The Best Laid Plans. Amy Vastine

“See, he didn’t pop. Let’s try you.” She listened to the little boy’s heartbeat, which slowed as he relaxed. “Good job.”

      “Ollie’s very brave, aren’t you, bud?” Mr. Grady stood beside the bed and gently swept the boy’s hair out of his eyes. “I could use some of that bravery for when his mom gets here. She’s going to kill me.”

      “Accidents happen, right?”

      “Not when my ex-wife is in charge of him. Accidents are always my fault.” He ran his hand through his hair as his phone beeped with a text. He checked it and held it up for Emma to see. “Told you she was going to kill me.”

      That was exactly what the text said. She planned to kill him when she got to the hospital. Angry exes in the ER were never a good thing. Emma made a mental note to ask the intake nurse to give her a heads-up when Oliver’s mom arrived.

      “We’ll make sure everyone survives this trip to the emergency room,” she promised. “Now, Oliver, I need you to do one thing for me while we wait for an X-ray.” She grabbed the bag of ice she had brought in with her and set it on top of the blown-up glove. “Mr. Smiley can handle a little ice. I bet you can, too.”

      The boy cringed and tightly squeezed his eyes shut as she lifted the bag and set it gently on his swollen and most likely broken arm. His face relaxed and his eyes opened. “That doesn’t hurt,” he said with obvious surprise.

      “I knew you could handle it.” Emma smiled and ruffled his hair. “I’ll be right back, tough guy.”

      The best thing to do was avoid trouble before trouble happened. Emma went out to the waiting area to follow up with the intake nurse. Unfortunately, it appeared that Oliver’s mom was already there. Perhaps what gave her away was the woman’s insistence that she be allowed to see her son “this second or else.” Or maybe it was her threats to press charges against her ex-husband for neglect.

      “I can take her back,” Emma offered. “Her son is waiting for an X-ray.”

      The intake nurse was more than happy to pass the irate woman off. Even the people waiting in the family-and-patient room seemed relieved to see her go.

      Emma tried to appeal to the more rational side of the former Mrs. Grady that had to be dwelling somewhere inside. “He’s been very brave and is resting comfortably. We see so many kids this time of year who get carried away at the park or fall off a bike—it’s really not that unusual. He’s going to be fine, but it’s really important that we keep him calm.”

      “This never would have happened if it weren’t for his father’s inability to do anything right,” she snapped.

      Clearly, she was not going to let her ex off the hook so easily. Emma would have to be more direct. “I understand you’re worried, but Oliver needs to know everything is okay. He needs his parents to get along while we do our best to get him fixed up.”

      “I think I know what my son needs.” The woman’s face turned red.

      Emma was treading on thin ice. Instead of backing down, she smiled as sweetly as she could. “Good, because I would hate to have to escort you out of the ER after I just brought you in.” She pointed to Oliver’s room. “He’s right over there. Exam room five.”

      Oliver’s mom harrumphed, but thankfully she headed into the room without any words for his dad. Satisfied that she had prevented a fight, Emma spun around to tell Tammy about her good deed but accidentally slammed into someone instead. Not just any someone. The someone.

      Dr. Spencer was a pretty man. His honey-blond hair was carefully and purposely styled to look messy, and his big brown eyes exuded the perfect mix of warmth and wonder. He steadied her with his hands and began to apologize at the same time she did.

      The sound of his laughter was like a gentle breeze on a warm day, exactly what she needed. “I’d give you a hard time about not watching where you’re going, but I never complain when a beautiful woman bumps into me.”

      This was not how she wanted to make a first impression. Running him over wasn’t part of the plan. She tried to forget it and focus on the fact that he wasn’t bothered by her clumsiness. “I appreciate the compliment.”

      His smile revealed two rows of the straightest and whitest teeth Emma had ever seen. “I appreciate the bump, Nurse—” he studied her name tag “—Everhart.”

      “Well, until we bump again, Doctor.” He laughed once more and stepped around her. Heat rose up her neck to her cheeks. Her plan had been to impress him with her wit and skills. Instead, she’d been ridiculous. He had dazzled the brain right out of her head.

      She watched as he pushed the sliding door to Oliver’s room open and greeted the boy’s parents. Taking a deep breath, she told herself that years from now she and Dr. Spencer would reminisce about how they’d first met by colliding outside the room of the boy with a broken arm. He’d tease her about having been so awkward and she’d admit to enjoying the contact more than she should have. They would both laugh and remember the moment fondly.

      “It is your fault!” someone screamed from the examination room. “If you used your head, you would have realized he’s too little to go on the swings!”

      “You treat him like a baby! He’s a boy. He likes to run around and go on the swings and get dirty.”

      “That doesn’t mean he can jump off a swing eight feet in the air!”

      Emma headed over to run interference. Dr. Spencer didn’t need to deal with this on his first day.

      “How would you know how high he was when he jumped? You weren’t there.”

      “I have witnessed your incompetence firsthand more times than I’d care to admit.”

      “Oh, come on, Laurie. I’m sure you’d love to tell everyone exactly how many times I’ve screwed up. You probably have a nice long list in that briefcase of yours. Please, tell the doctor all about it!” Mr. Grady’s face was almost purple. His ex-wife was equally enraged. Poor Oliver seemed on the verge of tears, while Dr. Spencer looked absolutely shell-shocked.

      “Excuse me,” Emma said as she closed the door behind her. “This is a hospital. There are very sick people here who gain nothing from hearing the two of you air out your differences in public. If you cannot keep your voices down, I will have you both removed from the emergency room. I thought I made that clear, Mrs. Grady.”

      “He started it,” she replied like a child.

      Mr. Grady snorted. “Seriously?”

      “Believe this—I will end it.” Emma meant business. If there was one thing she didn’t tolerate in the ER, it was grown men and women behaving badly, especially when she knew they knew better. “Dr. Spencer is here to help your son, not to referee your shouting match. I suggest you let him do his job.”

      The two sparring parents retreated to their corners. Dr. Spencer’s mouth hung open as he stared wide-eyed at Emma. One corner of Oliver’s lips curled up ever so slightly in a silent thank-you.

      “Carry on, Dr. Spencer,” she said with a nod.

      He came to his senses, a smile replacing the previous dumbfounded expression on his face. “Thank you very much, Nurse Everhart.”

      Emma left the room with one more warning glance in Mrs. Grady’s direction. Mission accomplished. Dr. Spencer was thoroughly impressed. Her plan was moving along brilliantly.

      * * *

      AFTER WORK, Emma went straight to Kendall’s house. There was no little boy to greet her at the door. She found her sister relaxing on the couch, listening to music with her eyes closed.

      “Where’s Simon?”

      Hopefully, Kendall’s serenity was contagious. She didn’t bother to look at Emma when she answered. “Boys’ night out with Max and Charlie.”

      “No