Stolen Kisses

by Annie Rains

  “Of course. Otherwise, you need to get some sleep.” Krista offered a reassuring smile, then watched as Mandy collected her purse, gave one last hesitating glance at her sleeping son, and headed out the door—which Krista’s boss was standing at.

  Krista offered up another smile, this one meant to cover up the oh-crap-caught-in-the-act look that was probably on her face. “Hi, Karen,” she said enthusiastically, but quietly. Adam was sleeping and she didn’t want to wake him.

  “Can I see you in my office for a minute?” Karen asked. There was a pinched expression on her face.

  Krista’s smile dropped. She gave one last glance at the sleeping boy, and then exited the room, following the older nurse down the hall to the nice office space on the left. The head nurse was the only one to get an office. All the others shared the nurse’s station at the center of the floor. “What’s up, Karen?” Krista intertwined her fingers in front of her. She had nothing to be nervous about, though. So what if her boss had heard her extend a personal invitation to a patient—again. What she did outside the walls of Blushing Bay Memorial was none of Karen’s concern.

  “You know why I called you in here, Krista.”

  Krista unclasped her hands and sat down in the chair in front of Karen’s desk. “That mom needs time to herself. She’s been in and out since he was born.” And Krista had always been his nurse. “She’s no good to Adam or herself if she’s exhausted.”

  “That’s not your job.”

  “Not as a nurse, but as a person with a heart, it is. I love Adam. It’s no problem to watch him. Really.”

  Karen cocked her head. “I thought you wanted to take my place when I retire.”

  Krista straightened. “I’m a good nurse, Karen. You know I am.”

  “Not questioning that fact. You’re one of the best. And, while young, you’re by far the most experienced here. You’ve been volunteering here since you were a kid. You interned here.”

  “And this was my first job.” As far as Krista was concerned, it’d be her last job, too. She was committed. She’d always known where she belonged and it was here.

  “I’m just looking out for you, Krista, when I advise you to keep your distance. If you become head nurse, there’ll be no one to tell you that, and you need to hear it. Really hear it. I used to be like you, and it got harder and harder to draw the line between work and my personal life. Once those lines blur, it’s trouble. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  Krista shook her head. “Karen, all I offered to do was babysit a boy for his exhausted mother.”

  Karen gave her a long, assessing look. “Personal space, Krista. Heed my advice.”

  Krista started to stand, hoping that the conversation was over.

  “And, on that note, why are your nights so free? Isn’t it time you found yourself a nice guy?”

  Krista met her boss’s now teasing expression. “Is that a job requirement for head nurse, too?” she asked, only half teasing. Now she was frustrated, irritated, confused, and holy-not-in-the-mood to discuss her lack of a love life, especially with Karen.

  “No, but you deserve happiness as much as the next person. I hear that Jane in the cardiology department found herself a man on that new online dating site.”

  Krista laughed. “I buy my clothes online, but I don’t find men there.” She didn’t find them anywhere actually. Or she did, but they didn’t compare to her mental image of the perfect date. Krista hooked a thumb behind her. “I’ve got patients to check on.”

  Karen nodded. “Of course.”

  Expelling a heavy breath, Krista walked out and headed back toward the nurse’s station. Getting called into Karen’s office was akin to getting sent to the principal’s office as a child, which had only ever happened once. She’d been chewing gum, which was against the school rules. Then Noah had made her laugh so hard she’d spit the gum into the hair of the girl in front of her. Purely accidental, but the girl had cried and sworn that Krista had done it on purpose. So off she’d gone to the principal’s office. Noah had promptly misbehaved on purpose to get sent down there with her—and then he’d taken the blame for her behavior, too. Her misguided knight in shining armor.

  Krista had done nothing wrong by being nice to Mandy, though. She’d offer her number again in a heartbeat—even if it did screw with her chances of becoming head nurse.

  After checking in on a few patients, Krista sat at her spot in the nurse’s station and pulled her bottled water to her. She took a healthy drink, washing down all the competing thoughts in her head, vying for attention that she needed to give to the kids here.

