The Nurse's Secret Suitor Read online

  “Fine. I’ll be right there.” Kate disconnected and nodded to the trauma center. “Apparently I have some sort of special delivery. Ian wouldn’t say what it is. Mind coming with to see?”

  “I’d be glad to.” Bri grinned and toweled sweat off. “Especially since it means I get a glimpse of my man in scrubs.”

  Kate shook her head and sauntered toward the glass-and-brick structure across the parking lot and next door to Bri’s main lodge. Inside EPTC, Kate’s coworkers parted like the Red Sea when she reached the desk.

  Kate’s sneakers screeched on the polished floor. On the desktop ledge, her elaborate sapphire-feather mask sat neatly atop a parchment envelope.

  Oh, my! He didn’t. Kate gulped. Ignoring the stares and curious grins, she forced her hands to move slowly as she reached for the items. “Who brought this?”

  Ian leaned in. “That’s what we were all wondering.”

  Kate straightened. “You mean no one saw him?”

  Ian’s grin exploded. “Aha! So it is a him?”

  “That’s not your business.” Giving up all pretense of nonchalance, Kate snatched the items, scowled at her coworkers and marched to her nurse’s call room.

  “Kate, wait. Ian was kidding.” Bri caught up, giggling.

  Kate whirled once they were safely behind closed doors. “How did he manage to get this stuff in here without anyone seeing him? We need security cameras installed at that desk.”

  Bri bit her lip but a grin burst through. “Open it!”

  Kate sighed and fingered the gold scrolling font on the envelope’s front.

  For Sweet Kate.

  “He knows my name,” Kate breathed. Then removing her hand from her chest, she added, “Not that I care.” She cleared her throat and scowled, especially when Bri responded with a curious look.

  Kate peeled the envelope’s seal, wondering if she was imagining hints of his cologne on the parchment or the rush of happiness she felt as she began to read.

  Dearest Kate.

  Although I hate to give you back the means to hide any of your beauty away, I did feel honor bound to return this mask. Please forgive me for stealing it—and for the other thing I stole out on the patio. It was a theft I should probably regret more than I do. May you find it in your heart to forgive me. Nonetheless, you outshone every star that glittered in our sky. Sapphire suits you. You looked stunning. It was my honor to be able to share that moonlit moment with you. Most important, don’t forget to remember the dawn.

  Fondly,

  BB

  Bri leaned over her arm. “BB? Who is BB?”

  Kate could scarcely concentrate on Bri’s question. Her hands, always steady in any circumstance, were shaking. She handed Bri the note and walked numbly to the sofa, struggling to come to terms with why she felt so moved by his words. She was a beauty-pageant queen—it was no surprise when men thought she was attractive.

  But maybe that was what had her so surprised.

  Usually when people admired her it was when she was at her best—winning a pageant, saving a life in trauma, being a leader in whatever way people around her needed her to be. Her bandit, though, had seen her at her tear-stained worst...and he still seemed to think it had been an honor to be with her.

  “Benevolent Bandit!” Kate said in a sudden burst of revelation. “That must be what BB stands for.”

  “Or maybe Beloved Bandit?” Bri teased as she joined Kate on the couch and handed her back the note.

  Kate’s cheeks flushed as she reread the letter, and something unexpected fluttered in her heart. Kate mentally ordered it to stand down. The last thing she needed was to get excited over a fly-by-night guy. “Benevolent,” she repeated firmly, “because he was there for me when I needed him. But nothing more is going to come of it. Certainly not love. This bandit—though charming—had ‘inability to commit’ etched all over him. That he ran off proves he’s a flight risk. That’s not what I’m looking for in a relationship. I want someone stable. Not someone who parades around crashing weddings and kissing strangers senseless under cover of moonlight.”

  “His kiss made you senseless?” Bri smirked.

