Saturday Night Blues

by Vanessa Devereaux

  Evernight Publishing

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2013 Vanessa Devereaux

  ISBN: 978-1-77130-283-8

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: Cameron Yeager

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  For Flynn

  SATURDAY NIGHT BLUES

  Romance on the Go

  Vanessa Devereaux

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  Natasha stared at the ceiling while resting her head on the back of the couch. Tonight she knew what Cinderella felt like after she’d seen her step-sisters head out to the ball.

  Not that Olivia was anything like one of the ugly step-sisters. She wasn’t vindictive or spiteful. But , it was Valentine’s Day, she was out on a date with her husband, and Natasha was home alone.

  She sat up, realizing she was beginning to feel sorry for herself, something she’d promised not to do as the most romantic day of the year approached. She caught a glimpse of Olivia’s dozen red roses that had been sent by her husband, Steve.

  Bryan used to send Natasha those too, but eventually he’d sent her nothing but heartache when he’d decided to cool their relationship to a level he could safely handle. What a joke. He had commitmentitis plain and simple. At first she’d been stupid enough to think he’d get over it, but then reality had hit her like a tidal wave. He was almost thirty-five, had no intention of settling down, and she wanted more. Realizing there was no cure for his ailment, she’d decided to move on.

  Deep in her heart, Natasha knew she’d done the right thing. But now, on Valentine’s Day evening, she was feeling down in the dumps. She wondered if another man who didn’t have the same malady, or at least one who’d found a cure, would waltz into her life.

  Sean smacked his hand on the play drum, catching her attention. She smiled. At least she wasn’t without any male company. Her eighteen-month old nephew was only a few feet away. She’d offered to babysit while his parents enjoyed dinner at one of the hot new eateries in town.

  He banged the drum again and this time squealed as he did so.

  “You’re getting pretty good at that. Maybe you’ll be in a rock band one day.”

  Sean pulled himself up onto his feet and waddled toward her, forgetting all about the drum. He climbed onto the couch and began fingering a book that made animal sounds.

  “I think it’s time for bed. You know you’ve already stayed up later than you should have.”

  Natasha had kept him up later than she should have partly because she didn’t want to be alone. How crazy was that? Thinking that a not yet two-year old could take the place of a real man on Valentine’s Day?

  She lifted Sean up, making him squeal again, and carried him toward his bedroom. Olivia had bathed him and put him into his PJs before she’d left; now all Natasha needed to do was make sure he went to sleep. Sean was her first, and so far only, nephew, so she loved spoiling him.

  Her brother and sister had beaten her to the altar despite them both being younger. Olivia had Sean, and her brother’s wife, Jenny, was expecting their first child in four months time. Even if Natasha never had any of her own, she’d at least have kids to babysit.

  “Okay, young man, nightie-night, and happy Valentine’s Day.”

  She blew him a kiss as she left his room and saw his eyes fluttering shut.

  Kicking off her shoes, she headed to the entertainment cabinet to check out the collection of DVDs. She fingered them, deciding she’d watch anything as long as it wasn’t a romance. A guy kicking other guy’s ass’s type of movie would be perfect tonight. The first one she spotted was Bridget Jones’ Diary.

  Shit, her life was almost starting to mimic that movie so that was the last one she wanted to watch. Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail…definitely Olivia’s pick of movies.

  Natasha glanced up to the row above them. Now this looked more like it: Memento and Die Hard. She’d seen both of them before, but they weren’t love stories. She reached up, but couldn’t quite get her fingers on their edges. Why did her brother-in-law have to be so damn tall? Glancing around for a stool or something to stand on, she decided with a bit more stretching like she’d been doing in her yoga class, she’d probably be able to reach them.

  Reaching up some more, Natasha hadn’t realized how unstable the cabinet was until it began moving and the large glass vase sitting on top of it headed her way.

  She tried her best to jump out of the way but she wasn’t quite swift enough. The vase landed her on the foot, then sailed onto the hardwood floor and smashed.

  Sean began crying and screaming.

  “It’s okay. Auntie Natasha will be right there.”

  Natasha made a dash for the door but then…

  Damn, her foot hurt like hell and it was already swelling up. She tried to put her weight on it, but the little toe and the one next to it were telling her otherwise.

  Sitting on the floor, she dragged her ass across to the door, then got up on all fours and crawled along the hallway until she reached Sean’s room. Tears ran down both his cheeks. Natasha felt like shedding a few of her own.

  “It’s okay honey. It was only your auntie being stupid. I think she’s broken her foot. I guess I’ll need to call your mama so she can take me to the ER.”

  ****

  David slid the red heart shaped lollipop into his mouth while he shoved the X-Ray onto the lighted viewing panel in front of him. He sucked on the candy for a few seconds before taking it out and twirling its stick between his fingers while taking a closer look at the injury.

