“Uh oh... seems like somebody has feelings for a certain girl we know. Sounds pretty much like jealousy, if you ask me.”
Ryan shook his head in resignation. Nobody would ever understand the way he and Valerie felt for each other.
“I told you she’s like a sister to me, Kev, and just like a responsible big brother, I won’t let an eccentric artist get his paws on her and break her heart.” He pointed a finger at him and glared. “You’re warned.”
Kevin raised his hands in surrender, as he chuckled. “Okay, I’ll try to behave.”
Which meant Ryan would have to keep an eye on him. He knew his friend too well, and recently Valerie’s name had popped up in too many of his conversations. Kevin was a good guy, but he just wasn’t right for Valerie. Ryan would do anything to keep him away from her, and he promised himself right there and then that he wouldn’t let Kevin break her heart.
When they reached Kevin’s house, they realized he belonged to a very wealthy family, even though he’d never said anything or bragged about it.
“Wow!” Valerie said, as soon as they got out of Kevin’s father’s Range Rover. “How many bedrooms does your house have? A hundred?”
“The house itself dates back to the Civil War. It’s been restored a few times since then, but the main structure hasn’t been changed, so yes, there are quite a few rooms—not a hundred though.”
He winked at Valerie, and she blushed. Ryan noticed their exchange and bit his lip to keep from yelling at his friend in front of his father.
“So, are you, like, a millionaire or something? Will we have dinner served by butlers in black suits and bow-ties?” Valerie asked in awe.
“Nope, no butlers, sorry.” Kevin laughed and shook his head, pulling his duffel bag out of the trunk. “And I ain’t a millionaire either. Dad’s got a very successful job; let’s say we haven’t had trouble with money lately.”
Ryan stared at the white two-story house with two large columns supporting the roof of the huge front porch, and wondered why Kevin had never said anything about belonging to a wealthy family. Not that it would’ve mattered, but Ryan thought knowing it before getting there would’ve been nice, especially since he now felt awkward about the casual clothes he’d brought and the cheap presents he and Valerie had bought for Kevin’s parents.
Kevin’s father locked the car and they followed him inside. Everything seemed even bigger than it had looked from the outside. Definitely awkward.
Kevin’s family welcomed them and before Kevin led them upstairs to the bedrooms, a Golden Retriever named Max trotted lazily toward them, with his tongue lolling out. Valerie patted his head and scratched his ears, and was rewarded with frantic tail wagging and a sloppy lick on her hand.
Once all the family members were introduced, Kevin showed them to their room.
“Hope you guys don’t mind sharing.” He winked at Ryan as he opened the door to a bedroom with two twin-sized beds on the right-hand side.
“Cut it out, Kev!” Ryan said through gritted teeth. Kevin chuckled, totally unfazed, and pulled the door behind him, leaving them alone.
“What’s wrong?” Valerie asked as soon as Kevin was gone.
Ryan shrugged and put his duffel bag on the bed on the right. “Just a silly thing between roommates, nothing serious.”
He walked to the window and stared out at the garden, covered in white, fluffy snow. Winter was beautiful, especially in the countryside. Snow gave the world a magical feeling, and he almost expected elves and a red-nosed reindeer to come out from behind the bushes and tall trees.
“Some house he’s got, huh?” he said, hoping the change of subject would make Valerie less suspicious about what he and Kevin were talking about.
Valerie came up from behind him and pulled on his sleeve. He turned around, and when he met her eyes, he saw hurt in the blue depths.
“Do you mind sharing a room with me? Did you want to share it with Kevin?”
Ever since she’d moved to Boston two years ago, Valerie had worried Ryan would prefer having a male friend, especially now that they weren’t kids anymore. His attempts at telling her that things would never change, no matter how old they were or how many people they’d meet on the way, had all been in vain.
“Why should I mind? We shared a room back home, didn’t we? On New Year’s Eve, when you stayed at my place, remember?”
She shrugged and looked out the window, still hanging onto his sleeve.
