Room for You (37 page)

Since my breakup with Zach, I had tried hard to make our life about structure and simplicity. Brody was the opposite of that. He was carefree and unpredictable; no day with him was the same. Hell, no hour with him was ever the same. He crashed into my life and shook it up like a snowglobe.

I had no idea my life needed him
so
bad.

Several hours later, Lucy and Piper’s friends had left and the family room carpet was sprinkled with enough confetti and glitter to fill a dumpster. The girls were happily showing Brody and Derek their new toys while Alexa and I cleaned up the kitchen. I had no idea where my mom and Fred were, nor did I think I wanted to know.

“Have you heard from Lauren?” I asked.

“Yeah, they’re all settled in their apartment and loving Florence. She said she’s gonna call you tonight to wish the girls
Happy Birthday
.”

I thought about my friend and her new husband, living in some adorable, cozy apartment in Italy. “I’m so happy for them.” I sighed blissfully.

“Agreed.” She peeked at me while she loaded the dishwasher. “I’m happy for you too.”

“Me? Why?”

“Well, actually, I’m happy for me.”

I stared at her, completely confused.

“You know me—I’m not a super romantic person,” she said.

I laughed. “I know. I always thought that was strange, considering you
own
a flower shop.”

“Yeah, yeah … whatever. I’m not a romantic person, but boy, do I love to be right.”

“What are you talking about?” I finally cut myself a small piece of the castle cake.

“Here, I scooped this out of the garbage a long time ago.” She walked over and handed me a small piece of paper that was crinkled and worn. “Once again, I believe that belongs to you.”

My mouth fell open when I looked down at the white strip of paper in my hand.

Oh my God, the fortune cookie from the Chinese food that night at her shop.

“I can’t believe you saved this.” I looked up at her in amazement.

She grinned at me. “I knew then what you’ve finally been brave enough to admit now. I could see it in your eyes, hear it in the way you talked about him.” She hip bumped me as she walked by. “Like I said, I love to be right.”

I curled my hand around that fortune, vowing to cherish it forever.

After Alexa rubbed it in my face a dozen more times about how right she was, she tore Derek away from the girls’ toys and left.

Brody walked up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I’d say the party was a success, the twinkies seem pretty happy.”

“Absolutely. Look at their little faces.” I rested my head against his chest and watched the girls grinning and chattering about their new haul.

“After they go to bed, remind me to hide that big purple case,” he sighed.

“Why?”

“It’s full of nail polish and makeup—they already asked if they could try it on me later.”

Tossing my head back, I laughed heartily. “You started that.”

“Started what?” Mom asked, walking into the kitchen with Fred trailing right behind her.

“Well, look what we have here,” Brody teased. “The two lovebirds.”

Mom blushed as Fred wrapped his arm around her.

“I’m happy for you two, I really am. I didn’t mean to sound weird before, I was just taken aback,” I said to my mom.

“I know that, honey. It’s okay,” she walked over, pulling me in for a hug. “I should’ve told you. That wasn’t exactly a good way to find out.”

“It was a little shocking.” I squeezed her back.

“So, Fred … what are you doing in the morning?” Brody asked.

Fred looked at him blankly. “Nothing, why?”

Brody clapped him on the shoulders. “I was just thinking that maybe we should go fishing. There are some things I’d like to talk to you about now that you’re dating Sophia.”

Fred laughed and shook Brody’s hand. “I’ll fish with you anytime, Brody.”

Standing in the kitchen with my arm around my mom, I watched Brody and Fred devour a chunk of cake while listening to the girls giggling behind me. Overcome with a sense of happiness, I reached in my back pocket and fingered the fortune from Alexa.

Thank God for rainstorms … and puddles.

“Stop obsessing, you look terrific.” Brody walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist as I stopped to check my refection in the mirror for the hundredth time that morning.

“I’m just so nervous, I feel like I’m gonna puke.”

“Then kiss me now.” He laughed as he spun me around by my hips and planted his lips firmly on mine, causing my stress to evaporate faster with each gentle swipe of his tongue.

“Oh my God,” I said against his lips. “I’m gonna be late.”

“It’d be worth it.” He groaned as he trailed kisses down my neck.

“I’m sure it would.” I let my head fall back, enjoying the feel of his lips exploring my skin. “But, it’s my first day. I can’t be late.”

I gently pushed him off of me and kissed the tip of his nose. “Save that for later, okay?”

“Deal.” He grinned.

