Stolen Kisses

by Annie Rains

  The woman folded her arms. “Yes. I want to discuss what an awful job the nurse who has been caring for Josie is doing.” The woman gestured toward her sleeping daughter. Josie’s nurse was Evelyn, who Krista had found to be hardworking and honest. And Evelyn really knew her stuff. She could usually diagnose a kid before the doctor even saw them.

  “Let’s talk about it.” Krista closed the patient’s door and pulled up a chair while the mom sat on the edge of her daughter’s hospital bed.

  “First off, your nurse doesn’t come when I ring the call bell. Isn’t that what the call bell is for? To call the nurse?”

  Krista nodded. “Yes, ma’am. But sometimes we can’t always—”

  The mother cut her off, raising a hand and her voice. “And when she does come, she doesn’t apologize for making us wait. What if it were an emergency? Do I need to call 911 to get immediate attention even when I’m in the hospital?”

  “No, ma’am. If you have an emergency, the monitors will sound an alarm and—”

  The mother shook her head and cut her off again, rattling off a number of other complaints. Krista finally pressed her lips together and held her tongue. She nodded and listened attentively until it seemed as if the upset mother had exhausted every single way she felt that she and her daughter had been wronged. It was tough being the parent of a sick child. Krista wasn’t a parent yet, but she’d seen it enough on the floor over the last ten years that she could empathize.

  “Well, aren’t you going to say anything?” When the mother finally ended her rant, her eyes were glassy with tears. Krista wasn’t sure if they were sad tears, angry tears, or exhausted tears. She did look like she felt a little better after expelling all of her frustrations, though.

  “I’m sorry if you feel your experience hasn’t been adequate. We work hard here to take the best care of our patients and want you to feel attended to. What can I do for you right now?” Krista smiled warmly at the woman.

  “I want you to talk to that nurse. I want a different nurse. A better one.”

  Krista shook her head. “Evelyn is a great nurse. I’ll talk to her and let her know your concerns, but please know that we never intentionally make you wait. If I might say so, you seem really stressed out.”

  The mother pulled back, obviously offended.

  Krista held up a hand. “Now please don’t take this the wrong way. Many of the parents on this floor are overwhelmed. It’s okay. And it’s okay to take a break and go downstairs for a coffee and a bagel, or just for a walk. We can have one of the hospital volunteers come in and sit with your daughter. They love doing that kind of stuff.”

  The mother’s frown lifted just slightly. “I didn’t know the hospital did that.”

  “Oh, definitely. We also have a parent-caregiver support group that meets downstairs weekly.” Krista didn’t know this patient specifically, but she knew the girl’s condition was chronic. “Childcare is provided during the group’s meeting time.”

  “That’s really nice.”

  “It is,” Krista agreed, feeling good about her workplace, and herself. She’d just taken the steam out of this woman’s overheated engine and now the mother was actually smiling. Krista provided the parent with all the information for the support group and promised to check back on her later before heading out.

  “How’d it go?” Evelyn asked when Krista marched back to the nurse’s station.

  “Awesome. She’s going to join the caregiver support group downstairs, I think. And I have a volunteer on their way to her room right now to sit with the patient and give the mom a break.”

  Evelyn looked impressed. “Wow. I seriously thought she’d sent you out of the room to come fire me.”

  Krista shook her head. “First off, I don’t have the authority to fire you. Secondly, you’re an awesome nurse and I would never. Thirdly, that’s exactly what the parent wanted me to do—until I talked to her.” Krista shrugged. “She just needed someone to listen. That’s all.”

  “Uh-huh. Not just any someone. That was all you. Thank you.”

  “No problem.”

  Krista left work that evening feeling exceptionally well. Stepping inside her little townhome, she dropped her purse on the table beside the door and breathed a sigh of relief. Then she nearly jumped out of her skin when Joey whirled around in one of the rocker recliners in their living room.

  “Hey, sis. We need to talk,” he said grimly.

