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“The Fraziers would never fire you just because you—”

He broke off when the door flew back and Colin burst in—and Gemma’s face dissolved into a smile. As pretty as Dr. Tris was, to her eyes, he looked small and insignificant next to Colin.

“How do you feel?” Colin asked. “Sore? In pain? Weak?”

“Hungry,” Gemma said.

Colin grinned at her. “We can fix that.” He looked at Tris. “When can we leave?”

“As soon as she’s dressed.”

When both men kept standing at the foot of the bed and staring at her, Gemma said, “Could I have some privacy please?”

“Sure,” Tris said. “Mrs. Frazier sent some of your clothes over, and they’re in the closet. Take your time.”

She watched the two men leave, then slowly got out of bed.

Outside in the waiting room, Colin looked at Tristan. “You’re sure she’s okay? Nell said something about a brain tumor.”

Tris cut his niece a look, and she muffled a giggle. “Gemma is fine. That was a scary thing she went through and that combined with the cut made her faint.”

“Then Uncle Tris gave her narcotics,” Nell said. “So Gemma slept for hours.”

Colin shook his head at her. “You’re already an Aldredge. What medical school are you going to?”

“None. I’m going to be a ballerina,” Nell said as she got off the chair. “Could I have five dollars?” she asked her uncle.

“How about two?” he said, getting out his wallet. “And where are you planning to go?”

“You know Mr. Lang is picking me up.” She looked at Colin. “He has puppies, and I’m going to get one.”

They saw out the window that Brewster Lang’s old truck had stopped in front of the office.

“Go!” Tris ordered. “Or he’ll start blowing his horn.”

Holding tight to her bear, Nell ran out the door.

“When did that start?” Colin asked.

“The last time Sara and Mike were home, Nell spent the afternoon at the farm with them, and she and Lang hit it off.” Tris shrugged. “Yet another thing I don’t understand about that child. I don’t even get that weird bear. Anyway, Mike and Sara got in last night, and they invited Nell over to see the puppies. Lang picked her up.”

Colin was barely listening. “You’re sure Gemma’s okay?”

Tris put his hand on Colin’s big shoulder and looked him in the eyes. “She’s fine. Very healthy. It looks like she works out some.”

“Yeah, she does. And she’s smart and curious and remembers things. She’s a good sport and easy to be with, and—” He broke off.

Tris was behind the counter in the room where his secretary usually worked. She wasn’t there today, as his office was closed. If the people of Edilean had any medical problems on Tris’s days off, they had to go to Williamsburg—which was why Colin’s sister, Ariel, was planning to work with him when she finished her residency. But Tris had come in at Colin’s call.

“You seem to like Gemma,” Tris said, his head down.

“Yeah, I do.”

“So ask her out,” Tris said.

“Gemma and I just met. And I need to finish some things first.”

“I guess that means Jean. Too bad. Looks like that leaves me free to ask Gemma out.”


Tags: Jude Deveraux Edilean Romance