Surrender My Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens): Cole Braden

by Melissa Foster

  She tried to push away thoughts of Andy and focus on the part of her life that she hadn’t expected to lose in the aftermath. “And I lost Chris.”

  She and Chris had been dating for almost two years. When she’d first told him about the accusation, he’d been livid with Andy, but Chris taught at the same middle school, and as the investigation became public, he’d quickly begun worrying more about what his association with Leesa would do to his own career and less about what she was going through. Within a week, he’d ended their relationship, shattering not only her heart, but her belief in trust, loyalty, and love—all the things she’d relied upon her whole life. And to top it all off, two years earlier she’d lost her father, who was the one person who had always been there for her. He’d been her rock, the epitome of a man she could trust, whose love and loyalty were ever-present. But she’d lost him to a brain aneurysm that had led to a stroke.

  “Another little prick,” Tegan said with anger in her blue eyes. She must have seen the hurt in Leesa’s expression, because she added, “Chris never deserved you in the first place. What kind of man puts himself above the woman he loves? I’m sorry, but that’s not true love, and you know it.”

  A nurse entered the lobby from a hallway beside the registration desk and called Tegan’s name.

  “Come on.” Tegan rose from the chair. “Check out the hottie doctor who put my cast on. I promise you, he will delete Chris’s face from your memory forever.”

  They followed the petite nurse into an exam room, where Tegan promptly sat on the exam table, the paper beneath her crinkling loudly.

  Leesa paced, still thinking about all she’d lost. She’d been in Peaceful Harbor for the past two weeks, and she’d already found a waitressing job at Mr. B’s, a microbrewery down by the marina, which Tegan wasn’t thrilled about. She thought Leesa should jump right back into something that had to do with teaching, but Leesa wasn’t ready to be anywhere near children. She’d waitressed throughout college, and she enjoyed the contact with people and the less rigid hours. Besides, surely as a waitress she couldn’t be accused of doing anything inappropriate. She was right out in the open where everyone could see her at all times, and she really liked the people she was working for. She cringed inside at the reality that she even had to think about being seen as inappropriate.

  Maybe she’d been stupid to tutor Andy in his home, but she’d loved teaching, and she’d loved all of her students, and she knew with the right guidance Andy could keep up with the class. She also knew that the thought of having to repeat the year was devastating to him and certainly to his overbearing father. His mother was quiet as a mouse, and Leesa never knew what to think of her.

  “Sit down. You’re making me nervous.” Tegan patted the paper covering the exam table. “Want to sit next to me?”

  She laughed. “No. I’m not ten years old, thank you very much. I just wish we hadn’t talked about all that stuff. I need to put it behind me.”

  Tegan’s eyes skipped to the door as it pushed open and the tall, broad-shouldered, impossibly handsome man who had given Leesa his coffee and muffin earlier that morning walked in, sucking all the air from the room.

  His dark eyes lifted from the chart he was reading. “Tegan, nice to see you again.” His gaze shifted to Leesa, and a slow, sexy smile curved his full lips and sent her stomach into a tizzy. “Well, I’ll be…Leesa with two e’s, how are you?”

  It took her a second to realize he’d said her new name, and she could have sworn she heard a hint of desire in the way it slid off his tongue. She silently chastised herself, knowing that was not only nuts, but also something she should not be thinking about. Hadn’t she learned her lesson with Chris? Cole didn’t need a woman with a past like hers in his life—and if he ever found out, he’d probably tell her that himself.

  “So, Leesa. Are you stalking me? Because lunch isn’t for a few hours yet, but if you’re hungry and need a few bucks…” He reached for his wallet and smiled with the tease.

  Tegan’s eyes darted between them. “You’re the guy who bought my breakfast?”

  “You’re the woman who ate my breakfast?” He arched a brow, and Leesa was struck by the glint of humor in his eyes.

  “I guess so.” Tegan slid a look of approval to Leesa that Leesa had seen hundreds of times when they were college roommates.

