Page 5 of Crushing on the Mountain Men

“You should check for tics and bites, too,” Elise, a nurse I knew from ambulance rounds, said to me as I sat in a chair near the admissions desk a while later. Creed and I were waiting for Davin, and we wanted news of Andre’s condition.

As usual, on a Friday night, the ER was packed.

“I dressed appropriately, but I’d appreciate it if you could have a quick look.” Seeing Andre’s bite made me nervous, but I didn’t have any pain.She nodded, then we all turned as someone screamed in the waiting room.

“Go!” I waved her over.

Creed glanced out there. “Security’s got it. Someone fainted. I can look for tics.”

I stopped amid taking off my windbreaker. “That’s ok.”

“You don’t want to get all the way naked?” His deep laugh rumbled, and the noise had me joining in, too.

The problem was, I wanted to get naked.

And as I spotted Davin walking into the waiting room. I knew I wanted to get naked with both of them at once. But first, tics.

“Thanks,” I said, as Creed looked at my neck and pulled my t-shirt neckline down a bit in the back to check exposed skin.

Elise walked back in to the office area, stripping off rubber gloves.

I introduced Davin, and when the two men stepped out into the hallway to give us room, she gave me a thumbs up as she looked at my legs and ankles.

“You should offer to check them,” she said.

“Both of them?” I wasn’t she meant what I thought she meant.

She nodded. “You know how I told you I have an unusual dating situation?”

I’d seen her with three different guys around town.

“I live with three men. I’m with all of them.”

I looked up and into Davin’s eyes as he watched through the doorway. They’d heard all of this discussion.

***

As we left a short time later, I think my cheeks were still warm with embarrassment.

“Do you mind if I get a ride back to my car in the public lot?”

“Of course not. Our group got most of the tour group packed up and shuttled to their homes. Only a few could drive.”

I nodded. “I’ll bet Pam had to chaperone. She was always level-headed like that as a teen, too.”

“So that was a bachelorette party? Even with the frat boys?” Davin asked as he opened his car door for me.

I tried and failed to remember when anyone else had done that for me. Then I got a step on the truck and pulled myself up. I wish I’d had the nerve to ask them for help getting up there.

“The guys were part of a different group. Tina booked her four bridesmaids and herself for the overnight hike for her bachelorette party. I don’t think we were supposed to go that far up, but it was really pretty.”

The truck was warming up, and the adrenalin crash hit hard. My eyes were drooping.

***

“Kailee?”

My eyes opened when we were in the parking lot on the mountain.

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