Nursing in Northlake (At the Altar Book 9) (3 page)

Heidi realized she’d missed her vows entirely. Hopefully the pastor had been smart enough not to order her to obey! “I do.” She felt like an idiot, but whatever. She was busy staring at the sexy man in front of her, and who could blame her for that?

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. Slade, you may kiss your bride.”

Heidi’s eyes widened. Why hadn’t she considered that her first kiss with her new husband would be in front of a congregation of witnesses? How crazy!

Slade leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. He wasn’t comfortable with their first kiss being in front of a huge room of people, so he kept it brief. When he lifted his head, he looked down into her beautiful green eyes. “Dr. Lachele said it’s normal at one of these weddings for the bride and groom to take a couple of minutes alone in the bride’s room. To talk a bit and learn about each other.”

Heidi nodded. “I’m all for that.” She hadn’t planned a big reception anyway, preferring to spend the time getting to know her new husband. She gulped as she thought the words. Her husband. Oh wow, could she really go through with this?

Slade took her hand and walked toward the back of the church and toward the bride’s room. Everyone stared at them, and he ignored them all. He had to make sure to introduce her to Seth and Michelle before they left to go back to Louisiana, but more than anything, he wanted to be with her.

When they got to the back, he closed and locked the door, sagging against it. “That was the single-most nerve-wracking experience of my entire life!”

Heidi laughed. “Mine too. I hadn’t even considered that we’d be kissing for the first time ever in front of all those people, or I’d have asked the pastor to take that part out of the ceremony.” She sank into a chair facing him. “I’m glad that part’s over.”

Slade frowned. “You’re glad our first kiss is over? But we can’t ever get it back, and it didn’t feel like a first kiss to me. It felt like—I don’t know. Like we were rushing to get it over with so we could move on.”

Heidi frowned. “Well, yeah, it did seem rushed, but what were we going to do with everyone and their dog watching us?”

He sat down beside her, taking her hand in his, his thumb rubbing over her palm, sending shivers through her. “We could call that acting and have a real first kiss.”

“We could?” Her eyes met his, and she was thrilled to see how brown they were. He was pretty incredible to look at.

He nodded. “If you’re game that is.”

Heidi laughed. “I’m definitely game. A first kiss should be memorable and make fireworks go off in my head. You capable?”

Slade raised a brow. “I feel like you’re challenging me.”

She tilted her head to one side, studying him. “I would definitely take that as a challenge if I were you.”

He chuckled. “Brave and beautiful bride. Not sure what to think of that.”

“Well, if you’d kiss me, we could both figure out what to think of the situation we’re in. I need you to make my toes curl.”

“Better take your shoes off and stick your feet out where I can see them then. I won’t give up until they curl.”

Heidi shook her head. “Trust me, Slade. You’ll know if my toes curl. There will be no doubt in your mind.”

He put one hand on her cheek, tilting her head to the side, and he leaned down until his lips were less than an inch from hers. “You sure you’re ready for this?”

She nodded. “I’m tough. I can take it.”

Slade lowered his lips to hers, slanting his mouth slightly. One hand stayed at her cheek, while the other went to her waist, pulling her closer. He kept his hand steady on her back as he let his lips do his talking for him.

Heidi settled her hands at the back of his neck, giving him time to prove to her that he could make her toes curl. At the first touch of his lips, she felt a shock of passion rush through her. His kiss was practiced and sweet, not passionate, but it didn’t seem to matter to her body.

She curled into him, moving closer, her mouth opening under the onslaught of his. She wanted to climb into his lap and never stop touching him. Never in her life had she been kissed as Slade was kissing her.

Finally, he lifted his head. “How’re those toes feeling?”

“Curly as the lies of a politician.”

He chuckled at her words. “Not a fan of politicians I take it?”

She shook her head, still feeling the tingling his lips had caused. “Not at all. In fact, the only profession I abhor more than politicians are doctors.”

He blinked a few times. “You don’t like doctors? At all?”

