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
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
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