Free Cedar Bluff's Most Eligible Bachelor (Cedar Bluff Hospital) by LAURA IDING Page B

it back up to her apartment. She made better time, although the empty basket was bulky and kept bouncing against the wall along the way.
    When she reached her apartment, though, the tip of her crutch got tangled up in the scrubs she’d jammed beneath the door. For a moment she teetered precariously as she tried to regain her balance while untangling the tip of the crutch, but then she toppled over. And hit the floor.
    Hard.
    More bruises, she thought with a weary wince as she tried to catch her breath.
    “Hailey? My God, are you all right?”
    Sprawled inelegantly on the floor just inside her apartment, with the empty laundry basket on lying on top of her, she glanced up to find Simon standing in the doorway. He looked incredible in a long-sleeved denim shirt and well-worn blue jeans. She shoved her hair out of her eyes.
    Seriously, the man had the absolute worst timing.
     
     
    Simon scowled as he tossed the empty laundry basket aside and looked Hailey over, assessing the damage. He saw the scrubs stuffed under the door and figured they’d gotten tangled in her crutches, causing the fall. His fault for taking the stupid keys in the first place. He should have dropped them off late last night before she’d gone to sleep. “Are you sure you didn’t hurt yourself?”
    “Only my pride,” she muttered, pushing herself upright.
    “Here, grab my hands and then bend your good leg,” he instructed. “I’ll help lift you up.”
    “I swear I’m not usually this clumsy,” she said, as he hauled her upright with a smooth motion. Once she was standing on her good foot, he put his arm around her waist to steady her.
    “I know,” he said reassuringly.
    “You seem to have a knack for seeing me at my worst,” she grumbled, as he helped her over to the kitchen chair.
    “Hailey, you look fine. I’m glad I was here to help.”
    Once he had her safely seated, he pulled the scrubs out from beneath the door and then closed it. He picked up the rest of the clothes scattered across the floor, tossing the items into the empty basket.
    “Please, just leave them. I’ll pick them up,” she protested.
    He ignored her, finishing the task while taking care not to examine the frilly, lacy items too closely. He pushed the basket out of the way and glanced at her. “I guess you realize I accidentally took your keys,” he murmured, pulling out a chair to sit next to her. He was somewhat surprised to see his phone number still sitting on the kitchen table. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have brought back your keys and hauled your stuff down to the laundry room, too.”
    She avoided his direct gaze. “I needed the door to stay open anyway, because it’s too hard to maneuver it along with the crutches. And the keys were no big deal. I would have borrowed a spare set from the manager.”
    “I see.” He stared at her, trying to figure out why she seemed to be going out of her way to avoid him. He blew out a heavy breath. “Hailey, I’m sorry about hitting you and causing all this. I feel awful. I wish there was something I could do to make it up to you.”
    “Simon, you have to stop acting like I’m badly injured,” she said, clearly exasperated. “You’ve already helped me a lot. More than anyone else would have done. You wouldn’t even let me pay you for the groceries.”
    No, he wouldn’t. And now that he was here, he didn’t plan on leaving anytime soon. She was obviously too stubborn for her own good. She was lucky she hadn’t hurt herself worse with that earlier stunt.
    Why on earth she’d had the burning need to do laundry first thing this morning was beyond him. No lounging around and resting for Hailey. He reached over to lightly grasp her hand. “I’m not working today, so my entire day is free. Just tell me what you need. I’m all yours.”
    Her head jerked up, her surprised gaze colliding with his. A sizzling awareness shimmered in the air between them. For long seconds neither one of them said anything.