Chapter Nineteen
The relief in Major’s voice was enough to break my heart. He’d been hurt in the past, and not just physically, so it was easy to understand why he thought I would hurt him too.
“As humans, we build up a lot of defenses to protect ourselves, don’t we?” I asked, my lips almost on his. “You don’t have to do that with me.”
“I see that now,” he whispered. “Your reluctance to allow me to get close to you made me wonder if you already knew, and that’s what was holding you back.”
“No,” I replied, kissing his lips with a quick peck. “My reluctance to get close to you was also a defense put in place to protect myself. I have no room to talk when it comes to building defenses, but I’ll work on mine if you promise to do the same.”
“It’s a promise. Will you allow me to take you out on a real date? One where we put everything else aside to get to know each other better.”
“I accept, Dr. Warren. That said, in my opinion, we’ve been on lots of dates.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asked, his brow going up as I moved away from his lips a hair. “Tell me more.”
“We’ve eaten many meals together at the diner, had fun at the bakery, wrangled a taco truck, and spent more intimate nights here in your home than I’ve ever spent with any other man.
There was also that trip to the tree farm where said incredibly handsome doctor laid one on me that nearly laid me out. ”
His lips were tugged up in a smile. “When you put it that way, you’re right. However, this doctor is a bit embarrassed about that trip to the tree farm. You overheard me talking to Becca when I should have just been talking to you.”
“Don’t be embarrassed,” I said, shaking my head slightly. “Vulnerability isn’t easy, but I respected that you would go to someone with a shared experience to shore you up and give you advice. I mean that. I really do.”
“You’re one of the most unusual women I’ve ever met, and I’m so lucky to get to know you better. Maybe I can get that mulligan for the tree farm?”
“That can be arranged,” I agreed. “We will need a tree for Christmas, after all.”
“It’s a date,” he whispered moments before his lips met mine with an urgency that spoke of our deep longing for one another. As though the spell had been broken and we no longer had to hold back, the kiss was electric, igniting sparks that danced along my skin while our hearts pounded in unison.
Leaning back, he pulled me close to him until we were chest to chest, and our mouths moved in a synchronized rhythm, exploring, tasting, and savoring every moment.
The world outside his house faded, leaving only the intense connection between two broken souls as they learned to heal.
He tangled his fingers in my hair, urging me closer, until there wasn’t a speck of space between us.
His need for me grew, and I secretly reveled in the notion that I had raised such passion in him with just a kiss.
His hands roamed over my back, tracing my curves with a gentle yet possessive touch until his hands rested on my hips and tugged me even closer.
A moan ripped from his throat when I ground against him, passion igniting in my soul to have found someone who wanted all the broken pieces of me because he saw himself in them.
Music filled the room, and I lifted my head. “Is that the theme song from Doogie Howser?”
His groan this time had nothing to do with pleasure. “That’s the hospital. Where’s my phone?”
I sat up and found it on the coffee table, handing it over as I laughed at his chosen ringtone.
I wasn’t even born when that show aired, but I watched all the seasons not too long ago and fell in love with it.
A pit filled my stomach. That was when I realized Major was a bit like Doogie Howser in that he graduated from high school with a four-year college degree.
He was an experienced orthopedic surgeon at the age of thirty-nine.
I was lucky to have finished college. Sometimes I still forget to buy groceries.
Stop. Put that away. Remember what he said about strengths and weaknesses. Besides, how can you deny the passion when he kisses you like that?
I tuned back into the conversation when he sat up. “Sure. No, that’s understandable, but I don’t want to usurp your position, Nord,” he said, which told me he was talking to Dr. Russel. “That’s true, I guess, either way, I need to roll in for a bit. Yep, yep. I’ll be there in less than twenty.”
“It’s okay,” I assured him as he hung up with a sigh. “I understand you’re needed.”
“There’s been an accident, and Dr. Russel feels my expertise will be the best for the patient. He also has another surgery to do tonight, but this other patient can’t wait either.”
“Go,” I said. “Wait, will your leg be charged enough to do surgery?”
