Now, her sister was the cause of her pain, and there wasn’t anyone to share ice cream with to dissolve those problems.
She scrolled through her contacts and stopped on Casey’s, her finger hovering idly above the number, just waiting on her to give the command. She didn’t even know if she had the same number anymore. She didn’t know anything about Casey now.
Her only sister had become a complete stranger to her.
She didn’t think she could feel any more alone than she did at this moment in her life.
Chapter 9
Ethan
Ethan looked at his watch as he hurried to the training room. He was ten minutes late, but his patients came first and he wasn’t about to interrupt the little old lady in room 4105. She had been in the hospital for two weeks, and he had yet to see her have any visitors, so he listened patiently and enthusiastically while she told him stories of her late husband. It broke his heart, but she wasn’t sad when she talked about him. Instead, as she talked about their first date and then how he had proposed, she was glowing for the first time since she’d been admitted. It was touching and more interesting than hurrying to some useless training session. He wasn’t even sure why he had to be in this class.
Pushing open the door, he nodded to Carrie as she began to introduce their next speaker. He quickly found an open seat to the far right, not paying much attention to his surroundings. As he looked up, the familiar blonde waves caught his eye and he shook his head. He couldn’t believe the only seat available was right behind Brooke.
Evidently, she felt him staring because he saw her turn her head slightly and peer at him from the corner of her eye. Seeing it was him, she quickly turned her gaze back to the speaker. Ethan sighed; he’d never been so aggravated at himself in his entire life. What had he been thinking?
The speaker had been talking for thirty minutes and Ethan had no clue what he was talking about. He heard something about defending yourself, but that was all he had caught so far. He tapped his pen against the desk, his mind lost in ways on how to get Brooke to give him another chance. Should he climb up her trellis with a bouquet of flowers and apologize for his wrong doings? Or should he send his apology through the sky by airplane? Or maybe...
“Okay, we’re going to find a partner and practice a few moves,” the woman said, interrupting his thoughts.
A confused look appeared on Ethan’s face at that statement. He looked around to see everyone standing and pairing up, but he didn’t have a clue what for. He looked around to see everyone around him already had a partner, except one person. He smiled, thinking he couldn’t get any luckier. Whatever they were pairing up for, it looked like Brooke was going to have to be his partner, whether she liked it or not.
He pushed his chair back and stood up, the movement getting Brooke’s attention. She turned around, and when she realized he was the only one left, she rolled her eyes. It wasn’t the reaction he was hoping to get, but he wasn’t surprised, either.
Smiling, he said, “Looks like we’re partners.”
“Just my luck,” she said as she stood.
He watched her pull her hair back into a ponytail, and wondered why she was doing it. He realized now that he probably should have been paying attention to what this training session was about.
“Okay, everyone, let’s start with the first move I demonstrated earlier. Face your partner and go ahead and begin practicing.”
As Ethan turned and faced Brooke, he saw a devious twinkle in her eye. He frowned, thinking that she seemed too excited all of a sudden.
“All right, your patient is coming at you, go for your first move,” the lady up front yelled.
As he stood there clueless and watching the others for a moment, Ethan was unaware of Brooke heading for him. In one swift motion, she grabbed his shoulders and suddenly threw him around to where his back was against her chest and her arm was secured around his neck. His breath rushed out of him and he felt her body bounce as she laughed. She was loving this.
“I have you in the perfect position, Ethan,” she breathed against his ear.
“You caught me off guard,” he said.
“I still could’ve gotten you,” she said.
One corner of his mouth curved into a grin. He couldn’t help but smile. She thought she was being tough, he could easily break her hold and slam her against the wall if he wanted to. But, he stayed put and let her have the upper hand for now. The rise and fall of her chest kept pushing against his back and he had to keep his thoughts from diverting into sexual territory. It wouldn’t be good if he got turned on right now. His eyes widened as she began tightening her the grip around his neck.
“You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?” he asked in a raspy voice, as the pressure around his neck increased even more.
“Very much so,” she said. “I kind of like seeing you helpless like this.”
“That’s not very nice,” he whispered, thinking how absurd he looked in this position. His suit was bunching up and his collar was cutting into his skin, but he stayed put, not wanting Brooke to think she was getting to him.
“You deserve it,” she countered.
“You got me there,” he stated, and again wondered why on earth he’d had to take this training session anyway.
“All right, everyone, let’s try another move,” the lady up front announced.
With a slight hesitation, he felt Brooke finally release her hold on him. He took a step away and straightened out his suit, not oblivious to a few people watching them.
Was their tension that obvious?
The lady up front demonstrated their next move, which looked less intense than the first one, but just as intimate.
“Go ahead and give it a go,” she said.
“My turn,” Ethan said with a smile. She rolled her eyes and stood there staring at him with her arms crossed. He snagged an arm and yanked her around; holding one of her arms behind her back, and the other against her chest. “Now, how does it feel?” he questioned, not able to hide his laughter. He realized why she was laughing earlier. These exercises were fun.
