Never Falling Again: An opposites attract, Navy SEAL on vacation romantic comedy (Falling in Maui Book 3)

by Mercer Scott

  By the time I’m out of the shower, I have a tactical plan. It’s not overly complicated. My plan basically consists of charming Natalia until she realizes that she can’t live without me. Solid plan, if I do say so myself.

  I make the bed and tidy up the apartment so that she has a nice place to come back to, in case today doesn’t turn out how she’s hoping it does.

  Then I head out for the hospital. There’s a little flower cart on the corner, and I buy her a dozen tulips. She doesn’t like stuffy flowers like the roses my mother always puts on every flat surface. I can’t wipe the smile off of my face as I walk towards the main entrance to San Francisco General. I have a woman that I love, and I have a plan to get her to be mine forever. That’s more than I’ve had in a really, really long time. That’s more than I’ve ever had. Even before the accident, I didn’t have that much in my life. I mainly just focused on my work and being a Navy SEAL for the next thirty years.

  Natalia told me to wait outside the main entrance, but I’m too worried about how it went to wait outside. Pulling the big glass door open, I walk into the three-story entrance, as light streams in from the windows lining each wall.

  Natalia’s standing right in front of me talking to some guy. She’s facing away from me, but I would recognize that long, dark hair and that cute butt anywhere. Since I’m at her work, I stand back and don’t interrupt even though I’m dying to know what happened this morning.

  I’m happy enough to stand and wait for her, until the guy puts his hand on her waist. I swear that the tips of his fingers are on her ass. Then he leans down to kiss her.

  No fucking way am I standing here and watching another guy make a move on the woman I love. In a split-second, I’m across the lobby and shoving the guy away from my woman.

  “What the hell is going on here?” I demand, holding him away from her with a single hand on his chest.

  “Who the hell is this guy, Natalia?” When she doesn’t answer me, I pick up her hand and squeeze it.

  She looks up at me, confusion painted on her face.

  “Dr. Di- Dr. Richard Blake,” she answers as she slowly looks back and forth between us.

  Maybe I could have calmed down. Maybe I could have seen reason. But when my girl tells me that the piece of shit who thinks he gets to put his hands on her is the same piece of shit who broke her heart, I completely lose it. This guy is overdue for an ass-kicking.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. How dare you lay your filthy hands on her after what you did to her.” I round on him, shoving hard against his chest. He steps back. He has to or else he’d be on his ass right now.

  I never thought I’d get the chance to kick this guy’s ass, but now that he’s standing right here in front of me practically begging for it. He broke Natalia’s heart and now he thinks he can worm his way back into her life? Natalia’s with me now, and he needs to know that that’s the way it’s going to stay.

  “Cooper, stop.”

  “Who is this guy, Natalia?” Dr. Dick ignores me and talks only to Natalia. Ignoring me was the wrong move, asshole.

  “This is… this is my… this is Cooper.” Natalia still looks confused by what’s happening.

  I’m not confused at all. This piece of shit was trying to get back into my girl’s pants. And that is not happening.

  “Get him out of here, Natalia. Having some guy come in here and assault me isn’t going to help your case with the Board.” Dr. Dick narrows his eyes at me, and I have no doubts in my mind that he’s going to make sure that the Board finds out about this.

  “I’m so sorry. We’re leaving,” Natalia says, tugging at my sleeve.

  “I’m not going anywhere. I want to know what this asshole was saying to you, and why he thinks he can put his hands on you.”

  “He wasn’t. He didn’t… it doesn’t matter,” she says. “We’re leaving now, Cooper. Now,” she orders me again, tugging harder on my arm.

  “Cooper, please.” Her voice breaks when she says please.

  And that breaks my need to kick this guy’s ass. Because all that matters is Natalia and making sure that she’s okay.

  “Let’s go.” Taking her hand, I tug her towards the big glass doors to the hospital entrance.

  She doesn’t say anything the entire walk from the hospital to her apartment a few blocks away. She let go of my hand the second we were out of the hospital and she doesn’t take it again. I feel like an idiot holding onto these damn tulips now, but I keep right on holding onto them anyways.