  The nurse’s call bell rang for room 23—Adam’s room. Krista shot up and went to see what he needed. Poking her head in the door, she saw that his eyes were open, staring into the sterile room. Without the warmth of his mother, it must’ve felt cold to him. Krista remembered that feeling well. She’d only been in the hospital for two weeks, but the memory was ingrained in her brain. It was a cold and scary place, and all she’d wanted was to go home and be normal again. All she’d wanted was to run up and down the Blushing Bay banks, fishing with her best friend, who lived across the street.

  “Hey, your mom will be back soon,” she told Adam, without him having to ask.

  His rounded eyes stayed on Krista.

  As she checked his vitals, she soothed him by talking and taking his mind off the mechanical beeps filling the room and the IV needle jabbing into his little arm. “Guess what? It’s Friday the thirteenth,” she said in a spooky voice.

  Adam rewarded her with a slight smile.

  “Have you ever made surgical-glove spiders?”

  He shook his head, his rust-colored hair falling onto his forehead.

  “Dr. Jacobs is terrified of spiders, you know. Want to make some and watch him scream when he comes to check on you after lunch?” Krista didn’t really have time to play, but blowing air into a glove only took a second. She could spare that if it made Adam feel better.

  Adam was showing teeth as he smiled at her now. “Yeah,” he said, color filling his cheeks.

  Krista laughed and pulled a pair of gloves out of her pocket. “Cool. Let’s do it.”

  —

  Noah left the fish house and sucked in a big breath of fresh air. He didn’t mind the smell of fish, but the fish house was a little overwhelming even to a seasoned fisherman. His catch today had been good, but it would’ve been better with another experienced crew member.

  “No offense,” he told Beauty, untangling her leash from the leg of the bench he’d secured her to while he’d gone inside. He couldn’t bring a dog into the fish house. For one, Beauty might’ve contaminated the whole catch. For two, he didn’t want her to carry the scent back to his houseboat later. Or now, because he couldn’t wait to take a shower and stay in, be it a Friday night or not.

  “C’mon, Beauty. You’re my date tonight,” he told the energetic canine. God knows he didn’t want another night with Amber. He was lucky Krista had forgiven his brief lapse of judgment there.

  His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and checked the caller ID. Joey Nelson’s name lit up the screen. “Hey, man. What’s up?”

  “Tell me you’re docked already,” Joey said.

  “Docked and the fish are delivered. ’Bout to head home for a drink or two. Wanna join me?”

  “Yeah, but I’m stuck on the side of the road at the moment. I think the cab has finally died. Luckily it wasn’t until after I dropped that last customer off.”

  Noah tugged on Beauty’s leash as he crossed the parking lot toward his Jeep. “Need me to come get you?” he asked.

  “If you don’t mind. Krista’s at work and I don’t want to bother her.”

  “No problem. Where are you?” Noah cranked his engine and laid on the gas. Ten minutes later, Joey climbed in the passenger seat beside him.

  “Blasted transmission. It’ll cost more to fix it than the cab is worth.”

  Beauty climbed in Joey’s lap and pro
pped her feet up on his chest.

  “Meet my new first mate,” Noah said, chuckling. “I think she likes you.”

  “Yeah?” Joey gave the dog a good rubdown. “You’re a fishing dog, huh? That’s cool.”

  Noah continued to drive. He didn’t ask again, but he took Joey back to his place for drinks. “You gonna buy a new cab then?”

  Joey shrugged as they sat on the deck of Noah’s houseboat. “Truthfully, it might be time I get a paying job. Most of my passengers ride for free because I’m a sucker.”

  Noah glanced over. “Everyone’s been telling you that for years.”

  “I know. But I can’t charge my sister and her friends. I can’t charge the nice old lady who works the register at the food mart. She can barely afford to feed her dog. And then the hot chicks always get a free ride with me. What’s a guy to do?” Joey shrugged his big shoulders and pulled Beauty under his arm.

  “So you need work?” Noah asked, feeling a little prickle of excitement at his friend’s misfortune.

  “Maybe the food mart is hiring a bagger,” Joey said dryly, casting his gaze out on the water.

