by Krista Lakes
I stood at the bow, the warm wind skimming the ocean's surface. The water was turning from tropical aqua to a sapphire blue as we headed away from land. It wasn't long before all I could see was the gently rippling horizon in every direction.
Owen leaned against the railing beside me, close enough to touch if we wanted, but far enough away that the others wouldn't tease. "You look like you've seen a miracle," he said.
"I've never been out on the ocean before. Heck, I'd never even seen the ocean before I got here. It's spectacular." I gazed out at the water as it started to catch the light from the setting sun. The waves shone with tiny mirrors as the water began to turn golden with the sunset.
"You're doing well for a first-timer. Have you been on a boat before?"
I shook my head. "The only 'boat' I've been on is a paddle-boat at Gray's Lake. But even though I loved that, this is so much better."
Owen stared out at the horizon, nodding gently. He was about to speak when we hit a wave and the boat lurched. I wasn't expecting it, but Owen caught my hand and steadied me.
"No falling overboard. I don't really like swimming in my nice clothes," he said with an easy grin. He held onto my hand, not letting it go despite the fact that I no longer needed it. I was glad; I didn't want him to.
We stood there, looking out at the water as the sun kissed the horizon and turned the world to gold and crimson. It was spectacular, but over in an instant, as the dark night surrounded our tiny boat. It was so beautiful I was sure it had to be a dream. The sky began to twinkle, the sky full of more stars than I had ever seen. With Owen's hand in mine, I was sure I would wake up at any moment. It was all just too good to be true.
Owen slipped his arm around my shoulders, his warmth seeping into me as the heat from the sun dissipated. I knew that Emma, Jack and Robbie could clearly see us, but I didn't care. Despite my best intentions, I was falling hard for this charming man. I glanced over at him, taking in his golden hair, perfect cheekbones and broad shoulders, wondering what I had done to deserve this moment.
The boat dipped again, and Owen pulled me more tightly to him. I could smell his cologne mixing with the salt in the air. He turned, his eyes as deep as the water, and kissed me .
For a moment, I let myself forget everything but that kiss. There was no island, no flight tomorrow, no having to return home alone, just this moment wrapped up in his embrace. I knew this would never happen again, that I would never get another moment like this. Tomorrow I would go back to my life in Iowa, he would go back to his life in Dubai, and that would be the end. Our worlds were just too different for it to happen any other way.
"Hey! No making out on my boat!" Robbie yelled at us. I felt the blush flare across my cheeks as Owen let me go. I looked back to see Jack giving a small golf clap, but at least Emma was passed out on the deck chair.
I looked over at Owen and he gave me a grin. They were going to tease us both until the end of time, but, at that moment, I didn't care. It was worth it.
"You two lovebirds ready to head back?" Jack asked. I looked down at my watch surprised that we had been out on the water for over two hours at that point. Emma was snoring softly on the deck chair. I looked out at the water and could see the lights of the resort coming back into view.
Owen turned to me. "You want to finish that tour of my place?" He somehow managed to keep all the innuendo out of his voice. I glanced at Jack and Robbie as they trimmed the sails. Emma would be waking up soon.
"It would mean they would see us leaving together," I said softly. Owen kissed my cheek.
"I don't care if you don't," he whispered back. I grinned and grabbed his hand, ready to go explore his mansion. I was on vacation, and I was going to have a good time.
***
"You sure you don't want me to come to the airport with you?" Owen asked as he lounged on my bed. He had his head in his hand, elbow bent as he watched me finish packing my bags. I thought about jumping him again right there. We had just come from his beach house so I could pack after a fantastic night together. I was going to be sore for days as it was, so I decided against it.
"No, I'd rather go by myself." No need for him to see me freak out getting on the plane. I would rather he not remember me as a terrified mess. "Thank you though."
He gave me a radiant smile. "You sure you have to leave? I can have my private jet fly you home."
I thought about it for a long moment. It was such a tempting offer. "I can't. I have to work tomorrow."
