Until Then

by Delisa Lynn

  “That man adores you. I can tell,” says the nurse. “I’ve seen him in here before when he transports patients. He isn’t normally this friendly.”

  “Oh, we don’t even know each other.” I feel a little silly explaining this. But even though he killed my car, I feel something. “Just met when he ran into my car. Do you know him?” She’s now piqued my curiosity.

  “Well, if you ask me, I think he has a crush. Like I said, I’ve seen him around here before, and he’s a good man. He used to be a cop, and he… Well…I know of him, that’s all I am going to say. I don’t know him personally, just of him.”

  “I’ll more than likely never see him again.” Of course, I want to…but most men are jerks, and he has it written all over him. He’s hot, and he knows it.

  “Either way, don’t pass up a good chance. Now, let’s get those X-rays done and get you back to your bed.”

  She chats with the tech as he takes the X-rays of my torso and right leg, and then she wheels me back to the room where we left my new friend. He’s sitting in the chair, looking through his phone. He smiles when we enter, then helps me onto the bed.

  “Thanks. You didn’t have to wait for me,” I tell him.

  “Nonsense, I’m making sure you are treated.” He looks to the nurse. “Are you going to look at her forehead? It’s still bleeding,” he says, pushing my bangs, which had fallen over the gash, out of the way. “Your eyes are gorgeous,” he whispers.

  “Yes, sir. Dr. Osment will be in shortly. Then I’ll be back in to bandage her up,” she says to him while looking at me.

  “Thank you.” I give her a half smile.

  “I can eat when I get home. I promise I’m fine,” I argue.

  “No, I’ll feed you. It’s the least I can do. McDonald’s or Burger King?” he asks.

  “BK is fine,” I tell him, and he pulls into the drive-thru. “I’ll just have the Whopper Junior meal, with an Oreo shake. Oh, and no mayo, but a side of ranch.” I see his smile turn up at my words. He pulls forward and places the order, getting a meal for himself as well.

  I have so many mixed feelings running through my mind right now. Could be the fact that I have some sutures in my head, or that I haven’t been this close to a man in a few years. Well, there’s Matt, but he doesn’t count.

  “Put your address in my GPS. I’ll pull over here so we can eat.” He hands me the GPS as he sets our drinks in the cup holders. “Do you live alone?” The question kind of startles me.

  “Err…Why?” I hiss. He chuckles as he fetches his sandwich from the bag, handing me mine. “Thank you. And yes, I do,” I whisper.

  “I promise, I’m not a stalker. You watch a lot of CSI, don’t you?” He continues laughing at my expense as he bites into his burger.

  “Yes, I just… I’m normally a private person, and in the last few hours you’ve gotten pretty personal,” I admit.

  “I just need to make sure you’re okay. I can stay with you a few hours until your friend arrives.”

  “I’ll be fine. Thank you for this,” I say, biting into the greasy goodness. “Ranch?” I ask, holding up one of the two containers.

  “Thanks, but I’m more of a ketchup man.” I watch as he plops a few fries in his mouth, his tongue darting out to catch one.

  Holy fuck… I am screwed. I’m going to be dreaming about this man for the foreseeable future.

  “Your truck is so clean. Are you a neat freak?” I blurt, feeling silly afterward. I tend to say the oddest things when I’m nervous. I’ve always done that, and it drives me crazy.

  “Not really, I just like to have it clean. You never know when you’ll run into a pretty lady and have to take her to the ER and for food.”

  Tossing a napkin at him, I scoff. “Please. I am far from pretty at the moment.” However, I feel my cheeks turning red from the compliment.

  “Trust me, you are very pretty. Man, that hit the spot. Maybe sometime, I can take you out for a real meal.”

  “Are you saying this wasn’t a real date? ER and BK? That’s my kind of date,” I tease, and he laughs, almost spewing his Coke onto the dash.

  “I’m glad you’re having a good time. I better get you home, though. You sure you don’t want to call anyone to come sit with you?”

  “No, I’ll be okay. My friend will be over soon. We’re having girls’ night out.”

