A Thanksgiving To Remember. Margaret Watson
VANDERBILT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL MEDICAL NOTES
PATIENT: TOM FLYNT ATTENDING NURSE: TINA WHITE
Patient Flynt set to be released; still has no memories of who he is.
Wounds to head have healed rapidly.
Fast progress due to patient’s incredible physique and remarkable fitness.
Could invite patient over for Thanksgiving meal—no use in us both being alone for the holiday.
Am supposed to be taking care of patient—why do I feel like he’s trying to take care of me…?
Dear Reader,
The 20th anniversary excitement continues as we bring you a 2-in-1 collection containing brand-new novellas by two of your favorite authors: Maggie Shayne and Marilyn Pappano. Who Do You Love? It’s an interesting question—made more complicated for these heroes and heroines because they’re not quite what they seem, making the path to happily-ever-after an especially twisty one. Enjoy!
A YEAR OF LOVING DANGEROUSLY continues with Her Secret Weapon by bestselling writer Beverly Barton. This is a great secret-baby story—with a forgotten night of passion thrown in to make things even more exciting. Our in-line 36 HOURS spin-off continues with A Thanksgiving To Remember, by Margaret Watson. Suspenseful and sensual, this story shows off her talents to their fullest. Applaud the return of Justine Davis with The Return of Luke McGuire. There’s something irresistible about a bad boy turned hero, and Justine’s compelling and emotional handling of the theme will win your heart. In The Lawman Meets His Bride, Meagan McKinney brings her MATCHED IN MONTANA miniseries over from Desire with an exciting romance featuring a to-die-for hero. Finally, pick up The Virgin Beauty by Claire King and discover why this relative newcomer already has people talking about her talent.
Share the excitement—and come back next month for more!
Leslie J. Wainger
Executive Senior Editor
A Thanksgiving to Remember
Margaret Watson
For Mom.
Thanks for believing in me and being my biggest fan.
MARGARET WATSON
From the time she learned to read, Margaret could usually be found with her nose in a book. Her lifelong passion for reading led to her interest in writing, and now she’s happily writing exactly the kind of stories she likes to read. Margaret is a veterinarian who lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and their three daughters. In her spare time she enjoys rollerblading, bird-watching and spending time with her family. Readers can write to Margaret at P.O. Box 2333, Naperville, IL 60567-2333.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 1
“I need help here, White!”
The bark of the doctor’s voice cut through the din of the emergency room and nurse Tina White looked up from the patient she was bandaging. “I’ll be right there,” she called.
She looked down at the woman lying on the table with an encouraging smile. “You’re going to be fine,” she said, her voice low and reassuring. “You heard what the doctor said. Your wrist is only sprained, and although it will hurt for a few days, you’ll be back to normal before you know it.”
She applied the last piece of tape and eased the woman’s injured arm back onto the table. “The doctor will be back in a moment, and she’ll probably let you go home.”
Giving the woman another reassuring smile, Tina moved to the next cubicle. The emergency room doctor was working on an unconscious man, and Tina moved to the other side of the exam table. Her stomach clenched as she looked at the blood that covered his face and the left side of his head. “Surely he didn’t get these injuries in the chaos at the masquerade ball earlier this evening?” she asked, moving instinctively to staunch the flow of blood from the man’s head.
“Car accident,” the doctor answered tersely as he examined the patient. “The police said he was one of two men who ran out of the hotel when the lights went out.”
Tina raised her head and looked over at the doctor. “What was he doing?”
The doctor shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe he was the guy who fired the shots. We won’t know anything until he wakes up.”
Tina looked down at the man who lay so silent and still on the table. His short, dark brown hair was disheveled and his face was pale and streaked with blood, but something about his features tugged at Tina. “He doesn’t look like a criminal.”
The doctor snorted. “Most criminals don’t.” His hands moved over the patient, gentle yet probing. “No matter who he is, he’s one lucky guy. That cut on his head is going to need suturing and it feels like he might have a couple of broken ribs and a concussion, but other than that he looks like he’s going to be all right.”
Tina pressed on the gauze pad she was holding over the wound on the man’s head, holding it more firmly to slow the bleeding. “What do you want me to do?”
The doctor raked his eyes over the patient, giving him an assessing look that Tina recognized. Then he said, “Get him cleaned up so I can suture that cut. Our first priority is to stop that bleeding. Then start another bag of fluids. The first one is almost finished.”
They worked in silence for the next half hour. The doctor occasionally muttered a request to Tina, but she usually anticipated his needs and handed him an instrument before he asked. When the doctor finally stepped back, there was a neat line of sutures along the left side of the stranger’s head.
“Get that bandaged, then we’ll get him into X-ray and get a scan of his head and chest. I want to make sure there isn’t any other damage.”
Tina gently covered the wound with bandage and tape, then hovered over their unconscious patient, reluctant to leave him alone. “Is there anyone with him?”
“The paramedics told me he was alone in the car. I have no idea if the police have managed to locate his family.” He looked around the emergency room, where the chaos that had reigned earlier was beginning to subside. “It looks like things have quieted down a little.” He shook his head. “I don’t think this is the way most of these people planned to spend their Halloween.” He glanced around again. “Can you take this one over to X-ray, or should I call an orderly?”
Tina didn’t tell the doctor that her shift on another floor of the hospital had ended several hours ago, or that she had volunteered to help in the busy emergency room. “Don’t bother with an orderly,”