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ONE

MJ

Due to recent personal events, I will be going off the fucking rails.

There was no other explanation for why I was slipping out of my comfy teal scrubs and into a skintight bodycon dress when my shift at the assisted-living facility wasn’t even over. The tight quarters of the staff bathroom had me sweating. I balled up my scrubs and shoved them into my backpack.

Looking myself over in the mirror, I ignored the gnawing realization that I hadn’t been on a real date in months. Not that it mattered ... in a small tourist town my options were men I’d practically grown up with or tourists looking only for a good time. Neither option appealed to me—I was over men seeing me as one of the guys, and I still hadn’t talked myself into being a one-night-stand kind of woman.

Yet.

Plus, it was damn difficult to date when you had four ridiculous older brothers who loved to insert themselves into your business.

A soft knock at the door rattled me. “One second!” I called and zipped my bag.

I haphazardly fluffed my mousy brown hair. It was flat and lifeless after my nursing shift at Haven Pines, but it would have to do.

I blew out a breath when a second knock sounded at the door.

I grabbed my bag and opened the door. Another nurse, Carol, stepped back with wide eyes and a surprised laugh.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t even ask.”

She smirked and moved into the doorway. “I thought your shift wasn’t over until seven.”

“Abbey is covering the last half hour.” I balanced in my heels.

Carol looked me over, waggling her eyebrows. “Hot date tonight?”

I smoothed a hand down my hips and tugged at the hemline that had somehow gotten shorter since I slipped on the dress.

I pinned her with a playful look. “Arthur Brown.”

Carol tossed her head back and cackled. “Well, that makes sense. He’s a charmer.”

I pointed a playful finger at her and smiled. “He’s a menace.”

We shared a laugh as Carol disappeared into the staff bathroom. Arthur Brown was an elderly resident at Haven Pines, and in the few months he’d been with us, he had charmed a dinner date out of at least six other nurses.

I was lucky fool number seven.

In truth, Arthur was one of the sweetest residents at Haven Pines. He was polite, gracious, and wickedly funny. My shifts had become a bit lonely since my longtime favorite patient, Red Sullivan, had moved into one of the semi-independent houses on the outskirts of Haven Pines. I was so happy for Red but found I missed having a crappy cup of cafeteria coffee with him during my shifts. I made a mental note to swing by his place this week to say hello.

As my shoes clacked across the linoleum floor, the sky-high pointy heels pinched my toes. They were uncomfortable but gave me a few much-needed inches on my short frame. I lifted my chin and blew out an unsteady breath as I walked toward the nurses’ station.

I slipped my badge from the pocket of my backpack. “Hey, Beth.” I scanned the badge to unlock the hallway door that led to the corridor where Arthur’s room was located. “I’ll be in room forty-two if anyone needs me.”

Beth didn’t even look up from her phone, but she waved a dismissive hand and continued scrolling.

I gritted my teeth and stifled a sigh. Beth was new—and a pain in my side. She looked at her job as a stepping stone for something better. I’d overheard her making comments about how nursing at an assisted-living facility was beneath her and she couldn’t wait to bag a wealthy neurosurgeon.

As far as I was concerned, she could take one.

I much preferred caring for the elderly—most were quiet, many were simply looking for a thoughtful ear, and they always had the best stories.

I loved my job.

Which was why, when Arthur sweet-talked me into having dinner with him, I couldn’t say no. He also let it slip that he planned to dress up for the occasion. I found it endearing and figured faded, stained scrubs just wouldn’t do.

When I reached his room, I gently knocked and cracked the door open. “Mr. Brown? It’s MJ.”

He pulled the door open and beamed at me. Arthur was in his mid-eighties, short, and his shoulders stooped and rounded slightly. Despite his age, his eyes were bright and his smile was wide. His attention never left my face, and my heart swelled.

Old men are so much better than the ones my age.

“You are a vision, my dear.” He shuffled his feet and moved to allow me to enter.

Like much of Haven Pines, each room was carefully planned to look less like a hospital and more like a studio apartment. The rooms were small, but each had a bed, side table with two chairs, and a comfy wingback for reading books or relaxing by the tall window.

