She risked a quick glance at Ethan and was amazed at how calm he seemed. He was whispering words of encouragement to the guy every time he leaned down and pushed his own breath into the guy’s lungs, urging him to hold on. He was clearly made for this. Unlike her—she felt completely lost as fear swarmed her mind and made her doubt everything she was doing. She shouldn’t be lost, she was a nurse, she knew what to do, but panic made her forget everything. Were her compressions the right depth? Could she be doing something else that would make a difference? Fear froze her; she could only concentrate on the compressions, nothing else. She should be multi-tasking, doing something else that would be making an impact to save this guy’s life.
“I hear the ambulance, buddy, just hold on for a little longer. You’re going to make it,” Ethan whispered into the guy’s bloody ear, as he reached down and shone a light into his eyes. Tears stung Brooke’s eyes as she watched him. “Are you doing okay, Brooke, or do you need a break?” Ethan asked.
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine; you just keep doing what you need to do.”
The lights of the ambulance and cop cars broke through the darkness of the rainy night, putting them on spotlight. A guy and girl came running out, carrying more supplies, and pushing a stretcher. They began taking over and Ethan explained how he was a doctor and Brooke was a nurse, and gave them all the info they needed. Brooke stood off to the side, watching and praying the guy was going to make it. If nothing else she did worked, she just hoped she could make a difference with her prayers.
It wasn’t long before they were pushing the guy into the back of the ambulance. She saw Ethan squeeze the guy’s hand and tell him something. His sincerity made more tears flow. Seeing him in action, made her so proud of him. She watched him bang on the back of the ambulance and watched them take off, lights flashing as they raced down the road at high speed.
After giving another statement to the police, he walked slowly towards her, head down as the rain still came down at a steady pace. They were soaked from head to toe. Without saying a word, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, burying his face in her neck. She squeezed him tighter, swearing she felt him crying. She didn’t know how long they stood like this, holding each other in the middle of the night as rain saturated them. Finally, he pulled away, put a finger under her chin, and tilted her face up to meet his. The exhaustion and sorrow she saw in his green eyes made her heart hurt. For him and for the nameless guy they had tried to save.
Afraid to know the answer, she asked anyway, “Do you think he’s going to make it?” She bit her lip in fear of his response.
Ethan sighed and looked down the road in the direction the ambulance had taken off, almost as if he’d find the answer out there somewhere in the darkness. Turning his gaze back to her, he said, “It’s a 50/50 chance. He finally started breathing on his own at the end, they were shallow breaths, but at least it was something. His heartrate and respirations were incredibly low, and his head wound is iffy. He wasn’t wearing a helmet when he slammed onto the pavement, so there’s no way for me to know now how much damage his brain has suffered. It’s obvious he was going too fast in the rain and wiped out. Plus, his leg is definitely broke. And I couldn’t tell if he had any internal injuries.”
“So, it’s not looking good,” she stated, as she wrapped her arms around her waist.
Lightning blazed in the distance and they both looked up, seeing another storm on the verge of forming. “Let’s get out of this rain,” he said, as his hand clutched hers and he led her towards his car.
Their ride home was quiet, each one lost in thoughts of what had just happened. The guy was on Brooke’s mind full force. Not only him, but her career. If Ethan hadn’t been there with her, would the guy even have had a chance with her? That thought scared her. She had gone into this career to save people, to make them feel better, but if she froze every time their life really depended on her, what good was she really doing? Not everyone was cut out for this type of job, and she was beginning to second guess herself, again.
“Brooke, we’re here,” Ethan’s soft voice said, coaxing her out of her thoughts.
“Okay,” she said quietly.
“Come on, I’ll walk you up,” Ethan said, as he got out of his car and walked around to her side. He opened the door for her and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently as he led her up the stairs towards her apartment.
“How about I make you dinner tomorrow night? Let you get your mind off things for the evening,” he offered.
“I didn’t know you cooked?” she asked, surprised.
Shifting nervously from foot to foot, he said, “Well, a little. It won’t be anything fancy, like you did the other night, but it’ll give you an evening that you don’t have to worry about anything else.”
She eyed him and said, “Hmmm, the foodie in me is now intrigued and curious as to what you’ll make.”
Ethan scratched at the scruff on his chin. “I’m not quite sure ,yet,” he said, with a gruff laugh. “It’ll be a surprise for both of us.”
Her smile widened as she said, “Well, I’m excited. What time do you want me to come over?”
“How about eight?” he said.
She nodded, and said, “That sounds great, and it’s really sweet of you, Ethan.” She leaned up and this time initiated the kiss.
His hands flew to her face, tenderly cupping her cheeks as he pushed her back against her door. She slid her hands up his back, feeling the muscles beneath his shirt and the warmth of his body as he pressed against her. She wanted to invite him in so badly, but she knew she needed to wait. She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her as his mouth fell to her neck. One of her hands ran through his hair as the other one fell to his hip and pulled him closer.
