“Like a partner.”

“I suppose.” Glenn sighed. “Yeah, pretty much. Flann let me do what I could do.”

“This sounds like my kind of place.”

“You’ll have a lot of independence in the ER—if we get approval for level two trauma, we’ll double our census.”

“Is that likely?”

Glenn laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the new CEO pushed for level one. We’re ten minutes by air from a major interstate with no other major hospitals around.”

“I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

“Where did you train?”

“USC in LA.”

“Big place,” Glenn said.

“Oh yes. Four hundred beds, level one trauma, Children’s Hospital next door, advanced training programs in everything. Very big place.”

“Cog in a wheel?”

“Maybe a little, but great training.” Mari smiled, remembering how easy it was to get lost in the system. “How about you?”

“Uncle Sam,” Glenn said abruptly. “So what did you do when you finished—before here?”

Mari had known this question would come up and hadn’t practiced how she was going to answer. She wasn’t ashamed or embarrassed or overly private about personal matters, but still, she hadn’t wanted to drag the past with her to this new life. Of course, this was one thing that would never be the past. For now, though, partial truths would suffice. “I didn’t—do anything, that is. I had a job lined up, but that fell through.”

“How did you find out about us?”

The question was natural enough but alarm bells rang. All Mari wanted was to fit in, to have a place where she could work and be herself and not catch sidelong glances of curiosity or concern or condemnation.

“My previous program director contacted me. He’d heard about the new program and the openings here.” Truth. Mari could still hear his cautious tone, his careful question as to whether she was ready to go to work. The opportunity had seemed heaven-sent, and the interview she’d had on Skype the next day had almost been a dream. She’d been so anxious for her long-distance face-to-face with the ER chief, she’d checked and double-checked her computer to make sure she could connect and was sitting in front of a blank monitor ten minutes before the appointed hour. Abigail Remy had been friendly and straightforward. She’d also said Max Gardner had talked to her personally and told her Mari was one of the best graduates he’d had in years. After twenty minutes, Mari had a job. She left all that out when she recounted the story to Glenn. “I guess you were busy that day. We didn’t get a chance to talk.”

“Abby hadn’t convinced me to take the job yet.” Glenn studied her. “So you’re new at this.”

Mari tried not to bristle. “Not exactly. I’ve had plenty of hands-on experience. Our program was very intensive, one of the best.”

“I don’t doubt it. We put on a big push to fill our instructor slots with good clinicians, and Dr. Remy wouldn’t have taken anyone who wasn’t the best. But there’s a difference between boot camp and boots on the ground.”

“I assure you, my boots are ready.”

Glenn laughed again, such a rare sound it was as surprising as it was pleasing. She nodded and glanced at the coffee, untouched in front of Mari. “You ought to try it. Start getting indoctrinated.”

Mari sighed and sipped. She tried another swallow. “Huh. It’s quite good.”

“That’s Flann’s doing. She got them to upgrade the brand of coffee and change out the urns every couple of hours. One of the perks of a small place like this. You won’t be a cog in a wheel here.”

“I’m glad.” Maybe this place would be the community she’d lost. “I think I’ll like—”

“Hey, Archer. Seven ten and you’re still lounging over coffee. No wonder you jumped ship.”

Mari stared up at the woman in navy scrubs and a wrinkled, shapeless green cover gown, rather like a giant cloak, standing beside the table. A surgical mask dangled around her neck and her disheveled mop of dark hair still showed the imprint of a surgical cap. Her face was all edges and long lines, attractive, Mari supposed, if you liked the dark, edgy type. She preferred Glenn’s cooler, classic contours…and stopped herself before that thought went any further. Glenn was very good-looking, and the swift changes that came over her face—from light to dark, cool to warm—along with the fleeting hints at whatever she kept so close were fascinating. Mari had never looked at a woman and thought fascinating in her life, which ought to be caution enough. Glenn had secrets, just as she had, that was all. She felt a flush rise in her neck when she realized the newcomer was studying her with unapologetic frankness. She lifted her chin, refusing to be embarrassed by the scrutiny.

“Actually,” Glenn said with that faint hint of a drawl, “we’re in the midst of orientation.”

“Ah. Fresh boots?” Grinning, the woman held her free hand out to Mari and sipped from the cup of coffee she held in the other. “Flannery Rivers. Welcome aboard.”

Mari smiled and took her hand. The long fingers that closed over hers were firm and smooth and certain. “Mari Mateo, and my boots are already well broken in.”

