After a grueling but immensely satisfying six hours at the nursing home, Mackenzie was grateful she had come in. The nurses were excited to have an extra set of hands, and most of them especially appreciated her hands, which they said were the most capable of any other non-medical professional they had worked with.
Thoughts of returning to school and getting nursing certification danced through Mackenzie’s head all day. Maybe her dream of having babies wouldn’t come true, but she could nurture. Being a nurse was the most nurturing thing she could imagine.
Mackenzie stacked the last of the dinner trays she had collected from the room-bound residents and prepared to wheel the stainless steel cart to the elevator to deliver it to the kitchen downstairs. When she looked up, she jumped when she noticed Antoine standing in her way.
“Oh! I’m sorry—I didn’t see you there. Or hear you coming.”
Had she been so lost in her thoughts that her senses had become impaired?
“I startled you.” Antoine had the slightest accent that she couldn’t place. The kind of accent that slipped out when someone was around family who spoke their native language. “My apologies.”
She had to admit that his accent was soothing and familiar.
She held up her hands in surrender.
“That was all me. All my fault. Did you need something?”
“Actually, I was hoping you’d come to my office for a moment.”
She looked at her full cart.
“It won’t take long,” he promised.
“Is everything okay?” Trepidation tickled her insides, making her squirm internally. Had she done something wrong? She thought she had been doing a good job.
A sudden ache pricked her temples, exacerbated by the tight bun she had pulled her hair into. Walking to the office, she released her hair from the elastic band, embarrassed when she caught Antoine staring at her unruly waves.
He closed his door behind him.
“Your hair is… it’s mesmerizing.”
Uncomfortable with his comment and the smile that graced his undeniably handsome face, she stuttered a thank you and stared at the floor.
“My head was bothering me. I just had to loosen it for a moment.”
“By all means, leave it down.”
He reached out to touch it. She flinched. He jerked his hand back.
“That was inappropriate. Apologies.”
She shook her head. “No apology necessary. It’s just hair.”
She tried to laugh, but her stomach dropped out of her, making normal communication impossible. How was a person supposed to communicate with their boss when their stomach had run off screaming?
She was losing it. Totally gone. She’d have to call Sabrina and see if the psych ward had any spare beds. She certainly met the criteria.
Mackenzie hastily pulled her hair back into a looser bun, wincing slightly at the way the hair pulled against her temples, but feeling wildly and inappropriately provocative for some inane reason.
“I called you in to discuss more than your performance. Which is flawless, by the way.”
She blushed at his compliment and at the fact that she noticed his olive skin turning pink, too.
“The praise is genuine. The staff can’t say enough great things about you.”
“I’m honored. Thank you.”
“I’ve noticed you’ve been coming in a lot, even when you’re not scheduled.”
Her heart rate increased and her tongue dried up.
“I know you’ve been short-staffed and I just wanted to help out.”
Antoine sat on the edge of his desk.
“You are a lovely woman.”
His praise started to make her feel itchy all over. She appreciated gratitude for a job well done, but this interaction was making her feel slightly dirty.
She had to disengage, but she didn’t know how. If she wasn’t mistaken, her boss was flirting with her.
And she was a married woman.
“I should get back to work. Thank you for the positive feedback.”
“Wait, Kenzie.”
She stilled at his use of the name her husband always used. True, other people shortened her name, but it felt too familiar for a boss/employee relationship.
There was something very unique about the way her husband said her name with a special sort of reverence and appreciation.
Antoine’s voice held some of the same notes, but they washed over her like rusty water from old pipes. She was left feeling unclean and in need of a power washing.
“This is a little uncomfortable.” He cleared his throat.
Then don’t do it.
“I’m just going to put this out there, and your answer will in no way affect your employment.”
Oh, god. Oh, god. Ohgodohgodohgod.
“Well, you know, Valentine’s Day is around the corner—”
“Oh, sure, I can absolutely work on Valentine’s Day.”
He cleared his throat again and fiddled with his tie.
“That’s not where I was leading…”
“Did you want me to make decorations for the common areas? Or maybe go all high-school-throwback and deliver anonymous Valentine’s to the residents? That would be a blast.”
“Good ideas. You can discuss them with the activities director. But what I want to know is—”
“Mr. Suarez…” What could she say to stop him from saying what he was about to say? Words failed her for not the first time this decade. He didn’t seem to be picking up on the fact that she was sending him clues to back off.
“Are we back to that? I thought we had made progress with you finally calling me Antoine.” His eyes twinkled.
She closed her eyes and willed the breath to reach her shriveling lungs.
“I’m just going to say it. Ask it, really. Can I take you out for Valentine’s Day? Not as an employee. As a date.”
Shit. The words were out. There was no sending them back. There was no pretending she didn’t hear them. Her job here would come to an end in a blazing heap of automobile lodged into the side of a rock mountain.
She paused. Perhaps for too long. She studied his face—handsome, rugged, nice features. If she were a different kind of woman in a different situation—a single lady—she’d accept, no doubt. He was kind, fair, genuine and compassionate with the residents.
But he wasn’t Gabe.
And she wasn’t single.
And he was a good enough guy to deserve an answer.
She fiddled with her empty ring finger, once again missing the ring she hadn’t worn since she left it with the departure note on the kitchen table.
A voice over the intercom declared a Code White emergency, which sent Antoine and Mackenzie running to the room specified to join the nurses in helping the resident who had fallen.
An emergency trip to the ER as a ride-along was a sure way to avoid the awkwardness of Antoine’s proposition.
The poor guy was probably beyond embarrassed. It had taken courage to approach her, and she hoped she hadn’t been too cold.
Ugh. Dealing with men was her absolute worst skill. Was it possible to have a negative skill? She knew she was good at some things, but dealing with men? Nope. Definitely not.
She gently squeezed Mrs. Leonard’s hand while Mrs. Leonard moaned at the pain as the ambulance soared over bumps. With every tear that slipped over the rough terrain of Mrs. Leonard’s face, Mackenzie doubled her efforts to be soothing and to reassure her that everything would be all right.
The nursing home’s evening housekeeper picked Mackenzie up from the hospital an hour later when Mrs. Leonard was admitted and her family had joined her.
Emotionally and physically exhausted, Mackenzie clocked out and shuffled her tired feet to her car. She loved what she was doing, but the exhaustion was starting to catch up with her.
The icky feelings simmering over inside her threatened to spill onto the pavement as she walked up her walkway, hating herself for wishing she’d find Gabe happily asleep. She’d love to snuggle up to his bare chest and pretend the day hadn’t happened. To rewind and live in the moment. The blissful, pleasurable, loving moments he gifted her with every day.
As soon as she tiptoed into the house, the living room light flickered on, and there was Gabe, her Gabe, wide awake and snuggling with two of her cats.