by Jill Downey
“It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been bad this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Buddy, what are you talking about? That’s not true. It was an accident. The car that I crashed into didn’t stop like they were supposed to. You had nothing to do with that. Do you understand?”
His little shoulders shook, and Ella couldn’t stand it another second. She gathered Finn against her chest as he cried. “Oh baby, that’s just fear talking. You don’t have that kind of power. Nobody does.”
He quieted and wrapped his arms around Ella hugging her tight. “I wish you could be my new nanny,” he said.
Ella’s heart ached, “Thank you, Finn, that is so sweet.”
Wiping his nose with his sleeve he said, “Can you?”
“What would all of my sick patients here in the hospital do?”
Finn shrugged his shoulders.
“Ready to give your dad a gentle hug?” Although still not convinced, he nodded his head.
“Before you do, let me show you where he is hurt. Would that help?”
Finn nodded again.
“We have a deal then,” she ruffled Finn’s mop of dark curls and led him over to his father’s bedside. Pulling back the covers she showed Finn the bandaged leg. “See this is the leg that’s hurt. But it is going to be as good as new before you know it. Just be really careful not to bump it, okay?”
“Yes, I promise.”
“And the arm. And see where his ribs are wrapped, another place to be really careful about.”
“Okay.”
Ella lowered the bed rail so Finn could get closer. He laid his head carefully on his father’s belly and Kyle brushed his son’s hair back from his forehead. “Everything is going to be all right son.”
Finn’s brow puckered as he asked, “What about Natalie? Why does she have to leave? I don’t want a new nanny!”
“Worrying about that isn’t your job. That’s my job. You leave that stuff to the grownups,” Kyle said, beyond annoyed that Natalie had decided to take it upon herself to tell Finn. What the hell had she been thinking given Finn’s history? “Can you do that for me?”
“I’ll try, but....”
“No buts.”
“But I was going to say what if your nurse quit her job here and came to live with us?”
“Buddy, she already has a job here at the hospital.”
“But we need her,” he pleaded.
“I know your dad will find the perfect nanny for you. But remember what I just told you? All the sick people need me here.”
“We need you more. You could quit. My daddy is rich! He will pay you so much money. You could come live with us. Right daddy? We have a huge house!” he said, his eyes widening as he spread his arms to demonstrate how large their home was.
Embarrassed Kyle said, “Finn. She has an important job to do at the hospital. We’ll talk about this later. We’ve got time to find someone special, so quit worrying. The subject is closed for now. Do you understand me?”
“Yes sir,” he said head bowed. Ella felt bad for him until he mischievously waved his crossed fingers at Ella, flashing a wide grin. She shook her head at him stifling a laugh.
“Well I’ll give you guys time to visit. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes,” Ella said.
Finn scrunched up his face, “Do you have to go?”
“Finn, give Ella a break. She’ll be right back,” Kyle said.
“But what if you get bad again?”
Ella leaned down at eye level to Finn and said, “Look at me Finn.”
Wide-eyed he looked at Ella intently.
“Your dad is going to be fine. In no time at all, he will be up and about, and his pain will be much less. You’ll get through this together. But for right now, your dad has a button he can push if he needs me and I will come running.” Swiping her hand diagonally across her chest she said, “Cross my heart,” and left them alone to visit.
Several days after Finn’s visit, as Ella was just beginning her shift, she poked her head into Kyle’s room, “Good morning sunshine,” she said cheerfully. “You are looking much more alert today.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good thing,” he grumbled.
“Sure it is. How do they say it? Any day we wake up is a good day…Something like that.”
“Great, Ella has been replaced with Pollyanna.”
Laughing Ella said, “At your service Kyle. You’re looking better but tell me how you’re feeling.”
He raised a brow and said, “That’s the first time you’ve called me Kyle.”
“It is? Should I go back to Mr. Bennett?”
“No, I like it.”
