I look at him for a long moment, then quirk a smile. “You really like her then, huh?” He nods. “Just be careful. I know how tempting things can be.”
He clears his throat and sits up straighter. “Mom, I mean this with the most respect possible, but I’m not you or Dad. I’m not going to make those mistakes. I’m not going to have sex with her. We’re too young. We’ve kissed, but that’s all.”
“I’m glad you’ve thought about everything. That’s very mature to have already thought about what you want from your relationship. I would say I wish I had been so smart, but if I had been, you wouldn’t be here. So for me, I’m glad things happened like they did.”
“I get that. I’m glad you were a dumb kid too,” Dylan says with a huge smile. I smack his arm with a dishtowel as I laugh with him.
“Why don’t we go out for dinner tonight, just the two of us?” I ask.
He takes his dishes to the sink before answering with, “Yeah, that’d be great. Can we go to that new place, on Beaker? Tyler says it’s awesome. I think it’s called Max’s Pizza.”
I nod. “Yeah, it is. I noticed it was open last week. I’ll get you after football and we’ll go.”
“Okay, let Grandma Penny know.” He kisses my cheek then heads out the door to Tyler’s house for his ride to school.
“I will. Have a good day.” I watch him cross the street to Tyler’s house, then finish getting myself ready for work.
~*~
“Morning, Dr. Thorn,” a nurse, Missy Anders, greets me as I breeze into the hospital.
“Hey, Missy. How are you this morning?”
“Oh, fine. I’m headed home after a twenty-four,” she answers with a yawn.
“Oh, wow. Poor girl. I hope you get some rest.”
She thanks me and I continue on my way to the OR wing. I grab a few patient files and head to my office to review them. I have clinic today, so I won’t be in the hospital much other than to check my post-surgery patients, which is why I’m here right now.
I’m startled when a coffee appears in my vision. “Ryan, you scared me,” I say, looking up into his handsome face.
“Sorry. I missed you this morning. I thought I’d stop by on my way in,” he explains.
“I missed you too. You know you can come over for breakfast anytime you want.”
“It’s okay. I slept in today. I wanted an excuse to see you, so I brought coffee,” he says.
I stand from my desk and walk around to him, wrapping my arms around him and pressing my lips to his. “Thank you. That was very sweet.”
“You’re very welcome. I like this,” he says fingering the collar of my purple silk blouse.
“Thanks. It’s some fancy brand. I should probably burn it because Todd bought it, but it’s one of my favorite shirts.”
“Well, we can forget he bought it. I bet I can give you a new memory to go with this blouse,” he says, his voice dropping in tone as he descends to my neck, kissing along my collarbone. He pops the first two buttons before I stop him.
“Ryan, I can’t … oh, we can’t.” I step back.
He drops his hands to his side and sighs. “Sorry. I just get so carried away with you.”
“Me too. Don’t be sorry.” I kiss him softly to help lessen his guilt. He’s such a good man. I want everything with him, just not in my office at work.
“I should get going. I’ll be out of the office most of the day, but I’ll have my cell if you need me. I’ll probably be late and not make dinner.”
“I can’t do dinner anyway. I have a hot date,” I tell him. His face falls and I giggle. “He’s about your height and has your smile.”
He smiles. “Ah, taking the boy out? That’s good. I was about to lay down the law,” he says with puffed chest and fists balled at his hips. You can see his gun under his leather jacket. He might look intimidating to anyone else. I find him and his jealousy adorable.
“Oh, you were, were you? What would that law be, Officer?”
He takes a step forward and pulls me flush to him. His face comes within centimeters of mine as he whispers, “You’re mine. No one else's.” He kisses me deeply. We jump when someone knocks on my door. “We’re always being interrupted,” he grumbles as he pulls away from me.
I giggle. “Well, maybe you should stop attacking me when we aren’t truly alone,” I recommend.
He grunts. “Fat chance with your rules.” At that I burst out laughing as I open the door, but my laughing stops as I see Trevor on the other side.
“You working today, Dr. Thorn?” Trevor asks tersely.