  —

  For the first night since the cabin, Noah wasn’t seeing Krista. She’d told him she needed to clean her townhouse. Noah got that and he was a little relieved. He was used to having most nights to himself. Tonight would be a breather for him, even though Krista’s absence left an unmistakable void.

  It only took him an hour to clean his own small space. Maybe it was time to trade his houseboat in for an actual place with a foundation, he thought, stopping dead in his tracks. He’d never considered such before, but the idea didn’t completely knock him over. His phone buzzed in his pocket. Hoping it was Krista, he pulled it out and eyed the ID. His brother Sam’s name lit up the screen.

  “Hey, man. What’s up?” Noah said.

  “Last minute drinks at Castaways. Jack and I are on our way there right now. Grace wanted to spend the evening with her mom and I’m always free at night these days,” Sam said. “We were wondering if you wanted to join us or if you were otherwise occupied,” he said.

  Noah knew exactly what Sam was asking. Was he spending the night with Krista? Again. “I’m free and bored as hell, actually. Count me in.” Noah grabbed his wallet and keys and headed for the door, still thinking about making a change of residence.

  Ten minutes later, he walked into Castaways and found Sam and Jack already working on their first beers.

  “There he is!” Jack said boisterously. He’d obviously already knocked a couple back. “My best man.”

  Noah sat, his gaze sliding to Sam. “That doesn’t rub you wrong just a little bit? You’re the older brother.”

  Sam waved a hand. “I’m actually relieved it’s not me. I’m not sure I’d have had as much fun spending the weekend with Krista at the Sawyer cabin.”

  Jack and Sam shared a wide grin.

  Noah nodded. “Okay. Yeah. Well, if you had had that much fun with Krista, I might’ve had to kick your butt.”

  “I love it when our little brother threatens to kick our butts,” Jack said reminiscently.

  Tina, the waitress, sat a beer in front of Noah. “Here you go!”

  “I’ll be tipping you big-time tonight,” he said with a wink at her. Then he was plagued with guilt because, even if he wasn’t exactly flirting, winking at another woman felt like a small betrayal of Krista. When had that happened? They’d only gotten together at the cabin last weekend. Now, suddenly, everything had changed.

  “No, seriously. We all know that I’m the best man,” Sam continued to tease. “I’m just glad Jack decided to throw you a bone.”

  Noah sipped his beer, ignoring the big brother–little brother banter that he’d endured from birth.

  “So everything’s ready for the big day?” Noah asked Jack when the teasing had finally settled.

  Jack leaned back in his chair. “I think so. I’d marry her tonight and skip the whole shindig if it was up to me.”

  “No second thoughts?” Sam asked.

  “Not even one.” Jack smiled.

  “Well, I’ve always thought of Grace as a sister,” Noah said, talking about when Grace had very briefly been their stepsister growing up. “You hurt her, you answer to me.”

  “Aww.” Sam glanced over at Jack. “It’s cute that Noah thinks he can kick your butt.”

  Noah’s back teeth ground together. “I can kick yours, too. In case you’ve missed it, I’ve been about two inches taller and twenty pounds heavier than you since our early twenties.”

  Another drink was placed in front of Noah.

  Noah looked over his shoulder at Tina. “What’s this?”

&n
bsp; She shrugged. “One of the women at that table sent it over to you,” she told him.

  Noah looked at the ring of women, all young, early twenties, and attractive. All exactly the type of woman he’d usually walk right over to and start chatting with. Before he could say anything more to Tina, she was off and heading to go serve someone else.

  “You’re staring at the drink as if it’s poison,” Jack noted with amusement.

  “Well, I don’t know exactly what to do with it.”

  “I think drinks are made for drinking,” Sam said, lifting his own drink off the table and demonstrating.

  “Ha-ha.” Noah frowned. “I can’t drink it. That’d be accepting it and that’d be wrong, right?”

  “Because of Krista?” Jack asked.

  “Well, yeah. We’re kind of seeing each other these days.” Noah shifted uncomfortably, feeling the women from the other table looking at him expectantly.

  “Kind of seeing?” Jack laughed under his breath. “That’s not the way Grace describes it.”

