by Harlow James
“Why don’t you two just date?” Piper waves her finger back and forth between us as Ethan and I stare each other down before bursting out in laughter.
“Ew. No. Sorry, Piper, and no offense, Ethan.”
“None taken.”
“Ethan and I already had this conversation when I thought he was flirting with me just after I was hired and he started bringing people into the ER on calls. I politely told him I wasn’t interested and we agreed to just remain friends,” I explain, recalling that night when I was trying to keep a man alive who came in from a car accident and I thought Ethan was checking me out while I was covered in blood.
“I believe you told me to stop ogling your breasts while you worked on a patient or you were gonna stab me with a scalpel.” Ethan grins as Piper starts laughing next to me.
“Well, you got the message didn’t you?” I fire back.
“Loud and clear. Besides, Jess and I are just friends now. No offense to you, Jess.”
“None taken.” I smile and then reach for my water again, only to realize I drank it all.
“But, hey! I just remembered… there’s a speed dating event in a couple of weeks over at the new comedy club on Maple Drive. You should come, Jess. There will be plenty of single guys there. And ladies too, for me of course.” He winks.
“Yes!” Piper shouts in excitement, clapping her hands loudly and startling me in my seat. “This is perfect! You’ll get to interview a bunch of different guys in one night. You’re bound to hit it off with someone.”
“Too bad you can’t come with me,” I whine just as the corner of Piper’s lips tip up wistfully.
“No, I’m happily taken. But Rachel can. She’s single. You should convince her next week when we go to the park with her and Grayson.” Rachel is Piper’s best friend from back home in New York. She just recently moved out here to Emerson Falls to be closer to Piper and took up a nanny gig for one of Cash’s friends, Luke. Grayson is the little boy she’s watching and next week we’re meeting them at the park for a play date—also known as an excuse for us girls to talk while the kid can run around and deplete his abundance of energy.
The thought of not going alone does makes me perk up a bit. “What time is it at, Ethan?” I turn back to him, waiting for him to respond.
“I think six? I have the flyer in my car. I’ll text you a picture of it later.”
“Okay. Sounds good. I guess at this point, I have nothing to lose.” I shrug and pop the last bite of my granola bar in my mouth, depositing the wrapper in the trash can. “But hey, I’m going to get out of here now. You’ve still got another hour, right?” I ask Piper as I stand and reach for my lower back, wincing at the stiffness from being on my feet so long. I grab my last patient chart on the desk and then make my way around Piper’s seat.
“Yup. Wish me luck.”
“I’ve got to get going too, girls. But hey, I’ll send you that info soon, alright?” Ethan says as he walks backwards away from us.
“Sounds good, Ethan. Thanks.”
“Sorry I suggested you date, Ethan,” Piper shrugs before logging into the computer.
“No worries. We’re just friends.” Ethan is an exceptional guy, he’s just not my type at all. “Alright. I’m seriously leaving now. Hopefully, it will remain calm for you since most of the storm has passed.” I’m speaking literally and figuratively, of course. The rain that pelted Emerson Falls last night only added to the cases we saw in the ER. “Wish me luck too, though. I have to go to the grocery store before I can drive home.”
“Why? Just go when you wake up this afternoon.”
I shake my head. “No can do. I’m almost out of coffee and I used the last of my creamer yesterday.”
Piper cringes. “Yup. You’ve got to go.”
“Told ya. See you when I see you, Piper.” I lean down and give her a hug before processing my last patient and running for my car.
Once I’m seated in the driver’s seat, I realize I’m going to need an energy boost if I’m going to keep my eyes open in the grocery store, lest I end up sleeping curled up in my shopping cart. There’s only one place I know that can give me the caffeine fix I so desperately seek, and that is Skye’s Creations, a local organic coffee house in the lovely town I call home.
I secure a parking space and lock my car before trudging through the puddles gathered on the asphalt from last night’s rainfall. My sneakers are wet and slippery when I make my way through the door, but the scent of coffee, chocolate, and sugar instantly hits my nose, wakes me up, and makes my feet move on their own accord.