I try to discretely straighten my blouse, and clearing my throat I say, “Of course I am, but I’m not on the clock right now. Can I help you?”
“Just making sure you’re all right. You’re normally at the nurse’s station by now.” He looks behind me and says, “But now I see why. You have patients to see, Dr. Thorn. Playtime is over.” He turns and storms off before I can utter a word.
“Is he your boss?” Ryan asks. His face is pure fury.
I shrug. “He’s OR chief, so I guess … sort of. I really should get to work. I have to be at the clinic soon.”
Ryan is still not looking very happy, but he nods in understanding, He kisses me one last time before he heads out the door. Just then, I remember about Dylan and call after him.
“Ryan?” He stops and turns to me. “Do you mind calling your mom and letting her know that I’ll get Dyl from school.”
“Yeah, babe. Be careful. I love you.” He blows me a kiss before continuing on his way. I watch him for a long moment before turning towards the nurse’s station.
~*~
My day passes pretty quickly once I get going. There are plenty of patients to see and things to do. I’m almost ready to get Dylan when an emergency surgery is called. I call Penny to let her know the change of plans. She assures me she’ll take care of Dylan. Not that I had any doubt. I send him a text to let him know we’ll go tomorrow instead. I don’t wait for his reply before I’m off to get ready for surgery.
I swing by my locker to change for surgery. When I round the corner, I notice a piece of paper is sticking out of the vent. I pull it out to see my name scrawled on the front. Inside it says, ‘Your beauty is timeless. When I look at you I can’t help but stare. You stun me.’ It’s not signed, but I can imagine Ryan doing this. It makes me smile. He’s so sweet. He must have stopped by here on his way out this morning. I’ll have to thank him when I get home.
I hurry and change my clothes then head to the OR to scrub up. I’m at the sink washing my hands and arms when Trevor comes storming into the room. He comes as close to me as possible without actually touching me, but I can feel his hot breath on my neck. A surge of fear runs down my spine.
“Next time you decide to suck face with some man in your office, you might want to be sure the blinds are closed.” He steps back a little as a nurse enters. “It was highly unprofessional, Dr. Thorn. I suggest you take that under advisement for the future,” he says a little too loudly.
I’m so angry. How dare he say anything to me? He may be the chief of this OR, but he has no say in what goes on in my office.
“I wasn’t being unprofessional. I wasn’t on the clock,” I tell him.
I don’t say a thing about Ryan. He’s none of Trevor’s business. I don’t know why he’s so angry about it anyway.
“Clock or not, you’re a representative of this hospital. I’m not sure what the policy was where you last worked, but here you aren't to have unauthorized guests in the physicians hallway. Don’t let it happen again. Am I clear?” he barks.
“Crystal. Excuse me, I have a patient to save.”
I wish I could stand up to him, but I don’t. I just want away from him as quickly as possible. The man is crazy and making me nervous. I rush into position, check my surroundings and ask the nurse for a scalpel. My hand trembles as I hold it out for her to place the instrument in my hand.
“Are you okay, Dr. Thorn?” she
asks.
I nod and shake my hands out and take a calming breath. “I’m okay. Scalpel.”
She hands it to me and I go to work. I put Trevor and his nonsense behind me for the time being. I’ll have to deal with it later, and as much as I might not like Ryan’s reaction, I think he needs to know what’s going on. I take another steadying breath and begin my procedure.
~*~
I lay my head down on my desk with a little thud. I’m so tired. The surgery went well and my patient will be just fine. But now that it’s over and I can settle down, I’m crashing hard. I know it probably wouldn’t be like this if Trevor hadn’t yelled at me earlier. I have a hard time handling yelling, especially when it’s directed at me. I think it’s likely a left over from my time in the group homes. Even though that was sixteen years ago, it still makes my heart race. Sometimes, like today, I come close to having a panic attack. If he hadn’t dropped it I would have had one.
“Knock, knock,” the devil himself says as he taps on my open door. I should have shut the stupid thing! “Great job in there. I think that’s the fastest I’ve ever seen someone complete an appendectomy.”
