by Annie Rains
“My tuna. I’ve had her on the line twice, the same one, and twice she’s gotten away.”
“How do you know it’s the same one?” Joey asked, dodging the puppy’s attempts to lick his face.
“She’s got a heart-shaped mark on her dorsal fin. It’s a perfect heart.”
“You’re kidding?”
Noah shook his head. “I couldn’t make that shit up. If I did, I’d make the marking more manly than a heart.”
Joey chuckled. “A tuna with a heart on her fin. Okay, I’ll buy that. Thought you were a good fisherman, though. How’d you lose her twice?”
Noah shrugged. “She’s feisty. If I catch her again, though, no way I’m letting go. And I’ve got you this time. Between the two of us, we can’t lose.”
Beauty looked up from her bone and barked as if she understood every word of what they were saying.
Noah stepped over and petted her head. “Sorry, girl. Between the three of us, we can’t lose.”
After docking the boat and leaving the day’s catch at the fish house, Noah headed home to shower. He was meeting his brother Jack at Castaways tonight before Wednesday Wings with Krista. He’d made sure to tell Jack he was ditching him when the clock ticked six-thirty. He’d made the mistake of letting someone else impose on Wednesday Wings last week and he wasn’t making it again.
He pulled on a clean T-shirt and pair of jeans, then climbed in his Jeep to meet his middle brother. Jack had said he needed to discuss something with him. Last time he’d said that, Jack had sprung the news that he was leaving the fishing business. He’d been co-captain with Noah since he was eighteen years old. That was pretty big news. Noah couldn’t fathom what tonight’s news would be.
He walked into the bar, his senses on overdrive for a second. The loud music, dim lights, smell of peanut shells and beer flooding him. He stood in place for a moment and glanced around. There were a couple people at the bar. The after-work crowd would be joining them any time now. A few of the tables were occupied with friends and couples having the infamous Wednesday barbecue wings that Castaways offered. Noah’s gaze landed on Jack in the corner. He already had a beer in front of him and one as a place-marker for Noah. He lifted his hand and waved Noah over.
“Hey, bro.” Noah pulled out a chair and plopped down. His muscles were sore from the day. He’d worked hard and it’d paid off. He felt great.
Jack smiled back at him. If Noah didn’t know better, he’d say his middle brother was happier than he’d ever seen him. Love looked good on him. “How was the catch today?” he asked in lieu of a hello.
Noah pulled his beer to his mouth and took a long swig before responding. “Awesome. Joey Nelson is going to work out just fine. He feels kind of like another brother.”
“You always said Krista was like a sister, so why not?”
A waitress came to the table and looked between the two. Noah knew her as one of Grace’s friends. Tina. “Hey, guys. Wednesday Wings for you two?” she asked.
They both nodded.
“You got it.” Tina turned and walked away.
Noah trained his eyes back on Jack. “So, you said you have something you want to talk about. Last time you said that, I lost my co-captain. I’m a little eager to jump to the punch.”
Jack grinned.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t bad news, judging from his relaxed demeanor.
“How many of those have you had already?” Noah asked.
Jack looked at the bottle. “Only half.”
“So it’s Grace that’s got you all worked up? Don’t tell me you two did another round in the office shower. I swear, I’ll never be able to shower off at the Sawyer Seafood office again.”
Jack laughed. Usually Noah’s comments made him bristle a little, but not tonight.
“So spill. I have to ditch you for Krista at six-thirty if I want to stay off her shit list. Which I do.”
“All right.” Jack set his bottle down. “Jumping to the punch then. I’m getting married.”
Noah blinked. “Yeah. I know. I was there when you popped the question, remember?”
“Let me rephrase. I’m getting married next month.”
“What?” Noah pushed his head forward. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.” Jack held out a finger. “And before you ask, no, it’s not because Grace is pregnant. She’s not. We’re not. We’re just eager. We’ve known each other since we were kids. I’d marry her tonight if I could.”