“Doctors are all egotistical maniacs who think they should rule the world. I’ve never met one who was worth talking to or working for. In fact, I think all doctors should be thrown into a giant pit and buried alive. I prefer
lawyers
to doctors.”

He threw back his head and laughed, wondering what they were going to do now. “Did you explain this deep antipathy toward doctors to Dr. Lachele? Or did you gloss over those points?”

She frowned. “I should have, but I forgot. I thought about calling her after she left, but I figured there was little chance she’d match me with a doctor anyway. Why? You’re not a doctor, are you?”

His eyes met hers as he slowly nodded. “I am. Went to Baylor Medical School. What about you? What do you do?”

Chapter Three

Heidi sighed. “I’m a nurse, which is why I’m so anti-doctors.” She shook her head. “I should have called her. Now what are we going to do?”

Slade grinned. “We agreed to stay together for a year. I say we make the most of it.” He understood her hatred of doctors and was aware most nurses felt the same way. He was sure he could make her change her mind…in time.

“But—I guess, we do need to at least live under the same roof for a year.”

He shook his head. “Same bed. Your toes curled when I kissed you, remember? She matched us for a reason. You need to give me a chance.”

Heidi shook her head. “You’re a doctor, and I’m a nurse. I don’t think there’s any way it could work out between us. Sorry.”

“Why did you agree to be matched up with a stranger?”

She shrugged. “Because I didn’t really have time to date, and I want children before I’m too old to enjoy them.”

He frowned at that. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-nine, but all my friends have babies!”

“You’re fine for having kids. Stop worrying about your age! But, if you want kids soon, I’m happy to make them with you.”

“You’d have a baby knowing our marriage can’t last?”

Slade shook his head at her. “I’d have a baby knowing our marriage
can
last. I saw you and my heart skipped a beat. I know that sounds corny, but you’re what I’ve been waiting for my whole life. Dr. Lachele gave me my dream woman, even if she didn’t find you your dream man.” He refused to give up. Before seeing her, he’d been sure hiring a crazy purple-haired woman was a mistake. Now he knew better.

Heidi frowned at him. “Don’t say nice things. Doctors only bark orders.” She refused to fall for this man.

“Let’s make a deal. Let’s forget we’re doctor and nurse this weekend and just be man and woman, attracted to each other. Let’s be newlyweds getting to know each other and spending a weekend together.”

She thought long and hard about his suggestion before she nodded. “All right. I can do that for two days.”

“Good. Now what’s on the agenda for the evening?”

“I have a photographer hired to take pictures of us in our wedding attire. I know it’s a weird wedding, but pictures are important to me. He suggested going to a park in Dallas where we could see the skyline. We’re supposed to meet him around seven.”

Slade nodded. “Sounds good. Let me see if I can get us reservations for dinner at Reunion Tower afterward. So about eight-thirty work?” He looked at her dress. “You’ll have clothes to change into?”

“Yeah, I brought another dress. Still really nice, but not quite so—white.”

“You look beautiful in white.” He reached out and stroked her cheek. “We should probably get out there. I want you to meet my twin brother, Seth, and his wife. They were matched by Dr. Lachele as well.”

Heidi smiled. “My cousin and her husband were matched by them. She had a baby a couple of weeks ago.”

“Another of the Matchrimony munchkins?” He shook his head. “Dr. Lachele is crazy.”

“But just a bit—and I like her.”

He stood, holding his hand down for her. “Let’s go meet our loyal subjects.”

“Oooo—does that mean I’m queen for the day?”

He brought her hand to his lips after helping her to her feet. “I have a feeling you’ll always be my queen.”

She lost herself in his eyes for a moment. “You’re good at this.”

“Good at what?” he asked.

“Pretending to be just a man and not a doctor.”

He smiled. “I am just a man this weekend. I even have another doctor handling all my deliveries.”

“All your deliveries? Are you an OB?”

He nodded. “I wasn’t going to tell you that yet!”

