Will Nash find love again? Of course he will. Will he go
about it in the usual manner? Now that’s another story entirely.
Jilted by his fiancé two weeks before their wedding, Nash
Marino’s outlook on life in general, and love in particular, is jaded. After
months of couch-surfing, Nash is fed up. He’s sick and tired of his living
conditions, worn out by the demands of his nursing job, and despairs of ever
finding love again. In fact, he doesn’t think he’s capable of true love.
Monogamy, commitment, companionship, and regular sex…that’s all he wants, and
the sooner, the better.
When Nash crosses paths with a like-minded man who’s also in
need of a live-in nurse for a beloved relative, Nash figures all his problems
are solved. Matters are complicated by a freak accident and amnesia. When
Nash’s marriage of convenience scheme is muddied by notions of love after
his memory reboot, will their plans go awry, or will Nash’s new outlook on
life be just what the doctor ordered?
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Excerpt
“Fuck dating. Let first impressions rule. I could’ve saved
myself a world of hurt and heartache if I’d done that over the years. I don’t
know why I stuck it out with some of my shitty boyfriends either. Wishful
thinking, I guess. But you’re right, I knew practically instantly that my
husband was going to be the love of my life. So yeah, don’t bother
dating…simply ask him to marry you five minutes into the conversation. I’m sure
it won’t scare him off or anything.” She accompanied that final instruction
with a cocked eyebrow and one of her trademark smirks, as if the scornful tone
she’d used wasn’t enough to keep the sarcasm from going over his head. Subtlety
wasn’t Angela’s strong suit.
“Sage advice.” He raised a spoonful of soup in salute, then
brought it toward his mouth.
Someone bumped his chair from behind. Nash rocked forward,
and soup spilled down his chin.
Angela stifled a snicker, and a male voice he recognized
said, “Sorry about that.”
Nash snatched up his napkin to wipe his face, and turned.
“No problem, Dr. Burlingham.”
Although it was, of course. He felt like a fool with chicken
noodle dripping down his neck. Dr. Burlingham stood there looking at him with
an odd intensity. Probably thinking Nash had a screw loose or was some kind of
man-whore if he’d overheard much of Nash’s rant. Whatever, it was none of the
man’s business, and Nash would hopefully not be working at this hospital—where
the doctor’s opinion would affect him—for much longer anyway.
After gazing at him for an uncomfortably long couple of
seconds, Dr. Burlingham turned back to Dr. Gilbert Wilson, a friendly and
outgoing pediatrician whose close friendship with Dr. Burlingham had long
stymied the hospital grapevine. Dr. Wilson gaped at Dr. Burlingham with his own
less-squinty version of Angela’s earlier side-eye. Except Dr. Wilson’s version
was accompanied by a comical upturn to one side of his mouth, indicating his
enjoyment of the scene—rather than concern for his friend’s mental health, as
Angela’s countenance had implied.
As soon as the two doctors walked around the corner, Angela
burst into a fit of the chuckles that would have been better suited to the set
of Dumb and Dumber.
“Hardee-har-har,” was the best he could come up with in
reply. Nash grabbed her napkin and crammed it down the front of his uniform to
mop up the rest of the soup drippage.
“Did you see the look on his face?” Angela managed to gasp
between giggles.
“Which one? The repugnance on Dr. Burlingham’s or the glee
on Dr. Wilson’s?”
The guffaws coming from across the table intensified and
drew some curious glances as well as several censorious glares. “Seriously,
Angela, you’re going to give yourself a hernia. It wasn’t that funny.”
He nudged her bottle toward her and she took the hint, a
couple deep breaths, and a slug of water. “Wasn’t repugnance,” she wheezed.
“What are you talking about?”
“The look on Dr. Burlingham’s face. It wasn’t repugnance.
Closer to yearning.”
“Don’t even.” Nash froze. “Right now your position on the
hospital grapevine is scaring the shit out of me. Don’t. Even.”
She held up a hand. “I wouldn’t. Calm down, sweetie. I’m
stating facts, is all.”
“There’s nothing remotely factual about that statement, so
don’t start with me. And so help me, don’t even hint at joking about something
that stupid on the pediatrics floor where Dr. Wilson might get wind of it.”
She pointed a finger—or rather the finger—at him and
bit out, “I’m not a fucking idiot.”
No, she wasn’t. Nash eased back in his seat. And she was a
good friend. He sighed. “Sorry. I know you wouldn’t. Just put it down to the
stress, okay?”
She gave his hand a squeeze and the tightness that had
appeared in her shoulders visibly relaxed as well. “I’m sorry, too, sweetie. I
shouldn’t tease you right now. I promise I would never start or feed any rumors
about you, stupid or otherwise, but there truly was something in his look. I
just want you to have a heads-up on that.”
Nash closed his eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath. It
was doubtful, and so not a complication that would be appreciated right now in
his life.
About the Author
Addison Albright is a writer/author living in the middle of
the USA with three peculiar cats. Her stories are gay (sometimes erotic)
romance, and tend to be sweet man-love in contemporary settings. Her education
includes a BS in Education with a major in Mathematics and a minor in
Chemistry. Addison loves spending time with her family, reading, popcorn,
boating, french fries, “open window weather,” cats, math, and anything
chocolate. She loves to read pretty much anything and everything, anytime and
anywhere.
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