Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“Because I’m the bestest best friend ever.”
I laughed.
“Honestly, I’m torn,” I said. “Knowing that this is my last shift and that I’m walking away from the life I built here in Boston is hard.”
She gave me a quick hug. “You don’t have to walk away from it, you know.”
I sighed. “But I do. I mean, I want to leave and go home. I’m excited to see where this part of my life takes me. I’m also sad. Is it normal to feel two completely different emotions at once?”
Taylor reached for my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Yes, that’s normal. Our patients do it all the time…having a baby and feeling fear and excitement.”
All I could do was smile.
“Are you going to try and get a nursing job in Seaside?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. There’s a small hospital there, but I highly doubt I could get into labor and delivery. They don’t have a very big turnover rate there.”
Taylor nodded. “If you’re not going to be a nurse, what are you going to do?”
“Well, for the time being, I’m going to help my mother with my father. Make sure he’s listening to his doctor, as well as helping her out at the restaurant if they need me. I know my three other siblings are there, but they all have jobs. I might look into general practice, though.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “And you’re okay with that?”
A tinge of frustration raced through me, and I had to count to five before I replied. I knew Taylor meant well, but this was my life. My choice. My decision.
“I wouldn’t be doing it if I wasn’t okay with it.”
Dropping her arms, she exhaled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that. I want you to be happy.”
“I appreciate that, I really do. I am happy, and I’m excited about this next part of my journey. If it doesn’t include nursing, that’s okay. I’ve spent the last eight years doing a job I’ve loved beyond measure, and that’s a blessing.”
“And working alongside one of the best labor and delivery nurses in Boston.”
I laughed. “That too.”
I made a list of items I needed for the room before heading back to check on Lee. I’d checked the fetal monitor strip a few times and the baby was still doing well. “I’m going to see Lee, then grab these supplies,” I told Taylor.
As I made my way out of the room, she asked, “Does Gannon know you’re coming back?”
I stopped, my hand on the doorknob, and tried not to grin like a schoolgirl. “Yes.”
Taylor tilted her head and gave me a wicked look. “And? Do you think you’ll get back together?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. I became a nervous wreck every time I thought about seeing Gannon again. Not in a bad way, but in a good one. I couldn’t wait to see him.
“Considering he texted and said he couldn’t wait to see me, I think we have a good chance of it.”
She smiled. “And you’re sure he’s single? I mean, the guy is hot as hell—I find it hard to believe he doesn’t have a girlfriend, or at the very least a side piece.”
My mouth fell open. “Oh my gosh, did you really just say that?”
“He might.”
“He doesn’t. He told me himself he’s single.”
“And you’re ready to mingle. After all, you have said he was the best sex of your life.”
“I never said that.”
She lifted her brows and looked toward the ceiling. “I’m pretty sure you have, on many occasions…and even called another guy ‘Gannon’ during sex.”
I quickly made my way over to where she was standing in the middle of the room. “That was one time, and it was right after we’d broken up! That doesn’t count. The only way I could even get into it was to pretend I was with Gannon. And why did I ever tell you that in the first place?”
She laughed. “Go check on your patient. And remember, after shift, a few of us are taking you out tonight to say goodbye.”
I turned on my heel and made for the door again. I was almost out of the room when Taylor called, “Do you need to have a one-night stand before you leave? Get it out of your system?”
My face instantly heated.
“I am so not going to miss you,” I mumbled as I headed down the hall.
“Liar!” And we both parted ways laughing.
A flood of memories washed over me as I drove down the streets of Seaside. When I passed The Maine Bakery, my stomach growled. Lord, they had the best desserts in town. I would never admit that to my mother, though. I smiled as a young family came out of Coastal Toys. Their two young kids had huge grins, so it must have been a good shopping trip.