by Lacey Black
I throw everyone a quick hello and follow my sister into the kitchen. Mom is in the same place I always find her; finalizing our traditional Sunday dinner. It doesn’t matter what she fixes, it’s always good. Tonight, I watch helplessly as she pulls a large pan of homemade meatloaf out of the oven. The crystallized ketchup and barbecue sauce on top is bubbling to perfection. Josselyn pulls homemade macaroni and cheese out of the bottom oven, while Avery grabs the bowl of corn casserole and takes it to the dining room table.
The table has grown drastically over the past two years. First with the permanent addition of Maddox to the family, followed quickly by Erin, Josselyn, Lia, and a whole slew of kids. I think that’s why Avery has been on me so much lately about dating. As she so blatantly points out, I’m the last one.
Well, that’s fine. I’m in no hurry.
“Will, call the troops,” Mom says from behind me as she throws a huge bowl of her homemade yeast rolls on the table.
After a quick yell to gather the rest of the family from the living room, we all settle in for dinner. Avery is stationed on my right and after all of the bowls have been passed around, she can’t help but turn her attention toward me.
“So, how was work?” she asks as she inhales forkfuls of home cooked deliciousness.
“Fine, I guess. I had to work with Carmen today,” I mumble before taking a healthy bite of my own food.
I feel her eyes boring into the side of my face like a heat-seeking missile.
“What?” I ask in between bites.
Her blue eyes dance with mischief before she leans closer and says, “You like her.”
I’m completely taken aback by her assumption. Observation. Whatever. Though, I can’t honestly say whether I’m upset about her notion or by the fact that she has somehow figured out that I might possibly have the very slightest inkling of attraction toward my boss.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I reply and shovel another mouthful in my face.
“Bullshit,” she mumbles and looks around to confirm that no one is listening in on our conversation. “You always call her Cruella. Just now, you called her Carmen. You referred to her by her actual name, not the nickname. And you didn’t get all tense and fidgety like you always do. You like her,” she whispers with that all-knowing, satisfying gleam in her eyes.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Ave,” I counter for the second time. “Just because I didn’t call her Cruella doesn’t mean I’m all hot and bothered for her,” I say.
“You’re all hot and bothered for her?” Avery practically bounces out of her chair with excitement.
“Shut up before someone hears you,” I whisper harshly.
“Sorry,” she says before giving the room a quick look again to confirm that everyone’s attention is elsewhere - specifically towards Jake who is getting an earful from all of the women for teasing Erin about the amount of food on her plate. “So, what are you going to do about this non-existent attraction you supposedly don’t have for your boss?”
“Nothing. Even if I wanted to - which I don’t - I can’t do anything about it because of work. We could both lose our jobs,” I say.
“Work relationships happen all the time, though,” she retorts.
“Not between supervisors and their direct reports. She’s my immediate boss. Therefore, it’s completely forbidden. But that’s a moot point anyway. Even if I could, I wouldn’t do anything about it. She’s brash and condescending. She’s hard as steel and without a personable bone in her body,” I say, but quickly know that it’s not entirely true. Carmen showed at various times today that she does have a softer side. She just keeps it buried deep down inside and doesn’t allow anyone to actually see it.
“Anyway, how’s everything at the bakery?” I ask and allow myself to be submerged into my sister’s life for the next thirty minutes. She never brings up Carmen again, and I don’t dangle any strings of information in front of her face. She’ll latch onto that quicker than Ryder to his pacifier. Avery doesn’t need to know that I will struggle to fall asleep tonight, with images of Carmen’s sweet ass playing on repeat in my mind. She doesn’t need to know that I’ll never be able to smell lavender without looking for her. She doesn’t need to know how much my boss actually consumes my thoughts.
Jake, Maddox, Nate, Travis, and I settle in to clean up the dirty dishes after Mom practically orders the women to the living room to relax. I learned years ago to keep a close eye on Jake and Nate to make sure they actually stick around to carry out their portion of the chore. Leave them unattended for even a second and they’ll disappear so thoroughly and quickly, you’ll still be looking for them an hour later.
