Ellie glanced over her shoulder at him, clearly fighting not to laugh, then finished the IV. “Mr. Moretti, I believe Donna here would like you to take over. She still needs a warm blanket, and you’ll need to turn on the heating pad. I’ve already called for an ambo. Donna used to be the town librarian.”
“I got to reserve all those sexy romance novels for myself—a perk of the job.”
Ellie walked out of the back room, a little smile on her face. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “You certainly know how to bring the heat.”
Jesse couldn’t help but smile, memories of last night on both of their minds. He took off his parka and walked into the warm-up room. “So, your name is Donna?”
She nodded, looking like she was about to fall asleep.
“We’re going to have you feeling better soon.” He reached into the blanket warmer, took out a heated, thermal blanket, and tucked it around her, then flipped on the heating pad that lay beneath her.
She smiled at him from behind the green oxygen mask, then gave him a wink. “I feel better already. I like men, you know.”
Ellie spoke from behind him. “Jesse is a ski patroller. He’s also a member of the Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue Team, an EMT, and a former Army Ranger.”
Donna’s smile got brighter. “Be still my heart.”
Jesse looked over at Ellie, wondering what the hell she was doing.
She gave him an innocent look, those green eyes wide. “I just want Donna to understand that she is inverygood hands.”
Just then Ellie’s father walked in carrying Daniel. A woman who looked so much like Ellie that she could only be her mother walked behind him holding Daisy.
The children’s faces lit up, Daisy reaching for Ellie. “Mama!”
“We thought they might like to see all the pretty lights and the snow sculptures,” Ellie’s mother said.
“Great idea.” Ellie took Daisy, gave her a little bounce, the pink tassel on top of her hat bobbing. “Are you ready to see some snowmen?”
“They’ve been talking about horses nonstop—and they’ve mentioned you a lot too,” Ellie’s father said, looking Jesse squarely in the eyes.
Uh-oh.
Yeah, the old man knew.
“Are those your kids?” Donna asked Jesse.
Some part of him wished he could say they were.
“Those are Ellie’s twins.”
“They’re cute.”
He couldn’t disagree with that.
Ellie’s parents stayed for a few minutes, leaving with Daisy and Daniel just as two of Hawke’s crew— Brandon Silver and Jenny Miller—pushed through the door with a gurney, playing EMTs today instead of fighting fires.
“Who have we got here?” Brandon asked.
“Ooh, he’s handsome, too,” Donna said. “You mountain boys grow up big and strong, don’t you?”
Silver blinked, looked at Jesse.
Jesse couldn’t help but laugh. “This is Donna. She likes men.”
While Ellie went over Donna’s chart with Jenny, Jesse and Brandon lifted Donna onto the gurney. Jesse moved the bag of IV fluids, then bent down and gave Donna a peck on the cheek because, well, why the hell not?
She giggled.