“Kyle it is then,” she said, her heart skipping a beat. She busied herself with the IVs to distract from the rollercoaster feeling in her belly. “On a scale of one to ten?”
“Five.”
“I can live with that,” Ella said.
“Ha, you can live with that?”
Ella laughed, “You’ve got a point.”
“The more important question is, how can I convince you to go out with me when I break out of here… and is there any competition I have to get out of the way first?” Kyle asked.
“Nope.”
“Does this mean I might have a chance?”
“A chance?”
“At Seducing you.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Well that was certainly direct.”
“I always go for what I want. And I generally get it.”
“Good to know. Just a little friendly tip—that may get you what you want in the courtroom, but not very effective when it comes to seduction...especially with me. I’ve had my fill of arrogant men.”
“You consider honesty arrogance then?”
She paused before answering, “I consider your presumptuousness arrogant. Getting what you want may be at odds with other parties’ desires.”
“So, you’re saying I’m imagining the chemistry between us?”
Her eyes narrowed, “You must be very good at chess.”
“How did you guess,” he grinned roguishly. “What about our esteemed Dr. Thompson?”
He had lost her, “What about him?”
“It’s obvious he has the hots for you.”
She removed the dressing from his leg to check the wound, “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”
“I find that hard to believe. You sure there’s nothing going on there? He practically drools whenever you’re around. Can’t say I blame him. Ouch!”
“Sorry,” she palpated around the sutures of his inner thigh, “It’s strictly professional. Your imagination.”
“Really? Because I’ve been told I don’t have any.”
“Have any what?”
“Imagination.”
Satisfied that his wound was healing and that there were no palpable clots she re-dressed his leg, “Everyone has an imagination.”
“Hmm, maybe but not in this case.”
“I’ve had very bad luck dating doctors. They have been crossed off my list.”
“You keep a list?”
“Doesn’t everyone?” she grinned. “I don’t date patients either.”
“The list again?”
“You catch on fast.”
“I won’t be a patient forever.”
“You are right now, so the subject is closed.”
“For now.”
“For now,” she said.
“Is that a promise?”
“You are tenacious, I’ll give you that.”
“It makes up for the imagination,” he said.
Ella put her stethoscope against his chest listening to the steady beat of his heart. She was so overcome with desire that it was full on war to keep her hands from running over his chest. Talk about drool. She made the fatal mistake of meeting his gaze and got lost for a moment in the depth of his dark blue eyes.
She unconsciously licked her lips and he groaned.
“Ella?”
“Yes?”
/>
“Is my heart still beating?” he grinned.
Embarrassed she pulled the stethoscope away and straightened. He reached for her hand and placed her palm on his bare chest right over his heart.
“Feel that?”
Eyes wide all she could do was nod yes.
“I want you Ella.” Ella’s body stilled as he held her hand. Fighting against herself she allowed it to rest there for a moment.
“Hey Ella, how’s my big brother doing?” Faye asked startling them both as she dashed into the room.
Ella took a slow deep breath and let Kyle answer for her, “I think it’s possible I’m going to make it. I see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.”
Taking one look at Ella’s flushed cheeks and flustered demeanor, Faye realized she had interrupted a moment. She pretended not to notice and pulled up a chair and promptly began telling another entertaining story. Her life was so adventurous. Ella felt dull in comparison. She was going to have to do something about that. She glanced over at Kyle and caught him staring.
Pulling out her smart phone Faye said, “I have a video message from Finn.” She held the device so both Ella and Kyle could see the image.
“Hi Dad. I miss you. Guess what? I lost another tooth.” He peeled his lips back with his chubby little fingers, revealing a space where his two front teeth had once been. “See? Aunt Faye had me put the tooth under my pillow for the fairy and guess what? The fairy left me candy and money! When are you coming home? Aunt Faye says maybe we can FaceTime soon. She says you are getting better. I love you Dad.”