“Um … thanks. Was there something you needed?” I ask, confused by his sudden mood change.
“Nope, just wanted to tell you that you did great. Get out of here. You’re off the clock now. Enjoy your day off tomorrow.” He smiles brightly then scampers down the hall.
I sit, staring after him. He was so furious with me less than an hour ago, now he’s acting as if nothing happened. Maybe he’s manic. I shake all thoughts of that freaky man out of my head and get my stuff together. At least he was right about the fact that I’m finished for today and tomorrow is my day off. I plan to go shopping with Gale and then take my son to dinner. I’d let him skip school if he didn’t have a test and practice.
I stop by my locker, having forgotten to get my regular clothes after I left the OR and I find another note. Maybe Ryan came by while I was in surgery. This one says, ’Perfect pairs are rare indeed, but I found mine in you. I can’t wait to start our forever.’ I can’t help but smile. He’s so sweet. He is perfect for me. Hopefully, I’ll get to see him tonight and thank him. I could call him, but he said he’d be really busy today. I don’t want to bother him. It can wait.
My house is dark when I get home. Though, I pretty much expected it would be. Dylan decided to stay over at Penny’s and Ryan texted to say he wouldn’t be home until late tonight. So what’s a girl to do when she’s all alone? A bubble bath and a sparkly drink sounds perfect to me.
I can’t remember the last time I was able to soak in the tub. Between work, moving, and Dylan's activities, I just haven't taken the time for myself. I’m taking extra time tonight. I need to relax after the stress of work today. Sinking into the hot, bubbly water is the best feeling in the world. My whole body goes limp with relief.
My mind drifts from thought to thought. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get Trevor out of my head. I don’t understand him. In college he was nice, kind of shy, but he was relentless about asking me out. I said no at first because my schedule was so busy, plus I had Dylan. I wasn’t over Ryan either. I was still daydreaming constantly about him showing up at my apartment. I didn’t think dating was fair to me or any guy I might go out with. So I said no. Trevor seemed fine with each rejection, he never gave up though. I’d say we were tentative friends, at best. Then one night, when I was feeling lonely and vulnerable, I said yes.
The date itself was okay. We went to eat at a nice little Italian restaurant and then took a walk on the boardwalk near the river. We held hands and talked about our lives, college, Dylan, and even Ryan. It was nice. It was perfect, until the end of the date. He dropped me off at home, but before he said goodnight, he told me he could see us getting married, giving Dylan siblings. He talked about homes, cars, boats, and careers. It was too much for me. I told him so, but he wouldn’t listen. Then, and I don’t know why I never remembered this before now, as he was getting ready to leave he said, ‘You’ll always be mine.’ I almost missed it, and when I asked him to clarify, he said something completely different. I avoided him for weeks after that and by the fall, I was dating Todd. I never really spoke to Trevor again, even though I saw him often.
I must have dozed off in the tub because the loud banging of my bathroom door against the wall startles me so badly I scream and knock my glass to the floor, shattering it and spilling the red liquid all over my white tiles. I scramble to cover myself with my towel as I pull my knees to my chest.
“Shayla!” Ryan shouts.
He barrels through the door and I’m sort of surprised by what I see. He’s completely disheveled, shirt half untucked, hair pulled back in a very messy bun, several strands have fallen out and his eyes are a mix of worry and relief. He’s to me in seconds, pulling me into his arms. Water splashes all over him and the floor. I’m so shocked that I don’t say anything for several long minutes. I don’t speak until I notice he’s shaking.
“Ryan, what’s wrong?” I can feel the growing panic. “Is Dylan okay?” I ask as my stomach drops to my feet.
“He’s okay,” he mumbles.
He lifts my naked wet towel covered body out of the tub and walks us to my bed and sits us down. He grabs a blanket from the bench at the foot of my bed and wraps me in it before pulling my face to his, kissing me with so much desperation it scares me. I pull back, breathing sharply. He doesn’t stop kissing me, he just continues down to my neck.
“Ryan, please tell me what’s wrong. You’re scaring me.”
