River of Love

by Melissa Foster

  “A little hungry, but other than that, I’m doing great.” Not a day went by that Faith didn’t thank God for her job. She had always wanted to help people, and medicine intrigued her. Being a physician assistant allowed her to enjoy both of those things without the added years and debt of medical school. She’d always thought she’d graduate, settle into a career, and marry JJ, her cheating ex. But life had a way of upending even the best-laid plans.

  “You didn’t get lunch?” Jon reached into his pocket and handed Faith a chocolate PowerBar. “You should have told me. You know I always have these on hand.”

  “Thanks. I didn’t want to bother you.” She thought about the list she’d started last night for expanding WAC, and her conversation with Lira. “Jon, do you know of any therapists who do pro-bono work? For charity, maybe?”

  His brows furrowed. “Not off the top of my head. Do you need to talk with someone?”

  “No, it’s not for me.” She didn’t want to try to explain WAC when patients were waiting. “It’s for a friend from out of town. She doesn’t have much money.”

  “Oh, in that case, ask Brandy for our network referrals. I’m sure they can send you in the right direction.” Reaching for the doorknob of another patient room, he said, “Good luck finding someone for her, and thanks for doing a great job. I’ll be sure to mention it to Cole.”

  Faith couldn’t stop grinning even after he disappeared into the patient room. She’d met enough snotty, egotistical doctors during her clinical rotations to know she really lucked out finding a job with Cole and Jon. She tucked away the compliment and ducked into the kitchen to quickly eat the PowerBar.

  Brandy, the receptionist, peeked into the room a minute later. “Faith, you’ve got a walk-in. He said it was urgent and you were the only person he’d see.”

  Faith fought to keep her shoulders from slumping. She had patients every twenty minutes for the rest of the afternoon.

  “Is he one of Cole’s patients?”

  Brandy nodded.

  “Sure. Brandy, can you please pull the list of therapists from our referral database for me around the Pleasant Hill area? No rush.”

  “No problem,” Brandy said. “Room six. Sorry.” She disappeared down the hall.

  I love my job. I love my job. I love my job. Finding the motivation to smile again, she headed toward room six. There was no chart in the holder. Great. She was already behind. Now she'd need to get caught up to speed, too? Pushing the door open, she began her typical spiel.

  “Hi, I’m Faith, and I—” Her jaw gaped, her voice lost somewhere between her thundering heart and the heat radiating off the nearly naked man sitting on the exam table, wearing a pair of black briefs and a toe-curling smile. She was going to kill Brandy.

  “Sam,” she whispered, then covered her eyes. “Why are you here?” Ohmygod. Don’t look. Do not look again. Her fingers parted and she snuck a peek. She couldn’t help it! He was right there for her to gobble up!

  “In your underwear?” She closed her fingers again and slammed her eyes shut.

  “Brandy said you usually have your patients undress before you see them.”

  How could he be so calm and confident when she could barely remain standing?

  “Yes, patients! And they wear gowns! Why aren’t you wearing a gown?”

  “And emasculate myself?” He laughed a little. “How would I ever convince you to go out with me after you saw me in a paper gown?”

  Breathe, breathe, breathe.

  “Come on, Faith. It’s like wearing a bathing suit.”

  Men in bathing suits didn’t look like that. Well, except him, of course. This was crazy. How did he fluster her so easily? She was a professional. She could handle this.

  But can I handle him?

  “Besides,” he said. “I told you I have nothing to hide. What you see is what you get with me.”

  Lowering her hand, she looked at him again, feeling her entire body blush. There was a whole lot of him to see. He was gorgeous. Too gorgeous. Too comfortable with himself. His chest was pure perfection, tanned, with just a light dusting of hair, and defined so beautifully she wanted to study it, with her mouth. His scent was intoxicating and making her a little dizzy. His gaze moved slowly from her eyes, to her mouth, her chest, all the way down to her toes, and she felt the sensual inspection as if he’d touched every inch of her.

