I can’t believe just a few hours ago, maybe less, I was having a dream…make that a nightmare…about leaving. And it was actually a real thought just yesterday.
But how quickly things can change.
And just like the seasons change, and will be doing so soon, this is the perfect kind of change for me.
But it’s a change that represents no more change that I like best.
No more uncertainty.
No more wondering where my home is.
No more thoughts of going through this life alone.
And no more wondering what’s been going on between us lately.
Now it’s absolutely as crystal clear as this sparkling diamond that only needs a “yes” before it slides the last few inches onto my finger.
And that’s where it belongs, just as we belong together. Forever.
“Yes,” I say. “I’ll love you completely and ‘till the end of time and I want nothing more than to marry you and be yours for all the world to see forever.”
I say a mouthful so he doesn’t have to say anything at all.
He just gives me the smile of the happiest man on the planet as he slides that ring perfectly into place.
And then we kiss and not only is he the happiest man on the planet, but I’m the happiest woman.
And together we’re the happiest couple ever…and forever we will be.
Together.
Epilogue
Finley
Three years later on the 4th of July
The 4th of July has always held such significance for us and this one is no different.
It was the day I was born.
It was the day we made love for the first time.
And without a doubt it was the day we conceived our first child.
Our beautiful daughter Fiona who then happened to be born on April Fool’s Day, which suited her perfectly. She was such a little joker, even as a toddler.
She loved hiding things, like her daddy’s socks, and then get such a kick out of watching him look for them. Sure, he knew where they were all along, but he loved the fun of the “search” so much that sometimes I wondered who was having more fun…Fiona or Finn.
Or even me.
I got to follow daddy around with a camera taking pictures as he lifted up the edge of the sofa like it weighed nothing and then would say, “Hmmm…nothing here,” to the delight of Fiona.
I would quickly turn and capture her reaction, at least until I realized these moments were too good for pictures and ordered a fast focusing video camera online.
Now the memories we made could be shared with generations to come…including the next addition to our family which was due at any moment.
I could just imagine…having my baby today on my birthday. What a blessing.
But today there would be no hiding of the socks for Fiona.
There would be something much different to hide.
Daddy.
Fiona filled her bucket and placed the finishing touches next to Finn’s neck, officially “burying” him in the sand at the beach where we were enjoying the day.
Technically, and for safety reasons, Finn was lying down and just tilted his head so if anything went wrong he could quickly pop out of the sand. But from the looks of it, and as far as we were concerned, all but the head of this six foot plus stud was buried under the golden sand of the beautiful Southern California beach where we were having the time of our lives…as we always seemed to do.
“Where’s daddy’s?” I ask.
Fiona points to the sand and giggles her little heart out.
Suddenly I feel something going on inside me and I sit down on the sand. I put my hand on my belly.
“Oh my gosh. Finn. Finn.”
And just like the superhero he is to our family he pops out of the sand and rushes to my side.
“What is it, baby? Are you okay?”
“It’s time. We need to go to the hospital.”
“Your…?”
I nod.
“We’re having a baby!” Finn yells.
People turn their heads towards us, but what happens next absolutely melts my heart.
Not a single person was looking at Finn like he was crazy, even though he was sort of acting like it by continuing to yell but now all kinds of things like, “I’m going to be a dad again!”
Instead people of all races, colors, and surely religions and beliefs just look at us…and start clapping.
The sun might be hot enough to melt us but this is what reminds me of why America is so great. It’s truly a melting pot of it’s own where all kinds of different people can come together with one common goal…to live the life they dreamed of.
And a big part of that is finding the one and only person who’s right for you to share that life with.
And this luckier than lucky girl did both. I am living my dreams here with the man of my dreams.
And our life together was about to grow by one…today.
And I couldn’t wait to fill our newest one’s dreams with peacefulness, happiness, and love.
Three things that he’d given to me and that we’d shared with Fiona…our little joker who was the perfect fit to our family.
“Baby!” Fiona says.
“That’s right baby,” I say.
Finn scoops up Fiona and kisses her on the forehead.
“Sister,” she says.
“We don’t know yet, sweetie,” Finn says. “Maybe sister. Maybe brother.”
“Sister and brother!” Fiona says.
“See that!” Finn says, turning to me. “Even she wants more!”
“One at a time, honey. One at a time.”
We quickly get packed up and Finn helps me from our little spot on the sand towards where our car is parked just nearby.
I’m as big as one of the whales that frequent the waters just off these shores as I waddle to the car, but still the clapping continues for us.
