Wyatt Cocker (Cocker Brothers Book 23), стр. 15

That’s all I’ve got.

Oh.

Rolling his eyes, Wyatt’s government-issued boots do an about-face, badge catching in the light.

Even though I get it now, I feel terrible leaving her in a line that rivals Disney World in July.

Nevertheless, I step out of position to follow Wyatt.

He spins around, surprising me and the irritated clavicle by calmly inviting her, “Would you please follow me?”

Relief waves over her, and the three of us walk to the front. She and I exchange a look that he’s kind of a nice guy. How’d he get to be that handsome and that nice?

Washington assesses our situation, a quick deduction rendering questions unnecessary. He turns to tell the nurse they’re adding a patient of priority, but Wyatt interrupts.

“This woman needs to be looked at right away. Before our victim.”

I make a shocked noise at being called a victim, followed by a sardonic laugh under my breath.

“You have a problem?” he asks.

“You’re starting to annoy me.”

His eyes steel.

So do mine.

But the reception nurse is smitten. “Absolutely!” she gushes. “Whatever you want. Seriously, anything.”

Wyatt stares at her, unblinking. A frown pierces his eyebrows as he realizes she is coming onto him at one of the weirdest times anybody could do such a thing.

His expression can’t figure out which emotion to choose. Giving up, he grumbles, “Good,” flicks a fiery look my way, pulls out his phone and announces, “I forgot to call in our location.”

Washington watches him march off, turning to explain, “The police department will cover the cost of Diana’s visit. It was my car that hit her.”

Everybody within hearing distance shifts to get a better look at me.

“I’m fine!” I sigh.

“Oh!” the nurse frowns.

“It was the storm,” he offers as if that’s all the explanation anyone needs. And maybe it would be if he weren’t a cop and they’re not supposed to drive over people.

Growing irritated at the many eyeballs that don’t look convinced he’s innocent, Washington touches my back like a father would, “Come on,” and guides me toward an open door and out of the waiting area.

Patients hobble past us, nurses and doctors zipping by. I almost point out that I’m barely limping, but it’s a moot point now.

Remembering the clavicle I glance back, “But what about…?”

“She still has to fill out the paperwork.”

“Oh.”

I hope I don’t have to. There is nothing more boring than filling out paperwork at hospitals. It’s even less exciting than cutting my toenails.

A frowning white coat spots the deputy, eyes clouded by the many wounded she’s handled today. His arrival is better than a glass of white wine at the end of her shift. “Washington! Look at you in your wet uniform. I thought you looked good dry but, mmm mmm mmm, this beats that.” She touches his gargantuan bicep. “My rough day suddenly doesn’t feel so bad when you feel this good.”

His teeth light up the bleak corridor, and the distance between the two uniforms shrinks. “Dr. Bell, I don’t want to assume and I can’t be positive so let me just ask you” He pauses a flirtatious beat. “Are you objectifying me?”

“That depends.” Her eyebrows fly up, smile knowing. “Do men mind being objectified the same way we do?”

A laugh so deep and loud breaks out I can feel it in my chest. On it rides his answer, “We sure don’t. Most of us anyhow.”

His infectious laughter alerts Wyatt he missed out. Cutting a momentary glance to me, he struts up with his hand on his heavy belt. “You talkin’ about that reception-nurse?”

His partner’s smile flickers, a question in his eyes.

Wyatt explains, “You're laughing. I thought maybe you were laughing at her hitting on me.”

“Not everything is about you, Cocker.” Long strides take him away…from all of us.

“I didn’t say it was!”

“Yeah ya did.”

Wyatt slowly follows his partner, so as not to give up his cool. “I thought you were laughing about that.”

Washington waves behind him, “Old news.”

Dr. Bell is where he left her, watching him go. “How obvious does a woman have to be before a man will finally ask her out?” The question is directed at me in an effort to solve a puzzle before it haunts her whole day. Our eyes lock for just long enough to agree that we will never fully understand men. And that glint shining from both of us says we don’t want to admit it, but we kinda love that. “What can I do?”

“You could ask him out.”

Dr. Bell smirks, “I’m from the South, honey.”

“Me too.”

Throwing him one last longing glance, she sighs and leaves me without a doctor or the cops who keep insisting I need one.

I could just go home.

Wyatt thought I had anyway.

Chasing him down a street or no — I’m getting irritated by his big ego.

Why don’t I do that?

My bed was calling to me and I refused to listen in order to keep my promise. I kept it. Mission accomplished. Thanks to this accident, I can’t jog tomorrow. So why not give in and cuddle up with a good book and a lot less argument?

“Not so fast,” Cocker warns me as I look toward the door.

I purse my lips. “Deputy, I’m not under arrest and I’m an adult so I could leave if I wanted to.”

“You’re an adult? Really? I’m having a hard time seeing that as a possibility.”

A few swearwords catch in my throat. Can you curse at a police officer? I would love to find out. Another time. After I’ve looked it up.

He points. “Go over there and see the doctor immediately or I will bring you there.”

I snort, “I would like to see you try.”

Wyatt lunges for me. I yelp.

He throws me over his shoulder like a rat doll.

The wet kind.