  The patient was a thirty-year old woman who’d had a run in with a glass vase. It beat another child throwing up from too much Valentine’s Day candy. He’d already changed his scrubs twice because two had actually vomited during their examinations.

  He studied the film and made his evaluation. Hoped she wasn’t planning on going dancing tonight, because that was definitely out of the picture for her. Putting the candy back into his mouth, he made his way down to examination room three where his patient was waiting.

  Just before entering the room, he threw the candy into the bin and knocked on the door. He opened it, and while he’d been prepared to see a young woman lying on the examining table, he didn’t quite expect her to be so pretty. Sure, he’d had one or two patients who had been attractive, but something about this one made his heart beat faster. Dark hair, cute pink lips, and gorgeous baby blue eyes. And yes, great legs and feet too.

  He slyly glanced at her notes and the word single jumped out at him.

  Steady on there, she could still have a boyfriend, or even be engaged.

  Another crafty look told him there was no ring.

  “Good evening, I’m Dr. Walker, and you must be Natasha Hargreaves.”

  He took two paces over to the table and shook hands with her. They were soft and small, but she had a firm grip.

  “And I guess by the resemblance, you must be Natasha’s sister?” he asked, glancing at the woman standing by the table.

  “Yes, I’m Olivia.”

  He nodded to her sister. “Hi Olivia. So, Natasha, it looks like you have a small hairline fracture by your little toe.” He stuck the X-Ray onto the screen and pointed out the injury with the tip
of the pencil he’d picked up from the desk.

  “Am I going to need surgery?” asked Natasha.

  He turned back to look at her, finding his heartbeat picking up again. “Nope, something this small heals all by itself, but you’ll need it taped, and sorry to say you won’t be dancing this week.”

  “Damn, and I was supposed to be on Dancing With the Stars on Monday night.”

  He laughed and she did too. He’d always loved a woman with a sense of humor.

  “Will it hurt like crazy?” she asked.

  “Any time the body gets an injury there’s pain. I know this sound strange, but that’s not always a bad thing.”

  He walked over to the table and looked at her foot. She had cute little feet, perfect toes, and shapely legs and ankles. As the doctor, he had to touch her, but right now he was reluctant to because he’d never found a patient this attractive before. Was this unethical or what?

  He gently eased her foot up, hearing her draw in her breath. The side of her foot by her little toe looked swollen and bruised, but that wasn’t unusual. He held his hand under her ankle, feeling her soft skin and getting a slight whiff of some heavenly perfume. He looked at her again. Her eyes were mesmerizing, and the lashes bordering them long and gorgeous.

  He was still holding her foot. He realized that after she’d wiggled it. The wise thing would be to get a nurse to tape it up. He should get a nurse to do it because he had other patients to see before his shift ended in two hours. However, he wanted to be with her some more.

  “I’ll just go grab some supplies and be right back to tape up your foot, okay?”

  He placed her leg back gently on the pillow and headed out of the door. Once outside he leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

  A nurse walked by and looked at him. “You okay Dr. Walker? You look flushed. Hope you’re not coming down with that flu that’s going around.”

  “Nope, I’m fine.”

  Just seen the woman of my dreams, that’s all.

  Chapter Two

  If it wasn’t for the throbbing in her foot, Natasha could have fallen asleep on the examining table. She turned her head to look at Olivia.

  “I’m so sorry that I had to call you and cut your evening short.”

  “Hey, I’m just glad you’re okay. This is basically our fault for putting that huge vase up on the cabinet. Steve didn’t want Sean pulling it over on himself. We should have removed it to some place more stable.”

  “Nope, it’s all down to me. I shouldn’t have been so lazy about getting a stool to stand on so I could reach up for the DVDs.”

  “One good thing’s come out of it. Did you get a look at that doctor?” Olivia whistled.

  Natasha had. In fact, focusing on his cute face and perfectly groomed dark hair had helped take the edge off some of the pain that had shot through her foot when he’d lifted her leg.

  “They’re usually grouchy old guys or bitchy women,” continued Olivia. “And did you notice that he wasn’t wearing a ring.” She nudged Natasha’s arm.

  “He could be married and doesn’t wear his ring because of needing to wash his hands all day,” said Natasha.

  “Didn’t see a mark on his finger.”

  “And he could have a girlfriend.”

  “Nope, he was checking you out big time,” said Olivia.

  “Maybe he does but he’s a flirt.”

  “Maybe, but you could think more positive and at least flirt back and get some practice in.”

  “I’m too tired to flirt.”

  “Natasha, when he comes back to see too your foot, flirt for God’s sake. Who knows you might end up…”

  Dr. Walker chose that moment to walk back in carrying some tape.

  Olivia nudged her arm and winked at her, mouthing the word’s go on flirt.

  Natasha shook her head. With those looks of his, he probably had a girlfriend so what was the point? And she’d never see him again, so she’d rather just lay and enjoy the view while she could.

