The Runaway Nurse

Dear Reader

Welcome to the third book in my New York Hospital Heartthrobs trilogy. When I first learned I was going to write these books, I knew that I wanted a theme about the place to which we are all connected—home. I wanted to write stories about what compels people to want to go home, and what binds their hearts to that special place. In this group of stories it was the love of a generous woman who touched countless lives.

Cherished memories … that’s what home is to me—and that’s what home becomes for the heroes and heroines of New York Hospital Heartthrobs. When Rick Navarro came home it was to accept a job and, as a single dad, to make the best home possible for his son. That’s Rick’s entire world: his son, his job. Until single mum Summer Adair shows up. But then the past Rick wants to ignore rears up to haunt him in ways he never expected—and in the same way Summer’s past won’t let go of her. Yet in two single lives that seem to run parallel in so many ways, and still remain divided, there’s a greater purpose—their children—to bring them together.

I’ve loved writing these three stories about what brings people home and how love enables them to stay there. And, as always, I love hearing from you, so please feel free to email me at [e-mail]

Wishing you health and happiness!

Dianne

About the Author

Now that her children have left home, DIANNE DRAKE is finally finding the time to do some of the things she adores: gardening, cooking, reading, shopping for antiques. Her absolute passion in life, however, is adopting abandoned and abused animals. Right now Dianne and her husband, Joel, have a little menagerie of three dogs and two cats, but that’s always subject to change. A former symphony orchestra member, Dianne now attends the symphony as a spectator several times a month and, when time permits, takes in an occasional football, basketball or hockey game.

Recent titles by Dianne Drake:

FIREFIGHTER WITH A FROZEN HEART** THE DOCTOR’S REASON TO STAY** FROM BROODING BOSS TO ADORING DAD THE BABY WHO STOLE THE DOCTOR’S HEART* CHRISTMAS MIRACLE: A FAMILY* HIS MOTHERLESS LITTLE TWINS* NEWBORN NEEDS A DAD*

** New York Hospital Heartthrobs * Mountain Village Hospital

These books are also available in ebook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk

The

Runaway Nurse

Dianne Drake

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHAPTER ONE

“DADDY!”

Rick Navarro braced for the impact the instant he stepped through the door, and he wasn’t disappointed when his son launched himself through the air straight into Rick’s arms. This had been cute when Chris was two or three, even four. But he was six now, a big boy for his age at that, and Rick did have to admit that while he hated to break that tradition, Chris’s little flying act now had the potential to knock the wind out of him if he didn’t prepare himself for it. “Easy, sport,” he said, as the boundless bundle of energy hit him dead center in the chest.

“Johnny Redmond let me ride Toffee today! All by myself! And I didn’t fall off.”

“You didn’t? Well, that’s great!” he said, sorry to have missed it. But duty called. He couldn’t help it. Such was the life of a single dad and he hoped that someday, when he looked back, he wouldn’t turn out to be one of those parents who could count the missed moments. Because he was trying to find the balance. Working hard at it. Some days succeeding, some days not. Tough jobs, being a dad, being the head of a hospital. Life was good, though. Not perfect, but good. “I hope somebody took some pictures,” Rick said, easing his son to the ground.

“Lots of them. And a video. Mrs. Jenkins said you should be able to see the whole thing.”

God bless Mrs. Jenkins for that. “I’m sorry I didn’t get there,” Rick said. “I really wanted to, but I couldn’t leave the hospital. You did thank Mr. Redmond for letting you ride, though, didn’t you?”

“Yes. And he said I could come back any time. And it’s OK you didn’t get there. You had to take care of sick people.”

Age six, and Chris was so … wise. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve a kid this great, but there wasn’t a day gone by he didn’t thank God for his good fortune. Christopher Ricardo Navarro was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he regretted nothing about the way he’d come to be a single dad. Not one single thing. “Did you go for ice cream afterwards?”

Chris shook his head. “Mrs. Jenkins said she was saving that for you since she’s dia-dia …” He frowned, shrugged.