“How’s everything going?” Nate asks while placing the plates in the dishwasher in the most ass-backwards way humanly possible. Nate has always thought that if you did it wrong repeatedly, you’ll never be asked to do it again. Notice that Nate always still has to help? Mom caught onto his game years ago.
“Good. Last week’s snowstorm kept us hopping, but now that it has melted, it’s not quite as busy,” I tell my brother, reorganizing the dishes he just deposited inside the dishwasher.
“I hear ya,” Nate says. “Last week, we had three candle or space heater fires in one night from people trying to warm their homes without turning up the heat. Don’t people realize that the deductibles they’re gonna pay when their home catches fire is more than what they’ll spend if they just turn their heat up a few degrees?”
“It never ceases to amaze me at some of the stupid things people do,” I say. “How’s the wedding plans coming?” I ask my only other non-married brother.
“Excellent. In fact, we were hoping to bring up a few things tonight since everyone is here,” he says and looks over his shoulder as if seeking out his fiancée.
“Cool. We’re just about done here. Travis can you make sure Jake didn’t steal all of the yeast rolls?” I ask, draining the dirty dishwater from the sink.
“I have to do it, guys. Erin craves these rolls like no one’s business. I will arm wrestle everyone here for them because if I don’t go home with as many as possible, she’ll kick my ass to Tuesday,” Jake says over Nate’s shoulder. “And my wife with her crazy hormones is a little scary right now,” he adds with a serious, straight face. We all enjoy a laugh at the expense of our bossy, no-nonsense brother.
“Fine, Jake. You take the rolls,” I say with a huge smile.
“Thank you,” he replies, relief evident on his hard face. “Maybe these will keep me from midnight ice cream runs for a few days,” he adds.
“Ice cream at midnight? In December? Why don’t you just buy a bunch and keep it in the freezer like any normal, sane man would?” Travis asks.
“Tried it. I never have the right flavor or brand. One night she wanted a certain kind and the next, something entirely different. Did you know each freaking brand has a different texture and consistency? And don’t get me started on the nights she mixes some weird shit in with the ice cream like cheese or honey. With Dairy Queen closed for the winter, it makes these random cravings that much harder to deal with,” Jake says.
“I can’t believe how whipped you are,” Nate adds, laughing.
“Has she hit that sexual peak yet where everything makes her horny as hell?” Maddox asks with a mischievous grin.
“Why the hell do you think we’re always the last one to arrive anywhere? I walk in the room and she practically rips my clothes off,” Jake says with his trademark cocky grin.
“Take advantage of that now, man, because soon, she’ll be too tired for sex. Then the babies come, and she’ll be so exhausted that you’ll start to wonder if you’ll ever have sex again,” Maddox adds, Travis frantically shaking his head up and down.
“We’ve already had to get really damn creative,” Jake says. “You’ve seen how big my wife is,” he says.
“I swear to God if I didn’t need your penis right now, I would cut it off and give it to Miss Whiskers
as a cat toy,” Erin seethes from the doorway behind Jake. The look on his face is absolutely priceless. Part horror, part fear with a little bit of laughter.
“Hi, darlin’! I didn’t see you there,” he says, plastering on a huge smile and turning around to face the wrath of his wife.
“I don’t see how you could have missed me! You know, with how big I am and all,” Erin grits out, waving both arms around her stomach.
Jake steps forward and tries to pull Erin into his embrace. She hesitates, but only for a second, before she leans against him, her eyes filling with tears. “I can’t believe you think I’m fat!” she exclaims as she bursts into uncontrollable tears. And everyone wonders why I’m in no big hurry to get married. And deal with this?
“Ah, geez, darlin’, I didn’t mean it. You know I love you all round with our babies. It’s so fucking hot,” Jake says soft and lovingly as he rubs the plump roundness of Erin’s abdomen, running his nose along the shell of her ear.
