Misters of Love: A Small Town Romance Boxset

by Piper Sullivan

  She nodded. “If you think I’m getting married with a big fat baby belly, you are out of your beautiful bearded mind.” Then she kissed me, long and slow until my whole body was on fire for her and I got to my feet, Mikki still in my arms.

  “Your big beautiful baby belly,” I corrected.

  “Fat,” she shot back and nibbled my ear until I could only think of having her again.

  “I guess I’ll have to spend the afternoon showing you just how beautiful you and your pregnant body are to me.” She shivered and a swell of masculine pride shot through me.

  “That’s a tall order, even for a hometown hero.” She laughed when I laid her out on the bed and stripped her out of her tank top and panties.

  “I’m not worried, babe. Because you are beautiful—so damn beautiful that I can’t believe you’re mine.” I trailed a finger down the center of body, dipping it inside her slick heat and producing a moan. “And that sound, I promise I’ll never get sick of it.”

  “Good to know,” she moaned again, arching into my touch.

  Now that I had her right where I wanted her, it was time for the final phase of the plan. I undressed and joined her on the bed, holding her hand in mine. “One final thing,” I told her, slipping the ring on her finger.

  Mikki looked down and gasped. “Nate, it’s gorgeous.”

  “It’s nothing compared to you, Mikki, but it’ll tell the whole damn world that I’m yours and you’re mine.” Now that I had her, there was no way in hell I was letting her get away. Ever.

  She blinked away tears and climbed on top of me, and that’s how we spent the rest of the day. Loving each other until we fell into an exhausted, satisfied sleep.

  The first of many with the woman of my dreams in my arms.

  The End.

  Dr’s Orders

  I’m not a player, just a busy doctor with certain… needs.

  And being part of our small town charity event has made me an even hotter commodity.

  Which, as a red-blooded male, I appreciate.

  Too bad alluring single mom Maxine thinks I’m just another pretty face.

  But live for a good challenge. And I’m determined to prove her wrong.

  Between meddling match makers, secret dates and stolen kisses, I found myself falling for her.

  Until one mistake puts it all at risk.

  Now it’s up to me to show Maxine that I’m not like the men in her past.

  I’m her present. And her future.

  Derek

  “Exam room three is waiting for you, Dr. Cahill.”

  Nurse Miller’s words brought me up short and took my mind away from the chart in my hands. A thirteen-year-old girl had been to the ER half a dozen times in as many weeks, with a number of bruises and sprains. It was suspicious. Nothing that rose to the level that I’d have to report it, but still, it was unnerving.

  “What was that, Nurse Miller?”

  Antonia Miller looked at me with the same disinterested stare she gave everyone—but unlike everyone else, I could see the amusement hidden in her dark brown depths.

  “Daydreaming again, Dr. Cahill? Something good, I hope.”

  I laughed, as I always did when she made mention of my nonexistent love life. “You bet. I was thinking of my new memory foam pillows, and how I can’t wait to break them in when my shift is over.” I flashed what my mom called a boyish grin, and leaned over the large desk that kept the nurses separate from the incoming patients and family members. “Good enough for ya?”

  She shook her head in disgust, tiny black braids falling around her shoulders. “You’re too young and too handsome to spend so many nights alone, Dr. Cahill.”

  “You’re a married woman,” I reminded her, sounding scandalized.

  Antonia’s deep laugh echoed in the lobby and she shook her head again. “But you’ve got enough charm for ten men, I’ll give you that. Now, get on to exam room three. Little girl with a broken arm.” My jaw tensed and Nurse Miller laid her hand on top of mine. “She fell out of a tree. No DV,” she promised, using the hospital and police shorthand for domestic violence.

  “Good.” I straightened and accepted the file she handed me. “Wish me luck.”

  “I would, but the woman with her is taken,” she mumbled to herself, pulling one final smile from me. My parents had left Tulip years ago, when my kid sister moved to the east coast and had her first set of twins, but I swear Nurse Miller was determined to take up Mom’s role, meddling into my love life. Pathetic though it may be at the moment.

