Page 33 of Stolen Kisses
“So you two are sure you don’t mind?” Grace asked.
“I would do anything for you, you know that.” Krista smiled at her longtime friend. “A mountain honeymoon is going to be fabulous.”
Grace pushed back from the table, stood, and walked around to hug Krista. “Thank you! And thank you for agreeing to be my maid of honor. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have beside me.”
Jack looked at Noah. “This means a lot, bro.”
“No problem.” His gaze slid to Grace. “And I will be happy to wear an eggplant kerchief for my favorite sister-in-law.”
“Aww! That’s so sweet,” Grace said.
Krista had to admit she thought so, too. Noah had it in him to be extremely sweet when he wanted. And thoughtful and charming, witty and everything she wanted on her list of qualities in a man. But he didn’t want her. She was just one of the guys to him, which put a great big X over him on her list of potential Prince Charmings.
“You sure I can’t pick you up on Saturday morning?” he asked Krista later as they headed to the door to leave.
She shook her head. “I actually have a lot of things I need to do. And errands and…” She couldn’t think of her excuses fast enough. “I’m sure. I’ll just ride up there and meet you.”
A show of disappointment settled in the deep furrow of his brow. “Okay. I’ll meet you there and we’ll romanticize the cabin. Might want to pack an overnight bag. It’s a six-hour drive each way, and I figure we have at least a full day’s work between us. Plan on it taking all weekend, and maybe that next Monday, too.”
Krista hadn’t thought that part through. Overnight in a romantic mountain cabin with the man she was desperately trying to falloutof lust with. Maybe even two nights?Crap.
Krista offered a reassuring smile to Grace. “Don’t worry about a thing. You can count on us.”
—
A few hours later, Krista laid in bed, unable to sleep. Her phone beeped with an incoming text. Glancing at the screen, Chandler’s name popped up. Why, oh why couldn’t she be falling for him? He was the one who seemed to want her.
Are you awake?the text asked.
If she responded, she’d have to chat with him. And he was a chatter. She blew out a long sigh and started to put the phone back down. It beeped again. Glancing at the screen reluctantly—because she didn’t feel like dealing with Chandler tonight—her entire body lit up. Noah’s name flashed on her screen. Her response to him was visceral, and that was the difference between Chandler and Noah.
Are you awake?Noah’s text asked, too.
That seemed to be the popular opening line tonight. Instead of putting the phone down, her fingers moved across her phone’s keyboard.
Yes.She waited anxiously for his response.
I just wanted to say good night.
Krista smiled softly, her heart melting despite her desperate need to cool her feelings. This was why she couldn’t get over Noah. Her fingers typed her response:Good night.
And with that, she turned off her phone and closed her eyes.
The next afternoon, Krista plopped down in the chair behind her desk. Her feet were already killing her. She’d started the morning with a two-mile walk with Grace and Abby, and then worked an eight-hour shift that had her running from room to room. She was exhausted. Collapsing into a chair at the nurse’s station, she logged into a computer to finish up her documentation from the day.
“Krista.” Karen stepped up behind her. Krista had successfully avoided the head nurse over the last few work days—ever since she’d been spotted having dinner with Chandler.
“Hi, Karen. How are you?”
Karen frowned, her skin pinching and sagging as she did. A smile would do wonders for making her look younger, Krista thought, holding her tongue. She needed to get back on her boss’s good side before she nominated her successor. “I’m good. So, you and Dr. Dale?”
“Just friends,” Krista said quickly. And that was the truth, even if she wished to God she felt something more for the young doctor.
Karen pulled up a chair beside her.
Oh, God. Here it comes.“Krista, I’m concerned. As your friend, not your boss. There was a time that I, too, dated someone that I worked with.”
Krista’s fingers froze on the keyboard. “Really, Karen, it’s not—”