Unfortunately though, there’s a line about six people deep and only two cashiers working, a rare occurrence for Skye’s at this time in the morning.
“God, I just need coffee, please!” I grumble to myself, throwing my head back in agony. If I weren’t so desperate to stay awake, I’d leave and just grab a cup of coffee at Starbucks or a gas station. But I thought about a caramel delight mocha all the way here from the hospital, and now my heart and stomach want nothing else.
“Line’s moving,” a husky voice rattles behind me, surprising me at how the sound makes my entire body wake up when I’m borderline sleeping with my eyes open. I can almost sense that the man attached to that voice has to be good-looking, because mother nature can’t be that cruel, right? Curious to see if she’s pulled a fast one on me, I turn slowly to face him, searching for the owner of that beautiful sound.
And what do you know? The man belonging to that throaty timber is even more attractive than my mind imagined. My neck gets a workout as I tip back my head to find one of the most lethal faces on a man I’ve ever seen. Smooth skin, the perfect amount of light brown stubble, full lips, and a jawline that belongs on a magazine. My heart races as the reaction my body is having registers in my mind. But then the smug look on his face smothers the fire burning inside me quickly when he acts more irritated than necessary. “We haven’t got all day, yeah?”
“So sorry for holding you up. Forgive me for trying to alleviate some of the strain on my body from working an eighteen-hour shift and not moving the second the line did.” I roll my eyes at him before turning back around, taking the two steps forward that he was entirely too worried about closing. The pounding of my heart just moments ago from taking in his face has now shifted into higher blood pressure due to annoyance.
“I take it you work in the hospital then? It’s obvious you wouldn’t be coming off a shift that long and at this time in the day if you worked at a private practice.” I’m taken aback by his assessment, curious as to how he might know that information, even though I am still in my scrubs. But I do not have the energy to deal with this incredibly attractive man right now. My heart might be beating like it’s awake, but my brain sure as hell isn’t.
“Bingo,” I reply, turning back around to see that two more people have left the line, granting me one step closer to my fix.
“Not much for conversation then, are we?”
My head moves on its own accord, slowly turning to face him and showcase my best pissed off glare. “Forgive me for not wanting to converse with rude men.”
He laughs. “You think I’m rude? Wow. Okay, I’m gonna let that slide since clearly you’re exhausted.”
“You think?” I say, before twisting to face the counter again. As I scour the case of baked goods for some sustenance to accompany my coffee, a large hand brushes past me, acquiring a package of cinnamon-flavored gum in the caddy beneath the display cases. And since I can only assume that the hand belongs to the hunk of a man waiting behind me in line, I feel the need to address his choice since he felt the need to give me shit about not keeping the line moving and how irritated I am.
Let’s just say, I get feisty when I’m tired, alright?
“Are you seriously going to buy that?” I gesture down to his hand with my eyes as he opens up his palm, revealing the package of gum.
“Yup. Can’t go a day without it.”
“That’s… that’s li
ke the most disgusting flavor of gum there is!” I curl my lips up and wrinkle my nose, definitely passing judgment on him now.
“That’s your opinion. But I happen to love it. It’s not like I’m buying orange flavored Tic-Tacs.”
“What’s wrong with orange-flavored Tic Tacs?” I ask as he waves at me to move forward since two more people have left the line. The finish line is right there, I can see it. But now I’m enthralled with what this guy has against one of my favorite breath fresheners.
“They shouldn’t be classified as mints. They don’t make your breath fresh like gum. They’re basically a candy.”
Okay, I guess he has a point. “But they’re so delicious!”
He chuckles as I take a minute to peruse his dirty blonde hair and honey-colored eyes this time, the softest shade of brown I’ve ever seen in someone’s irises before. His smile spreads wide and gives a glimpse of his pearly white teeth beneath those full, pink lips, and then he leans in close to my ear. The proximity of him and his hot breath tickling my neck makes me close my eyes instinctually. “Exactly, practically like candy. But hey, guess what? I find cinnamon flavored gum to be delicious and it actually makes my breath fresh. So who’s the smarter one here now, huh?” He slowly backs away and then ruins my buzz on his smell when he speaks again. “Your turn.”
