by Pat Simmons
The cashier peeked impatiently over his shoulder and frowned at the line that was probably building behind him. “Okay....” Adrian ordered an assortment of bagels and pastries. “Will you add two oatmeal cookies, too, please?”
“Is that all, sir?”
“Urn, no. Can I also have a latte? I’ll probably need three shots of espresso. And a medium roast coffee. To go.”
After paying, Adrian stepped aside, keeping his eyes on his watch as he waited for his order. Thankfully, on the drive to the dealership, traffic cooperated with him. He grinned to himself when he pulled into the lot at the same time as Dr. Carmen.
Adrian climbed out of his car, lifted the bag of breakfast, and walked swiftly over to the black Lexus. “Good morning.” He offered her a smile as he watched her step out, even though he was disappointed that the shapely legs he remembered were covered with a pair of hospital scrubs.
Without her high heels, the top of her head reached his chin. Her hair was pinned up in a bun. Removing her glasses was a wow moment for him. She did it with such finesse, it was like watching in slow motion. Adrian had to suck in his breath to keep from ogling, but that just gave him a whiff on her perfume. It wasn’t too strong but nice and soft.
Swallowing, Adrian got his manhood under control. “I can show you to the waiting room, and then I’ll drive your car to the service center.”
“Thanks.”
She hardly looked old enough to be anyone’s doctor; and yet, despite her youthful appearance, she had an air of confidence and sophistication. And she really did look like her news anchor sister. Both were beautiful.
Tilting her head to indicate the bag of food, she smiled. “Do you need any help carrying that?”
“I got it,” Adrian said as she fell into step beside him. He escorted her inside the showroom, which had yet to come alive at the early hour. As she sat on the leather sectional in the customer lounge, Adrian noticed her graceful curves that no scrubs could hide.
She looked up at him. “What?”
“Uh, nothing. I’ll just get this food set up on the counter over there, and you can help yourself.” With his back to her, Adrian could sense her presence as she quietly approached.
She laughed, and Adrian liked the sound. It seemed to soften the aura she exuded. “Are you feeding the entire dealership?”
He turned to her and smiled. “Nope, just you. Let me take your car back to the service department, so I can get you in and out, as promised.”
Once in the garage, Adrian had to use his negotiation skills to get what he wanted.
“Baseball tickets,” Gary Hite, the service manager, demanded.
“You got it,” Adrian assured him.
“They better be good seats.” Gary laughed, then waved a service technician over and told him to drive Dr. Carmen’s car to the next available spot for an oil change.
On his way back to the showroom, Adrian stopped when he saw Dolan pull up in his Audi, courtesy of a great deal from Adrian. The two shook hands when Dolan stepped out of the car.
“Hi, Cousin Adrian!” Laura spouted from the back as Dolan unfastened the belts of her car seat. Once liberated, she climbed out and immediately gave him a hug. Looking up at him, she grinned, displaying the bud of a new tooth in the gap that had been there.
“How’s my favorite cousin?” He held open the door to the showroom. “Laura, you know where the lounge is. I have something in there you’ll probably like.”
As Laura scampered away, Adrian turned back to her father and folded his arms across his chest. “So, what are you doing out here so early? And why isn’t Laura in school?”
He wanted to get back to Dr. Carmen, but she could wait. Family was more important.
Dolan leaned closer and glanced in the direction of the lounge, then lowered his voice to say, “Laura had an irregular heartbeat at her checkup yesterday, and the doctor wanted her to have an electrocardiogram, so I took her to Mercy Hospital for the test. Since she knows where her favorite cousin works, she begged me to stop by here before taking her to school. I told her it was too early, but imagine my surprise to see your car here.”
“Is she all right?” Adrian asked, feeling his heart pounding. “Do they know what’s wrong with her?” The questions were forming faster than he could ask them.
“Now who’s acting like a mother hen?” Dolan grinned. “Dr. Taylor didn’t seem too concerned, but she wanted to rule out the cause of her arrhythmia.” He paused. “So why are you here? Is there some type of early- bird special on Benzes?” he joked.
