Flann nodded. “I’ll be in the OR. I can break if I absolutely have to.” She spoke to Harper, more out of routine than anything else. Abigail had been right in all of her assessments, and Flann didn’t doubt she would keep an eye on the patient. All the same, her sister had been her backup in everything her whole life—when they were kids, in college, in med school. Even sometimes when she’d gotten herself into a relationship problem. Harper had always been there to talk her through or talk her out of trouble.

Harper said to Abby, “I’m going to make rounds now, but I’ll stop down to the ICU as soon as she’s settled and keep an eye on her all morning.”

“Good enough,” Abby said.

“The nurses will get her settled in the ICU,” Harper said.

“I’m going to check in with Presley,” Abby said. “Hopefully I’ll have a beeper before long, in case anyone needs me.”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that,” Harper said. “The page operators can always find you.”

“How?” Abby asked.

“Welcome to Small Town, USA.” Harper grinned.

Abby must have looked a little panicked because Harper and Flannery laughed at the same time. For just an instant, Abby was jealous of their camaraderie and their obvious affection. She had done so many things alone in her life. True, David had helped her when he could with the baby, but mostly she’d been a single mom, a commuter student the last two years of college, and a med student who didn’t have time for the end-of-rotation parties that bonded everyone else. She had Blake, but Blake was her child and needed her to be strong, now more than ever. It would be good to see Presley again. A friend was exactly what she needed.

She followed Harper and Flannery into the hall. Flann pointed to the left. “Administration is that way. Presley has the big office with the big sign that says President.”

Abby laughed. “I always knew she would be someday.”

“As long as she isn’t interested in DC.” Harper’s pride was obvious. She sketched a wave and headed away.

An awkward silence descended and Abby met Flann’s dark, penetrating stare. She held the gaze, realizing she hadn’t been on the receiving end of a woman’s appraisal in a very long time. She felt heat creep into her cheeks. Damn it. Not a woman, a colleague, and one not so happy to meet her.

“Welcome to the Rivers, Dr. Remy,” Flann finally said.

She turned and jogged away, leaving Abby wondering what Flann had seen in her face and praying her uneasy attraction hadn’t been obvious. Because she wasn’t really—attracted, that is. Flannery Rivers was easy on the eyes and sexy in an all-too-knowing way, but even under ideal circumstances, not Abby’s type.

As it was, she had to figure out how they could work together without rubbing up against the sharp edges of competition between them. And she had no plans to start anything with anyone while she and Blake were still getting settled in a whole new chapter of their lives. One thing was for certain, even if she were desperate for company, Flannery Rivers would be dead last on her list of candidates.

Satisfied she’d put that distracting issue to bed, Abby set off to find her once-best friend, who, like so many things in her life, she’d let slip away. The administrative wing was deserted except for a few of the offices where doors stood open and early arrivals worked at desks, sorting papers and checking computer screens. The contrast to the seething energy of the medical wing was momentarily disorienting, a lot like her life these days—swinging from high to low with the sweep of the minute hand. Hopefully, she and Blake would find a little stability here.

At the very end of the carpeted hall, a redhead occupied a sleek L-shaped salt oak desk in a spacious alcove with an oriental rug, several plush waiting chairs, a coffeemaker on a credenza tucked into a corner, and a large window with a breathtaking view of the valley and village below. The vivacious-appearing late-twentysomething with bright green eyes and cover-girl complexion smiled at her. She wore tailored earth-toned pants and a pale green silk shirt. A square-cut emerald glinted on her right hand and a small diamond pendant matched studs in her ears. Understated and classy. “Morning. Can I help you?”

“I was hoping to catch Presley,” Abby said, extending her hand. “Abigail Remy. I just started—”

The redhead jumped up, her smile widening, and grasped Abby’s hand. “Oh! Of course. I’m Carrie, Presley’s admin. It’s great to meet you other than in email.”

Some of the strangeness fell away with the warm welcome. Abby said, “You too. Thanks so much for making the whole process so easy. Is there anything else I need to do?”

“You ought to drop by personnel sometime today for a photo and get your ID card and a parking pass to the staff lot.” As she spoke, Carrie pulled open the right-hand drawer of her desk, withdrew a glossy brochure, and handed it to Abby. “Here’s a map of the grounds, and inside you’ll find a key to all the important internal areas. You’re all set with payroll.”