I try to push him back, but he won’t budge. He just shakes his head, and keeps kissing me lower and lower. I give up and enjoy. It’s not until he gets to my breast that I come back to my senses.
“Stop, please,” I beg. Not that I want him to stop, but we can’t do this when he’s in this state. “Ryan, stop.”
He moves his forehead to my neck, resting it there. After several deep breaths he says, “There was a body found not far from the hospital matching your description. I couldn’t get you on the phone or at the hospital. I came straight here. I had to know.” He squeezes me tighter. “I can’t lose you.”
I tighten my hold on him and run my fingers through his hair, soothing him. “I’m here. It wasn’t me. I’m sorry I didn’t hear the phone. I fell asleep. Why didn’t you know she wasn’t me?” I ask, hesitantly.
He sits up and looks at me several moments, like he’s searching my face for something, then he cradles my face in his hands and kisses me sweetly. All the worry and panic seems to be gone.
“She was beaten so badly, her face was unrecognizable. Shay, she could’ve been your twin. Same blonde hair, body size, and shape. I lost it. I yelled at the chief and took off to find you.”
“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry. That poor girl.”
I hug him again, trying to soothe him as best I can. He pushes us back in the bed so we’re lying side by side. It’s not until then that I register I’m naked. I pull the blanket around me tighter and he chuckles.
“I’ve already seen it all.” He bops my nose with his finger.
I smile, grabbing and biting his finger. “That wasn’t fair.”
He shrugs. “Maybe not, but it doesn’t change the fact.”
I get up from the bed to get clothes. If he keeps looking at me like that, things will happen that I’m not ready for yet.
“Spoilsport,” he grumbles as I enter my closet.
“Patience is a virtue, Ryan James.”
“Don’t middle name me. I have patience. The patience of a saint.” His voice is closer. I turn to see him leaning against the closet doorframe.
“Do you mind? I’m not finished.” I say, trying to cover myself, even though it’s pointless.
“I don’t mind at all. Those are pretty,” he says, gesturing to my lacy hot pink bra and panties.
I blush. “Thanks.” I reach for my shirt, but he whisks it away.
My heart beat speeds. I’m not afraid of him
… quite the opposite, I want him badly, but now isn’t the time. He drops my shirt to the floor and drops to his knees in front of me. I have no idea what he’s going to do, but I know I won’t have the will power to stop him.
“Thank you,” he says, leaning forward and kissing my faded stretch marks from our son. He traces each one, kissing it with an almost reverence. “God, you’re beautiful.”
He looks up at me, his eyes full of love. I kneel down with him and kiss him with everything I have. Never has one action ever made me feel so beautiful, loved, or wanted. Oh, how I love this man. I can’t contain it anymore; I don’t know why I tried.
“I love you so much, Ryan.” Tears spring into my eyes. “I’m sorry it took me so long to say.” I kiss him again.
“Don’t be sorry. I understand why, but say it again.” He smiles happily.
“I love you,” I repeat.
He peppers my face with kisses as he says he loves me over and over again. “Let’s get out of this closet before we do something we’re not ready for,” he tells me. I notice then, that we’ve ended up lying on the floor with him perched on top of me. It would be easy to give in, but he’s right, we’re not ready.
~*~
“Hey, sweet girl,” Gale says as I enter her kitchen.
I greet her with a hug and kiss. “Morning, Mom.”
Her smile could light a dark sky. In the past, I didn’t refer to her often as Mom. I’ve mostly called her Maw, or Ma, because that’s what Dylan calls her, but since the break in I’ve realized that they are my parents. It doesn’t mean Hannah and James aren’t, but they can’t be here. Gale and Tom have been my parents for a long time and have done more than I could even express. They deserve to be called Mom and Dad. So, at thirty-one, I’m finally giving them the title they’ve deserved for so long.
“You ready for a day of shopping?” she asks excitedly. It’s the one thing we do not share. She loves shopping and I tolerate it.
I groan. “As I’ll ever be.”
She laughs. “I don’t understand you. You love clothes and shoes, but you hate shopping for them.”
Vengeance (Oak Grove Suspense Book 1) Page 10