Night Is Darkest by Jayne Rylon (books recommended by bts .TXT) 📕

“Oh, honey, don’t pout. You know I love you. I just wish you’d taken some more time to recover.” The woman, who always had a spring in her step, and the cutest damn patterns on her custom-made scrubs, bounced over to Lacey’s hiding spot behind the counter then smothered her in a violent embrace. “I’m so damn sorry about Robbie.”

“You were the only person he let get away with that.” Lacey bit the inside of her cheek to fend off memories of the feigned offense her brother had affected at the nickname. She’d always suspected he had a crush on the chipper nurse but the other woman had been happily married to her high school sweetheart for years. “So how have things been around here?”

“Meh.” Valerie shrugged. The gesture drew Lacey’s gaze to the woman’s freshly dyed hair.

“Why did you cover the silver? You know I loved it on you.”

“Silver? It was grey!” Valerie shook her head and laughed.

Before they could reminisce any further, the call buzzer lit up like a Christmas tree. “Damn. I have to get that, Lace. I don’t like the way Mr. Hupple’s cough has been sounding.”

“Go ahead, I’ve got things under control out here.”

“You’re the best.” Valerie waved as she charged down the linoleum corridor.

Several hours later, Lacey admitted she might not be functioning at one hundred percent yet. Usually, she spent the whole day on her feet making trips here, there and yonder under high stress. The commotion of the station shouldn’t have fazed her but lack of sleep, grief and stress had taken a toll.

The yawns started around midnight. Unfortunate, since her shift didn’t end until three in the morning. A little while later, Jambrea urged her to throw in the towel and head home. “It’s quiet tonight, Lacey. Val and I can handle this with one hand behind our backs. Why don’t you get out of here and catch some sleep?”

“I’d rather stay and chat with you.” She started to panic thinking of the dark, empty house waiting for her. “Tell me about that book you’re writing?”

“Not tonight. You’ve had enough, Lacey.”

She blinked as her friend hugged her then walked away.

“What’s this I hear? Are you wimping out there, Lacemeister?” Jerome, one of the orderlies assigned to the floor, loved to tease her. Since he also covered the ER, he often stopped in to the break room to shoot the shit about their mutual appreciation for the hot doctors roaming the hallways. He always had the best deets on the hospital drama since people tended to overlook him as he attended to the tedious but critical tasks that fell under his responsibility. She beamed when he refused to handle her with kid gloves.

“Nah, just need to grab a coffee or something. It’s sitting at this desk that’s throwing me off. I’m used to being up and about.” She reached for the ringing phone. “See you next time around.”

“If you’re really nice, maybe I’ll snag you something resembling a caramel latte from the crapeteria.” The moniker was their loving tribute to the less-than-stellar fare they were forced to suffer through night after night.

Laughing, she waved in acknowledgement as the confused woman on the line insisted her son-in-law was at St. Ann’s not St. Steven’s even though Lacey had personally checked with the city’s other hospital a few minutes earlier.

By one thirty, Lacey battled exhaustion. She decided to take a quick break and laid her head down on her crossed arms. It figured Mason and Tyler chose that instant to amble into the ward.

“Son of a bitch, Mason. You were right.”

Her head snapped up at the familiar tone. “Right about what? I’m just resting my eyes a second. All these flowers are bugging my allergies.”

“My ass!” Mason’s glare cut straight through her bullshit. He stood, hands on hips, in his patrol uniform.

“And what a lovely ass it is, Officer Clark.” Dr. Joy bestowed a loving pat on it as she passed by to complete her final checkup of the night. She nodded at each of the partners in turn. They popped in enough to drop off suspects, take reports on injuries or accidents and to say hello to Lacey while on patrol that everyone on staff knew the notorious bachelors.

“Hey, Dr. McHottie.” Women soaked up Tyler’s incorrigible flirtations like a desert that hadn’t seen rain in a hundred years. Even Dr. Joy couldn’t resist his charm.

“Why hello there, Officer Lambert. What kind of trouble are you stirring up here?” Dr. Joy was nobody’s fool.

“We came to collect, Lacey.” He ratted her out in a flash. “She’s not ready for a full shift yet. She’s falling asleep on the job.”

“I trust you two will see her home safely?”

“Dr. Joy! I’m fine.” She sulked. “And I can get myself home, thank you very much.”

“Boys, I’ll be back through here in ten minutes. I expect you’ll have her bundled up and on her way by then.”

“Yes ma’am.” Tyler nodded for them both.

“You heard the woman. She is your boss, yes?” Mason’s tone brooked no argument.

“Yeah, whatever. I’m going.” Lacey gathered her belongings, shoving them in her bag with more gusto than necessary. Overruled, she agreed to go but refused to allow them to pamper her.

When she retrieved her car keys, Mason objected. “No way. You’re not driving in this condition.”

“Why do you think that just because we got it on, you can order me around whenever you like?”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Drive safe!” Jambrea spun on her heel where she approached and headed into the depths of the unit instead.

Lacey shoved back from the desk, preparing to make a break for the door when she spotted Jerome striding toward them and met him halfway.

“Special delivery.” He proffered a steaming cup of coffee.

“You’re a lifesaver.” She pecked him on the cheek. Behind her, Mason grumbled then settled his arm around her