Page 1 of Guarding Bristol

Chapter One

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Bristol finished wipingthe gel off her pregnant patient’s rounded belly with a flourish and a smile.“Voilà.You’ll no doubt be happy to know this concludes our session, and you can finally empty your bladder.Not here, though,” she added.

OB scans were her favorite part of the job.

The woman laughed in the middle of sitting up, then put a hand on her stomach and grimaced.“That’s cruel, making me laugh when I’m literally about to burst.Do you know how hard it is to hold it in right now?I’ve got half a gallon of liquid in my bladder, which is currently a quarter of the size it normally is.Well, you saw it,” she said, waving one hand at the ultrasound screen and accepting Bristol’s help with the other to get her upright on the edge of the table.

“You’re right.That was mean.I’m a terrible person.”

“I’ll try to find it in my heart to forgive you.”She slanted Bristol a conspiratorial look.“By the way, was that what I thought it was?”

“Waswhatwhat you thought it was?”

“You know.That...shadow down there.”She gestured to the area between her legs.

“Shadow?”Bristol asked, all innocence.The patient had specifically told her she didn’t want to know the baby’s sex, and Bristol wasn’t allowed to tell her anyway.

“It was!I knew it!”

Bristol shook her head and held up a hand.“Whoa, I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to.I can read your face.”

“You can read my face?”

“Yep.You have a very readable face.”

Shoot.She really did.She sucked at poker and was a terrible liar.“I can neither confirm nor deny that there was a shadow...down there.”She adjusted her glasses, kept her face straight.

“It’s okay.I was pretty sure on my own.”The woman patted her belly.“This is my fourth, so I’ve had some practice reading ultrasounds.Now help me off this thing and point me to the bathroom before I embarrass myself and pee on the floor.”

Bristol got her up, pointed her to the bathroom, then wiped down the table and equipment before exiting the ultrasound room and making her way to the lockers inside the staffroom with a spring in her step.It had been a good day.She loved her job, but sometimes it was hard when she discovered something bad on the ultrasound.Thankfully today, she hadn’t needed to pass on a single piece of bad or worrying news to the radiologist for confirmation.

“There she is,” Travis said, looking up at her as he laced up a shoe.He was an incredibly popular Physician Assistant here at the hospital, as well as a PJ with the Air National Guard.“All done for the day?”

“Yep.”Since his hands were busy, she bent to pick up his discarded boots and set them in the bottom of his locker for him.“Guess you’re just starting?”

“Thanks.You know what they say.No rest for the wicked.”

“Please, you’re the furthest thing from wicked.”There was something in the water here in Crimson Point.All the men were ridiculously hot.Most of them were either former military or law enforcement.And pretty much all of them were taken.

He stood, shrugging into his lab coat, his arm muscles straining the sleeves.His wife, Kerrigan, was a lucky lady.“Got any plans for tonight?”

“Cassie’s coming over soon.We’re having wine and lady tapas.”

“Lady what?”

“You know, picky plates.”She mimicked picking something off a plate and popping it in her mouth, then chewed, rolling her eyes in ecstasy.

Travis laughed.“Well, you enjoy.”

“I sure will.Later.”

“Later,” he said, heading for the door to start his shift.

Outside the hospital, Bristol paused to raise her arms over her head and stretch, closed her eyes, and pulled in a deep breath of the warm August evening.Even up here on the top of the hill overlooking Crimson Point, the air held the faint salty tang of the ocean.

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