The students walk off stage and Elliot and I stand up to wait outside the auditorium.
“She was amazing,” I say. Elliot nods and smiles at me, gently kissing my forehead.
“She had your help along the way. I don’t know if I’d have had the patience to learn those lines with her.”
“It was fun! Didn’t I ever tell you I was an actress?” I say with a dramatic flourish of my hand. Elliot laughs. His laughs come more naturally now. I see him smile all the time, even catch him smiling when no one is looking.
Gracie runs down the hallway toward us and Elliot extends the bunch of flowers he bought. She flies right past them into his arms.
“Daddy! Did you see me?”
“Of course I did, kiddo. You were amazing.”
“Emma! You were right, once I got up there, I wasn’t nervous at all. It was so much fun.”
I smile and ruffle her hair just like her dad does to her. She grins and backs away, finally taking the flowers from Elliot.
“Thanks, Dad,” she says. “Can we go get ice cream?”
“Of course, kiddo. You earned it.”
Elliot and I glance at each other. I know he’s about to ask her what we’ve talked about and my heart starts jumping out of my chest. I’ve slipped into life so easily with them, and I know that Gracie likes my company, but this is a huge step for all three of us.
“Gracie, Emma and I wanted to ask you something,” Elliot starts. He kneels down so he’s eye to eye with her, and I glance at the two of them, feeling my heart grow. The love I have for them is unbelievable.
Gracie holds up a hand.
“Wait, I think I know what it is,” she announces. Elliot and I exchange a glance. He grins at his daughter.
“Okay, smartie-pants, what is it?”
“You want Emma to move in with us.”
How did she know? That kid is way too smart for her own good.
To be fair, I’ve been spending almost every night there, only going back to my apartment a day or two a week. Elliot and I have been busy since the arrests. He’s been setting up his own practice and I’ve been doing the financial work. Every day is a long day and a lot of times it’s easier just to come home together. I wouldn’t want to go home anywhere else, if I’m honest. My apartment seems cold and lonely since Elliot and Gracie came into my life.
Elliot laughs. “Well, what do you say? Would you be happy if Emma came and stayed with us?”
“She basically already does, Dad,” Gracie says with an exaggerated eye roll. “When are you guys going to get married already?”
“All right, all right, let’s get you some ice cream,” Elliot responds as he stands up. He looks at me with his blue eyes sparkling. “Well, when are we going to get married?” he asks me as Gracie runs ahead.
I don’t know how to respond. My eyes widen and Elliot laughs.
“Don’t look so scared Emma,” he says with a grin.
“Are you proposing?” I ask him, looking at the school hallway and wondering how this happened.
“I think Gracie did that for me,” he responds with a laugh.
“Well in that case, I think we’d better do it. You know that she always gets her way,” I say with a wink. “Spoiled rotten.”
We’re walking down the hallway hand in hand when Elliot stops. He turns to me and puts his hand on the side of my face, pulling me in for a deep kiss. He pulls away, just inches from my face as he stares into my eyes.
“I’m serious, Emma. Marry me.”
My heart explodes in my chest and I can’t help the smile that spreads on my face.
“Okay,” I answer simply. He grins and pulls me in for another kiss. I wrap my arms around him and lose myself in his lips. We stay like that, kissing in the school hallway until we hear a familiar voice calling out to us.
“Gross. Get a room, you guys!”
Elliot and I burst out laughing and turn to see Gracie with her hands on her hips, looking at us with raised eyebrows.
“We’d better go and get some ice cream,” I say.
“To celebrate,” Elliot responds with a wink. He puts his arm around me and we walk out with Gracie. I look at my new family and wonder what I did to get so lucky. I’ve never been as happy as I am right now.
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Keep reading for Book 3: Doctor L
Doctor L
Doctor’s Orders: Book 3
1
Dave
The first Thursday of the month is always a good day. It’s Steak and Cigars with my grandfather, our monthly ritual that has lasted through the years. Well, almost. I’ve been busy with work and life this past little while and I haven’t been back to the big house on Long Island in just over three months.
I pat my chest to make sure the fine Cuban cigars are still tucked away in my jacket. Feeling them safe in my breast pocket, I nod to myself and swing my legs out of the car. I slam the door to my all-black Mercedes, smoothing my hair down in the reflection from the tinted black windows. That car was my birthday present to myself this year. Things have been going well at the plastic surgery practice where I work. I’ve just gotten a raise. My clients are booking more procedures with me and my work is starting to get noticed across the state. Things are good, really good. I whistle to myself as I turn to the house.
My footsteps crunch on the white gravel underneath me as I walk up the winding pathway to my grandfather’s house. There’s a bounce in my step.
I get to the tall double oak doors and grab the handle. I never ring the doorbell — they’re always expecting me on Steak and Cigar nights. I push the heavy gold-colored handle down and to my surprise, it doesn’t swing downwards when I press it. It’s locked. I frown, fishing in my pockets for my keys. It must be the new day nurse, I tell myself. She doesn't know how things work yet.
