Chapter 1
Cohen — Present Day
A bone deep disappointment settles around me as I read and reread the text that just came in. Reaching over to the dark wood coffee table in front of the leather sofa, I grab the stereo remote and turn down the country playlist I have on shuffle. When I settle back against the cushions of the sofa and tuck one leg under me, I pull my bottom lip between my teeth as I read the text message for the tenth time since it came through less than five minutes ago.
Can you work tonight? Steph called in sick.
I hit the back button to the main message folder and open the one just below that.
Rhys: Can’t wait to see you tonight, babe.
My heart sinks because I already know what I should do, but it’s not what I want to do. Rhys and I met on a popular social media app about a year ago. What started out as a comment on his video turned into chatting back and forth in the private messenger inbox on the app and then transitioned to phone calls months later. We talked for several months before deciding that we both wanted to meet each other. But before we could meet up, he was shipped out.
Rhys is in the Canadian Navy. A fact that I was aware of because one of the videos on his profile was him in uniform. There was no special effects in the video. No transitions. It was just him talking to the camera. He’d witness another app user being bullied in the comments of a video she had posted, and he was standing up for her. It was sweet and it re-affirmed what I was already starting to believe about him. Rhys is a genuinely nice guy.
However, I promptly forgot the fact that he was in the Navy after we got talking over private message. It never really came up in conversation after that video. At least not until he dropped the bomb that he was shipping out for six months. His cell reception out at sea was spotty as hell so we haven’t chatted much while he’s been away, but he just got back to the Vancouver coast last week and is currently on his way up to Kelowna. Everything in me is saying to fake sick and message my manager back saying I won’t be able to make it. Guilt immediately eats at me the moment the thought pops into my mind. We’re already short-staffed at the care home I work at.
I glance at the clock on the microwave. My apartment is small enough that I can see the entirety of the kitchen from where I’m sitting on the sofa in the living room. It never bothered me before because it’s just me. Why would I need the extra space? But if this thing with Rhys continues, and I really hope it does, I’m hoping that we’ll be spending more time here while he’s on leave. I shake the thought off, right now I have to figure out how to break the news to him that I can’t meet up for our date tonight and I now have an hour to do it before I have to be at work.
Pushing myself up from the couch I text my manager back and then head to my bedroom to get changed. I pull my black scrubs out from the tall-boy dresser in the far corner of the room just as my phone pings with another text.
Rhys: Just left Chilliwack. Should be there in 3hrs.
I sigh, taking a seat on the foot of the queen-size bed and let my thumbs fly across the keyboard.
Me: I got called in to work this evening L I’m so sorry. Rain check?
Rhys still hasn’t texted me back by the time I’m changed into my scrubs and grabbing my purse and keys before leaving the apartment and I hope I didn’t just ruin things between us. Logically, I know it shouldn’t, but I’ve had enough bad relationships to know that some guys don’t like it when you have to do the responsible thing and cancel a date so you can go in to work. Unfortunately, as a healthcare worker, sometimes we don’t have much of a choice.
Chapter 2
Rhys
My phone pings with a new message and I ask Siri to play the message so that I don’t have to divide my attention between the road and my phone. I’m hit with a momentary feeling of disappointment but then I tell myself to stop being an idiot. Cohen is a residential support worker at a long-term care home that houses individuals with diversabilities and compromised immune systems. If she’s being called in last minute, then they must either be short staffed this evening or something happened and they need her to cover.
I glance at the clock on the dash and note that it’s almost 2:30pm which means she’ll probably be at work until 11 tonight. It’s not ideal and she’ll probably be tired after her shift, but we’ve both been looking forward to today for several months now. After giving my idea some more thought, I get Siri to call my parents and put my plan into motion.
“Why not just wait and see her tomorrow?” My brother asks, leaning his hip against the side of the truck and crossing his arms while he watches me put together a makeshift frame out of some extra wood our dad had laying around from when he had the extension built onto the house.
Our little sister, Anna, sighs dreamingly from where she’s trying to untangle strings of white Christmas lights I had my mom dig out of a box in the attic. “I think it’s romantic.”
Will rolls his eyes at our sister. “Of course, you do.”
I grin and hammer in the last nail and then straightening up to admire my handiwork. It’s not perfect, but it’ll do for what I have planned. I drop the hammer in the grass and then motion my brother over to help me stand it up.
“Shouldn’t you attach the sheet first?” Will asks, a cocky grin on his face.
I eye the frame and then the white sheet that’s going to go on it. My brother chuckles as he comes to stand beside me and slaps a hand on my back. I grumble something unintelligible and shrug him off then reach for the sheet and some more nails.
A couple hours after I arrived at my parents’ place and the farm I grew up on, the makeshift screen is complete. Will and Anna head back up to the house about an hour ago to help brush down the horses and get them in their stalls for the night. All I have to do now is get the food together and string the lights, but that won’t take me long at all. I jump into the truck and head back towards the house. I didn’t want any of my family disturbing us during our date, so I built the screen a little further down the property. The area I chose has a slow running stream on one side with a forest behind it. On the other is a vast open field. After putting the tools away, I head inside and upstairs to my childhood bedroom to take a shower.
Chapter 3
Cohen
The evening shift at the care home was a shit show. Anything that could have happened, did. I’m pretty sure all but one of the individuals went through all of their PRN meds allotted for the day, which means they went through all their daily ‘as needed’ meds. And on top of that, family members dropped by to visit. Normally, we would welcome family to drop by without a phone call beforehand, but tonight was just crazy. I don’t think any of us staff, sat down for longer than ten minutes during the eight-hour shift.
As soon as we have the last individual tucked in her bed, I put the coffee maker on again and pull out the leftover birthday cake, from the fridge, that was made for one of our other coworkers yesterday. Cutting three slices, I plate them all and leave them on the counter for my coworkers. I grab my cup of coffee and a plate and go sit down at the long mahogany table. I pull out my phone to check my messages as I take a sip of the glorious liquid and grin when I see the waiting message that came in over four hours ago.