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She wasn’t much of a shopper, but she supposed she could search tomorrow to find something. Not on Fifth Avenue, where most of Jude’s dates probably shopped, but surely she could find something decent at an upscale department store or second-hand shop?
Maybe she’d even stop by the make-up counter and have her face done while there.
Or maybe she was being ridiculous in considering trying to spiff herself up to impress Jude. If she spiffed non-stop between now and tomorrow evening, she’d never rival the beauties she’d seen leaving his apartment.
Plus, the last time she’d spiffed up had gone horribly wrong and had ended with her looking like a raccoon from the tears she’d cried when she’d called Kenny and realized he’d forgotten he’d asked her out...and was out on a date with someone else. She’d not bothered to tell Jude that part. Why humiliate herself even further than she already had?
She finished up her notes on the patients she’d cared for during her shift, then logged off the computer system.
“You heading out?” her friend Shelley asked.
Sarah stood, stretching her spine. “Yes. Today wasn’t as bad as yesterday, thank goodness, but it’s definitely been another long one.”
“Speaking of yesterday, how’s the little girl? The one rescued by that hunky firefighter who saved her life and made me want to take him home to give him some tender loving care and a good scrub down.”
Sarah’s cheeks flamed at Shelley’s mention of Jude. He’d been the one to give her the tender loving care, along with a delicious meal. No scrub down. They’d both already showered by the time she’d set off her alarm.
“Keeley’s good,” she said, thinking of the little girl she’d checked on several times throughout her shift. She’d even gotten permission from Keeley’s mother to text Jude to let him know about the child. “She recovered consciousness this evening. Hopefully, she’ll be weaned off the vent before the night is through.”
Sarah spoke with her friend a few more minutes, considered mentioning that she had a date with the hunky firefighter, but decided not to. They hadn’t actually gone on a date so she shouldn’t jump the gun, just in case.
Not that she thought Jude would stand her up. With her history, she should be terrified he would change his mind, that he’d find some excuse to cancel their date. There was a tiny part of her that acknowledged the possibility, but her gut instinct was that he wouldn’t do that. Something about him exuded honor and integrity.
Which was ridiculous when she knew he was a scoundrel when it came to women.
But if she didn’t live next door to him, if she hadn’t seen the pleth
ora of women parading in and out of his apartment, if they really had met yesterday at the hospital, she’d have thought him a really great guy. A hero kind of guy.
Which might be testament to how foolish she was being over the man.
She was still thinking about Jude when she said hi to their apartment building doorman, while she rode the elevator up to their floor, when she stepped out of the elevator and made her way down the corridor. She’d not taken but a few steps when she noticed the large, brightly wrapped box with a huge gold bow propped against her apartment door.
A present?
She didn’t have to wonder from who, because there could only be one person who’d do such a thing.
CHAPTER SEVEN
SARAH DIDN’T WANT to be excited, but was as she bent and pulled the card with her name on it off the box.
Heart pounding, goofy smile tugging at her mouth, reminding herself not to read too much into anything Jude did, she ripped into the envelope.
I planned to give you this in person, but got called to the fire hall. Can’t wait to see you in this tomorrow night. Wear your hair up and forget your glasses so I can see your lovely face.
Her heart muscles squeezed a little too tight at his last line. Because of the past, she told herself.
Besides, if the man had bought her underwear she was going to place the order for cockroaches.
Not really. She’d put whatever skimpy piece of silk and lace the box held on and model for him. She’d probably be wearing a goofy smile to go with it, too.
But even if the size of the box hadn’t already suggested otherwise, when she picked up the box, she knew whatever was inside was more than underwear.
Feeling like a kid in anticipation of Christmas morning and trying to remind herself there wasn’t really a Santa Claus and she shouldn’t be so keyed up, she unlocked her door, stepped inside, stripped off her winter layers, then carried the box to her coffee table.
Rather than open it, she sat on her sofa and stared at the package as if it might contain a rattlesnake.
Or the cure to cancer.