He made a face that told me he clearly wasn't impressed by my excuse. I laughed and crawled up on the bed next to him. "I had to fight to get this much time off. Besides, I like my job."
"I thought you said you wanted to open a B&B?"
I gave him an impressed look. He had been paying attention.
"I do, but there's no way I can afford to right now. I've got student loans out the wazoo, and I don't feel right having Emma pay them off."
Owen nodded. I knew we were both avoiding the subject we really wanted to talk about. What would happen after this vacation? There was no fake marriage ceremony tying us together, no paparazzi that would be hounding me everywhere I went. He had no reason to visit me, and despite his heartfelt words, I just couldn't see us continuing a real relationship.
A knock on the door announced my driver to the airport. I looked at Owen and slowly stood up from the bed to answer the door. The driver took my bags, wheeling them to the waiting car while giving me some privacy to say goodbye.
"Owen," I started, but I couldn't find the words to make this hurt less. Goodbyes were always hard for me.
Owen didn't say a word, he just wrapped me up in his arms and kissed me.
I've never wanted a kiss to last forever as much as I did then.
When we finally broke apart, I turned and ran, unable to look him in the eye. I wanted that moment to be perfect in my mind forever. If I didn't actually say goodbye, then maybe it wouldn't actually happen.
Owen stood out on the porch of my room, his blonde hair blowing softly in the wind as the car rolled away. He held up one hand in a wave, growing smaller until I could no longer see him. I cried all the way to the airport.
Chapter 8
"Kaylee, you have a new patient in Room Four and the man in Room Five is puking again." Allie, one of the ER unit assistants, sidled up to me, handing me the freshly made chart for the patient in Room 4. "I have Mr. Smith in Room Three ready for his EKG, and we are just waiting on Dr. Gregory to come consult. By the way, how was your sister's wedding?"
"It was great. I think Iowa needs an ocean," I said with a grin. Allie giggled in agreement as I flipped open the battered blue plastic binder and started scanning through the patient's history. Thomas Birch. Male, age sixteen, fell skateboarding. Complains of 8/10 pain in wrist. No known allergies or other pertinent medical history. It was looking like a fairly routine-but-busy day.
At least the busy day would keep my mind off a certain someone. "We'll probably need X-rays," I said after reading the file. "Will you find out what the wait time is down in Radiology? And go ahead and let Marta know that Mr. Birch can have the standard pain med protocol. For the man in Room Five, make sure he has a bucket. I'll check on him next and see if we can't up the medication in his IV."
Allie nodded and hurried off to find the nurse. I tucked the chart under my arm and headed to the room. A young man stared up at me with big eyes, trying to be brave as his eyes betrayed the fear crawling up inside of him. I knew he was taking in my white lab coat, the chart under my arm, and the dark blue scrubs, hoping that I would be able to make things better.
"Are you the doctor?" he asked. His mom looked up, her face anxious.
"I'm Kaylee, and I'm a physician's assistant. I'd like to take a look at your arm, if that's okay with you."
He nodded slowly as I washed my hands and sat down on a wheelie chair by his gurney. He started to tell me how the accident happened, and I listened as I looked him over, asking questions and jotting n
otes. The poor kid's arm had an extra bend in it and was swollen. It looked really painful. Quickly I scribbled down my observations onto the chart. Probable closed distal radius fracture: no open wound. X-ray, consult with ortho, cast vs surgery, my mind ran through the diagnosis, thinking of the next steps.
"You're going to have to lay off the ollies for a little while with this. It looks like you have a distal radius fracture, or a broken wrist. We'll need an X-ray to know for sure exactly what's broken." I gently placed his damaged wrist back in his lap. He looked at me with big eyes. "As long as it is just a simple break, it shouldn't be a problem. In a little bit, someone will be in to take you to Radiology to get your X-rays. Once we get them back, we'll have a better idea of what to do next."
"Is he going to need surgery?" The boy's mother's face was pale and drawn.
"We won't know until after the X-rays. Hopefully not, though," I answered honestly. The mother nodded and pressed her lips into a thin line. "I'll make sure to let you know as soon as we get the films. Can I get you anything?"
