Free Hardball by V.K. Sykes Page B

going to pick me up, I guess it’s a date.”
    Rebecca chuckled. “Wow. I still can’t believe this. My pal Holly going out with Nate Carter. You can’t even imagine how much I’m looking forward to your post-date report. I want a call immediately after. Unless you’re too busy, of course,” she said with a wink.”
    Holly gave her friend a grateful smile, glad to be on lighter ground. “I can’t guarantee that. You know doctors. We’re all about the confidentiality thing.”
    They strolled down the corridor, Rebecca chattering happily about the upcoming date. She seemed more excited about it than Holly did, which was a bit disconcerting. Why wasn’t she happier to be going out with a hot celebrity athlete? After all, like Rebecca said, she was overdue for some fun, and no doubt Nate could give her as much as she could handle. But she had the feeling that he could also turn out to be more than she could handle, too.
    Time to strap on the emotional body armor . I’m going to be playing in the big leagues now .
     

CHAPTER EIGHT
     
     
    “You ready to see me?” Lance Arnold asked in a bored voice.
    Holly looked up from her desk at the man leaning against the frame of her office door. Tyler’s father, in his faded jeans and green Eagles football sweatshirt, looked even bigger and bulkier than she remembered from their ER encounter. His dark blond hair stood up in little gelled spikes, and his chin and jaw were covered with unkempt stubble. She could smell stale cigarette smoke, and had to work to keep from wrinkling her nose.
    Arnold obviously wasn’t big on pleasantries. Holly couldn’t tell from his expression whether he was angry or not, but his deep-set eyes gave her a suspicious appraisal that ramped her nerves up again.
    “Hello, Mr. Arnold.” She stood up from her desk and reached across it to shake his hand as he approached. “Thank you for coming. Please have a seat.”
    Arnold sat down heavily in one of the chairs facing her. The man’s body radiated tension, and maybe even hostility. His shoulders were hiked up almost to his chin, and he’d clenched his hands, making fists that he now rested on the arms of his chair.
    Holly took a mental cleansing breath as she sat back down. “Mr. Arnold,” she began in a friendly voice, “I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to meet before Tyler’s emergency.”
    Arnold’s lips quirked up in a sneer that was his only response.
    She tried again. “I know Dr. McMillan told you I would be taking over Tyler’s case after he retired.”
    “As if I had any goddamn choice,” Arnold said with a snort. “McMillan just told me that from now on, Tyler would be stuck with some rookie doctor.”
    She held back a startled jerk. McMillan might have been out of line. Then again, more likely it was just Arnold being difficult.
    “I’m sorry you feel that way,” she said calmly. “But I assure you that I’m hardly a rookie . I can discuss my qualifications with you if you’d like, or you can speak to our Chief of Surgery about my background. Dr. Rosen would not have brought me to this hospital if he had any doubts about my ability or my experience.”
    The big man averted his eyes for a moment, craning his neck to look at her ego wall. Six framed certificates testified to her education and qualifications, and three more showcased professional awards she’d won. After a couple of seconds, he seemed to relax a little. He unclenched his fists and laid his palms flat on the chair arms.
    “Okay,” he said. “Maybe I overreacted a bit. But the kid’s in trouble, right? It doesn’t seem right that he should get a rookie on his case.” He waved a hand dismissively, as if to ward off an objection from her. “Yeah, I know you’ve got lots of paper that says you’re qualified, but when somebody sticks a blade into Tyler’s chest, I want them to have some serious miles on their wheels.”
    Holly wanted to wince at his terminology, but instead forced a sympathetic