The Lumberjack's Nurse Read online

  The lumberjack’s nurse

  An Alpha Male & BBW Romance

  Kori Hart

  The Lumberjack’s Nurse Copyright © 2019 by Kori Hart.

  All Rights Reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Cover designed by Kori Hart

  Editing by EmCat Designs

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Kori Hart

  Visit my website at www.korihart.com

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  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing: Dec 2019

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Epilogue

  About The Author

  Prologue

  Claire

  The morning shift was always hit or miss. Some days, it went by slow and nothing happened. Then there were the days that flew by in the blink of an eye. Everything bad that will happen does and there was no room to take a breath.

  Today was one of those days.

  I had barely clocked in for my shift at the hospital when all hell broke loose. Two people having allergic reactions, one elderly man with chest pain and a bunch of kids that super glued their fingers together.

  There were patients who needed medication and others that wanted someone to talk to. One of the most difficult things about being a nurse in the emergency room was the balancing act we had to perform for every shift.

  I was busy typing in some notes to a patient’s file when I heard the call come in. There had been a terrible accident. The ambulances were bringing in several patients and their ETA didn’t leave much time to prepare. I quickly typed the last few notes I had before I rushed off to help prep a room.

  Nursing school can never prepare you for every scenario. We do our rotations and get some training under our belts but there is still so much to learn. I was reminded of this when several stretchers came through the automatic doors.

  Doctors were giving directions, pointing to where they wanted the patients to go. Everyone else was running to their teams, getting ready to save some lives.

  I froze.

  It was only for a second but it was long enough for me to realize, this was real. I was no longer protected by the “she’s in school” blanket.

  All it took was a paramedic to bump me on his way by for me to snap out of my daze. I rushed off to my assigned room.

  “Check his vitals,” the doctor said when I walked in.

  I nodded my head but my attention was on the patient. The doctor and a few nurses were moving almost on autopilot to take care of the patient. There was a large cut across the man's stomach, and the doctor was trying to stop the bleeding.

  Moving to the head of the bed, I looked down at the man’s face and held my breath. I'd never seen anyone as handsome as him before. There was some blood on his beard and I worried that he had another cut. I examined his face, letting my fingers brush lightly over his skin and was pleased to find that he only had a few small cuts. Nothing serious.

  I took a deep breath and then checked his heart. It sounded strong and steady, just like the rest of him. I checked a few more things before looking at his eyes. I needed to see if they would dilate. Gently pushing up his eyelids, I gasped softly. I had never seen such blue eyes before.

  The doctor gave another order to one of the others nurses and my attention went back to what they were doing. The man was still bleeding, and I was hit with worry. I closed my eyes for a moment. He would be okay. He was in good hands. They had everything under control.

  I looked back at his face. He was unconscious, but it looked like he was sleeping peacefully. I wanted to hold him and make sure he knew I wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

  ***

  My entire shift ended up being a blur. They sent the logger to surgery to fix his legs and take care of some minor internal bleeding.

  I wouldn’t see him again, even though I wanted to go visit him in recovery. I knew that he wouldn’t have any idea who I was and it would seem strange for a random girl to pay him a visit. Besides that, he was most likely married. His brother’s girl had rushed in, frantically looking her love.

  “He’s alive,” I whispered to myself as I stood in front of my locker. “That's all that matters.”

  I ran both hands over my face before pulling out my purse. Today was a rough day and if I was the drinking type, I'd hit the bottle hard.

  Maybe the emergency room wasn’t for me like I had originally thought. Delivering babies sounded much easier or maybe I could transfer to a clinic. All I had to do was weigh people all day and listen to them talk about their flu symptoms.

  After collecting everything I needed, I slammed the door closed and secured the combination lock. I gave the dial a little twirl before heading for the exit.

  One thing nursing school never taught you was how to deal with days like this. I was emotionally exhausted with no idea how I would survive the double shift I had the following day. Perhaps I could check in on the lumberjack.

  No. You will leave him alone. He has a wife and seeing him will only make you feel worse.

  I took a deep breath and walked out of the hospital. I kept telling myself that everything would work out how it's supposed to.

  Chapter 1

  Four Months Later

  Claire

  I flipped through the stack of mail delivered that day. Ad, ad, cable bill, ad, magazine, ad. The last envelope was from my nursing school. I held it for a second, wondering if I wanted to open it right then or wait. A small knot was forming in my gut and it told me that this letter would probably ruin my day.

  As much as I didn’t want to, I reached for the letter opener and sliced along the top of the envelope. I pulled out the white piece of paper and stared at the school’s letterhead for longer than I should have.

  Get it over with. I told myself.