“Diabetic. Means she can’t eat much sugar.” Well, at least one bright spot in his day was opening up … a date at the ice-cream shop downtown. He glanced over Chris’s shoulder to the portly older woman who was waving goodbye to him as she scooted out the back door. She was a treasure. Loved Chris, didn’t mind the sometimes odd hours she was called on to take care of him. A literal godsend. But not a mother, and that’s what made Rick feel guilty. Chris had never known a mother, never known the nurturing of another woman besides Mrs. Jenkins. To be sure, it was a loss, but not one Chris even recognized, as it had been just the two of them since the day of his birth. Father and son … “So, how about I go take a quick shower then we’ll head on down to Benson’s Ice Creamery and see what the flavor of the day is?”

“Chocolate chocolate,” Chris said, resolutely. “That’s what I want. Mrs. Jenkins let me call them and they told me it’s chocolate chocolate. I want mine with chocolate sprinkles.”

A boy who knew his own mind. Rick smiled with pride as he stepped around Chris and mussed the boy’s curly black hair. “That’s exactly what I want, too,” he said. “With extra sprinkles.” He was a lucky man. If only the lucky man could find a couple more hours every day to spend with his son, his life would be perfect. “Oh, and put on another shirt. That one looks like you’ve already had a little chocolate chocolate.”

Summer Adair glanced in the front window of Benson’s Ice Creamery, debating the expense. Actually, she was debating whether or not she could buy Alyssa a scoop of vanilla and not succumb to the temptation herself. Pennies counted these days. Especially lately, when there weren’t so many of them coming in, and the ones she had saved were, of necessity, guarded carefully. Grace Corbett had left her a nice sum, enough to help her get by for a while if she was careful. Very generous, considering that Grace had been her employer, not a family member. And there was the cottage … that was a huge blessing. Small, and just on the edge of the Gracie Estate, it was perfect for her and Alyssa. More than that, it was all hers! Another instance of Grace’s generosity. Her very own home … it was the first time she’d ever owned anything of her own outside a few trifles. With this new life and new opportunities simply handed to her, Summer was still a cautious woman in everything she did, including wasting money on a little treat for herself.

“Do you want some ice cream?” she asked Alyssa, positive her daughter, aged four, wouldn’t say no, especially to the bright lights and pretty colors of Benson’s—all designed to capture a child’s eye. Sure, she bought ice cream at the grocery store occasionally. But, darn it, you had to indulge your child sometimes, didn’t you? God knew, there hadn’t been many indulgences for either her or Alyssa since Grace Corbett had died. But here she was, debating a scoop of ice cream like it was a new car she was purchasing. Thinking in those terms, it seemed a little silly, actually. Especially since it was for Alyssa.

“Ice cream, Mommy,” Alyssa said, standing on tiptoe to look into the parlor window. “Can we please go in?”

“Tough choices inside,” a deep, familiar voice commented from over her shoulder.

Rather than turning to see him, she looked at Rick Navarro in the window’s reflection, and bit the inside of her lip to keep herself from grinning a schoolgirl grin that stretched from ear to ear. She really liked Rick. Handsome man. Bronzed skin. Large, broad shoulders. To-die-for wavy black hair. Nice smile. A real breath-taker, if you were inclined to want your breath taken. Which she wasn’t. Still, she was human. Flesh and blood, beating heart that was beating a couple ticks faster now that his breath was tickling the back of her neck. And he was a very nice view, even in reflection. Something she’d been trying not to notice for months. Failing miserably, however. “Not when you have a picky eater. She likes vanilla.”

“No sprinkles?” he asked.

Summer shook her head. “So far she hasn’t wandered into the world of sprinkles. I’ve tried keeping things a little more simple than that.” She glanced at Chris, who was pointing out to Alyssa a picture in Benson’s window of an ice-cream cone with sprinkles. “Although I suppose it’s coming, isn’t it?”

“Probably sooner than you think. So, would you two ladies care to join us two gents for ice cream?” Rick asked. “With sprinkles?”

“Sprinkles?” Alyssa mimicked, pointing to the picture in the window. “Can I have sprinkles, too, Mommy?” “You’ve started something,” Summer said to Rick. He tossed Summer a wink. “Wait until she knows she can have whipped cream and a cherry on top. That’s when the fun really begins because it will lead to things like ice-cream sundaes, banana splits, milk shakes …”

“Oh, I think sprinkles are enough for one day.” Did she look pathetic, gazing into the store longingly, nose pressed to the window? Or was Rick simply being kind? He was a nice man. Also, her boss, part time. So far, though, there hadn’t been a reason for anything other than loosely casual, translated to mean safe at a distance—the way she tried to keep herself with everybody. “Then it’s an ice-cream date?” OK, maybe not as loosely casual as she’d thought. But the word date startled her a little. She didn’t date. Wouldn’t date. Wouldn’t budge on her position about that either. Of course, she was sure Rick hadn’t meant anything by date. She was also sure she had to quit overreacting to things that weren’t meant to be anything other than what they were. Like this. It was meant to be ice cream. Nothing more. Yet overreacting was a foible of her nature, more ingrained than she wanted it to be, especially these past couple of years. “An ice-cream … date. For one, though. I, um … I don’t indulge.”

