by Alesha Cary
"So they charged him?" She looked down at the table. "I suppose that means I'll have to go testify in court?"
"Eventually."
"Eventually. But at least for now I don't have to think about him."
"Well, actually, I really hope you don't. Sarah, you don't deserve a guy like that. How'd you get involved with him in the first place?"
"He was an outpatient here. He started flirting with me and he asked me out. I was lonely, so I went out with him. That's pretty much it. Except that he seemed to want to move faster than I was comfortable, and that should have been my first warning sign. But I figured he was just being a guy."
She flushed slightly and went on, " But when he suddenly became possessive and almost started a fight last week - that frightened me. But now, thanks to what happened, I don't need to worry about how to break up with him any longer."
She looked over at Bradley who was still watching her intently.
"Sarah. You don't deserve to be treated like that. Not all guys are jerks. Really. You should be with someone who will take care of you and make you feel safe. Not someone who tries to take advantage of you."
"You make me feel safe, Bradley. Even before you literally saved me today. I always liked that about you. You seem so steady and sure of yourself."
Bradley grinned at her, "Well, I have a little confession to make here. I hope you don't feel like I'm being too forward, especially after what happened today...but I've had a crush on you ever since I started working here four months ago."
What? Sarah looked over at him. She felt a rush of color up her cheeks.
Maybe it was the effects of everything that had happened that day, but she suddenly felt lightheaded and giddy. Bradley had a crush. On her? Well how about that! She took a deep breath. She couldn't keep the smile off her face.
"And you never said anything?" she blurted.
"Only because of that silly rule about not dating other employees," he laughed. "You don't know how many times I wanted to ask you out. But they made it very clear when I started working here that it was not allowed."
"You don't really think anyone pays much attention to that rule, do you? I can tell you about three different couples who are dating right now! Nobody really takes that rule very seriously."
"Except me," he laughed. "That figures. I was always one to follow the rules."
"Me too." She smiled. "I never liked the idea of sneaking around. It always felt dishonest. But after what's happened, I might just change my mind."
He looked at her for a moment. "Well, okay then, would you consider this an official invitation to go on a date with me. That is, if you're interested?"
"How could I not accept an invitation from my own Knight in Shining Armor?" she smiled up at him. "But there is one condition."
"What's that?"
"You have to pass the Aunt Carrie test."
"The WHAT test?"
"My Aunt Carrie is a Handwriting Expert. She used to work for the DA back in Colorado before she moved here. She can tell a lot by looking at someone's writing. She warned me about Tony. I only wish I'd had her look at his writing sooner. So, before I can go out with you, she has to look at your handwriting."
Bradley laughed, "Is that all it takes? Gladly! What should I write?"
Sarah shrugged her shoulders and raised her eyebrows.
"Okay, here you go." He wrote out a quick note and handed it to her. "How soon before the results are in? So I can clear my calendar," he laughed. "Oh, that reminds me. I have to take a little trip down to the Bay Area to see my folks. I shouldn't be more than a week or so. Will that give your Aunt Carrie enough time to figure out if I'm okay or not?"
Sarah laughed. She'd pretty much already made up her own mind. She really did feel comfortable and safe with him. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping Aunt Carrie would agree.
~ # ~
As they left the hospital, Sarah was surprised that it was already dark outside. She was grateful to have Bradley escort her out to the parking lot. She knew it was silly. Especially if Tony was in jail, but it made her feel a lot better to have someone walk with her.
She smiled.
It had been less than half an hour since Bradley had admitted that he'd had a crush on her. She had been surprised as well as pleased at the confession.
She felt like a school kid. She knew it was silly, after all he was walking right here next to her, but she was still basking in the warm glow of having this gorgeous guy interested in her.
As they got to the spot where her car was parked, she pulled out her keys and turned to thank him. He looked so protective and strong, standing there in the lamplight. She stepped up onto the curb next to her car, and with Bradley standing on the blacktop, they were a lot closer in height.
From this vantage point it was easy for her to lean over and give him a thank you kiss.
But Bradley was waiting for his chance - he wasn't going to waste it. Instead of the quick kiss she intended, he gathered her into his arms, smothering her with warm passionate kisses. Thank goodness he was holding on to her she thought, as her knees turn to water. His lips were sweet and warm, and they sent the most delicious shivers down her back.
When he finally released her, it took Sarah a moment to remember where she was. She leaned her head against his chest. Whew! That was intense!
"Bradley," she whispered.
"Yes Sarah," he said as he hooked his finger under her chin and raised it so she could look at him. Then he gave her another soul-stirring kiss that made every shred of resistance she might have felt simply melt away. She wanted to stay in the protective circle of his arms and never move. This is where she belonged.
Bradley gently unwound himself from his embrace with Sarah. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sweet Sarah. Go home and sleep."
