“I’d be better if you’d let me blow this joint,” he grumbles while flipping through the channels.
“They plan to release you tomorrow,” I confirm while looking through his chart before I go through my routine of checking his vitals and chatting him up.
Normally patients who come through the ER are scared and in a state of shock. It can be difficult and challenging, but I love it. We comfort them as we patch them up, then we send them on their way. Sometimes patients need to stay overnight for observation, like Mr. Shearson, where we monitor them. It isn’t the most exciting part of the job, but I still enjoy it. I have wanted to be a nurse since I was a kid. I always thought I would work with babies, but once I started working in the ER, I knew it was where I was supposed to be.
It took me longer than I expected to get my degree, and I only landed my first job a few months ago. It has been exhausting, challenging, and more fulfilling than I ever imagined.
My only regret is not going after what I wanted sooner. I let Henry talk me into dropping out of the nursing program so I could raise Matt and help support him while he finished school and started his insurance business. I put his dream before my own, and when it was my turn to pursue my dream, Henry always had an excuse for why I shouldn’t.
It wasn’t until after I divorced Henry did I really start dreaming for myself again, and the first thing I did was go back to school. I was one of the oldest students and behind the curve, but I worked hard and now I’m where I am meant to be. All the stress from the late-night studying sessions, the lack of sleep from trying to get my house in order, and running the kids to all their activities was worth it because I finally get to do what I love.
“Your vitals are looking good, Mr. Shearson.” I pat his shoulder and before leaving the room, I add, “Get some rest.”
“Amber, good, I was looking for you,” Dr. Cantana says as I walk out of Mr. Shearson’s room. “I approved your shift change, but I can’t move you to the new shift for another six weeks.”
“Really?” I look up at him a big smile stretching across my face. It’s the first good news I have heard in weeks. I could hug the man, but that wouldn’t be professional.
“Did you think I wouldn’t approve it?”
“No… no, it’s just…. Thank you, Dr. Cantana, your approval means a lot,” I stutter, reaching out to shake his hand.
“You’ll be missed on this shift. You’re a good nurse,” he says with a smile and shakes my hand.
“I’m looking for Amber Baker?” I hear Luke’s voice from the nurse’s station a few feet ahead of me. I haven’t seen or heard from him since the wedding a few weeks ago. I thought about him—a lot—and chastised myself every time I pictured running into him.
“Oh goody, it’s Luke,” Dr. Cantana says under his breath as we make our way down the hall to the nurse’s station. The last time Luke was at the hospital he needed stitches in his hand. Searched the whole ER before he found me and waved his bloody hand at me asking if I could help him. Dr. Cantana wasn’t happy and Luke took Dr. Cantana coming to my aid as some sort of clue he was into me. Granted I probably should have mentioned Dr. Cantana is happily married with a kid but when it comes to Luke, I don’t exactly play fair. “Luke, you can’t be here, visiting hours are over.”
“I’m not visiting a patient; I’m here to see Amber,” Luke growls. Turning to face us, he stands several inches taller than Dr. Cantana and looks insanely territorially.
“How can I help you, Luke?” I ask before Dr. Cantana can respond. The last thing I need at my workplace is for Luke to be a jerk to Dr. Cantana… again.
“I need to talk to you.” He looks away from Dr. Cantana, his warm blue eyes soften and the corners of his mouth tip up.
“Now isn’t a good time.” I sigh, looking down at my watch. “I have patients I need to check on.”
“When do you go on lunch? Or break? They give you a break, don’t they?” Luke turns his narrowed eyes on Dr. Cantana.
“Luke—”
“Go take a break, Amber.” Dr. Cantana chuckles, patting Luke on the back as he passes. “Have the poor guy buy you some coffee, then check on your patients.”
“I’m starting to like that guy,” Luke says, pointing to Dr. Cantana with his thumb.
“C’mon, I’ll take you to the cafeteria. You can buy me one coffee, but you have to promise you won’t ever come to my place of work and harass me again.” I sigh, walking past him toward the cafeteria, not even looking to see if he follows me.
“I wouldn’t call it harassing you, but if you would give me your number, I could always call you when I need you,” Luke says as he catches up with me.
“I’m not giving you my number.”
“Okay then, I can’t promise I won’t come see you at work.”
“No, Luke!” I shoot him a glare and throw my arms up in frustration. “You aren’t listening to me!”
“I’m listening just fine, but you’re being stubborn,” he says with that smug smile of his.
“Ugh!”
“I’m not here to piss you off, but I did want to see how you were doing,” Luke says as the smile on his face fades a bit as he peers down at me.
“Clint told you about the insurance claim getting denied?” I should have known it would have gotten back to Luke.
“No actually, Eric told me,” Luke says with a sheepish grin as he rubs the back of his neck.
We enter the cafeteria and I lead Luke to where the coffee machines are. Grabbing a small cup, I place the cup under the French vanilla cappuccino nozzle and press the button to fill my cup. Luke walks to the only pot of black coffee and sniffs it before pouring it into his cup. The buzz from the machine is loud in the almost empty cafeteria.
Luke quickly pays for our coffee while I find us a private table in the corner. Watching him make his way to the table, he isn’t just walking, he’s swaggering. His warm blue eyes scan me head to toe, and I never felt more exposed than I do now.
“What are you doing here, Luke?” I ask before he can take a seat.
“Did you know Sarah and Eric were a thing?” he counters, taking the seat opposite me.
“Yes, I knew they were a thing and no, they are not a thing now. They are just doing whatever it is single people do these days,” I answer before blowing on my cappuccino to cool it down.
“You’re single. Shouldn’t you know what it is single people do these days?” Luke winks at me over his coffee cup, humor dancing in his eyes.
“Yes, I’m single, but I’m off the market and will be indefinitely.” I roll my eyes at him and he chuckles into his coffee. “Can you please tell me what you want?”
“I heard about your ex,” he says, looking serious as he sits his coffee cup onto the table. “I heard he was threatening to take custody.”
I look away, not sure what to say. When he doesn’t say anything for several seconds, I glance over at him. His eyes are on his coffee, looking conflicted before he finally looks up at me. “Promise me you’ll hear me out before you run off?”
“Excuse me?”