Page 86 of Stolen Kisses
Chapter 19
“I hear you ran the caregiver support group the other night,” Karen said, walking up to Krista the next day. Krista had gotten Thanksgiving Day off, but unlike a lot of other professions, she didn’t get to take a long weekend. Her patients needed her, and she’d just taken a mini vacation when she’d gone to the cabin with Noah.
Krista swiveled in her chair to look up at the head nurse. “Yep. And I’ll be filling in again next week. I actually really enjoyed it.”
Karen cocked her head. “That kind of thing seems like a good fit for you. You like inserting yourself into other people’s lives.” She didn’t say it in an insulting way, but it still made Krista’s spine stiffen just a touch.
“I wouldn’t exactly call being a friend to others ‘inserting’ myself.”
Karen waved a hand. “You know what I mean.”
But Krista really didn’t. Karen had never said anything about Krista’s performance in filling in as head nurse during her own time off. She was set to retire in just three weeks. Krista wanted to know for sure if the position would go to her.
“Things ran smoothly around here when you were with your family at the beach,” Krista said, broaching the subject herself.
“So I hear. Good job, Krista. Although I wouldn’t have asked you to step in if I didn’t trust that you could run things.”
There. That was a compliment, and it encouraged Krista to delve deeper.
“I wasn’t intimidated by the job at all.” Which was only a tiny lie. Talking angry patients down was just a little intimidating. And the job itself had pulled away from patient care. The satisfaction she got from making sure her patients were comfortable and well cared for had gone down last week while she was busy handling staff needs and other head nurse business.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Karen smiled. “Well, I’m off for today. I’ll see you Monday.” She hugged her clipboard close to her chest. “Only a few weeks left for me and I’ll be out of here for good.”
Karen waved and headed toward the elevators. Was that how Krista would feel when it was time to retire from this place? Like she was finally ridding herself of a ball and chain? The days could be hard here, but she loved this job. She loved helping patients. She’d do it forever if she could. Something twisted in her gut. She didn’t want to turn into Karen, not in the slightest.
—
After work, Krista ran home and dressed for Grace and Jack’s rehearsal dinner. Tomorrow was Grace and Jack’s wedding day! Krista couldn’t be happier or more excited for her friend. With the holidays, Krista had seen a lot of her friends and family, and introduced them all to herself and Noah as a couple. Even her father, who was a hard sell, had shaken Noah’s hand on Thanksgiving and pulled him in for a pat-the-back hug. Then he’d invited him to go fishing with him after the New Year. That was a small miracle in Krista’s mind.
Krista parked at the local beach access and headed between the dunes, spotting Grace under a large tent. The wedding was taking place on the beach tomorrow afternoon. Both Grace and Jack loved the water and they wanted a simple wedding. Since it was fall, the flowers and dresses were cream and eggplant, but Krista decided it was much more romantic to describe the décor as wine-colored. Against the backdrop of sand and water, the whole event promised to be absolutely gorgeous.
For the next hour, the wedding party ran through what would happen the following day, working out the kinks. When it was done, Krista joined hands with Noah and went for a walk along the water’s edge as the sun set in the sky.
“It’s official. I’ll be house-watching for Jack and Grace while they’re on their honeymoon,” he said. “Which means I’ll finally have hot water.”
Krista laughed, intertwining her arm with his as her bare feet squished in the cool sand. “Hopefully the repairman can get to your place sometime next week.”
“From your lips to God’s ears. Then I can have you back in my bed every night and wake up to you every morning.”
Krista’s heart skipped a beat. That sounded awfully committed to her. Whatever freak-out he’d had last week was over. “I’d like that.”
“I ran into Adam and his mom at the store yesterday,” Noah said then.
Krista looked up. “You didn’t tell me that.”
“It slipped my mind, I guess. It’s been a busy week.”
“It has,” she agreed.
“I told the little guy that I’d take him fishing again in the next few weeks.”
“Oh.” Worry like she’d experienced when he’d made a similar promise momentarily settled on her brow. “You know, if you tell a kid something, they’re going to hold you to it.”
“Good. Because I was serious.
“Why the frown? You don’t think I’ll keep my word?” he asked.
Krista shrugged and offered up a smile. “You better,” she said teasingly, but she was serious. She’d survive if Noah broke her heart,probably,but Adam might not. He trusted Noah and crushing that childlike trust changed a kid. Adam’s own father had already crushed his spirit a hundred times in his short life.
