Stronger With Us (The Strength Series Book 3) (10 page)

17

I can’t believe I let her kick me out. This woman has me under a spell that I’m pretty sure I don’t want to break. After a long shower I take a cab to the one place where I know I can get something I can’t get anywhere else, some solid motherly advice.

As the cab pulls up to You Betcha I take a moment to really admire what Anne and Clarence have built. In the daylight it's easy to see the outside of the building is simple white stucco. It doesn’t have a full facade of lights or glitter like most of the buildings here; it sort of has an old-school Vegas vibe to it. Once you walk through the doors, you’re greeted with slot machines and the usual maze of a casino. The walls have posters from the 1940 and 1950s showing people gambling or Las Vegas-themed movies. The room is well-lit and it’s not too loud. It’s easy to see why You Betcha is a place that the locals frequent. You feel at home here and that makes me miss my mother just a little bit.

I make my way to the office where I’m greeted by a bouncer who’s bigger than me. It doesn’t happen very often, and it always makes me pause.

“Hey, I’m here to see Anne. Is she available?”

“Your name?” I tell him, and he speaks into his watch. After a few seconds he nods and opens the door.

“Last door on the right,” he says in an official tone as I walk by. I need to remember to tell Anne how great her security is. I take a short walk down the hallway and find Anne sitting at a massive cherry desk surrounded by monitors and paper.

“You’re not who I expected to see today, Jude, but I’m happy nonetheless,” she says as she stands and walks around her desk. I bend to give her a hug and she feels like home.

“Thanks for seeing me,” I say softly trying to get my emotions under control.

“Of course. I’d never turn one of my boys away. Now, sit down and tell me what’s on your mind.” Anne goes back to her chair and I settle in front of her. I open my mouth a couple times and when nothing comes out she smiles.

“What’s her name?” Anne asks with a wink.

“Christin,” I answer on a sigh. “How did you know?”

“Years of practice and raising boys. The only time any of you come to talk to me is when there’s a woman involved. Did you know that Colin called me not too long after he met his wife? He wanted my opinion even though I’d never met the woman. So, tell me what’s going on with you and Christin.”

I stand up and pace around the room. “I don’t know. She makes me so angry. One minute she’s into it and the next she’s kicking me out. I’ve never had a woman screw with my head like this, and I hate it.”

Anne leans back in her chair and smiles. “You really like her, don’t you?”

“No,” I answer quickly. She raises one eyebrow just like my mom used to, and I can’t help but chuckle. “Yes, I like her. She’s feisty, and she doesn’t put up with my crap. It’s not like with the other women who fall at my feet and beg me to fuck them.”

“Language, Jude, please,” she scolds.

“Sorry, Anne. I forgot. Anyway, Christin is a ray of sunshine. She’s not clingy, but I want her to be. Sort of. I don’t know. What do I do?” I’m well aware that I’m whining and begging at this point.

“First of all, sit down. You’re making me nervous with all this pacing.” I comply quickly because I know the advice is worth it.

“Now, what have you done to let her know that you like her, other than sex?”

“Uh, well, I…”

“That’s what I thought. This woman has no reason to believe that you want her for more than that. You have a reputation of being a womanizer, and you know it. You’re going to have to work at this and come up with something that makes her want to give you a chance.”

I flop back in the chair and groan. “Why does it have to be so difficult?”

“Because things that are worth having don’t come easy. You’re going to have to prove to her that you are sincere. How are you going to do that?”

“That’s why I’m here talking to you. Tell me what to do, please,” I beg.

“No, I won’t do that. You have to figure this out on your own,” she says firmly. “I will give you one suggestion; talk to her friends. I assume that they’re here for the wedding. Ask them what she likes or what they think will work. If you can win over the friends, you will stand a much better chance of getting her to take another look at you.”

I nod and start thinking. Becca’s on her honeymoon so I won’t bother her, but maybe I can talk with Stephanie on the flight home.

“Okay, oh, wise one. I’ll try talking to her friends. Anything else I should know?”

Anne leans forward and smiles. “Nope. That should do it. You’re going to be fine, Jude, I promise. Just remember that you’re worth it and that you’re a good man. You have to believe that if you want her to as well.”

“You’re right. That’s easier said than done, but I’ll try. I promise.”

“Good. Now, get out of here and go find your woman. Let me know how things go, and next time you’re in town come see me, okay?” She stands and I walk around her desk. I pick her up in a hug and squeeze tight.

“Thanks for being here for me. I miss my mom so much sometimes, and you help ease that ache, you know?” I whisper in her ear.

“I miss her too, and I’m here for you always. Now put me down.” We both laugh I set her back on her feet and kiss the top of her head.

“Tell Clarence that I said goodbye,” I say walking out the door.

“I will, now get. I have work to do,” she says with a smile and a wink.

I feel ten times lighter walking back up the hall. I know what I need to do, and the flight will allow me a few hours of uninterrupted time with Stephanie to get it all figured out.

18

I really hate mornings, but I especially loathe them when I don’t sleep well. My shift starts in twenty minutes, and I still haven’t had my caffeine. Thankfully I can see the Freedom of Espresso sign up ahead. The drive-thru is clear, so I pull up to order my usual.

When I get to the window, Amber hands me my marble macchiato. “You sure you don’t need a triple shot? You look wiped out,” she says with a smile.

“Thanks, but I need to be able to concentrate at work, not climb the walls.” I hand over my money and take off before she can comment any further on my appearance.

