Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 62430 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62430 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
“Thanks for coming,” I said.
“You’ll be home before you know it,” Mike said.
“Listen.” I stepped back, rubbing the base of my skull. “I’m sorry for the time you spent in prison.”
“Hey.” Mike stopped me right there with a wave of his hand. “We’re even. Remember?”
“Yeah, but—” I tried.
“But nothing.” He refused to allow me to apologize. “Without you, who knows what would have happened to Tammy.”
“Without me, you wouldn’t have been in that situation to begin with,” I argued.
Mike opened his mouth to contradict me but then closed it. “That’s true.”
“So, I’m sorry.” I wondered why I had dug this hole for myself.
“Forgiven.” Mike smiled, shaking the whole argument off.
Brad came over to break up our reunion. “Time’s up.”
“See you soon,” Mike promised.
We parted ways with a friendly shake. I looked around the room for Gina and found her at the nurses’ station. I smiled, and she smiled back. Whatever else was between us, she cared about me. However many other patients she had or whether this was all just a job for her, the truth was that she cared. That meant a lot more to me than even Mike’s visit.
8
GINA
Ilooked for Porter everywhere, if I was being honest with myself. I scanned the common areas every time I walked by, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. The image of him on the floor, doing some kind of exaggerated push-up, was seared into my mind. I had known he was strong, but that demonstration had been more than what I was expecting. I wanted a man who was that strong, and someone who had Porter’s good looks would be nice. Of course, I couldn’t date Porter. He was off-limits. And it was foolish for me to get involved with someone with a history of drug use, no matter how attractive.
I realized that I was lonely. That had to be it. It had been years since my last serious relationship, and I was craving attention. I debated asking Cindy to set me up with someone. She knew everyone in Nashville, it seemed, and had no trouble finding guys to spend her time with. But all of Cindy’s men were in the same category, meaning they were just looking for a good time. I was lonely but not desperate. I wasn’t interested in a one-night stand or a tryst in a nightclub bathroom.
Cindy found me staring at the break room wall, theoretically eating a sandwich but making no progress. She sat down beside me. “You seem glum.”
“I think I need a man,” I said.
“Hallelujah.” She grinned. “What are you looking for?”
“Um.” I sighed. “He has to have a job.”
“Of course.” Cindy checked off an invisible list over the table. “Handsome, right?”
“Couldn’t hurt,” I said, thinking of Porter.
“Car?” Cindy guessed.
“Sure.” I considered what I really wanted. “Someone who is sober, who doesn’t need alcohol for a good time.”
“Hmm.” Cindy pondered that one. “Understandable. But you’re not going to find that guy at a bar.”
“No, I’m not.” I pulled out my phone. “I have this dating app, but I haven’t used it in forever.”
“Which one?” She scooted her chair closer so she could see my screen.
“Web Love.” I flicked it open to show her my profile.
“Oh, no.” She snatched the phone from my hand. “That’s the worst app.”
“It was free,” I muttered.
“I know.” She laughed. “Let me guess, all you’re getting are dick pics?”
I shot her a fearsome gaze, hoping she would tone it down. What if someone were to walk in? I managed a very tense “Yes” before claiming my phone back.
“You have to get on this one.” She retrieved my phone from my hand and maneuvered straight to the app store. She selected HooCup, an app with a little cupid and heart, and passed the phone back to me. “Password.”
“I don’t know…” I hesitated, not really wanting to install another dating app.
“Trust me,” Cindy insisted, “HooCup has quality guys.”
“Really? With a name like ‘hookup’?” I challenged her.
“Just download it and open it, then you’ll see,” she encouraged me.
I relented, typing in my password and allowing the app to download. Cindy stole the device back and sped through the opening sequence until we could look at pictures of men. The first one was a handsome cowboy in a Stetson hat with a Tom Selleck mustache.
“Mustache,” I said.
She swiped left. Another well-tanned farmworker smiled out from the frame, this one blond and blue-eyed. I shook my head.
“What’s wrong with him?” Cindy asked.
He wasn’t Porter, but I couldn’t say that. Instead, I made up some excuse. “He’s probably an alcoholic.”
“You can’t tell just by looking at someone,” Cindy argued.
“Next,” I requested.
She shrugged and swiped left. The next available man wore a suit and tie, with a nice smile that made me think he had something to hide. Despite the fact that I really did want someone to share my evenings with, I knew I wasn’t ready to go out on a date with a stranger.