  Leesa pulled her wallet from her purse. “I have money to pay you back.” She thrust a ten-dollar bill toward him.

  Cole eyed the money and said in a low, entirely too seductive tone, “As I said, it was my pleasure. Hold on to your money.” Their eyes held long enough for Leesa’s mind to catalog his thick dark brows, sharp jawline, and angular nose. His cheeks held the dark shadow of manliness that she imagined would scruff up deliciously by dinnertime. Even with his dress shirt covering his body, she could see he was athletically fit without being overly muscular. His dark slacks hung to a pair of black leather shoes, classy but not too flashy. She wondered what he’d look like in a worn pair of jeans with bare feet, and with that thought, she realized she was staring and tore her eyes away.

  As if he realized he’d crossed an invisible line with a patient present, he cleared his throat and set the chart down on the counter. When he looked up again, his gaze was as professional and serious as it had been when he’d first entered the room.

  “So, can we get this thing off?” Tegan asked.

  Leesa shoved her money back in her purse as Cole turned his attention to her friend.

  “Yes, let’s get this puppy off of you and see how you’ve healed up.”

  Breathe, Leesa, breathe.

  She listened to Cole and Tegan discuss how her ankle was feeling as a nurse came in and began removing the cast. Cole told Tegan about the physical therapy she’d need to strengthen her ankle and leg again.

  “Leesa’s staying with me,” Tegan said. “She can help me with the therapy.”

  “You really need a licensed physical therapist to work with you,” Cole said, then smiled at Leesa. “No offense, but proper care is important.”

  Tegan sighed. “She took massage therapy classes during college. Doesn’t that count?”

  Leesa scoffed.

  “Probably, if you’re looking for a good masseuse. We recommend working with licensed physical therapists. But if you’re really against it, I can have our therapist give you a list of the exercises to do at home.”

  Leesa admired his professionalism as he answered Tegan’s questions about whether she could drive, dance, and exercise.

  “You were lucky. You had a simple, barely displaced oblique fracture of the distal fibula. Your PT time shouldn’t be too long, but you need to go easy until you strengthen your muscles again. I’d hold off on doing anything too strenuous for the next few weeks.” He glanced at Leesa, his eyes serious again. “It was a simple fracture, but pushing any injury through recovery can lead to other issues.”

  She tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but how could she when his eyes bored into her and the whole room heated up every time their eyes met. “I’ll make sure she takes it slow.” What? I will? She had no idea why she was even speaking.

  He smiled again and his eyes warmed, as if she were talking about them instead of Tegan’s injury. Embarrassed by the thought, she glanced at Tegan, who was looking at her with a curious grin. God, what was wrong with her? This was Tegan’s doctor. She had no business even thinking about him in that way, especially given where she was with her life right now.

  Leesa spent the rest of the visit trying not to notice Dr. Cole Braden’s super-fine ass when he leaned on the counter to write in the chart or the way his eyes lingered on her until she had no choice but to meet his gaze.

  “So no dancing at the annual bachelor auction? That should be fun.” Sarcasm dripped from Tegan’s voice.

  Cole laughed under his breath as he’d done in the café. It was a nice sound, masculine and playful, and it made Leesa smile.

  “I’m sure the bachelor you win w
on’t mind slow dancing,” he assured her. In a more serious tone, he said, “Tegan, use the walking boot, and if you have any unusual pain or questions, call the office.” He turned to Leesa and said with a hint of wickedness in his eyes, “And if you need breakfast tomorrow, I’ll be at Jazzy Joe’s early.”

  When he left the room, Leesa exhaled the breath she’d been holding.

  “What the hell did I just witness?” Tegan asked as she reached for the door.

  “Nothing.” Everything. She shook her head to try to clear the image of his handsome face from her mind. She couldn’t afford to be focused on anything but getting her life back together.

