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KIM BALDWIN. “I thought you got your bachelor’s at Western and your master’s at Michigan State
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“I thought you got your bachelor’s at Western and your master’s at Michigan State. When did you go to U of M?”
Erin glanced down at her sweatshirt and shrugged. “All they had in the hospital gift shop. I was getting chilly.”
“Why didn’t you go home?”
Erin shrugged. “Thought you might like to have a friendly face nearby when you woke up. I know you weren’t keen on coming here.”
“I hate hospitals.”
“I F gured. And I hate conF ned, dark spaces and you helped me with that, so here I am.”
“You know, you’re probably going to run into a lot of conF ned, dark spaces when you start going out on callouts and get trained to go into buildings,” Gable said. “Have you thought about that?”
“Yes, I have,” Erin said. “I’m optimistic I can deal with it when there’s a job to do and I’m focused on that. Whenever there are distractions in a situation like that—like when you talked to me the night of the tornado—that really makes it easier.”
“You know if you run into a touchy situation and I can help, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Erin grinned at her. “I know that. And I want you to know the same goes for me.”
An attractive nurse with short hair the color of copper came into the room with a clipboard in one hand. “Hi, hero,” she greeted Gable as she approached the bedside. “Just got done signing out the boy you saved. You’re next.”
She handed the clipboard to Gable and raised the head of the bed until Gable was sitting up, then she leaned forward until she was close enough to point at the paperwork. “I need you to sign here,” she turned a page, “and here.”
The nurse didn’t move away while Gable signed; her proximity seemed somehow familiar, enough so that Gable looked directly at her when she handed the clipboard back.
The nurse gave her a big smile and held her eyes a little too long as she took the clipboard. “My name is Sheri,” she said. She was not in a hurry to leave. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you, won’t you? If you need a ride home, I get off in a couple of hours.”
What the hell? Oh my God, this woman is hitting on me! Gable couldn’t F nd her tongue for a moment. She blushed, which only made the nurse smile more.
• 124 •
FORCE OF NATURE
“I’m F ne, really.” She shot a glance at Erin, who was watching the exchange with an unreadable expression. “I have a ride.”
“All righty. Well, if you change your mind, I’ll be at the nurses’
station.” The nurse headed for the door. “Hit your buzzer when you’re ready to leave, and I’ll wheel you out.”
“I can take care of it,” Erin said coolly. “If you’ll bring a wheelchair by.”
“I can walk out,” Gable said.
“Hospital policy,” Sheri informed her. “Your friend can take you out. I’ll get the chair.”
“Need help getting dressed?” Erin asked Gable after the nurse had gone.
“No!” Gable said, a bit too quickly. “Uh…I can manage. Where are my things?”
“Carl took your turnout gear with him. Said he’d get it to you later.
The rest of your things should be here.” Erin went to a tiny closet and opened it. “Whew!” She grimaced as she brought Gable’s jeans, shirt, bra, socks, panties and shoes to the bed.
Gable could smell it too, from several feet away. Her clothes absolutely stank of smoke. But she didn’t have many options if she wanted to get out of there. She eased her legs off one side of the bed and slipped to the f oor. One hand held her clothes tight to her chest. The other held the hospital gown closed over her bare bottom. She padded slowly to the room’s tiny bathroom and went inside to change.
Would you still offer to help me get dressed if you knew I was gay?
she wondered as she pulled up her jeans. Her thoughts strayed to the nurse. Maybe I just need to get laid. Maybe that will put out this F rethat’s been burning inside me since I F rst set eyes on Erin. Maybe.
v
They didn’t talk much on the ride home in the Jeep. Erin insisted on driving, and Gable was happy to let her. She was preoccupied thinking about what Carl had said. You’d be a lot happier if you at leasttold her you were gay.
Would she? Attempting to be rational, she weighed the pros and cons of coming out to Erin.
If you tell her, it could change things. That was her greatest fear—that telling Erin would irreparably harm their friendship. No matter
• 125 •
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