Noah nodded. “This is great news, man. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. It’s going to be a whirlwind pulling it off.”
“Well, you know I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
Jack leaned back in his chair. “I was hoping you’d say that because we’ll need help.”
“That’s what family is for.” Noah shook his head. “Damn. This is great news.”
“I know.” Jack tipped his bottle back and took a healthy swig.
There was a chilled-out look of pure happiness on his brother’s face. For a second, Noah felt a little envious. He shrugged off the feeling, though. The only thing he’d ever committed to longer than a year was fishing. He hadn’t even made it through his first year of college.
Noah checked his watch. Six-thirty. He glanced toward the door and saw Krista step inside. He adjusted his track record of commitment. The only thing he’d ever fully committed to was fishing and his best friend.
—
Krista was usually a slow drinker, but tonight she downed her first beer like she was back in college. She was already halfway through her second and the wings hadn’t even arrived yet.
She blinked up at the blurring image of Noah, regretting that she’d missed lunch. The floor had been busy, though, and she’d promised Mandy that she’d keep Adam company during her spare moments.
“That bad, huh?” he asked, his Southern-boy drawl swinging easily, looping through her tired body and awakening areas she preferred stay dormant when he was around.
“Remind me again why I became a nurse?” she asked, taking another drink.
Noah started to answer, but she raised a hand and cut him off.
“Because I wanted to torture myself. I know.”
“No, because you enjoy taking care of people. You always have. It’s who you are.”
She sucked in a breath, grateful that it was only them tonight. She’d missed Noah last week. “But Karen just wants me to hand out medication and change bedsheets. I take too good care of people, and that’s apparently a bad thing.”
Noah chuckled. “It’s a good thing. You’re an awesome nurse.”
Anyone else could’ve said so and she would think they were just trying to make her feel better. But when Noah said things like this, she actually did feel better. “Thank you.” She finished off her second beer. “And to add to my day, I rode the elevator with Dr. Dale again, and he hinted at going on a date. Again.”
“That’s a bad thing?” Noah asked.
Krista frowned. “Yes. I work with him and, I don’t know, he’s not really my type.”
“You should give the guy a chance. Maybe you’re just a little picky.”
Krista’s mouth fell open at the suggestion, and her heart ached a little that Noah suggested she go on a date. A part of her wanted him to be a little jealous over the prospect. But nope, looking at him now, all relaxed and grinning, she didn’t see a trace of the green-eyed monster. “Maybe I will give him a chance,” she said, “just to prove I’m not picky.” And to see how Noah reacted. Not that he would. He didn’t think of her as anything other than his best friend.
“Great. Can’t wait to hear all about it.” He pushed his drink away. “Guess I’m driving you home tonight. It’s the least I can do since I stole your brother away for the Summerly.”
Krista slumped even farther in her chair. “No more free DDing from Joey. That’s going to hurt. Guess I’ll just have to start flirting with the guys here. Have a new one take me home each night,” she said,
watching Noah again.
He continued to smile easily. “This is Blushing Bay, but there are still lowlifes out there. You have my number. You call me anytime and I’ll drop what I’m doing and come get you. That’s a promise.”
She stared at him across the table. “What if you’re on a date?”
The left corner of his mouth kicked up, poking a dimple in his cheek. She’d always liked that dimple. Had always craved to touch it, kiss it. God, she was pathetic when it came to him. “You always come first,” he said.
Butterflies swarmed her chest.
“What if it’s a get-lucky kind of date?” She waggled her brows.
Now both corners of his mouth curved into a widespread grin. “Then my lucky date and I will take you home together.”
“A threesome.” She let out a tipsy giggle. She hadn’t even realized she’d crossed the tipsy threshold. She should really stop after two beers. She’d learned that lesson a long time ago, but some lessons needed to be learned over and over again. One of which was that Noah Sawyer was never going to be more than a friend. She really should start looking at her dating options before her youth withered away and all the “good ones” were taken just like her mother kept warning they would be.