“I know you do,” Erin says through her hysterics. “I’m just so emotional lately,” she adds, as she whimpers while trying to gulp in air. “I promise not to cut off your penis while you sleep.”
Jake cringes while the rest of us absently move to cover our manhood. “Good to know, darlin’,” Jake says with a look of worry on his face.
“We should go,” Erin says, looking up at Jake with a sly smile and lust-filled eyes. Her entire mood has completely changed as if the previous conversation didn’t even happen. She’s practically rubbing up against him like a cat in heat.
“Gotta go,” Jake yells as he grabs his bag of rolls, his wife, and heads towards the door.
“Wait! Before you go, Lia and I wanted to share our news,” Nate says as we all head into the living room where the girls are watching some chick-flick on television. “Lia and I have set a date,” Nate says as he sits down on the armrest of the couch, next to his fiancée.
“We’ve decided on June fifteenth,” Lia adds with a smile as the room bursts into celebration. We’ve been waiting on this date for several weeks now.
“Wait,” Nate says. “We’re not getting married here.”
“Well, where exactly are you getting married then?” Mom asks with a confused look on her face.
“Hawaii,” Lia says with the biggest, brightest smile I’ve ever seen.
“Shut up!” Avery yells, while excitement is evident on everyone’s face. We all sit and wait with bated breath as we wait to find out where we all fit into their wedding.
“Yeah, we’re kind of doing the whole destination wedding thing,” Nate starts but is cut off by the audible surprise within the room. “But…but we want you all there with us,” he adds with a smile.
The room erupts into more cheers and celebration. “We figured that gave Jake and Erin about two months with the twins in hopes that they could travel with us. If not, we completely understand if you can’t make it,” Nate says with a look at our oldest brother.
“We’ll be there. All four of us,” Jake says as he walks over and hugs Nate before kissing Lia on the cheek.
The women all band together to talk wedding plans while the guys find the Sunday Night football game on TV. It’s another hour before we finally get the girls apart and steer everyone towards the exit. Donning winter coats, gloves, and hats, a round of hugs and kisses are given to the ladies, followed by handshakes to the men. I love my family dearly, but I’m definitely ready for a little quiet. A few minutes later, I scrape the ice off my windshield and head back to Rivers Edge.
The ten-minute ride back to town does nothing for the turmoil brewing deep within my gut. I can’t shut off my brain and stop thinking about Carmen. I have a serious problem on my hands and no idea what to do about it. She is imprinted on my brain like a mental tattoo. I feel her soft touch. Without even knowing it, she is slowly chipping away at those carefully constructed walls I have surrounding me.
The fact remains that I can’t do anything. I can’t do anything about this sudden, intense attraction I have towards her. My employment and hers rests on my ability to keep my distance.
Yet, the biggest problem remains: I’m struggling to remember why I shouldn’t want to explore it.
I just hope I’m man enough to keep my distance and not surrender to these controversial emotions I find myself feeling. Wanting. Because, damn it, I want to discover more with Carmen.
Chapter Four
Carmen
I get to the hospital at quarter ‘til six, ready to start another shift with Will. I’ve managed to avoid him since we worked together last Sunday, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t dominated my thoughts. My mind keeps replaying the entire scene over and over again. I felt my legs slipping out from under me and tried reaching for the door to keep myself from going down. Suddenly, I’m pulled into Will’s arms. The feel of his hard body pressed tightly against mine - legs to legs, chest to chest - is a memory I can’t shake loose. Every thought sends heat flooding to a certain dormant part of my body. Thoughts of our bodies lined up perfectly have plagued my nighttime dreams, my daydreams, and every place in between, including a very important staff meeting mid-week on fundraising the new mammogram project.
I decided to get ready in my office this morning to avoid that awkward moment when Will and I are both trapped in the confines of the employee lounge together. Alone.
As soon as I’m ready, I lock up my office and head down to meet Will in the emergency room. The entire department is hopping. A three-car accident on the edge of town had both of our ambulances and the standby unit from the fire department running for the past hour.