“Only one?” Rick asked, holding the parlor door open for them. “Am I going to have to use some fancy persuasion to get you to change your mind?”

Chris went in first, and ran straight to the see-through display of all forty kinds of ice cream. Alyssa got caught up in the excitement and broke right away from her mother, which caused Summer to panic. She didn’t let go of her daughter in public. Not ever. Too many things could go wrong in the blink of an eye, and while this was only a small ice-cream shop where nothing was more than a few feet away from her, the sensation of fear, mixed with the need to grab Alyssa and run, nearly doubled her over. She resisted the outward manifestations, of course. Over time, being a single mother, the way she was, she’d gotten good at putting on the right outward appearance for the occasion, even when her gut was knotting and her lungs were going into spasm. Like they were doing right now. “I’m not much of an ice-cream eater,” she said stepping up behind Alyssa, who was busy peering into the case at all the different kinds of ice cream.

“What are these?” her daughter asked innocently, pointing to the virtual rainbow of colors.

Proof of a sheltered life, Summer thought, taking hold of Alyssa’s hand, instantly feeling better. “Ice cream comes in different flavors, and different flavors come in different colors.”

“Would you like some samples?” the boy on the other side of the case asked. He was about sixteen, seemed harmless. Wasn’t paying more attention to one person than another, Summer noted, finally relaxing a little.

“She likes vanilla,” Summer said, deliberately not looking at the disappointment she knew would be registering on Alyssa’s face. OK, so her own panic reactions were about to ruin her daughter’s whole experience. Summer couldn’t help the panic. It was a given in her life now. Always on caution. But to deprive Alyssa because of her problems? She couldn’t do that. Wouldn’t do that. “But, yes, a few samples would be good. Thank you.”

“Chris is really into the chocolate chocolate,” Rick suggested from behind her.

Standing so close to her, his voice practically in her ear … Summer startled again. Sucked in a sharp breath, held it until the panic passed, then let it out. “Chocolate chocolate’s fine,” she said, then also picked out one sample of strawberry, and one of mint chocolate chip for her daughter.

“You’re really not going to have anything?” Rick asked her. “I mean, look at all these flavors. Bubble-gum surprise, blue goo, mystery chunks … They all sound pretty tempting to me.”

She reached over and took a mini spoon of chocolate chocolate from the counter boy, handed it to Alyssa, then turned to Rick. “Maybe they tempt you, but they scare me. Blue goo, for example. What, exactly, goes into ice cream that turns it blue? And I don’t even want to think about the goo part.”

“Then have vanilla. It’s safe. No surprises. Not particularly imaginative, but very good for the soul in its dependability.”

She took another sample and handed it to Alyssa. Actually, dependability for the soul was everything she wanted in her life … in her world. And it had nothing to do with vanilla ice cream “The soul?”

“Any ice cream is good for the soul.”

“Just how do you figure that?”

“It makes you feel good. Makes you happy. Puts a smile on your face.”

Exactly what she needed but couldn’t have for more than moments at a time. Summer did smile for one of those moments, though, thinking about that life, thinking about how hard Rick was working to make her happy right then. She didn’t smile often, but she really appreciated his enthusiasm. More than that, she was flattered by the way he was trying so hard to make this a nice experience for her. Nobody, other than Grace Corbett, had done that for her in a very long time.

“See, I’m right. You’re smiling already. And you haven’t even eaten any ice cream.”

“Maybe I’m not hungry,” she said, taking the third mini-spoon and handing it to Alyssa.

“But eating ice cream isn’t about being hungry. It’s about … relaxing. Kicking back, letting the day’s troubles go, even if for only a little while. Enjoying a simple pleasure.”

As if she could. “So, what if I raise the calorie argument? Tell you that I’m watching my weight.” Which wasn’t true. If anything, it was a struggle to keep weight on these days, thanks to the stress. “Will you quit trying to force feed me ice cream then?”