  Noah looked up. “Krista and Grace have been talking about us? What’d they say?”

  “The way I hear it, you and Krista are in a full-blown relationship. You might be headed down the aisle quicker than me, bro.”

  Noah felt a prickle of sweat—both from the women giggling at the other table and the prediction/warning from Jack.

  “You know that’s what women start thinking of immediately when you’re in a committed relationship. Their minds jump to the next step, and then the one after that,” Jack continued.

  “The one after that?”

  “Babies, bro,” Sam filled in. “It’s marriage and then babies. Trust me. Abby started talking about that on our wedding night.” A flicker of sadness shaded his eyes. Sam and Abby had never gotten to the next step before they’d separated.

  “But we just started dating.” Noah drank from the beer that he’d bought, staying clear of the one that the women had sent. Should he walk it over and say “no thank you”?

  “So you are dating, though? As in, just each other, no one else. Committed.” Jack leaned forward on his elbows.

  “I haven’t asked her to be my girlfriend or anything, if that’s what you’re asking.” Noah frowned. He hadn’t done an actual relationship since the girl he’d dated in college, and he’d done that relationship all wrong from the beginning to its disastrous end. “Am I supposed to ask her? Is that how it works these days?”

  “You’re sleeping together, right?” Sam asked.

  “I can answer that,” Jack raised a finger and grinned at Noah.

  Noah rubbed his forehead. “That’s it. I have to keep Krista and Grace away from each other.”

  “So if you’re sleeping together, I say you’re in a relationship,” Sam advised. “But she’s been wearing your necklace around her neck for decades and, in my opinion, that spells commitment, too.”

  Noah nodded. He braved a glance at the women at the table. They waved, so, not to be rude, he waved back. And that also felt like a betrayal to Krista. Damn. “I have no idea how to do this,” he muttered. “Is there a manual for how to act when you’re dating someone?” Because he did not want to screw up this thing with Krista.

  Jack reached for the drink that the women had sent over and got up. “You’re my best man, so I owe you one. I’ll return this and tell them that you’re honored, but you’re currently whipped.”

  Noah exhaled. “Thank you.”

  Jack walked off with the drink, leaving Noah and Sam alone at the table.

  “Hey, I’m happy for you, man,” Sam said, looking serious. “It’s about time you settle down. You’re the captain of your own boat now, and you’re doing a great job. Dad and I were just discussing it today.”

  “Yeah?” Noah relaxed into his chair.

  “Yeah. You might even pull in a bigger catch than us this season. Good call bringing Joey Nelson on board with you.”

  “He’s a great fisherman. It’s just supposed to be until he gets his cab fixed, but I hope he stays on.”

  “Well, even if he doesn’t, you’ll be fine. We were nervous when Jack stepped down as captain,” Sam admitted.

  Noah’s body tensed. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t known they’d all been nervous. That he hadn’t known he was their second choice.

  “No offense. You’re a stellar fisherman, bro. But you’ve always been kind of a wild card. You’ve never committed to anything longer than a season.”

  “Not true. I’ve been on the Summerly since high school.”

  “Only as crew. But you still had the option of going elsewhere and you thought about it more than a few times. You went off to college, then dropped out and came home.”

  Noah cringed. That had been after the pregnancy scare. He didn’t know how to raise a kid. Just like his brothers had said, as soon as the girl he’d been dating had thought she might be pregnant, she’d started talking about marriage. Noah had been in no way ready for that. He’d still been a kid himself. When his girlfriend realized she’d just been late on her period, he’d disappeared into a bathroom and had what he can only describe as a panic attack. He’d left college the next day and had come home like a coward. A failure. He’d felt like a royal jerk for leaving, but in the end, his girlfriend was better off without him.

  “I’ve grown up,” Noah told Sam. “College wasn’t for me.”

  “I know. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. You’ve grown into your own skin. You’re a good captain from what I can see and a good man. Proud of you, bro.”

  Noah swallowed. Never in his entire life had Sam given him so much credit. “Thanks. That means a lot.”