I sigh, trying not to judge her too harshly before I’ve even met her. It’s been a long process to find the right nurse. I’ve already had to fire two other nurses for making mistakes with my grandfather’s medication and care regimen. He sounds happy enough with her, but I’m hoping to use this meal as a gauge to see if she really is taking care of him properly. Finally I find my key and slide it into the lock, swinging the door open and stepping through.
“Pop! Hope you’ve got the grill ready,” I call out into the huge house. I close the door behind me and wipe my shoes on the plush foyer mat.
“In here,” comes a faint voice from the living room to the left. I can almost imagine where he’ll be sitting, in his favorite leather wing-backed chair facing the front window, book in hand. It feels good to be home.
I walk the few steps toward the room and turn the corner.
I am not prepared for what I see.
I try not to let the shock show on my face. Horror, even. Anger grows in me slowly, curling up in the pit of my stomach and heading for my throat. They’ve been hiding his decline from me. The in-home care company should be telling me everything. The housekeeper could have told me, or hell, even Neville the gardener could have picked up the phone and called.
But even as the anger races through me, I know it comes down to me. I should have been here.
Pop is frail and wrinkled. His skin looks paper thin as he sits in his chair, heavy blanket thrown over his legs. He’s got a book in his hands but it’s closed, hands folded over it on his lap. I take a deep breath and try to rearrange my features to hide the torrent of emotions inside of me.
“Pop, how have you been?” My voice sounds strange. It sounds forced, and just a bit too loud in the big room. There’s a chill in the air that I’ve never felt before.
“Davey, come over here,” Pop croaks, raising a thin arm and waving his curled hand at me. Even straightening his fingers seems like it’s too much of an effort. “I would get up, but these old bones aren’t made for moving much
anymore.”
“Sit, sit,” I tell him. “Don’t move for me.” I try to ignore the lump in my throat as I take a seat on the long sofa to his right. He turns his head slowly and smiles at me. I feel my throat tighten as I see how difficult every movement is for him.
“So tell me about your promotion, Davey. You’ve been doing well at work, I’m proud of you.” His voice seems so watery, and the way he’s moving is like he’s swimming in molasses. Everything just seems so labored.
“Ah, you know how it is, Pop. They seem happy enough with me.” I force a smile. “I want to talk about you, though.” I lean in and glance around conspiratorially. “How’s the new nurse? She treating you okay?”
Pop grins. “She’s doing a fine job, David. Don’t worry about me one bit.” He almost never uses my full name. He looks at me for a second longer and I feel like something is off. I nod and lean back.
“As long as you’re happy,” I respond. I shift in my seat and can’t seem to get comfortable. He doesn’t say anything so I continue, glancing out the big front windows. “The lawn is looking good these days. Neville’s always been the best gardener in the state.” I’m not quite sure what to say right now, which is an unfamiliar feeling. Usually conversations with Pop come easily.
Pop nods and I hear him take a long, difficult breath. I wince. He’s aged so much in the past months, I can hardly believe it.
Just when I start racking my brain to say something else, I hear soft footsteps behind me.
“Okay, Arthur, it’s time for your medication.” A gentle, musical voice rings out, and somewhere in the depths of my memory something stirs. I know that voice. Pop shifts in his seat and turns his head. He smiles at the woman behind me. I turn my head as well and my jaw almost drops to the ground.
This woman — the new nurse — is drop dead gorgeous. Her dark brown hair is pulled back in a low bun and her almond-shaped hazel eyes are bright and intelligent. She’s looking at Pop, carrying a small paper cup and a glass of water. Her white uniform is not quite form-fitting, but I can see the way it hugs the curve of her hips and betrays the body underneath it. I feel myself inhale sharply. I can’t help but notice the way her blouse pulls at the front and how she almost glides over the carpet toward us. My cock jumps up immediately and I shift in my seat to hide it.
I narrow my eyes and keep looking at her. She’s so familiar. My brow furrows as my eyes rake over her body. The realization hits me and I fall back in my seat.
I know who she is. My stomach curls and memories fill my head from ten years ago, from the accident that killed my family. Finally her eyes flick to me and she gives me a shy smile.
“Hi, Davey,” she says softly. “Long time no see.”
“David,” Pop says slowly. “You remember Isabelle?”
2
Izzy
The day I’ve been dreading for the past month has arrived. David Langley is sitting in front of me, reclined casually on the sofa and drilling those icy blue eyes into me. I can almost see the hatred pouring out of them. It’s like a punch in the gut.
It’s the first Thursday of the month and Arthur had told me Dave was coming for dinner for their monthly ritual. I can tell Arthur has been looking forward to it, he’s mentioned it almost every day for the past week. And now, today, he’s finally here. I try to keep my gaze steady but all I want to do is turn around and run.
I haven’t seen Dave Langley since that horrible day when I was seventeen years old. That’s ten years ago now, but he still looks as amazing as ever. I think I’ve had a crush on him since I was about four years old when I first met his sister, Hannah. Then the accident happened and everything fell apart. I lost my best friend, and he lost his sister, his mom, and his dad.