  “God, Sam. Are you trying to turn me into a puddle of mush and get me fired?”

  He reached for her hand and tugged her forward. Right. Between. His. Legs.

  Holy mother of heaven and earth and anyone else willing to listen, please, please, please let me remain coherent.

  “I turn you to mush?” he asked with a seductive spark in his eyes.

  Faith breathed deeply. That was all he heard? What about the getting fired part? This situation was getting out of control. She had to take control.

  Control of Sam Braden. Even the thought made her hot and bothered.

  She forced herself to act like the professional her bosses relied on her to be. My boss. Panic spread through her chest. Drawing her shoulders back and lifting her chin, she forced herself to regain control.

  “Where are you injured?”

  A mischievous smile formed on his handsome face. How could a single look make her body hum with need?

  “My leg.”

  “Calf? Thigh?” The words fell fast, and thankfully not breathlessly.

  He quirked a brow. “Thigh.”

  With embarrassingly shaky hands she touched his muscular thigh. Oh, that was nice. Hot and firm and...She cleared her throat. “Here?”

  “A little higher.” His piercing stare held her captive as she moved her hand farther up his thigh. “Higher,” he repeated.

  She was going to hyperventilate. “Here?”

  “A little higher.” The man was pure sin and seduction, and she was a devil in the making, lapping it up word by word.

  “Sam.” Aaaaand…there was the breathlessness she feared. Goddamn it. She wasn’t this swoony girl. “Sam Braden! Are you even hurt?”

  He set one hand over hers, the other over his heart. “Very much so. You turned me down last night.”

  “Ugh! Get over yourself.” She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on tight, his eyes never wavering from hers.

  “I’d rather get over you.”

  Ohmygod. She was nervous and turned on and reveling in his attention way too much. She held his challenging gaze, but it was all too much. He was too much. Laughter bubbled up from her chest and burst out like an explosion. She covered her mouth, but there was no stopping it. She’d gone hysterical.

  Chapter Eight

  SAM KNEW HE’D taken a chance by stripping down for Faith, but he wanted to prove to her he was not who she thought he was. And what better way than to make her laugh? He’d thought she’d laugh from the moment she saw him and was surprised when she didn’t, but this hysterical laughter was refreshing, coming from the cautious woman who currently held the strings to his carefully guarded heart.

  He stepped from the exam table, not wanting to embarrass her any more than he already had, and pulled on his jeans. Faith watched him dress, bursting out in laughter every few seconds. At least she was looking at him now.

  “I think I liked your first reaction better, the whole adorably sexy blushing thing you had going on.” He pulled on his T-shirt and closed the distance between them, gazing into her tear-soaked eyes. He wiped a tear of laughter from her cheek.

  She nervously licked her lips, clenching her jaw to stifle her laughter, and gazed up at him through impossibly long lashes that made her look both innocent and wise.

  “I was wrong,” he said. Laughter, anticipation, and embarrassment lingered in her eyes—making him aware of how fast his own heart was beating. He hadn’t been this aware of that particular organ since he was a teenager, when his heart had been crushed. Memories of the day Keira had told him she’d slept with a guy from her hometown came rushing back, fo
llowed by the painful memory of the day he’d heard she’d moved away. He’d been a stupid kid, infatuated with a girl from the next town over. Thanks to his warped view of wabi-sabi, he’d buried that part of himself deep. He wondered if his art teacher had known she’d given him validation to shut off his feelings completely.

  Something had clicked inside him the night of Cole’s wedding. Maybe it was the things Faith had said, or maybe it was just Faith. Whatever the reason, there was no ignoring what he felt. He wanted Faith, and he wanted to be a better man for her.

  “Your laughter is like a drug, and I want more of it.”

  “Sam,” she said softly. “You’re Cole’s brother. He’s my boss.”