“Not bad,” she said.
He held her in that position for a few seconds longer than what was necessary. He liked the way it felt. He could even feel her body relaxing into him just slightly, almost like she was enjoying being held against him. His face brushed against the side of her face and her eyes slowly, hesitantly found his. Want lay behind their strong depths, there was no denying it, and it filled him with hope.
“Okay let’s have a seat and get started on the next session.”
The shrill voice of the lady teaching the class startled them and they quickly let go of each other and took a seat. Ethan straightened out his suit again, trying to compose himself. He could sense a few people definitely staring at them now, and he couldn’t wait to hear what rumors would begin to circulate within the next couple of days.
The rest of the class was lecture, and Ethan found himself not able to stop watching Brooke. She was adamant about ignoring him, but he could sense her unease. He could feel her wanting to turn around and look at him. He felt like he was back in high school, awkward and ignorant, and not having a clue as to how to get a girl’s attention. But he knew he was older now and a little more knowledgeable about women, at least he’d like to think so.
As the class came to a close, they all filed out and headed back to work. He fell in step behind Brooke and a soft wave of coconut with a hint of cherry drifted behind her, making him remember the kiss they had shared. His muscles tensed at the thought but he pushed them aside for now. He watched her lean forward to push the door open, but he stepped in front of her, reaching up with one hand and opening the door for her. With his back against the door, he smiled cockily down at her as she paused beside him. Her eyes lifted to his and for the briefest second, one corner of her lips tilted into a seductive s
mile. It quickly faded and she hurried out the door and into the hallway.
Ethan followed her out, and as they passed through the ER, an elderly lady sitting off to the side caught his eye. She was breathing hard and looked upset. Ethan hurried over to check on her.
Leaning down on one knee, he placed a hand gently on the woman’s shoulder and said, “Ma’am, are you okay?”
The lady looked down at Ethan, looking confused. Her glassy eyes bounced around as she tried to focus on the face in front of her. “Umm, I don’t know. Where am I?” she asked, her voice low and full of confusion.
“I’ve been to the desk several times, but they just keep telling me to wait,” the old man said, as he rubbed small circles on his wife’s back, trying his best to soothe her.
Ethan pulled out his stethoscope and said, “I’m going to take your vitals really quick, okay?”
The woman nodded and Ethan placed a finger against her wrist as he placed the stethoscope against her heart. He studied her for a moment, noting the beads of sweat forming on her forehead, flushed face, and her elevated breaths. He nodded, noting in his head that her heart rate was elevated.
He patted her hand, and said. “Hold on; I’m going to get someone to take you back to run some tests, okay?” He gave the elderly woman’s shoulder a gentle squeeze as he got up and headed to the nurse’s station.
“Do you need me to do anything?”
He glanced over to see Brooke standing beside him. He shook his head, knowing she wasn’t on call right now, and besides, he was aggravated the nursing staff in the ER had just left the confused lady in the waiting room like that.
“No, I’ve got it taken care of, but thanks,” he gave her one last look before leaning over the nursing desk to talk to Kerry.
“Kerry, there’s a lady over there that I want sent back immediately. She’s confused and disoriented. Her heart rate was slightly elevated, but I didn’t see anything else too worrisome. But she needs a complete set of vitals done ASAP. I’m not sure how long she’s been sitting back there, but get her back in a room now,” Ethan said, and then turned to grab the nearest wheelchair.
He quickly wheeled it to where she was sitting. She was hunched over, her hands clutching her stomach. “Are you in pain?” he asked, as he helped her into the wheelchair.
“Oh, just my stomach,” she whispered.
“Well, Kerry, is going to get you back and get you checked out, okay? I hope you feel better soon,” he said, as he pushed her towards the front.
He watched her gray curls bounce as she nodded.
The lady’s husband grabbed Ethan’s arm and looked up at him, his light blue eyes shining with fear as he said, “Is she going to be okay, doctor? I can’t have anything happen to my Estel.”
Ethan smiled gently, touched by the old man’s profound love for his wife. “We’ll do everything we can to make sure she gets the treatment she needs to feel better,” Ethan said, as he patted the old man’s back.
The man looked down at his wife and nodded briefly, knowing he’d have to accept the answer for what it was worth.
As they approached the nurse’s station, Kerry stepped around, took Ethan’s spot, and pushed the lady into a back room. Ethan watched them disappear, the man’s worry for his wife embedded in his mind. He wondered what it felt like to have a love that strong. And he wondered if he would ever know the feeling.
Through the window, he watched the man brush his wife’s hair out of her face and kiss the top of her head before he turned to leave.
As he headed down the hall, he saw Brooke up ahead talking to another nurse. His breath caught as he took her in, and he wanted more than anything to go up and talk to her, but he thought he had already pushed his boundaries today.
