Page 25 of Wedding Plans

Beverly was allergic to nuts. He hadn’t tasted any in his piece, but...

The waitress rushed to the table.

“Does this cake contain nuts?”

“No, sir, but maybe Nutella spread.”

“Hazel nuts. That would explain her reaction.”

Without hesitation, he searched her tiny clutch for her epi-pen, and pressed the auto-injector hard against her thigh. Within moments, her breathing eased, but she wasn’t out of the woods.

Grabbing his phone, he didn’t waste another second and called 9 1 1.

As soon as the operator spoke, he identified himself. “There’s an emergency at the French Bistro on Main Street on Long Island. Anaphylactic reaction.” He turned to the waitress, “Get our coats.”

He threw what should be enough money on the table, slid on his parka, and scooped Beverly up, the waitress following to the door with her coat and handbag.

A siren announced the ambulance. Two paramedics carrying a stretcher rushed toward them. The waitress held the door opened, and they laid Beverly on the stretcher and moved her to the ambulance.

“I’m Dr. Kent. This lady has eaten hazel nuts and is having an anaphylactic reaction,” Tyler explained. “I gave her one dose from the epi-pen, but she’ll need more.”

“Right away.” A paramedic raised her skirt to expose her thigh, and using another auto-injector, gave her a second dose of epinephrine while the other inserted a nasal canula for the oxygen she needed.

“We’re taking her to the ER at Nassau Hospital. Are you coming with us, Doctor?”

Nassau Hospital washishospital. As much as Tyler wanted to run away from Beverly and forget all about her, he couldn’t abandon her now—not when she’d become the patient who needed him.

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