Be Mine (Coming Home To The Grove Book 6) Read online

  Be Mine

  Hope Ford

  Contents

  1. Karly

  2. Karly

  3. Karly

  4. Karly

  5. Jason

  6. Jason

  7. Jason

  8. Jason

  9. Jason

  10. Jason

  11. Jason

  12. Jason

  13. Jason

  14. Jason

  15. Jason

  Epilogue

  Epilogue 2

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  About the Author

  Be Mine © 2020 by Hope Ford

  Editor: Kasi Alexander

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  1

  Karly

  “You okay?” Jamie asks. She’s looking at me with a worried look on her face, and it’s then I realize that I’ve been staring at the white wall of the nurses’ station for who knows how long.

  Obviously too long since Jamie, my coworker, is looking at me as if I’m about to sprout another head.

  I’m working an extra shift at the hospital in the physical therapy department trying hard to catch up on late payments for my student loans and car. I’m a very responsible sort of person, and having received letters threatening to take back the car and others threatening to ruin my credit, I’ve taken on every extra shift I can get.

  “I’m fine. Just trying to figure things out,” I tell her. Like how I’m going to eat, I think to myself. It looks like I’ll be eating ramen for the rest of the month.

  “Well, I don’t know why you would be staring off into the wall when you can be looking at Jason Keller,” Jamie says with a nod to the other side of the room, where the popular patient is doing his physical therapy. She puts extra emphasis on saying his name with a wiggle of her eyebrows. It seems everyone has fallen under the handsome veteran’s spell. Jamie gives me a little hip check before she tells me bye and walks out of the open PT area.

  The cute young army veteran I’ve seen and heard the other nurses gushing over is receiving physical therapy from Marven. I just shake my head at the grumpy older guy who has lost his spark for the profession and isn’t pushing Mr. Keller in his therapy exercises. He’s not challenging him at all. He just accepts whatever Jason agrees to do, even if it’s nothing.

  I’ve watched Jason the other times he’s been in here. It’s sort of hard not to. He really is handsome. But this time seems different. Usually, he’s got a scowl on his face like he hates the world and everyone in it. Today, he’s looking at me with curiosity. I ignore the way my heartbeat picks up when I catch him looking my way.

  The patient I’m helping with has almost completed PT and is working on the stationary bike which just so happens to be next to the station where Jason is working.

  Marven steps away to get a drink and probably put another mark on his countdown to retirement calendar.

  I walk across the room and I tell myself I should mind my own business, but of course I never listen to myself. I stop next to Jason. “Why have you stopped doing the exercise?”

  He shrugs, blinking his long lashes at me, and then acts as if I’ve asked a stupid question or something. “It’s because I’ve completed the number of reps Marven gave me.”

  I barely resist rolling my eyes. They should just let Marven get a jump start on his retirement already. He’s not doing anyone any good here. I try to mask my frustration, but I still voice my opinion. “Marven is taking it way too easy on you. If I were your PT instructor, I’d make you do two more sets of ten.”

  He looks taken aback. “I had a compound fracture.” And the way he’s looking at me, he truly believes that is a perfect excuse to half-ass his therapy. It was a bad break for sure and the pins in his knee weren’t sitting right and they had to go back in to perform another surgery. He lost some bone mass because of the complication, and it is possible he might not be able to rebuild enough strength in his right leg to be able to walk without a cane.

  At least that’s what his file said… Not that I’d snooped and read it.

  “Doctors make guesses about what you’ll be capable of, but you’re the one who really decides what you can and can’t do. You may be sore doing the extra sets, but you don’t know you can’t do them unless you try.”

  Jason

  The other patients and doctors call her Nurse Berry. I didn’t expect for her to talk to me especially since I wasn’t trying to catch her attention. After my injury and the multiple surgeries, I came out feeling like I’d come out of it as less than half the man I’d gone under the knife as.

  Rebuilding my strength in my entire body seemed to be too hard a challenge—and then to be told I may not ever be able to rebuild enough strength in my leg to be mobile without a walker or cane? It was devastating, and I know I’m not handling it well. I keep thinking about how much hard work my two brothers put into our family ranch. After the military I’d planned to work in the family business.

  But now I’m wondering how can I go back and just be a burden to my brothers? I can’t. I know I can’t.

  Nurse Berry is beautiful. I’ve noticed her numerous times, but that’s all I’ve done is looked. There’s no way a beautiful, curvy woman like that would be interested in me. Not now. Not like this. But her calling me on the way I’d been half-assing my workouts with Marven probably should embarrass me. I have half a mind to tell her to mind her own business, but instead, I decide to take her advice. I merely nod my head at her, not trusting my voice.