  “Ah. Well, the pain meds they gave you at the ER should wear off in a few hours, so I’m sure you’ll be okay to drink. Do you go out a lot, in this area? I think I would’ve remembered seeing you.”

  “Not normally. We tend to stay in a lot. I’m not much of a social butterfly.” And that’s the truth; I feel so awkward when meeting new people. “Thank you so much for dinner and seeing that I got home.”

  “I see that Slate dropped your car off. That was quick, considering I just sent him your address less than an hour ago.” He pauses for a second then claps his hands together. “Well, I’m walking you to your door. I have to make sure you get in safely,” he says as he shuts his truck off. “Hang tight. I’ll help you down.” He jumps down and has my door open before I can object. “Easy with that leg, I’m sure it’ll be sore for a few days.”

  We slowly make it onto my porch. I unlock my door, glance down at my leg, and then at my car. “Man, it looks awful. Guess I’ll have to get a new one.” We both chuckle lightly. “But seriously, I’ll be fine,” I say as I run my hand down his arm.

  “Well, I’m sure we’ll see each other again.” He kisses my cheek, and I want to melt into a puddle right here on the wood porch.

  “I hope so,” I whisper as he gets back into his truck. “I’m screwed,” I tell myself, slamming my door.

  Once inside, I rush to the bathroom and shower quickly as I know my girl will be here soon. I ended up with five stitches in my head, and my leg is fine. Yeah, he was right, and he gloated about it too. I was skeptical about him, knowing where I live. I’ve only been here two years, and I really don’t know many people here. He seemed to enjoy teasing me about his victory.

  Typical man. Asshat.

  “Open the door. I have you a new dress!” I hear London yelling as she bangs on my front door. She has no control over her loud mouth; it’s like she just spits words and laughter out without even thinking.

  I head to the door as fast as my injured leg will let me, throwing it open to reveal my boisterous bestie. “Jesus Christ, you want my neighbors to call the police? Bring your loud ass in here. Are you drunk already?” I ask as I lead her into my small living room. I purchased this house when I moved here. It’s a three-bedroom ranch, and I really do love it, even though it needs a little help. I’ve been working on it whenever possible, trying to fix it up. The living room is open to the kitchen, and there is a breakfast bar that separates the two rooms. The kitchen was already remodeled, so that’s one less room I’ll have to update.

  “No, I’m not drunk…yet anyway. What’s up with your face?” She scrunches her nose and runs her hand over my wound. “Shit, that looks painful.”

  “I was in a wreck. I’m okay, but my car, on the other hand, is not.”

  Smiling, she pulls a red dress from a small bag. “Glad you’re okay, though. You like?”

  “You expect me to wear that?” I say, pointing to said bit of tiny fabric. It’s June, so the weather is warm, but this dress leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination.

  She nods and rolls her eyes. “Well, duh, Einstein.”

  “No way in hell I’m going out in something like that.” It’s like a piece of red string. It’ll show off all my goods, the ones I’m not ready to let hang out for everyone to see.

  “No back talk. Get your fine ass in this dress, woman.” She pushes it into my hands. “Go on, put it on.” She claps her hands together. “You’re going to look so hot! I love when you let me dress you.”

  “London,” I warn. I’ll feel like a damn call girl in this getup. It is pretty, I’ll give her that, but it doesn’t cover a damn thing.


  “Roe,” she retorts. “Please.” She bats her eyelashes, staring at me like it would mean so much to her. “Please,” she begs once more.

  “Fine… But all my drinks are on you. And my lunch next week.” Before she can respond, I storm into my room, yank my clothes off, and pull the tiny red dress over my head. I dig my black pumps from the closet and adjust the curls I added to my board-straight hair so it would look half decent. I check what little make-up I’d applied around my eyes and lips before I walk into the living room and see my friend smiling at me. I swear, sometimes I want to choke her, but then I realize I’ll miss her craziness.

  She starts fanning herself, “Smoking!” She whistles. “You’re so fucking hot. You do know that all the guys dream about you while they whack their putter, don’t you?”

  “Good God, you’re so immature. I can’t believe they allow you to save lives.” I pick up a Jolly Rancher from the candy dish and toss it at her.

