Whitney in Charge by Diane Craver Page B

fingertips across her skin didn’t go unnoticed by Ben. “Your pulse is less erratic now. That’s good,” Jack said.
    The way he smiled at Whitney made Ben grit his teeth. From the things he’d said, Ben realized this Jack character knew Whitney somehow. But how well, Ben didn’t know. Would she have let him kiss her if she had a boyfriend? No, Jack couldn’t be her boyfriend. He didn’t know who she was until Ben said her name. Ben took a minute to study Jack, just to know what kind of competition he might have. Geez, did Jack have to look like a Hollywood star with this perfect smile and chiseled features. He could be on the cover of GQ with his great looks.
    “It’s too bad you turned down a date with me tonight,” Jack said, and Ben’s hopes sank deeper with the knowledge that Jack had asked her out. He was definitely competition for Whitney’s attention. “We could’ve met under better conditions.”
    “My stomach stopped turning.” Whitney gave Jack a weak smile.
    “Your pulse is fine.” Jack stared at Whitney for a moment. “You have the most beautiful green eyes I’ve ever seen. Casey didn’t do you justice when he described you to me.”
    “He’s my brother-in-law,” she said. “He doesn’t see me like a man…like someone else would.” Color flushed Whitney’s cheeks.
    Ben sat silent, stewing over the disclosure of information he’d been slammed with since the paramedics had arrived. This guy obviously had a romantic interest in Whitney, and he made no bones about making that fact clear. Just how interested was Whitney in Jack, though? Ben held onto hope in the fact that she‘d turned Jack down to go hiking with him. That had to mean something, right?
    * * *
    Starbucks’ cups littered the various side tables in the waiting room. Regan sat in one chair, cell phone to her ear, beside her husband Casey. Shannon sat in an adjacent chair, her hands clenched in her lap with her husband Tim close by. Regan had introduced Shannon and Tim to him upon their arrival. He’d been surprised to see Shannon with yet a different color of hair and she was several inches shorter than Whitney and Regan. Ben guessed Tim was in his early forties. He had sandy blond hair and a pleasant smile.
    Regan groaned out, “You’re kidding. How in the world did Channel Five get it on tape?”
    Ben realized that if someone taped the rescue that meant they may have been close enough to help. Instead, they decided to just stand by and do nothing.
    Regan closed her phone. “A guy had his camcorder because he’s going around the area filming neat waterfalls. He was on the trail opposite you and got Whit’s fall on tape. He saw you calling for help. I guess he came to the hospital and got more information. Then he called the news station about the accident. Myra, my mother-in-law, said they mentioned it will be on the eleven o’clock news.”
    Ben shook his head. “Unbelievable.”
    Casey turned to Regan. “I hope you three won’t want to buy this resort. More injuries might occur. I hate to think how much you’d have to pay for liability insurance.”
    “Nothing like this has ever happened at the resort.” Ben looked Casey directly in the eye. “I hate it Whitney was hurt. You can’t imagine what it was like seeing her fall and hit the rocks. I won’t get this image out of my mind for a long time.”
    Tim said, “I think we’re all on edge here, but hopefully we’ll know something about her condition soon.”
    Shannon nodded. “I keep thinking how when she was little, she used to love to climb trees and she fell once several feet. I saw her fall and it scared me a lot. She never climbed trees again.”
    Dr. Frank Hillman, a man Ben had worked with more than once, came through the swinging doors from the treatment area. He introduced himself to the others and paused when he saw Ben. “I’m surprised to see you here, Ben. I guess you know the patient.”
    “He’s the reason she’s here,” Casey