Love Me Again (Pinecone Valley Book 1)

by Cindy Stark

  He turned and walked away. No point in putting more effort into something that was obviously dead and gone.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Krystal unlocked the storage room door in the main hallway of the hospital and flipped on the lights, trying to feel awake. She’d stolen a few hours of sleep in an unused bed between the end of her last shift and the upcoming health fair, not bothering to waste time driving home only to return.

  When her supervisor had asked her a month ago to volunteer to man a booth at the health fair, having a few extra hours of pay seemed like a good idea. If she’d have asked now, Krystal would have said no, preferring sleep over money, especially since she’d managed little during the past few weeks since she’d made the mistake of making love with Josh.

  Her period hadn’t shown yet, but she was certain it would. Probably later that day or the next. All the usual physical signs were present.

  Now, she could chalk the incident up to a wake-up call from life. If she wanted to achieve her dreams of becoming a self-sufficient woman who helped others, she needed to keep her head in the game. Starting with the health fair today.

  She inhaled and focused on her task. At least the weather had warmed again. It seemed as though they’d gone from the depths of winter, straight into summer with the highs that day expected to hit the seventies. She’d picked tulips that morning and left them in a vase on her kitchen table. Chloe would approve.

  It was as though life’s dreariness had ended and better days were to come. She’d made it through the darkness in more than one way.

  A row of folding tables rested along the wall of the utility room exactly where Giselle had said they’d be. Krystal took hold of one end of a table and pulled it out of the room.

  The end of the cumbersome table scraped along the white-tiled floor as she dragged it, but there was no way she could pick it up by herself. No time to wait for someone to help her, either. She had to have her blood-pressure station set up and ready to go within fifteen minutes when the health fair officially opened. As it was, there were several seniors already inside the main waiting room giving her and the others impatient looks.

  Her insides quickened as she spotted two tall men in khakis headed down the hall in her direction. She would have known Josh’s gait anywhere. Unfortunately, she couldn’t do anything to avoid him this time other than drop the table and run, and that wasn’t happening.

  In the days between now and what she’d begun to call her lapse in judgment, she’d avoided making direct eye contact with Josh for any amount of time longer than was necessary. There had always been the nurses’ station counter or another person to help keep the barrier in place. Josh seemed to have adopted the same idea, and as far as she could tell, it worked well enough.

  Maybe it was true. Lovers, especially lovers as hot as they’d been, could never go back to being friends. She’d have to accept that and live with her choices.

  That was what she’d intended all along.

  She prayed he’d continue the same behavior as he headed toward her down the hall.

  “Got it?” Josh asked as they approached.

  “Yep,” Cam answered.

  Without asking, Josh took her end of the table from her, Cam picking up the rear. Her heart fluttered. Despite how she’d hurt him, how angry she’d made him, he was still a gentleman, and she loved him for that.

  “Where do you want it?” Josh asked as they headed back in the direction they’d come from.

  She inhaled, trying to calm her pulse. He’d been right when he’d said she couldn’t ignore what was between them. But she’d found a way to make it work. Most of the time.

  “I’m supposed to be on the left hand side, near the front doors.”

  “Sounds like she’s next to us,” Cam said.

  “Yep,” Josh fired back.

  Oh, hell. Krystal followed the two handsome men toward the lobby. She’d perfected casual conversation, the art of only replying to necessary comments. Today wouldn’t be different in that respect, except she’d be sitting next to her greatest temptation for far too long. Four hours of trying to pretend Josh wasn’t more addictive than crack cocaine would be literal hell.

  She wasn’t sure she’d survive.

  The two men folded out the legs of her table and straightened it into place.

  “How’s that?” Cam asked.

  “Fine. Great.” She offered a friendly smile. “Thank you so much.”

  “No problem,” Cam said. Josh held her gaze for several heart-tugging seconds before he nodded, and together, they walked down the hall.

