“Duh! They weren’t sealed. We were just going to peak at one, but they kept getting better and better. I really like the one about your luscious body,” Kathy said.
“Don’t you guys have work to do?” Kinsey snapped, feeling her face flame even more.
“Oh, honey, this is so much better than cathing the old guy in room three again. You have to spill. I swear, with all the excitement of having Joseph Anderson here and all those sinful boys of his roaming the halls, then your new and exciting love life, our hospital has become better than an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve forgotten all about Dr. McDreamy,” Marsha said with a sigh.
“I don’t have a love life, obviously just a secret admirer,” Kinsey lied, for some reason not wanting to tell them anything about Austin.
“There’s not even the slightest chance we believe that, Kinsey. Who’s the guy? If you don’t tell us, rumors will just spread. Please, please tell me it’s one of those dreamy Anderson men. I know most of them are married, a sad situation indeed, but at least one or two of them have to be single,” Betty said, joining the conversation. She was a paramedic, unfortunately for Kinsey, not on a call at the moment.
“Look, it’s really nothing, not even worth gossiping about. I had a date with a guy, who I’m not even telling you vultures about, and obviously he liked the night. That’s all,” Kinsey said with what she hoped was a believable tone. She knew many staff used on-call rooms for more than sleep, but she never had before Austin.
Working in the hospital could be an incredibly stressful job, and there was nothing like a few minutes of wild passion to calm the nerves. Her body heated even thinking about Austin sinking inside her.
“Code Blue,” a nurse called as alarms started ringing.
All teasing immediately ceased as the staff rushed into action. They may have a great time ribbing one another, but when a life was on the line, they were the first nurses the doctors called. They were the best the hospital had.
By the time they got the patient stable, the roses were forgotten about as the hospital kept them busy. Kinsey knew she was only getting a short reprieve, but she’d take it. When she found the nurses’ station empty of any staff a few hours later, she quickly swooped in and gathered the cards Austin had written her, then took off for a bathroom.
She hid in one of the stalls and read each one at least three times, her heart racing. He wasn’t playing fair. How could she resist him when he said such romantic things? What if he really did want more than just sex? Was she willing to give a relationship with him a try?
She went through the rest of her shift on autopilot, often checking on Joseph, hoping he’d come out of the coma. She knew of patients that never did – that couldn’t be the case with Joseph.
By the time her day was over, she still wasn’t any closer to knowing what she wanted. A good night’s rest would help, she decided. She was already starting to miss Austin, and it had only been a day. She wasn’t going to get anything worked out until she took her time thinking about the matter. With a sigh, she turned off her mind, putting her problems on the back-burner as she made her way home, the smell of his roses invading her car, causing her heart to thump.
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“I brought chocolate, all different kinds, and sparkling cider,” Bree said as she entered the hospital room with an expectant smile on her face.
She bent down and kissed Joseph’s forehead before giving Katherine a hug and then getting comfortable on the couch.
“What’s the occasion?” Katherine asked with a smile.
“I’m ready for the story to continue. I can’t believe you’ve made us wait an entire week. You have me on the edge of my seat. Seriously, I’ve been dreaming about you and Joseph. It’s just so romantic. I never really thought about you and Uncle Joseph meeting,” Bree answered.
“I agree, Mom. I’ve been going crazy having to wait. You have to tell us more. Amy and Jessica are right behind me,” Emily said as she came in with a bag full of her own goodies. She quickly hugged Katherine, then sat down next to Bree.
It didn’t take long for the rest of the family to file into the room. Even the guys were intrigued by the story. Katherine looked around the room at her family, so grateful to have them during this time without her husband.
She didn’t know how she’d go on if Joseph never woke up, but she knew she’d at least have the moral support she needed from her loved ones. It wouldn’t be enough – nothing would be, but it still brought comfort.
“Where’s Kinsey? I thought she was working today,” Austin asked as he came inside.
“She had to assist in another room, but should be back any minute,” Katherine answered. She looked at her husband with a smile. He would be thrilled to have his nephew on pins and needles for the pretty nurse.
“Morning, Katherine,” George said as he walked in with Max. He looked quite grumpy and Katherine had to fight back a knowing smile. She may be at the hospital most of the time, but she was still aware of what was going on around her.
She knew the kids were playing games with George and Esther. She actually agreed with them. It was time those two stopped hiding and finally admitted how in love they were.
As she gazed at her sleeping husband, time took on a whole new meaning. Life was too short to let even a single day pass them by.
“Joseph was going through a lot in those early days. He had an Uncle who was a very bad man. Neilson was out to destroy the corporation Joseph’s father built. Also at that time, there was a lot of misunderstanding between him and George, such trivial stuff, and so many years wasted,” Katherine said with a sad sigh.
“I couldn’t agree with you more, Katherine. If I could take back that time…” George trailed off, his eyes brimming with his own memories.
“It all worked out, George, so don’t you be hard on yourself. I’m just trying to let the kids know why some of the events happened the way they did.”