  Kate groaned. “Only for one hundredth of a second. Look, if I wanted unstable, I’d re-up in the military. I’m grateful for what he did the other night and for returning the mask and leaving me this note, but that’s where it ends.” Kate’s fingertips brushed his admonition to remember the dawn. “Being around him gave me a peace I can’t explain. Like his words added ammo to my faith and left me certain everything’s going to end up okay.” Kate folded the paper and tucked it back into the envelope. “He feels like a new friend...except for the unfortunate fact I have no clue who he is or where he lives.” Kate laughed at the irony.

  “I think you’re right not to look for anything serious with this guy, especially since he didn’t even bother to share his name. However...don’t write him off yet. Maybe he’ll show up again. That wouldn’t be a bad thing, would it?”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Things like sweet notes and mysterious gestures might make a nice distraction for you.”

  “You mean, getting my mind off my parents’ divorce.”

  Bri slid an arm around her. “I can’t get out of my mind the brilliant glow on your face as you described him wiping away your tears. Crazy kiss aside, I think a benevolent bandit might be what you need in life at the moment. Someone to occupy your thoughts and cheer you up.”

  Kate patted Bri’s cheek. “You cheer me up.”

  “But I’m swamped and it’s bound to worsen with wedding plans, Tia and bunkhouse renovations.”

  “It’ll work out. I’ll help, too.” Kate flexed her arms.

  “You may need to go help your mom with your grandpa. If he continues to go downhill after his hip fracture...”

  “I know. If Grandpa gets worse, I’ll head to Chicago to be with my family. The last thing I want to contend with is regret. You taught me that. But Mom’s a nurse, too. She can handle it for now.”

  “Then promise me something.”

  Kate groaned. “That statement from you never ends well for me.” But she raised a resigned eyebrow. “But shoot, anyway.”

  “Give me your word that if—if—this BB guy continues to send you notes and stuff, that you’ll stop resisting and enjoy it.”

  “You’re impossible, Bri. But since I love you and your incurable optimism, I’ll agree.” Bri smiled kind-heartedly yet eyed the clock in a fidget that reminded Kate Tia was coming home from her aunt’s in St. Louis. “Let’s walk you back. I forgot Tia’s on her way home.”

  The two women escaped out EPTC’s side door and walked the parking lot in companionable silence, to Kate’s relief. “What do you have planned today?” she asked as they approached Bri’s gorgeous caramel-and-golden-hued lodge.

  “Ian’s bringing kitchen paraphernalia so he, Tia and I can make cupcakes. That child is a baking fanatic, like Caleb.”

  Kate saw sadness cross Bri’s face. Heard the telltale break in her voice. “I know you miss your brother. When does his tour of duty end?”

  “Not anytime soon. He applied for ranger school.” She pulled out her phone as they went in. “I’m kinda worried about him. He hasn’t called in a few days. I hope he’s not facing something dangerous.”

  * * *

  The time had come to bite the bullet. Caleb had to let Bri—and by extension, Kate—know he was in town. He rolled up his sleeping bag after the third night in the empty cabin and glanced at the diminished pile of leftover war rations that he’d been living on, along with stale canteen water, for the past three days. Stalling was no longer an option.

  True, he still didn’t know how he was going to tell either Kate or Bri about his interlude as the masked patio bandit...but if days of mulling over that questi
on hadn’t given him an answer yet, he wasn’t likely to find one. He’d have to wing it.

  He dialed Bri’s cell phone. She answered on the first ring.

  “Caleb! Finally. I was so worried! How are you?”

  “I’m good.” Mostly. He steeled himself against homesickness rustling through him like the breeze as he walked familiar landmarks toward the lodge kitchen. He knew Bri and her fiancé, Ian, baked goodies on Saturdays with Ian’s daughter, whom Bri was adopting. There they were. His heart swelled seeing the warm family scene through the window. After the rough year they’d had losing Mom, he loved to see his sister smiling. Excitement welled over having a little niece to spoil. “I have a surprise for you.”

  “What’s that?” Bri helped Tia stir some kind of dough.

  “Look outside the yard window to your left.” Caleb smiled.

  Bri blinked over, saw him and dropped her phone. Her shriek carried all the way outside. Ian looked up sharply as Bri rushed from the lodge and threw herself at Caleb.

