“Yup, but I have off tomorrow, so I get to sleep in.”
“Hey, maybe I can come to Williamsport for a visit soon.”
“Maybe,” I mumbled, half paying attention to my sister while eyeing the parking spot of a man who was just leaving. As soon as he pulled off, I quickly turned in.
“All right, Journey, I’m here. I’ll give you a call later in the week.”
“’Kay, don’t work too hard.”
“Love you.”
“Same. Bye.”
I disconnected the call and proceeded into the grocery store. It was a little after nine o’clock at night and I just worked a twelve hour shift. Though I was tired, my body had become used to the long hours on my feet so I didn’t feel too drained by the day. Instead, I hungered for one of the couscous, salmon, and veggie salads prepared at this grocery store. I loved the lemony dressing they paired the dish with. That for dinner and a few laps in the pool and I’d sleep like a baby.
After I picked up a carton of the pre-made salad, I made my way through the rest of the produce section, picking out a couple of the items I needed for the rest of the week. Due to the time of night, the store only had a handful of other customers and the overhead music could be heard clearly. As soon as Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” came on, my shoulders began moving.
My head bobbed as I sang out loud, feeling the music, and wiggling my hips a little. Right before the second round of the chorus came in, I felt myself being watched. My eyes swung to my right and left but no one was there. That was when I spun around and damn near fell backwards when I was met with stormy grey orbs. The very same ones that haunted me earlier in the day. He didn’t say anything, just stared.
Feeling defensive, I placed my free hand on my hip while holding the handcart up with my forearm in front of me. “Can I help you?”
“Nurse by day and store clerk by night.”
“I didn’t mean can I help you with your groceries. I meant—” I sighed, feeling frustrated because I was sure he knew what I meant by my first question. “It’s creepy to stare at people in public.”
“No more so than to perform to Whitney Houston in the produce aisle.”
Point made.
“Good music is to be performed anywhere.” I shrugged, unashamed.
“If you say so, Nurse …”
“Young,” I added when he didn’t finish my name. “Nurse Young. My friends call me Grace, but you …” I stopped, looking him up and down scornfully, “are not a friend so you get to refer to me as Nurse Young.”
I gave him one final look before turning on my heels and heading to the cash register to pay for my items.
Minutes later, I found myself eating my dinner in the front seat of my Cherokee, trying hard to get Dr. Reynolds’ six foot-three frame out of my mind. Once I finished, I got out of my car, tossed the empty container in the trash, and entered the twenty-four hour gym. Despite the late hour, the gym had a number of patrons roaming about. I waved at a few colleagues I saw. This particular gym offered a special discount for employees of Memorial, which was why it was common to see co-workers here from time to time.
I made a beeline for the locker room and quickly changed into the black one-piece, Speedo bathing suit I kept in my gym bag. Pushing my bag into one of the lockers and then sealing it shut with the lock I carried, I then adjusted my blue swim cap to make sure all of my hair was covered, and affixed the straps of my goggles before exiting the back entrance of the locker room that led to the pool and aquatics area. Thankfully, there was only one other person in the pool, leaving four lanes for me to choose from. Opting for one of the middle lanes, I stretched and did a few warm up exercises before diving in.
I grunted as soon as my body entered the water, getting used to the chilliness of it. The gym said the pool was heated but I was pretty sure they were full of it. However, after a few moments my body adjusted once I did some bobs and a few other exercises to warm up and prepare for a half a mile to a mile of swimming laps, depending on how I felt.
After the first three laps I was feeling good, as if I could continue swimming forever.
And that’s when it happened.
One moment I blinked and opened my eyes and swear I saw grey eyes staring back at me underneath the water. Pausing, I blinked and glanced up and around the pool to find only myself and the other swimmer who’d been there before I came in. She was busy minding her own business. Meanwhile, I was envisioning the doctor I helped perform a surgery with earlier that morning.
Try as hard as I might, I couldn’t shake the look of those eyes. It wasn’t just the color, that was odd and alluring enough. It was the way he appeared as if there was a continuous storm brewing just beneath the surface of those eyes. Like at any moment, one wrong word or occurrence could send him over the edge. And interestingly, I hated to admit, but I also noticed how that look subsided while he was in the operating room. As if whatever troubles he carried seemed to dissipate the moment he took the scalpel into his hand.
No!I yelled to myself in my head. I wasnoteven going there. Whatever mess Jacob Reynolds had going on was his and his alone to figure out. I spent enough time carrying the burdens of other people throughout my life. I was not about to seek out the burdens of a grown man. Dr. Reynolds was obviously doing well enough on his own. And if he wasn’t, so be it. It was none of my concern.
Chapter Two
Jacob
“You hit like a fucking pussy!” I derided the guy opposite me as we both circled one another inside of the sixteen by sixteen foot ring. Our fists were tightly coiled, and save for the cloth wraps around our knuckles and fingers, there was little protection from the blows we rained on one another. That was the appeal—for me, at least.
