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“Not really. I mix it up each week with different spices and vegetables. I can’t remember which brother—I’m guessing it was Orrin since he was the oldest. He started working out and eating healthier, and the rest of us just followed suit. Now it feels like that’s all that I know. The only times I ever really veer off is when I make it to Sunday dinner at Mom and Dad’s or have wings at the Willow Tavern.”
“Wings aren’t bad.”
“They are when they’re deep fried, but that shit is so good.” I rub my belly thinking about them. I need to call one of my brothers so we can hit up the Tavern on one of my nights off.
“Your mom is such a good cook,” she moans, and my cock stirs behind my zipper.
I ignore my cock and answer the woman. “She is. That’s why Sundays are always a free to cheat day. Not to mention, my momma would kick my ass if she slaved over a stove all day and I showed up and didn’t eat.”
“She knows you’re all health nuts, right?” She laughs.
“Well, I wouldn’t call us health nuts. We try to eat well, and we do work out often.”
“That’s how you got these,” she says, reaching over and giving my bicep a squeeze.
The spot where her hand meets my flesh feels as though it’s burning. “And lifting patients all day.” I pretend like the fact that her hand is still resting on my arm or the fact that she noticed that I work out doesn’t affect me. I’m not vain, but I also work hard to stay fit. The fact that the woman who’s consumed my thoughts for the last week took notice makes me want to stand a little taller.
What is it about Palmer Setty that pulls this kind of reaction out of me?
“How often do you work out?” she asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Honestly, not as much as I used to. I try to get in a few workouts a week, but sometimes my schedule just doesn’t allow it, and then sometimes on my day off, I don’t want to do shit.”
“You work crazy long hours.”
“I do, but I enjoy it. There’s always something new every single shift.”
“What made you want to be a nurse?”
I usually don’t open up to women. In fact, it’s always superficial. None of them have ever inquired to get to know me. They’re always throwing themselves at me or asking me to help set them up with one of my brothers. It’s exhausting. I don’t feel that right now with Palmer. She’s Ramsey’s best friend, and Ramsey is as close to a sister as I will ever get until my brothers decide to get married.
“When I was fourteen and the twins were four, they came down with pneumonia. They were in the hospital for over a week, and during that time, their nurses were incredible. I remember the day a male nurse walked in. I was shocked. In my fourteen-year-old brain, all nurses were women. Anyway, he was so good with the twins and doted on my mom and all of us, really. He joked around and lifted everyone’s spirits. The twins took to him right away, and he was one of the only nurses there who could convince them not to freak out if they were passing meds or whatever. One night it was my turn to stay with Mom and the twins. We all insisted that we take turns so that she was never alone. Dad had to work, so we stepped up. Anyway, one night, Mom ran down to the cafeteria to grab some food. Merrick started having a seizure, and I freaked out. I didn’t know what to do, so I just went to the door and yelled. Alex, that was his name, was sitting at the nurses’ station and came running. He was so calm and knew exactly what to do. He sat on the bed and moved Merrick to his side, all while talking calmly to me, getting me to chill the hell out.” I laugh, thinking about how scared I was that day. “By the time Mom got back to the room, all was well. Alex explained that it was likely the high fever that caused the seizure, and he had such a way that you clung to his every word, and you believed him when he said that everything was going to be okay. I decided that day that I wanted to be just like Alex. I wanted to be able to help my family like that if they ever needed me.”
She smiles softly, and I see something in her eyes, something I can’t name, but they soften, and have me leaning in just a little closer to her.
“What about you? Why photography?”
“Nothing as profound as your career choice. But when I was ten, my parents bought me a Polaroid camera for Christmas. I ran through the three boxes of film that came with it by the end of the day. I was obsessed. The next year I got a digital camera for Christmas. I took pictures of anything and everything. I don’t know. I just fell in love with being able to capture a moment. To be able to capture the emotions of the people for them to look back on at a later time.”
“Like the blind-date photoshoot with Deacon and Ramsey?”
“Exactly. I was behind the lens. I could see the chemistry before they even considered it. I knew that the two of them would be great together. Took me months to figure out how to set them up without them knowing or thinking that I was actually setting them up.”
“I have to admit that was smooth.”
“Thank you. Make sure you remind them of that. That helps in my quest for them to name their firstborn after me.” She flashes me a wide grin.
I shake my head, a smile pulling at my lips. “You keep saying that.” I chuckle. “Good luck with that endeavor. Rams can be hard-headed.”
“Oh, I know. And I don’t really expect them to. I just like teasing them. I couldn’t be happier that the two of them have found each other and are now each other’s forever.”
Before I can ask her about her forever, and if that’s even something she wants, Gus pulls in with the tow truck. It’s a good thing too. I don’t need to dig deeper into this beautiful woman sitting in the cab of my truck. She’s already all I can think about over the last week, and learning more about her just makes this sudden obsession I have worse.
“I’m going to go talk with him. I’ll be right back.”
“Brooks.” She calls my name as I’m reaching for the door handle. I turn to look at her over my shoulder. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
So many different replies flash through my mind.I’ll always take care of you. Give me a few of hours alone in my bedroom, and I’ll show you how I can take care of you.Instead, my reply is simple. “Always.” I toss her a wink and climb out of the truck. I take a quick second to adjust my hard cock behind my zipper before approaching the back of her car, hoping to hide what she does to me, while I explain to Gus what I know about what caused her to break down and telling him to call me if he has any issues.
