital promised."

"Same thing. I don't go back on my word."

"Even when it goes against the grain?"

"You're healing here. I'm a healer. It's what I do, it's my life." He shrugged, and with a few words, spoke volumes. "I'm here for the duration."

She'd always, always, been a sucker for a man in love with what he was doing with his life. She wouldn't have guessed that about Dr. Universe, and she wished she didn't know now. She didn't have time in her life for this, this … whatever it was that happened to her insides when he so much as looked at her. "We uh, have patients."

"So it begins again."

She caught the slight quirk of his lips and wasn't as successful in hiding her own rueful smile. "It begins again," she agreed.

"Good day to you, then."

"And you." She followed him into the hallway and toward the patient rooms. And yes, maybe she stared at his very fine butt just before he shrugged into a doctor's coat, but she doubted there was a woman alive who wouldn't have done the exact same thing in her position.

"Emma Connelly," he said, studying the first chart.

"Oh, she's mine." Faith reached for the paperwork. "We have you starting with the walk-ins this morning. Room six first, there's a man waiting for you. He's suffering from allergies and—"

"It says here Emma Connelly is terminal. Ovarian cancer."

"Yes." Faith hugged the chart to her chest at the ache his words invoked. She'd known Emma for four years, watched her battle through the vicious cancer with everything she had. There was little left, and Healing Waters was dedicated to making her last days as comfortable as possible. "The aromatherapy is the only thing that eases her headaches these days. She gave up her meds, they made her so ill she couldn't function. Guy gives her therapeutic massages that keeps her muscles relaxed. The pain is so severe that—"

"There are drugs that could help. Fast acting, new drugs that—" He stopped at the look on her face and let out a disparaging breath. "Right. Shut up, Luke."

"She's tried everything. She's at the end," she said softly, her throat tight from hearing it out loud. "All she wants now is comfort. That's what we're giving her, it's all we have to give."

"Fine."

She thought that was the end of it, so when she turned away and entered the patient room, she was shocked to realize he'd followed. She introduced him to Emma, and the two of them started chatting, easily, readily.

Faith watched as Luke charmed Emma into talking about her medical history, giving him all the information he seemed to want to know, all in a genuinely relaxed conversation.