The Nurse's Secret Suitor

She pressed her phone into her purse, wishing she could tuck uncertainty away, too. She shrugged, trying to project calm. “With Grandpa, it is what it is.”

Concern in Caleb’s eyes only intensified. Kate rose from the table both to escape his overwhelming empathy and to visit the ladies’ room.

Once at the door, she peered back, glad to see Caleb now occupied with scrolling and poking through his smartphone instead of scanning the pointless, dumb emotions pulling at her heart and playing out over her face, making her feel incredibly exposed and weak.

Lem, watching them both more shrewdly than Kate was comfortable with, seemed to sense her escalating discomfort and moved on to the next two people on the committee.

* * *

Caleb didn’t feel a bit sorry for what he was about to do.

Kate might have said she was fine, but the tremors taking over her eyelids and fingertips spoke of high stress levels.

Her mouth might have uttered it is what it is, but he knew good and well “it” was breaking her apart. He’d be happy to be her shield, but she wasn’t ready to let him as Caleb. What about BB?

While Kate composed herself in the bathroom, he texted his sister and asked her to bring the note he’d tentatively written Kate as BB. He’d planned to leave it on her car after her next on-call night shift at the trauma center. But he’d use it now.

Via return text, Bri agreed to sneak it onto Kate’s car. Several moments later, a second text from Bri confirmed the delivery had been planted on the Jeep, parked where no one could see the benevolent transaction.

The words he’d written ran through his mind and he hoped they’d bring healing from uncertainty and worry.

Hello again, Sunshine,

Hoping you remember that not even the darkest nights can overtake the day. Do you know your eyes shine like the sun when you smile? Shine often.

BB

Once the meeting concluded, Caleb and Kate stuck around to discuss the next steps of their project and walked out together. Crossing the parking lot, he peered up the sidewalk for an eatery. Everything he’d known was gone, and not a lot of new joints had popped up to take their places. Sad. But it only highlighted how important to the town the work could be that Kate, Mitch, Ian and Bri were doing.

Folks were depending on the trauma center and their lodge to dig the town out of financial ruin.

Too bad he wouldn’t be here to see it built back to the bustle it’d had when he and Bri were little. Nostalgia and homesickness hit, nearly making him wish he didn’t have to leave in four months. Caleb squelched the thought and squared his shoulders.

He’d never make ranger school with that kind of waver.

“I’m starving,” he said, fighting to overcome the shyness that made him hesitate to talk to her. “Where’s a good place to eat around here now?”

Kate studied him carefully then gestured across the street. “One block down there’s a joint called Sully’s. They have to-die-for chili burgers.” She peered around. “Where’s your car?”

Caleb chewed the inside of his cheek and feigned interest in the ant colony invading fresh-cut grass near the sidewalk.

Kate turned a one-eighty. “Seriously, where’s your ride?”

Gut churning, Caleb kicked the brick steps. Cleared his throat. “Uh, right there.”

Kate stared at the bright purple bicycle and stepped over to brush a hand along the white wicker basket in front. Her finger trailed along big neon plastic flowers plastered to it.

“It’s Bri’s. I sold my truck to help pay for lodge repairs.” Caleb’s ears flamed. Kate would forever razz him about riding a girlie bike. It couldn’t have saved his ego a little by being a mountain bike or a masculine color, either.

Kate slowly turned. Respect rather than mischief twinkled from her eyes. “You mean you rode this? Straight through town where anyone could see it?”

He shrugged. Looked away. “I said I’d help out with the committee, and I wasn’t going to go back on my word. Pride comes last. Plus, I didn’t wanna take Bri’s car. She has Tia.”

Kate was next to him in a flash, lifting his face much the same way he’d lifted hers that night on the patio.

“Caleb Landis, you are more of a man than any truck-toting male around. I don’t know of a single other guy who’d have the guts to ride that through town.” She released his face but the soft sensation that her fingers left remained. “Still, it’ll be dark when we get done eating. So let’s put your bike in my Jeep and I’ll drive you home. And, for future reference, call me for rides.”

He wasn’t about to argue with that. Not only would it save him some face over the girlie bike, it would afford him a few more moments with her to find out how her parents and granddad were doing.

They started down the sidewalk when Kate detoured down the alley toward her Jeep with Caleb following, leading his bike. His palms moistened. He hadn’t wanted her to find the BB note in his presence. Caleb lagged back.

She turned. “Aren’t you coming?”

She flashed a grin of such warmth it made him not only walk into a decorative, steel light pole, but grab it and say, “Excuse me.”

Kate snickered enough it started him laughing, too. Felt good. Furthermore, she looked burdenless, all incapacitated with laughter. So he was glad she did, even at his expense. He just wished he could get past feeling as klutzy as an elephant on ice skates around her. The only time it had gone away was when he’d been BB.

At her car, she initially passed the windshield and then arced backward. Her cheeks tinged red as she slipped the note from her wipers.

Caleb angled away, trying his best to look simultaneously patient, oblivious and bored. In reality, his heart thumped like a war drum.

Despite his best intentions, Caleb could not keep from watching Kate’s quiet yet profound reaction as she read. Her shoulders relaxed and the twin dimples that occasionally accompanied her megawatt smiles peeked through.

Bri was right. The note lifted Kate’s burden. For now.

He saw the moment she realized that the first note he’d left at EPTC with her mask wasn’t going to be a one-time thing—that her bandit would continue to reach out to her. And as long as he lived, he’d never forget the look of tangible relief. Her chin wobbled precariously. She covered it with her hand before he could see for more than an instant, but he didn’t have to see to know.

The bandit’s kind gesture almost moved her to tears.

He looked away, partly to provide her emotions a cove of privacy but mostly because if he didn’t, he’d rush over there and do something more stupid than walk into a light pole. Like hug her.

The note was enough. It would have to be enough.

If he was closer to God and sure he’d be heard, he’d beg God to let it be so.

A few moments later, as if aware of his scrutiny, she snapped to attention, tucked the note into her snakeskin handbag and schooled her features. Nevertheless, she seemed stronger now, taller and more peaceful. As they would say in military speak—at ease.

Caleb bit back a thankful smile and experienced profound relief that Kate didn’t seem to suspect he’d written the note or that his sister had delivered it secretly.

“Your bike can go here,” Kate said as she popped open the back. “And once it’s stowed away, can you grab that bag?” Kate nodded to the military rucksack in her backseat as she hefted a camouflage duffel bag. She must have used both overseas because they were well-worn and military.

What was she doing with the bags? He restrained his curiosity, figuring that soon enough he’d be able to see for himself.

“Think you’ll ever go back?” Caleb asked as they marched with the bags back through the alley toward the main street.

“To Sully’s? I go there all the time. I love it.”

“I meant the military. Heard you were top-notch.”