  The entire town of Tulip was in the matchmaking spirit, which meant every patient was viewed as a potential love match for every single man and woman in the hospital. That went double for the Hometown Heroes. Lucky me.

  I slid the curtain to the side, with a smile fixed on my face—a smiling doctor helped patients relax. Patient families, too.

  “What have we got here?”

  Immediately, I recognized the two females on the exam table. The adult was Nina, the wife of Preston Worthington, search and rescue worker, and descendant of Tulip herself. The child with the lopsided red pigtails was Callie Nash. Maxine’s daughter.

  “Hey, Doc,” Nina began. Her easygoing smile was a direct contrast to her tattoos, black motorcycle boots, and overall badass demeanor. “Squirt broke her arm trying to rescue a kitten. From a tree,” she added, sliding the little girl a sideways glance.

  “She asked me to, Dr. Derek,” Callie countered with a sniffle, her outrage telling me this wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation.

  A small huff of a laugh exploded out of me at her insistence. “Did she also tell you how long the fall was going to be?” Her x-ray images had already been put up by one of the ER nurses and I took my time looking them over while I listened. She had a clean break, a stable fracture that wouldn’t interfere with her development. That was a good sign.

  She shook her head, gleaming pigtails almost taking out an eye. “No. She was too scared to come down on her own, so I helped. I had to.”

  Pulling the stool closer to the table, I rolled over to the little girl with a smile. “You were incredibly brave. And reckless. What if this had been your spine, instead of just an arm?”

  She shrugged, wincing from the pain in her left arm and trying so very hard not to cry. She was a tough cookie, just like her mama.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Great—I’d made a little girl cry. I placed a hand on her good shoulder. “That’s all right, but next time, find someone bigger. You know Nina’s husband rescues things for a living, don’t you?”

  Callie nodded. “I didn’t want her to fall while I went for help.”

  “Next time, go get help. Even if the kitten was scared, Callie, she’s better at climbing up and down trees than you are. All right?” She nodded and I winked, making her smile even if it was watery. “Good.”

  “Is she gonna live, Doc?” Nina’s dry tone pulled a shocked gasp from Callie, who looked at me with worried brown eyes. “Well?”

  I dipped down until I was face to face with Callie, trying like hell not to let those bottomless brown eyes get to me. Children were the hardest part of emergency medicine, and Callie was no exception. “You are definitely going to live. But you’re going to hurt and itch like crazy for a few weeks.”

  “A few weeks?” she whined.

  “Yeah, but you get a really cool cast,” I told her, because colorful casts had a way of making kids forget all about broken bones. “Where’s Maxine?” It was unlike her to just not show up for her kid. She showed up for every one of those troop meetings. Science fairs. Volunteering at the animal shelter, whatever it was—they were always together.

  “On her way,” Nina said, brows arched in suspicion. “She’s catering a luncheon over at the new business park on the edge of town for some bigwig executives. She should be here any minute. Any other questions?”

  I looked down at Callie’s chart, ignoring Nina’s protective tone. “None,” I assured her and t
urned back to my little patient. “Ready to pick out your cast color, or should we wait for your mother?”

  “I’m a big girl, I can pick it out.” I wasn’t sure if that was true, but Nurse Miller had written that we had parental permission to treat her, so that was exactly what I did.

  When Maxine arrived twenty minutes later, panting and frantic, she found us just finishing up on the bright green cast. She ignored the adults in the room, her gaze lasered in on her daughter and filled with love. And worry.

  “Callie, you’re all right. You’re okay, baby.” Maxine went to Callie and wrapped her in a loving embrace, being mindful of the broken arm in the process.

  “I’m not a baby, Mommy. I saved a kitten,” Callie asserted, chin notched up in challenge.

  Maxine turned to Nina, who shrugged as she explained Callie’s daring rescue attempt. “The little bugger is alive and well, hanging out at our place until you and Callie are ready to retrieve him.”