Sure enough, I turn around and see one of the two cashiers waving at me to come forward. I shuffle over and turn my back to the arrogant prick that’s making me want to show him what I’m capable of with a syringe and a needle.
“Hey, Jess. You coming off of a shift or headed towards one?” Skye greets me, cheery as ever. I swear the woman must sleep in this shop since she always seems to be here. But if I slept around coffee and smelled it all day, I’d probably be as happy as a toddler eating ice cream too.
“Coming off. Last night was insane. I should have been home already, sound asleep in my own bed. But it was chaos, hence the need for coffee so I can make it through the grocery store without sleeping in an aisle.”
Skye chuckles while reaching for a cup, scribbling my name along the side in sharpie. I rattle off my order and while she rings me up, I spot another display of gum and mints to the side and low and behold, they have orange-flavored Tic Tacs. Channeling every ounce of spite I can find, I snag a pack and add them to my pile before completing my purchase.
“Here’s your honey bran muffin. Coffee will be ready in a few minutes.” I grab the brown paper bag and my Tic Tacs, preparing to move to the other side of the counter where the finished drinks are deposited.
“Thanks, Skye. You’re a lifesaver.” I flash her a grateful smile even though the amount of irritation still coursing through my body makes my internal temperature rise as I scurry along the counter and wait for my coffee.
Who the hell did that guy think he is? Being rude when he asked me to move forward in the line and then judging my choice of breath freshener? I realize my powerful reaction to him is probably a result of how annoyed I am due to my need to sleep. But even so, what kind of person just eggs someone on when they’re clearly tired?
“Well, isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?” My annoying line-mate comes up beside me, waiting for his drink now too.
“What are you talking about?”
His eyes peer down to the Tic Tacs in my hand. “Nice candy you have there.”
I huff at him, grinning at how my malice for this man is just fueling the fire between us. But I can’t tell if that fire is attraction or aggravation. “Your little comment from earlier just reminded me that I was out of these, so I grabbed them.”
“It’s not good to eat candy all day.”
“Some would say chewing gum is bad for you too.”
He stares down at me intensely, my neck still craning back to see his honey-colored eyes. “I think you and I can agree there are far worse things you can be addicted to.” The grit in his voice makes a throbbing develop between my legs, a feeling I haven’t had from a man in a long time.
I lift a brow at him. “Like what?”
He takes two steps forward and then leans down to my ear again, those pesky goosebumps following. “Like a feisty, attractive woman that I’m sure is actually a pleasure to be around when she’s not sleep deprived.”
My breath hitches as I soak in his thoughts, the blatant attraction for me that he just confessed. And I’d be lying if I didn’t feel the same way. The man is gorgeous—tall, muscular but not overly so, confident, sarcastic—he’s everything I would normally go for.
But right now, this encounter is just too much for me to process.
“Jess! Your order is ready!” The barista behind the counter shouts over the noise of chatter, steaming milk, coffee grinders, and clinking metal.
“Nice to meet you, Jess,” the man says again, standing tall and flashing me a million-dollar smile that should come with a warning label.
“Uh… yeah… nice to meet you?” I say more as a question because I’m so flabbergasted by how our interaction turned from frustration to flirtation. All I can manage to do at this point is grab my drink, turn to him, and smile slightly while still thoroughly confused. Then I race through the coffee shop, reeling at how awkward that fifteen minutes was before I drive to the grocery store, buy what I need, and then finally throw myself into bed, where my handsome coffee man flirts with me in my dreams, and our encounter ends much differently.
Chapter 2
Brooks
“Brooks! Your drink is ready!” Those glorious words I longed to hear when I entered Skye’s finally ring out, but they’re not as satisfying as I predicted. Maybe it’s because the most pleasant part of entering this small business in my hometown of Emerson Falls was running into a sassy nurse that made my pulse race for the first time in months.
