Edge of Time (Langston Brothers Series) (10 page)

“It’s all my fault. Billy was just a kid. Why did it have to be him? He lied about his age, you know. He and my brother both did. Why did they do that? And now Billy’s mother
—
oh, God, why? It’s my fault. It is! I should have been able to protect him!” The words ripped convulsively from his throat. “I promised her and
—
”

“No, Craig, this is not your fault.” Marissa kept her tone soft but firm. “You
must
stop blaming yourself.” Her fingers ran through the thick locks of his hair. “Bad things happen and you just can’t save everyone.”

“I know that.” He pulled miserably away from her and rested his elbows on his knees
, head sagging
.

“The best you can do for anyone is try, and then keep moving forward. Think of all the people you have helped and think of all the people who still need you.”

For a long time he just sat, not moving, contemplating her words.

“I’m sorry,” he said qu
ietly, lifting his head at last.
“I shouldn’t have burdened you with this. I should have talked to Major Bernstein or James Rowe.”

With a firm shake of her head Marissa gave him a small smile, “No, you were right to come to me. After all I offered didn’t I?”

Craig offered a weak smile.
“I’ll have you know this is not a side of me
that comes forth very often. I
f I can ever repay the favor I would be more
than happy to lend a shoulder.”

*
             
*
             
*

Work continued to prove an exhausting diversion from her time travel predicament
, especially as
Marissa
could find
n
o readily available route home.
Genie Harris and Carolyn Reed were becoming fast and true friends and Marissa was finding herself power
fully drawn to Craig Langston.
It was more than just a physical attraction, the two of them seemed to know and understand each other more than their brief acquaintanc
e could or should account for. Even Brian had not affected her so and she had
loved
him.

As she hauled a large bag of laundry through the back door of the hospital she could have kicked herself for getting her thoughts so wrapped up in
the man
.
There were at least one-
hundred good reasons not to get involved with
Craig,
the most important of which that she was not at all over Brian’s betrayal
,
and sh
e was a woman out of time.
But even as she silently drilled herself with logic
,
her thoughts
drift
ed
to the exhilarating feel o
f Craig’s firm lips on her own.
Dumping the laundry into boiling water she beat the linens as though beating thoughts of the intriguing young doctor from her mind.

Later that afternoon, Marissa finished putting away freshly rolled bandages on the second story and headed for the stairs, nearly done with work for the day.

“Marissa certainly ha
s whipped this place into shape
.”
Craig
’s
remark drifted up the staircase, his rich tenor shooting a warm thrill through her.

“You doctors and the orderlies listen to her so well I’m beginning to wonder who is in charge here, her or me!”

Marissa paused on the opposite side of the bannister, suppressing a pleased grin as the men continued singing her praises. She could just see them standing beneath her in the hall.

With a laugh Craig g
estured to one of the orderlies.
“I know what you mean
.
I don’t remember seeing any of them work so hard or be so organized before she got here.”

As if on
cue a
young private approached.
“Captain Langston, you have a visitor, a Miss Jamison.”

Marissa
Froze
.

“Please ask Miss Ja
mison to wait in the front room,
”
Craig ordered politely.
“Sir,
” his deep voice continued to Major Bernstein,
“
a
s far as Corporal Tanner
is concerned
, we’ll have to see if
he makes it through the night.
If he does then I’ll take him back to surgery first thing in the morning.”

Peering covertly around the corner
,
she watched Craig rinse his hands and face in a basin of water before mak
ing his way to the front room.
From her vantage point at the top of the stairs it was impossible to see beyond the hallway so Mar
is
sa crept down the
steps
to peek through the gap between the door
and the wall. She physically grimaced
when the pretty
raven-haired
woman
with
perfect dimples came into view
.
Kirsten
—or rather
,
the Marne of the 19
^th
century. Jealousy surged through Marissa as Kirsten
batted impossibly long lashes
up at Craig
.
Given her wont to visit him so frequently at work, Marissa could only surmise the two
of them
were close.

“Miss Jamison, how ca
n I help you today?” Craig
drawled
solicitously,
portraying
the perfect southern gentleman.

“My family and I were hoping you would honor us with your presence at dinner
tomorrow evening
, Dr. Langston,”
Kirsten’s
voice fairly dripped with honey as she turned clear
,
unusually hued
eyes up to him
.
“Oh, Captain, you must promise you’ll come.”

Fists clenched,
Marissa walked curtly away from the litt
le interlude. Southern gentleman… Pah! Some gentleman that
would kiss her and take her on enticing walks
—
not
to mention cry on her shoulder—
only to have another woman waiting in the wings.
She really shouldn’t be angry. She had promised
not to get involved with anyone un
til she sorted out her own life. B
ut
… just the same…
she couldn’t quite quash the
remaining
twinge of
envy
.

“Enough.”
Sh
e shoved away from the banister,
thrusting
the handsome Craig Langston from her mind
as she did so, and
set out to find Genie, anxious to be on her way home.

Home
.
The thought of Carolyn’s house as home came to her suddenly
. A mixture of panic and yearning threatened to choke her. F
inding the emotions more than she had the capacity to deal with at present, she brushed that thought aside as well
.

*
             
*
             
*

Craig
paced the lower level of the hospital,
anxious to see Marissa and ask how
she liked working a
t the hospital
.
It had been a busy week, and he’d seen her only in passing. It didn’t take long to locate Genie Harris gathering up her books, pens, and paper, and he decided to wait for Marissa with her. “Good evening, Mrs. Harris. Have you had a good day?”

“As well as can be expected, Captain, thank you.”

Clearing his throat
Craig
shifted nervously and cou
ld have kicked himself for feeling so damnably
green
. “Would it be all right if I came to call on Marissa sometime?”

Genie winked. “I do believe you already have, sir.”
She smiled broadly. “
Don’t get flustered, Captain, I’m only teasing.
Feel free to stop in anytime.”

C
raig grinned sheepishly in return
, hoping Marissa would be as enth
usiastic as her aunt. What had she
thought of him and his display of weakness following Billy Cole’s death? He gestured to the newly
restored order of the wards.
“She
’s
certainly made a difference around here.”

“She is very efficient. I don’t think she stops for more than two minutes at a time.” Mrs. Harris raised a hand in friendly greeting as Marissa approached. “Why, here she is now.
”

Craig smiled at the sight of a slightly disheveled Marissa. With her blonde hair spilling haphazardly from her disorderly bun, and a rosy flush in her milky cheeks, she was beautiful.
H
er dark eyes smoldered and a fire he hadn’t experienced for
months lit within his being.
“How was your day?”

“Fine,” she replied, dark eyes glancing
dismissively
o
ff his face
as she turned to Genie. “I’m exhausted, Genie
.
Are you ready to go home?”

Frustrated by
her coolness he tried once more to catch her gaze. “I could—”

“Craig!”
The trio turned to
Dr. Rowe’s urgent call. “There was an explosion at one of the munitions plants. There are a couple of men downstairs who need to be operated on
now
and a few others that
will have to wait.”

Immediately Craig strode across the room to the other physician.