“God I love this country. Best country on earth,” I say.
“Me too,” Finn says. “But I hear Australia is nice…and Canada, and the U.K., and South Africa.”
I just shake my head and laugh.
“I know. We’re going to visit all those places,” I say. “But first let’s get this hospital visit taken care of.”
“You got it!” he says. “And I can’t wait to visit all those amazing places as a family.”
“I know what you mean,” I say pointing to my stomach. Finn’s in love with me a lot…as in he can’t ever keep his hands off me. Not that I’m complaining.
“What most important is that all that love starts with you,” he says.
I stop walking for just a second and look at this man. My man. The big strong man who’s still the helpless romantic…when it comes to me.
With Fiona in his arms he slides in and gives me a big ol’ kiss.
“Love!” Fiona yells.
“That’s right, honey. We love you,” Finn says, kissing our baby girl.
But not for long.
Soon we’ll have a new baby in the family. And after that surely another.
Why?
Because of all the love we have…for each other.
A home full of love, children, and my man.
Now that’s the American dream!
Or should I say the dream of everyone who we’re fortunate enough to share this world with.
And I get to share mine with them. My fantastic family.
And those are the kind of fireworks that really touch my heart…and will forever.
55) DOCTOR NEXT DOOR
DOCTOR NEXT DOOR
The doctor is in.
When I move from my small town to the big city for the first time I’m not expecting my new next door neighbor down the hall to be a dashing doctor.
But one look and I want this older man to be a lot more than the doctor next door. I want him as my personal Doctor Baby Maker showing me how to make a house a home.
This nurse may have passed the
registered nurse exam, but when it comes to learning about the birds and the bees I’m hoping this doctor gives me a hands on test that becomes more than neighborly…and leads to a pregnancy test that gives this virgin the baby I’ve always wanted, but only with my perfect older man…my doctor next door.
*Doctor Next Door is an insta-everything standalone romance with an HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger.
Chapter One
Rose
I hang a hard left and exhale hard ready to put my 1987 Honda Civic into my parking spot in the underground garage for the night.
The car is eight years older than I am even though I feel like I’m closer to eighty right now. Eighty as in the amount of hours I’ve already put in at the hospital this week…and it’s only Thursday.
And that eighty feels more like dog years since a large chunk of it was spent in the E.R.
So much for the idea of moving to the big city so I could “live the life” drinking cosmos at swanky speakeasy bars while classy gentlemen fought over who was going to pay the bill and who was going to get the honor of spinning the green eyed girl in the red dress on the dance floor.
But right now the only thing spinning is my mind. The only thing green is the UFO, a.k.a unidentified phlegmy object, on my hospital smock, and the only thing red is the blood that somehow is splattered on the side of my cheek.
Nothing beats the rush of saving a life, but I really need to work on obeying safety protocol or it’s going to be me on the table with some disease I really don’t need right now.
And speaking of rush I wonder if I’m going to be able to grab my groceries and rush to the elevator and into my apartment before my bladder explodes.
But when I look at my spot I get a whole other kind of rush.
“Nooo,” I moan as I bang my palms on the steering wheel. Some jerk, with a Ferrari no less, has decided tu casa es me casa and has totally taken the parking spot I pay for each month. And to add insult to injury he’s removed my Confucius parking placard that says Man Who Want Pretty Nurse…Must Be Patient from the wall too.
“Uhhh!”
And right now my patience level is at zero…and apparently so is my gas tank.
I feel the engine kick and my car stalls. I throw it in park, grab the bag of cold items from the passenger seat and make a break for the elevator.
As I watch the numbers go up I hum Bon Jovi’s Bad Medicine…my go to self-prescription when I’m about to have a nervous breakdown.
The elevator dings as I reach the penthouse and the second a crack of light pushes its way through the slow opening doors I push my own way through into the hallway.
And run head first right into a brick wall!
Who put a wall in the hallway? I think to myself as I feel myself falling backwards.
I brace for the impact of the back of my head on the tile and can already count the days I’m going to miss from work and the dollars I’m not going to make with rent quickly coming due.
But much to my surprise the impact never comes, unless you count the tight grasp of the oversized calloused hands on my arms and the feeling of flying.
It takes me a second to realize I’m not flying, but I am horizontal with my feet off the ground.
“Put me down!” I yell at about the same time my carton of ice cream lands on the tiles a good five feet from me spilling my Chunky Monkey everywhere as I fight my bladder not to do the same.