  “Well, I’m hiring a co-captain for the Summerly. Your dad was in the business and you’ve got a lifetime of experience. What do you say?”

  Joey scratched his chin. “I got out of fishing because I was sick of spending my days on the high sea. But I guess I do miss it a little. And I don’t have many options at the moment. So, yeah. I’ll work with you. Thanks for the offer, man.”

  Noah punched a fist into the air. “All right. Looks like Friday the thirteenth is lucky for both of us.”

  “Krista will flip if we work together, you know,” Joey noted. “She’s always been a little jealous of your time.”

  Noah laughed. “That’s an understatement. She’ll be fine, though, as long as I don’t bring you along to Wednesday Wings.”

  Joey shook his head. “I can’t believe you did that.”

  “Not one of my finer moments.”

  They both laughed, then spent the next few hours drinking beer and celebrating their new arrangement. Joey was one of the best fishermen in Blushing Bay. Everyone knew it. He’d worked a boat with his dad for a while and had given the Sawyers a run for their money at times. He, Noah, and Beauty would be the perfect crew for the Summerly, even if Noah knew that Joey was right about Krista’s reaction. She’d never liked it when Joey had tried to be a third wheel with them growing up. Noah was her best friend, not Joey’s, and, even though they were grown now and this was work, Noah suspected she might not be thrilled about the idea of Joey joining his crew. He guessed he’d have to buy her another ice cream cone from Mr. Plumly at the pier to smooth things over.

  Chapter 3

  “It’s awful,” Krista moaned over her muffin.

  Grace rolled her eyes with a laugh. “Your brother working with your best friend isn’t the end of the world.”

  Krista popped a piece of her muffin into her mouth and chewed. “You’re just cheery because you’re getting married. I need Abby to join us for our next morning muffin meeting. She’ll sympathize with me.”

  Grace shook her head. “Abby’s in the kitchen before the guys are even in the ocean. I could never be a chef.”

  “Me, either,” Krista agreed, although she was starting to think the same about being a nurse. “Karen retires in six weeks. There’s no way she’s going to recommend me for the head nurse position. Even though I’ve been there the longest. Most of the other nurses were recruited fresh out of school. They have nowhere near as much experience. Except for Danielle. We were hired around the same time. She’ll probably get Karen’s vote because Karen thinks I’m too cozy with the patients.”

  Grace pulled her coffee to her mouth and sipped as she listened. Setting it back on the table, she cocked her head. “Couldn’t you just withdraw from your normal too-personal MO until Karen retires? Then, once you get the promotion, you could go back to being the overly loving and caring nurse you naturally are.”

  “So, lie?”

  Grace shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it a lie. You deserve that promotion. You’re next in line, and you’re awesome with those kids.”

  Krista frowned and popped more muffin into her mouth. Between Joey taking a job with Noah last week and her sinking hope for a promotion at work, she was in a dire mood. “I guess I could do that.”

  Grace smiled. “Perfect. Could you also lighten up and transform back into my fun-loving friend for a minute?” Grace glanced at her watch. “We have ten minutes, actually.”

  Krista used her right index finger to poke one corner of her mouth up into a smile. “Better?” she asked.

  “Kind of. I need to tell you something.” Grace sucked in a breath, a genuine smile lifting on her own face. “Jack and I have decided on a wedding date.”

  Krista straightened. “Finally! I’ve been waiting to mark my calendar.”

  “I know! Me, too!” Grace was so happy, she seemed to be glowing from the inside out.

  And Krista was happy for her, if not a little envious, too.

  “Okay, so Jack and I went back and forth on dates for next year and none of them seemed quite right.” Grace pulled her clasped hands to her chest. “So we’ve decided to marry on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.”

  “Next year?” Krista asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

  Grace shook her head. “We decided that next year is too far away. We don’t want to wait. We’re getting married this year.”

  Krista choked on her sip of coffee. “Thanksgiving is next month.”

  “I know!” Grace squealed excitedly. “There’s so much to do!”

  “You’re going to plan a wedding in one month?”

