Chapter Ten

Once again, Olivia was sitting on an uncomfortable hospital chair. It had been a couple of hours of nerve-wracking tension, but the ER doctor had come out a few minutes before and told them Eli would be fine and then took Margaret back with her. The waiting room was pretty quiet that night. The latest ambulance had left, and a few people were signed in, waiting their turn. Taking a minute, she closed her eyes. Everything was going well at the Grill. The latest text said Shay was knocking it out of the ballpark. Olivia couldn’t help smiling. She had faith in Shay.

“Olivia, what are you doing here? Is Aden all right?”

David’s voice startled her. “H-h-hi.” She popped her eyes open and almost dropped her phone. The handsome man flustered her, especially now, with how competent he looked in his doctor’s coat. “David, hi. No, Aden is good.” Stop acting like a teenager with a crush. She pulled herself together. “It’s one of our friends. Eli came in with chest pain.”

“He’s your brother’s right-hand man, correct?”

“Both he and his wife Margaret are.” Olivia’s face heated up. “No, you shouldn’t have two right hands, so maybe right and left.” Olivia House, stop babbling this minute. “I’m sorry, it’s just…”

“Can I do anything?” David squatted in front of the chair and placed his hands on the armrests.

Her heart stuttered and almost stopped beating. He was so close. Big, brown eyes blinked at her with long dark lashes. She fought the urge to stroke his cheek at his concern. “Um, no. It wasn’t a heart attack. The doctor said angina.” She bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know what that means.”

“It’s not as bad as myocardial infarction, or what most people call a heart attack. Not enough oxygen pumped to his heart. A heart attack is where the oxygen is blocked and doesn’t reach it. Angina can be controlled with medicine and some lifestyle choices.”

“Okay. Good.” She nodded. “Thank you for explaining.”

“What’s the plan?”

“They’re keeping him tonight and will run a few more tests tomorrow. Eli has a history of heart disease in his family, so they want to make sure there are no other underlying problems. I’m waiting for Margaret. She needs a lift home.”

“Do you mind if I wait with you?” David took the adjacent empty seat.

A flush started on her chest and warmed up her neck to her cheeks. Hopefully, he didn’t notice. “No, I would like that.”

David was easy to talk to. He kept her entertained with funny stories about the bizarre things he’d seen while working in the hospital. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard. “Stop, my sides hurt.”

“I can help you with that.” He gave her a charming half-smile. “I’m a doctor, after all.”

“Olivia?” A tired-looking Margaret came down the hallway toward them. Catching sight of her with David, she tilted her head and perked right up.

Olivia hustled to her feet. “And here she is now. Margaret, this is Dr. David Errapel. He’s Aden’s surgeon.”

David stood and shook Margaret’s hand. “It’s very nice to meet you. Olivia told me what’s going on. How is your husband?”

“Complaining because he has to stay in the hospital overnight.”

After a little small talk and a big yawn from Margaret, Olivia grabbed her bag. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

“Olivia, before you go, may I have a word with you?” David shifted back and forth.

Before she could make an excuse, Margaret interrupted with a wink and a wave of her hand.

“Go ahead. I’ll wait here.”

“Be right back.” Her tummy fluttered when David took her arm and led to a quiet corner near the vending machines.

“Olivia.” He paused, and the tips of his ears reddened. “I’ve not done this in a long time.”

“Done what?”

“Asked a woman for a date.” He leaned against the wall, crossed his arms, and peered down at his shoes. “Would you consider going out to dinner with me sometime?”

The tingle of excitement from her stomach spread, and she was momentarily speechless. David was so sweet and uncomfortable. He obviously he didn’t do this often. She hadn’t been on a date with anyone since Manny. Quickly, she thrust the thought aside.

“I like you, but if you feel it’s inappropriate, I’ll understand.” David shoved a hand through his hair. He took her hesitation as a no and pushed off the wall. “Sorry, I’ll escort you back to your friend.”

“David.” She placed her hand on his upper arm. Looking up, she spied vulnerability in his warm eyes. “I like you too. I would love to have dinner with you.”

A smile spread across his face.

Happiness warmed her from the inside out. She stifled the impulse to run her hand through his sandy brown hair and fix the mess he’d just made of it. “Can I borrow your cell phone?”

He reached into his trouser pocket, and for a second, it eluded him. Finally, he got hold of it, yanked it out of his pocket, and thrust it toward her.

Olivia suppressed a grin at the sweet awkwardness of this brilliant and usually put-together man. “Here’s my number. I have a more flexible schedule than you. When you have the opportunity, call me. I don’t need a lot of notice.” Tipping forward on her toes, she reached up and kissed his cheek. “I’ve got to get Margaret home. We’ll talk soon.”

The expression on his face filled her with satisfaction and gave her the courage to put a little more swing into her steps. She glanced over her shoulder.

