coming toward her, and then…Candy! One of the nurses who assisted Dr. Miller from time to time—the one who flirted with every guy in sight, the one who was now talking to Kade. Krista had to admit Candy was pretty. More than pretty, she guessed, with her perfect body that she liked to show off in uniforms which fit just a little too tight. And she had big, perfect brown eyes and long black hair that she was now tossing over her shoulder while she smiled at Kade, laughing at whatever he was saying. Krista thought she didn’t have a prayer if she had to compete with Candy. She looked away, not wanting to see Kade fall for Candy, just like every other guy did when Candy was around. Staring down at the floor, pretending she was adjusting the IV in her arm, Kade’s boots came into her line of sight and he squatted down in front of her.
“Baby, is there something wrong with your IV? Do you need me to get a nurse for you?” he asked with nothing but concern in his voice.
“No!” she answered him quickly, just a little too loudly and a little too sharp, as she jerked her head up to look at him. He was still smiling at her. She looked over to see Candy standing off to the side, looking…pissed? She looked back at Kade and in a more normal sounding voice she spoke again, “No, it’s fine.”
“Okay.” He stood up and held out a paper bag. “Popsicles?”
“Okay. Just put them in the fridge, over there.” Krista pointed to a small refrigerator/freezer combo across the room. He did as she asked, then turned and headed back over toward Candy. Krista watched as Candy stood straighter, pushing her boobs out—like they didn’t stick out far enough already—and smiling at Kade. Kade gave her a brief chin lift, picked up an empty chair and returned to Krista. Placing his chair as close to her as possible, on the opposite side of her IV, he sat, grabbed her free hand and kissed her palm.
“Still doing okay?” She was so stunned, all she could do was nod at him. “Good.” He gave her a warm look and then winked. At her! Lieutenant Lawson McKaden winked at her with everyone in the room watching! She smiled so big at him. She wanted to say…something, and not just sit there looking like a big dork, grinning like a fool. But then she heard someone clear their throat. Looking around, she saw everyone staring at her, and then Rachel spoke up, “Soooo, Kris…?” That was all Rachel said, but it was enough. She looked at Kade.
“Kade, this is Rachel, Mary, Tom, Sally, and Bill.” She introduced them all, pointing out each person. “Guys, this is my…uh…Kade.” She finally managed to stammer. Kade spoke to each person, but never got up and never let go of her hand. Then when he looked back at her, she explained to him. “They are all cancer patients. They are doing chemo treatments, not the same as me, but they were kind enough to let me sit with them, so I didn’t have to spend two hours by myself.”
Tom spoke up, “She’s a delight to have with us.” They all nodded in agreement. Even Sally, who was the quietest one of the group, agreed. “Kris is so sweet, and funny. She tells the best stories. They help keep our minds off of what’s really going on.”
Kade looked at her then and in a voice filled with confusion, had to ask her why they all kept calling her. “Kris?”
Krista shrugged her shoulders. “Most everyone calls me Kris. I think you are the only one who calls me Krista. But, then again, you never did ask me my name.” She grinned up at him.
For the next two hours, they ate popsicles as Kade talked and laughed with everyone in the group, never once letting go of her hand. And every once in a while, he would bring her hand up to his mouth and kiss her palm. In front of everybody. But, he did it twice when Candy walked by, and once when Candy glared over at her. The look on her face! Krista could not stop the giggle that erupted, which caused Rachel to bust out laughing, which, of course,
“Baby, is there something wrong with your IV? Do you need me to get a nurse for you?” he asked with nothing but concern in his voice.
“No!” she answered him quickly, just a little too loudly and a little too sharp, as she jerked her head up to look at him. He was still smiling at her. She looked over to see Candy standing off to the side, looking…pissed? She looked back at Kade and in a more normal sounding voice she spoke again, “No, it’s fine.”
“Okay.” He stood up and held out a paper bag. “Popsicles?”
“Okay. Just put them in the fridge, over there.” Krista pointed to a small refrigerator/freezer combo across the room. He did as she asked, then turned and headed back over toward Candy. Krista watched as Candy stood straighter, pushing her boobs out—like they didn’t stick out far enough already—and smiling at Kade. Kade gave her a brief chin lift, picked up an empty chair and returned to Krista. Placing his chair as close to her as possible, on the opposite side of her IV, he sat, grabbed her free hand and kissed her palm.
“Still doing okay?” She was so stunned, all she could do was nod at him. “Good.” He gave her a warm look and then winked. At her! Lieutenant Lawson McKaden winked at her with everyone in the room watching! She smiled so big at him. She wanted to say…something, and not just sit there looking like a big dork, grinning like a fool. But then she heard someone clear their throat. Looking around, she saw everyone staring at her, and then Rachel spoke up, “Soooo, Kris…?” That was all Rachel said, but it was enough. She looked at Kade.
“Kade, this is Rachel, Mary, Tom, Sally, and Bill.” She introduced them all, pointing out each person. “Guys, this is my…uh…Kade.” She finally managed to stammer. Kade spoke to each person, but never got up and never let go of her hand. Then when he looked back at her, she explained to him. “They are all cancer patients. They are doing chemo treatments, not the same as me, but they were kind enough to let me sit with them, so I didn’t have to spend two hours by myself.”
Tom spoke up, “She’s a delight to have with us.” They all nodded in agreement. Even Sally, who was the quietest one of the group, agreed. “Kris is so sweet, and funny. She tells the best stories. They help keep our minds off of what’s really going on.”
Kade looked at her then and in a voice filled with confusion, had to ask her why they all kept calling her. “Kris?”
Krista shrugged her shoulders. “Most everyone calls me Kris. I think you are the only one who calls me Krista. But, then again, you never did ask me my name.” She grinned up at him.
For the next two hours, they ate popsicles as Kade talked and laughed with everyone in the group, never once letting go of her hand. And every once in a while, he would bring her hand up to his mouth and kiss her palm. In front of everybody. But, he did it twice when Candy walked by, and once when Candy glared over at her. The look on her face! Krista could not stop the giggle that erupted, which caused Rachel to bust out laughing, which, of course,
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