Free Where Angels Tread by Clare Kenna Page A

tone of his voice. She was certain that he was trying to cover up the awkward moment. Secretly, Heidi was glad that Zachary had chosen that exact moment to interrupt them. When faced with the possibility of kissing Shane, she felt incredibly conflicted; her body was screaming for her to go for it, but images of John kept flashing through her mind. All in all, Heidi was feeling very confused.
    Zachary ripped the wrapper from his candy bar and chomped on it hungrily. “Ready guys?” he asked, shoving his baseball cap on his head and slouching from the room.
    “Lead the way,” Shane said, following closely behind Zachary, Heidi on his heels.
    As the trio walked down the hallway, Heidi could feel the eyes of her fellow nurses following Shane’s progress. She arched her back proudly; he really was quite handsome, she thought, her eyes on his back. Shane seemed oblivious to the women now muttering to each other and pointing to him with interest.
    Heidi felt a tug on her coat sleeve; she whirled around and came face to face with Josie, who had a knowing smile on her face. “Who’s that?” she breathed into Heidi’s ear. “He’s delicious, if you don’t mind me saying.”
    Heidi blushed, glancing Shane’s way to make sure that he didn’t hear. If he had, he was doing a good job of pretending otherwise. “I’ll catch up with you guys in a second,” she called to Zachary, who nodded and led the way to the parking lot, where Shane’s car was waiting. She waited until they turned the corner, then rounded on Josie. “Could you be any more obvious?” she hissed, although if she were being perfectly honest she was rather enjoying the attention.
    “Sorry,” Josie giggled. “I couldn’t help myself. Who is that? Are you two an item?” She was practically frothing at the mouth for the juicy details.
    “Put your tongue back in,” Heidi chided her friend. “His name is Officer Shane Kensington, and no, we’re not at item.”
    “ Officer Kensington? That sounds intriguing.”
    “He works for the Santa Ynez PD. Remember when I told you the other day that Zachary ran away? Shane’s the one who called for me to come and pick him up at the station. He and Zachary hit it off, so he offered to shoot some hoops with him a couple of times a week. I guess he picked up that Zachary was starved for a little bit of male attention.”
    “That’s great and all,” teased Josie, “but it seems to me like you’re skating over the most important detail. Are you dating him?”
    “No,” Heidi said, a little too quickly. “He’s just a friend.”
    “Interesting.” Josie’s blue eyes danced with laughter; Heidi started to squirm uncomfortably. “So, then, I guess you wouldn’t mind if I made a move on him? Since you’re just friends and all.”
    Heidi knew that Josie was sniffing around for the real scoop, but she wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of taking the bait. “Sure,” she shrugged. “He’s all yours. Why would I mind?”
    “Great! Can I have his number?”
    Heidi hesitated; she was fairly certain that Josie was trying to trick her into admitting her feelings for Shane, but she wouldn’t bet her life on it. Josie was a pretty woman who had never married, and despite being in her mid-forties, had a penchant for younger men. Men like Shane. “I don’t have it,” she lied. “Maybe some other time.”
    Josie flashed her another knowing smile, then turned on her heels and walked down the hospital corridor. “Then give him mine,” she called back over her shoulder as she disappeared into one of the patient rooms.

    “I need food,” Shane moaned desperately when Jaime answered the door to her apartment, a book in her hand and reading glasses perched on top of her head.
    His sister stared back at him in confusion. “What’s going on? Are you hurt?”
    “I’m not the one who’s hurt.” Shane cringed as he remembered the cracking sound Heidi’s finger made as it snapped. “Can I come in? I’ll