“We were kids back then. I thought maybe it would feel strange for you now. I don’t know...” she trailed off, as her cheeks pinked just a little.
Yes, maybe it was a little unusual, come to think of it. They were in their twenties now—anyone would consider this weird, but why should she? She knew she was like a sister to him, and things shouldn’t be awkward between siblings, should they? Even though, technically, they weren’t real siblings, they acted as if they were. It was kind of normal that they should feel awkward, though—especially with Kevin constantly hinting that they were more than friends.
“Whatever’s going on in that silly brain of yours, trust me: it’s nothing to do with you.” She’d gone all quiet, and this meant she was lost in thoughts and what ifs. “You know people never really understand the way we feel for each other, and Kevin’s just another one of them. But I’m taking care of that, don’t worry. He’ll get it, sooner or later.”
He put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her a little. A knock on the door made them both wince and, as they turned, they saw Kevin’s head peep in.
“Hi guys! Am I interrupting something?” He wiggled his eyebrows, and Ryan shot him a deathly glare, which Kevin ignored. He stared straight at Valerie and put on his most charming grin. “We’re just about to have hot chocolate with marshmallows downstairs. Would you like to join us?”
Valerie nodded, and Ryan noticed her cheeks were flushed as she walked past him to leave the room. Ryan narrowed his eyes at Kevin in warning, earning yet another chuckle, then followed him down the wide, winding staircase. This vacation was going to be tough.
They spent most of Christmas day in the dining room. Just like Kevin had told him, his mother was a great cook and her lunch would’ve been enough to feed an army. After they’d eaten dessert, Kevin and Ryan took turns in playing Christmas tunes on Kevin’s piano, jazzing them up a little, and everyone seemed to enjoy their renditions. Eventually, Kevin suggested they take Max for a stroll in the woods around the house before it got dark. Valerie seemed excited by the opportunity to walk Kevin’s dog. She’d always wanted one, and used to complain to Ryan all the time because her parents wouldn’t let her have a puppy.
The woods around Kevin’s house looked like they had popped out from a fairy tale world. Everything was covered in fluffy snow and the silence was broken only by the crunching sound of their boots. Valerie’s cheeks had turned rosy and Ryan couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her so excited about something. She’d been so busy with college that they’d never really been able to do anything together—although he’d offered more than once to take her to Washington or to New York and act like tourists.
He was happy he had accepted Kevin’s invitation, even though Valerie had tried to object at first, saying she had to prepare for an exam and didn’t want to waste precious time. She needed to chill out a little. Seeing the carefree way she ran after Max now, laughing and squealing like a little girl, proved he’d been right.
When she ran back toward them with a big grin on her face, Ryan realized how much he’d missed that happy expression. She’d spent so much time cooped up in her room recently that they’d barely had time to see each other, and when they did, she was always tense and stressed.
“I love it out here,” she said, her breath creating little puffs of white steam. “And I love your dog; he’s a real cutie!”
“Yeah, well, he gets it from me.” Kevin chuckled as he tucked his gloved hands in the pockets of his coat.
“Show-off,” Ryan m
uttered out of the corner of his mouth, loud enough for them to hear it.
“What’s that?” Kevin turned around, pretending he hadn’t heard him. The twinkle of mischief in his green eyes told Ryan otherwise.
Valerie laughed and shook her head. She’d been around Kevin long enough to know he flirted with every nice-looking female he came across. Recently, though, Ryan had noticed a change in Valerie’s attitude when Kevin was around. She blushed more often and looked a little more uncomfortable at his saucy comments and innuendos than she ever had. His protective brother gene had immediately kicked in, making him extremely wary. Kevin was a good guy, he had nothing against him; but he wasn’t right for Valerie. He didn’t want his best friend to end up with a broken heart because of his roommate.