  “Please, I’m the best para they have, so suck it.” She peels the wrapper from the candy and plops it in her mouth. “Hmm, grape. My fave.”

  “You’re the only person I know who can make love to candy.”

  “Candy is my middle name,” she teases.

  “Yeah, and mine is Bill,” I retort.

  “So, what happened to your car?”

  Oh, now she’s interested.

  “So now you want to know? Well, I was rear-ended, and it totaled Coop,” I say with a pouty face.

  “Rear-ended? I like that… Err, never mind. Did you get a rental yet?”

  “Not yet, I have to call tomorrow. I was hoping I could ride with you tonight. If you’re planning on taking a man home, I can call a cab.”

  “We’re meeting at Kathy’s anyway. She’s going to drive to the bar, and then we can hang out at her place for a bit afterward.”

  “Sounds good, I’m ready to drink. These long shifts are starting to get to me.” I loved my job when I first started, but now I feel like all I do is work. On my days off, I’m still tired. Maybe it’s because I’m lonely and need a man in my life.

  “Me too, but I enjoy the money. Oh, you get to meet Abbott tonight! He said he might swing by the bar.”

  “Finally.” I smile. She’s been seeing him for months.

  We head to her car, and I fill her in on my afternoon activities after I left work. It wasn’t long before we arrived at her friend Kathy’s house—which is huge, by the way. And absolutely beautiful. We exit the car, and a woman with perfect long, black hair walks toward us. Her skin is tanned, and her eyes look so familiar.

  “Hi, Rosealy, I’m Kathy. London and I go way back. She’s told me so much about you.”

  “Nice to meet you. And please, call me Roe,” I say with a smile. “Your house is gorgeous.”

  “Roe it is, then. Thanks! My husband and I moved here about eight years ago, and we love it. So, I’m driving tonight?” she asks for confirmation.

  London smiles. “Yes, please. We’ll just come back here after Paula’s. I was telling Roe about some of your famous gatherings and how amazing your shrimp puffs taste.”

  “Sounds good. We need to have another party anyway. I actually have some of those appetizers in the fridge. Remind me and I’ll send some home with you if my brother doesn’t eat them all.” She snorts. “Oh, Lopez is picking up my brother, and they’re going to meet us there. I hope that’s okay?” Kathy asks, unlocking the door to her red SUV.

  “Of course. I know Abbott will be there too. He said he’s running late. Roe here has never met him.” London smiles. “I know she’ll like him, though.”

  “Yeah, he’s a good egg.” Kathy slides in the driver’s seat, and I climb into the back. Apparently, heels and running boards don’t mix, and I almost fall backward. Thank God I latched onto the side of the vehicle. “Are you seeing anyone, Roe?”

  “Not at the moment, I’m not.” I swallow back the lump in my throat, knowing this might get awkward.

  “My brother is single. He’s a firefighter now. He was a detective for many years, but he needed a change. Very good man, and I’m not just saying that because he’s my older brother either.” She smiles through the rearview mirror.

  “Oh, really?” are the first words that come to mind. I hate when people try to play matchmaker. London and Matt always want to fix me up with someone, men and women, regardless of their age. At one time, they suggested I volunteer at a nursing home. At first, I thought they were joking about me finding a companion there, but the assholes were dead serious.

  My thoughts are broken when London blurts out, “Your brother is anti-social.” She turns to me and smiles, “But…he is pretty fine.”

  “That’s just him. He’s had a rough few years, which makes him the non-socialist of the family. Not my story to tell. But he’s still a good man,” Kathy says as we drive down the highway. “He’s just a big bear—tall, muscular, and a good listener. I always confided in him when we were younger. He and my husband have been best friends forever.”

  “Well, maybe I can meet him tonight. Lord knows I need a man in my life. I haven’t even kissed anyone in almost two years.” I feel silly after the words leave my lips. “But…I mean, I could’ve dated, I guess. Just haven’t found anyone I’m interested in. I met a guy today. He totaled my car, but he was fine as hell. His smile would melt the panties off any woman.”

  “I was wondering what happened to your face. Are you okay other than that?” Kathy asks in awe.

