“How about I come back with dinner around seven? This hospital food blows, huh?” They both let out a laugh, knowing his statement had been beyond accurate.
“That would be absolutely amazing. I think I’ve lost five pounds in the past week from not eating this shit!” Emily added.
“Any favorites?”
“God! I could go for a burger and a Butterfinger shake from Steak N Shake.” Her mouth started watering just thinking about a delicious steak burger and a Butterfinger milk shake, one of her favorite food combos.
“Then it’s a date, kinda,” he said, standing up. “Oh, and Emily? Write down your number for me,” he said while still holding onto her hand.
“Uh, I sorta need my hand.” She flashed him a teasing smile, before reaching for her phone and scrolling through to locate her number. This whole memory loss crap is embarassing.
Avery chuckled. “I suppose you do.” He kissed the top of her hand, then released it. She quickly scribbled her cell phone number on a scrap of paper he gave her. “Until tonight, Emily.” He winked as he turned for the door. Her heart beat so hard, it was a good thing she was in the hospital—just in case.
***
On the other side of the door, Avery pumped his fist in the air in a silent victory and headed for the elevators. Standing there at the doors waiting patiently for them to open, he felt a hand on his shoulder. As he turned to greet the owner of the hand, his good mood was shattered with her voice. “Avery Martin, I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.”
Quinn Daniels was a stunning woman, tall and slender with long brown hair and eyes to match. You could bounce a quarter off her ass, and she was always dressed impeccably. He’d met the emergency department nurse through work two months ago when she was hired at Halifax Medical Center. After taking her out on a couple dates, he’d decided she was more drama than she was worth. Slowly he had ridden off into the sunset, praying she would forget all about him. Apparently, that had not worked.
“Hi, Quinn, just dropping some paperwork off. I’ve been really busy with work.” He knew that was a lie, but he wasn’t the kind of guy to be mean or even brutally honest. Avoiding confrontation at all costs was typically his motto. “I left my dog out in the truck, though. I gotta run, but I will give you a call,” he lied to get away from her and nearly ran into the elevator when the door opened. My dog? I don’t even have a dog!
***
Emily awoke from a nap to see her sister, Amelia, sitting in the chair next to her bedside texting away on her cell phone. Her impeccably manicured fingers were tapping the keys a million miles an hour. “Was wondering when you were going to wake up,” she muttered as she finished up a couple more keystrokes and tucked her phone into the side pocket of her Coach bag.
“It’s been a long day, sis.” She let out a big yawn and pulled back the covers to get up from the bed. There weren’t many people Emily recalled, but memories of her family were fresh in her mind. Amelia and her parents were never forgotten. What she’d neglected to remember was their death. On her first day in the hospital, she wondered where her parents were and why they hadn’t run to her rescue when she’d been admitted. Amelia explained, bringing those painful memories back to light.
She made her way into the bathroom to freshen up while she chatted with her sister on the other side of the thin bathroom door. “I have a hot date tonight.” She laughed while squirting toothpaste onto her tooth brush.
“A date? What the hell kind of a date can you have in a place like this?” Amelia asked.
“This hot ass fireman pulled me out of my car. He came to visit me today, and I actually remembered him. Shocking, right? He’s coming back with some real food tonight. So you have to be gone before he gets here!”
Both women burst out laughing.
“The nurse came in while you were sleeping. They’re going to let you out of here tomorrow. Since you don’t have a car and I have to work, Ben is going to come and pick you up and if you are feeling up to it, take you car shopping.”
Ugh Ben. Emily thought while grinding her teeth, a bad habit of hers when she became agitated. Emily hated Ben O’Connor and had since the day her sister married him. He’d never given her a specific reason, besides just being a rich, cocky asshole with an attitude problem and the fact that he treated her sister like shit. Still, the idea of spending any period of time with him drove her mad. Amelia was such a sweet woman; she would never understand why she put up with him. Hell, she didn’t understand what attracted her to him in the first place.
