Caught.
She actually chuckled. “I’m normally up at six to get things organized for the kids.”
“Exactly,” he responded. “Which means it’ll be no hardship for me, either, to be out until…what? As late as ten o’clock?”
Hilly ducked her head sheepishly. “Uh, yeah. I’m normally back in camp just before ten.”
He grinned. “Then I—”
“Oh my God! Is that Officer Hottie McMotorcycle?”
A sharp voice squealing down the path cut Cisco off mid-sentence.
Officer…who?
Hilly turned toward the offensive comment-maker, and scowled. The camp nurse, Debbie Gorner, had obviously and finally made the effort to leave her cabin, but…just to spew invectives? Hilly took a closer look.
Shit, shit, shit. Was the woman…drunk?
There was no mistaking the flush on Debbie’s cheeks, the glassy eyes, and the way she was walking deliberately so she wouldn’t take a tumble.
And…what had she said about Cisco?
Hilly turned to her companion. “You know our camp nurse?” she asked quietly, taking a step closer to Debbie, and away from the man who may or may not have some kind of past with Nurse Gorner.
“Yeah. From a drunk traffic stop. That’s all,” Cisco practically growled, putting an arm in front of Hilly to stop any additional forward trajectory. “And it looks like she’s inebriated. Again.”
Wow. Cisco had stopped Debbie for drunk driving? Holy shit. Hilly’s ire rose as she confronted the nurse she’d hired, once again honing in on her less-than-steady gait. “Debbie. Have you been drinking?”
The woman chose to ignore Hilly, and instead, stumbled her way toward Cisco. “Hey, handsome. Fancy meeting you here. You were so mean, leaving me with those other officers. I wanted you to stick around.” She pouted, then placed a long, red-nailed finger on Cisco’s chest, running it from his sternum, down, down…
Cisco grabbed her hand before it reached critical territory, and pushed it away. “Cut the crap, Ms. Gorner. Your boss asked you a question,” he snarled.
Debbie shrugged, still not looking at Hilly. “I might have had a little wine before dinner,” she simpered. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Nothing wrong…? Dinner wasn’t for another four hours!
Hilly spluttered. “Alcohol of any kind is forbidden on camp grounds,” she managed. “You know that. You signed an agreement to that affect when I hired you.”
Debbie made a provocative moue at Cisco, paying no attention to Hilly or her assertion. With her eyelids lowered, she sidled toward Cisco until her tits actually touched his chest. “Did you know I’d be here? Is that why you came?” She batted her fake eyelashes at him as she simpered.
“No. I came because I’m the camp’s self-defense instructor,” he hissed, backing up. “And you reek.”
Hilly was done. She’d seen and heard enough.
“Nurse Gorner. Into my office. Now.”
Finally, the woman turned to regard her. “Why? Is there a problem?” she slurred.
“There is,” Hilly said through clenched teeth. “You’re drunk, and about to be terminated.”
Damn-it-all-to hell.
Now what was she supposed to do? Debbie was the only nurse the agency she used for summer hires told her was available. And legally she needed someone with at least some kind of medical training on premise in order to keep the camp open. Should she ignore Debbie’s infraction and…
No. There was no way the sloppy drunk was staying here. And that decision had nothing to do with the way the bitch was coming on to Cisco, which—if she were honest—also had Hilly seeing red.
“You can’t fire me,” Debbie told her with a sly grin. “You need a medical person at this stupid camp, and I’ll glarinfree, gwaurentree… I’ll bet you can’t find anyone else on short notice.” She looked pleased with herself and smug at her rebuttal.
Hilly hated to give in, but the sotted shrew was right.
“I’m not conceding the point,” Hilly backed off a tad. “But I’ll hold off on doing anything rash today. We’ll still be searching your cabin and divesting it of any alcohol, after which you’ll remain there for the rest of the afternoon and evening, hopefully sobering up. Tomorrow we’ll discuss your conduct and the possibility of your continuing employment.”
Scoffing at Hilly, the woman turned back to Cisco and grinned salaciously. “There’s no way I want her digging through my stuff, but I’ll allow you into my cabin,’ she winked.
“We’ll all go,” Cisco managed, despite his clenched jaw. “And Hilly, don’t worry. I’ll make a few phone calls tonight. I’m pretty sure I can find someone to take Nurse Gorner’s place temporarily until you can come up with a suitable full-time replacement.”
Hilly doubted that, but she’d go along with his offer because it made drunk-Debbie glower.
“Thanks, Cisco.”
Hilly was trying hard to control the anger that was bubbling up inside her, and Cisco must have known it, because he reached for her hand and entwined his fingers with hers, giving them a gentle squeeze.
He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “It’ll all work out.”
Hilly nodded, strangely comforted by his grip. “I hope so. But for now, we need to get into her cabin and confiscate any alcohol we find.”
As if on cue, Nurse Gorner became belligerent. “You can’t go into my private space. I bought everything in there with my own money, and you have no right to take it.”