On the side table, Arthur had arranged a round tablecloth, two place settings, and a pair of chairs. I had expected this, because it was me who had convinced the maintenance staff to have it set up for him.

“Come in. Come in.” Arthur gestured toward the table with a smile.

“This is lovely, Mr. Brown.” I smiled and walked toward the table. “Thank you.”

“Please, call me Arthur.” Arthur hurried behind me and scooted out a chair. “Allow me.”

I obeyed and tucked myself under the small circular table. Arthur made his way to his side and sat down. His eyes twinkled as the papery wrinkles around his eyes deepened. Low music crooned from a bedside radio.

“How about we eat?” Arthur smiled again and removed the plastic lids from our dinner plates. It was the same Wednesday night supper that was on rotation at Haven Pines—marinated and grilled chicken breast, garlicky steamed green beans, and a dinner roll.

“You’re awfully kind, humoring a lonely old man like me,” Arthur said.

I looked across the small table at my dinner companion. I was so young when my grandfather passed away that I barely remembered him. My father, Russell King, had also been a difficult man—always controlling and emotionally absent. I had been happy to fly under his radar most of the time.

My father was awaiting trial for the murder of my mother, and suddenly my entire life felt like one big lie.

Yeah ... this year had been a lot to unpack.

From the outside, I appeared strong and steady, but deep down I was aimless and floundering.

Maybe that was why I felt so at ease with the elderly residents of Haven Pines. Maybe on some level they served as the warm and loving grandparents I never had the opportunity to know.

I unrolled the paper napkin and placed it on my lap. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Arthur did the same, placing his napkin across his knees. When it slipped off and hit the floor, he struggled to scoot his chair backward.

“I’ve got it.” I smiled and inched my chair out to retrieve his napkin. The space between the table and chair was small and dark. The constricting fabric of my regrettable dress made moving even harder. I stifled a grunt and tried to tug at my hemline while reaching for the napkin.

“Hang on,” I said. “It slid all the way under the table.” Unsure how I was going to manage, I finally gave up on being ladylike and dropped to my knees. On all fours, I scooted under the table and snatched the white cloth napkin.

“What the hell is this?” A deep, rumbling voice startled me.

My head whipped up, cracking against the underside of the table. “Ow, fuck !”

With one hand on the back of my head and the other bracing myself on the armrest of Arthur’s chair, I looked up.

A man filled the doorway—not just with his size, but with a presence that was impossible to ignore, like a storm rolling in off the lake. My jaw dropped. He was tall—impressively so—with thick arms that crossed his chest. His wide stance showed off the thickest thighs I’d ever seen in real life.

Helloooo, stranger.

Even in the gross fluorescent lighting, he was undeniably handsome. His dark hair fell over his forehead, dipping down to dark eyebrows that cinched tight. His face was chiseled, and he had a mustache that stood out a little thicker than the rest of his scruff.

His mouth was set in a hard line.

The doorframe suddenly felt too small to contain him.

My attention bounced from the mystery man to Arthur and back again. I was on my knees, in front of Arthur, with my dress slipping precariously up my thighs. With Arthur’s back to the door, I could only imagine what it looked like I was doing on my knees in front of him.

“Oh my god!” I struggled to maneuver out from under the table and onto my feet. The tight skirt of my dress restricted my movements, and my hemline crept higher.

Arthur looked at the man and grinned. “Logan.” He sat up in his chair. “This is unexpected.”

Logan.

The nurses were all abuzz over Arthur’s broody and pestering grandson Logan. Apparently he called near daily wanting to check up on Arthur or demand to know the ins and outs of his grandfather’s schedule. Rumor was that he was a bit of a princess and didn’t like the fact that our residents had autonomy over their days. Arthur was free to do what he pleased, and we weren’t required to get family approval before he tried pickleball or went to the local park to play dominoes with friends.

Maybe setting up dates with the nursing staff was a little left field ...

Arthur stood and moved toward his grandson while I struggled to my feet next to the table, tugging at my dress and dusting grit from my knees. Logan accepted Arthur’s embrace, but his eyes raked over me, lingering a second too long on the short hemline of my dress. I tugged at it again as I stood frozen.