David was touching his cheek.

****

Aden loosened the straps holding his brace on and rubbed his legs. Things were winding down at the restaurant, and it was almost time to lock the doors. Service was over, but a few stragglers still sat at the bar. Being back in action, and in charge after so long, filled him with satisfaction. Yeah, his legs hurt since he was unused to being in the chair so long, but definitely worth it.

Shay had done a great job. There were occasional hitches throughout the night, but she showed a natural gift for developing flavors and presenting a beautiful and cohesive meal. He’d tried her specials, and they were fantastic. Eli’s influence was apparent in how she orchestrated the preparation of the menu items.

“Do you want to check the kitchen?” Shay appeared next to him, wiping her hands on a towel.

A lovely pink flushed her cheeks. “In a minute.” He reached over and pushed out the chair next to him. “Sit with me first. Red or white?”

“Uh, okay.”

The invite seemed to fluster her.

She sat and looked everywhere but at him. “Red.”

“Steve.” He called for the bartender. “Please bring Shay a glass of red wine.”

When Steve set the glass in front of her, she lifted it to her lips and her hand trembled.

“You know, when I got here, I remembered.” Aden set his glass of cabernet down and leaned toward her. Wide eyes blinked at him over the top of her glass.

“Remembered what?”

“You. In the car at the accident. At first, I thought you were an angel.”

Shay flinched, and red wine sloshed when she set the glass down a bit too hard. “I’m sorry. Didn’t Olivia tell you I worked here?”

“Olivia didn’t say a word about the connection.” He reached over with a napkin, blotted the spill, and then set the cloth aside. A sudden impulse, made him cover her hand with his. “Don’t be sorry.”

A sharp intake of breath and her hand stopped moving.

“It saved me a lot of trouble tracking you down. I’d heard the name, Shannon. I thought it was my angel’s name.”

“Shannon is my birth name. I’ve been Shay since high school.” Her cheeks grew pinker at the touch of his hand.

Nice. She didn’t pull away.

“Why would you want to track me down?”

“Olivia thought I was hallucinating when I woke up in the hospital. I kept telling her about the angel in the car with me. How her sweet voice kept me calm, and despite the chaos all around us—safe.” He turned her hand over and gazed into her palm. “You told me I would be all right. I believed you.”

Shay averted her eyes and tugged her hand. When he released it, she folded her hands under the table on her lap. “I’m glad I helped you.”

“I’d planned to come to the ambulance building when I got back on my feet. To thank you. To see you again. Then, when I got here today, you used the same words with Eli, and my heart nearly stopped. Here you were.”

What Aden didn’t say was, after watching this beautiful woman in action throughout the evening, he’d become enamored. Her manner comforted everyone she came in contact with. And he wasn’t the only one intrigued. Dereck took any opportunity to interact with her, his gaze a little too admiring. When Shay’s fellow squad members came in for dinner and asked to speak with her, she came out of the kitchen with a huge smile. One of the men—Mason, if he remembered correctly—zeroed in on her with regard that was anything but platonic.

“I have to get back to the kitchen.” Shay shifted in the chair. “Please check it before I leave.”

“Okay, let’s get it done.” He had to be careful. Go slow. The woman was skittish. Olivia had mentioned her bad history with an ex. That would make getting close to her hard. Also, he was in no place physically to pursue her—not yet.

****

Shay was torn. She didn’t want to leave him, but she couldn’t sit with him anymore. Aden’s attention made her nervous and excited at the same time. Getting up, she went to the kitchen.

He followed.

She held the door open and then stepped aside to let him go through, giving him space to navigate around and check everything. It also allowed her to observe him. The door swung shut, hitting her in the butt.

Aden was handsome, with his dark-blond tousled hair and brown eyes. A perfectly trimmed goatee gave him a rakish appearance. When he took her hand, she thought her heart would pound out of her chest. She hadn’t been attracted to a man since Nick. And remember how well that ended.

Now another handsome face drew her in. And this one had more baggage than she did. She needed to keep her distance. And not because of the injury and wheelchair. If she ever met the right guy, Shay wouldn’t care if he were permanently in a wheelchair. But Aden had a reputation, and an on-and-off girlfriend—even though it appeared they were off right now. If Kayla was the kind of woman he liked, why did he flirt with Shay?

“Everything looks good.” He flashed her a smile. “Service went off without a hitch. I’d say we had a successful evening. Thanks to you.”

“You have an excellent team.” She glanced away. “They did a first-rate job, not only in helping me tonight but in cleaning and prepping for tomorrow.”

“And you did a great job in leading the team.”

Shay lifted her gaze back to him. “Thank you.”

The way he looked at her made her nervous, and good, and warm, all at the same time. Shay wasn’t sure how much time passed while they were caught up in each other. A knock on the back door startled them both, ending the moment.