“Ethan,” she breathed, and pulled his face back to hers, planting a kiss on his lips.
He pulled back slightly and smiled. “Sorry,” he said apologetically.
“God, Ethan, don’t be sorry,” she said with a smile. “I love that side of you. But we need to take it slowly.”
“Yes, I’ll try to remember that,” he said, as he leaned down and kissed her softly.
“I will see you tomorrow night for this amazing dinner you’re putting together,” she said, as she leaned up and kissed him one last time.
“Ah, yes, the dinner,” he said with a weary sigh. “You’ll be surprised. I just hope in a good way.”
“You don’t seem like the type who could ever fail at anything,” she said with a smile.
One eyebrow shot up. “You’re putting too much faith in me, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He gave her one last kiss before turning to leave. Brooke watched him walk away, and when he turned to give her one last look when he got to the corner, she blew him a kiss and watched him disappear with a smile on his face.
Chapter 19
ETHAN
Ethan pulled out an old cookbook, the dust coating the cover showed how often he made actual recipes, and opened it up. He began flipping through the pages, trying to find the perfect recipe. He didn’t know what he was thinking when he had told Brooke he was going to cook for her. He had no experience cooking. He could grill, and do the basics, but an actual nice dinner, he had no clue. He scanned through the recipes, looking at the ingredients and directions. Sighing, he settled on a chicken breast recipe that was stuffed with spinach and cheese, sitting on a pile of pasta. He didn’t think it should be that hard. He began pulling out pots and pans, and unwrapped the chicken. He poured some olive oil into the pan and began boiling water for the pasta. Feeling good about his progress so far, he began reading the rest of the directions. The recipe also had some kind of homemade white sauce drizzled on top, made from a roux.
“What the hell does roux mean?” he asked the empty kitchen. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
His phone began vibrating on
the counter next to him, and seeing it was his mom, he knew he had to answer it. “Hello,” he answered, his eyes still roaming over the recipe in front of him.
“Hi, Ethan,” his mom replied, her southern accent making him smile, despite his stress.
“Hey, Mom. How are you?” he asked.
“I’m doing good. Your dad and I took the boat out today, it was absolutely beautiful out. You need to come visit us soon, Ethan, we’re missing you. We haven’t seen you in months.”
He winced, knowing it had been awhile, but he had been so busy at the hospital that taking a vacation to Virginia to visit his parents hadn’t crossed his mind. “I know, Mom, I promise I’ll visit very soon. I’ve just been so busy at my new job, that it’s been hard to take off right now.”
“How is your job going? Are you liking it better than Chicago?” she asked.
“It’s a lot better than Chicago. I actually get to spend time with my patients and get to know them,” he said, turning the page to study another recipe.
“That’s great, honey, I’m so happy for you.”
“Hey Mom, do you know what a roux is?” he asked, already knowing she would. His mother loved to cook and had always made everything from scratch.
“Of course, I do, but the question is, why on earth do you need to know?” she asked with a slight giggle
“Well, I’m cooking dinner for someone,” he said, and winced as he waited for the chastising to begin on why he was just now telling her about a woman in his life. His mom had been harassing him for the last year about when he was going to find a nice woman and get married, saying it had now been long enough. He figured turning thirty in September of this year, and still not married, was making her nervous. Ethan knew she was eager to have grand babies, but he also knew that wasn’t what her comments had meant. She meant it had been long enough since Olivia. Three years was probably long enough, but it still didn’t feel right. Well, not until recently.
“Oh, really?” she said, her voice lifting on the last word.
“Yes,” he said, “So, do you want to explain this roux stuff to me?” he asked, trying to avoid a long discussion about relationships.
“I will, Ethan, but first tell me, did you meet this girl at work?” she asked, and Ethan could feel her excited energy pouring out of the phone.
He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, knowing there was no way around this conversation. “Her name is Brooke, and she’s a nurse at the hospital where I work,” Ethan said, hoping to kill any marriage thoughts his mom already had swimming around in her head.”
“Well, that gives you even more of an excuse to come see us. You can bring Brooke and we’ll take the boat out on the ocean, it’ll be a lot of fun,” she said, her shrill voice piercing his ears with enthusiasm.
“I’ve been nonstop at the hospital for months now, so a mini vacation does sound nice. But, we’ve only gone out a few times now, so it’s not serious yet, and it’s way too early for me to be asking her to come on a vacation and meet my parents. I need to give it some time, Mom,” Ethan said, and then winced when he realized what time it was. He had to get off here so he could start on dinner.
“Ok, but I’m expecting at least a visit from you, Ethan. Your father and I haven’t seen you in six months,” she said, her high voice turning stern as if she were lecturing a child.
Laughing, he said, “I know, Mom, and I promise I’ll make it down there very soon. But I have to go. I need to get dinner going before she gets here.”
“Okay, okay, I’m going to let your father know that you’re coming down soon. He’ll be so excited.”
Clearly, he was now taking a trip to Virginia soon, but the idea of it made him smile.