  Chapter Two

  COLE SET ASIDE his computer and rose from the chair where he’d been reviewing patient files. Concentrating was a futile effort. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Leesa since he’d met her at Jazzy Joe’s. He looked out over the deck of his waterfront home, wondering why she was still on his mind. He’d worked all day, spent two hours sanding the sailboat with his father and Sam, one of his younger brothers, and still she was front and center in his thoughts. She was beautiful and incredibly cute when she was nervous, the way she blinked up at him from beneath her wispy blond bangs, and she had a killer body, not stick skinny like so many women around the harbor. She had hips he was dying to feel beneath his hands. But there were plenty of women with nice bodies; that wasn’t something that usually held his attention this long. There was more to her. He’d felt it the first time they’d met, when he’d caught sight of her intelligent green eyes, which held a strange mix of caution and seduction.

  He pulled his vibrating cell phone from his pocket and read a text from Mackenna Klein, the woman he’d dated for two years before he’d left for medical school.

  Can’t we forget the bad stuff and catch up? For old times’ sake?

  She’d texted him a number of times over the last few days, and he had yet to respond with more than a few words, none of which should encourage a get-together. He hadn’t seen her in years, and he wanted to keep it that way. He had no idea why she was coming back to Peaceful Harbor, and hoped it was a temporary move. He’d thought she was it for him. The woman he’d love for the rest of his life. But she’d shattered that hope the summer before he left for medical school, when she’d said she wanted an open relationship. She wanted to sow her wild oats and wanted him to do the same. The problem was, Cole hadn’t started dating her until he was twenty, and he’d had his fill of fast women and too much to drink. He wasn’t looking for more of the same. His heart had been wrapped up in Kenna—but somewhere along the way, she’d forgotten about her heart altogether.

  Cole had no interest in being someone’s fallback plan.

  He shoved his phone in his pocket without responding to the text and walked down to the beach. He loved the sounds of the waves at night, the cool sand beneath his bare feet. He’d grown up in Peaceful Harbor, and he’d always known that he’d return and settle down in the small town, with its community days, fall festival, and winter wonderland carnival. His parents owned a microbrewery in town, along with several others on the East Coast, and each of his five siblings had also settled in the area. Although his youngest brother, Ty, a professional photographer and world-renowned mountain climber, traveled so often they only caught up between trips.

  He walked down toward the water and sat in the sand, watching the moon’s reflection dance across the rippling water and thinking about his life. He had a good life, a warm and wonderful family, and an enviable medical practice. Hell, he even got along famously with his boisterous business partner, Jon Butterscotch, where many of the docs he knew weren’t as lucky.

  Cole wanted for nothing.

  Almost.

  The truth was, he missed having someone special in his life. He dated plenty of women, but something was always missing, and he was smart enough to know that when his brothers gave him a hard time about being too damn picky, they were probably right. That is, if wanting to find a woman who was as serious as she was funny, as intelligent as she was sensual, was too picky. He wasn’t looking for a model. He was looking for a woman with a brain—a smart woman was a hundred times sexier than a sexy bimbo. Then he had the issue of finding someone who was intellectually stimulating and didn’t want him for his status in the small town or for his family’s wealth.

  His phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket, hoping it wasn’t Kenna. She had yet to actually call instead of text, but he assumed that she eventually would, and he wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. She never gave up easily.

  He was pleasantly surprised to see the name of his youngest sister, Shannon, on the screen.

  “Hey, sis, how’s it going?”

  “Really, really good, Cole, but I miss you guys.” Shannon was a year older than Ty. She was staying at their uncle Hal’s ranch in Weston, Colorado, while working on a project monitoring red foxes, and she’d already been gone for several weeks.

  “We all miss you, too. How’s the project? Are you having fun with everyone out there?” Hal had six children, though only Rex and Treat lived in Colorado. Rex helped run their family horse ranch, and Treat owned several resorts all over the world. Treat was married with two children, and Rex had recently married his longtime girlfriend, Jade, and they were expecting their first child.