The boy and his mother shook their heads, and I thanked both of them, washed my hands and left the room. I could hear a trauma alert going off for Section Three. I was Section Two, but I still mentally prepared myself. If it was a rough one, I would have to hop over and help.
"Kaylee, you have a phone call, line two," Allie called out to me from the desk. I went into the nurse's station and found a chair, opening the chart to write my notes and orders before picking up the phone.
"ER, this is Kaylee, how may I help you?"
"If I wanted to see you again, would I have to be a patient?" The voice caught me off guard for a moment. No way it was Owen. As much as I wanted it to be him, there was no way a suave, handsome billionaire was going to call me at the ER.
"Owen?" I hoped I didn't sound as squeaky through the phone as I did to my own ears.
"Are you in the habit of seeing many people?" I could hear his handsome smile through the phone. Out in the parking lot an ambulance siren sounded its arrival. I glanced up, checking the status boards, seeing two more patients pop up for my area. Hopefully the trauma wouldn't need my help because this day was starting to look a little hectic.
"If you came into this ER without a major trauma, I would give you one. It is too busy today and we are just getting busier." I scribbled out my signature on the bottom of the order page and handed the chart to the charge nurse for order input.
"Alright then. What time do you get off work?"
"7:30. Though it's usually a little later just to finish paperwork. Why?" Three new patients in the waiting room.
"I'll give you a call then." There was a smile in his voice as the line shifted to silence. I placed the receiver back on the phone, a small smile forming on my lips. It was something to look forward to at the end of my shift. The medics wheeled an elderly woman with what appeared to be a broken hip into the trauma room. At least they weren't going to need the backup, I thought to myself as I headed to room five.
My mind kept replaying Owen's voice, the promise lingering in my head. I'll give you a call then. I wondered where he got the ER's phone number, but I realized it wouldn't be that hard to figure out. He knew I worked in an ER and there aren't very many ERs in Des Moines. Heck, it wouldn't be that hard to figure out my private cell number for a man as wealthy as Owen.
I couldn't wait to hear from him again. I stepped into Room Five, my shoes slipping on the floor. Just because we had given him a bucket didn't mean he was using it. I sighed. 7:30 couldn't come fast enough.
Chapter 9
My feet hurt so much I was tempted to crawl through the parking lot to get to my car. It was almost 8:00, but the ER had been so packed I hadn't been able to escape any earlier. My boss was not going to be pleased with all the overtime. Maybe she'll stop pestering me to take extra shifts, I thought. Nah, not gonna happen in this lifetime. The phones had been ringing off the hook, but the desk secretary promised none of the calls had been for me. I had been able to stave off disappointment until I got to my locker and saw I had no messages on my phone.
So much for Owen's call.
As I stepped out of the main ER doors, the frosty night air stung my face. It smelled like it might snow later. I adjusted my scarf to keep the draft out of my coat and began the long walk to my car. I was just hoping it would start with the bitter cold and a semi-dead battery. Note to self, I really needed to get that fixed. Just as I reached the curb, my phone began to buzz.
A grin cracked my face as I didn't even pause to look at the caller ID and just hit "Answer".
"Owen?" I asked excitedly into the phone.
A siren from the ambulance room sounded, covering up any response I might have heard. I shot an irritated glare toward the ambulance driver, hoping that Owen was still on the line. I nearly dropped my phone when I looked over though.
Instead of seeing a bashful EMT, there was Owen, leaning against the hood of the ambulance with a bouquet of flowers. He grinned and pushed himself off the red hood and gracefully sauntered over to where I stood, my jaw resting on the pavement. He reached over and gently hit the "End Call" button once he reached me, the contact bringing me out of my shock at seeing him.
"What are you doing here?" My mind was spinning. This had to be a trick my brain was playing. Owen was supposed to be in New York working for Jack, not bringing me flowers at an ER in Des Moines.