“Nope.” Adrian wiggled an eyebrow. “But I did have an important person to impress. Dr. Carmen is here for a complimentary oil change, and I’m treating her to breakfast while she waits.”
“You sure know how to sweeten the pot.” Dolan chuckled and patted his stomach. “Suddenly, I’m thinking I didn’t get enough to eat for breakfast.”
Eying his cousin, Adrian knew exactly what was going on in his head. Dolan wanted to meet her. As if a starting pistol had gone off, they were suddenly engaged in an unspoken speed-walking contest to the lounge.
Brecee was perched on the sofa. She had just sent a group text message to her sisters, alerting them that she had called Adrian and was now enjoying breakfast as she waited on an oil change.
As she crunched on an oatmeal cookie, sipping on her latte loaded with expresso, she wondered how Adrian had known she needed the extra boost of caffeine. The cookies alone got him out of the doghouse.
Stacy replied first: Freebies. I love freebies. See, there was a reason you and Adrian met. Bon appetit.
Shae was next: We both live in the Show-me State now, and you know what Missourians say: “Show me.” He’d better be a nice guy! But remember, the devil has decoys out there.
Shari weighed in last: God orders our steps. I hope you don’t have on heels that might cause you to stumble. :)
Laughing, Brecee shook her head. Then she looked up into the face of a cute little girl with long thick hair brushed back in a fussy ponytail.
“Hello,” the girl said in the sweetest voice. “What’s your name?”
Brecee smiled. “Hi, there. I’m Sabrece Carmen, but everyone calls me Brecee.”
“I’m Laura.” The girl waved, then turned away, as if the treats on the counter had called to her. She bounced over to the food and perused the selection, then grabbed a napkin and used it to pull a bagel out of the box.
Impressed by her manners, she patted the spot on her right. “You can sit next to me, if you like.” “Okay!” Laura hurried to her side and wasted no time making herself comfortable. Then she bowed her head and clasped her hands. “Thank You, Jesus, for this bagel, and for taking the bad stuff out. Amen.”
Amused, Brecee watched the girl bite daintily into the bread. This was why she’d pursued a career in pediatric medicine. She loved watching the innocence of children, and keeping them healthy, or making them better.
As the child ate, Brecee scanned her attire. Her Mary Jane shoes were hardly scuffed, and her pink pant set was neatly pressed. She looked like the model little girl—fresh, pretty, and pristine.
When Laura had chewed and swallowed, she looked at Brecee. “Are you a doctor?”
“I am.” Brecee ignored another incoming text that was probably from one of her sisters.
Laura took another bite of her bagel. “What kind?”
“Your kind. I take care of little ladies like you, as well as babies and teenagers.”
“I need a doctor.”
“You do?” Brecee frowned at the girl.
“Uh-huh.” She nodded. “Something might be wrong with my heart.”
“Your heart?” She reached for her bag. Her sisters called her OCD, but Brecee didn’t mind the stereotype; she didn’t go anywhere without her stereoscope. “Do you mind if I take a listen?” she asked, pulling the instrument out.
The girl stuck out her chest. “My mommy died because of her heart.”
“I’m sorry to
hear that.” Had the girl inherited a congenital heart defect of some type? She rested the chest piece against Laura’s ribs and listened. The heartbeat was slightly irregular. Where was her father? Brecee wondered if he had taken her to see a specialist yet. She would gladly refer them to one of the pediatric cardiologists at the hospital.
“It’s okay, because my Mommy is asleep in Jesus,” Laura told her. “God’s going to blow the trumpet, and she’s going to wake up like me, and we’re going to see Jesus together.”
This little girl must have a sanctified daddy who knew his Bible. Bravo, Lord! Laura was precious and so smart. Brecee wanted a daughter just like her one day.
She lost track of time as Laura enthralled her with conversations about clothes and toys and wanting to be a doctor someday.