  Damn, she thought as she watched them walk away. Men that attractive shouldn’t be allowed to run free, especially not in pairs.

  She’d located a covering and had spread it across her table just as Josh and Cam returned with another long table. They set it up right next to hers.

  She held up the second sheet of white plastic she’d garnered with her supplies. “Here. I grabbed one for you, too.”

  “Teamwork,” Cam said with a smile and took it. “I like it.”

  She slipped her sweater from her shoulders and draped it across the back of her folding chair. The room had become unbearably hot. The best she could hope for now would be that Cam would separate them. Surely, Josh would arrange it that way.

  She pulled a manual blood pressure cuff and an automated machine from her box of supplies along with a stack of pamphlets giving information on hypertension. From the corner of her eye, she watched as the two EMTs removed their own materials including smoke detectors and carbon monoxide sensors, followed by small boxes of crayons and miniature coloring books.

  Just as Mr. Windward, the head of the medical center, welcomed those standing in line for the event, Josh and Cam sat with Josh taking the seat right next to her. She closed her eyes for a brief moment to collect her bearings and to fortify her defensive wall. A waft of his seductive cologne, ripe with a mixture of spicy and woodsy scents, reached over and tickled her senses.

  The man had always smelled too damn good.

  As her boss spoke, Josh leaned close to her, his proximity stroking her senses. “Any news?” he whispered and then caught her with his dark-eyed gaze. He wanted to know if she was pregnant.

  She shook her head. “I’m good.”

  Instead of relief in his eyes, he only stared, the unspoken question of whether or not she was happy hanging between them.

  She forced a smile. “Off the hook. You can get on with your life.”

  His expression fell, slipping to a frown. She wanted to ask him what his problem was. He’d cheated on his girlfriend and gotten away with it. No harm, no foul. Much.

  “Are you open?”

  The voice of an elderly woman interrupted them, and Krystal turned her attention to the lady in front of her. “Absolutely. Why don’t you sit down?”

  Then the people came. One after the other, community members kept her busy for the first couple of hours, much too busy to pay attention to what happened at the next table. She caught Doctor Matthews passing her display a few times, seeming very interested in her activities, but she ignored him. She didn’t want his attention or Josh’s.

  Shortly after one, the crowds died off considerably. It was as if some unknown attraction had stolen the community’s attention, leaving those at the display tables with no one.

  “Well, that was fun,” Cam said loud enough for her to hear. “I hope more people show, or the rest of the time is really going to drag.”

  She glanced in Cam’s direction and found Josh watching her. She gave him a cursory smile and quickly looked away. Damn it. Why couldn’t he leave her alone?

  A few seconds later, a shadow covered her table, and she looked up to find Doctor Matthews standing over her. “It seems this is where all the action has been all morning, between the beautiful woman doing B.P. checks and the coloring books for the kids.” He gave the table next to her a brief look before he claimed her chair.

  She met his gaze wi
th a question in hers.

  “After listening to your spiel all morning, I decided to have my blood pressure checked.” He pushed up his sleeve to expose a muscled arm. “I’m trying to set an example and dispel the notion that doctors are the worst patients.”

  “Everyone should have a check at least once a year,” she repeated what she’d been saying for hours. “You don’t know if you have a problem if you don’t check, and it’s always good to get a good baseline reading before you have issues, right?”

  “Absolutely right, Nurse Collier.” His hazel eyes sparkled as he grinned.

  She wrapped the cuff around his bicep, admiring the toned definition of his arm, trying to pretend he wasn’t studying her while she worked. She could feel Josh’s gaze on her as well, watching every move she made.

  With nervous fingers, she slipped the stethoscope beneath the cuff and began to squeeze the bulb. She made the mistake of glancing into Rob’s face. Heated attraction leapt from his eyes, attacking her senses. He had the most beautifully fringed eyes and a reputation for flirtatious manners that would put a male model to shame.