Tina appeared and set a plate of yummy wings at the center of the table. “Anything else?” she asked.
“How about another beer?” Noah said.
“Sure thing.” Tina looked at Krista. “What about for you?”
“Can I have another, too?” Krista avoided Noah’s look of consternation. This was the most relaxed she’d felt in ages. She needed another beer. That or she needed a man in her bed melting the tension off her body—and that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
“I’m going to have to carry you to your bed, aren’t I?”
Krista’s gaze snapped up and her body warmed. My body nestled in Noah’s arms? Yeah, that sounded all kinds of good to her.
Stop it, Krista. Stop, stop, stop.
“Want to talk about it?” he asked, leaning forward over the table.
For a moment she thought he was asking about the wicked thoughts running rampant through her mind. Then she realized he was talking about the reason she was drinking more than usual.
She shook her head, her thoughts immediately returning to Adam who’d cried a few times that day. He’d never really had a dad. Today he’d seen another dad come to visit one of the other children on the floor and for some reason he’d decided to get upset about it. Krista had sent his mom home to sleep, so Krista had been the one to comfort the poor little guy while he’d cried about all the things he’d never get to do with his own dad. Like play catch outside. Go camping. Go on a fishing trip.
Krista’s gaze snapped up and met Noah’s.
“Uh-oh. You’ve got that look in your eye,” he said, sitting back.
“What look?”
“The one that says I’m about to regret I even asked the question.”
“I have an idea,” she said.
“A drunken idea.” Noah nodded at Tina as she placed his drink in front of him. “Thank you.”
“I’m not drunk,” Krista said, pulling her fourth beer in front of her. “Just a little flimsy.”
“Don’t you mean tipsy?” Noah laughed. “Okay. Spill. What’s your idea?”
“I have this patient. He’s seven and his name is Adam.”
Noah nodded. “Uh-huh. I think you’ve mentioned him before.”
“Well, it’s just him and his mom. His father bailed right after he was born. He’s a sperm donor and a check-writer once a month, but that’s all.” Krista ran her tongue over her lower lip. “Anyway, he was really upset today. Sometimes things just set kids off, you know?”
“Is that why you’re drinking?”
Krista held his gaze, getting lost. There was a myriad of reasons why she was drinking. Adam was one. Karen at work was two. Noah was another reason. She was always thinking of him more than she should. It was crazy-making really. “Yep.”
“I thought you decided to pull away from getting too close to your patients. At least until your boss retires and makes you head nurse.” He winked.
“And I will. Just not Adam. I’ve seen Adam in and out of the pediatric floor since he was a month old. I couldn’t love him more if he was my own child. Anywayyyyy,” she said, dragging the last syllable out like a drumroll into her genius idea, “Adam has never been fishing before.”
Noah straightened. By the look in his eye, Krista knew his razor-sharp mind had already connected the dots with lightning speed. “Your brother is a fisherman,” he pointed out.
Krista shook her head. “One, he was a cabbie until last week. Two, Joey isn’t good with kids. He’s awkward around them. When he tries to play with them, he usually scares them.”
Noah laughed while shaking his own head. “I’m not good with kids, either.”
Krista slapped a playful hand across Noah’s forearm on the table in front of her. “Liar. You’re awesome with kids. You come to the peds unit every Christmas and you’d think that you were actually the real Santa Claus.”
“One, Santa isn’t real. Two, I don’t even know this kid. He’s your patient and you’re the one who has a problem getting too close.”
“And you never get too close, right?” she asked, surprised by the sudden switch of her emotions. Suddenly she wasn’t talking about Adam anymore. She was talking about her and Noah. Crap.
“Getting close complicates things. This boy doesn’t have a father. What if he…what if he, I don’t know, starts to think of me as a father figure if I take him fishing?”