"It's a little after 7:30, and I said I would call you. So, I'm calling you," he said quietly. His breath frosted the night air as he spoke and he was close enough that I could almost feel his warmth. I was torn between reaching out and touching him to make sure he was real, or just holding still and letting the dream continue. "These are for you."
He held out the flowers, the plastic lining rustling as he uncovered the protective shell so I could see them. They were soft pink plumeria flowers. I took a deep breath, the sweet fragrance instantly bringing me back to the warm sun and sand. I realized they were the same type of flowers that I had been wearing in my hair.
"They're beautiful," I whispered. My eyes flickered up to look at him and his blue eyes made my heart skip a beat. Even in the garish light of the garage he was gorgeous. I kept hoping he would lean down and kiss me.
"Not as beautiful as you," he whispered, and for a moment, I believed him. He tipped his chin down, angling to bring his mouth to mine, but then a cold wind whipped my hair, flinging the tiny strands that had escaped my messy pony tail into my eyes. It must have hit him too, and I remembered we were standing in the middle of an ambulance receiving bay.
"Thank you," I said as I shivered. Owen looked perfectly warm in his long black wool overcoat, but my own coat was just a little short in the sleeves and let in bursts of cold air whenever I moved. Owen rubbed his gloved hands up and down my arms as soon as he saw I was trembling.
"Let's get you out of the cold. Follow me. I have Chinese food in the car." He reached for my hand and began pulling me gently toward Visitor Parking. I followed eagerly, my stomach growling for something other than hospital coffee and the bagel I stole from the doctor's lounge for lunch.
"Chinese? How did you know to bring exactly what I was craving?" Sesame chicken sounded like the most delicious thing I could imagine at that moment. Well, at least as far as food went...
"I'm just that good..." He smirked like it was true, but it quickly crumbled into a guilty grin when I raised my eyebrows. "Emma told me it was your favorite. I was going to get us reservations at a French restaurant, but she made sure I knew that you could be a grouch at the end of your shifts and I would be risking my life taking you anywhere nice in scrubs. So, I have comfort food and a bottle of wine in the car."
I shook my head. "As much as I hate to admit it, she's right. I probably would have killed you in a horrible and gruesome fashion if I was expected to go out tonight. Chinese gets you extra brownie points."
Owen laughed. My night was infinitely better now, the stresses of the busy shift drifting away
on the the last of the winter winds. This was the best way to end a shift. A large black limousine loomed up out of the darkness, purring softly in a corner of the visitors' lot. Owen opened the door and I slid in, the smell of delicious food steaming the tinted windows.
"Oh my god, it smells amazing in here! What all did you get?" I wriggled out of my jacket and bent over one of the brown paper bags, tearing into it like a rabid badger.
"Sesame chicken, lemon chicken, shrimp lo-main, spicy beef stir-fry, wontons, dumplings, egg-rolls, and egg fried rice. I hope I got something you like."
I paused long enough in my frantic opening of the bag to grin up at him as he shrugged gracefully out of his coat. "Something I like? You got everything I like!"
He relaxed into the seat, rolling his shirt cuffs up, his blue eyes watching me with a twinkle. "Good. I'd hate for you to starve."
I popped a dumpling into my mouth and made a funny face at him, enjoying the way his face crinkled when he laughed. He leaned over and dug into one of the bags until he pulled out a box of fried rice and a pair of chopsticks. He easily started eating the rice with the cheap wooden sticks.
"How'd you learn to do that?" I asked, my mouth full of chicken and dumpling.
"I travel a lot. Japan is a big market and there are a lot of business meetings over dinner." He easily maneuvered the tiny grains of rice into his mouth like it was easy to get them to stick together and not fall all over the leather seats.
"Japan? That must be exciting," I said, taking another bite of sesame chicken. Owen nodded and continued eating his rice.
"I don't get to go there often. I mostly travel to the Middle East and recently to growing parts of Asia and Africa."
"Aren't those parts of the world dangerous?"
"A little. But, it's my job, so I do it. If I go to Japan sometime soon, would you like to go with me?" He lifted his chopsticks neatly to his mouth without a single grain of rice falling off.