The last time I talked to Dixie, earlier this morning, she was heading to the Thunder game to watch Jude and Eli play. Did she decide to skip the game and go visit our parents?
The doors from the ambulance bay swing open, and a paramedic pushes a gurney in with Eli on it. Holy shit! I rush around the counter.
“Oh, my God, what happened?” I gasp. My voice is not at all that of a professional nurse, but my brain is acting the part as my eyes sweep over him looking for visible trauma. I don’t see anything—no blood, no protruding bone, no laceration.
“He’s a hockey player,” a deep, smooth voice starts to explain, and I expect it to be the paramedic but it’s not. It’s a man in a nicely tailored charcoal suit. Averygood-looking man. Tall and broad with olive skin, a roman nose, thick, dark hair, intense brown eyes, and a strong, stubbled jaw. Seriously, if I had a bucket list of male features, this man would check every one. “He was knocked out on the ice.”
Eli gives me a sheepish smile. “Do you remember what happened?” I ask him.
“We were up two to one in the third, but they had a power play,” he says, and I frown. He’s not exactly answering my question, which means he doesn’t remember being hit. Not a great sign.
“Put him in room four,” I tell the paramedic, and he nods and starts to push the gurney down the hall.
“Dixie is on her way. Tell her I’m fine,” Eli calls out.
The very handsome guy who came in with Eli pauses beside me instead of following him. He smells incredible—citrusy and woodsy all at once—and it makes me feel warm when I breathe it in. “Dixie is his girlfriend. She was at the hockey game, and I’m betting she’s very upset.”
“She is. She used all caps,” I reply, and those penetrating caramel colored eyes cloud over with confusion. He looks even cuter confused.
“Dixie is my sister.” I extend my hand. “I’m Sadie.”
“Hello, Sadie,” he says, and his full lips break into a deep, wide smile that make him so sexy I want to whistle. I bite my bottom lip to keep from cat-calling him to his pretty little face and wonder why my professional demeanor went on break early. “I’m Griffin, the Thunder’s goalie coach.”
“Oh, I thought Eli’s coach was named Sully,” I say, because I remember Eli telling our dad about his new goalie coach at Sunday dinner last week.
“That’s me too,” he explains. “Griffin Sullivan.”
“Of course. Hockey is all about the nicknames,” I reply, and he chuckles. It’s a nice, deep sound that makes me feel warm again.
The doors swing open, and my little sister rushes through them, looking frantic. I glance at Griffin. “You can go be with Eli. I’ll calm her down and then bring her in.”
He nods and starts to walk away. I can’t help but watch him go, and I feel a little delighted flutter when I see him give me an extra glance over his shoulder before he disappears into Eli’s room.
I hug Dixie as soon as she’s within arm’s reach. “He’s okay.”
“He was knocked out!” she explains in a strained voice. “As in completely unconscious!”
“He was alert and talkative when they brought him in,” I reply and give her another squeeze. “We’ll do tests.”
“Do all the tests. Whatever it takes to make sure he doesn’t have a concussion or a brain bleed or an aneurysm or—” Dixie replies and pulls back from me.
“You need to stop watching medical dramas, Dix,” I tell her softly. “We will do all the tests. MRIs, blood work, x-rays, hell, we’ll even check his cholesterol if you want.”
She almost smiles at that, but the look in her light blue eyes is still filled with worry. “I need to see him.”
“Of course.” I keep my arm wrapped around her waist as I guide her toward the hall leading to the rooms. “His new goalie coach came in with him. He’s kind of delicious.”
Dixie’s eyebrows rise. “Really? He must be downright stunning if you’re able to see it.”
“What does that mean?” I ask as we turn the corner and make our way to Eli’s room.
“You haven’t noticed a guy in years,” Dixie replies. “I was beginning to think your libido had died an early death or something.”
“Oh, come on, it’s not that big a deal,” I reply a little defensively. “I just haven’t exactly been getting out and meeting people.”
“You work in a huge hospital. I’m sure there are hot doctors here,” Dixie retorts. “Like at least one McDreamy or McSteamy.”
“Again, lay off the medical dramas,” I snap back. I usher her into the room. Her eyes land on Eli, and any thoughts about my lack of a love life are forgotten. She rushes to his bedside, and tears tumble from her eyes.