Moving back home was necessary and my reason for being here truly warranted. But I never imagined meeting such an intriguing woman within days of being home. Her small stature of barely five feet made me curious as I listened to her groan in line. And then when I alerted her to the line moving forward, she turned around, and the muscles in my forehead had to work to push my eyebrows back down. She was stunning, but still naturally beautiful in that girl-next-door kind of way. I’ve never been attracted to women with dark hair before, but that sleek ponytail and the way it swayed as she turned back and forth through our exchange hypnotized me.
And then her eyes. They were the same color of grey as my shirt, dark around the pupils and then slowly lightening to a smokey brown at the edges. Her lips were full and pink, showing the perfect cupid’s bow in the middle and for some reason, my tongue wanted to lick that little divot. My dick came to life at seven forty-five in the morning from a short spitfire of a woman, and now he’s even more excited as I recall our encounter full of banter that only added to the attraction I felt for her.
The last time I was in Emerson Falls was at Christmas, just months before one of my worst fears came true. But I never really socialized except with my cousin Ethan, the son of my mom’s sister, my Aunt Liz. And I never met a woman here in my brief visits throughout the years that intrigued me as much as that tiny woman did in just minutes of being near each other. As soon as I spotted that jet black ponytail attached to the miniature girl that made my morning turn around, I had a feeling she’d reel me in. Little did I know I’d be dodging her jabs as she wrestled with my teasing—but fuck if it wasn’t fun.
“Thank you,” I tell the barista before turning to exit the back of the building through a glass door that leads out to the parking lot when a familiar voice stops me in my tracks.
“Brooks Bennet? Is that you?”
My eyes widen in shock as one of my buddies from high school stands from his seat, surrounded by his own group of friends. “Cooper Walsh?”
“Fuck, man. That is you! Nice to see you, man.” Cooper strides over to me, pulling me in for a hug. We’re comparable in height, but Cooper has definitely filled out more in the years between high school and now. I
remember him being this scrawny freshman when I was a junior on the football team. Even though I was on varsity and he was on JV, we hit it off and became good friends. I took him under my wing and guided him to filling my role as a wide receiver when I graduated. Man, those were the days—when life was simple and death wasn’t staring you in the eye every minute of every day.
“You too, Coop. You still live here?”
“I never left. You know my parents love this place and it’s home. I’m a sheriff now, actually.”
“Good for you. I remember you saying that was your goal your sophomore year.” Memories of a scrawny boy talking to me on the sidelines flow like a movie through my brain.
“Yup. Engaged and expecting a baby now too with Clara Anderson.” His face lights up when he mentions his fiancé, a name vaguely familiar to me.
“Wasn’t she friends with your sister?” Cooper’s older sister, Olivia, was one year older than me, but I was familiar with her and her group of friends that were inseparable.
“Yeah. Olivia’s husband is actually here. Come on over… let me introduce you to the guys.” He waves me over as we travel the few feet back to the table he was sitting at before. With a few minutes to spare before my appointment, I decide to embark on a trip down memory lane and meet some new guys since I’ll be sticking around for the foreseeable future.
“Brooks, this is Kane, Olivia’s husband.” He points to a bearded man with black hair wearing a red and black checkered flannel. Then he switches to the next guy. “This is Cash, a buddy of mine in the sheriff’s department.” Cash reaches over to shake my hand, a blonde-haired and blue-eyed man that clearly works out in his off time. “And this guy is Luke, a former deputy turned college professor,” he says, gesturing to the last guy at the table, an All-American looking man with dark hair in a navy crew sweater and jeans. “Boys, this is Brooks, a buddy of mine from high school. He was two years older than me, but we played football together.”
“Nice to meet you all,” I reply, taking a seat at the last empty chair at their table. “And I’m still two years older than him if you weren’t sure.” That comment grants me a collective chuckle from the group.