  Maxine looked like she wanted to say more, but she suddenly realized they were not alone. Her blue gaze swung to me, a question swimming in her eyes. “Anything I need to know?” Her eyes raked over me, assessing me, but not like she was interested. It was the same disdainful look she always seemed to reserve just for me. “Before I ground my daughter for life?”

  Callie pouted and let out a sigh worthy of a teenager. “I couldn’t just leave her there, Mommy. What if Nina had left Bailey?” The little girl was her mother’s daughter, knowing exactly what to say to make her point.

  I had to suppress a laugh at the shocked look Maxine sent her daughter. “Bailey can’t swim in flood waters, Callie. Cats climb trees all the time.”

  The little girl sighed and pointed at me with her uninjured arm. “That’s what Dr. Derek said.”

  “Then next time, I hope you’ll listen,” she said firmly before turning to me. “So, what’s the verdict?”

  Her gaze lingered on mine for a long moment, and I took advantage of the situation to examine Maxine. Her thick red hair was pulled back in a tight bun, but the wisps of hair that had broken free framed her pretty face like a halo. “She’s got a stable fracture and will have to wear the cast for about six weeks.”

  Maxine looked disappointed and sighed in resignation before casting another worried look over at her kid. “Six weeks, huh? Think you can survive that long, kiddo?”

  Callie nodded, smiling at me. “I use my right arm for everything, anyway,” she insisted with the confidence of a much older girl.

  “Yeah? Let’s see how well you put on shirts and tie your shoes with a broken arm, smarty pants.”

  “She’ll need some assistance for the first week,” I added, like an idiot. Something about Maxine Nash always made me say the wrong thing. Like now.

  “Of course, Dr. Cahill,” she said, emphasizing my title and last name. “Despite being a lowly single mother, I’d never neglect my child.”

  My brows dipped in confusion. “I never suggested you would, I only meant children Callie’s age tend to go overboard with independence, and if she attempts it, well, the pain will be extreme.” Her icy glare didn’t let up, and I shrugged it off. No good deed, as they say. “Callie, make sure you don’t get that wet.”

  She frowned up at me adorably. “You mean I can’t take a bath?” The hope in her voice wasn’t lost on me, and I bit back a smile.

  “That’s up to your mom. But you can wrap a grocery bag around it before you get wet. Doesn’t that sound like fun?” Did it? Other than at work, I spent very little time around children.

  “You want me to cover up the pretty green?”

  Maxine sighed, and subtly pushed me aside. “No, he wants to protect the cast so that it keeps protecting your arm. A soft cast means we have to come back and do this all over again. Got it?”

  Callie nodded and Maxine sent me a look that said she wasn’t impressed.

  Big surprise. “Right. Well, then. You ladies are all set.” I ignored the sound of Nina snickering in the background.

  “Thanks for my cast, Dr. Derek. It’s super cool.”

  I smiled at the adorable little girl. “You’re pretty cool yourself, Callie Nash.” She giggled, and the sound like was a punch to the gut in the best possible way.

  “Bye, Dr. Derek!”

  “See you in a few weeks,” I called after her with a wave. When they were gone, I got back to doing rounds while waiting for the next emergency to roll in.

  Max

  It had taken longer than usual, but I’d finally gotten Callie settled on the sofa with a book to keep her occupied long enough for me to find something in the kitchen to whip up for dinner. The ground beef I’d meant to use for spaghetti was still in the freezer, which meant I had to improvise. Again. Most days, it seemed improvising was all I could do,

  But instead of focusing on my struggles as a mom, I pulled out all the deli meat and cheese in the fridge along with lettuce, tomato, and pickles for two big, fat deli sandwiches. Unlike most little girls, Callie appreciated a meal that let her get messy now and again. Mix in some fresh fruit and potato chips, and I felt a little less like a failure. For the time being. Normally, I would have brought home leftovers from the event I’d catered, but the broken arm meant someone else would be clearing up.

