He was calm and clearheaded in an emergency, which wasn’t a skill a lot of people possessed. She’d seen doctors and nurses lose their cool many times. Hell, on her worst day, even she had trouble keeping it all together.

And he’d paved the way for the boys to come clean to their parents at the hospital, if that’s what they needed to do. The kids had insisted that they’d only been meeting friends at High Ridge, so Reed had casually mentioned to the parents that while they’d found the kids in the questionable location, it didn’t necessarily mean they were up to no good. Once the kids were released, they’d gotten quite a lecture from coach dad, but Erika had been relieved to see the older man hug his son as they’d left the hospital.

Relieved and slightly envious.

Staring at Reed now, she knew he was exactly the kind of man she could fall in love with...if her life gave her time to fall in love.

What would Cassie think of her adventures the night before...or the newfound light she was seeing Cassie’s brother in? She sipped more wine, turning away from his gaze, suddenly extremely aware that they were alone. The Christmas music echoing off the wooden walls and the dishwasher running behind the bar were the only noises competing with the pounding of her heart.

“So, you’re handing in your resignation at the hospital and applying to become a member of the team, right?” he asked, drinking his coffee, his eyes holding a teasing gleam above the rim of the mug. He was joking, but there was a hint of sincerity in the words.

She laughed. “Probably not.”

He leaned his arms on the bar and studied her. “But you gotta admit you felt a rush, right? An adrenaline like nothing else...and then total fulfillment at the end knowing we’d done something great.”

Yes. One hundred percent yes. At the hospital, surrounded by machines and other doctors and nurses, the chaos of an emergency was different. It was about routine and protocols. Everything they needed was on hand. She knew what she had to do and it was different yet similar in every situation. Here, each rescue was nothing like the one before. Each one held unique challenges, depending on so many varying factors. Being adaptable and quick thinking meant the difference between a success or failure. “I don’t have to admit shit,” she said finally.

“I’ll take that as confirmation,” he said with a grin that had her pulse racing. Damn, had her friend’s brother always been so sexy? As kids, he’d ignored her. Even as they got older and started hanging with the same crowd, he had never paid any attention to her.

He was now. And his intent stare told her she wasn’t fooling him.