Kyle’s eyes were suspiciously glassy before he brushed his hand across them. He cleared his throat before he spoke, “Has he had any more nightmares?”
“Last night. He ended up crawling in bed with me.”
“I can’t imagine how this is going to fuck him up, both parents abandoning him, Jesus.”
“Kyle, kids are resilient. He knows you’re in the hospital but unlike his mom you’ll be coming home. He understands as much as a six-year-old can,” Faye said. “He was four when his mom died,” she explained to Ella.
Ella felt emotions she had thought were long buried. Things she hadn’t thought about for years suddenly clamored inside her head. “I lost both my parents in a plane crash when I was four.”
Faye’s eye’s widened, “How terrible, I’m so sorry!”
“I managed to come out of my childhood relatively intact. Trust me, he’ll get through this.”
“All he could talk about after his visit here was you Ella. He is your number one fan,” Faye said.
“Aww, thank you for saying that. He’s adorable. It’s mutual.” Glancing at Kyle she said, “He looks like you.”
“Unfortunately for him,” Kyle said.
“I don’t know his dad is pretty hot.” Laughing she said, “Did I really just say that out loud?”
“With witnesses,” Faye joked.
“I’ve got to go. I’ll leave you two to visit, remember I’m off tomorrow. I think Deb is on, though,” Ella said.
“Will I see you before you go?”
“Nope, this is goodbye. See you on Thursday.”
“Bye, Ella,” Faye said.
“Enjoy your visit.”
Kyle said nothing but nevertheless she could feel his eyes burning a hole through her back as she walked out the door.
4
“Well look what the cat drug in,” Artie called out to Ella from his usual perch at the marina. He had several poles in the water, his bait box next to him, and catch of the day dangling in the water in a container off the pier. Always by his side sat his loyal canine, Ralph, a big old hound dog.
“It’s my only day off so I’m spending it on the water,” Ella yelled back as she unloaded her board from the back of her jeep. “Come here Ralph, I’ve got a treat for you.” Ralph lumbered over for his treat, never in a hurry much like his human companion.
Artie and Ralph were a regular fixture at the marina where Ella often could be found on her days off. Today she had decided to bring her paddle board instead of her kayak.
“Maybe I’ll get lucky today and commune with some dolphins,” she said emptying her pocket of treats onto a flat rock as Ralph’s tail wagged slowly side to side.
“When ya going trade that relic in on a new one?” Artie asked.
“You know that will never happen. They don’t make them like this anymore. Annabelle’s a classic. I’ll drive her until she has nothing left to give.”
“What year is she?”
“Nineteen seventy-eight.”
He guffawed, “Classic? More like a rattletrap if you ask me.”
“Don’t listen to him Annabelle,” she said to her classic Jeep CJ7. “I’ll have you know Artie; she is a special limited edition! Have you ever heard of The Dukes of Hazard? This, my friend, is the same model that Daisy Duke drove.” This was her fun car. She had paid big bucks to have it completely restored after a patient had gifted her with it. It had been sitting abandoned in his barn for years and when he found out she was a classic Jeep enthusiast he was happy it would find life again.
She had a another newer more practical car that she could pile on the mileage, but she drove this one whenever she had the chance. She babied it like it was priceless because to her it was.
After adding extra sunscreen to her face, she hauled her board to the water’s edge and tethered the leash attached to the board to her ankle. She waded in until she was standing knee deep. Kneeling at the center of the board, carefully placing her feet where her knees had been, she slowly stood up, keeping knees bent until she knew she was balanced. Planting the paddle in the water, she alternated strokes from the right side to the left to push away from shore.
Not only was paddle boarding a great workout, it was hard to beat listening to the waves lap against the board while exploring nature. She had seen some incredible things while out on her board. She always came away refreshed and energized. The salty sea air and the sun had the effect of slowing her mind and had become a meditation practice of sorts. She often ran into others either on their boards or in kayaks, but today she seemed to have the bay to herself.