  “That’s true, and he adores you and loves me. We’re a perfect match.” He knew he was taking a risk where Cole was concerned, but Cole was worried about him hurting Faith, sleeping with her once and walking away. But walking away wasn’t on his radar, not where Faith was concerned. If Cole knew what he was feeling, Sam was sure he’d be cheering him on.

  “You don’t date, and I don’t sleep around,” she said firmly. “We’re not at all a perfect match.”

  “You have valid points.”

  “Right.” She turned away, and he gently took her by the arm and turned her toward him.

  “You’re worried about being hurt. Faith, I give you my word that I’m not going to hurt you.”

  She rolled her eyes in response, and the dismissal stung.

  “Sam, do you really think people go into relationships knowing they’re going to hurt each other?”

  “No,” he answered. “But I think when it comes to cheating you have a choice. No one makes a person cheat. It takes a cognitive, willful decision—am I going to hurt my significant other or am I not? That’s something you don’t have to worry about with me. I won’t cheat, and I will never purposely hurt you.”

  “Says the guy who hasn’t had a girlfriend since high school.”

  “Says the man who knows what he wants.” The words came out harsher than he’d realized he felt, but they were honest and so were the emotions.

  Faith cracked a very small smile. “You’re not used to being turned down, are you?”

  “Christ.” He ran a hand through his hair. “No, but that’s beside the point. I don’t pursue women, Faith. Usually if I get turned down, I walk away. But I’m pursuing you, and not just for sex.”

  “I’m a challenge.” She lifted her chin, like she was sure she had him pegged. “You’ll get bored with me, and I’ll be left like one of your groupies, wanting a man I can never have.”

  “Not going to happen.”

  She crossed her arms, and he could see she was still nervous, still wanting to say yes, even though her better judgment told her to refuse him.

  “I’m really late, Sam. I can’t play games. We’re just not right for each other. I like you. You can see that. You’re hot and fun and smart and way too dangerous for a girl like me. I can’t risk my heart again.”

  He ached at her confession. “Faith, after all I’ve told you, why do you still think so poorly of me?”

  “Honestly?” she asked.

  “It’s the only way I know how to be—”

  “Like your thigh injury?” she teased.

  “I was injured.” He patted his heart. “But how could I resist? It might be the only way I ever get your hands on me.”

  “God.” She laughed. “Don’t you even have a filter?”

  “Yes. It’s set to ‘honest all the time.’ Please, explain to me why you think I’m a cretin.”

  “I don’t think you’re a cretin.” She sighed, as if she was reluctantly going to be honest, and Sam hoped to hell she was.

  “I’m afraid to go out with you. I know we’ll have fun, but I don’t want to be one of the girls who says they went out with Sam Braden. I don’t want to experience what every other woman in the Harbor has. I’m worth more than a rerun of a hundred other dates. I worked too hard to rebuild my confidence after…” She swallowed hard. “I’m in a good place, Sam. I can’t risk that. Not even for you.”

  **

  FAITH BARELY HELD it together until Sam left, and even afterward she stared at the closed door for what felt like a very long time before finally taking a deep breath.

  What the hell just happened? She’d been so caught off guard that she’d forgotten to ask him if he’d given the donation to WAC.

  There was a knock at the door seconds before Brandy peeked into the room. Her dark hair fell straight past her shoulders. She was a petite little thing, sweet as pie and currently looking guilty and embarrassed.

  “Hey. I’m so sorry. Sam asked me not to tell you it was him, and he’s Dr. Braden’s brother, and so nice, and—”

  “It’s okay, Brandy. I know he can be very convincing.”

  “He’s so cute, and that voice,” Brandy said dreamily. “Are you two dating? He seemed really intent on seeing you.”

  “No,” she said quickly, to avoid any office gossip.

  “Oh, I just thought…Sorry. Anyway, your patients are backed up, so what do you want me to do?”

  “Nothing. I’ll go out and apologize, and I’ll see them all, no matter how late I have to stay.”