He helped her into the car and watched as she drove away. She noticed she was shaking, but this time it wasn't due to fear. She realized she had just met her soulmate - something she thought only happened to people in the movies - not to someone like her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
After everything that had happened to her that day, Sarah was having a really hard time falling asleep. She tossed and turned in bed. She just couldn't get comfortable.
Must be from all the adrenaline when Tony cornered her in the closet, she thought. My God, she had been terrified, no wonder she was on edge. Thank goodness Bradley had noticed the ruckus and had stepped in when he did.
And that, of course, was the most important reason she couldn't sleep.
She had never met anyone she was so attracted to. Certainly she had noticed him when he started working there. Who wouldn't notice a six foot tall bronzed hunk with golden blond hair and deep blue eyes?
Well, she really hadn't noticed the color of his eyes until today. But then, she had never had the chance to look at him that closely to notice the depth of color before. Sitting across from him in the cafeteria, there had been no other distractions. And he had looked at her so intently, it was impossible not to be totally swallowed up in those eyes.
She had liked him from the time she first noticed him. He had been courteous, polite and conscientious. He was a hard worker, always there in the background to make sure things were taken care of around the hospital.
She had always thought he was a good looking guy. And he had always been friendly with her - he'd even flirted a little with her in the past.
But she had no idea at all that he had a crush on her! He had never let on. At least, not until he had told her so today. But once she knew, she had given herself permission to acknowledge that she, too, had noticed him and liked what she saw.
Putting himself in the path of danger by coming to her defense with no thought of his own safety - that had to be one of the bravest things she'd ever seen. And then he had been so sweet, making sure that she was okay - physically as well as emotionally.
She didn't think that her attraction towards him was strictly because he had saved her. At least
, she had hoped that wasn't the case. But then, as soon as he kissed her she knew there was a stronger, deeper connection.
She had simply never felt this way before.
Sarah had read stories about "love at first sight". And even though she knew people who claimed it had happened to them, she always thought it was just a myth. Besides, nothing even close to that had ever happened to her.
She had also heard about soulmates. Now that was an idea that intrigued her - that there was one person you matched up with, someone who was the other half of you. One other person, who fit with you in such a way, that when the two of you were together, you made a greater whole.
She remembered her mom telling her about when the Beatles' singer John Lennon had been killed. His wife - Yoko Ono - had taken out a full page ad saying that she and John felt they were two parts of the same person or soul; that they had chosen to experience this lifetime as two separate parts. Sarah wasn't sure she would go that far, but she liked the idea that there was another person in the world who completed her.
And to her, that's exactly what it had felt like when Bradley kissed her. Being in his arms was like coming home - almost like she was hugging herself. It was both exciting and at the same time strangely grounding. She couldn't begin to explain it. She had an instant knowing, an instant connection - special and precious, and not like anything she had ever felt before.
This was one time she was grateful that she lived alone and didn't have to explain anything to anyone. She could lay here in the dark alone and try to sort out all these new ideas and feelings.
In the middle of all the sorting, she fell asleep.
~ # ~
Putting on her uniform the next morning as she got ready for work, Sarah thought back over everything that had happened. She had experienced two totally opposite extremes of emotion - it was almost too much for one single day.
She had gone from being terrified of dying at the hands of a madman - she still felt shivers when she thought about that - to the sweetest bliss she had ever known in the arms of her soulmate. Talk about being through the wringer. She was surprised that she'd been able to sleep at all.
Thank goodness there was coffee, she thought as she poured another cup. She would so much rather just stay home and sleep in! She wasn't looking forward to going back to the place where everything had happened - no matter how well it had turned out.
But then, there was Bradley.
Now that she knew how he felt about her (and especially how she felt about him), everything was different.
She smiled as she pulled on a light jacket and grabbed her purse and keys.
Yesterday she had told him (truthfully) that nobody really took the "no dating rule" seriously, but she also knew it was a small community where everyone knew everyone else's business.
If they were going to date, they should probably be careful. She knew the rumor mill would already be ripe with stories about yesterday, and that in itself didn't really bother her much.
But, she was a candy striper, and one thing was certain, the hospital expected appropriate decorum, especially around patients and their families.
That was easy enough to take care of, she decided as she started the car, heading down the driveway to the street.
For now she would keep their "dating" to a minimum - like having lunch and breaks together. No one could make too big a deal about that. She would let that be enough for now. At least until she could get over to see Aunt Carrie.
Sarah smiled to herself, thinking about Bradley's reaction when she told him about the "Aunt Carrie" test. He might think that she was being a little silly, but after her experience with Tony, she wanted to make sure that Carrie gave her the green light.
And honestly, as much as she wanted to jump right back into Bradley's arms, she wasn't ready to totally give in to her feelings. Yet.
CHAPTER NINE
Dr. Alan Lyle, the Chief of Staff, called Sarah into his office first thing that morning. She had been a bit nervous, but she knew they would need to get her side of the story about what had happened.
