Friend, Fling, Forever?. Janice Lynn

friend. She hadn’t heard anyone registering. Her friend had purposely left her and Gabe alone. Mindy had a distinct lack of subtlety.

      “Good to know that since you don’t plan to buy my package, you at least plan to save me by convincing others to bid.”

      “What are friends for?”

      He met her gaze. “I’ve already answered that question.”

      “True.” Still feeling irked at Mindy’s comments, she gave him a tight smile. “And we’ve already established that I’m not bidding on you.”

      “I’d spot you the money. Imagine—you’d get a fun-filled day in beautiful Gatlinburg, my company, and you wouldn’t even have to save your pennies.”

      “You’re wasting your breath.”

      “Talking to you is never wasted breath.”

      “Don’t try sweet-talking me, Gabe. I know you better than to buy into that garbage.”

      He held his hands up. “Hey, I was making a legitimate observation, not trying to woo you into bidding on me.”

      “Right.”

      He laughed. “Okay, you’re right. I was trying to woo you into winning my bid. Can you blame me?”

      She gave him a look she hoped said she sure could.

      “Fine,” he relented. “But I do enjoy our conversations, Kam. You make me smile.”

      He made her smile, too, but she wasn’t convinced that was what he’d meant.

      “How is Ms. Guffrey?” she asked to redirect the subject to work. “Any news of how her cardiac tests are holding?”

      “She’s stable. We’re thinking she just panicked and that’s where the new symptoms came in. I sure didn’t want to send her home and her have an MI.”

      “Agreed. I’m glad she’s doing okay.”

      He glanced at his watch. “Only another hour until the end of our shift. You want to go for pancakes with me?”

      Surprised at his repeated offer from the day before, Kami frowned. “Why would I do that?”

      “Because you didn’t go yesterday and you have me curious.”

      “About?”

      “You know what.” He waggled his brows.

      It took her only a second to realize what he referred to.

      “Puh-leese. That’s what this is about? You want to know how talented I am with my mouth?”

      As the words came out of her mouth, Kami realized how her comment could be interpreted. Her cheeks flushed hot.

      “That’s not…” At his laughter, Kami’s face burned even hotter. “You know what I meant, Gabriel Nelson, and what I didn’t mean.”

      “Do I?”

      She narrowed her eyes. “You know you do.”

      He crossed his arms and leaned against the desk. “Maybe, but saying I don’t might be a lot more fun. Why are your cheeks so red, Kam?”

      Deciding that ignoring him was the best approach, Kami grabbed a brochure and fanned her face. “It is hot in here, isn’t it?”

      Which was a joke if Kami ever heard one. The emergency department was notoriously cool—purposely so to help keep germs down.

      But, for once, the area felt blazing.

      “Not particularly.” His grin was still in place. “Even better than you going for pancakes with whipped cream and cherries with me would be if you did that and went to work out with me. That would send Baxter the message that he was wasting his time, for sure.”

      “If I ate pancakes then tried to work out, I’d be sick, so, in that regard, you’re right about sending a message.”

      He laughed. “We could have breakfast after we work out.”

      She looked at him as if he was crazy. “Again, wrong girl, Gabe. I’m not a gym rat and I’m not a girl who would work out on an empty stomach.”

      His gaze ran over her. “You look like you could be.”

      “Is that a compliment?”

      One corner of his mouth slid upward. “It wasn’t an insult.”

      Kami fought to keep heat from flooding her face again. “Either way, I’m not going to the gym.”

      “You don’t want to see the new and improved Baxter?”

      Not that she could go anyway since she had to go feed Bubbles, but Kami pointed out, “You don’t even know he’ll be there this morning.”

      “Then you do want to see him?” Gabe sounded surprised.

      “No, I don’t want to see Baxter. That’s why I broke things off.”

      Gabe immediately seized on her comment. “I thought your relationship ended due to a mutual decision.”

      “It did. Mutual means I told him things weren’t working and he agreed.” She glared at Gabe. “Would you stop twisting what I’m saying?”

      Feigning innocence, he put his hands up in front of him. “I’m doing nothing of the sort. I’m just trying to buy you breakfast. Quite friendly of me, I’d say.”

      “You just want to harass me into buying your bid,” she countered, knowing it was true. Gabe was her friend, but he was a guy and guys had ulterior motives, right?

      “Perhaps,” he agreed. “But I was serious about buying you breakfast. We could discuss the fund-raiser.”

      “What about it?”

      “I could help in ways besides the auction.”

      “Uh-uh.” She shook her head. “You’re not getting out of the auction, Gabe. We’re auctioning off five men and five women and you’re the big-ticket item.”

      Grinning, he asked, “You think so?”

      Despite all her efforts to prevent the heat, her face went hot again.

      “Women seem to think so.” At his pleased look, she added, “Especially Debbie.”

      That ought to simmer his arrogance down. If not, the brilliant idea that hit her would.

      “I’m thinking of asking if she’ll use her television connections for local publicity to raise awareness of the fund-raiser.”

      Rather than look annoyed, he looked impressed. “That’s brilliant. You want me to check with her?”

      A bit floored he’d be willing since he was making such a big deal of the woman planning to buy his date, Kami nodded. Garnering as much free publicity as possible was important and she should have thought of Gabe’s connection to the local television station sooner. “Would you?”

      His eyes danced. “For you?”

      “For Beverly and her baby,” she corrected.

      “If it would help Beverly’s baby get a new heart, I’d talk to the devil himself.”

      Kami didn’t recall Debbie being anywhere near that bad, but she’d only met the woman a couple of times when she’d shown up at the emergency department to bring Gabe a late dinner or a cup of his favorite coffee. On television, she smiled often as she made over homes in the Eastern Tennessee area and seemed nice enough.

      “Great.” Kami rubbed her palms together. “Encourage her to pay plenty when she wins that Gatlinburg getaway. Sounds like fun.”

      “Obviously not fun enough. I can’t convince you to bid.”

      “Can