  She blinked and focused on the floor while she finished. “One-nineteen over eighty-five. Diastolic is a little high.” She reached to remove the cuff from his arm, and he placed his hand over hers as though to help.

  “Yeah, well, we doctors are known to push our limits.” He let his hand slide over hers, sending shivers across her skin.

  She managed to remove the cuff, despite his attention. “Are you getting enough exercise?” Lame question, but it was the only thought her muddled brain would form.

  “Are you?” he asked with a sexy smile. “Maybe we could work out together?”

  Sweet sugared Jesus. The sexy doctor was hitting on her, and Josh could hear every word. “I like to run. Do it every day.” Run from him. Run from Josh.

  “Give me a call next time you want company.” He laughed, his smile contagious. “I could use a good workout.”

  The sound of someone clearing his throat brought her attention upward. Cam stood over them. The second she met his gaze, he flashed a smile. “Listening to you both made me realize I should have you check mine, too.”

  She blinked, knowing she’d allowed the hot doctor to distract her. “Of course.” She mentally kicked herself. She should know she had to remain on her toes at all times around these men, or she could easily lose her edge. She shot a quick glance at Josh and found him focused on his phone.

  An uneasy breath eased out of her. Thank God he hadn’t been paying attention. For all he knew, Doctor Matthews only wanted his pressure checked.

  The doctor had no choice but to vacate her chair. He gave her a prolonged look as he walked away, letting her know his offer for exercise wouldn’t be limited to running if that was her preference.

  Cam settled in his place, his bright eyes flashing with interest. Not sexual interest, just intrigue.

  She gave him the friendly smile she’d presented to the rest of the people who’d stopped by. “What about you? Is your blood pressure good?”

  “You tell me. You’re the expert.” By the expression playing on his face, she knew Cam had heard the entire conversation between her and Rob. “Maybe I need to get more exercise, too.”

  “Perhaps, so.” Her cheeks heated to the point of discomfort, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d affected her. She made quick work of getting his reading and didn’t get the satisfaction of telling him he had to improve. “One-twenty over eighty. Can’t get more perfect than that.”

  “Perfect. That’s what a guy loves to hear.” He grinned. “Hey, Josh. Get over here and give this beautiful lady your arm. Twenty bucks says I’m better than you.”

  Josh hesitated a moment, his gaze snagging on hers, and she was certain he’d decline. Then a smile broke over his face. “Dude, there isn’t anything you can do better than me.”

  He unfolded his frame from the chair and walked behind her. All her senses stood at attention, waiting for his scent to tease her, waiting for his touch to graze her, waiting for the moment he’d look into her eyes. She dreaded it and craved it at the same time. She was as bad as the junkie who came in complaining of pain, desperate for a fix. Pathetic with no self-control.

  He claimed the chair Cam had vacated, his dark, sensuous gaze meeting hers. God help her. She’d damned well better find her self-control fast.

  She focused on her breathing, fighting to keep it steady as she wrapped the band around his muscled arm. She found herself searching for and finding the small scar near his elbow he’d gotten from a vicious tree limb while rescuing her cat. It was all she could do to not reach out and trace it like she’d done a million times before.

  She tightened the cuff and glanced upward as she slipped the silver bell of the stethoscope next to his skin. A bolt of attraction shot into her, and she inhaled sharply before she could stop herself.

  He arched his brow ever so slightly. That small action spoke volumes, told her he knew exactly how he affected her and questioned once again if she regretted her decision to let him go.

  She squeezed the bulb, increasing the pressure on his artery. She couldn’t regret her education, that chance to prove herself and to be strong enough to take care of herself without help. She’d make that same choice over and over again.

  But did she miss cuddling against him, having his lips on hers? God, she missed it. She’d missed it every second of every day since she’d left him in her dust. An overwhelming ache rolled through her as she stared at the blood pressure gauge. All she’d have to do would be to look him in the eye, and he’d see, he’d know. With one glance, she could tell him she’d changed her mind and she wanted him back.