  She looks at me, giving me a nod that seems more encouraging and motivating than anything I’ve gotten from Marven. She stares at me a little longer, as if she’s looking for something, and when she seems as if she finds it, she turns and goes back to her patient. I do the extra sets, and even though my legs are shaking, and my right leg is already trying to grow sore on me, I feel a little better. Too bad I can’t seem to catch her attention to tell her she was right.

  2

  Karly

  The butterflies in my stomach are just silly. I don’t know why I’m so nervous and excited. Jason Keller hasn’t shown any special interest in me; sure, he’s smiled at me a couple times since I encouraged him, but that doesn’t really mean anything.

  I don’t have time to date or even remotely be interested in someone. Especially not a patient. No, what I need to be doing is focusing on my job and working my way into every available shift I can get myself into.

  Marven has given me his shift today, and so for today at least, Jason is going to be my patient. That’s all I’ve thought about since I found out yesterday that Marven needed someone to cover his shift. Not about the fact that yes, now I’ll be able to keep my lights on, or anything else. All I’m thinking about is the fact that I’m going to be up close and personal with Jason.

  I give myself a mental kick for feeling so giddy. I’ve got to do better; he may not really be my patient, but crushing on him when he is a patient at the hospital is still quite unprofessional, and I’ve never been unprofessional before.

  I manage to keep a friendly and professional expression on my face when I approach him in the open PT area. There are people all around us, but his eyes are settled on me, and my stomach does a little flip-flop. “Hey Jason, I don’t know if Marven told you, but I’ll be covering for him today.”

  He smiles and laughs a little nervously. “You were right about those extra sets the other day. I could do them. I hope
you’re not going to be too hard on me, though, Nurse Berry.”

  “Karly. You can call me Karly. Plus, a big strong soldier like you couldn’t possibly be afraid of a little nurse like me. I do plan to push you today, but my goal is to help you, not hurt you. If you get any pain in your knee at your surgery site or in the still healing break, I want you to stop.”

  I smile at him, trying to soothe him with my words but also wanting to make sure that he understands me. I definitely don’t want to work with him one day and cause a setback. Marven would never let me live it down.

  When he finally nods his head, I walk over to him. “May I?” I gesture to his leg.

  He looks unsure but at least nods at me, giving me approval. He’s looking at me like I’m going to twist his knee or cause some kind of pain to him. He’s gripping the side of the chair, and his knuckles are turning white from the pressure. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I assure him. And although I intend to work him harder, I definitely don’t plan to hurt him.

  I examine the healing incision, noting that there is no redness or puffiness. “It looks as if it’s healing really well.”

  He just grunts and shakes his head.

  “What? It is,” I tell him. “You’ll have a scar, but it won’t be noticeable.”

  “I don’t care about scars. I can handle the scars. What I can’t handle is depending on a cane or a walker to get around.”

  His voice is thick and filled with emotion, and I can only imagine how hard it is for him right now to be stuck in the chair like this.

  “Well, that’s good. You’re motivated. So how about we get you up and start working toward your goal?”

  He slides to the edge of his seat but doesn’t get up. “I wish it was that simple.”

  I cross my arms on my chest. “None of this is going to be simple. As a matter of fact, it’s going to probably be close to hell for you. But it’s still worth giving it your best shot for the chance that you possibly could walk again.”

  “I won’t, though. Read it for yourself.” He points to his patient folder on the table next him. “Patient will most likely only be able to walk with assistance,” he says, making air quotes with his fingers.

  I just shake my head. “I’ve seen this over and over. Some people would read that, and from that point, they are ready to settle with the fact they’ll never walk on their own again. And then some people would read that and come hell or high water would do anything to prove the doctors wrong. I thought you were that guy, Jason. I thought you were the man that would say to hell with the odds.”

  He opens his mouth but closes it quickly. I can tell I’m pissing him off, but that’s okay. I want him mad. I want him to push himself, because I know if he works hard and pushes himself, he’s going to be just fine.

  “I used to be that man,” he tells me in a half whisper and then looks away, no doubt hating the fact that he doesn’t want to seem vulnerable.

  I reach over and put my hand on his shoulder. I ignore the way his muscles flex under my fingers. I ignore the heat in his eyes when they flash up to mine. “You can still be that man, Jason. He’s still in there.”

  Jason

  The way she says it, I get a funny feeling in my chest, and I take my hand and rub it across my heart. I used to be like that. I used to believe that anything was possible. What happened to me?

  I almost laugh. A bomb hit our Humvee is what happened. We were all lucky to make it out alive. I know I should be thankful, but I’ve had trouble getting my head right. But just five minutes with Nurse Berry, and I already feel that my attitude is improving. I mean, what do I have to lose at this point? Obviously what Marven and I have been doing hasn’t been working.

  I can’t look her in the eyes, but I’m not going to give her any more grief. “Let’s get started.”

  She gives me some exercises to do to loosen up before we get to work.

