The Aries Libra Connection (Opposites In Love Book 1) (2 page)

Eric hid a smile. She ran the bases with a cocky gait. At home, her teammates engulfed her. When he saw Sam wiggle into the mass of cheering women, Eric laughed. Moments later, the petite, ebony-skinned catcher for the nurses dragged Sam from the huddle.

“Simone, remember Eric.” Sam winked. “See you at the buffet. Me and this woman’s got to talk about her attitude.” He gestured toward the pitcher for the nurses. “Looks like you made an impression.”

He knew he had, but not the one he wanted. He strode to first base, retrieved the beer and straightened.

She stood on the base. “I was safe, you know.”

“Really?” He raised the can to his lips without lowering his gaze. The sweat-stained tee shirt hugged her ribs and clung to her breasts. He swallowed a mouthful of warm, stale beer he hadn’t meant to drink and caught the edge of a memory.

He knew her. Though their first meeting had lasted less than an hour, he remembered her fire and determination. He’d watched her ply every skill and trick she knew and he had stepped in to help. For a short time, they’d been a team.

Before he had a chance to identify himself, a booming voice ended the staring match. A hearty slap made him drop the beer. White foam gathered on the grass.

“Getting into things already. Good idea.” The Board president stepped around Eric. “Jenessa, you look good enough to start a dead man’s heart. Two of you been introduced?”

“Not officially,” Eric said. The audible wheeze in Bishop’s breathing made him wonder why the man was puffing on a cigar.

“Allow me. Jenessa Robertson, Eric Bradshaw.” Bishop beamed. “Now, let me tell you, this little girl’s not as sweet as she looks. She’s a rabble-rouser. Fights hard for the union.”

Sweet didn’t match Eric’s impression of her from the past or today. Stubborn, courageous, a leader and much too attractive did.

Her hands moved to her hips. “It’s contract time, Mr. Bishop.”

“Don’t be rushing into the fire, little girl. Eric just arrived.”

“We’ve been on hold for months.”

The obese man’s teeth clamped on the cigar. “Stick to nursing, little girl. When you have a seat on the Board, you can push.”

“We’re asking for one.”

“Already have a nurse. Your director has a seat.”

She made a face. “I mean a real nurse.” She turned and jogged away.

“What?” If Bishop hadn’t grabbed Eric’s arm, he would have followed her and demanded an explanation. The desire for a confrontation rocked him.

Bishop laughed. “That’s one fine looking little girl. Needs a man to blunt her claws.” He winked. “You interested?”

“What did she mean by a real nurse?”

“Seems she thinks only bedside nurses should have a say in how the hospital’s run.” Bishop ground his cigar on the sun-browned grass. “Girl’s a born leader.”

“Why isn’t she a nurse manager?”

Bishop lit another cigar and released a cloud of smoke. “Would be like setting a mongoose in a cobra’s nest. Better idea would be for you to feed the sparks jumping between you. Set her to thinking about a man not a contract.”

Eric’s jaw tightened. He felt the same anger he’d felt years before when he’d been a rookie cop and a smooth- talking drug dealer had offered a bribe. “That’s not my style.”

“Why not? A good administrator is like ice applied to a burn. The rule is—find the troublemakers and use any means to neutralize them.”

Eric looked away. No matter how expedient, he wouldn’t use attraction to gather information. “I’ll be busy then. There are a lot of unhappy campers.”

Bishop laughed. “Long as they’re complaining, we don’t have to worry.”

“Oh, there you are.” Sandra Wallace, the assistant Director of Nursing, strolled toward them. She shifted her ever-present briefcase to her right hand and grabbed Bishop’s arm. “Weren’t we meeting at the buffet?”

Bishop’s meaty hand covered hers. “You missed the game. The nurses won.”

She eyed Eric’s faded cut-offs. He felt like he’d been examined by a fashion consultant and dismissed. “My aren’t you casual.”

“Not for a picnic.”

Her lips curled at the edges. “Appearance is always vital. Have I interrupted something important?”

“We were talking about Jenessa Robertson.”

As though brushing crumbs away, her hand fluttered. “Watch her. She’s always stirring up trouble.”

“She seems to know a lot about the hospital’s problems,” Eric said.

Sandra sneered. “She should. She enjoys causing them.”

Bishop laughed. “Girl’s always rooting like a goat in the garbage dump.”

“Lobbied for us to hire floats.”

“So how much real trouble has she caused?” Eric asked.

“Organized the union. Fought for every point in the contract,” Bishop said.

Sandra’s laughter rang hollow. “She has no respect for authority. Threatened a sick-out. Even stormed a Board meeting to make demands. Jim thinks she’s cute.”

“And dangerous.” Bishop waved the cigar. “Might offer her a job.”

Eric moved away from the pair. “See you later. Promised to meet Sam.” As he jogged away, a glimpse of red shorts and long legs tempted him to change direction.

Moments later, still watching Jenessa Robertson, he dropped to the ground beside Sam. Rushing into a situation he wasn’t sure he could control made no sense. He swallowed a mouthful of the icy beer Sam handed him. There would be other encounters with her. He smiled in anticipation.

* * *

Jenessa leaned against one of the picnic tables and finished her food. She felt confused and uneasy. Megan had been right, but broad shoulders and a dimpled smile didn’t make the rest of the prediction true.

“Thank heavens for Bishop.” Her whispered comment ended in a chuckle. Being grateful to him for anything felt weird. Usually, his attitude made her want to scream.

She scanned the clusters of people for members of the negotiating team. Time for a meeting. She spotted one of the women at the buffet and joined her. “Hi, Dru.”

“Good game. What’s happening?”

“It’s time to push for negotiations. They have their D.O.N. That was their excuse.” She slathered catsup on a hamburger and took a bite.

