Cassie sighed and groaned as she entered the heavenly scented and thoroughly packed Java Haus. The streets were covered in slush. It looked like everyone had the same idea she did. A little, late morning pick-me-up was just the thing she needed.
She hated having to wait in such a long line, but after hours of scrolling through job ads and filling out forms, she seriously needed some caffeine.
Her stepmom had been great and all. Allowing her to move back home and getting her childhood bedroom ready for her to sleep in, but Cassie couldn’t stay there forever. She’d insisted on looking for a job first thing.
In fact, she’d spent the morning going through all of the local papers and searching want ads online. When nothing turned up she decided to drive into town in the little yellow bug she’d had in college.
It was a shock to see the old Volkswagen still running, then again, she should have known that Stephanie would take care of things. She always did.
It made her feel safe and warm inside knowing she had her to depend on, but Cassie was a grown woman. She would not take advantage of Stephie’s kindness. Truth was, her dad had been struggling under her biological mom’s medical debts for years and had two mortgages on the house when he’d married Stephanie.
She’d worked side by side with him and after he’d died, she’d used all her savings to clear the house of any debt. It was Stephanie’s house. Cassie had no claim to it, no matter how many times Stephanie insisted it was hers too.
The last few years, Stephanie had quit her job in real estate and opened a florist’s shop. It was something she’d always wanted to do. She offered Cassie a job, and though grateful, it wasn’t for her. No, she needed to find that special something she was looking for. She just didn’t know how.
Cassie sniffed the coffee-scented air and sighed. Yes, please. She waited patiently for her turn at the register. New York City had nothing on this place!
Java Haus had the best non-gmo, organically grown, and Fair Trade harvested coffee in town. Totally worth the wait. She remembered hanging out there back when she was in high school. All the kids who thought they were so grown-up hung out there after school sipping their lattes and reading books. LOL.
Cassie ordered a large, extra-foam, mocha latte and a warmed chocolate croissant. Oh yeah, it was that kind of day. She moved on over to the pick-up line and checked her pocket absently for her keys.
She had her eye on the table in the corner and hopefully wouldn’t lose it in the meantime. When she was a kid, that would’ve been the worst thing that could’ve happened to her all day. Oh boy. When did life get so complicated?
Cassie sighed and smiled tightly when the barista called her name after fifteen minutes of standing next to some woman who must have taken a bath in perfume. Ugh.
She nodded as the purple-haired Java Haus employee thrust a glass plate and ceramic mug at her and moved on to the next customer.
Never one to be stingy, Cassie still dropped a dollar in the tip jar and inhaled the warm chocolatey gooey-ness that awaited her before turning around to find her table. Finally.
Cassie was still somewhere in chocolate-scent induced heaven when she collided with a brick wall. Who put that in the middle of a coffee shop?
Her daily dose of caffeine hit the floor and hot mocha latte splashed all over her ivory leggings, burning her skin underneath.
“Ouch! What the-?” She sputtered as the hot liquid splashed her legs. Cassie was so about to give the clumsy oaf a piece of her mind, but stopped as she looked up, and up, into the most intense pair of dark brown eyes she’d ever seen.
It was like diving into a pool of molten chocolate. They were more sinful and decadent than anything in the coffee shop. Yes, please! I’ll take one to go.
“I am so sorry, whoa-” A pair of strong hands latched onto her arms as she wobbled on her suddenly weak knees. Get a grip, you are not the swooning type, Cass!
She straightened her spine and smiled tightly. The least she could do was be grateful to the man as he did stop her from falling on her ass. Cassie teetered on her feet, but she managed to pull away and not fall down.
“You should come with a warning, mister! You made me drop my drink and, oh man, you crushed my croissant!” She blew her hair out of her eyes and bent down to grab the broken pieces of her mug. Stupid mountain of a man made her drop her precious! Who cares how damn sexy his eyes are anyway?
“Wait, let me,” the man-wall knelt down to help her. Of course, they managed to knock heads.
“Oof! Sorry, I am usually not this clumsy, miss?” he began, only to be cut off by a flustered Cassie.
“Miss? Oh no, you got me alright! You are batting a thousand here, buddy! Just let me get this off the floor and- damn!” Cassie pulled her hand back from a sharp slice of ceramic, but not before the damage had been done. Blood spurted from the three-inch long gash on the inside of her palm and, though her stomach was empty, it rolled over. Ugh. Okay, now she was mad!
“Oh God, is that blood? As if this day couldn’t be any worse!” Her voice was back to that high-pitched little girl version of itself and she wanted to scream. She closed her eyes against the sight, surprised when familiar strong hands grasped hers.
“Hang on, let me see that,” the stranger took her hand from where she’d cradled it, and, with deft, sure movements, he examined it.
He took a clean handkerchief out of his coat pocket and wrapped it tightly around her wound. Cassie watched, mesmerized by the way her blood quickly stained the once pristine fabric.
“I’ll be fine,” she tried to pull her hand out of his hold. The electricity she felt shooting down her arm from the place where he firmly held it was disturbing. She swallowed loudly.
“You know,” he replied, “I’m afraid this needs stitches. Come on, the hospital is around the corner, I’ll get you there.”
“No way.”
“I insist.”
“No,” she lowered her voice to keep the nosy patrons from hearing her, “I don’t have a job right now, much less insurance and besides, it’s just a little cut, okay?”
She tried for nonchalant, but when she saw how quickly the handkerchief was getting soaked she couldn’t stop the panic that was quickly welling up inside of her. Shit.
“Nonsense,” his brown eyes raked over her from head to foot. Cassie trembled from the intensity of his stare.
“This is entirely my fault. Come with me, I’m a doctor at Macconwood Memorial, let me patch you up? Please, it’s the least I can do,” he smiled encouragingly.
Cassie swallowed again. He was lethal. Too damn good looking to be let loose in public. And a doctor. Double shit.
“Fine,” she grumbled.
Cassie had never felt so inadequate. Covered in coffee and blood-stained clothes, she followed the gorgeous doctor out of the door not listening as he spoke some words of apology to the barista and handed the girl a $20 bill. A good tipper too. That’s nice.
She shook her head. She was feeling a little bit woozy. She had to stop for a moment.
“Hey now, you alright?” The good doctor’s deep voice cut into her thoughts and she wobbled on her feet again.
“I’m gonna get a stiff neck looking up at you,” she murmured dazedly as she looked up and caught his stare.
‘Well, then I’ll have to make sure to rub it for you,” he answered.
“Um, what? I’m sorry, I just feel a little lightheaded, let’s go-”
“No, no, hang on,” he shuffled his briefcase to his other hand then bent and grasped her under her knees.
“What the-”
“I don’t want you falling down on me, now elevate your hand for me.”
“But-”
“Hush now, as your doctor, I insist you be still.”
He grinned as he carried her the half a block over to what looked like a a private entrance to Macconwood Memorial Hospital. He waved his key chain over the lock and it opened as if by magic.
If Cassie didn’t know better from the way he was grinning, she’d swear he picked her up just to get his hands on her. But, unfortunately for her, she did know better.
She was nothing compared to this guy in the looks department and besides, he was a doctor. She seriously doubted he was so desperate for female companionship that he wounded women and carried them to the hospital just to cop a feel!
She sat still in his embrace and allowed him to carry her more than ample figure down an empty hall to a door with the name Dr. David Evangelos, Chief of the Emergency Department. emblazoned on the front. Holy Shits and Giggles. Not just a doctor, the freaking Chief.