  The stretching she insists I do before the workout I resist, knowing already that I’m stiffer than I’ve ever been. The stretches are a little uncomfortable with the pull, but as I listen to her guidance and relax into each stretch, I can feel my muscles warming and elongating. It doesn’t hurt that she stands very close to help me with the stretches, smiling and encouraging me the whole way.

  Mmm, she smells like a delicious cross between some sweet candy and something floral. I take a deep breath, and when she looks up at me, I know she’s caught me sniffing her. I can feel the heat on my face, but I keep working, doing what she’s asking me to do.

  Once we finish stretches, we get into the workout. She does push me, but she’s true to her word and pushes me nearly to my brink but not past it. The best part is that she seems like she’s genuinely proud of me for how I pushed himself. I think about her a lot when I’m taken back to my room and wish I could spend more time with her, and I’m hoping that Marven takes another day off tomorrow.

  3

  Karly

  It’s hard letting Marven take over Jason’s therapy again since he’s so lax about it. I can’t help signaling Jason to push harder when Marven isn’t looking, and when he leaves for his bathroom break, I go over to Jason and take over his therapy to help him push for more.

  He’s sweating when he’s finished, but he’s smiling, and that sadness that I’ve seen in his eyes appears to have brightened and perhaps lightened. He’s got such a great smile.

  “I’m happy you were here to push me. I was feeling sore and would’ve been lazy if you weren’t here,” Jason says.

  “Me too. I’m happy for a change considering how many hours I’ve been working.”

  “Yeah, I’ve noticed that you’re here almost every day. Do you not take any time off?”

  A part of me is embarrassed that he noticed. I can just imagine what he’s heard all the other nurses say about me. I know a lot of them feel sorry for me because I’m pretty much on my own. Well, except for my cousin, but sometimes I wonder if I wouldn’t be better off on my own. She’s gotten me into more trouble more times these last few years than I’m able to count.

  We get to talking, and I tell him I’m working the extra hours because I need the money. He doesn’t ask why I need the money, and I don’t tell him that I have so many student loans I have no idea how I’m going to get through it. But it isn’t long before he has me forgetting all that and laughing until my sides are hurting.

  “Stop, you have to stop,” I tell him as he does another impression of one of the other nurses. Before I know it, we have a group of people watching us, and Jason is taking requests, doing impressions of all the nurses working. He’s obviously paid attention because he portrays all of them almost perfectly. He doesn’t even have to say who he’s doing because everyone guesses.

  “What about Nurse Berry? Do her,” someone calls out, and that’s when I put a halt to the shenanigans.

  “No way. I think we all need to get back to work.” And luckily, everyone goes back to their stations.

  “You’re scared, aren’t you? About how I’d do an impression of you.”

  I giggle but shake my head. “No, I’m not worried at all. I know exactly how you’d do me.” My cheeks heat at my choice of words. “I mean, ya know, how you’d portray me.”

  He smiles even bigger, no doubt catching my innuendo. “Oh yeah, how is that?”

  “Probably as a drill sergeant or something, if I was guessing.”

  He laughs, and I can see he’s thinking about it. “Maybe.”

  “Hey,” I say with a smack to his shoulder. He catches my hand then and holds it.

  “I’m just joking. Not a drill sergeant. Maybe a cross between an angel… and a drill sergeant.”

  He’s laughing, but I’m frozen in my spot. He’s holding my hand, and I know I need to pull back. He’s not my patient, but the way I’ve been working with him, he sometimes is. This is totally inappropriate.

  I pull my hand away and look over at the clock on the wall. “Oh, I’m running late for my next patient,” I tell him befor
e taking off, walking briskly across the room.

  Jason is so easy to talk to that I almost forgot that I’m still on the clock. I’m sorry to have to say goodbye to him and get back to work and my next patient, who has been kept waiting.

  Jason

  The next update I get from my doctor makes me feel like even with all the “great work” I’ve been doing with PT it’s highly unlikely I’ll be able to walk without a cane. It’s devastating to me because if I can’t walk without a cane, I won’t be able to ride a horse. If I can’t do that, I won’t be able to help on the ranch, and I refuse to be a burden to my brothers.

  “So there’s no chance I can walk without a cane?” I ask him bluntly, wanting him to just lay it all out there for me.

  He shrugs and doesn’t even look upset when he answers. “There’s a slim chance.” And he stresses the word slim, drawing it out way longer than necessary.

  I grab the walker that I’ve come to loathe and go back down the hallway.

  I’m not scheduled for PT, but since Karly told me she’s working a lot of hours, I go to the PT room to see if I can catch her. I feel like if I talk about it with her, she’ll be able to give me a push that I really need so that I don’t give up. She seems to work her magic on all her patients. I heard another nurse talking about Nurse Berry having a 95 percent recovery rate with her patients. I can’t help but believe that a lot of that has to do with her attitude. Heck, she even had me convinced that walking again was going to be possible. That was until I met with the doctor today.