  When we step into her apartment, she turns on me. And she’s pissed. Apparently, the few blocks of silence just gave her time to get angrier and angrier.

  “What the hell do you think you were doing? I just got out of telling the Board again and again that I would never be responsible for another scene at the hospital like that. I don’t even know if I still have a job, and now I’ve probably lost it all over again?”

  “What? You’re pissed at me? And not the guy who cheated on you and then thinks he can grope you in the middle of the hospital. That guy deserves to get his ass kicked.”

  “Probably. But not by you, and not by me if I want to keep my job. And I do! You can’t just go around kicking people’s asses when they do something you don’t like.”

  “That sounds funny coming from you. Because it’s exactly what you did.”

  “Don’t you think I know that! And I’ve been paying for it every minute since. Didn’t you hear what I said? I still don’t know if they’re going to give me my job back. And the last thing I need is you marching in there and starting a fight with Dr. Dick.”

  “So, you were just going to let him grope your ass? And lean in close? What were you going to do when he kissed you?”

  “He wasn’t. I wouldn’t. Look, I was handling it. And I don’t need you marching in and acting all alpha male with this possessive crap. You can’t just go around kicking people’s asses. You’re not a Navy SEAL anymore!”

  “Oh, I’m crystal clear on that. I thought I was helping you. But I’ll keep my possessive, alpha male crap to myself. I’ll be gone in fifteen minutes,” I say angrily, as I head for the bedroom to shove my stuff into my duffle bag.

  Natalia follows me into the bedroom. And for the first time in my life the thought of Natalia and a bedroom isn’t making me horny. I’m way too pissed to be horny.

  Meowriah Furré is lying on a pillow at the head of the bed watching us suspiciously.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Getting out of here, like I said.” I’m shoving my jeans and t-shirts into the duffle bag with so much force that I’m afraid I’m going to punch right through the heavy canvas.

  “What are you talking about? You can’t just leave.”

  “I can. And I am. It’s obvious that Maui’s over. You’re back in your normal life and you’re falling right back into it with Dr. Dick. You’re being so stupid, Natalia. The guy broke your heart. And you’re going to be back riding his dick in a week. You should be safe because you don’t know where else that dick has been.”

  “I what? How dare you talk to me like that? You’re being a total asshole right now. I don’t know what you think you saw, but nothing was happening. If I’m lucky enough to get my job back, I’m going to have to work with him. It’s not my choice. Nurses are a dime a dozen to the hospital. Brilliant surgeons aren’t. I will never have anything personal to do with him again. But I can’t just beat him up or avoid him. I have to deal with him – and that’s exactly what I was doing! I don’t need you – or any other man – to protect me!” Her face is red with anger, and her eyes are glittering and hard like diamonds. She’s like a stranger right now.

  “Yeah, you’ve made that pretty damn clear. You’re finally getting what you’ve always wanted. Rid of me. You’re free to run back to your precious Dr. Dick now. Enjoy. But I’m not sticking around to watch.”

  “You’re being such a dick right now.”

  “Don’t call me that. Call me any
thing but that,” I warn her.

  “Fine! You’re being a total asshole! If you walk out of this apartment right now, we’re done Cooper. Done!”

  “We were done the minute you let that piece of shit put his hands on your ass. Have a nice life, Natalia.”

  After taking one last look at her, up and down, I know that I’m going to miss every inch of her. But the woman won’t listen to reason. And this is for the best. For both of us. Just because I love her, doesn’t mean that she feels the same. After what I saw today, it’s obvious that it’s only a matter of time until she’s back in Dr. Dick’s bed. Maybe she was thinking about him this whole time? I thought we had something real here. But I guess I was wrong. And damned if I’m going to stick around and watch her slip out of my arms and back into Dr. Dick’s.

  “Cooper, don’t…”

  “It’s already done.”