As soon as I feel the balls of my feet on the hard tiles I beeline it for the door and jam my key in the lock…the wrong lock of course. I jerk it twice willing it out of the deadbolt hole before shoving it inside the keyhole in the door and then throwing a shoulder into the door and quickly there after my body into the bathroom.
At least something goes right as I execute “the move,” where you pull your pants and panties down all at once as you’re sliding towards the toilet seat, to perfection. The second my booty, which has yet to see a ray of sun all summer, hits the cold porcelain I realize I made it.
And then I also realize…hey that guy was pretty hot.
Really, really hot.
Chapter Two
Cristiano
What…just…happened?
I roll my hands over and look at my palms, the same palms which just scooped her up in free fall and held her tight.
But not tight enough.
I could feel the electricity shoot through my body from one touch but the feisty firecracker demanded to be put down.
That never happens to me.
Then again I’ve never helped a girl fly through the air.
And my dating life has been completely non-existent for years, but the decision is completely mine. Or should I say was.
She’s the reason why I haven’t accepted an invitation to dinner for years, nor have I offered one.
I’ve been waiting for the one. The one who never came…until now.
The one with the beauty to knock me off my feet, or in this case hers.
The one with the feistiness to stand up to me and not be afraid of my size, job, or the other things that sometimes intimidate people.
She the kind who gives as good as she gets, if not better.
The ultimate challenge and the ultimate reward. And by ultimate I mean forever.
I pick up the quart of ice cream from the floor and straighten my back and throw my shoulders back as I walk towards her door.
I don’t expect her to eat any of the ice cream but I need an excuse, any excuse, to see her again.
And by see her again I mean now. Not tomorrow. Not the day after. Not next week or next year.
Right. This. Minute.
“Put my ice cream down!” she says as her head pops out from her doorway as she scans the hall.
I raise my free hand placing my palm vertically to show her I’m innocent. I come in peace.
But she’s not having it. She storms into the hallway, snatches the ice cream from my other hand and slams the door so loud it echoes through the hall.
Unbelievable.
And all this time I just thought that was a broom closet. I do the quick mental calculations and realize that must be the smallest apartment in the city, and that it probably was a broom closet, or not much bigger, before she moved in.
I thought I had the penthouse all to myself, but apparently not.
And as much as I demand privacy, in this case a little company is very welcome indeed.
But only because it’s her. The girl who’s name I don’t even know, but who has very definitely made an impression on me.
And I know I’ll be seeing her again really soon.
She can count on that.
Chapter Three
Rose
“You filed the patient report in the wrong drawer again,” Riley says to me. “You’ve never done that and you’ve done it twice this morning already. Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I say, but clearly I’m not okay.
I need to pull myself together before she figures out something’s going on. Too late.
“There’s a guy, isn’t there?”
“What guy? No. I mean, what are you talking about? I never leave the hospital. Just look at the bags under my eyes.”
“Girl, you don’t have bags under those eyes, but what you do have is a sparkle in them. And that’s the kind of sparkle only a man, or about twenty million bucks, can provide.”
“Well, I don’t have either,” I say.
“Uh huh,” she says as she raises her eyebrows. “I’m going to go clean out some bedpans, but the real poo poo is the one you’re in with me. I know there’s some info here you’re not giving up and I’ll wade through the poo to find it.”
“Could you think of an even grosser analogy?” I say shaking my head and closing my eyes as I very unfortunately picture it.
“Don’t even get me started. I’ve got ten more years experience doing this job than you. You have no idea what I’ve seen.”
“Nor do I want to know,” I say.
/> We both laugh and head in opposite directions.
I turn quickly with a clipboard in my hand to scurry down the hall to my next patient, but I run into a brick wall…again.
The same brick wall.
“Whaaa?” I ask not able to get the t out at the end of the word what because I’m so shocked.
“Cristiano,” he says as he pulls his elbow back and puts his hand near mine. I can’t really say he extended it because I’m still pretty much pressed up against him.
I take a quick step back and straighten out my uniform.
“Rose,” I say.
I place my palm in his and I can feel the electricity shoot through his hand and into mine. It runs up my arm and I can literally feel the goose bumps…on my head.
That. Never. Happens.
And neither does a big strong doctor walking into our hospital.
The joke amongst nurses is that most doctors are out of shape and laden with debt. Sure they have nice toys, but they’re usually financed to the hilt. Not to mention the stress of the job and the schmoozing leads to a lot of alcoholism. The reality of learning how doctors really are caused me to do a complete one eighty.
A Man Who Knows What He Wants Box Set 5 Page 19
