“I know. Are you here to assess Mr. Wilson now?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Yes, I need to evaluate him. Do you have any new information on him?” Ethan asked, his voice turning all business. She knew how seriously he took his job and was glad they had a doctor at their hospital who cared so much. She’d seen many doctors who just wanted to get the job done and get out, not really caring about the patients, but Ethan was different. He enjoyed spending time with his patients and getting to know them, and that had always touched her heart. He always went above and beyond what his job required.
“Nothing other than what was noted when Deb called you. But here are his newest vitals. His BP and heart rate are a little low, but other than that, everything looks pretty good despite what happened. The machine is checking them every fifteen minutes. His labs and vitals were all normal this morning, so I’m not sure what had caused him to code,” Brooke said, as she held the paper out to him.
She watched him scan over the numbers before saying, “Well, he is eighty-four years old, so more than likely it’s just old age, along with his failing heart, which we already know exists. I’d better get in there and check him over.”
Ethan gave her shoulder a squeeze as he walked past her, and although smiling was the last thing she felt like doing, a small one appeared, regardless. Looking over her shoulder, she watched him head into Mr. Wilson’s room before she turned towards the nurses’ station. She still had some charting left to get done in order to leave on time today, and she definitely wanted to leave on time today.
Twenty minutes later, she saw Ethan walk out of Mr. Wilson’s room, his head down as he was talking on his cell phone. He headed over to his desk, cradling his phone against his shoulder so he could chart, and his fingers began to move rapidly across the keys.
“I’m heading on break,” she called to Deb.
“Okay, hun. Have a good one,” Deb said, not looking up from her computer.
As she headed down the hall, she couldn’t wait to breathe fresh air.
“How are you doing?” Ethan asked from behind her.
She smiled before turning around. “Are you following me?” she asked, turning around and trying to wipe the smile off her face.
“Maybe,” Ethan said with a shrug.
She came to a stop and sighed. “Yeah, I’m all right. How’s Mr. Wilson doing now?”
He leaned one shoulder against the wall and faced her. “He’ll be okay. He’s being sent up to cardiac for observation on his heart.”
“That’s good,” she said, leaning against the wall and mocking his stance.
They stared at each other for a moment as a hundred different feelings floated between them. She could feel it stronger than ever and wondered if he could.
She swallowed, not sure if she was making the right decision or not, but she had decided she wanted to take the chance anyway. “So, I’ve decided I’d like to hear your explanation.”
She saw his eyes widen before a faint smile finally appeared.
“I’m glad. I’d like to explain everything,” he said.
“Well, how about dinner at my house tomorrow night?” she asked, as she twirled one of her bracelets around her wrist.
“I’d love to. Text me your address and what time you want me over,” he said.
She nodded and smiled. “Okay.”
His phone rang, breaking their connection. He looked down at the number and said, “I have to take this. But, I’m looking forward to tomorrow, Brooke. Thanks for giving me the chance to explain.”
“I’ll text you,” she said.
He nodded and gave her a little smirk before answering his phone.
She briefly heard, “This is Dr. Harris,” as he turned and walked off. As she watched him walk off, and saw a few nurses give him a flirty smile, she hoped she was making the right choice by giving him another chance to explain.
A sense of relief flowed through Brooke as she watched her time card slide through the machine.
“Did your day get better?” Paige asked as she swiped her own card.
Brooke shot her a quick glance. “No, not really. After we finally got Mr. Wilson stable, Mrs. Harden peed all down my legs and feet as I tried to get her back into bed. And then, Mr. Crandall blew snot all over my arm when he sneezed and didn’t cover his mouth. So, that is a big fat no to your question,” Brooke huffed.
Paige grimaced. “Oh, Brooke, I’m so sorry. That’s probably the worst day I’ve heard of in a while.”
“Yeah, it sure was. Maybe tomorrow will be better?” she questioned in a hopeful tone.
“Yes, I’m sure it will. I mean, how could it get worse than today?” Paige asked.
Brooke gave her a death stare. “It could, and now I think you just jinxed me.”
Paige laughed. “I did not, and it will be fine. Positive thoughts, Brooke.”
“Believe me, I’m trying my hardest, wet shoes and all.”
They walked down the hall and out to the parking lot, Brooke’s shoes making an annoying squeaking sound the entire time.
“Why didn’t you go get a change of shoes? You know the orderly has extras for when accidents like this happens,” Paige stated as she pulled her keys out of her purse.
“Uh huh, well I would’ve but they didn’t have anything close to my size today, and it was towards the end of shift change, so, here I am,” Brooke said, as she motioned down to her wet shoes, which were squeaking across the linoleum.
“Oh, damn, you did have the day from hell,” Paige said apologetically.
When they finally got to their cars, she slid her key into her ignition and said, “Yes, and I’m ready to get the hell away from the place, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Try to have a good night, Brooke,” Paige yelled.
Brooke gave her a thumbs up and as she pulled out of the hospital parking lot, she cranked up Maroon V and rolled all her windows down, ready to air her soul out, along with the stench of old lady urine.