When she walked in, there were two other people sitting there. She knew Florence Kramer, the head of Personnel, but she didn't recognize the man in the police uniform. Police! Well, of course. She had, after all, been assaulted!
Dr. Lyle introduced Jack Caldwell, the local Chief of Police, and she realized how lucky she had been that they hadn't insisted she talk with them last night. Had Bradley smoothed that over for her, too?
"Sarah, I know you've just been through a lot, but Chief Caldwell and I need to get some information from you. We thought it might be easier for you to talk here at the hospital." Dr. Lyle pointed to a chair across the table.
She sat down and looked at the men. She didn't want to relive everything - it was still too fresh for her to have much distance. But, well, this was important, and they needed to hear her side of what had happened.
She kept her voice as calm as possible as she recounted the incidents of the day before. She thought it was important to tell them about the first couple of dates she'd had with Tony. She was glad to be in familiar surroundings. This could have been a cold impersonal police station. She was grateful (and lucky) that they were sympathetic listeners.
"Miss Kingman, we'll be releasing this information to the District Attorney. You should expect they'll contact you when the case comes up for review before the trial," Chief Caldwell told her.
She had figured that much, but it still made her uneasy to think that she might have to recount the details of what had happened in front of a courtroom of people she didn't know.
Florence took over at that point and explained to her that Little River Hospital had counseling services available if she needed them.
"Sarah, we have an employee assistance program set up for situations such as this.
"We understand that you may want to talk confidentially with someone who can help you. We have psychiatrists associated with the hospital, but we are also affiliated with other therapists in the community if you'd like to speak with someone you don't know personally. There's a whole network available to help you through this. At no cost to you."
Sarah had never even thought about that. She'd assumed that she would figure out a way to deal with this herself. Of course the recent events with Bradley and her conversations with Aunt Carrie helped a lot, but she could see that talking with a professional might be the best way to put everything behind her.
"Can I think about it?" she asked.
"Certainly," said Florence. "Take as long as you like. But, it's usually best to deal with these kinds of things as soon as possible. Even if you're feeling okay about it now, something could pop up in six months."
"Thanks," said Sarah, "I agree, it would be a good idea for me to talk with someone who handles this kind of trauma. I just want to get my head straight first so I know where to start. A lot has happened in a very short time."
Sarah was relieved to know she wouldn't have to tackle this whole thing on her own.
As she left Dr. Lyle's office the Police Chief had pulled her aside. "Don't be surprised if you get a call from my office. I may have a couple more questions that need clarification, but it won't be anything big." He smiled reassuringly.
~ # ~
Sarah checked in with Clara at the nursing station on the way back from her meeting. She smiled as she recognized the deep familiar voice behind her.
"Hey Sarah, I was looking for you." There was her guy, smiling down at her.
Sarah's heart leapt in her chest. She was having the same reaction as yesterday, only now he wasn't even holding her!
"Can you schedule your lunch so the time matches up with mine?" He asked her. "Say, 11:45?"
"Sure. I get a half hour, does that work?"
He squeezed her hand. "Thanks, see you then. Right now I need to replace some knobs on that portable air conditioning unit on the second floor." He turned and walked off towards the elevator.
~ #
~
Apparently, Sarah had been right. The rumor mill was rampant.
She'd been getting stares all morning from the nursing staff and other volunteers. And of course there were the folks who pretended not to stare, but she could feel their eyes watching her even as she went about her normal duties.
"Does everybody know?" she asked Clara.
"Just about. You know this place. They don't have the details, of course, but after that ruckus yesterday, pretty much everybody here has heard that you were assaulted. Frankly, we're all pretty surprised to even see you here at work today."
Sarah raised her eyebrows, "Well, I would certainly have preferred to stay home after everything that happened. But I never really thought about calling in sick."
Clara laughed, "That's because you're still a sweet young thing who thinks this is a dream job."
Sarah shook her head. "No, really. It never occurred to me."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about." Clara handed her the log sheet for the afternoon.
~ # ~
Sarah still felt like there was a spotlight on her. No one had come right out and asked her about what happened, but they all seemed to be watching her.
She had briefly sketched out the events for her friends on the nursing staff, and they had been suitably sympathetic. She hoped enough details would filter out to the rest of the staff that they would be satisfied and she could go back to being relatively anonymous.
Sarah and Bradley sat in the corner by themselves and away from everyone else during their lunchtime. For the past two days they had held hands and seemed to be lost in their own little world. Since everyone knew about the rescue, their lunchtime meet-ups only led to more rumors.
"Bradley, when are you leaving for San Francisco?"
"I'll take off early tomorrow morning," he told her. "I should be back in about a week. I hate to leave, and I can't wait to take you out. Do you think your Aunt Carrie will have her analysis done by the time I get back?"
"Probably. I'll be seeing her tonight. She's usually pretty quick with these things."