I took this job before I knew who Arthur Langley was. It was just so convenient — good pay, in-home placement, convenient location. He lives in Manhasset which is a reasonable drive from my place in Queens. It means I can be home as early as possible to spend time with my little sister. I was so excited when I got the position, but I should have known it was too good to be true.
It wasn’t until my first day, when I walked into the house and saw all the photos of their family that I realized I’d been hired by Davey’s grandfather. He even had a photo of me in the living room. It was from one of our many camping trips together, when both our families would spend long summer weekends together. When I saw the picture I almost burst into tears. Hannah’s smile shone through the photo and she had her arm around my shoulder. We were both laughing.
Arthur told me about Dave and how he came to live with him after the accident. “Small world,” I’d said with a forced smile as my stomach dropped. He’d nodded and patted my forearm with his wrinkled hand before walking away.
I wanted to quit right away. I wanted to walk out the door and never come back. I wanted to leave and never look at Arthur or Dave or any of those photos of their happy family again, but I couldn’t. I can’t. This job is an opportunity that I’ll never have again and I know that if I asked for a transfer it would be tantamount to asking to be fired. People don’t ask for transfers from in-home care placements like this one.
But now as I stand in front of Dave Langley, I’m regretting that decision. I should have turned around and walked out the big double doors as soon as I saw whose house it was. I want to curl up into a ball and let the ground swallow me whole.
I want him to stop looking at me like that but at the same time I feel something igniting inside me. His eyes are so bright and for a second I forget myself and I can’t look away. My blood runs hotter and I feel the heat pooling in my center as he looks me up and down. I want to disappear, but at the same time I never want him to stop looking at me like that.
He opens his mouth and I hear the smooth depth of his voice. It sends a thrill through my whole body.
“Izzy,” he says. “I didn’t know you were caring for Pop.”
There’s an edge to his words. It’s almost a question. Why didn’t I know you were caring for Pop, he’s asking.
“The company placed me here almost four weeks ago. I… I thought Arthur would have told you about me.”
There’s an uncomfortable silence between the three of us. Both Dave and I turn to look at Arthur.
“Must have slipped my mind,” he says with a shrug. His eyes drift out the window and he stays quiet. I keep staring at Arthur but he keeps his eyes trained on the windows. I’ve known him long enough to know that even at his age, nothing just ‘slips his mind’.
I turn to Arthur and hold out the paper cup and glass of water.
“Time for your medication, Arthur,” I tell him. His old, wrinkled hand reaches out and I put the small handful of pills into it. He takes the glass of water in the other hand and swallows the pills one by one. I can see his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down with every gulp. I try to ignore the prickly feeling on the back of my neck as I stand there. I know Dave is watching my every move.
Arthur hands the glass of water back to me. Satisfied he’s taken all his medication I straighten myself back up.
“Okay, well I’ll leave you to it. Your housekeeper—”
“Maria,” Dave interrupts harshly.
I gulp. “Maria will have your dinner ready in about half an hour,” I say. I glance at Dave and nod quickly, trying to ignore the way his stare is piercing right through me. I shuffle out of the room and close the door behind me, leaning against it and letting all the air out of my lungs. That was a thousand times more stressful than I thought it would be.
I head back to the kitchen, where I crumple up the little paper cup and toss it in the trash and start preparing Arthur’s next batch of pills. I try to stop my hands from shaking and try to ignore the hammering of my heart against my ribcage.
As I open and close pill bottles, cross-checking with my notes, my thoughts drift back to the drawing room. Dave was wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt. Casual, easy, but incredibly sexy. I could see the way his biceps pulled at t
he fabric, the way his chest was outlined perfectly underneath the thin cotton of his shirt. I take a deep breath and count out the medication in front of me for the third time.
Why is it so hard to focus right now?
He’s just a man, and the past is the past. A horrible, traumatic past that I’d rather not remember every time I see his eyes, but that’s beside the point. This is my job. My very, very important job that I need to keep in order to make sure I can take care of my little sister. I can’t mess this up, not even if it means seeing Dave Langley three feet away from me.
It’s just once a month, at most. I can handle that.
3
Dave
I’m trying to focus on what Pop is saying but his words are blurring together. She’s here, in this house. Taking care of Pop. Is this some sort of way to ease her guilt? Is this some sort of joke? I don’t understand how she could take this job in good faith, knowing the past that our two families have. How could she think this was a good idea? Unless this was some twisted way of getting to me?
“Are you okay, Davey?” Pop says to pull me out of my head. I gulp.
“Yeah, sorry Pop. I’m fine. Just wasn’t expecting to see her here, is all.”
Pop nods slowly. “I know you’re worried about me, son. But let me tell you something. I know that her family had a part to play in the accident.” He holds up his hand as I start talking and I have no choice but to stay silent. “I’m not going to let you get rid of her. She’s turned this house around and given me more comfort in my old age than anyone else has been able to. She hasn’t been a minute late on any of my medications and she checks in with my doctor every day. She’s the best damn nurse I’ve ever had. I’ve had enough of them to know that she’s one in a million.”
Doctor's Orders (Complete Series) Page 36