Abby glanced at the brochure, a sweeping panoramic view with the hospital at its center. Beneath it were the words SunView Medical Center—the Community’s Hospital. “Thanks. Things are moving fast, I gather.”

“Presley is very efficient.”

Abby laughed. “Oh, I remember that from when she was the sorority president. Can I get in to see her sometime this morning?”

“Hold on, let me check.” Carrie sat behind her computer and typed. A second later a message alert chimed. “She says now is good, and she’s ready for coffee and something to eat. Can I get you anything?”

“You know, I could do with a bagel or something, but you really don’t have to—”

“I always go about this time to grab something myself. It’s no problem.”

“Then I’ll take advantage and say yes.”

“Great. Go on in. I’ll drop off supplies in a few minutes.”

“It’s great to meet you in person,” Abby said as she crossed to the door bearing a simple brass plaque with the words Presley A. Worth, President in etched block letters. She knocked and the door opened almost immediately.

“Abby!” Presley grabbed her into a huge hug. “I’m so glad to see you.” Presley relaxed her grip and kept both hands on Abby’s shoulders. Her gaze swept down and back up. “You look great. I can’t believe it’s been five years. How did we manage to let that much time pass with just cards?”

“I don’t know.” Abby swallowed around an unexpected lump in her throat. She’d forgotten how comforting real friendship could be, how the instant acceptance and sense of belonging could make any problem seem solvable. Sure, she’d been close to her fellow residents, but that was more out of mutual preservation rather than anything else. She’d never shared herself with them. Presley hadn’t changed. Her blond hair was a little shorter, but her blue eyes were just as sharp and appraising as ever. No one could ever hide anything from Presley. She wasn’t sure how deeply she wanted to be seen just yet. She stepped back, squeezed Presley’s hands as they parted. “It’s great to see you. I believe you’re actually glowing. I didn’t realize that was physically possible.”

Presley’s color rose. “I think it’s sunburn.”

“Well, country living seems to agree with you.”

“You have no idea.” Presley slid an arm around Abby’s waist and led her into the room. The suite was spacious with windows on two sides and bookcases on the other two. A sitting area with an oval oriental rug, a beige leather sofa, two chairs, and a coffee table occupied one corner. An open door led to an adjoining conference room with a large table surrounded by a cluster of chairs. Presley’s traditional dark wood desk sat in front of one wall of windows through which Abby saw clusters of lilac trees in full bloom. “How do you get any work done in here?”

“It took me a while to get used to it.” Presley gestured to one of the chairs in the sitting area and took one of the others. “At first I felt hopelessly out of place, but it didn’t take long to begin to feel at home.”

“I hope you’re right, because I’m feeling a little displaced myself.”

Presley smiled gently. “I feel really lucky to get you here so quickly, but I hope I didn’t rush you too much.”

“My fellowship was up in another few weeks, and I hadn’t had any vacation time this year. I needed to make a final decision about a job”—Abby shrugged—“and frankly, none of them really appealed to me.”

“I’m glad I caught you at the right time.”

A double knock sounded at the door and Presley rose. “Come on in, Carrie.” She helped Carrie distribute containers of coffee and a tray with bagels and spreads on the coffee table. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Carrie paused on her way out. “Hey, Abby, do you play softball?”

“I—” Abby laughed at the unexpected question. “Not since high school. Sorry.”

“That’s great. I’ll be in touch.”

The door closed and Abby glanced at Presley. “Softball?”

“A local passion. There’s a hospital team. You can run, but you can’t hide.”

Abby laughed again. “I might have to try. I was never all that good.”

Presley shook her head. “Carrie is the new team captain and she’s relentless. I only escaped by threatening to fire her if she kept nagging me to play.”

The affection in Presley’s tone belied her words. Abby envied the easy camaraderie. “She seems great. She really handled everything for me.”

“Good. I know you’re used to a big city hospital, but our ER is very busy. Probably not what you’re used to, but—”

“Actually I just came from there. I walked into a trauma call.”

“I heard the code,” Presley said. “Everything all right?”

“So far.”