  I’m standing at the elevator by the time the door clicks shut behind me. A clean break is the best for both of us, I know that. But damned if it doesn’t kill me. This morning, I was planning a life with this woman. My woman. And now she’s not even mine anymore.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Natalia

  “I do not feel well,” I announce to no one in particular.

  “Of course, you don’t! No one feels good after a break-up.” Bridget gives me a sympathetic smile.

  “And the five of us have been through more than enough to know that.” Cassie rolls her eyes and raises her mimosa in a mock toast, from where she’s lounging across Bridget’s perfectly styled sectional with karate-chopped throw pillows and artfully arranged throw blanket. Whenever I’m at Bridget’s perfectly decorated and styled townhouse, I always feel like I’ve walked into a show home. Her place is the complete opposite of my cobbled-together Boho apartment.

  When there’s a knock at the door, I glance over at Bridget. Who even knocks on the door anymore with texting first? “Expecting anyone?”

  Bridget shakes her head at me and walks over to answer the front door. When the room fills with squeals of excitement, I turn to see who it is.

  Veronica and Lara. Standing right here in Bridget’s living room. In San Francisco. Jumping up from my chair, I race over to the door and throw my arms around them.

  “What are you two doing here? You’re supposed to be on Maui!”

  “We’re supposed to be wherever you need us to be.” Veronica smiles and squeezes me tightly again before taking her jacket off and walking farther into the living room. “Bridget said you needed some cheering up, so here we are.”

  Bridget – always the perfect hostess – grabs two more mimosa glasses. Not that I’ve touched mine. I took one sip, and I thought I was going to throw up. But I’ve been feeling like that a lot lately. Apparently getting walked out on by Cooper Hamilton is enough to make me sick to my stomach. And time isn’t healing this wound. It’s been almost a month and, if anything, the sick feeling in my stomach is only getting worse.

  “So, are we talking about him? Not talking about him? Drinking until we can’t remember his name? Tracking him down and beating him up? What flavor of cheering up do you need?” Lara asks, after taking a long sip of her mimosa.

  “Hmmm, those all seem like good options. But I think not talking about him and pretending he doesn’t exist?” I’ve talked enough about Cooper Hamilton to last me a lifetime. I’ve cried enough tears over him for an entire lifetime, too. I still haven’t heard the Board’s final decision, so I’ve had more than enough time on my hands in the last four weeks to go through all the stages of break-up grief. Crying. Ice cream. Commiserating with my friends. Cursing him. Crying. Ice cream. Rinse and repeat. I was never quite able to get to hating him, but I’m done with everything Cooper Hamilton. I just want to move on and forget all about him. He seemed to find that easy enough to do, so I should be able to do the same. I wish that we’d ended things on Maui. I wish I only had the good memories and not the ones of him walking away.

  “Cooper who?”

  “No idea who that is.”

  “I didn’t know you were dating anyone.”

  “Thanks, friends.” Even if my mind knows that I’m better off without Cooper, my heart still has some catching up to do. There is zero doubt in me that I’m better off without the jerk Cooper who flew into a rage over nothing and walked out on me. But I’m not so sure that I’m better off without the guy that I knew for months on Maui.

  “Are the waffles ready? If I don’t eat something, I think I’m going to throw up. I’ve been crying so much and not eating properly. I just feel like absolute crap lately. All I do is sleep, but it’s not like I have a job to go to, is it?”

  Glances are exchanged back and forth across the room, making me extremely suspicious.

  “What are the looks about? Remember you’re supposed to be here cheering me up?”

  “Exactly how long have you felt like this?” Bridget asks thoughtfully.

  “I don’t know, a few days?” I frown, trying to think about it. The last month without Cooper has been a bit of a blur. Me and my new best friend the sofa and I have become very well acquainted. I still haven’t heard from the hospital, so I spend most of my time on the sofa napping and bingeing reality TV. I’ve been so tired lately, but I thought that was because I was so emotionally drained. I sleep and don’t feel rested. My whole body just wants to shut down and sleep for a hundred years, which isn’t exactly practical. “No, it’s been longer than that. I guess the last few weeks. I’ve just been so sad…”

  “Have you been eating?” Bridget asks, worriedly.