  I looked down at the body of the letter and it was as I expected. A warning that my account was past due. They needed a full payment or else it would go to collections. I ran a free hand over my face and through my blonde hair. I knew this was coming, but it was still a hard pill to swallow.

  Maybe if I made another phone call, they could extend it a little. Maybe I could pick up even more overtime to earn some extra cash.

  I put the letter down on my kitchen table and leaned back in my seat. This was the type of stress I didn’t like. The financial kind that would stick with you through the night and have you tossing and turning. Give me the ‘an emergency has come in, get your butt in gear and do the work’ kind any day of the week. Even though that was proving to be difficult. I’d deal with that later.

  I closed my eyes for a moment and thought about my options. I really don’t think I could work more hours. The hospital might allow it but my body would most likely give out at some point. Then what good would I be? And I could try calling the college again but the last two times, they told me no more extensions. I didn’t want to press my luck.

  Then I remembered a former teacher of mine. She had given me a lot of advice and said if I ever needed anything to get in touch with her. It didn’t matter if it was extra work, a refresher on material or an ear after a terrible day.

  When I opened my eyes, I glanced at my cell phone sitting off to the side and noticed it was a little before five. Not quite dinner time yet.

  After finding her number and hitting send, I put my phone up to my ear. She answered after a couple of rings and we exchanged pleasantries.

  “The reason I’m calling,” I started to say, suddenly feeling nervous. “I was wondering if you knew of any extra jobs I could do on my days off.”

  “School loans getting to you?” She asked.

  “They are and I’d like the chance to pay them down as quickly as possible without working myself to death at the hospital,” I explained. I hoped she didn’t think I hated my job but nobody could do that 24/7.

  “A little variety doesn’t hurt either,” she reminded me.

  Our conversation fell silent except for the rustling of paper on her end. I could feel my heart rate picking up and I mentally crossed my fingers. I was becoming more hopeful that she had something.

  “Oh yes. I have something.”

  Thank goodness.

  “It only came in a few days ago but it’s out in the country. Nobody wanted to make the drive,” she said. “It’s about an hour away but they will pay above standard rate. You’ll be assisting someone after an accident. It’s only temporary and the days of the week are open. It sounds perfect for you as long as you don’t mind the distance.”

  “An hour isn’t so bad,” I replied. I was talking to both of us. Yeah, it would be a little costly with the gas but if they were paying above standard rate, then it would work out.

  “I’m sure you could convince them to cover your travel expenses. The clients are eager to find someone right away and so far there h
as been no interest.” She paused. “If you are interested, I can get in touch with the client and you can probably start as early as tomorrow.”

  “Really? That’d be great.” I was surprised to hear that I could start so soon. I had assumed I would have to wait weeks before hearing anything.

  “Yes. Let me make a few phone calls before it gets too late and I’ll text you the address.”

  We said our goodbyes and then I hung up my phone. I put it down on my table and then pushed my hands up to the sky.

  “Yes, yes, yes!” I said excitedly, pumping my fists back and forth. This was exactly what I needed.

  The Next Morning

  Thomas

  “I don’t know why I need a nurse,” I said to my brother Paul. “You didn’t have one.”

  “I had Anna there to help through everything. Besides that, my injuries weren’t as serious as yours. You need more help now that you’re home,” Paul said as he walked around my kitchen, pulling out a few cans.

  “I can manage,” I argued as I pushed myself forward. My temporary wheelchair moved slow across the carpet but picked up speed as soon as I hit the tile.

  “You can’t reach into the shelves. You can barely see the top of the stove,” Paul argued. He was watching me as I made way further into the kitchen. The look on his face told me he would not let me win this argument, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t try.

  “Besides, you need help getting dressed and showered. Stop being so stubborn,” he added.

  “I don’t want some old hag touching me,” I retorted.

  Paul laughed. “You are such a grump.”

  Before I could reply, there was a knock on the door. Paul put everything by the stove and then wiped his hands.

  “It looks like they're here,” he said.

  “I hope she’s ready to be fired,” I grumbled.

  “Or he.”

  “OH no, no, no. I’m not letting a strange guy near the family jewels. If I have to be tortured with this, at least have it be a hot young woman that I can enjoy looking at,” I complained.

  “Don’t be a pig.” Paul scolded me and I knew I had it coming. Ever since the logging accident, I hadn’t felt like myself.

  I watched as my brother walked out of the kitchen and across the connected living room to the front door. I wheeled beside the island and looked at the entrance. Paul was talking with someone but I couldn't see who it was. The damn door was blocking my view.

  Then she walked in.

  The most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and the scrubs she wore under her jacket hugged at her perfect curves. She looked a bit younger than me but I didn’t care.

