Page 15 of When You Blush

There’s a sliver of light in the room whenI open one eye. It’s not quite daybreak yet. Which is good because I plan to draw Harper a bath and then order room service.

We fucked again in the bed, then made it to the shower, where I fucked her some more.

Then we dropped dead into sleep.

I don’t know if I’ve ever slept that good.

I roll over to see her sweet face and stop short when I discover I’m the only one in this bed. And when I touch the sheets where she was, they’re cool. She’s been gone for a while.

She left.

I get out of the bed and check the rest of the suite to make sure she’s not simply in the bathroom, or in the living room, but her bags are gone.

She’s gone.

Well, fuck.

Chapter Four

HARPER

“Are you ready for your first day?”

My head comes up in surprise, and I grin at Ava, who’s standing in the kitchen, holding two to-go cups of coffee from Buzz, our favorite coffee shop in Silver Springs.Ava knows the code to the front door, and it’s pretty standard for usnotto knock when we visit.

“I’m ready.” I ignore the nervous butterflies making a mess of my stomach and take one of the offered cups. Taking a sip, I sigh in happiness. “You didn’t have to bring me coffee, but I’m glad you did.”

“Are you kidding? Ifinallygot my bestie to move back home permanently. I’m going to be kissing your ass for the foreseeable future.” She eyes the few boxes I own currently sitting in the foyer of the gigantic house I’m staying in, thanks to Ava’s brother, Xander. Xander is a hockeysuperstarwho’s rarely home. He usually just spends a month or so in the summer in Silver Springs andmost holidays. Otherwise, he’s living the celebrity life in Denver, where he’s basically a god.

I mean, Xander’s hot. And talented. I get it. And I’m grateful he bought this mountain mansion. Because when he found out that I was moving home, he called me and essentially forced me to live here.

Not that it’s a hardship. This place ishuge.Six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and a view of the mountains that makes my heart hurt, it’s so gorgeous. There’s no way in hell I could ever afford this on my generous nurse’s salary.

So when Xander told me to housesit for him until I figure out where I want to live, I didn’t resist too hard.

“Which room did you pick?” Ava asks.

“The green room.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Is it weird that I decorated every room in different colors?”

“No, it’s pretty.”

Ava is a highly sought-after interior decorator, soof courseshe sank her teeth into this place after her brother bought it.

“And you didn’t go too crazy. I like the green rug and pillows against the white and natural wood of everything else. It’s notprecious.It’s … classy.”

“Okay, good.” She sighs dramatically and pushes her auburn hair over one shoulder. “Also, the green room has that excellent balcony with a view of the mountains.”

“That’s why I chose it,” I reply, tying my sneakers. I’m already dressed in my pink scrubs. I had orientationlast week, where I got my badge, signed a contract, and had a tour of Bitterroot Valley General.

Myonlyhesitation at taking the job as charge nurse in the NICU in that hospital was the very real possibility of running into one Dr. Blackwell.

It’s not a huge hospital.

It’s very likely I’ll see him.

But dammit, I’ll figure it out if and when it happens because Ineededto come home. Ava’s dad was diagnosed as a diabetic, and the whole family has been turned on its head. Greg Hendrix raised me and gave me a home, so of course I came back to help. I need this family as much as they need me.