  Brandy gave her the list of therapists she’d asked for and left Faith to finish seeing patients. She worked straight through until six thirty. By the time she left the office, she was exhausted, mentally drained, and second-guessing the way she’d handled things with Sam. She didn’t want to keep blowing him off, and yet when she was with him, she was afraid not to.

  She crossed the parking lot toward her car and was surprised to see a notebook with a plain white cover tucked beneath her windshield wiper. She flipped it open and read the handwritten note.

  Faith,

  I wonder what you would see if you didn’t know about my reputation? Without that cover, would you still judge me in the same way? Are you willing to bet your future on who you think I am? If so, ignore this note and carry on. I promise never to bother you again. But if you have a shadow of a doubt, if you feel what I feel when we’re together, then take a chance on me and head over to Chelsea’s Boutique.

  —Sam

  “Oh my God, Sam. What are you doing?”

  She read it twice. He was relentless, and that made her curious, and excited. She drove over to the cute boutique she’d been in only a few times, and as she parked out front she realized that she hadn’t even considered not going. Her nerves were ablaze as she pulled open the glass doors and walked inside, unsure of what she’d find.

  “Hi, Faith,” Jewel said from behind the register. She came around the counter with a large bag and a curious look in her eyes. “I’m supposed to give you this.” She handed Faith the bag. “And this.”

  “Thank you.” Faith took the bag and the envelope from her. She’d forgotten that Jewel, Sam’s brother’s fiancée, managed the boutique.

  Jewel must have sensed her trepidation. “They’re from Sam.” She went back to work behind the counter, leaving Faith to open the envelope in private. Inside was another handwritten note.

  Hi, beautiful.

  Beautiful? She stifled a smile.

  Thanks for coming this far with me. You’re probably still in your scrubs, and want to get out of them as soon as possible. Since you chose to come here instead of going home, I thought you might appreciate something more comfortable to wear. Jewel will let you change in the dressing room. Pick out a pair of sandals, too. They’re already paid for.

  —S

  You bought me clothes? She looked up at Jewel, and Jewel smiled and held up a key to the dressing room.

  “I have to tell you,” Jewel said as she led her to a dressing room, “I think I’m as excited as you are. What’s going on with you two?”

  “Nothing.” The lie tasted bitter. Something was definitely going on, but how could she explain what it was when she didn’t even understand it herself?

  Jewel opened a dressing room door and tucked h
er blond hair behind her ear. “If you say so.”

  “What did Sam say?” She wanted to ask her what Sam was really like when he wasn’t at a club or out partying. Was he the man she was getting to know, or was this all a put-on?

  “Not much. He came in and picked out an outfit, which took him almost forty minutes. He really took his time. Then he gave me a few things to give you, and when I asked why, he said I’d find out soon enough if he was lucky.” Jewel waggled her brows. “Is he getting lucky?”

  “Not that kind of lucky.” Forty minutes?

  “Well, if it helps, I’ve known Sam my whole life, and I think the world of him.”

  “Even though he, um, isn’t so selective about who he sleeps with?” Did I really just ask that?

  “There is that little downside to him, but he’s got the biggest, kindest heart. I don’t know why Sam sleeps around, but I love him just the same. I mean, tons of people sleep around, right?”

  “I guess,” she said halfheartedly. “I don’t,” she said more to herself than to Jewel.

  “Join the club. I had zero experience when I started dating Nate. I don’t know what’s going on between you and Sam, but I can honestly say I’ve never seen him make an effort toward any woman beyond, well, you know.”

  Unfortunately, she did. She slipped into the dressing room and read Sam’s note again, feeling special despite her misgivings. Everything he did was unexpected, and she had to admit, well thought out, too. She pulled out the clothes he’d bought, and it wasn’t a slinky little dress like she’d expected. He’d bought her a pair of jeans shorts and a pretty pink shirt that was soft as a cloud. How did he know her size? Jewel. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, feeling…important to him.

  Oh my.

  She sank down to the wooden bench for a moment, letting the thought settle in.