As the air whipped her hair around, she slowly began to feel some of the stress dissipating. It had been a rough day, and these were the kinds of days that always made her question nursing. Now that, along with everything else that had been on her mind lately, was really hitting her hard. Times like these made her feel completely out of place in the nursing field. Did she really belong there?
Adam Levine belted out a high-pitched tune, and she felt it deep down in her bones. She smiled, loving the sound of his voice. Distracted by the music, she almost didn’t hear her phone ringing in her purse. As she came to a stoplight, she pulled her phone out and saw that it was her Gram calling.
“Hey, Gram,” she answered.
“Hey, hon, how was work today?”
Even though her grandma was asking about her day, she could sense something was up. “It was crappy, but it doesn’t matter, what’s up?”
Her grandma sighed and said, “Well, I finally talked to Casey.”
“Where’s she been?” Brooke interrupted, not exactly sure why she was so eager to know. She hadn’t cared less what Casey had been doing for the past three years, so why did she care now?
“She’s still in New York. I only talked to her for a few minutes, but I could tell there was something not right. She didn’t seem like herself at all.”
“Well, at least you know she’s okay. I hate seeing you worried,” Brooke said, not wanting to say that she, too, had even been a little worried. She couldn’t put her finger on the reason why, though.
“Yeah, I’m glad to know she’s all right, but I just wish she would’ve said what was going on. She hurried and jumped off the phone, saying she had stuff to do.”
Brooke heard the concern in her grandma’s voice, but Casey lived in New York now, and she was an adult, she didn’t have to call and check in at all if she didn’t want to.
Brooke laughed and was about to say something but heard everything go silent. She looked at her phone to see call ended, and sighed.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she finally put her car in park. She leaned her head back against her seat, and then pulled her hair up into a messy bun before heading towards the mailbox. She grabbed a stack of envelopes and quickly jogged up the steps to her apartment.
As she thumbed through the bills, her eyes landed on a handwritten envelope with her sister’s name as the return address. She felt her body stiffen and the air in her lungs stall. Why was her sister sending her something in the mail?
She hesitated before tearing the letter open. Part of her was worried to see what was inside, and part of her was curious as to what her sister had sent her.
Her fingers grasped the edge of a picture and she quickly pulled it out. Taking a step backwards, she fell onto the couch as she studied the picture that lay in her trembling hands. She had to have been around five years old in the picture, and Casey had to have been around two. Tears stung her eyes as she saw the protective hold she had on Casey as she lay on her lap, and the sweet kiss she was planting on her little sister’s forehead was too adorable. The picture spoke a thousand words. All of them reminded her of how much of a bond they had shared as kids.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sat staring at the picture. Flashbacks of their childhood soared through her mind and in each memory a protectiveness for her little sister was always present. She would’ve done anything for Casey, and yet Casey had gone behind her back and completely betrayed her in one of the worst ways possible. She knew that was the reason why what Casey had done to her hurt so much.
She flipped the picture over to see the words “Big Sis” and “Lil Sis” scribbled on the back, along with the date. Her hand flew to her mouth as she remembered the nicknames their mom had given them when they were kids. It was obvious Casey was reaching out to her, but why? And why now, after all these years? And with her acting strange on the phone with their grandma; it made Brooke fear that something bad was happening. What was so bad that Casey couldn’t tell their grandma on the phone? If she wanted to apologize to her, why not just call, instead of sending these hidden messages?
Brooke picked up her phone and thumbed through her contacts, her fingers once again hovering above her sister’s number. She bit her lip and pushed call, ignoring the emotion of resentment screaming inside her head. She could deal with all that later, but now, she felt like she needed to find out what was going on with her sister.
The number rang once and then a guy’s voice answered. “Hello?”
Brooke’s grip tightened around the phone as she said, “Is Casey there?”
“No, I’m sorry, but you must have the wrong number,” the guy replied.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Brooke said. As she ended the call, she contemplated calling her grandma to get Casey’s new number, but decided against it. If there was really something important that Casey needed, she could get her number from Gram, too. Why should she make that call when it should be Casey’s job?
Falling onto the couch, she threw her legs onto the coffee table and leaned back as she stared absently at the picture. There had been a time in her life when she would’ve called her sister, after a day like today. Casey would’ve told her a dirty joke to make her laugh, they would laugh hysterically like two teenage girls, and then make plans to get together for dinner. But now, she was staring at an old picture of the two of them and comforting herself with old memories of a better time, rather than her sister’s comforting words.
She wondered if she would ever hear her sister’s voice again.
Chapter 15
BROOKE
The cork popped out of the wine bottle, and the aroma of dry, red wine filled Brooke’s nose, instantly relaxing her muscles. She quickly poured herself a glass before prepping dinner. Pulling out her phone, she thumbed through her music, finally settling on Ed Sheeran. Humming, she began chopping her vegetables for the salad, falling into a relaxing rhythm. She chopped and dropped everything into a large, wooden bowl while she waited on her skillet to get hot for the chicken. She had decided on a Mediterranean chicken and orzo dish, paired with a mixed green salad. It was one of her favorite meals, and she hoped Ethan would like it.