No sooner had the thought crossed Ryan’s mind than Kevin looped his arm around her in a friendly—but definitely too intimate—way. Ryan’s blood boiled and his hands balled up in fists. Valerie stiffened, and he knew Kevin’s behavior was making her uneasy, but he didn’t think making a scene now would help. He’d have to speak to him when Valerie couldn’t hear, so he simply swallowed the bile and tried to restrain the urge to strangle his roommate.
“You can come and stay with my family any time you like,” Kevin said, using a husky tone that annoyed Ryan even more. “You don’t need an official invitation, you know. You can be my special guest whenever you want, even if Ryan can’t join us.”
From where he was standing, Ryan could see that Kevin was grinning at him and when their eyes met, he winked at Ryan in a sort of silent communication. Yep, that talk would have to happen really soon, before Kevin could get any closer to Valerie.
“I guess I won’t have much free time in the next few years to come. I’ve got to study hard if I want to become a competent doctor,” Valerie said, pulling back a little in a shy attempt to free herself from Kevin’s grasp. He reluctantly let go, and Ryan finally exhaled. It seemed he’d underestimated her—she could defend herself, after all. “But thank you; it’s been really nice of you to invite us over.”
Kevin shrugged and tucked his hands in his pockets again. “My pleasure, Valerie. My pleasure, indeed.”
“Okay guys, I think it’s time we went back. I’m freezing out here.” Ryan stepped closer to Valerie and linked arms with her, in an attempt to show Kevin whom she belonged to—not that she belonged to him literally, but he knew Kevin would get it anyway.
“Keep your hands off Val, or you’ll be in trouble.”
Valerie was taking a hot shower before bedtime, so Kevin had invited Ryan into his room while they waited for her to finish. This would probably be the only chance to have that chat, and he’d decided that beating around the bush would be useless.
Kevin chuckled, not at all scared by Ryan’s threat—not that Ryan had expected him to be, but still. He turned his back to Ryan and shrugged, plopping on his bed.
“You’ve spent the last four years reminding me she’s not your girlfriend, even before she came to Boston, and as far as I know she’s not seeing anyone right now, so—”
“I’ve already told you she’s off-limits,” Ryan cut in abruptly, fighting to keep his voice down. “Go play your games with whomever you want, but stay the hell away from her.”
Ryan realized he was acting a little over-dramatically, but the last thing he wanted was for her to get hurt. Especially if the person hurting her was his roommate.
“I think she’s old enough to decide whom she wants to date,” Kevin deadpanned. Ryan snorted in exasperation.
“I’m warning you, Kevin. You’re my friend and I don’t want to start fighting with you, but if you don’t back off now, I swear I’ll kick your ass—roommate or not.”
Kevin laughed and linked his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. “You won’t be able to protect her forever, Ryan,” he said in a serious tone. “Either you claim her as your girlfriend, or she’s bound to fall for someone else sooner or later, whether you like it or not. And you won’t have a say in that, man.”
Damn. Kevin was right. He had no rights over Valerie. Other than being her best friend and her “adoptive” big brother, he could claim no ownership rights, so to speak. He couldn’t tell her who she should date, and he wouldn’t be able to keep all the jerks away from her. Some day she would meet someone she’d fall for and maybe Ryan wouldn’t approve of him; but for the sake of their friendship he’d have to take a step back and maybe even pretend to like him, just so that she’d be happy.
However, for the time being, and as long as Valerie would let him, he’d do whatever he could to make sure she didn’t get her heart broken. “Maybe you’re right; maybe I can’t protect her from all the players, but I can and I will protect her from you, Kev. No freaky artist with his head up in the clouds will get his hands on her. Understood?”
Kevin grinned, and Ryan could tell that there was more behind that grin than what Kevin wanted to show, but he decided to let it go.
“Well, just because you’re my closest friend and I don’t want to spoil our friendship, I will keep my hands off your precious Valerie. But you owe me, dude. You owe me big time.”
“I don’t owe you anything, Blakely. You should be thankful I’ve decided to spare your life this time,” Ryan said in his scariest threatening tone. “I should have given you a black eye out there in the woods, just because you touched her without my permission.”