  “You’re home! When did you get here?” Her words muffled over each other as she wept and hugged the stuffing out of him.

  “Not long ago.” Three days after a yearlong deployment wasn’t long, right?

  Ian approached with a grin and Bri’s pink batter-laden phone, which she’d apparently dropped in the bowl. Ian wiped it then hauled Caleb into a man-hug. “Good to have you back.”

  Caleb eyed him funnily. “I’ll put up with mushy stuff only because we’re gonna be family now. Seriously, dude. What up? I ask you to bodyguard my sis and get a brother-in-law out of the deal. Smooth, man, smooth.” Caleb laughed, as did Ian.

  Caleb knelt when Ian’s daughter skipped up. “Hi, princess. You must be Tia.” Caleb stuck out his hand but Tia plowed past it and hugged him. What was it with all these huggy people?

  “You’ll be my new uncle who buys me all the noisy toys!”

  Caleb snickered. Ian eyed Caleb with a smirk. Bri planted her hands on her hips. “Is that what Caleb told you, Tia?”

  Tia nodded her head proudly. “Yep. Uncle Caleb.”

  Caleb grinned. “Speaking of toys, I have something for you here.” He went to dig in his pouch pocket for the frilly doll he’d picked up for her. When he pulled it out, one of his blue camouflage kerchiefs slipped loose and fluttered to the ground.

  Bri’s eyes snapped right to it. She paled as she slowly looked up to stare at Caleb.

  Four disbelieving blinks preceded her stare shifting into a glare.

  He averted his gaze but felt his sister’s acrid gaze as she studied him. Somehow, she knew.

  After a minute of chatter from Ian and Tia, Caleb chanced a glance at Bri. She chewed the inside of her cheek and looked worried.

  Ian looked from one to the other, obviously picking up on the tension between siblings. “So, Caleb, I bet you’re hungry after the long flight. Let’s get you fed.” Ian motioned them in.

  Bri’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, just when was your flight in, Caleb?”

  He cleared his throat. “The details are sketchy.”

  “Not for her.” Bri shook her head and stomped away.

  Ian’s forehead crinkled. “What’s that about?”

  Caleb sighed, knowing he’d deluded himself thinking he’d have a chance to explain his side of the story before his sister found out the truth on her own. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

  Once inside, Bri cornered him. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

  He clenched his jaw, knowing the time had come to face the music. Or, in his case, the firing squad. Wordlessly, he nodded.

  “What were you playing at, Caleb?”

  “I wasn’t playing!” he protested. “I’d just gotten in. I had a costume ready because I’d planned to be in time for the ceremony, but my flight was delayed. I thought I’d be able to at least stop by the reception to congratulate Mitch and Lauren, and then I saw her there, crying...”

  “Her parents had informed her, moments before, that they are getting divorced after thirty years of marriage.”

  Caleb knew that, because Kate had shared it with him. Bri mentioning it meant Kate’s parents were still at odds. Caleb’s heart sank. “Poor Kate. I was hoping they’d reconciled.”

  “Reconciled what?” A voice sounded from the front door.

  Kate. Could he convince Bri to keep what he’d done a secret? Doubtful—she was too angry with him. His reckoning had come.

  Caleb pinned Bri with his gaze and leaned in. “Let me be the one to tell her. Please.”

  “Fine.”

  Caleb sauntered toward Kate like she was a human gallows. Bravery fled. He was certain she’d be upset or disappointed to learn the bandit she’d shared a special moment with was him. It would ruin his chance at being a friend for her. But there was no other option.

  Swift motion to his left drew his attention. Bri put a restraining hand on his arm and nibbled her lip like she wasn’t so sure now. “On second thought, Caleb, that thing we just discussed?” She sliced a hand across her neck. “Abort mission. I’ll explain later.”

  Kate approached, sweeping silky brown bangs from her eyes with choppy motions. “Wow. Welcome home, Landis. Should I leave? Feels like I walked in on a private conversation. Strange, considering I believe you were discussing my parents’ divorce when I walked in.” Kate sounded aggravated.