  Grace nodded, her grin stretching through her rosy cheeks. “I was hoping you’d help me.”

  “Of course I’ll help you. I’ll do whatever you need. This is awesome news, Grace!” Krista got up and walked around to give her friend a hug. “You’re getting married! Next month!”

  “Eek!” Grace laughed excitedly and looked down at her watch again. “Oh, I have to get to the office, but we’ll talk later?”

  “Definitely. We have planning to do.” Krista started to collect her uneaten muffin. She’d finish it on the drive to the hospital.

  “Do you think you could make time to go dress shopping with me this weekend?” Grace asked.

  “Shopping?” Krista asked, walking beside her to the parking lot. “Do you even need to ask?”

  “Great.”

  They broke away and went to their separate cars. Krista felt slightly better as she drove into the hospital parking lot. Maybe Grace was onto something, she thought. She could distance herself from her patients for a few weeks. How hard could that be? She’d be caught up in helping Grace plan her wedding anyway.

  She rode the elevator up to the second floor and hurried toward the nurse’s station, stopping short when she ran into Mandy.

  Mandy lifted her red, teary eyes to meet Krista’s, and Krista’s heart nearly stopped beating. “What happened?” she asked.

  The mother waved a hand. “Nothing really. Adam just doesn’t sleep well here.”

  “Which means you don’t sleep well, either.” Krista frowned sympathetically. “Go home. I’ll make sure he gets extra special care.”

  A tear slipped down Mandy’s cheek. “Thank you,” she said, wrapping Krista in a hug. “I trust everyone here, but I know they all have other kids to see. You do, too, but you seem to be able to do it all. You’re like a superwoman.”

  Krista laughed and pulled away. “No, that would be you. Go. I’ve got this.”

  Mandy nodded. “Okay.”

  Krista continued down the hall and grabbed her stethoscope. She’d distance herself from all the patients except Adam, she decided, hoping that Karen wouldn’t notice. She wasn’t a superwoman, but she was a super nurse, no matter what her boss thought.

  —

  “Heads-up!” Noah said, tossing a Coke across the boat at
Joey.

  Beauty barked at the exchange.

  “Yeah, yeah. You have a bone coming to you, too.” It’d been a good day of fishing. Joey knew a hell of a lot more than the kids that Noah had worked with over the summer. This arrangement was going to work out just fine. If Krista could get over it, that is.

  “Krista still giving you grief?” Noah asked as he popped the tab on his Coke and took a long drink.

  Joey laughed and sat down on the seat molded into the boat’s starboard side. “Always. Nothing new about that.”

  “We still love her, though,” Noah said, reaching into the pocket of his shorts and pulling out a bone. He tossed it into the air for Beauty to catch. She snapped it up in a split second, then took it to a corner of the front deck to gnaw on. She’d been a great fisher-dog this week. She hadn’t gone near the catch, even though Noah had seen the look in her eyes telling him she wanted to play. The fish deserved respect, though. That was his lifelong philosophy. Respect the fish and if you’re not going to eat them, toss them back. Same for women. Respect ’em and if you weren’t going to keep them, don’t get them hooked. Noah liked to have fun, but if there was even a hint that the woman he was momentarily with wanted more than that, he always let them go. No exceptions.

  He’d thought maybe he’d seen that look in Krista’s eyes before, but maybe he’d been imagining things. Maybe he was projecting because there’d been times he’d wanted more with her. He wasn’t a commitment kind of guy, though. He knew it. He couldn’t even commit on a plot of land, which was why he lived in a houseboat that he could dock anywhere. He was free. Exploring any kind of romantic relationship with Krista would only spell trouble, and he never wanted to risk their friendship. She meant too much to him to screw it all up. Because inevitably he would screw it all up.

  Noah glanced over his shoulder at Joey. “You miss the cab at all?” he asked, hoping Joey’s answer would be no.

  “A little.”

  Noah’s smile faded. “Well, I’m glad you’re here with me. Hoping to make this a record fishing year. And maybe even catch Mitsy.”

  Joey rubbed his hand along Beauty’s back. She wagged, eating up the attention. “Who’s Mitsy?”