  “Just don’t screw it up with Krista,” Sam warned, sounding like Joey. “I screwed things up with Abby and now I have to pay for it.”

  “You could just go talk to her. I hear women like it when a man grovels.”

  Sam frowned. “When Abby makes a decision, that’s it. She’s not like most women. She doesn’t change her mind. She’s decided that I’m one of the bad guys.”

  “Sorry, man.”

  Sam shrugged. “Just make sure you do right by Krista. I know how much she means to you. She’s always meant a lot to you.”

  Jack returned to the table and plopped the drink in front of Sam now. “Since Noah and I are both taken, the women wanted me to give this drink to you,” he told Sam.

  Noah burst out laughing.

  Sam looked up at the women, seeming to consider the notion. Noah hadn’t known him to date anyone since Abby had left him, which was understandable because they still hadn’t filed for divorce. He shook his head. “No, can do,” he said, lifting the drink. “I’ll return it, though, and steer the women in the right direction. I have a single buddy sitting at the bar.” He walked off.

  Noah pulled his own drink to him, thinking about what Sam had said. He was a little offended that his dad and brothers had had their doubts about making him captain of the Summerly, but he understood it, too. He’d had his own doubts. But he was doing well, and yeah, he’d grown into his skin, especially lately. Being with Krista made him feel more anchored than he ever had. He didn’t feel like he was flying around in the breeze, just taking life day by day. He liked feeling this way. It felt good. He looked at his watch, missing Krista something bad right now. Maybe she was done cleaning her townhouse or whatever other errands she was handling tonight and missed him, too.

  “You’re checking your watch. Got a hot date?” Jack asked.

  Noah stood. “Yeah. I think maybe I do. If I don’t see you in the water, I’ll see you at the Thanksgiving get-together next Saturday.”

  Jack gave him a knowing look and waved. “Tell Krista hello for me.”

  “Will do.”

  Chapter 16

  “Just make sure you’re going into this with your eyes open. That’s all I’m saying. It’s my brotherly duty to tell you that and I’d be remiss if I didn’t.”

  Krista had come home to Joey wanting to talk to her. T
hey’d talked, he’d gone out to tinker with his cab, and he was back in the living room now, reiterating their earlier conversation.

  Krista walked over and made a pot of coffee despite the late hour. If she didn’t have a cup now, she’d be going straight to sleep and it was barely eight o’clock. “Eyes wide open already, Joe. I’m not a helpless little girl, you know.”

  “On top of that warning, I want to add, I think you and Noah are a good idea. I like you two together.”

  Krista turned in mid-reach to get the coffee mugs. “Now this is news. You never think any of the guys I date are a good idea.”

  Joey followed her and helped her retrieve the mugs which were just an inch higher than she could get without a stool. “Helpless little girl,” he tsked, then crowed as she tapped an elbow to his ribs and snatched the mugs. There were two, so she guessed he was having a cup of coffee with her.

  “I thought you gave up the nighttime coffee habit now that you’re working days.”

  “I did, and I’ll be working nights again just as soon as I get the cab fixed.”

  Krista took the pot and poured him a healthy glass. “Yeah? So you’ll quit fishing with Noah?”

  “Nope. I think I’ll do both. Fish during the season. Cabby a couple nights a week. I enjoy it.”

  Krista poured her coffee and took a sip. “Well, I won’t mind having you drive me, Grace, and Abby around on Thirsty Thursdays again.”

  Joey climbed up on the edge of the counter and sat with his cup of coffee. Sometimes Krista thought her brother had no idea how big of a man he actually was. She feared for the counter momentarily, that it might crumble under his muscle and stature. “Grace is about to get married. You’re dating Noah. I foresee those girls’ nights falling apart. You’ve already missed the last couple due to Grace’s wedding planning. Just a matter of time before Grace and Jack start a family.”

  “Yeah. I know. Thirsty Thursdays will turn more into me stopping by her place to help change diapers and rock the baby to sleep.”

  “You’ll be too busy doing whatever you and Noah do when you’re alone.” He covered his ears. “Not that I want to hear those details.”