Feeling eyes on her, Brecee looked up and saw Adrian and another man standing in the doorway. Both were equally handsome. When Laura jumped to her feet and ran to greet the man with a sparkle in his eyes, Brecee identified the father.
“Hello,” she said, almost breathless. “You have an incredible daughter.”
He grinned, and Brecee noticed that his smile was slightly crooked. “I won’t argue you on that one. I’m Dolan Cole.” He approached and shook her hand. “His cousin,” he added, nodding at Adrian.
“Oh.” She glanced at Adrian, who didn’t seem too happy being ignored. But she turned back to Dolan. “I’m Sabrece Carmen, but please call me—”
“Brecee,” Laura supplied. “Isn’t that a pretty name, Daddy?”
“Gorgeous.”
He gave her an appreciative perusal, and Brecee let him. Could this wid¬ower be a Godsend?
“I’ve long been a fan of your sister, but it appears by my daughter’s smile that I need to switch my allegiance.” He laughed, and Brecee joined him.
Adrian cleared his throat, and all three of them looked at him.
“Dr. Carmen.”
Laura jumped up and down. “You can call her Bre—”
“That was for us, pumpkin.” Dolan winked at his daughter.
Brecee was amused at the apparent rivalry between the cousins. She imagined they teased each other just like she and her sisters did.
Gritting his teeth, Adrian narrowed his eyes at Dolan before facing Brecee again with a smile. ‘‘Your oil change is done, and I even had them run your car through the car wash.”
“That was nice of you.” Brecee gave him a grin. “Thanks for breakfast. The latte was just the way I liked it. The company was great, too.”
That earned her a hug from Laura.
Putting her stereoscope away, Brecee dug inside her purse for a business card, which she handed to Dolan. “I’m an emergency medicine pediatrician. Laura told me about her heart, and I can recommend one of my colleagues, if you’d like. Laura is truly a special little girl.”
“Thank you,” he choked, just before Adrian ushered her quickly out of the lounge to her waiting chariot.
Now that is a man, she thought.
Dolan Cole had instilled his knowledge of God, loving nature, and exemplary behavior into his daughter.
Lord, I want a man with those qualities.
As she walked away, God whispered, Two hearts will beat as one.
Chapter Six
A
drian couldn’t believe his cousin’s gall. Dr. Carmen had never given him such a kind look, not even after finding out that he’d thrown in a free car wash on top of the oil change and complimentary breakfast. Then again, Dolan hadn’t laughed at her misfortune, either.
After the three of them had escorted Dr. Carmen to her Lexus, Adrian stood there with his hands stuffed in his pockets and watched, annoyed, as his cousin and his daughter waved Dr. Carmen when she drove off.
Once she was out of view, Adrian nudged Dolan. “What’s wrong with you?”
“What?” He had the nerve to feign cluelessness.
“You know what. You just stepped into my territory.”
As Dolan helped Laura into her car seat, he glanced over his shoulder at Adrian. “When did you set up a perimeter? You’re the one who said you weren’t interested.”
His cousin should have known better than to believe him, especially when there was a woman involved. They had horsed around plenty as children, but they’d never had a knock-down, drag-out fight. Right now, however, Adrian was tempted to deliver his first punch to the jaw. Taking a deep breath, he banished the thought. “Well, that was before today. Not only was she not crying, but she knows how to wear scrubs.”
“I warned you, cuz: If you snooze, you lose.” Dolan slid behind the wheel of his Audi.
Yes, he had. Adrian stepped back as Dolan started the engine. “Listen, we’ve never competed for the same woman...” He let the rest of his statement die on the tip of his tongue. They weren’t attracted to the same type of women anyway. Hopefully, his gesture this morning would be enough to establish a business relationship with the lovely doctor, at the very least.
He decided to let Dolan do his thing. He spun around and headed back inside.
A group of his associates met him at the door with a bagel salute. They were like mice. If there was food within a one-mile radius, they could sniff out the crumbs.
“Hey, Adrian. Thanks, man,” said Greg Watts, a fellow transportation problem solver, before taking another bite.
