"You sneaky bastard," I added, my voice somewhere between amused and flustered.
He grinned against my shoulder. "It worked, didn’t it? One thing at a time."
I tried to scoot away in mock annoyance, but his grip tightened, pulling me firmly back against him.
"Not a chance," he murmured. "I enjoy you too much."
Something about the way he said it sent a shiver through me, one I hoped he didn’t notice. His voice softened. “The nurse who works at my mom’s facility reminds me of you a little bit. She’s vibrant, tough, but kind as hell. When I found out you were going to nursing school, it made me fall for you just a little more.”
Jesus. This man was going to ruin me.
"Wow," I whispered, not trusting myself to say anything more. Brooks didn’t push, just let the words settle, let me sit with them before asking, "What happened for you to pick nursing?"
I exhaled, rolling my shoulders slightly. "What happened for you to pick baseball?" I shot back.
His chuckle was low, but he answered immediately. “Because it was my dream to play in the majors. I loved the sport, and I believed if I put the time and effort into something I loved, eventually, it would reward me. Hours of practice taught me diligence and dedication, and I can’t imagine my life without playing. The sounds, the smells, the camaraderie… it’s perfection.”
“That was poetic,” I said, trying to lighten the weight in my chest. “My reasons aren’t nearly that inspiring.”
“It’s not a competition, Mitch. Why nursing?”
I hesitated, then finally let it out. "Because my mom overdosed when I was a kid. Because everything went to total shit after that. We were still technically a family, still had to spend time in the hospital, and the nurses there… they took such good care of her by never judging. They didn’t look at us like we were lost causes, even though I know they probably saw the truth."
Brooks didn’t say anything, just tightened his hold on me, his hand sliding slowly down my arm, grounding me.
“They changed my life," I whispered. "And I want to be that for someone else."
His only response was a kiss to the back of my neck. He didn’t say, I’m sorry. He didn’t say, That’s horrible. He just held me tighter, like he understood exactly what I needed.
A few seconds later, he gently turned me to face him, tucking me under his chin, his hands running up and down my back in slow, lazy strokes.
"You're amazing," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion.
The weight of the conversation pressed heavy on my chest, and I wasn’t ready to sit with it any longer. "Shh," I whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his chest. "Go to sleep."
His grip tightened slightly, like he didn’t want to let go, but after a few breaths, I felt his breathing slow, his body relax. And for the first time in a long time, I felt safe enough to do the same.
* * *
“I really do need to go.”
I pulled back from Brooks’ kiss, but my body protested every inch of space I put between us. The flutters in my stomach weren’t just from his lips or the way his arms had held me tight, like he didn’t want to let go. This was something new. I was missing him before I had even left.
And that wasn’t something I had ever experienced before.
He sighed, wrapping his arms around me once more, his voice gruff with reluctance. “Two days?”
“That’s all,” I said, trying to sound teasing, light, normal. I had shifts at the hospital two days in a row, followed by long shifts at the diner.
“Fine,” he muttered, but his grip around my waist stayed firm for a second longer, like he was trying to memorize the feel of me before letting go.
I smiled, pushing past the unease building in my chest. “Be good until then.”
He smirked, but his gaze lingered as I walked away, like he could sense something was off. I didn’t let myself look back because it’d make going back to my scheduled life harder.
I had barely made it to my car when I noticed the ripped piece of paper wedged under the windshield.
My stomach dropped. If someone hit my car…Damn it.