Rick moved backwards a step, then took a long deliberate look at her, toe to head and back again. “Trust me … and this is strictly a professional medical opinion … you don’t have any worries in the weight department. Besides …” he pointed to the five-gallon tub at the end of the display “… sugar-free, low-fat.”

In spite of herself, Summer’s smile bubbled into laughter. It was a simple thing, really. Go with the moment. Have a scoop of ice cream. Enjoy herself. “OK, so maybe one scoop … blue goo, though. Not vanilla. It’s so … ordinary.”

“So the lady really knows how to cut loose,” Rick commented, then stepped forward to order the rest of the ice cream … chocolate chocolate all the way around, except for the blue goo. “Extra sprinkles for everybody,” he said. “And, Chris, why don’t you and Alyssa go play in Kiddieland while we wait?”

“Kiddieland?” A knot of panic rose up in Summer again as she looked across the parlor at the sectioned-off area for children. It was full of games and toys, little penny rides in the form of horses and dinosaurs, and small tables meant for the kids to enjoy their treats without the parents breathing down their necks. A perfect place for children, as a matter of fact. And it scared her to death. “Um, Alyssa and I don’t really have time to—” Before her words were out, Alyssa had broken free of Summer’s hand once more and scampered off with Chris.

“It’s really very safe,” Rick said.

“I, urn …” There was no explaining this away. She was an over-protective parent. Alyssa grew up in a very guarded world. That was just the way it was. “I’m worried about the germs,” she lied.

“There’s not anything there she won’t be exposed to anywhere else. And Tom Benson is fastidious about cleaning everything every day. Sometimes several times a day.” He paused, contemplated her for a moment. “Are you OK, Summer? You look … nervous.”

She was. And she was embarrassed it showed so much. “We live a quiet life. I probably go a little overboard with Alyssa, but she’s all I have in the world.” Not really a good explanation, but good enough.

“Well, I do understand that,” he said, taking two of the ice-cream cones and handing them to Summer. “Chris is all I have, and I treasure my time with him. Maybe go overboard myself, spoiling him a little, probably trying to compensate, or even overcompensate, in some ways, for his not having a mother around.”

That much was true. Over-protecting, over-compensating … it was what she did, who she was. Or who she’d turned into. There was nothing in her parenting that happened by chance. Not even by trial and error. For her, every bit of it was a well-planned daily existence. “Whatever works,” she said, following Rick across the room to the table that sat square in the middle of the front window. Table with a view, overlooking main street. Best one in the house. But not the one Summer wanted. So, while Rick took ice cream cones to the children, she moved to a more secluded table in the corner, and took the seat with the best view of Kiddieland.

“He’s a really good father,” Julie Corbett said, stepping up to Summer. Julie had her niece, Molly Corbett, in tow. “I knew Rick when we were kids, would have never pictured him this way. But he does it right.”

Summer turned and smiled at Julie, who was married to Jess Corbett, one of the two owners of Lilly Lake Hospital. She and Julie worked together as nurses occasionally, as well as shared the same love for the abandoned and abused horses taken in and cared for by the Gracie Foundation. “How’s Edie feeling? I saw Rafe a couple of days ago and he said she’s ready to … well, his exact word was pop.” She laughed. “I remember that stage with Alyssa, where all I wanted to do was go into labor, get it over with, and move on into the next step of being a mother. For me, that’s when time really dragged out.” She was referring to Edie Corbett, who was married to the hospital’s other owner, Rafe, brother to Jess.

“Well, that’s what Edie’s going through right now. She’s ready to deliver any minute and getting pretty anxious about it since, technically, she’s a week overdue. Which is why I’ve got Molly for the day. Molly was being pretty rambunctious, and I thought Rafe and Edie could use some alone time before the blessed event … time without having to worry about Molly. Besides, after the new baby is born, that’s not going to happen again for a while.

So I thought this would be good for them. Especially for Edie, since Rafe’s all into pampering her right now.”

What a wonderful thought, spending those last moments before birth with the father of your child … the man you loved. She hadn’t had that. Hadn’t had anything even close to that. “I’m sure they appreciate it,” she said, sounding wistful.

“Aunt Julie, can I go play with Chris and Alyssa?” Molly asked, tugging at Julie’s hand.