Heidi laughed. “I understand now why you needed to marry a woman sight unseen. No one could get past the fact that you look at vaginas all day!”

“That’s right. Sad, isn’t it?”

“As a woman who starts catheters in penises on a regular basis, I think we got this.” She started for the door, but Slade stopped her. “What?”

He gripped her waist and pulled her to him again, kissing her once more. “You may only want to keep me for a year, but I want you forever, Heidi Henderson. You’re pretty darn awesome!”

She smiled up at him. “Come on. My parents are sure you’re going to kill me in my sleep, and my brother has been laughing like a lunatic for three weeks. He thinks it’s hilarious that I was so desperate I had to be matched at the altar.”

“Is he married?”

“Mark? No one would have him!”

He laughed. “You never know. He may be calling Dr. Lachele in a few weeks.”

“That would be fitting revenge!” Heidi had a gleam in her eye as they left the room. “I can think of nothing that would make me happier!”

Against her wishes, Heidi had agreed to a wedding cake and punch in the church’s fellowship hall, so she led him toward it. She could already hear the crowd and the noise they were making. “This is the church I’ve gone to since we moved to Texas when I was five.”

He looked around. “Where did you move to Texas from?”

“Wisconsin.”

“I bet you love cheese!”

She made a face. “How did I know you’d say that? Everyone says that!”

“It’s kind of what Wisconsin is known for.”

“I know it for sledding down the hill next to my grandma’s house and catching lightning bugs with my cousins, so we could keep them in jars and hide them in our sleeping bags while we were sleeping on her living room floor. Wisconsin is my aunt distracting my uncle so we could play in his treehouse that he didn’t allow girls in. That’s more what Wisconsin means to me. Family.”

“We’ll have to go together sometime.”

Heidi didn’t respond. She didn’t see their marriage lasting long enough for them to make a trip to Wisconsin.

There were only about thirty people waiting for them, and Heidi was relieved. The ones she knew were family and very close friends. She led Slade directly to her parents. “Mom and Dad, this is Dr. Slade Henderson.”

Her brother, who was flirting with one of the CNAs from work started laughing again. “A doctor? You hate doctors!”

“Hush, Mark.” Heidi made a face at her only sibling, wishing he could keep his opinions to himself, just this one time.

Her father held out his hand with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Slade.”

Her mom smiled. “Please tell me you’re not a coroner.”

Slade shook his head. “No, I’m an OB.” He left off the gyn part of his title. He knew they’d all assume it. “I help life begin, not end.”

Mark laughed even harder, and it was all Heidi could do not to hit him. Instead, she smiled at Slade. “The idiot over there is my brother, Mark.”

Slade nodded. “I’d guessed as much.”

Seth came over then, looking at Slade meaningfully, Michelle at his side. “Heidi, this is my brother, Seth, and his wife, Michelle. They were matched by Dr. Lachele.”

Heidi smiled at Seth, nodding. “It’s nice to meet you, Seth. Michelle.” She looked back and forth between the two men. They were both handsome, but they weren’t identical, and she was thankful for that.

Michelle hugged Heidi. “Welcome to the family. I just got married in May, so we’re both pretty new.”

"And do you like this family so far?" Heidi asked with a grin. Slade slid his arm around her shoulders, anchoring her to his side. She wasn't sure if she liked the show of possession or felt uncomfortable with it. Either way, it was there, and she was going to have to put up with it.

Michelle nodded emphatically. "Our new mother-in-law, Judy, couldn't make it down from Boston for the wedding, because notice was too short. She's going to be in Louisiana to visit us soon, though."

"What part of Louisiana do you live in?" Heidi asked. Shreveport was only a three-hour drive from Dallas-Fort Worth.

"Oh, we’re way down between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. It's a nine-hour drive from here."

Heidi wrinkled her nose. "We will
not
be there next weekend."

Slade laughed. "It's only an hour into New Orleans by plane. We'll make it down to visit before long."

"I could do an hour on a plane."

Michelle laughed. "We drove, but we'd be happy to pick you up in New Orleans."