“He’s not a duck, Noah.” Krista put on a smile that didn’t feel quite right. “He isn’t going to follow you around. He wants to go fishing. With his compromised immune system, he doesn’t get to do a lot of things that other kids do. The fresh salt air will do him good. I know it. It’s not easy being in a hospital bed.”
Noah frowned.
When she’d been sick as a child, waiting for her new kidney, Noah had barely left her side. He was her protector, the one who made her smile and laugh even when it was the very last thing that felt natural. He’d been doing it ever since.
Their entire history was written in the space between them. After all this time, how the heck did he not feel the same way that she did? But he didn’t. If he did, he’d treat her the way he treated the other women she’d seen him with over the years. He’d flirt with her. Touch her. Do all the things she’d only ever fantasized about him doing to her. Instead, when he was with her, he acted the way he would around any of his other friends. She was just one of the guys, and that was all she’d ever be.
“You said he’s sick. Is he even healthy enough to go out on a boat?”
“Yes. And I’ll be there as his nurse. Just one fishing trip. It’ll be fun.”
“Fine,” Noah relented, his body sagging. “I’ll do it.”
Unable to help herself, Krista leaped out of her chair and went around to hug him. “This is going to be so good for Adam! I can’t wait to tell him!”
“Just this once. And only because I owe you from last week.” He pulled back and looked at her. “And I’m serious. If you want that promotion, you can’t do things like this for your patients.”
“Not you, too.” Krista returned to her chair, plopping down with the grace of a ninety-year-old. Then she reached for her drink.
Noah grabbed a wing from the center tray. “By the way, I’m cutting you off after this one.”
Krista grabbed a wing, too. “We’ll see about that.”
Chapter 4
If it was any other woman drooling on the passenger window of his Jeep, Noah would swear to never take her out again.
He smiled softly as he sat in his parked vehicle outside Krista’s townhouse. Her face was pressed against the glass and she was fast asleep. Not exactly drooling, but when he recapped the evening to her tomorrow, he’d add that little detail in and enjoy watching her flush.
> “Krista?” he said, nudging her shoulder.
She didn’t stir. She’d always been a lightweight. Good thing she was also light in weight because he was going to have to carry her inside. He reached over to her purse and fished out her keys, saying her name one last time to make sure she wasn’t going to wake. Nope, she was definitely lights-out. He moved around to the passenger side, slid his arms under her, and hoisted her up, cradling her head against his left shoulder. She smelled like lavender and he breathed her in for a moment. His fingers tightened around her as he carried her to her front door, unlocked it, and walked inside. Her bedroom was the last one on the right. He didn’t turn the lights on as he entered, instead finding his way by the moonlight streaming in from her window. He was careful to lay her down comfortably, with her head on the pillow. A few strands of her dark hair swept across her cheek. He pushed them back and stared at her for a long moment. “Krista?” he whispered again.
She stirred this time. Made a little moan.
“I took you home,” he told her. “Your brother should be here in an hour or two.” Suddenly he wondered if he should leave her alone. She’d had four beers, which was a lot for someone who got tipsy after one. It wasn’t like her. On top of that, he knew she was tired and emotionally drained. Work had been hard on her lately. “Do you need me to stay?” he asked quietly.
Her smile came before her eyes fluttered open to focus on him.
“Hey.” He sat on the edge of her bed and looked down at her and those sleepy bedroom eyes she blinked lazily at him. “You okay?”
“Um-hmmm.” Her eyes closed again, but her soft smile remained.
“You want some water? I can put a glass by your bed. Don’t want you to wake with a headache in the morning.”
“My protector. You take such good care of me.”
He ran a hand over her forearm. “I always will,” he promised, remembering how he’d sat by her hospital bed after her transplant. He’d silently promised that he’d never let anyone hurt her. Over the years, that promise had come to include himself.
Her eyes fluttered open again. “I love that little dimple in your cheek,” she whispered.