“A long time,” he answers. I nod in agreement, my eyes drifting shut. I feel the bed shift under me right before his lips land on my forehead. “Rest. I’ll wake you up later.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I murmur. I feel the bed shift and hear Ty walk away. My body might be tired, but my mind starts replaying everything that just happened, and once again I’m smiling.
The shower in the bathroom kicks on and my mind switches from adoption paperwork to a wet and naked Tyson, making me rethink my decision to stay in bed. Just when I’m about to say screw it and join him, a phone chirps.
Please don’t be work, I chant continuously as I slide out of bed and pad across the room to where both of our phones are plugged in by the dresser. Sliding my finger across the screen of my cell, I see that I have no missed calls. Tyson’s phone chirps just then, and I don’t think twice about swiping a finger across his screen. We check each other’s phones all the time, especially since once of us always seems to be on call. Today that’s Tyson, so if there’s an emergency, he needs to know.
His phone shows two missed calls from the hospital’s emergency number, which can only mean one thing. Damn it, there goes our day off together.
Unplugging his phone, I step into the bathroom. Steam is billowing above the shower curtain, and I can’t help myself—I have to sneak a peek.
“Hubba hubba,” I say, pulling the curtain back just enough to catch a glimpse. Tyson spins around, bubbles covering his chiseled body from head to toe. My eyes travel south and his cock starts to swell under the weight of my stare.
“Oh no you don’t!” Tyson snaps, drawing my attention. He has a sexy-as-hell smirk on his face, but he’s shaking his head. “If you’re going to look at me like that, then you better be prepared to do something about it.”
“Trust me, babe, I really would.” I hold up his phone to show him why I can’t. “The hospital called. Twice.”
Tyson’s smile falls. “Shit.” Positioning himself under the shower head, he makes quick work of rinsing off, then he shuts off the water, grabs his towel and knots it around his waist. I hand him his phone, noticing the water still dripping down his naked chest. A chest that I’d very much like to lick—
“Babe?”
“Huh?”
“Can you grab me a set of scrubs while I call the hospital back?”
“Yup.” I rush to the laundry room, berating myself for not taking the time last night to pull the clothes out of the dryer and fold them. It only takes me a second though to dig out a pair of his blue scrubs, so when I get back to the bedroom, he’s still on the phone.
“How many?” he says, mouthing ‘thank you’ when I toss him his clothes. “Uh, huh … okay.” He glances at the clock while simultaneously pulling on his pants. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Ending the call, he tosses his phone on the bed and slips on his shirt.
“What is it?” I ask. Most days the ER is staffed fairly well, which means that if he’s getting called in, it’s something big.
“Car pileup on the interstate,” he says, bustling through the house. He scoops up his stethoscope, tosses it around his neck and shoves his wallet in his pocket. “Unknown injuries. Several victims are being transported to the ER now.” Tyson bends down, kissing me softly. “Be home as soon as I can.”
“Good luck,” I say, standing in the open doorway as he slips into his car and speeds off. “Well”—looking down at my tiny baby bump, I give it a pat—“looks like it’s just us today.”
A soft tap sounds before the door creaks open. “Got a minute?”
I glance up at Avery—my coworker for the past two years, and a mutual friend of both Harley and me—who is standing in the entryway to the dictation room looking every bit as frazzled as I feel.
But who can blame her after what we’ve spent the
last several hours dealing with? The accident on the interstate was horrible, resulting in one fatality and six people critically injured. It’s days like this that make me question my decision to work in the ER. I’m exhausted, emotionally and physically spent, and I want nothing more than to go home to Harley and Max.
“Sure, what’s up?” I answer. Dropping my pen, I lean back in the chair and watch as Avery walks into the room and collapses on a chair across from me.
Dropping her head in her hands, she rubs her face before looking up. “Today was awful.” Tears glisten in her eyes and my chest clenches as the face of the little boy who lost his life flashes in my head.
“You did well.” Pushing from my chair, I walk around the table and sit next to her. “There’s nothing anyone could’ve done, Avery. You know that, right?”
She nods. “I know. But it doesn’t make it any easier.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Avery takes a deep breath, straightens her back and wipes a hand over her face. “Anyway,” she says, “That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Thankful for the reprieve from our already hectic day, I relax in my chair. “Okay, let’s have it.”
“One of the new ER docs is here,” she says. I vaguely remember hearing that two new doctors were going to start soon, which will be a huge help. It’ll ultimately mean fewer hours for me and more time with my family. “I got to meet her earlier. She seems nice, and I wanted to introduce you to her before you left for the day.”