The Best Laid Plans. Amy Vastine

potential to crush him.

      “He might need to come up with a better story than getting punched by a kid to explain that bruise, though. Something tells me the guys at the firehouse are not going to be very sympathetic,” Emma said.

      Truer words had never been spoken. It was bad enough that he had to fight for respect in the firehouse because he had chosen to be a paramedic and not a firefighter; the latter were always seen as being the “braver” of the two professions. Charlie was going to take a verbal beating over this incident. That kid couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred and twenty-five pounds soaking wet. He’d be hearing about this for months. At least until Jones did something stupid. Now that he thought about it, maybe he’d be off the hook sooner than later.

      “Maybe I staged the whole thing just to be taken care of by the lovely Nightingale.”

      Emma’s face turned red and she laughed in an attempt to mask the embarrassment. “Good one.”

      “See you around.” Charlie hopped off the bed and followed Serena down the hall and out of the ER.

      “Your Nurse Nightingale is nothing like Mean Teacher. I think this one has got potential,” Serena said as they got to the ambulance.

      Charlie was happy to get her approval but couldn’t resist giving her a hard time. “You better watch out, Serqueena. Nicknaming people is my thing.”

      Serena gave him a look that could kill. “Call me that again and you’re going to have to explain to the guys back at the house how you got beat up by a kid and a woman all in the same day.”

      Charlie could only smile. Just like the firefighters, he and Serena were family. She would most definitely give him her right hook if he kept it up, and he wouldn’t hesitate to give his life for hers.

       CHAPTER FIVE

      TODAY WAS THE DAY. Dr. Spencer was starting in the Saint Joseph’s ER this morning. All Emma had to do was make a good first impression and she knew the rest would work itself out. It always did. When she stuck to her plan, everything else simply fell into place.

      “Have you seen him yet?” Tammy asked as she approached the nurses’ station. Tammy, another nurse on duty, was married and had two sons, one in high school and the other in college. She often lamented that Emma wasn’t a few years younger so she could marry one of her boys.

      A silly-girl grin found its way to Emma’s face. “Not yet.”

      “Who are we talking about?” Tessa set down her tablet and her eyes moved back and forth from Tammy to Emma.

      “If you must know, Dr. Gavin, I’ve finally accepted that Emma is too old to be my daughter-in-law, so I am here to see to it that she finds herself a gorgeous, intelligent, wealthy man to settle down with. I believe our newest doc fits the bill,” Tammy answered with a wink.

      “My new intern? Oh, Em! Don’t let her talk you into marrying a doctor. We’re horrible creatures, really. Find yourself a nice plumber or maybe a sweet schoolteacher.”

      If all doctors treated their significant others the way Tessa treated her boyfriends, Emma would have taken the risk and changed her plans. Thankfully, Tessa was the exception to the rule. Therefore, she would not be deterred.

      Grace, the nursing assistant on duty, joined the conversation. “Oh, I think Emma should get together with that paramedic who’s always here. He is one tall drink of water.”

      “Charlie?” Emma could only laugh at such a suggestion. Charlie Fletcher was...Charlie. Granted, he was handsome and completely adorable, but he was the guy who lived below Max, the guy who gave everyone silly nicknames, the guy who was helping her plan Kendall’s wedding because Max didn’t trust her. Spy Charlie was not her favorite.

      “Oh, I know who you’re talking about,” Tammy said, nodding and waggling her eyebrows.

      “Why are you nodding? Stop nodding,” Emma demanded. She was not going to date Charlie. That was not the plan.

      Grace sighed. “He’s so totally charming. Did you hear him tell the story about delivering that baby a couple weeks ago? He was amazing.”

      “Paramedics usually know how to have a good time,” Tessa added, twirling her pen around her fingers. “Maybe I need to date him. What’s his name again?”

      Emma’s stomach knotted up. The thought of Tessa getting anywhere near Charlie made her want to wrestle her to the ground. That was an unexpected feeling, one she wasn’t about to give any credence to, so she quickly pushed it aside.

      “Knowing Charlie the way I do, I’d say he’d be a better fit for someone like Grace,” she said, fully aware that Grace had a boyfriend—a serious boyfriend who had taken her to look at engagement rings last month.

      “Don’t tease me.” Grace pulled on Emma’s ponytail before leaving to check on a patient.

      “You know the cute paramedic?” Tessa’s interest in Charlie was bothersome, and that in and of itself was even more bothersome. Charlie could date whomever he wanted. It shouldn’t matter to Emma one bit.

      “He’s my sister’s fiancé’s friend. I think he’s a little too nice for you. He’s...like our favorite psych resident.” It was a lie, but very effective in chasing Tessa away.

      “Well, never mind, then,” she said with a disgusted expression. “Did you recognize the guy who supposedly threw his back out sneezing? I feel like I’ve seen him before. I swear he’s the guy who wanted pain meds for some other injury not too long ago.”

      Emma had thought the same thing and did some digging. It wasn’t unusual for drug-seeking patients to use the emergency room to get their fix.

      “His records show he was here three months ago complaining of shoulder pain, and four months before that, he was here because of a shooting pain down his leg. No diagnosis—he was given pain meds and a referral.”

      “Suspicious,” Tessa said. “I’m going to give him my speech about the ER not being the best place for pain management and offer him some Tylenol.” She went to check on him, leaving the two nurses alone.

      “I saw what you did there,” Tammy said knowingly.

      “What?” Emma feigned obliviousness.

      “The paramedic likes you, too.”

      Did he? She shook it off. It didn’t matter. “I am not interested in Charlie,” she insisted.

      Paramedics hadn’t made the cut as her perfect mate because their job was a little too risky for Emma’s liking. Paramedics were right up there with firefighters and police officers in terms of on-the-job danger. Emma wanted someone whose career didn’t put him in harm’s way. A punch in the jaw from an autistic teenager was nothing, but paramedics in the city of Chicago dealt with much scarier things than that.

      Tammy threw her hands up. “Whatever you say. Maybe you were just being a good friend. Lord knows I wouldn’t let Dr. Gavin within a hundred yards of my boys.”

      That was it. She was being a good friend. Emma could absolutely be friends with Charlie. There were no rules against that. Being friends wouldn’t interfere with her well-laid plans.

      Emma’s next patient was a five-year-old boy who had fallen off a park swing and possibly broken his arm. His father had brought him in and seemed rather anxious. He kept checking his phone, unable to sit still.

      The little boy’s name was Oliver Grady, and he reminded Emma of her nephew. She got him settled in an exam room and put in the request for an X-ray. While they waited, she blew up a latex glove and drew a smiley face on it.

      “Can you hold on to this with your good hand?” she asked Oliver, who nodded with tear-stained cheeks. “Whatever I do to you, I’ll do to Mr. Smiley first,