  “Yeah, I’m good. He wasn’t paying attention and rear-ended me. My car is totally fucked, though. He demanded that he be the one to take me to the ER to be evaluated. We argued for a while, but I finally just gave in and let him. Then he insisted that he was taking me home, so he bought me Burger King, and then walked me to my door. I have his number, but I don’t think I’d be his type.”

  “Girl, you never know. If you think my brother is hideous, then you need to call that man. But trust me, after you meet my brother, you won’t even think about this other guy.”

  “Okay, we’ll see.” I laugh as I lean back in my seat. Closing my eyes, all I can picture is the sexy Kole Harris.

  After my wife’s death, I left the force and became a firefighter. I just couldn’t bring myself to go back; there were too many memories, and after that night, everyone looked at me differently.

  I haven’t dated much since I lost her two years ago. I’ve had many one-night stands, but nothing serious. But now, my mind keeps going back to the lady I ran into today. Something about her makes me want to know more. Her dark hair, her eyes, and her body—all perfect.

  I’m going out with some family tonight, and I’m thankful for it. I need to get that woman off my mind.

  “Hey, brother, you ready?” Lopez asks as he enters my apartment.

  “Yeah. Where are we headed anyway? Oh, and thanks for driving. I need to drink tonight.” We walk out and head to his truck.

  “We’re meeting Kathy and some of her friends at Paula’s.” Friends. I wonder if there’s a hot one I can have a few hours with. That’s all I need; a few hours and I can relieve some stress.

  “Good, I like Paula’s. I’ve had a shitty day. I was on my way home from a twenty-four-hour shift and totaled some chick’s car. My truck’s fine, a few scratches, but she had a Mini Cooper and it’s totally fucked.”

  “What the hell were you doing?” he questions as we turn onto the main road.

  “I was driving, she stopped at the stop sign, and…well, I thought she’d already started going. Next thing I knew, I was taking her to the hospital.” He turns his head to look at me, and I feel the need to reassure him. “She’s fine, just needed a few stitches, and then I took her home. She says she’s a paramedic. She must work for the 80th district because I haven’t seen her in the 65th.”

  “Glad you’re both okay. Hopefully, she can get her car fixed.”

  “It’s totaled. I gave her all the insurance information. She said she’d call and take care of everything. She
wasn’t too keen on me taking her to the ER, but she finally agreed. But then she really thought I’d put her in a cab and send her on her way. I took her ass home, of course. She lives off Briar Road. Older homes, but seemed like a nice enough neighborhood. I called Slate, and he picked her car up, dropped it at her place.”

  “Was she cute?” Of course, he would ask that. My sister and brother-in-law are always trying to hook me up with someone.

  “Actually, she was. A little younger, seemed to be early twenties.” Shit, she might as well be a fucking teenager compared to me.

  “Oh, hell, she’s way out of your league then. You’re old enough to be her father.”

  He’s so full of shit.

  “Whatever, grandpa. You do remember that you’re a couple years older than me, right?” I retort. I’m thirty-four, and he’s thirty-six, and he hates to be reminded.

  “You got me there, bastard,” he mumbles. Hell yeah, I do. I’ve always gotten the last laugh with him.

  “Damn, looks like there’s a full house tonight,” I say as we pull into the parking lot. Paula’s is a decent-sized bar we’ve been coming to for years. It’s a down-to-earth, everyone-knows-everyone kind of place. I started coming here as soon as I was old enough. Sherrie loved it here; she and Paula were good friends.

  “Yeah, Abbott’s meeting us here too. He has a thing for Kathy’s friend. They met a few times at the parties we have.”

  “He’s always looking for a piece of ass,” I snort. It’s true; he would stick his dick in any chick.

  “Good point, but he seems to like her. She does seem like a nice girl. Odd name, though. London, I think.”

  “I think I’ve met her before, at one of those parties… God, I’ve never been so ready for a beer. First round’s on me.” I clap him on the shoulder.

  “Yes, you have met her, I’m sure. And I’m not drinking much tonight. It’s all you.” He winks.

  “Even better. I’ll drink my round and yours.” I elbow him, making him laugh.