“I feel fine, so I guess I might as well get that knocked out of the way.” She would put her own feelings to the side for the day, so she could hopefully buy a new car.
“I don’t know why they’ve kept me here this long. I recognize the important people, that’s all that should matter, right?” Emily let out a frustrated sigh as she sought pity from her big sister.
Amelia looked up from her phone and turned toward her sibling. “They kept you so long because you had a major head injury. I know it sucks being here instead of at home, but we’ve lost enough in our lives, don’t talk stupid Emily. They only want to make sure you’re okay and for a point in time, you weren’t!”
Her sister’s words cut like a knife, comparing her accident to the one that took their parents only two short years ago. No matter how much time passed by, it would always be a fresh wound for the both of them. Emily often felt alone without them. She missed them both, especially her mother.
Emily pulled her backpack onto the bed, searching for a clean shirt. The day after her accident, Becca, her best friend had gone to her apartment and brought over all the comforts of home. Her makeup bag, hair accessories, the lime green robe she couldn’t live without, the pink and black Nike comfort flip-flops she used as house shoes, and most of all her own clothes. The hospital staff was nice enough to let her skip out on the ugly, uncomfortable, scratchy gown most of the time. All of the clean clothes were almost dirty, leaving her with one choice, her “I love Si” T-shirt which incorporated a huge red heart alongside the picture of Uncle Si Robertson from Duck Dynasty.
“You’re really going to wear that tonight, Emily?” Amelia questioned with her usual fashion snob tone. Anything without a designer tag or purchased at Walmart was a cardinal sin in her book.
“Don’t hate on Si.” Emily snapped back with a laugh. “Besides, it’s all I have left that’s actually clean, and I am not wearing a dirty shirt.”
“On that fashion disaster note, I’m leaving. I have work to do tonight, and a client meeting at seven-thirty.” Amelia rose from the hospital chair and picked up her oversized Coach bag, sliding her cell phone back into the side pocket. She walked over to Emily and wrapped her arms around her, planting a light kiss on her cheek before turning to head toward the door of the hospital room. “I’ll call you later,” and like that she walked out of the room. She could hear Amelia’s heels clicking loudly all the way down the hallway until she reached the elevators.
Grabbing her makeup bag, she walked into the bathroom and applied just a tiny bit, being careful not to touch the gash on her forehead still stitched together. She rolled a bit of shiny lip gloss before puckering her lips in the mirror. Duck face perfection. She laughed to herself.
Emily climbed back up into her hospital bed and pulled her phone out to text Becca. She missed her. They hadn’t talked since she came to visit yesterday after she got off from work. They’d been life-long best friends, rarely doing anything without the other.
Got a hot fireman visitor today, he’s coming back tonight.
As soon as she set her phone down, reaching for the hospital bed buzzer to call the nurse, her phone lit up with Becca’s reply.
What? Where? How? Who is he?
Emily quickly replied.
He pulled me out of my car, came to visit today to see how I was doing. Bringing me Steak N Shake 2nite.
She was practically drooling over the thought of the burger. The hot fireman wa
s just icing on the cake of her shitty week. One of her weaknesses had always been a man in uniform. On her twenty-first birthday, Becca had dragged her out to a male strip club full of fake firemen and cops. What a night that was!
Take a picture of him when he isn’t looking. I want to see what he looks like.
Emily let out a booming laugh.
Creeper!
Emily called the nurse for the details of her morning release and closed her eyes waiting for Avery to arrive back in her hospital room.
***
A little after six o’clock she heard a soft knock and the door started to inch open.
“Come in,” Emily announced to the guest on the other side.
Through the door came a tall twenty-something familiar looking doctor. He had short brown spiked hair, and deep mocha eyes. He was exceptionally tall, coming in at over six feet. When he rounded the corner of the door, his face lit up like an airport runway at night, flashing his perfect pearly white smile at Emily.