The hospital parking lot is worse than Walmart at Christmas. I have to drive around for ten minutes before I find a spot. Of course this means I have to run to the ER to avoid being late. The last time I clocked in after seven, the charge nurse chewed my ass and gave me the worst patients all day.

I scan my badge at 6:59 a.m. and go to the breakroom to stash my purse.

“You know you should do that before you clock in,” Geneva says with a smile. I nod and hurry out to the floor before she yells at me. She’s a drill sergeant, but I love working with her because she always keeps the ER running smoothly. It’s not an easy thing to do, and I admire her ability.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” I hear Jonathan say as I approach the nurses’ station.

“Thanks for that. Did a memo go out to everyone telling them to make sure I know I look like shit today?”

“No memo needed, babe. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Between the jet lag and the frantic pace of the weekend, I’m beat. It’ll take a couple days to recover.”

“Oh, really? The weekend was frantic? Who were you with?”

“Remember, I went to Las Vegas for Becca and Colin’s wedding?”

“Yes, now I remember. You were looking forward to sampling what Vegas had to offer. So, tell me all about it.”

As I open my mouth to tell him it’s none of his business, the radio starts squawking. Bill handles the call, and we all jump up to prepare for the emergency that’s coming in.

After we’ve stabilized the patient, Jonathan and I start working on charting.

“So, are you going to tell me about your weekend, or should we just leave it up to my imagination?”

“You know how it is; it stays in Vegas and all.”

“Christin Josephine, don’t you hold out on me. Your sex life is the only thing hotter than my own, and Oscar has been holding out on me. So spill.”

I take a deep breath and try to come up with a story that will satisfy him.

“First of all, you know for a fact that my middle name is Jo, so stop making me sound like an old lady. Second, I’m not sure where to start.”

“Honey, you start by telling me what he looked like and how well he fucked you. That’s really all I want to know,” Jonathan says with a wink.

“He’s hot,” even though I hate to admit that. “He’s tall, confident, and strong enough to carry me around.”

“And you know this how?” he interrupts.

“You may never know. Now shut up and let me tell you my story.”

Jonathan holds his hands up in surrender. “Please continue.”

“Anyway, as I was saying, he’s strong. He’s got a few tattoos, but the best part you won’t believe.”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh.” I go back to my paperwork and write down the patient’s vitals.

“Seriously, bitch? You’re just going to stop? You know how much I hate it when you do that. Tell me already,” his voice gets louder with each word.

“Keep it down and I’ll tell you. Besides, you know you’re too easy to tease.” I look around before I whisper, “he’s pierced.”

“Shut up! What kind?”

“Let’s just say that it feels apa-mazing,” I say as I burst out laughing. Geneva looks over and gives us a stern look, and I go back to charting.

“This conversation isn’t over. You’re coming home with me tonight, we’ll open a bottle of wine, and you’re going to tell me every single detail about mister tall, hot, and pierced.” I know it’s futile to argue, so I nod in agreement and continue with my work.

The shift is busy, which makes time go by fast. When our replacements come on Jonathan pulls me to the break room.

“I’ll meet you at my place in an hour. Go home, take a shower, and come over. I want to hear all about your trip without being interrupted,” he says excitedly.

“Believe me, I’ll be there. I couldn’t stand to watch you pout around here all day tomorrow if I don’t.”

“See you soon, sweetie,” he says as he kisses my cheek and walks out.

As I step out into the hall Geneva stops me. “Do you have a minute, CJ?”

“Sure, is everything okay?”

“I hope so. A man came by over the weekend asking for you. I think he was a patient here a couple weeks ago. He gave me a note to give to you. I didn’t read it, but I got a bad vibe from him.”

“Okay, well, it wouldn’t be the first time someone came back after they’d been treated here. Do you still have the note?”

She reaches in her pocket and pulls out a blue envelope. “I’ve been carrying it around all shift trying to decide what to do.”

“It’s okay, really. I can handle it.”

“Let me know if you need anything. I don’t trust him, but there’s no reason to ban him from the hospital at this point. Just be careful,” she says as she hands me the note and walks away. It’s not like Geneva to be freaked out about anything, and that makes me a little nervous. I tear open the envelope and pull out a note.

Nurse CJ,

I can’t stop thinking about you and how nice you were to me. Thank you for the excellent care you provided. I hope we can meet under different circumstances in the near future.

Forever yours,

Curt

I’ve read the note several times but still cannot figure out who this person is. I see so many patients during a shift that there’s no way to remember everyone’s name. I usually can recall their injuries, but that’s about it. I fold the note and put it in my pocket as I leave the ER. I’ll worry about it tomorrow when I can try and pull up a chart.

The walk to my car is long. I forgot that I had to park in the back lot this morning. I keep hearing footsteps behind me, but when I turn around there’s nobody there.

“Great, now I’m paranoid,” I mutter to myself as I finally reach my Prius. Make fun of me all you want, it gets great gas mileage. I start to pull out of the spot and I see someone's midsection in my backup camera. When I look closer to see what it is, there’s a man standing behind my car. He walks to the driver’s side window, but I’m hesitant to open it.

“CJ, are you okay?” He bends down and I see that it’s Kise, our security guard. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding and open my window.

“Hey, Kise, I’m fine. Sorry, I was lost in thought.”

“No problem. Have a good night,” he says as he pats the roof of my car. I shake off my panic and drive home as fast as the law allows.