Doctor, Soldier, Daddy. Caro Carson
trimmed my bangs a couple days ago. They were getting in my eyes.” She hated this feeling, like she was missing a piece of a puzzle somewhere.
“You look nice.”
Good lord, what was going on? Kendry felt herself turn ten shades of red.
Dr. MacDowell nodded once, like that was the end of that subject. Then he picked up his sandwich. “Have you met our new heart patient, little guy named Eric Raines? He came through the E.R. yesterday with a very unusual cardiac rhythm.”
Thank goodness the conversation was going back on its normal track. They usually discussed any kids who had been admitted to the pediatric ward from the emergency room. Dr. MacDowell didn’t mind teaching her about all kinds of medical conditions, and she found each one more fascinating than the last. She liked to think he was giving her a mini-internship, a taste of what her final year of nursing school would be like.
“His heart sounds were normal,” he said, “but his—”
“Is this seat taken?” asked another deep voice. Without waiting for an answer, a tall man pulled out one of the empty chairs and sat, then leaned his arms on the table. He didn’t wear a white lab coat like Jamie, just slacks and a dress shirt with the sleeves cuffed back, but the stethoscope slung around his neck screamed “doctor.” He looked from Jamie to Kendry, who summoned a neutral, polite smile.
“Have a seat,” Jamie suggested drily.
“Done.”
“Kendry, this is my brother Quinn.”
She’d already guess that much. The two MacDowell brothers were equally handsome and equally single. Before Jamie had arrived at the hospital, his brother had been the most eligible bachelor. Now there were two bachelors, and the hospital rumor mill had twice as much to speculate about. If she hadn’t drawn enough attention to herself by having lunch with Jamie MacDowell, today’s lunch with both brothers was sure to do it.
“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, although she wished everyone in the cafeteria would stop looking over their shoulders at her table.
“Nice to meet you, too.” Quinn turned to Jamie. “What kind of abnormal cardiac rhythm patient did you not refer to me?”
“Pediatric. Not your specialty. Kendry does a lot of work in the pediatric ward, though.” Jamie hesitated, looked at his plate for a moment, then pinned his brother with a firm look. “Kendry is Sam’s favorite caregiver in the playroom.”
Quinn went utterly still for a second. “I see,” he said, turning toward her with much more interest than he’d shown before.
What on earth was going on?
“What do you do here at the hospital, Kendry?” He emphasized her name slightly, like he was making a point of knowing it.
“I’m an orderly.” When Quinn raised one eyebrow in unmistakable surprise, she lifted her chin and asked, “What do you do here, Dr. MacDowell?”
His lips twitched at her attempt to sound as condescending as he did. “Mostly, I’m in the cath lab, trying to open up coronary arteries.”
“Mostly, he’s at his plush private practice,” Jamie corrected him. “He only comes to the hospital when he has to do some real work.”
“How long have you been an orderly, Kendry?”
She tried to mask her surprise at the question. What was it with MacDowell men asking about her employment background?
“I’m getting close to the six-month mark.” And then, because she couldn’t help herself, she added, “Why do you ask?”
“Is this your dream job? Or do you have higher aspirations?”
“Quinn, shut up,” Jamie said.
Apparently, Dr. Quinn MacDowell thought she was after his brother. A gold digger. Seriously, did she look anything like the kind of woman who attracted rich men?
Any men?
Irritated, she felt compelled to defend herself to the older—and really, much less handsome—Dr. MacDowell.
“For now, this is the best job. I’m working to earn enough money to get my CMA certification. If the hospital has an opening, then I’ll have preferred status as an applicant because I’m already an employee here. The openings are few and far between, so I’m positioning myself to have the best shot at it.”
“Your dream job is to be a CMA?” Quinn asked.
“It’s a step in the right direction. I’m going to be a nurse. Once I’m a CMA, I’ll be able to afford classes toward my bachelor’s degree. I can be an RN eight years from now.”
Quinn was silent, studying her for a moment. “That sounds like getting your RN the hard way.”
“Sometimes that’s the only option you have.” Kendry toyed with her soup spoon, regretting the words the instant they left her mouth. No one at West Central knew she’d once tried to take the easy way, a year off to play more than work, the year she’d taken the foolish risk of dropping her car insurance. Until she paid off the cost of that accident, she’d do everything the hard way. The right way.
Quinn glanced at Jamie, who was looking at her oddly, then turned back at her. Kendry was definitely missing something.
“I’ll tell you what,” Quinn said. “When you get that CMA certification, you come see me. I pay more than the hospital does, and I can always use someone with drive and determination. With better pay, you can get that RN degree sooner.”
Whatever Kendry had been expecting, it wasn’t a job offer. She was certain she blew the good impression she’d apparently made by stumbling over her next words. “Oh. Well. Th-that’s very...very—”
“Kendry is interested in pediatrics, not cardiology,” Jamie said firmly.
“Well,” Quinn drawled, looking at his brother, “since you’re in emergency medicine and not pediatrics, you can’t make her a better offer, can you?”
Jamie looked like he wanted to punch his brother. Kendry looked from one to the other, as if she were watching a tennis match. The two Dr. MacDowells were fighting over her? It was insane.
“Maybe I can,” Jamie said. “I’ll have to see.”
Kendry stood up. She nodded at Jamie. “I have to go clock in. Excuse me, Dr. MacDowell.” She nodded at Quinn. “Dr. MacDowell.” She grabbed her tray and headed for the conveyor belt by the exit.
* * *
“What in the hell was that about?” Jamie demanded.
“You can’t be serious,” Quinn said. “She’s got some spunk, no doubt, but she’s as plain as can be.”
“She’s the one who figured out Sam had trouble eating. I still wouldn’t have realized he had a cleft palate if it weren’t for her.”
“Admirable, but not a reason to marry anyone.”
“I didn’t say I was going to marry her, but she’s not plain,” Jamie said. “Considering the kind of relationship I want, it wouldn’t matter if she were, but I’m sick of hearing people insult her appearance.”
“For God’s sake, her glasses are held together by tape.”
“Kendry is fine the way she is. She’s smart. Incredibly smart, and self-taught on medicine like you wouldn’t believe. She’ll fight for a sick kid with a passion. I’ve seen her do it.”
“For what it’s worth, I like her. As an employee. Be rational about this. Hire this Kendry to be the nanny. Hell, I would, after talking to her today.”
“I’m not subjecting Sam to another series of nannies. He went through enough of that while I was on active duty. He’s going to have a real