Page 7 of Caleb
I step close, putting my hand on her hip. I nudge her chin up with my thumb so she’s looking me in the eyes. “I’m here for you, Naomi.”
She tilts her head back and closes her eyes. I lower my lips slowly until we’re kissing. She grabs onto my shoulder, grinding her crotch against my hardness. Our tongues collide. Her lips taste like pie. Sugary and sweet and a little bit sticky. My hand squeezes her side. Our bodies lock together. Tight. passionate. Like they were made for each other.
Then, just as I’m about to pick her up and spread her legs…
Beep! Beep! B-b-Beep!
“Ugh,” I wrench myself away from her and grab my beeper from my belt.
“What is it?” she asks.
“The hospital.” I pull her to me and kiss her once more. Closing my eyes and savoring every last second of our embrace. “I’m really sorry. But I have to go.”
“You’ll come back, though?” she asks. “We’ll see each other again?”
“Heck yeah,” I growl softly into her ear. “You can't get rid of me that easy.”
5
Naomi
“Well,Naomi, I really think you’d be a great addition here at Happy Pups Doggy Sanctuary.”
I can barely hold back my excitement. The temptation to hug my new boss is almost too much to bear.
“You mean?” I say, somehow managing to hold back my joy. “I’ve got the job?”
“You sure have.”
I let out a little squeal and pet the Labrador snuggling up against my legs. This is just the kind of job I’ve been dreaming about. It’s not quite nursing, but it’s not waiting tables either. No moody customers to deal with. No rude, impish bosses to worry about. Just dogs. Beautiful, cuddly dogs.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am,” I manage. Not only is this the best job I could have hoped for, it also means I can stop worrying about carrying my weight financially. I’ll be able to buy Dylan and Jake some new school clothes. I may even be able to afford to treat myself to a nice day at the spa.
Then, just as everything seems to be working out just right, my phone rings…
“You mind if I take this?” I ask.
“Sure,” Mrs. Weller says. “Go ahead!”
I breathe a sigh of relief. I thought I’d turned my phone on silent before the interview. It’s lucky Mrs. Weller is so nice and laidback.
But, when is see the caller ID, my heart freezes in my chest.
It’s the hospital.
“Hello?”
“Miss. Williams?” It’s Dr. Caleb. I could recognize his voice anywhere. Heck, I’ve been dreaming about it the whole of last week. Ever since he came to my house and kissed me in the kitchen. But now his voice isn’t a soft, buttery growl in my ear. It’s formal. Worried. Tense. And, to be frank, scaring the bejesus out of me. “It’s Dr. Caleb. I think you should get here as soon as you can.”
The words echo in my head as I rush for my car. Jake was fine when I left this morning. A little quieter than normal, but fine.
I drive way too fast for my own good. Chewing on my lip the whole way. Worrying about what’s going to face me when I get to the hospital.
Finding a parking space is a bitch. But, just as I’m about to totally lose my shit and dump my car on a grassy knoll, I spot someone backing out and rush to fill their space.
I fling my bag over my shoulder and run across the parking lot. The high I was on after being hired for a job at the dog sanctuary has completely disappeared. It’s been replaced by an all too familiar dread. That unique, hollow kind of terror you only get when you’re walking into a hospital and one of your loved ones is there.
I look around the Emergency Room, frantically trying to find someone I recognize... and then I see Dr. Caleb.