“Good to hear. Glenn will probably need all the help she can get.”

“Thanks,” Glenn said good-naturedly. “How’s the patient from last night?”

“Just saw her. Temp’s down and the leg looks good. Nice work.”

“Thanks,” Glenn said quietly.

Flann pulled a chair over from an adjacent table and settled in between Mari and Glenn at their small table. “How many more recruits do you have coming?”

“One more new staff and four students.”

Flann laughed. “It’ll be a hell of a day down there.”

“We’ll handle it.” Glenn smiled. “Dr. Remy has put together an amazing program in an incredibly short time.”

“You helped,” Flann said.

“I followed orders,” Glenn said.

“Well, Abby is very efficient when she wants something done.” Flann glanced at Mari. “Dr. Remy managed to seduce Glenn away from the OR in record time.” She shook her head. “First she takes my job, then she takes my right hand. It’s a damn good thing I love her.”

“Um…” Mari was at a complete loss and sent a helpless look in Glenn’s direction.

Glenn laughed. “Dr. Rivers is chief of surgery, Mari, and for a while she wore another hat—heading up the ER too. Until Dr. Remy came along.”

Flann sighed. “Yeah. Then Abby decided that Glenn belonged in the ER full-time, and she took her too.”

“It seems that Dr. Remy has very good judgment,” Mari said.

Flann grinned. “She has to, she’s going to marry me.”

“Oh.” Mari laughed. Flannery Rivers might like to tease, but her fondness for Glenn was obvious, and the way her eyes sparkled every time she said Abigail Remy’s name told exactly how she felt about her. Flann reminded her a little bit of her oldest brother Hector, always high on life, playful and charming, when he wasn’t being downright annoying. A swift shock of sadness and unexpected longing shot through her. She caught her breath and forced a smile. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks. I’m hoping Glenn gets bored fast and comes back where she belongs.” Flann stood. “But in the meantime, good luck.” Her voice had gone from teasing to sincere, and the warmth with which she looked at Glenn gave Mari some idea of the depth of the friendship between the two. She was glad. Glenn seemed so very alone.

“Don’t get into too much trouble without me,” Glenn said.

Flann squeezed Glenn’s shoulder. “Wouldn’t think of it. Don’t forget to tell Mari and the rest of your new boots about the barbecue.”

“Right,” Glenn said, pulling her phone from her pocket as Flann walked off. She glanced down and then at Mari. “Incoming. You ready to go to work?”

Mari stood. “You have no idea.”

Chapter Four

Mari raced at Glenn’s side, threading between the tables on the way to the nearest exit. Most people barely gave them a glance, used to seeing staff race off to an emergency. Glenn didn’t return the way they’d come, and Mari was quickly lost and didn’t bother trying to follow their route. She just focused on keeping up with Glenn as they jogged around corners, through a fire door, and down a concrete stairwell lit by bare bulbs in metal cages.

“You run?” Glenn asked, not the least bit breathless.

“I did,” Mari said, trying valiantly to sound as unstressed as Glenn. Her heart pounded against her ribs, but her wind was holding. Her legs were nearing jelly status, but then, she hadn’t used them much in the last half a year or so. They couldn’t have that much farther to go, could they? “I’m a little bit out of training just lately.”

“You move like a runner.”

Mari was oddly pleased by the comment but barely had time to appreciate it before Glenn pushed through another unmarked gray metal door and delivered them into the center of a tornado. A blast of disorienting noise and a flurry of rushing people sent a surge of panic racing through her. Nothing looked familiar—what was she supposed to do? After a second, Mari’s pulse calmed and she made sense of the controlled chaos in the hallway. She’d seen this before. ER staff pushed gurneys toward the ambulance bay to await the injured, pulled back the curtains on examination cubicles, and opened equipment packs. Lights came on in a big room Mari barely had a chance to glance into as she hurried by, but even a quick look was enough to tell her it was a pretty fully staffed operating room.

“What have we got?” Glenn called to Bruce, the nurse Mari recognized from earlier.

“EMS is five minutes out. Grain silo collapse.”

Glenn’s face set into grim lines. “How many?”

Bruce shook his head. “We’re not entirely sure. First report was three, then another unit called in and they’re bringing two, and we think there might be more. Could be upward of ten.” He grimaced. “Apparently a couple of people went in to try to help and ended up getting trapped themselves.”