“Now, Mom, how about that roux, she’ll be here in thirty minutes, I’m getting a little pressed for time,” he persisted. Now, he was stressing about having enough time to cook everything. This was stupid. He should have just taken her out to a nice restaurant. But, he wanted it to be more intimate. Something more personal than just driving to a restaurant and ordering food.
After writing down the instructions for the roux, he said his goodbyes to his mom. Once he had all the ingredients in the pan, he began stirring the roux, and suddenly he was back in that moment three years ago...
Clutching a bright blue purse in one hand and Olivia’s car keys in the other, he practically ran up the steps to the sheriff’s department. Heart pounding erratically, he flung open the door and darted inside, almost running into an elderly couple. As he veered around them, he saw the front desk up ahead, and ran up to it, tossing the purse and keys onto the desk. The lady had looked up at him, eyes wide. “Can I help you?”
“My girlfriend. She’s missing.” Pushing the purse and keys towards her, he continued, “I need a report filed. The police need to get out there and start looking for her.” He ran a hand through his hair and began pacing.
“Sir, calm down and tell me what’s going on,” the woman said.
Ethan stopped pacing and leaned over the desk. “I told you. My girlfriend is missing. She went to the store and after a few hours, I went looking for her, only to find her car and belongings in the parking lot, but not her. She wouldn’t just leave her purse on the ground. Somethings happened.”
The woman eyed the purse as if seeing it for the first time. It finally dawned on her what was going on. “Let me get things going,” the woman said, as she began filing the report and notifying the officers.
Ethan began pacing again and feeling as if he were in a dream, he watched an older sheriff head his way, ready to take a report of how his girlfriend could have gone missing.
He came back to the present just in time to see the roux turning brown and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
“Shit!” he said, pulling the pan away from the heat. He had enough ingredients that he could redo the roux. He just didn’t know if he had time, but he didn’t think the recipe would be as good without the sauce. Why in the hell did that memory come to his mind now?
He heard the pan begin to sizzle and pop, splattering oil, and as he reached over the pan to turn the burner down, oil hit his hand. “Dammit!” he yelled, pulling his hand back. After turning the burner down, he plopped the chicken in and had to take a step back to keep from getting splattered again by the grease. It briefly crossed his mind that the pan might be too hot, but he figured the hotter the pan, the faster the chicken would cook, and he wanted it done fast because Brooke would be here very soon. His idea was to have the table all set with the food already plated when she walked in. Eying the clock, he frowned, thinking that was not going to happen. He wasn’t used to being flustered, and it was getting to him, causing him to lose his concentration.
As he concentrated on keeping the sauce from forming lumps or scorching the bottom of the pan, again, a burning smell began to drift up into the air. He looked over to realize the oil in the pan was still too hot and smoke was filtering out from beneath the chicken.
“Great,” he said as he slid the pan away from the burner. He waited a few minutes for the pan to cool before taking a fork and lifting the chicken up to inspect it. It was obvious the underside was completely burned. He stared at the blackened chicken, trying to figure out what his next move was going to be. He couldn’t serve her burnt chicken and he couldn’t just serve pasta with white sauce. The stuffed chicken was the main course; the rest was just basically filler.
Sighing, he looked over to see his white sauce had begun to dry up, yet again. He quickly yanked it away from the burner and ran a spoon through the dried-up paste, seeing dark brown pieces of sauce from where it sat still on the heat too long. “Dammit!” he shouted, throwing the spoon down on the counter in frustration.
He studied his food, seeing if anything could be saved. He wondered if he could use the part of the chicken that wasn’t burned, if it wasn’t too dry, that was. Cutting the chicken, he hu
ffed at the mess. This was a complete disaster. He didn’t know what he was going to do now.
Standing in the empty kitchen that now reeked of burnt food, he leaned over the counter, his head hung down, realizing he had never wanted to impress a woman as much as Brooke, and now he had ruined dinner. He had to come up with another plan. Scratching his chin, he decided he had to give a second attempt at dinner.
Chapter 20
BROOKE
Brooke tossed five pairs of jeans onto the floor, along with ten shirts. None of them were good enough. Ethan cooking dinner for her was a first and she wanted to look good tonight. She filtered through the clothes in her closet, not yet seeing one that really caught her eye. Finally, she saw a hint of something interesting way in the back. Pushing through the countless hangers full of clothes she didn’t wear half the time, she snagged a teal-blue tank top that was covered with black roses, and that had a sequined V-neck collar. It would go perfectly with black skinny jeans and a pair of red high heeled shoes. She got dressed, added a mix of five bracelets to each wrist, put on a pair of long dangly black hoop earrings, and checked herself out in the mirror. Her long hair fell into loose waves, just barely touching the small of her back. Satisfied with her outfit, she checked her phone to see it was seven–thirty, and quickly put on some make up and red lipstick before heading out the door. Ethan said he’d have dinner ready around eight so she was ready just in time.
When Love Ignites Page 16