I checked my appearance one more time.

New blue scrubs, check.

New shoes, check.

Lucky silver necklace, check.

Today was the first day of my externship and my nerves were a mess. I wanted to make a good first impression, but there was no chance of that happening if I couldn’t get my hands to stop shaking long enough to put eyeliner on, let alone insert an IV.

“I think I’m ready,” I said a few minutes later as I walked into the kitchen. Brody and the girls were sitting at the island eating waffles, the cozy smell of syrup loomed in the air. A morsel of jealousy sat in my stomach as I packed up my lunch and thought about them hanging out here all day while I was at the hospital. I was also incredibly thankful that Brody was willing to babysit my kids all day. Figures the
one
day my mom had a doctor’s appointment and couldn’t help me would be the first day of my program.

“Thanks for staying with them today.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“My pleasure.” He grinned at the girls. “We’re gonna have fun today, right?”

“Yay!” They cheered.

“I’m thinking we mow the lawn, give Diesel a bath, clean out the gutters, then have a bunch of broccoli for lunch. Sound good?” He wiggled his eyebrows at them.

Lucy and Piper looked at each other with disgusted faces. “Noooo!”

“I think you should make them wash the dishes too, they’re six years old now, they can handle it,” I teased.

They just shook their heads back and forth, their eyes wide.

“I’m gonna head out. Girls, you go easy on him today, okay?”

“Yes, Mom,” Lucy said.

“Piper, you too.”

“Mm-hmm,” she mumbled, shoving a giant bite of waffle in her mouth. It had only been a few weeks since her accident and I was so thankful she finally had her appetite back.

I kissed each of their cheeks and grabbed my purse. “If there are any problems, I have my phone with me.” I leaned down and kissed Brody’s cheek. Both of the girls giggled. They still weren’t completely used to our moments of affection toward each other, but we weren’t hiding anymore. I loved him, he loved me and we were going with it.

“We’re good.” He grinned and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me in tight. “Good luck today. I know you’re gonna do great.”

“Thanks,” I sighed, my nerves starting to get the best of me. “I just want this day to be over. I’m anxious to come home and snuggle up with the three of you tonight.”

“Sounds like a date,” he said.

I smiled at him and turned to head out when he pulled my hand back toward him. I spun around and locked eyes with him; his jet-black pupils swam in a sea of brilliant green and focused right on me. I pulled my browns together and looked at him curiously.

He looked at the girls, then back at me. “Pay the toll.” He cupped my rear and drew me in close to him, planting a firm kiss on my lips, while the girls squealed and covered their eyes.

The automatic doors of the hospital slid open and the familiar smell hit me. It’s unmistakable, that hospital smell, a weird combination of latex and iodine and death. If colors had smells, I think white would smell like the hospital. Pink would be flowers, yellow would be fresh air, blue would be the sea.

White … definitely the hospital.

I walked up to the registration desk where a girl sat chomping on her gum like a cow, looking bored out of her mind.

“Hi, my name is Kacie Jensen. I’m supposed to start my externship today, but this is my first time here and I’m not exactly sure where to go.”

She glared up at me from her cell phone and without responding, pointed toward another large set of automatic sliding doors with EMERGENCY ROOM painted above them in bright red. “Thanks,” I said as I looked back at her.

She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her phone.

Brat.

I slowly crept through the doors like a timid sixth-grader who was scared of walking into the wrong classroom. The hallways formed a big square that surrounded the nurses’ station that was decorated with fake plants and cardboard cut-outs of apples and rulers for Back-To-School time.

“Help me, help me, help me!”

I spun around to a woman walking my direction, balancing a stack of file folders two feet high in her hands that started slipping out of her hands. Dropping my lunch bag and purse where I stood, I lunged forward and caught the manila tower before it spilled all over the floor.

She sighed. “Oh, thanks. That would’ve really sucked.”

“No problem.” I smiled at her.

I guessed she was in her early forties, though her face was youthful and could’ve passed for a twenty-year-old. She was a little chubby with a bright, contagious smile.

“I’m Darla.” She grinned as she set the files on the counter. “You are?”

“Oh, I’m Kacie Jensen.”

“You’re the new girl, huh?”

“That’d be me. Am I in the right place?”

“Yep, this is it. Fancy, ain’t it?” She rolled her eyes.

“Where should I set my stuff?” I looked around.

“Come back here, we call this the Square. Everyone has a shelf to put their crap on.”