She wasn’t sure what would come out of tonight, but she was willing to take a chance and see. If things went beyond tonight, she would take things slowly this time. There was no need to rush anything.
Downing another glass of red wine, she tossed the chicken into the skillet, humming to herself as she began cleaning up the mess on the counter. Snagging a bite of fresh tomato, she heard a knock at the door. Her eyes landed on the clock and she smiled. With his always fresh pressed suit, shiny dress shoes, and dark hair slicked back, he screamed perfectionist, and him being right on time didn’t surprise her in the least bit.
Swinging the door open, his tall frame hovered over her in the doorway, and she couldn’t help but smile when she saw him. He was out of his suit, now dressed as casually as she’d ever seen him, wearing a pair of dark jeans and navy polo shirt. His dark hair was neatly combed back, with not a hair out of place. He always looked perfect, too perfect at times, and she couldn’t help but envision herself running her hands through his perfectly combed hair in a rage of passion, his green eyes looking down on hers as lust chipped away at his self-control, slowly unwinding his uptight personality into a blithering mess of desire. She chastised herself for letting her mind wander to the one thing she swore she would wait on, but dammit, he looked good, and she couldn’t help but fantasize. A sparkle of light caught her eye, pulling her out of her own dirty thoughts, and she glanced down to see a bottle of wine in his hands.
“Since you’ve been going through a lot at work, I brought a little something to help take your mind off things,” he said, holding the bottle up towards her.
She studied the label on the bottle, and had no doubt it was a lot more expensive than the six-dollar bottle she had just finished off. Smiling, she said, “Ah, trying to get on my good side, I see?” she teased, as she took the bottle from his hand.
“Hey, whatever works,” he said.
“Well, I think this might work,” she said, as she motioned for him to come in. She set the wine on the counter and popped the top, pouring them both a glass. She brought the glass to her lips and closed her eyes as the smooth, earthy flavor of the wine hit her taste buds. “Mmm, this is good stuff,” she said.
“Yeah, it’s my favorite flavor,” he said, as he took a long sip of wine, downing half the glass.
She laughed and said, “Ethan, aren’t you supposed to savor the wine, not gulp half the glass in one shot?”
He shrugged. “I can’t help myself when it comes to this wine.”
Turning on her heel, she smiled, shaking her head as she headed back to the stove. “Dinner is almost ready, I hope you like Mediterranean style dishes,” she said, looking over her shoulder at him.
“One of my favorites. I never would have guessed you’d be the cooking type,” he teased. “It all looks amazing, though.”
“Why, because of my unique persona?” she mused, as she waved her hands down the length of her black and white checkered shirt which was accentuated with long, dangly necklaces that were a mixture of skulls and roses, followed by black leggings and red high heeled shoes. The many bracelets that wrapped around each wrist jangled as she ran a hand through her long, blonde mess of waves, and she couldn’t help but smile when he shrugged.
“Well, I happen to love the way you express yourself with your choice of clothing and accessories, but yeah, I guess I just never pictured you in the kitchen.”
“Yeah, well, I’m full of surprises,” Brooke teased. With her hips swaying to the music that was filtering
through her small kitchen, she plated their meals and headed towards the table, a plate in each hand and never missing a beat as she casually danced the whole way there. She smiled as she caught his eye, and couldn’t help but laugh at the worry hiding beneath his dimples. “Don’t worry, I won’t drop our plates,” she said.
“I wasn’t worried about the food; I was worried about you breaking a leg dancing in those mile-high heels you’re wearing. I don’t feel like playing doctor tonight after I did it for thirteen hours already today,” he said, gesturing down at her feet.
“Don’t worry, I got this,” she said, as she gracefully set the plates down on the table. She loved seeing a sense of humor on his normally business stricken face. And it made her feel good that she had put it there. She was determined to break the ice from the awkward past few months. She thought it was time to listen to her heart, because it was telling her to give him a second chance, and she never ignored her intuition.
Her kitchen was small, but it did have a nice view, and her table happened to sit right in front of a large window overlooking the small city of Sweet Haven. She refilled their glasses and they each took a seat. The food smelled amazing and anticipation filled her as she watched his reaction. She loved cooking for people, but she always liked to watch their faces as they took their first bite, it always revealed what they really thought of her cooking.
Unaware she was watching him, his eyes closed as his mouth closed around his first bite and she watched as the muscles in his tense jaw relaxed as he went in for another spoonful. “Brooke, this is absolutely amazing. What do you call this recipe?”
She paused for a moment, as she thought about their date at The Overlook. “This one is called, Eye of the Mediterranean.”
Laughing, Ethan said, “I love it.” He took a huge bite of his salad and then asked, “So, where did you learn to cook?”
When Love Ignites Page 12
