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Gus

Good God but the man was a scrumptious treat

That was ht as I enjoyedup on er He made some type of Asian style fish with soy sauce and le the boith one hand, chopsticks in the other, I didn’t knohich looked better

The man or the food

Too bad in real life, Antonio Ricci was everything a sensible wohter Rosie, as the very definition of adorable, but he as also the walking, talking e so a meal, he looked like he just walked out of soht into his kitchen His hair was always h it in the throes of ecstasy, his arms were heavily muscled and full of colorful tattoos, the black t-shirts he favored clung to his aro, and sweet lord in heaven, that sexy sirl’s panties

Including mine

I was sure, despite having no evidence, that there was a string of broken hearts in his wake Around Jackson’s Ridge, he was the favored son who’d done well and returned houy, the chef everyone loved But that was a façade It had to be right? No ood as the town thought he was

Not that it mattered to ht me how to cook delicious meals from around the world

End of story

The door to the break room squeaked and I felt myself tense, because it was either so called back to work seven minutes into e Medical Center, peeked her head in with a son

“There you are, Gus,” she trilled as if she didn’t know exactly where I was at all times when I was on the premises “You’re needed in exam room four”

We were in the business of helping people, and that came first Above meals and bathroom breaks, breakdowns, personal drairl had to protect her mental health, didn’t she?

“My break just started Where’s Sally?”

Melanie pushed the door open and fisted her hands at her hips, just in case there was any confusion over how she felt about my answer She stared me down until I felt myself start to shrink Too bad it wasn’t ht not have cared

“You have a patient Gus”

I took one last look at Antonio’s charht, of course, and I loved my job as a pediatric nurse It was my job towhat could be a scary time for them I loved their wide-eyed wonder when they felt better, when they realized a treatot a cast put on for the first ti ined

“All right, all right,” I slipped my phone into the pocket of ht year old who got into his daddy’s beer “I’m on my way to exam room four”

Melanie flashed a satisfied smile “Excellent Thank you, Gus”

I took a fewmy way to the exam room which was reserved for patients without an appointency services I sucked in a deep breath and pasted on a smile as I reached for the chart and stepped inside the roos positive with pediatric patients—and their parents—because the former listened better and the latter panicked less

I blinked and opened my mouth to start one instantly dry at the sight of Antonio lounging in the blue plastic chair Even though there was very little variety in his wardrobe—black, white or gray t-shirts, jeans always, and boots or sneakers depending on the day—he was always breathtaking Especially up close I gaveand relaxed ain