As he passed her, she turned around and grabbed his elbow, catching him off guard. “How’s the little old lady doing?” she asked.
Ethan smiled and said, “Her heart rate was elevated, but I think she’ll be okay.
She gave him a quick nod and let out a sigh. “Good, I’m glad,” she said.
He watched her run a hand through her hair, a gesture he’d seen her do before when she was a little nervous. He gave her a curious look, wondering what she had on her mind.
“Well, I just wanted to say what you did for that elderly couple was really nice,” she said.
Ethan shifted his weight from foot to foot. He’d never really liked getting compliments for doing his job, he was a doctor, and it was his responsibility to help people out when they needed it. “Thanks, but I was just doing the right thing,” he said.
“Yeah, but a lot of doctors wouldn’t even have taken a second glance their way and noticed. But, you did, it shows that you’re a compassionate doctor who puts patients ahead of himself. It shows in your daily visits, too,” she acknowledged.
“Well, I do care about my patients. Thanks for the compliment, Brooke,” he said.
Brooke smiled and said, “You’re welcome, but don’t get used to it.”
Rolling his eyes, Ethan said, “Always the sarcastic one. One day, I’ll get you to change your mind about giving me another chance.”
“That would probably be too big of a challenge, even for you,” she teased before turning and heading down the hall.
He watched the way her hips swayed back and forth and one side of his mouth twitched into a crooked grin when she looked over her shoulder at him and smiled.
Those challenging words and that fleeting smile were exactly what he needed to see to give him the green light. Because she didn’t give him a flat no. She challenged him to make him change her mind.
Challenge accepted.
Chapter 10
BROOKE
Baby Got Back echoed throughout her quiet bedroom, jarring her out of a deep and peaceful sleep. Brooke groaned and squinted her eyes at the clock, groaning even louder when she saw it was eight-thirty in the morning. Paige never slept in on her days off, telling Brooke she didn’t like to deviate from her work schedule. She knew it was Paige calling because of the ring tone, which Brooke had assigned to her one night when they had been out at The Broken Spur and some guy had hit on Paige, telling her how much he loved big butts, while giving her a nauseating wink. Brooke hadn’t let her live it down all night and cheerfully assigned Baby Got Back as Paige’s theme song.
As she held the phone to her ear, Paige’s shrill voice reverberated into her ears, yanking her out of sleep.
“Hey girl, were you asleep?”
Sighing, Brooke said, “No, of course not, everyone is up at the butt crack of dawn on their day off.”
“Exactly, it’s our day off, which is why we should get together and do something fun, you know, to forget about work and stress for a minute. It’s rare that all three of us are off on the same day.”
Slowly pulling herself out of bed, Brooke tiredly shuffled down the hall and into her kitchen. Seeing the dirty dishes in the sink, she figured getting out of the house did sound better than cleaning it.
“What did you have in mind?” Brooke asked, as she poured water into her coffee maker.
“Not a clue. Do you have any ideas?” Paige asked.
“No, it’s too early for any brainstorming. Just surprise me; I’ll be over in two hours.”
“Okay, but whatever I come up with, you have to do,” Paige said with a giggle. “I’ll call Kyleigh and see what she’s doing, too.”
“Now Paige, you know I’m up for anything,” Brooke said. “Kyleigh on the other hand might be a little more difficult, depending on what you come up with.”
“I know, usually you’re the one getting us to do crazy things. But today, it’s our turn to get your mind off the stressful week you’ve had.”
“Even though you’re way too perky at this hour, I still love you,” Brooke teased.
After hanging up, she began getting re
ady, not sure exactly what attire she was supposed to wear. Something nice? Or, something comfortable, like tennis shoes and shorts? She decided to go for comfortable.
Lacing up her Nike tennis shoes, she threw her hair back into a loose pony tail, grabbed her purse and keys, and headed out the door, not sure what idea Paige would come up with. But, that’s what made it fun.
“You’re dressed perfectly,” Paige squealed, as Brooke stepped through the door.
Brooke looked down at her clothes and shrugged. “I winged it. So, what did you decide?” she asked, tossing her purse on the couch as she eyed Paige.
“Well, as soon as Kyleigh gets here, we’re going to go zip lining!” Paige said, excitement pouring out of the word zip lining.
Brooke couldn’t help but smile, she’d always wanted to go zip lining, but she never got around to doing it. “You did good, girl, I’m so freaking stoked! This will be such an awesome day,” she said.
“Yes! I’m glad you approve,” Paige said.
“Do you think Kyleigh will freak? I think she might be afraid of heights?” Brooke asked.
Paige shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m sure we’ll be able to talk her into it. It’s not a really high one, so she should be fine,” she said.
“You’re so mean,” Brooke teased.
“She’ll love it when we’re done and we’ll be creating memories to last a lifetime,” Paige said.
When Love Ignites Page 8
