Page 7 of Just For Me
‘Like’ was an understatement when it came to how I felt about Nick Penn’s books. They provided an escape from my every day, humdrum life. They made me laugh. They made me cry. They made my bones melt. When I read Nick Penn’s romances, Ibecamethe heroine. For those couple of hours, I felt beautiful and desired and hopeful.
But I wasn’t stupid enough to attempt to explain any of that to Officer Vinnie. He wouldn’t understand, and worse, he might quietly suggest a psych consult while we were here. I wasn’t crazy. I was just introverted and lonely.
So instead of saying any of that, I simply nodded. “Yes. I like Nick Penn.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but promptly closed it when an attractive young woman dressed in scrubs pulled open the privacy curtain. She had dark hair and intelligent (if tired) eyes that lit up at the sight of my companion.
“Vinnie! They told me you were here. I thought it was just wishful thinking on their part.” The woman smiled and winked at me. “My brother Vinnie here is a favorite with the female staff.” If I didn’t know better (and my eye wasn’t so swollen), I could have sworn I saw him blush.
“I’m Sofia,” she told me, grabbing my chart. “This knucklehead’s big sister. Sorry about the wait. Has he been taking good care of you?”
“Yes, he’s been very kind.”
“Yeah, he’s a regular Sir Galahad,” she smirked. “Looks like you had a pretty rough night, Katherine. How about giving us a couple of minutes, Vin?”
He nodded and stood. “Thank you,” I said sincerely. I felt certain the arrival of the doctor signaled the end of his responsibility and I wouldn’t have another chance. “For everything.”
He smiled and nodded again, then left the two of us alone.
I’m not a big fan of doctors, but I liked Sofia. Like her brother, she was kind and had a gentle touch. Her exam was quick but thorough, and she asked me questions along the way. She wrapped my wrist (which turned out was sprained), and my knee (which wasn’t sprained but was strained), and applied a few butterfly bandages to the cut along my upper cheek where my attacker had punched me.
“I think we can rule out a concussion,” she told me, snapping her penlight off before sliding it into her pocket. “But better safe than sorry. Is there someone who can stay with you tonight?”
“No,” I said simply. My family was gone, and I didn’t know anyone well enough to ask them to come over. Making friends was not easy for me; as a result, I didn’t really have any.
She frowned and scribbled on the chart. “How about we keep you overnight for observation then?”
“No!” I said a little too vehemently. I was banged up, but it was nothing serious and I knew I wouldn’t get much rest here. “I... I just want to go home. Please.”
She stared at me for a while, then nodded. “Okay, Katherine.” She pulled a business card out of her pocket and scribbled a number on the back. “But promise me you’ll call or come back in if you experience any of the warning signs we talked about, okay? I’m giving you my personal number.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Once again, I couldn’t understand why she was being so kind, but I was grateful. It made what I had to do next even harder.
“Um... Doctor?”
She paused. “Yes?”
I hated asking for help, but I had no choice. My phone was in my stolen purse, as was my bus pass. It was a long enough walk that I wasn’t sure I could make it in my current state. Hopefully the couple of bills I had in my coat pocket would get me home, or at least most of the way.
“Can I borrow a phone to call a cab?”
She opened the curtain and grinned at something beyond my line of vision. “Oh, I don’t think that’ll be necessary. Looks like you’ve already got a ride. She’s good to go, Vin. See you at dinner on Sunday?”
My mouth dropped open when Officer Vinnie stepped up and said, “Of course.”
“Cool. Take care, Katherine. Get some rest, and remember to call if you need anything.” She patted her brother on the arm, then disappeared. Office Vinnie looked at me and smiled. “Ready to blow this popsicle stand?”
I had no words. Emotionally, I was a wreck, and tears started filling my eyes again. I nodded, unable to speak.
Chapter 6: Nick
“Thank you. You’re very kind.”
I smiled and said the words, keeping my focus on the blue-haired grandma who’d just told me how much she enjoyed my books, saying how it was nice to read a romance where the hero wasn’t an “alpha-hole” and knew how to treat a woman. I wasn’t exactly sure what an “alpha-hole” might be, but whatever it was, it didn’t sound good and I was glad I hadn’t inadvertently waded into those waters.
The moment she moved on, my eyes flicked down the line all the way to the door. In between one person and the next, I couldn’t keep myself from looking, hoping to see a certain familiar face. So far, no such luck. With the signing drawing to a close, it looked increasingly likely that I wouldn’t be revealing my not-so-secret identity today. Despite my grandfather’s bit of trickery, Kat wasn’t going to show.
The next person stepped up, blocking my view. A younger woman, twenty-something if I had to guess, who looked like she’d spent all morning in my cousin Val’s beauty salon. Attractive, in a made-up sort of way. I barely noticed, other than to subconsciously compare her to Kat’s fresh-faced, natural beauty. There was no comparison.