“Who could that be this time of night?” Aden frowned

“Maybe one of the workers forgot something.” Shay cracked the door, then frowned. “What do you want?”

Nick pushed the door open firmly but gently. “I want to talk to you.”

“Well, I don’t have anything to say to you. Isn’t it bad enough your girlfriend got me fired from my last job? Do you want me to lose this one too?”

“I know. I want to apologize for what happened.” He entered the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

“Why don’t you both leave me alone? I haven’t bothered either one of you, not even before the divorce.” Shay crossed her arms over her chest and stepped to the other side of the island, keeping a barrier between them.

“Can’t I talk to you?” Nick took another step, icy-blue eyes glaring at Aden. “Alone.”

“Aden, I’m so sorry for the trouble, but can you give us a minute?”

“Are you sure?” He clenched the arms of the wheelchair.

“Please? We won’t be long.”

“I’ll wait on the other side of the door.” He glared at Nick. “Call if you need me.”

Aden hit the door with the extended foot of the wheelchair, and it opened with a bang. He went through and spun around as the door swung shut.

God, she hoped she still had a job after this. “You need to leave.”

“I’m sorry.” Nick ran his hand through his short black hair. “For everything.”

“You are? I figured you and Brenda laughed about it.” Bitter, angry tears threatened, and she dashed them away. Yeah, she was in a better place, at least for now, so things worked out in her favor, but that didn’t change her humiliation and sense of loss. She’d worked with Eduardo for a long time. Everyone there had been like family. It felt like another divorce, one without visitation.

“I want to make it up to you.” The dark circles around his eyes, his untrimmed hair, and the scruff on his face were far from his usual impeccable appearance. He muttered, “Such a mess.”

“No.”

“How can I make it up to you?” he repeated while coming around toward her. “Tell me.”

“You can’t.” Shay held up her hand. “Stop, Nick. Go home to your fiancée.”

“Shay, I didn’t know she’d been bothering you.”

“If you weren’t aware, do you at least know why?”

“No,” he said. “But I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“We have nothing to say to each other.” Shay straightened her spine. His eyes had gone soft, and she recognized the look.

“Shay…” His voice turned husky, and once again he went to edge around the island.

“No. Don’t come any closer.”

“I want you back.”

Shay shifted to keep the stainless-steel counter between them. “No, it’s never going to happen. Stay away!”

“You heard her, Nick. Now leave her alone.” A hard voice interrupted.

Both of them spun to stare at the doorway.

Aden entered, with Olivia behind him.

The twins, united to protect her, were daunting.

“Are you all right, Shay?” Olivia slipped around the wheelchair and came to stand next to her while glaring at Nick. “You heard my brother. Get out.”

“This is none of your business. I’m speaking with my wife.”

“Your ex-wife.” Aden took up the place on the other side of Shay. Even in a wheelchair, he appeared menacing. “And she apparently does not wish to speak with you any longer. This is my place, and I’m telling you to leave.”

Nick glared at Aden and then at her. “Is this what you want? Won’t you even talk to me?”

“We’re over, Nick. You broke our love when you broke my trust. You knew how I felt, yet you did the worst thing to our marriage you could.” Shay couldn’t hold back the tears. Sadness, regret, and anger rolled down her cheeks. “Please go. Don’t come back. You have a fiancée. Are you cheating on her too?”

“Okay, I’m leaving.” Nick went to the door and opened it. Before closing it, he glanced between her and Aden. “But we will talk. Brenda is not my fiancée. I’m not giving up. I want you back.”

When he slammed the door shut, Shay turned to Olivia, who pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry about the drama.”

Rubbing her back, Olivia told her not to worry. “Don’t apologize. You’re like a sister to me. What sisters don’t have drama?”

Sniffling, Shay pulled away, grabbed a paper towel, wiped her tears, and gave a very unladylike blow into it. “Thanks.” She snuck a peek over at Aden. What was he thinking? Men hated drama and tears. Wow, he wasn’t angry or disgusted. Genuine concern peered from his cognac-brown eyes.

“It’s late. We’ll follow you home before Liv drops me off at the rehab center.” Aden raised an eyebrow when Shay started to argue. “I don’t want him following you home and starting another scene. Besides, I’m the boss, remember?”

Shay nodded, huffing out a sigh of relief. She was worried about Nick following her. Going over to the door, she made sure the deadbolt was engaged, and then followed them to the front. While Olivia helped Aden into the car, she locked up.

The twenty-minute drive flew by, and Shay waved before shutting the door to her house. When the taillights faded into the night, she pulled the curtain. She was drained, both in body and mind. After worrying about Eli, and the strain of filling in for him, she was beat. Coupled with the scene with Nick, it put her over the edge. What did his parting words mean—they would talk?

“I’ll worry about it tomorrow.” She rolled her eyes at her very Scarlett-ish line. By the time her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.