Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Tate Grimes
I appreciate the front-row hockey tickets.
Okay. I also used my family seats as a bribe and I’m not at all sorry. Since my few remaining family members live in Oregon, there’s never anyone to give the tickets to anyway.
Me
Is Carlie okay?
Tate Grimes
She’s fine. I walked through the ER three times to make sure.
Me
Can you check on her one more time?
Tate Grimes
No. The staff already think something is up since I never just stroll through the place. Take my word for it. Your girl is fine.
I guess I’ll have to take the pediatric surgeon’s word for it until I can check for myself.
Me
I’ll drop the tickets off at your office this week.
Dr. Grimes’ report helps my heart settle a little and I’m finally able to take a deep breath, but I’m missing my girl so I decide to do something about it.
Fifteen minutes later, I stroll into the ER entrance and glance around, finding it mostly empty except for a couple sitting in the back and a few other people scattered around the large waiting room. A middle-aged nurse smiles at me as I walk up to the registration desk. “Hi. Can I help you?”
“I wanted to see if I could speak to Carlie Martin for a moment.” I practiced my spiel the entire ten-minute drive from my house to the hospital.
She stares at me, and I can see the wheels turning as she gathers gossip to spread around. “Are you a patient?”
“No. I was in an accident with her this afternoon, and I wanted to check on her.” It’s mostly true.
“Have a seat and I’ll see if she has the time to speak with you.”
I sit in one of the chairs on the other side of the waiting room and mentally practice what I’m going to say to my soulmate.
When the automatic doors open and Carlie strolls through, my mind goes blank, and all my well-rehearsed words scatter. “How can I help you, Mr. Marrow?” Her cool, professional smile irritates the fuck out of me.
“I wanted to check on you, Tigress.” Her eyes widen and she glances around to see if anyone heard me using her nickname.
“I’m fine.” She leans close to whisper, and my cock turns to stone as her sweet fragrance wraps around me. “And I’m at work. I don’t want to be the subject of gossip.”
I place my lips next to her ear. “It’s too late. The Silver Spoon Falls grapevine has been buzzing all afternoon.”
“I have to get back to work.” We both know she isn’t busy. This place is fucking dead, but I decide not to press my luck.
“I’ll be here to pick you up at eleven-thirty.” I smile down at her before placing a kiss on her soft lips. It takes every ounce of control I possess not to pull her into my arms for a real kiss, but I manage to restrain myself.
“Can I have your phone number?” she asks, shocking the hell out of me. “It’s pretty dead in here so I might get off early.”
“Give me your phone.” After she hands over her cellphone, I type in my number and send myself a text before giving it back to her. “Now we have each other’s numbers.”
“Oh.” She glances down at the screen. “Okay. I guess I’ll see you later.”
Yes, you will, Tigress.
An hour after Gray’s surprise visit, Rachel, the admission nurse, comes back and smirks at me. “Carlie, you have another visitor.” I wonder who in the world is here now. Since I started working here five months ago, I haven’t had one visitor. Today, it seems like the entire town is going to stop by.
“I’m coming,” I tell Rachel as I walk to the automatic doors that lead to the waiting room. When the doors swish open, I see Ciara pacing in front of the admissions desk.
“What are you doing here?” I ask and lead her to the far corner.
“I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“I just texted you an hour ago letting you know I’m fine,” I remind my best friend. “And I can’t believe Garrett let you out of his sight long enough to come and check on me.” She met and married her soulmate shortly before the concert that brought Gray Marrow into my life. In fact, the whole reason I’d attended the concert alone was because Ciara was supposed to go with me, but all that changed when she met Garrett Marsh, the high school football coach.
“I made him wait in the car so I could get all the juicy details.” She wiggles her eyebrows.
“There aren’t any juicy details for me to share.” I don’t know why I even try to lie to my best friend. Three years ago, we met when we both ended up working at The Last Resort Bar. At the time, Ciara was a few months short of twenty-one and couldn't find any other jobs making the kind of money she needed to support her teenage brother while I needed a great paying job that allowed me the time to study.