  He walked to the sink and washed his hands. Natasha checked out his cute ass in the pale green scrubs he was wearing.

  Olivia hit her arm again. Natasha shook her head.

  “So did you have to put off dinner with your girlfriend to work your shift tonight?” asked Olivia.

  Natasha couldn’t believe she’d asked him that. She felt herself coloring up for her sister’s brazenness.

  He turned around, looking at her and not Olivia. She hoped he’d realized that it had been her sister that had asked him, not her.

  “No, I didn’t have any plans for tonight.” He pulled off the plastic wrap around the tape, and unrolled half of it. It was a simple act but she could help but watch every single one of his moves.Even his hands were gorgeous. They’d been so soft and gentle when he’d examined her foot. She glanced down, feeling awful that she was now checking out his crotch and the nice bulge that stood out under the corded pants. Okay, she sometimes did that, but not for the length of time she was tonight. That was down to Olivia’s bad influence on her.

  “Okay, I’m going to tape this. It might hurt a bit, but I’ll be as quick and gentle as I can. Try to focus on something else.”

  Like you?

  She studied his face as he lifted her foot. It hurt at first, but then she drifted into a dreamlike state, thinking about him and the five o’clock shadow that lined his strong jaw-line. Next she looked at his hands as they wound the tape around her feet. Finally of him kissing her. Her throwing her arms around his neck. The two of them making love and…

  “All done,” he said. “You were a great patient. I’m going to write you a prescription for some painkillers just in case the over the counter ones aren’t strong enough. If you have any questions you can probably phone your regular doctor.”

  “Does she need to come back to see you?” asked Olivia.

  Natasha knew the answer was going to be a no.

  “I mean that would be a good idea wouldn’t it?” Her sister raised her eyebrows.

  “Well, actually few patients get to see their ER doctor again.”

  Olivia nodded. “You know I can’t believe you’re not out on the town. I mean working on a romantic night like this…”

  “Someone has to see to patients,” said Dr. Walker. “And do you mind stepping outside and asking a nurse to bring a wheelchair for your sister. I want her to keep her weight off her foot as much as she can.”

  “Sure, I can do that.”

  He waited until Olivia was safely outside before he turned to look at Natasha and smiled.

  She was finally alone with him. Okay, he was a doctor, but for the first time this evening, it was just him and her. Olivia might be right. This could be a good time to make her move. Nah, she couldn’t. She just wasn’t brazen enough. And she’d better apologize for Olivia’s behavior before he got the wrong idea.

  “I’m so sorry for that. My sister is embarrassing at times.”

  “No apology needed. I have two sisters. I also have a mother, and my sisters get their embarrassing quality from her. If you think it’s tough, try being a guy with the family waiting with baited breath for you to marry, reproduce, and carry on the family name.”

  Natasha laughed. He had a way of making her feel at ease, but then maybe that was because he was a doctor and had a good bedside manner.

  “I take it like me, you don’t have a significant other and that makes you fair game for your siblings?” he asked.

  He doesn’t have a girlfriend.

  “No, no one special, much to my sister’s disappointment.”

  “Yeah, mine too.” He slipped his pen back into the front pocket of his scrubs after he’d written the prescription and handed it to her. Their fingers brushed, and Natasha knew she was blushing again. She glanced at his signature. His first name was David and he had legible handwriting.

  “You can get that filled at the pharmacy on the first floor. Take two as soon as you get home and as needed over the next couple of days. I
’d also skip work for a day or two until the swelling subsides.”

  “I don’t know if that will be possible.”

  He leaned against the wall. “What do you do?”

  “I teach first grade.”

  “Then you definitely need a couple of days rest.” He smiled.

  She attempted to sit up but almost slipped off the table.

  “Hey, don’t move. Let me help you off there. We don’t need anything else broken.”

  He put his arm around her shoulders and she smelled his aftershave or cologne or whatever it was. He held her hand as she swung her legs around and sat on the edge of the table. There was knock on the door and in walked a nurse with a wheelchair and Olivia close on her heels.

  “Nice meeting you Natasha.”

  “Same here.”

  “Doctor, do you want to let go of the patient so I can help her into the wheelchair?” asked the nurse.

  “What, oh, sure, absolutely.”

  He took his arm away from her shoulder but held her hand as the nurse helped ease her butt down onto the seat of the wheelchair.

  “Don’t worry, you’ll be dancing again in no time,” he winked as the nurse turned the wheelchair around and headed out of the door.

  I wish it was with you.

  Chapter Three

  David walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of ice cold beer. He took two long gulps, feeling refreshed and relieved because his long shift in the ER had drawn to a conclusion a little over an hour ago. He glanced at the mail he’d opened when he’d first arrived home: bills and a Valentine’s Day card from his mother. He smiled when he read her words to him.