Page 3 of Come Back to Me

And with that, I do it. I hang up on my mother.

Holy shit, I hung up on my mother.

I’m filled with a sense of empowerment in that I didn’t tolerate her continuing to drag me down the same road that gets us nowhere every time we discuss it. That feeling lasts for several minutes until I become a little deflated when I realize that, most likely, I’m going to hear about hanging up on her for the next month.

Once I get unpacked and put all my groceries away, I decide Bean and I should check out our new neighborhood. I place Bean’s harness on him, and we head out to explore.

Our new street has a nice feel to it. There are a lot of old houses and even some that have signage showing they’re historical homes.

I’m a sucker for old houses.

Their architecture outside is always intriguing to me but, also, I adore the features like built-in leaded glass cabinets, window benches in a dining room, or gorgeous natural woodwork found in an old home but usually not in newer developments.

The street is paved in brick, and I love the aesthetic it portrays.

There are also some children playing outside—it looks like an epic game of tag. The sound of them laughing makes me smile.

Bean and I continue on our way, basking in the joyful vibe the neighborhood emits. After about forty-five minutes, we’re nearly finished with our evening walk in our new town, Elladine, and heading back home for the night.

It’s a lovely evening for mid-March and I’m a little nervous, but also filled with hope for the first time in a long time. Tomorrow, I start my new job in the ER at First City Hospital downtown. I’ve been an ER nurse since I graduated from college five years ago and I know without a doubt it’s what I’m meant to do.

Back in Columbus, I had a great work family, but I knew I couldn’t stay there after everything that happened. I walked away from a lot… friends, an impending promotion to Assistant Nurse Manager… my comfort zone.

Oh, and my wedding that was supposed to take place next month. Can’t forget that. But hey, I needed a fresh start and the ability to make new memories, not to be weighed down by the old ones.

So, as we approach the house and a gorgeous sunset graces the sky, I scratch Bean’s head and whisper, “Here’s to new beginnings, my sweet Beanie boy.”

CHAPTER 2

ANNIE

I’ve been on the job at First City ER for a week now and I’m being trained by the coolest woman I’ve met in a long time. I’m full-on girl crushing on her.

Janie Malone is a gorgeous little spitfire of a thing full of “piss and vinegar,” as my dad would have said. She stands all of about five-feet two-inches, has a petite figure with great boobs that I’m totally jealous of. Her platinum blond pixie haircut and sapphire blue eyes make her just stunning. And for some odd reason, though she’s not British, she seems to prefer dropping British swear words over a good old-fashioned F-bomb.

She’s had my back from the minute I got here, making all the important introductions and shutting down the unit mean girls when they tried to get snotty with me. She’s clearly someone you don’t mess with, and I know I’m lucky she’s taken a liking to me.

Since I’m an experienced ER nurse, I’ll likely be out of training after this week with her as a resource person for me.We’re sitting looking over some labs on the computer when a paramedic with boyishly handsome good looks, sandy brown hair, and baby blue eyes approaches.

“Hey, Janie, who’s the pretty newbie with you today?” he drawls.

I laugh inside, thinking he’s trying to sound sexy. I roll my eyes and look up at him. “The ‘pretty newbie’ can speak for herself. I’m Annie. Annie Brooks. New here from the Columbus area. And who might you be?”

“Name’s Teddy, First City ER’s best paramedic and Elladine’s sexiest firefighter,” he says. He follows his words with a wink.

“Bloody hell, Teddy,” Janie chimes in. “Annie here has half a brain, so she’s not going to fall for your flirty firefighter routine.”

Teddy smirks at her and reaches over the counter to shake my hand. “Aw, Janie, are you feeling a little jealous? Don’t worry, sweetness, there’s enough of me to go around and you’re still my favorite girl.”

“Bugger off, Ted. Annie and I have actual work to get back to,” she says playfully. Then she stands up and heads into the room our triage nurse just rolled a patient into.

It’s Friday night,and Janie and I are walking out of the hospital together. The sky is already black, it’s cold, and it’s pouring down rain.

Perfect weather to start a shit weekend. I just want to go home, get in my pajamas, and sleep through the next two days.

My two weeks of orientation are up, and we’re heading into the first weekend of April. The new job is going well. The ER is a lot like the one I worked at in Columbus, so wehave similar patients. It’s one reason I chose this hospital when I was job hunting and it’s made the change easier. That it is also a trauma and burn center helps make sure I get my adrenaline rush and keep my skills up. Bottom line, we take care of the sickest of the sick and the most complex injuries.

Janie and Teddy have both taken me under their wings. Janie has made sure I know everyone I need to in the ER and in the other units in the hospital. Teddy has introduced me to every paramedic and firefighter who comes in. Though a relentless flirt, he’s generally harmless and I think deep down he just wants everyone to like him. He’s a good paramedic, too, and his almost overly friendly personality seems to set nervous patients at ease.

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