The department that I oversee runs like a smooth ship. Everyone knows their job and performs to the best of their ability. That’s what makes the care provided here the best it can be. There’s no room for error.
I look over into the first exam room and notice Will standing next to one of the nurses getting ready to conduct a blood pressure check on an older man on a gurney. I glance down the hallway and observe the nurses and doctors quickly moving from room to room. I decide to jump in right now at the first room.
I step inside and say, “What do you have?”
Will turns around and that’s when I see it. Fear. Inside of those blue eyes lurks something I’ve never seen before. He looks scared.
Taryn, the young RN, turns around and replies, “Blood pressure one-fifty over ninety-five. Mr. Stevens is complaining of mild chest pains. I’m waiting on a doctor to come in and order testing…”
Taryn continues to give a rundown as she gets ready to take the patient’s vitals, but my eyes are glued to the man before me. Stevens. This man is related to Will. I feel it.
“Go give Dr. Smith an update and get him in here as soon as possible. I’ll finish writing up Mr. Stevens’ vitals and assessment,” I tell the nurse as I step around her and get to work.
I’m left in the room with Will and the man I assume to be his father. Though the eyes and hair color are different, the resemblance is uncanny. “Do you need to step outside?” I ask Will, reverting to my professional side to deal with the energy and stress buzzing around the room.
“No,” he says curtly, his back stiff and his jaw clenched.
“Okay, then. Make yourself useful and grab that saline. Let’s start to get these lacerations cleaned up,” I say as I start to write.
The man on the gurney chuckles, green eyes filled with mischief. “I think I like your spunk, young lady. You wouldn’t happen to be single, would you? I have one last single child and my wife has been on me to find him a woman,” Mr. Stevens says with a gleam in his sparkling eyes. Even following a car accident, laid up in the hospital, this man is charismatic and warm.
“Dad,” Will starts in warning.
“My son seems to have forgotten his manners. I’m Michael Stevens, Will’s father.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stevens. I’m Carmen Brady. Can you tell me what happened this morning?” I ask with a slight raise of the corner
of my mouth. I don’t know what it is about this man, but I feel myself easing into a pleasant, friendly demeanor.
“I was heading out to our new jobsite when the car in front of me started to cross the center line. There was another one approaching and they tried to avoid the head-on collision. I started to slow down, but was unable to keep from hitting the car in front of me as it hit the brakes and came back into my lane,” Mr. Stevens recounts.
“And the cuts?” I prompt.
“From the glass, I suppose. Doesn’t hurt any, though,” he says, gingerly touching the scrapes on his cheek as Will begins to clean up the dried blood.
“What about the chest pains?” I ask, frantically writing as he speaks.
“Ever since the accident, I have tightness and a little tingling in my chest. It’s like I have a hard time catching a deep breath,” he says.
“Did you hit your chest? On the steering wheel maybe?” I ask.
“Not that I know of. I was wearing my seatbelt so I suppose it could be from that,” he adds.
“Could be. Did your airbag go off?”
“Yeah, damn thing was as loud as the crash,” Mr. Steven confirms.
“We’ll probably order an EKG just be rule out some sort of heart issue. Do you have a history of any high blood pressure, heart ailments, or any other medical conditions?”
“No,” Will replies for his father. “Dad has always been as healthy as an ox.”
“Except those times your mother tried poisoning me when we were first married,” Will’s dad adds with a chuckle.
I can’t help but laugh. This man can transform a serious situation and turn it light and comical. I imagine Will’s mom has her hands full with this one.
“I’m gonna tell her you said that,” I hear from behind. I turn around to see a slew of handsome guys standing in the entryway. Blocking it like a band of superheroes stepping in to save the day.
They all file in and head towards Mr. Stevens. Will shakes hands with the three men. There’s no denying that these must be his brothers. I watch as Will backs away from his dad, allowing his brothers to each approach.
