Page 11 of Knight's Journey

Mr. Stutler must have sensed her hesitation. “You don’t have to answer that. I’m sure you probably can’t share personal details with patients.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. My sister Jennifer was their mother. Her husband was Dean. They were married twenty years when they were killed by a drunk driver on their way home from celebrating their anniversary less than a year ago.”

“I’m sorry. I hope the children know how lucky they are to have you as their aunt.”

She forced a smile even as her heart squeezed painfully. “I’m the lucky one, Mr. Stutler. I promise you that. Can I get you anything?”

“I’m good, sweetheart. Thank you.” This time he said the endearment less like a man flirting and more like a father figure showing affection.

She flashed him a parting smile and moved out of his room, shaking off her melancholy. Stepping behind the nurses’ station, she settled in the only unoccupied chair and logged into the computer in front of her. She tried not to dwell on how laid back and uneventful her shift had been. Having once worked as an emergency department nurse in a large metropolitan hospital, she had often spent entire shifts on her feet, moving from one emergency to the other. There was never time to have conversations like the one she had with Mr. Stutler. The medical care needs had never stopped; the seriousness of the cases had never let up.

Bridget thrived on the chaos, on the thrill of never knowing what the shift would hold. The job was stressful, and she enjoyed an active social life to help blow off steam. Some might view her lifestyle as unhealthy with her burning the candle at both ends. But up until her sister and brother-in-law’s death, it had been just her, no husband, children or even pets to protest the crazy schedule she kept.

Her shift at Lenfield Medical Center was boring by comparison, and she realized she welcomed the change. She liked having time for breaks and for getting to know her co-workers. She liked feeling as though she had a relationship with her patients extending beyond their medical care. She could leave work at work without the need for a few drinks and an evening of dancing to relieve stress. Even though she loved the different vibe at this hospital, she did wish she didn’t have to work the evening shift, leaving Marlowe and Mathias alone at home.

“So how many marriage proposals did you receive today?” The floor nurse and supervisor, Charlotte Russell, patted Bridget’s shoulder as she passed by, heading toward the coffee stand behind the nurses’ station.

Bridget chuckled. “Just one so far, but the shift is early.”

“I think you’re becoming Mr. Stutler’s favorite. You have the patience to deal with his antics. He’s driven the other nurses crazy.”

Bridget smiled her thanks when Charlotte handed her a fresh cup of coffee with her preferred dosage of sugar and cream. Charlotte was one of the first people she met when moving to Grayson Cove, and the two hit it off right from the start. She’d seen Charlotte wield a firm hand when necessary, but her personality veered more toward friendly and easygoing.

Bridget sipped the coffee. “He wants a little attention, but he’s harmless. I think he’s lonely. I don’t know if he’s had any visitors since he’s been here.”

“He never does. I think he lives alone. He has a friend who picks him up whenever he’s released from the hospital, but the guy never shows up until then. As often as he’s admitted here, I don’t really know a lot about him. He is nice, even if a little inappropriate,” Charlotte added.

“If he’s not careful, somebody’s going to sue him for sexual harassment with all his ‘sweethearts’ and ‘honeys’. I don’t care if it is a throwback to his generation. It’s chauvinistic.” Amy Niven spoke up from her seat next to Bridget. The young nurse reminded her a lot of herself in her carefree days — outspoken, outgoing and outrageous. She made no secret of the fact she was hoping to snag a successful doctor for a husband, and in the meantime, she kept herself distracted with one meaningless relationship after another. Amy was nice enough, but Bridget hadn’t really warmed up to her.

Bridget and Charlotte exchanged a glance, communicating their thoughts without voicing them aloud. They didn’t agree with Amy’s assessment of Mr. Stutler. Even with his frequent marriage proposals, he was a gentleman, never disrespecting the nurses. His harmless flirtations were more about finding something to smile about while being hospitalized.

A buzz from the panel at the nurses’ station showed one of the patients called for nursing assistance. Amy answered the buzz, offered to handle the patient’s request and then disappeared down the hallway, leaving Charlotte and Bridget alone. Charlotte took the seat Amy vacated.

“So how are you doing really? Are you settling in all right?”

Bridget shifted her swivel chair so she could face her supervisor. Charlotte’s mouth was curled in a reassuring smile, causing crinkles at the corners of her warm, hazel eyes.

“Working the night shift is an adjustment. I know Mathias and Marlowe are fine on their own until I get home, but I still feel anxious about leaving them. I feel like I should be there to help them with their homework and make sure they go to bed at a decent hour. It’s silly to feel this way with teenagers. I just…”

Charlotte nodded when Bridget’s voice trailed off. “You miss them. My children are adults, and I feel the same way toward them. It’s natural.”

Bridget’s brow furrowed. “Technically they aren’t my children.”

“They are, Bridget. Your sister and brother-in-law entrusted you with Mathias and Marlowe because they felt you would do a great job raising them. And you are.”

“Thank you, but you’ve only met them once, Charlotte. You can’t know from one introduction how I threatened them within an inch of their lives to be on their best behavior while I’m at work.”

Charlotte laughed. “I’ve seen a lot of children during my career, not to mention raising my three. Trust me, I know they didn’t have to be polite when we met because you said so. You have nothing to worry about with those two.”

Bridget smiled. Her friend was right. Mathias and Marlowe were smart, polite, and responsible — everything she could have hoped for in children of her own. But they weren’t her own. Not really. And though she loved them more than her own life, she constantly worried if she was doing right by them. First with the custody hearing, then with the move and the change in schools, putting Marlowe in high school with her brother despite her young age, allowing Mathias to give up his sports career though she knew the reason he did so was to help her…

Would Jennifer regret choosing her as their guardian if she could see how Bridget was raising them?

“Go.”

Bridget pulled herself out of her troubled thoughts to stare bewildered at her boss. “What?”

“Go. Take fifteen minutes. Call your niece and nephew. Make sure they’re doing their homework. Remind them when they need to go to bed. Tell them you love them. Go. I’ll come for you if we get busy.”

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