  Caleb couldn’t blame her. No doubt she thought Bri had been oversharing about Kate’s private business. He could clear up her confusion in no time at all...so why wasn’t Bri letting him?

  Bri stepped between Kate and Caleb. “I’m sorry. I should have asked you first before saying anything.”

  Kate shrugged, flipped hair over her shoulder. “Doesn’t matter. It’s only Caleb.” She retreated, buddy-buddy with Bri, to the counter, effectively blowing him off.

  It’s only Caleb? So that’s where he stood?

  He tried to remind himself her dismissal wasn’t supposed to bother him. After all, he’d spent the past three days thinking about why they wouldn’t work together as anything but friends.

  Tia skipped from the woodsy forest-critter-themed kitchen where Ian looked occupied cleaning up a baking mess out of earshot. “Miss Kate, can you be my taste tester?”

  “Ooh-rah! Cupcakes. My fave!” Kate leaned down to take a bite.

  With Kate distracted, Bri dragged Caleb outside onto her gleaming redwood deck. “You don’t need to tell her yet.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m worried about her. She’s taking the news about her parents really hard—especially since her grandfather’s sick, too. She needs something to cheer her up. You signed your note BB, so she thinks you’re a benevolent bandit. I think the BB could brighten her days and give her something to look forward to.”

  Caleb shook his head. “BB meant Bri’s Brother. I was planning to tell her the truth—at some point. I didn’t want to lie to her. I just wanted...” He’d just wanted to help her. And she wouldn’t have accepted help or comfort from “only Caleb.”

  Bri clutched his T-shirt. “Please, Caleb. Don’t tell her yet. While she may not see or admit it, she actually needs the BB right now. The distraction, and the way you unwittingly made her feel, really helped her get through these past few days. I’m certain of it. Yes, she needs to know the truth, eventually, but not yet. She’s devastated enough with life. Let’s wait at least until her parents’ ordeal calms down.”

  “I don’t know, Bri. You really want me to continue tricking her?”

  “You don’t have to trick her at all. Just keep being the guy you were on the patio—the one who has made her smile just thinking about him for the past few days. That guy took her mind off her troubles—don’t you want to keep doing that for her? I asked God to send help for Kate. She refuses to burden me. God could be us
ing you to keep her from going off the emotional deep end right now.”

  “You really think keeping the...the Benevolent Bandit around will make such a difference?”

  Bri shrugged. “Maybe. Isn’t it worth a shot? Kate’s dealing with so much right now—she needs something that’ll make her happy. On top of all her family issues, they have crucial inspections coming up at the trauma center. She needs her head in the game or they’ll lose vital funding.”

  “EPTC, they hurting?”

  “No, they’ve outgrown themselves and need to expand.”

  “They hiring? I was hoping to work part-time while I’m helping you with renovations and stuff. I’m here four months.”

  “I’m so glad. I’m sure they could use you at the center, especially since Mitch is gone for two months on a combined honeymoon-mission trip with Lauren. They’d already booked their flights when they received word of the inspection timeline moving up.”

  “I’m happy to help if I can.”

  Bri’s face lit up, and Caleb felt a sudden rush of foreboding. That smile from his sister always meant trouble. “If you really mean that, then you could do me a favor and be on the storybook ball fund-raising committee in my place. I don’t want to leave them shorthanded, but I’ve got a lot on my plate right now. Organizing is right up your alley, not mine. Then I can focus on Tia, wedding plans and the lodge.”

  “Sure. Hook me up with whoever I need to talk to about it.”

  A smug expression made it clear that he’d fallen right into her trap. “This’ll get interesting.”

  Caleb straightened. “What are you not telling me, sis?”

  Her eyes shone. “Kate’s on the fund-raising committee, too.”

  Chapter Three

  What was he doing here? “You stalking me, Landis?” Kate slid into the only empty chair, which happened to be next to Caleb, at the first storybook ball fund-raiser planning meeting two days later.