  “If it belongs to the carb family, then yes. Bagels, pizza, bread. Everything else, not so much. I know, I know, I need to eat better!” I’m a nurse, of course I know that I need to eat actual vegetables and protein. Not just bread all the time. But bread is what’s getting me through this break-up.

  “Nat, do you think maybe there’s another reason why you don’t feel well?” Veronica asks slowly.

  “Like what?”

  “You’re feeling tired, only eating carbs, and feeling sick all the time. You’re a nurse, what do you think?” Cassie asks from across the room.

  I am a nurse. Hmmm, symptoms and diseases run through my head, but nothing fits. “No, I can’t think of anything. Why don’t you just tell me what you all seem to think it is so I can tell you that you’re wrong. I’m fine, I’m just… sad.”

  “Do you think maybe you might possibly be…?” Veronica says each word slowly, carefully pronouncing every syllable.

  “Just spit it out already, V! Nat, you’re pregnant, and we’re all going to be aunties!” Lara jumps up, nearly – but only nearly – spilling her mimosa.

  “Nice, Lara.” Bridget shakes her head disapprovingly.

  “Way to be subtle.” Cassie frowns.

  “No...” That’s the only word I can form. My mouth hangs open in shock.

  No one says anything for a long minute. Everyone’s just staring at me waiting for me to say something else. But I have no idea what to say.

  “No, I can’t be. I’m on the pill.”

  “Nothing’s a hundred percent.” Bridget flashes me another sympathetic look.

  “Well, there’s one way to be sure – mimosas and pregnancy tests!” Lara practically dances over to the front door, and crooks her finger. Within seconds, the short one is standing in the doorway.

  “Can you please run to the nearest drug store and buy one of every single pregnancy test. As quickly as possible.”

  The short one immediately looks panicked. Lara laughs at him before practically shoving him back out the door. “And don’t worry about tattling to Deacon. It’s not for me. Hurry! Please and thank you!”

  The next twenty minutes we spend waiting for the short one – and I assume the tall one because I’ve never seen them apart – to come back with the pregnancy tests is the longest of my entire life. When there’s finally a knock at the door, Bridget goes to answer it and comes back with a reusable shopping
bag full of pregnancy tests.

  “Ready?” Bridget holds the bag above her head and shakes it in front of me.

  “How much pee do they think is currently in my body?”

  Cassie frowns, considering. “Maybe you can try to pee on a few at once?”

  “If this wasn’t so terrifying, it would actually be hilarious. Or it would be if it was happening to someone else. Anyone else!”

  “You’ve got this, Nat.” Veronica smiles encouragingly. “And we’re all right here with you.”

  And she means it. They are all right here with me. They watch as I gulp back two giant glasses of water. Then dutifully follow me to the bathroom and wait silently while Bridget carefully lays out all the tests next to their instruction manuals on top of a bath towel along the length of the counter. Bridget does not need my pee all over her pristine bathroom counters. When none of them makes a move to leave as I start pulling my dress up, I have to physically push them towards the door to get any of them to leave.

  “Are you all just planning on staring at me while I pee on a bunch of sticks?”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen you pee.” Lara starts laughing.

  “Remember the Eiffel Tower?” Cassie bursts out laughing too.

  “Stooop! That wasn’t my fault. Where are all the bathrooms in Paris?”

  “None of us peed on the Eiffel Tower…” Veronica says, laughing.

  “It wasn’t on the Eiffel Tower, it was near the Eiffel Tower. And I seem to remember you puking out of a taxi, V!”

  “How did I ever find such classy friends?” Bridge shakes her head at us in mock disgust.

  “No idea, but it was the best thing that ever happened to you!” Lara throws her arms around Bridget and squeezes her until Bridget starts laughing, too.

  “Okay, stop making me laugh at a time like this. I’ve had way too much water, and I’ll seriously pee all over Bridget’s pristine bathroom!”