She wore a pair of board shorts over her swimsuit and a floppy waterproof hat for sun protection. She also carried a safety whistle to warn other boaters… just in case. She’d have no chance in a run-in with a boat, much like her patient Mr. Bennett’s Ferrari and the Hemi truck.
Her thoughts continued to drift to Kyle Bennett. He had somehow gotten under her skin and she wasn’t sure just how or why. He exuded a raw power despite his serious injuries. Yes, he was gorgeous, sexy, all of that, but he wasn’t the first one to ever catch her eye. Damn those dark blue eyes, almost navy, sparkling like sapphires even through his pain.
Her professionalism warred with her sexuality. When she touched him, her skin felt seared. Even now, she felt the heat and long-dormant butterflies awakened deep in her belly. She unconsciously licked her lips thinking about his muscular body, perfection.
Over the years she had mastered compartmentalizing her emotions with regard to her patients, but she might be slipping. The tingling in her groin was a reminder that she’d have to be on guard with this one.
Time to change channels, yet it wasn’t quite that easy to switch off the inner excitement she was feeling. Familiar, yet it had been a long time since she had felt this alive. A loggerhead turtle poked his head up to the surface; Ella stopped paddling. The turtle eyed her for a moment before ducking under and disappearing back into the water’s depths. Encounters with North Carolina’s native wildlife never got old and always filled her with joy. The breeze and sun along with the exertion had tired her out and she decided to head back. No dolphins today…maybe next time.
She was looking forward to work tomorrow for a change. Oh yeah, she had the itch for sure. Shit!
The local pizza joint was on speed dial and she decided to call ahead for pickup on her way home. Cooking was the last thing she wanted to do
tonight. She’d already decided to start that new mystery she’d picked up from the library earlier today. It had taken two years for her favorite British author to release another book and now it was sitting at home just waiting for her to begin.
“Want a couple of fish for your dinner tonight?” Artie asked. He walked over to his own car which was parked next to hers.
Wrinkling her nose, she said, “No thanks, it’s pizza for me, I can’t deal with cleaning fish, or cooking them for that matter.”
“Don’t say I never offered.”
“I think you already knew my answer. I should have been less predictable and said yes this time.”
“One of these days I’ll teach you how to clean them.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
“Enjoy your pizza while I dine on flounder tonight.”
“Quit rubbing it in, see ya Artie.”
“Bye Ella.”
Humming under her breath, Ella stowed her board in the back end of the Jeep. Any chance she got she had the soft top off. Driving with the warm breeze blowing and her radio cranked up was the best. It was spring in the Carolinas. Didn’t get any better than this!
As the smell of pizza assaulted her senses, she had to grab a slice and eat it on the way home. She was famished. That of course meant wearing it, as a blob of sauce and cheese landed on her breasts. She took a big bite Hot hot hot! It was worth the burnt tongue and soiled shirt. Best pizza in North Carolina she was convinced.
“Kee-kee did you miss me?”
Daisy wrapped around her legs, weaving in and out as Ella tried not to trip or step on her. “I guess you’re telling me you’re hungry?”
“Meow.”
“Okay, I’ll feed you first.”
She scooped out some wet food from a can and refrigerated the rest. Daisy lapped up the tuna in record time. Ella opened a bottle of Merlot and poured herself a glass. Kicking off her flip-flops she perched on a stool at her kitchen island counter.
“Alexa play Brett Young.” Alexa complied and like magic music was streaming through the airwaves of her kitchen. His voice and lyrics always touched her soul. Despite having grown up being tossed around in foster care most of her childhood, she was still a romantic at heart. She didn’t know if that made her stupid or resilient but there it was. She did want her happily ever after. Why the hell was this coming up now? Irritated with this train of thought she said, “Alexa play Bruno Mars.” As if flipping a switch, her body immediately started bee bopping on her stool, and her mood went from sappy to sassy. Now that was more like it.