  “Yes. It’s great to see everyone, and I’m working with Jade’s brother, Steve, on the project next month, so I’m looking forward to that, too. Oh my God, Cole, you have got to see Treat and Max’s kids! I wish you guys would hurry up and get married and have babies so I could have nieces and nephews to play with.” Shannon laughed, and Cole pictured her dark eyes wide with excitement. Shannon had a zest for life that came with a knack for nosing into her siblings’ love lives. Cole had a feeling that if she could, she’d direct their love lives like a cruise director facilitated activities. He smiled at the notion.

  “Well, Nate’s on his way now that he and Jewel are living together. I bet they’ll tie the knot before too long.” Jewel, their brother Nate’s girlfriend, had recently moved in with him. He’d been in love with her for years, but he’d also been her older brother Rick’s best friend. Nate and Rick had enrolled in the military together, and when Rick was killed overseas, a piece of Nate had died, too. It had been a long road back for Nate, and Jewel’s love had pulled him through.

  “How about you, big brother? Any beach bunnies in your life?”

  “You’ve only been gone a few weeks. Not much has changed, Shannon. Except Dad’s sailboat. We’re all working on getting it in shape.” He rubbed his elbow, which was aching from the constant pressure of the sanding he’d done earlier. When Cole was in high school he’d been an all-star pitcher. He’d even contemplated going into pro sports rather than the medical field, but thanks to a coach from hell—and his own obsessive drive to be the best in everything he did—he’d given in to playing through a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. After rehabbing his elbow back into shape, he’d given up on the idea of pursuing a sports career, foreseeing more overuse injuries in his future and a short pitching career, and had gone into medicine instead. He figured if he couldn’t play, he could at least heal those who could.

  “I know. Sammy told me, and he also said that you’re still working your butt off. Don’t you remember the talk we had before I left?” The tease in her voice made him smile. She was always lecturing Cole about how he’d never find a woman if he was always working. “I swear, when I’m home for the charity auction, I’m finding you a date. Maybe we should auction you off instead of Sam.”

  “Yeah, that’s not happening, sis.” Every year the town held a bachelor auction fundraiser. Funds from the auction went to the local homeless shelter, and this year their parents were hosting it at Mr. B’s, the microbrewery they owned by the marina.

  “Well, Sammy hardly needs auctioning off. He’s got women lining up to go out with him. You, on the other hand…”

  As picky as Cole was, Sam
was the polar opposite. His idea of a fun night was a blonde and a brunette for dinner and a redhead for dessert. He was smart as a whip, kind as the day was long, and though he was in his late twenties, he was as horny as a teenager. Of all his siblings, Sam was the one Cole expected would never settle down.

  Cole rubbed his elbow and glanced down the beach, catching sight of a woman walking along the shore. She had something in her hand, and when she stopped to gaze out over the water, she hugged whatever it was to her chest. He watched her for a minute, feeling a tug of familiarity, and he realized it was hope he felt. Hope that it was Leesa.

  Damn, she’d done a job on his brain. He shifted his gaze away and turned his attention back to the conversation with Shannon, who was saying that she needed to call Nate. They talked for a few more minutes, and after ending the call, Cole thought about what she’d said. His siblings were great at taking time off to enjoy life, but Cole didn’t settle down easily. When he wasn’t at work, he was thinking about it, researching, reading journal articles, staying up–to-date on the latest medical findings and treatments. It’s what he’d always done—worked harder than everyone else to be the best at what he did.

  He rose to his feet as the woman down the beach came into focus. Leesa. He felt as though he’d conjured her up and smiled at the coincidence. She froze, still as a stone, as if she’d just recognized him, too.

  “Leesa?” He closed the distance between them. She was dressed in a pair of jeans, rolled up above her ankles, and a loose sweater. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders in natural golden waves, giving her a softer, even more feminine look than she’d had earlier in the day. And her eyes, those gloriously green havens of emotion, once again perplexed him as they darted away. He couldn’t decide if she was shy or evasive.

  “Hi.” She tucked a notebook beneath her arm, slid her fingers into her pockets, and shrugged her shoulders. “Are you out for a walk, too?”