  This was the women that was going to take care of me? I suddenly felt like the luckiest man in the world.

  Chapter 2

  Claire

  The nerves I felt knocking on the door were worse than when I took my nursing final. I had no idea who would be on the other side. They could end up being the patient from Hell and I would have to suffer through it for the sake of a hefty paycheck.

  A tall man with a large beard and pretty blue eyes opened the door. He smiled, and I felt a little relaxed. We talked briefly; him letting me know that his name was Paul, and I’d be taking care of his brother.

  “Come in. I want you to meet Thomas,” Paul said as he stepped back and held open the door for me.

  I took a step inside and hung my jacket up. When I looked back, Paul was standing near another man in a wheelchair.

  It only took me a second to realize who my patient was.

  “Ms. Richardson, this is my brother Thomas.” Paul introduced us with a smile.

  I moved towards them and held out my hand for Thomas to take. “It’s good to meet you officially.”

  He looked at me curiously and then took my hand to shake. “I don’t know what you mean, Ms. Richardson.”

  “Please, call me Claire.” I paused, wondering how he would feel about me being there at the hospital. Perhaps I should have kept it to myself.

  “We kind of met before,” I said with a light chuckle. I looked from Thomas to Paul and then back to my patient. “I was working in the emergency room when you came in.”

  Both men looked a little shocked, and I bit my lower lip.

  “Thank you for being there and helping to save lives,” Paul said after a minute or two.

  I shrugged. “I was doing my job and really, I didn’t do much. I was keeping track of your vitals and making sure you were breathing okay. The doctor and other nurses got you stable enough to make it to the OR.”

  “You shouldn’t discredit yourself like that,“ Paul said. “Every job in the emergency room is important.”

  I smiled my thanks and glanced back at Thomas. He hadn't said much, and I wondered if I had made him uncomfortable.

  “Let’s go to the living room and sit down so we can talk about the job,” Paul suggested. I think he could sense the awkwardness that was building in the room.

  “Can I get you anything to drink or eat?” Paul asked after I took a seat on the couch.

  “No, thank you. I’m good,” I replied with a smile. I looked back to Thomas, and he still didn’t speak.

  Paul looked between us before pulling a small notebook out of his front pocket. He flipped through a couple of pages then looked back at me.

  “I’m not sure what all you’ve been told so I will start from the beginning,” Paul said, reading over his notes. “The job is helping Thomas throughout the day. He’s in the chair for at least another fourteen days and we’d like to hire someone that can commit to several days a week.”

  “Do they have to be the same days every week?” I asked curiously. “Because I work 12-hour shifts and they are never the same. Well, they are but the schedule rotates every few weeks.”

  “As long as you can make it three times a week it shouldn’t be a problem. The rest of the family will check in on him,” Paul answered, and I nodded.

  “We don’t expect you to be a maid and clean his house. If possible, keep it tidy but if he makes a mess, let us know and we’ll take care of it. While you’re here, if you can make sure he takes his medication, eats and doesn’t just sit in front of the TV, that would be perfect. The only other thing is he needs help with hygiene. He was never one to take regular showers but…” Paul laughed when a magazine grazed his head.

  I chuckled and looked at Thomas. He looked as red as a tomato from his brother’s teasing and I found it adorable.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he eats, takes his pills and stays clean.” I smiled at Paul even though I wanted to look back at Thomas. I wanted to see his blue eyes again. They matched his brother’s, and I wondered if the rest of the family had a similar pair.

  “You seem like the type that could keep him in line. It’s just what he needs,” Paul said with a chuckle. “The only other thing we have to discuss is pay. I’d rather do it by the month instead of by the hour but what works best for you?”

  “Paying me for the month works just fine. You can wait till the month is over too just in case something happens and you don’t need me one day or I can’t make it,” I said and then backtracked. “Not that I’m expecting to miss any days but you never know with the weather and the roads.”

  “No. That’s understandable,” Paul said with a nod, jotting down some information into his notebook. “So pay… would $10,000 for the month work for you?”

  I nearly choked on my tongue. That kind of money would erase a big chunk of my student loans.

  “That would be perfect,” I said as calmly as possible.

  “Great!” Paul said with a big smile. He turned to his brother. “It looks like you have yourself a nurse.”

  “Oh joy,” Thomas uttered.

  I could tell he wasn’t pleased. I didn’t know if it was because it was me or because he would have someone here to take care of him. It bothered me a little, but I knew that a lot of men didn’t like their independence taken away. They liked to be the ones that took care of the females. It was silly really, that they would think they were less of a man.

  When I realized I was getting lost in my own thoughts, I looked back to Paul and smiled.