Heidi liked that idea much better. "Do you work?" she asked. She really wanted Michelle to say she did, because she didn't want to be the only working wife in the family.

"I'm a high school principal."

"Oh, wonderful! I'm a nurse. I'm an Assistant Director of Nursing in a nursing home in Northlake."

Slade looked down at her. "I didn't know you worked in a nursing home. I guess I just assumed you worked for a hospital."

Heidi shook her head. "I did when I first graduated from nursing school, but not anymore." She didn't add that the hospital is where she learned to hate doctors, because she was sure he'd already surmised as much. He had to know as well as she did how most doctors treated nurses.

"Interesting."

Heidi shrugged at him, turning back to Michelle. "When does school start back up for you?"

"Last week. We have to head back today, and I hate that we have no time together. Of course, if we had time together the day you married, I'd probably have a problem with you."

Heidi laughed, looking over at Slade. He was talking softly with his brother, and she couldn't help but wonder what the conversation was about. "Is your school big?"

"No, it's not. I know every single student in it. And they all know me. My students are pretty awesome, though."

Seth smiled at Heidi. "I'm really glad Slade took my advice and called Dr. Lachele. I have a feeling you two are going to be very happy together."

Heidi smiled, unsure how else to respond. "I sure hope so."

Heidi's mom looked back and forth between Michelle and Seth. "Are you two really happy?" she asked.

Michelle nodded. "It started out kind of rocky, but you'd expect that. When two total strangers have agreed to spend their lives together, it makes sense for them to have a tough start, but now that we've been married a few months, we're both really happy."

Heidi nodded. "Did y'all take a honeymoon?"

"We went to Disney World. It was amazing. Seth even wore the groom mouse ears all over the place."

"Is there a picture of said mouse ears?" Heidi asked with a smile. She kind of wished she could put them on Slade for some of their wedding pictures.

"There are!" Michelle fished her phone out of her Mickey Mouse purse. She quickly swiped through her pictures until she found what she was looking for.

Heidi laughed softly as she looked at the picture of Michelle and Seth in front of Cinderella's Castle. "Oh, that's priceless!"

Michelle nodded. "Those are memories I will treasure forever."

Seth frowned at Michelle. "Are you showing pictures of me in the mouse ears again?"

Michelle winked back. "Do you really think I'd do that?"

"Every chance you get!"

"I have that one framed in an eight by ten behind my desk at school. Seth went to a game with me on Friday night and the kids all came to meet the 'Mickey Mouse man.' He wasn't as impressed with his new title as I was."

Heidi grinned. "I'm sure he wasn't. I should have done something like that with Slade, so I could send pics to the nurses he works with. I'm sure they'd love the blackmail opportunities."

"Are you not doing a honeymoon?" Michelle asked.

Heidi shook her head. "I couldn't get off work for that long on such short notice. As it is, my boss is covering for me this weekend."

"I think Slade said his situation was similar. That's sad, but I'm sure you guys will work it out."

"We will. We're going to go get pictures taken in Dallas after this. I always wanted sunset pictures of the Dallas Skyline for my wedding."

"That's a great idea. I bet they're gorgeous."

Heidi's mom put her hand on her arm. "You two need to go and cut the cake so you won't be late for those pictures."

Heidi nodded. "Slade, we need to go cut the cake."

Slade looked at Seth. "Duty calls."

Heidi was impressed when Slade didn't smash the cake into her face--impressed and pleased. She fed cake to him with her fingers, making sure not to smear any. If he was good to her, she would be good right back.

After they finished with the cake, they said their goodbyes. She walked past her car and cringed. There were condoms all over it. No, she was glad they were taking his car.

He stopped at a relatively new Toyota. "Do you have what you need?"

She nodded down at the bag she'd liberated from the bride's room. "I'm ready when you are."

He opened the door for her, helping to make sure her dress was tucked inside. "Let's go to Dallas then!"

She gave him the exact address of the park, so he could punch it into his GPS, and they were on their way.