  And he’d take her. She had no doubt. Girlfriend and career be damned.

  She fought to drown the voices telling her to be smart, begging her to retain control. She no longer wanted control.

  She wanted Josh. And she wanted him now.

  “Hi, baby.” A sugary sweet voice stabbed Krystal like a thousand needles. “I came to see how the health fair was going.”

  Josh turned his gaze and smiled at the woman he loved. “Hey, honey. I’m having the nurse check my blood pressure. You should do yours while you’re here, too.”

  The nurse. She’d become so unimportant to him that he couldn’t bother to call her by name. Krystal’s heart morphed to a shriveled lump, devoid of hope, and dropped into the pit of her stomach. Paige smiled at her and Cam, and Krystal struggled to hide her anguish and return the gesture. She couldn’t let Josh know he’d crushed her. Sure as hell couldn’t let Paige know she lusted after her man.

  Obviously, Josh hadn’t confessed his sins, and she wouldn’t be the one to deliver the news.

  “That’s okay.” Paige looked at Krystal, sending an uncomfortable awareness through her. “I see my doctor next month.”

  She knew.

  Not that they’d made love, but Paige knew they had a history.

  “Am I good?” Josh asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  She blinked, trying to understand his question. He dropped his gaze to the cuff and clarity registered. “Uh, sorry. I messed up.” She’d forgotten to pay attention to the readings.

  “No biggie.” The fastening on the cuff made a ripping sound as he pulled it from his arm. “I’ll get it checked later. Can you cover the table for a few, Cam?”

  “Sure. If I get lonely, I’m sure Nurse Collier will keep me company.” He leaned back in his chair and surveyed the group surrounding him with an interested gaze.

  Pressure on Krystal’s stomach intensified, and she was sure she’d be sick.

  “Thanks, bro.” Josh stood and wrapped an arm around Paige’s waist. She followed suit, and together, they headed down the hall, deeper into the hospital.

  Krystal watched them go, trying to breathe through the cruel recognition of realizing any fantasies or hopes of Josh being in her future were no longer viable. Any remaining pulse of their love had
flat-lined.

  She’d gotten everything she deserved.

  “I hope they don’t get caught,” Cam said with a hint of mischief.

  Krystal swiveled her gaze to him, her movements, her thoughts feeling very mechanical. “Caught where?”

  “Who knows? A storage room. A janitor’s closet. If you’ve ever been part of the mile-high club, you know it doesn’t take much space. I hear that kind of thing happens all the time in hospitals.”

  She jumped to her feet as her stomach lurched, the legs of her chair screeching against the tile. “Excuse me.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Krystal didn’t throw up, but a good twenty minutes passed before she felt strong enough to leave the employees’ restroom. She’d cried. And there would be no hiding the evidence on her face. She’d tried to fix her makeup, but no amount of mascara or concealer could erase her pain.

  She’d also given herself a serious pep talk, focusing on the horizon, accepting the consequences of her actions, protecting herself from future pain. None of it really helped other than it fueled her enough to take the next steps in her life. She’d finish the health fair. Then she’d go home and get completely blitzed.

  It wasn’t in her nature to smother her sorrows with alcohol, but tonight she didn’t care. She’d promised Chloe they’d do something since it was the first Saturday they’d both had off in a month. She was certain her roommate expected something along the lines of a glass of wine with a nice dinner. After all, Krystal would have more cash to spend this month after the overtime today. But Krystal needed something stronger than Chardonnay and something loud to cover the mocking voices in her head.

  She was certain she could persuade Chloe to do things her way instead. She’d cry, plead, or beg if necessary.

  * * *

  Josh sat with his feet propped on Cam’s coffee table, nursing a beer while the sounds of a March Madness basketball game filled the silence.

  “Hell, yeah!” Cam sat forward in his seat and punched the air. “Did you see that dunk? Man, that guy has a hell of a rebound.”