Arthur beamed at the man. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” He gestured toward me. “MJ is my companion for the night.”

I’m sorry—what now?

I had sputtered and attempted to speak when Logan let loose a deep, rumbling sigh. “Grandpa, we talked about this. You can’t hire hookers to have dinner with you because you’re lonely.”

“Whoa!” I cut in, stepping forward with a hand on my hip. I wagged one finger in his direction. “First of all, I think the proper term is escort . Second?—”

“Whatever.” Logan cut off my rant just as I was gaining steam. He rolled his eyes, and my blood pressure spiked. “Grandpa, cut me some slack. We went over this. No hookers.”

Arthur laughed, clearly enjoying the fact that his ridiculously handsome grandson was grossly misinformed. I couldn’t blame him. He’d walked into the room to find me under the table, practically between his grandfather’s legs, but I was still annoyed.

I crossed my arms in anger, until I realized the gesture pushed my boobs up even higher, and I quickly dropped them.

Arthur held out his hand to me, gesturing for me to step forward. “MJ, this is my grandson, Logan.”

I gritted my teeth, then faked a smile and held out a hand. “Pleasure.”

He eyed it before manners won out and he wrapped his gargantuan hand around mine. He shook, then moved his attention to his grandfather. “Are you done here? I thought we could talk before I have to leave for my match.”

Annoyed, I cut in with a raised eyebrow. “Visiting hours were over at six.”

His eyes flicked over my too-tight outfit again. “Then what’s your excuse?”

My nostrils flared as Arthur simply chuckled. Clearly, the old man was enjoying himself. “Don’t be rude to my companion, Logan.”

I turned toward Arthur. “Okay, maybe stop calling me that.”

Arthur blinked innocently. I snatched my backpack from the floor. “I think I’m going to go.” Turning toward Arthur, I pleaded with my eyes, desperate to escape the entire incredibly embarrassing moment. “Thank you for the almost lovely dinner. I will see you next time.”

I stormed past a brooding Logan, bumping into him when he refused to step aside. “Did you get paid?” he shot over his shoulder.

My high heels came to a screeching halt. “Wow!” I spun on my toes. “You really go all in when you step in it, don’t you?” Fire was blazing in my chest. “Well, let me break this down for you, buddy.” I emphasized every word with a jab of my hand. “I. Am. Not. A. Prostitute. I don’t know who pissed in your protein shake, but I work as a nurse at Haven Pines, taking care of your grandfather. Something you would know if you had visited even once in the time he’s been here. Your grandpa is a sweet man. He’s funny. He is very charming. When he asked me to join him for dinner, I said yes. As a friend to a lonely old man—” I turned to Arthur. “No offense.”

Arthur only laughed and shrugged. “None taken.”

I turned my attention back to Logan. His brow furrowed, and I ignored the tiny spark that burned low in my belly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to gather what’s left of my pride and go home.” I looked past Logan’s broad shoulders. “Mr. Brown, I will see you tomorrow.” My eyes flicked to a stunned Logan. I breathed deeply and smiled. “It is my sincere hope that I never, ever see you again.”

At my back, Arthur hooted. “You really did it now, kid.”

Logan grumbled something to his grandfather, but I didn’t stick around to hear it. The night had been humiliating enough, and I didn’t need the hottest man I’d ever seen to watch me fall apart.

I was annoyed that my pride could be so easily bruised by a handsome stranger. I should have known better. Men who looked like him meant only trouble.

I would know.

I sailed past Beth, not bothering to say goodbye. It was likely her fault Logan was allowed to disregard the visiting hours.

I considered changing back into my scrubs, but the last thing I needed was to come face-to-face with him again. My eyes flicked to the clock. It was five past seven, and my book club was just starting across town.

My feet ached, the back of my head throbbed from where it hit the table, there was a knot in my shoulder from helping a resident out of bed today, and something pinched beneath my ribs anytime I recalled the dark, annoyed look in Logan’s eyes.

I had to get out of there before I had to face him again.

If nothing else, the Bluebirds would understand.