Free Thirteen West by Jane Toombs Page B

clean—a lemony fragrance—even afterward, lying beside her in her narrow bed. He smelled himself, the musky odor of semen, but the faint rancidity he'd noted lately in Luba was missing. He ran a finger up the rise of Alma 's breast. "Lovely."
    She grinned at him. "Find any masses?"
    He blinked, rising on one elbow to look at her.
    "Thought maybe you automatically checked for abnormalities when you were fooling around like this."
    He put his hands over both her breasts. "Nothing abnormal about you."
    Later he walked with her on the damp sand, the waves icy as they licked his bare feet. He found her just as enticing in a red jogging suit, the hood tied under her chin. Evidently this wasn't going to be a single bam-thank-you ma'am thing for him, a pacifier to satisfy simple lust. He wanted more of Alma . He'd now have to see her at work, wanting her, and there was Luba at home. How long before an intolerable situation became impossible?
    Barry hunched his shoulders and walked faster. Accept the day's offerings, he told himself. Don't try to examine tomorrow. Sufficient unto the day the guilts thereof.
    The ocean heaved gray-green under a lowering sky, the faint scent of brine borne on the dank wind off the water. Damn, it was cold—his feet ached and the dampness struck through his jacket. More rain on the way.
    "Had enough?" Alma asked.
    "Of the weather, yes. When do you have a day off?"
    "Tomorrow. And Tuesday. But I—"
    "But me no buts. I'm MOD tomorrow night, free Tuesday after five or so. Is there a decent place to eat around here?"
    "Several. Cheap but good, expensive but good, so-so and so-so. But I—"
    He stopped and pulled her around to face him. "I intend to take you to dinner Tuesday evening."
    "I'm going to L.A. Sorry."
    "Why can't you be back by then?"
    She stared at him, laughed and touched him lightly on the cheek before freeing herself. "Why is it so important?"
    "Would you like a personal demonstration here on the sand?"

She slanted him a look. "Dare you."
    When he reached for her, she ducked and ran, getting a head start and almost making it back to the cottage before he caught her. He held her against him, but was too winded to kiss her. Getting out of shape, damn it, too little exercise the past couple years.
    "Okay," she said, flinging back her head to look at him, the hood slipping from her hair. "See you Tuesday about seven. And, no, you can't come in now. I'll have to rush to get to work on time as it is."
     
    * * *
     
    After she'd retrieved Barry's shoes for him and shut the door, Alma stood a moment, smiling to herself. She'd get back Tuesday night. Charlie wouldn't like it, but— Alma thrust up her middle finger in an inelegant gesture. Serve him right.
    Charlie'd kept her waiting enough times, to say the least. Besides, over and above the good sex, she liked Barry. Wonder how he was explaining this to his roomie? Have to find out more about her. Did the woman know? Care? She wouldn't want some female pounding on her door, making trouble. No way.
    Alma dressed quickly, drove a little faster than usual and was on time when she reached Thirteen West. Midway through the evening, as she sat charting, she suddenly realized this was the Sunday night she'd been dreading.
    Frank was off and Willie Rhone was on. Thank God the combination only happened once or twice a month. The evening supervisor who replaced Frank two nights a week was not only a woman but a bitch you couldn't talk to. No way would or could she fill in for Frank by walking Alma to her car.
    Alma thrust it from her mind and tried to concentrate on the charting, on the ward details. She found herself glancing again and again at the clock, though, as twenty-four hundred hours came closer.
    She gave a brief report to the night charge tech, Mr. Thompson, who relieved her. Night shift had no nurses on the wards, only the night supervisor was an RN. Joe Thompson, correct but chicken-shit, was technically Willie Rhone's boss on this shift but