  I didn’t mind. Callie was the best thing I ever got from my ex, and she was worth all the hard work. And I was lucky that I didn’t have to deal with an interfering co-parent, because Callie’s dad felt that being a father, even a part-time one, would get in the way of his sleeping with every female under the age of fifty. No, fifty-five—the last woman he’d cheated on me with was my boss’s wife. So, it was bye-bye job and husband. In one fell swoop.

  “Mommy, may I have some water? Please?”

  It was just me and Callie now. Just us girls. “It’s right beside you on the table.”

  “Oh,” she giggled. “Thanks, Mommy.”

  The sound of her laughter never failed to make me smile. Callie was strong and funny and resilient. And a slob. I let my shoulders relax at the thought of cleaning her room for the next six weeks, at least, according to Dr. Cahill.

  Derek Cahill. He was still as handsome as he’d been in high school, only now he had the beauty that came with becoming a man. Thick black hair was now expertly styled, instead of finger combed. Crystal-clear blue eyes were now sharper, and most days, he sported a five o’clock shadow. Yeah, he was as gorgeous as he was judgmental. Being a single mom wasn’t easy, juggling ten different balls in the air every day and hoping none of them fell—and, if one did, hoping that it wasn’t one of the really important ones.

  It was easy to judge when you were a rich doctor from a rich family with no responsibilities outside of work, other than accommodating a revolving door of women.

  But I was no longer concerned with anything other than my daughter, and our deli sandwiches. “Ready to get sloppy?”

  She turned too quickly, wincing when her arm hit a pillow. “I am,” Callie said, more subdued than the excitement in her eyes might imply.

  “Be careful with that arm, Callie. I cut your sandwich into quarters so you can use just one hand.”

  “Okay, Mommy.”

  I got us both set up on tray tables, and we ate while a nature documentary played on the TV—Callie loved all things nature. Even while we ate. I always wanted to encourage her, so I’d learned to deal with it.

  “This is good. Especially the pickles.” Callie smiled and I sank into the sofa, relaxing because of that smile.

  “Thanks. I’m glad you’re okay, Cal. You scared me.”

  She froze and turned to me, wariness in the brown eyes she’d inherited from her father. “I scared me, too. I fell so fast, but it felt like a long time.” She let out a breath, and I realized that punishing her wasn’t necessary.

  “Next time, call a professional.” I winked and she giggled before turning her attention back to the mating habits of tropical birds. My phone vibrated on the end table beside me and I picked it up at the
sight of Nina’s face. “What’s up, Nina?”

  “Can’t a girl call her friend for no good reason?”

  I laughed at her attempt at innocence. “Really? You called just to shoot the breeze? Want to hear about the delicious sandwiches we had for dinner?”

  “No. I want to talk about the crazy sparks between you and Derek.”

  Sparks? “You might’ve hit your head too hard—”

  “Mommy, please.” The glare my little girl sent me came with the sting reserved for a teenager. Not a seven-year-old.

  “Sorry,” I whispered and took my plate to the kitchen, while I attempted to deflect Nina. “There were no sparks, Nina. Why don’t you just enjoy being happy, and in love, and knocked up and let me be. I’m fine.”

  “Sure, you are,” she snorted. “That’s why you jumped down his throat over a totally harmless statement.”

  I cringed at her words, because she was right. I had jumped down his throat for no good reason. “Something about him bothers me. I can’t explain it.”

  “It’s called old-fashioned sexual attraction, Max.”

  “And why in the hell does he insist on calling me Maxine?” It irked the heck out of me, and I couldn’t say why.

  Nina laughed like she’d just heard the funniest joke in the world. “Because that’s your name. Or isn’t it?”

  “Shut up.” When all else failed, use belligerence. “Anyway, thanks for helping with Callie today.”

  “No thanks necessary. I love that little girl, she’s the coolest kid I know.” I was glad Nina had come into our lives. She genuinely did enjoy spending time with Callie, and sometimes called just to “nerd out,” as she called it, with her. “So… you and Derek?”

  “Not happening,” I groaned as I straightened up the mess I’d made preparing dinner. “I’ve had enough of men who can’t be satisfied by one woman.” Hell, it had been so long that I wasn’t sure I could satisfy anyone.