“Hi, Emily,” he said, walking toward her bed with his smile never fading. His name tag read Jared Hart, M.D. in bold letters, above the miniature words Emergency Medicine Resident. She struggled to place him, but continued coming up blank.
“Hi, Dr. Hart, is it?” she asked with a puzzled look on her face. “I’m sorry, but I’ve seen so many doctors this week, I just can’t remember everyone and keep y’all straight.”
Her stomach flipped around with unease and nerves. A chill rushed over her body as she pulled the blanket up higher, waiting for the doctor to speak again. Instead, he just stared at her with a look of confusion, just as puzzled as she’d been moments earlier.
“You don’t know me, Emily?” he questioned her, his smile finally starting to fade.
“No, I’m sorry. You look familiar to me, but I can’t place you at all. Did you take care of me in the emergency room?”
“Yes, I did take care of you that morning. But you don’t remember me? At all?” He knew she had taken a good bump to the head but once her case was transferred over to neurology, she was no longer his patient.
“No, I’m sorry, I don’t. Should I?”
Emily was starting to feel incredibly nervous by his presence in the room. Something about him and the way he was treating her wasn’t right. It wasn’t the way a doctor would talk to a patient. She started reaching for her call button, but before she could hit it, the doctor sat on the edge of her bed and took her hand, slowly leaning in to her.
Emily’s heart raced as she struggled to pull back and put more distance between herself and the doctor. Her back hit the hard hospital bed mattress. Her emotions were torn. His touch evoked a certain familiarity which helped her place him, but she was frightened. Dread rushed over her body. The memories of him she could recall were nothing but negative.
“Emily, my Emily. Please come back to me. We spent amazing years together. I want to help you remember us, remember everything.” She started pulling her hand back from him. This gorgeous doctor was begging for her to remember him, but the only thing he was actually doing was scaring her.
“Can you please leave, Dr. Hart? You’re frightening me.” Emily reached for the call button a second time, praying this man wouldn’t stop her again. He was a beautiful guy, but the desperation in him was beyond bone-chilling. She wanted nothing to do with him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, Emily. I’ll go.” Jared stood, walking toward the hospital room door. When he paused at the door, she reached for the call button one last time.
“Emily, please call me sometime,” he whispered just loud enough for her to hear before exiting. She could feel her pulse start to slow, but the damage had already been done. She’d broken out into an uncomfortable sweat after spending time to prepare for Avery’s arrival. Scooting out of the bed, she turned for the bathroom once again. Closing the door, she repaired her nervously disheveled appearance.
From inside the bathroom, she could hear three small raps. “Come in,” she yelled.
“Emily?” She heard Avery question from the other side of the door.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” she spoke sweetly while re-applying her lip gloss and patting her forehead with a cool washcloth. Whoever that Doctor was, she didn’t want to see him again. Ever.
She walked out of the bathroom to be met with a feast fit for a queen. Avery had not missed anything, including a large beautiful arrangement of wild flowers in a sky blue decorative bucket. Her breath hitched as she caught sight of them. Emily walked toward the window ledge where he’d placed the flowers. Lowering her nose, she inhaled deeply. “These are gorgeous. They smell amazing. You didn’t have to, Avery,” she spoke as she turned around to meet his powerful gaze.
A thousand-watt-smile spread across his face as he took a step toward the hospital bedside table he was preparing for their dinner feast. “No, I didn’t have to. I wanted to do it for you, Emily.” She could feel herself melt on the inside from the southern twang in his voice. Her name sounded so beautiful coming from his lips. Those delicious looking lips. She started to blush when she realized what he’d actually said.
Avery worked quickly, placing a tablecloth over the small shaky table and unpacking the overfull Steak N’ Shake take-out bags. Splitting the food up onto two floral print paper plates, he set the giant milk shake cup besides it. “Butterfinger, though?” he said with a laugh while sticking the straw inside the cup.