“You’re welcome.” Since he was there early, he figured he might as well be productive. He marched into the lounge for a cup of coffee. He would need it.
He lifted the cup from the holder, took a sip, and smacked his lips. This was not the latte with the extra spots of espresso. That's right—Dr. Carmen had taken it.
He couldn’t help but wonder, in the farthest recesses of his mind, if they had more in common than their coffee preferences.
After another uneventful day at the hospital, Brecee hadn’t been home ten minutes when Stacy texted, inviting her—more like commanding her— to participate in a sisters’ video chat. She had just enough time to change out of her scrubs before the inquisition began.
“So, how did it go?” Stacy asked once they all their faces were showing on the computer screen.
Brecee was surprised her mother was missing. The Carmen sisters had gotten their nosiness honestly. Annette Carmen was the ringleader.
Brecee grinned. “I’m glad I went.”
“See?” Stacy pumped her hands in the air. “Older sisters always know best.”
“Sometimes,” Brecee corrected her. She felt herself blush. “He was charming and good-looking, and he has the most precious daughter—”
“Hold up.” Shae blinked, twisting her lips. “Are we talking about the same guy? Adrian went from being at the bottom of your list bumped to the top?”
“Oh, no. Not Adrian.” Brecee shook her head. “His cousin Dolan. He has a daughter named Laura who might have a heart condition....” Her sisters didn’t stop her from rambling on and on until she needed to stop to catch her breath.
“Hmm. I’m not sure if you’re more excited about the man or his child,” Shari chimed in.
“What did the other Mr. Cole have to say while all this chemistry was mixing?” Stacy asked, then smirked.
Brecee strained her mind to think. “Nothing. But he was sweet enough to bring me coffee and oatmeal cookies. Plus, my car got a free oil change and a wash. Talk about service. He’s probably a good salesman.”
Everyone was quiet, as if they were disappointed, until Shae smiled. “In other news, my hubby is coming home soon. I can’t wait to see him!” Shae looked ready to explode with happiness.
“So, I guess that means you don’t need me to go with you to Variety the Children’s Charity Dinner with the Stars?” Brecee never liked being a third wheel. “You know I don’t mind babysitting Sabrina.”
“I already have a babysitter, so, yes, you still need to go. Rahn has a game, but he’ll join us afterward. You can keep me company until he gets there.” “I kept you company plenty of times when we shared a
bedroom,” Brecee reminded her.
They all laughed.
Stacy’s husband, Ted, walked into their home office and brought his face close to the camera. He waved at the sisters, then stepped out of view and mumbled something to Stacy.
“Okay, babe,” she told him. “Give me five minutes.”
Ted was pure entertainment as he counted each finger on one hand, then backed out the room.
Brecee, Shari, and Shae chuckled at their brother-in-law's antics.
“I’d better hurry,” Stacy told them. “Knowing Ted, he’s set the timer on me. Let’s pray, ladies.”
Brecee closed her eyes and bowed her head as Stacy began, “Father God, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for my sisters. Thank You that, no matter the distance between us, our bond isn’t broken, just as our bond with You is never broken. Please watch over my sisters and guide Brecee’s heart in the man department. Show her who is for her.”
Peeking with one eye, Brecee saw each sister with her hand outstretched toward the monitor as they prayed. Smiling, she closed her eye again as Stacy petitioned the Lord for their nation and its leaders, their children, and an endless list of others, until she finally whispered, “Amen.”
The next morning, when Brecee returned to work, the emergency department was in chaos after an accident involving a school bus that had overturned. Several more victims were en route via medical helicopter.
As Brecee signed on for her shift, Ashley, the charge nurse, briefed her on the number of trauma patients. Her adrenaline kicked in as she and the staff stabilized the patients and made sure their airways weren’t obstructed.
Before seeing any patient, Brecee always prayed that God would allow her to work calmly and effectively, and to reassure frantic parents that their children were in God’s hands, as well as in the doctors’ good hands. How many times had God whispered, “Pray without ceasing”? First Thessalonians 5:16-18 was in full force: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”