Kevin laughed out loud and rolled on his bed holding his belly as if Ryan had just told him the funniest joke ever. When he pulled himself together, he sat up and looked at Ryan with a straight face. His serious expression gave Ryan the chills.
“Mark my words, Ryan. One day, most probably when your precious Valerie has already been claimed by someone else and is already wearing a wedding ring, you’ll realize that she’s the woman of your dreams. But it’ll be too late and you’ll regret telling me off every time I tried to open your eyes about it.”
Ryan shook his head, although a smile crept up behind his fake frown. “You’re talking like my grandfather, now.” He remembered his grandfather telling him over and over, even after Ryan had moved to Boston, that he should open his eyes and let his heart take over. “And before you start preaching any further, I think I’ll go to bed.”
“Kiss Valerie goodnight for me!” Kevin yelled, just before Ryan closed the door, and Ryan laughed in spite of it all. Kevin would be no real danger after all.
Chapter 23
*** Present day ***
It was a rainy, February night, and though it was close to midnight, it had unexpectedly been a quiet shift so far. Valerie had spent most of the time chatting with the nurses and rearranging patients’ files in the office behind the nurses’ desk.
When they’d called her to replace Doctor Moore on the night shift, she’d reluctantly had to cancel her dinner arrangements with Ryan. He’d come back the day before from a European tour that had started soon after New Year’s Day and he’d invited her out to dinner, knowing she’d have the night off. She’d felt flattered that he’d wanted to spend time with her, even though his girlfriend was in town and he could’ve gone out with her instead. But Jennifer had been with him most of the time during his tour, so it was Valerie’s turn to spend time with him now—she was glad he’d thought the same.
She’d missed him so much these past six weeks. Ever since he’d become a celebrity and started touring, she always felt as if a piece of her heart went away with him wherever he traveled. She never felt complete until he came back.
She’d just started writing a text message to him when the sliding doors to the ER opened, and two paramedics came in pushing a stretcher with a person on it. Valerie sprang up from her chair and rushed toward them, followed by Sharon, one of the nurses on shift. When she realized how bad this casualty was, Valerie’s blood went cold.
“Male, thirty-one, car accident,” Allan, the chief paramedic, said in his usual professional tone. “His vitals are critical, his blood pressure is lo
w, we’ve attached him to a saline drip, but I think he might have internal damage. He needs immediate surgery.”
Surgery.
The word rang in her head like an alarm bell and she froze in place. It wasn’t until she’d reached the hospital to start her shift that she’d found out that she was the only surgeon on duty in the ER that night—even though, technically she couldn’t really consider herself a surgeon anymore. To say she hadn’t been pleased would be putting it mildly, but she was sure there had to be surgeons working in the wards she could call, if needed. Even so, she’d spent the night praying that no bad casualties needing surgery would be brought in until her shift was over.
And now she was face to face with her worst nightmare. That man needed a surgeon, and she was a surgeon after all, but she’d never be able to operate on him.
“Sharon, we need to call someone else,” she said, her voice shaking just as much as her hands. “We need to call a surgeon.”
“I thought you were a surgeon, before you moved to the ER?” Allan asked, although the reason why she’d left surgery was common knowledge. His tone was skeptical, as if he couldn’t believe a doctor could refuse to save a patient.
“I can’t do it. I just can’t do it,” she said, shaking her head and talking more to herself than to the people around her. “Please don’t ask me to walk into an operating room. I simply can’t do it. We need to find someone else.”
A wave of nausea and dizziness took hold of her body, just at the thought of being forced to walk through those doors and pick up a scalpel. She took a step back and leaned back against the door frame.
“Sharon, call surgery and see if anyone’s available so we can bring the man into the OR.” Valerie’s voice trembled. Sharon stared at her with raised eyebrows.
“But Valerie, you could—”
“No buts! I need you to get someone to take care of this. I’m not going to lose another patient on the operating table. Just call surgery now and stop wasting time!”
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