Julie let go of her niece immediately, allowing her to scramble over to Kiddieland. “What kind of ice cream do you want?” she called after her.

“Chocolate,” Molly called back.

“The flavor of the day is chocolate chocolate, with extra sprinkles,” Summer said, her gaze fixed on the children. Taking quick peeks at Rick, though, when he wasn’t paying attention.

“And look at you, eating blue.”

“Yes, just look at me, eating blue.” She sighed, finally relaxing back into her chair. All in all, this whole ordeal was only a little thing. But sometimes those little things counted. If the expression on her daughter’s face right now meant anything, this impromptu trip to the ice-cream parlor was counting for a whole lot. Alyssa was glowing, playing with her friends. Having the time of her life. “Blue, with sprinkles.”

“Well, I think they’re all settled in for a few minutes,” Rick said, returning to the table, not mentioning a word about Summer’s table switch. Holding out a chair for Julie, he asked, “Care to join us?”

“I’d like to but I’ve got some phone calls to make. I thought I’d go sit in the other corner and work for a few minutes while Molly plays. With the ER expansion under way now, I’ve got a lot of new equipment to look at, more sales reps to talk to than I ever thought I’d have to deal with, and not enough hours in the day to get it all done.” She held up her cellphone. “So, work goes with me, even to Benson’s Ice Creamery. I appreciate the offer, but duty calls.” With that, she headed to the back corner of the parlor and sat down.

“She’s dedicated,” Rick said. “We’re lucky she decided to come back to Lilly Lake once she finished her education, because she’s got amazing talent as a nurse and also as an administrator.”

“She said you two go back a long time.” Somehow, she felt a little envious. Nobody in her life went back very far.

“We were kids. Ran around together for a while. Got into trouble a couple times.”

“Like boyfriend and girlfriend?” OK, that was none of her business, but she was curious.

He shook his head. “Nope. More like allies. Julie was one of Grace Corbett’s foster-children, and I was the son of Lawrence Corbett’s maid. We both felt a little left out or excluded from certain things. Gave us a common bond.” Thinking back, he grinned. “Or a common goal to raise a little hell wherever we could.”

Summer knew what feeling excluded felt like. These days, she felt it acutely herself. “Well, whatever kind of past she had, she’s certainly a talented woman … in her nursing skills, in her ability with horses.”

“You’re not bad with the horses yourself. And as a nurse, I’d rank you right up there with Julie. Speaking of nursing …”

As a nurse … she didn’t want to get into that issue right here. She and Rick had gone round and round before, and nothing had changed. She wasn’t going to take the full-time position he’d been offering her. So she quickly scuttled that part of conversation and turned it around to horses … safe territory. “Grace gave me that experience with horses. I love animals … all animals. Hadn’t ever been around horses, though. Didn’t grow up in a situation where anything like horseback riding was available to me. So when I moved into Gracie House to take care of her, she offered me the opportunity to do something I’d always wanted to do … learn to ride. And I loved it. Loved her for giving it to me.” A faint smile slipped to her lips, remembering that first day Grace had taken her down to the stables. She’d found Jasmine right off, a shy, gentle chestnut. Had fallen in love with her. A week later, Grace had given her Jasmine. “I really miss her,” she said fondly.

“So do I. Grace touched a lot of lives. Mine included, when she endowed me to go to medical school.” “She did that for you?”

Rick nodded. “At the time, I didn’t even know I wanted to be a doctor. I was in college, not majoring in anything. Kind of on the verge of washing out, actually.” He smiled. “Let me rephrase that. I was being a real screw-up. Mad at my mother, mad at the world in general. On academic probation, on disciplinary probation. Probably days away from being kicked to the curb. Then one day, Grace showed up at my dorm room, walked right in and made me an offer. Get my act together, start taking pre-med classes to see if I liked medicine. If I did, she’d send me to medical school.” He didn’t talk about himself much. No reason to. People here either remembered him as a kid and held onto their prejudices or accepted what he’d become, or they’d come to know him as an adult only and based their opinion on what they saw. He did his job, raised his kid, kept to himself. That was his world, and that was all he wanted in his world. But something about Summer compelled him to be, well, a little more loquacious than he normally was. In fact, Summer was the first person he’d ever told about Grace making his medical education available to him. He wasn’t even sure Rafe and Jess knew, and didn’t feel inclined to mention it to them.