After checking his phone, he nodded. “It’s over eighty percent, so that will hold me through the surgery. You’re right, I need to contact Dawson tomorrow. You have his number?”
“I do,” I agreed. “But I also know where he lives, so we can always pop over sometime tomorrow. Then you can talk face to face.”
“We?” he asked, starting the process of putting on his leg, which was fascinating to watch. He rolled the liner on, slid his leg down through the socket, and stood to snap it into place before he tightened the straps.
“I mean, I’ll never pass up a chance to play with Valor.”
“It’s a date then,” he said, just as my phone rang.
“It’s Ivy. Hang on.”
Usually, I’d let it go to voicemail, but there was no reason she should be calling me at nearly nine-thirty unless there was a problem.
“What’s up, Ives?”
“Have you heard?” she asked.
“About what?” I stood slowly and met Major’s gaze. Something told me our nights were about to collide again.
“Alan Violet fell and broke his hip. He’s at the hospital awaiting surgery.”
My gasp had Major stopping as he pulled on his pants. “Is someone with Audrey?”
“Honor drove her to the hospital and is staying with her for now.”
“I’m at Major’s, but he’s headed to the hospital. I’ll ride with him. Will I see you there?"
“After I make a few more calls,” she answered, and we said our goodbyes before hanging up.
“I heard you say Audrey,” he said, and I nodded.
“I think your patient is her husband, Alan. He broke his hip.”
A frown marred his handsome face. “I can neither confirm nor deny,” he said as he finished dressing.
“I know, I know. You drive, I’ll pray,” I said, tossing him the keys, and we headed into the night.
“Honor!” I called out, jogging into the emergency waiting room. “I just heard what happened. How’s Audrey?”
Honor hugged me and motioned for me to sit in a chair. “She’s hanging in there but refuses to leave Uncle Alan’s side. They’re waiting for Dr. Warren now. He’s on his way.”
“He’s here. I rode over with him.” I didn’t realize what I’d said until Honor lifted her brow. “Ivy called me right after the hospital called him. Since I was already at his place, I just jumped in the car with him.”
“You were at his place at nine-thirty on a Saturday night?”
“I live there, Honor. I mean, not there, there, but I’d made Spanish rice for dinner, and we were talking. No big deal.” I waved my hands as though that was the end of it, since there was no way on God’s green earth that I’d admit we’d been making out on his couch.
“Not what I heard,” Ivy said. Her sudden appearance scared me, and I yelped, much to Honor’s enjoyment. She hugged Ivy, who sat on the other side of her. Honor filled Ivy in on how little she knew, and then Ivy took to eyeing me.
“What?” I asked innocently. “We’re here for Audrey and Alan. No third degrees allowed.”
“No third degree,” Ivy said, waving her hands by her chest. “I was just wondering if you had a chance to talk."
“Yes,” I said with a sigh, because she wasn’t going to let this go. “But I’m not going to discuss it here. Honor, tell us what happened to Alan.”
She glanced between us as though she was missing a massive part of the story, but finally answered.
“Uncle Alan was in the yard and tripped on something in the dark. Luckily, Audrey was home and heard him yelling. The ambulance brought him in, but Dr. Russel was already backed up with cases from a car crash. He didn’t want Uncle Alan to wait, so he called Dr. Warren. ”
“And he was happy to help,” I assured her. “Not that I knew who his patient was,” I clarified. “But after Ivy called, and we were both headed to the same place, I bummed a ride.” A little white lie wouldn’t hurt anyone, but it would protect Major.
“I just hope he can avoid surgery. The man has been through enough,” Honor said with a sigh. I bit back that Dr. Russel already said he needed surgery, because maybe Major would change his mind once he saw him.
“We’ll be here for Audrey,” Ivy said. “Whatever she needs, we’ll make it happen.”
There was a commotion from the back, and we turned to see Major and Audrey walking toward us. Audrey’s shoulders drooped forward as though the weight of the world was on them, but Major had his arm around her. Honor stood and led her aunt to sit.
“Nice to see you, Dr. Warren,” Ivy said. “Are you here to take care of Alan?”