Dru put down her fork. “Claire said to wait.”

“Do I head the team?”

Dru finished a chicken leg. “You do.”

“There’s a strategy meeting. My apartment at five.”

“Who else have you told?”

“You’re the first. Nan’s by the swings. Let’s go tell her.”

“I’m on the way.” Dru dropped her plate in the trash. “They may scrimp on pay and benefits but they always have a great spread.”

“Right. Keep the girls happy.” She and Dru strolled across the playground.

“What’s up?” Nan asked.

“Strategy meeting today,” Jenessa said. “My place at five.”

Nan raked her red hair. “About time. Does Claire know? Sometimes she’s as bad as the Board.”

“What do you mean?” Dru asked.

“I told her we should report the hospital to the Labor Board and petition for arbitration. She said she has another plan to force their hand.”

Dru sat on one of the swings. “Maybe she wants to give Mr. Bradshaw a chance. Wonder if he’s taken.”

“You are,” Jenessa said.

“Just window shopping.”

Nan pushed an empty swing. “Want to hear the latest rumor?”

“Would you still tell us if we said no?” Jenessa asked.

“Of course. One of the night nurses from Peds told me the hospital’s being sold.”

Dru laughed. “That’s old news. Heard it years ago. I bet half the rumors are invented by bored night nurses.”

Until she investigated, Jenessa wasn’t about to dismiss the rumor. “There’s Simone. My place at five. Pass the word.” She darted across the ballfield where a group of teenage boys were practicing.

“Watch out!”

Jenessa turned to see who had yelled. A hard object smacked her head.

The next thing to enter her awareness was a pair of hazel eyes… Incredible eyes. An aroma of pine swirled around her. A vague recollection lapped at the edge of her thoughts.

“Are you all right?” a deep voice demanded.

She tuned out the voice and focused on the rugged planes of his face.

“Jenessa, Jenessa Robertson, are you all right?”

She stared. Lips, tempting in their nearness, moved away. “I’m fine, I think.”

He flashed a smile that revealed a dimple in each cheek. “I’m glad. I was about to call for help.”

His fingers touched her wrist. She wondered if her dizziness was caused by the way her heart rate had accelerated. He slipped his arm beneath her shoulders and eased her into a sitting position. The trees danced and came to rest. A name popped into her thoughts. Eric Bradshaw. She lightly brushed the lump on her head. “Guess I got beaned.”

“My fault. I shouldn’t have yelled.”

“You sure know how to get attention.” Sandra Wallace’s nasal twang grabbed Jenessa’s wandering attention.

Jenessa looked at the crowd and leaned against Eric. For a moment, she savored the aura of protection he projected. “Isn’t that what you always say?” She stared at the dark-haired woman and shook her head in disbelief. “A pink suit and heels. This is a picnic, not tea with the First Lady.”

“I can tell you’re not hurt.” Sandra wheeled. As she strode away, her briefcase swung like a pendulum.

“Bag lady,” Jenessa whispered.

“Why?”

“That briefcase is an extension of her arm. I wonder if she goes to bed with it.”

“Maybe she has dark secrets.” Eric grinned. “Ready?”

He helped her to her feet. Her knees buckled. His hand slid from her shoulders to her waist, leaving a trail of warmth behind. He helped her to one of the tables.

“I think you’d better sit down. Anything else I can do for you?”

She thought of a dozen things best left unsaid. The pressure and heat of his hand at her waist made her want to purr. What was she thinking? “I’ll be fine.”

“Let me get some ice for your head.”

After he left, she rested her elbows on the table and closed her eyes. She searched for a memory that burned off like early morning mist under the rising sun. The idea that she knew him belonged to a fantasy. How could she have forgotten a man who looked like him?

She groaned. The softball must have addled her wits. Someone slid onto the bench. She tensed.

“You’ve done it,” Megan said.

“What are you talking about?”

“His attention. I felt the vibes clear to the buffet. Why did you send him away?”

“You know why.”

“Jen, he’s perfect.”

Jenessa wanted to shake her head, but every movement changed the dull ache into sharp pain. “My head hurts.”

“That bad?”

“I got beaned. He helped me up. He’s the enemy.”

“Guess you heard he’s anti-union and was lured from a hospital where the nurses voted theirs out.” Megan half- rose. “He’s on his way back. Darn, he’s stopped to talk to Sam.”

Jenessa stood. While she waited for her vision to clear, she leaned against the table. “We’re meeting at five. Will you be there?”

“Got tapped for a double.” Megan looked at her watch. “Dinner break’s over. See you.”

With steps that began shaky and steadied, Jenessa walked along the path to Grove Street. A contract was essential but if her colleagues voted to strike, no matter how wrong she thought they were she would join them. With a deep sigh of regret, she wished she and Eric Bradshaw weren’t in opposition. Forget it, she thought and began to jog away.

Chapter 2

Jenessa stood in the basement laundry room and sorted her clothes. The second strategy meeting had begun with the team’s agreement to push the Board for negotiations. Then Claire had arrived. The union president had urged them to wait and several of the women had changed their votes. Why had Claire been so adamant?

She wiped her forehead, doing little more than spreading accumulated moisture into her hair. For weeks, the temperature and the humidity had hovered in the nineties with no sign of relief.

After starting the washers, she dragged a lawn chair into the band of light from a high narrow window and read the first of the letters Megan had left for her. Envy gripped her.

Lauren had left Central America and was headed for Africa and her next assignment. How many countries did this make?

She closed her eyes and drifted into a fantasy of travel to foreign lands. After she finished her Master’s, maybe she would join her friend’s adventures.

A washer lid slammed. She looked up and swallowed a groan. What was he doing here? From where she sat, she had a great view of his back. Her gaze focused on his shoulders. Scars criss-crossed the left. How had he been injured?