“Don’t hate! It’s amazing.” She laughed. “Here.” She picked the cup up off the table and approached him, raising it to his lips. “Try a sip of it.” She held the cup as he slowly puckered his lips and lowered in for a sip of the ice cold, milky treat.
Taking a moment to savor the taste, he stared into her eyes, only breaking their contact to blink. “Okay, so it is really good. I’ll give you that. But I am a chocolate kinda guy.” A soft smile crept across his face, more seductive than his previous grin.
“Thank you, Avery. For all of this,” Emily said, waving around to all he had brought with him to cheer her up. The aroma of steak burgers and French fries filled the air. She sat down across from him and dug right in. It had been days since her last decent meal and she was beyond hungry. She took an unladylike monstrous bite and savored all the flavors—the bite of the sharp cheddar cheese, kick of the grilled onions, and the refreshing cool of the ketchup. Emily closed her eyes, letting out a sensual satisfied moan as she continued to chew. “Mmmmmm. God, this is good!”
Avery couldn’t help but stare at her, slack-jawed. He could feel a slight tightening in his pants, so he shifted uncomfortably in an attempt to mask his stirring erection. It had been so long since he’d been with a woman, that simply watching Emily savor her burger was turning him on. What was this woman doing to him?
Just as he was trying to think of topics to talk about, she broke the silence.
“So, Avery, have you lived in Daytona Beach your entire life?”
“No, Ma’am. Born and raised in Georgia. I moved down here when I was about twenty. You?” he questioned as he took another bite of his burger.
“I was born and raised in Ponce Inlet. My grandpa used to be a stock car racer down here. One of the original NASCAR’s. So, my parents just never wanted to leave the area. Too many memories.” Emily smiled in between bites, taking a moment to pick up a napkin off the table and wipe the corners of her mouth.
“NASCAR, huh? Are you a race fan?” Avery questioned, before taking a sip from his dark chocolaty milkshake.
She completely missed his question while she continued to focus on his beautifully full lips once again. “Oh, yea! I go to all the races down here.” She smiled, trying to hide the embarrassment of being caught in outer space.
Their conversation continued to flow as they finished their meal. Emily found herself taking extra time with each bite, enjoying the flavors she’d been missing while cooped up in the hospital.
“So, I get to go home tomorrow.” Emily mentioned.
“T
hat’s great, Emily! Do you have a ride home?” Avery quickly questioned, hoping she would say no.
“Unfortunately, yes. Ugh. My lovely brother-in-law is going to be picking me up.” The sarcasm was thick in her words. “I have to go and get a new car since mine is a complete loss.” Emily rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh, thinking about her precious Volkswagen she would never see again. One of the last daily reminders she’d had of her parents who gave her the car for her sixteenth birthday. As she continued to think about her one and only car, a melancholy feeling swept over her, threatening the good mood she’d received courtesy of Avery.
“You don’t sound so excited ‘bout that, Baby,” Avery said, pressing his lips together in a manner of discontent.
His words caused Emily to snap out of her daydream and back to planet Earth. Did he just call me baby?
“We don’t get along that great, but there’s really no one else to help me tomorrow, so I will deal with him for a couple hours. It will be my monthly quota of Ben.” She let out a small giggle at the idea of dodging Ben for an entire month. Amelia would never let that happen, but it was wishful thinking for sure!
“Whatever you do, get something bigger than that death trap you were driving,” Avery said with a stern look on his face. “You were lucky, Emily.”
She could sense the seriously overprotective tone in his voice which caused goosebumps to start spreading all over her skin. “I’m just going to go get another VW. They are pretty safe, overall.” Emily tried to smile, but could only conjure up a smirk.
“As long as it isn’t another Beetle.” Avery teased.
“I can totally agree to that. Who buys the same car twice in a row anyway?” Emily gave him a teasing grin and a slight nudge to the shoulder. “I hope you don’t mind if I climb back up into that uncomfortable hospital bed. Sometimes when I sit up too long, my head starts to pound.” She cringed slightly as she used her pink painted fingernails to massage her temples.
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