Free Nursing in Northlake (At the Altar Book 9) by Kirsten Osbourne Page A

to murder you, I’d have done it that first night. I mean, why prolong it? I get too attached when I live with a woman for a week before I kill her. It makes no sense!”
    “I’ll tell her you said so!”
    Slade frowned. “Better not. I don’t think she’d appreciate my humor.”
    Heidi shook her head. “Not even a little bit.”
    He sighed. “More people in this world need to appreciate my humor. I’m a funny guy!”
    “Sure. A laugh a minute. I don’t know how your patients have time to push when they’re so busy laughing.”
    “I should have been a comedian. Less student debt and more recognition!”
    “I could see it,” Heidi said with a straight face. “I would laugh and laugh at your humor.”
    He made a face at her. “You’re supposed to be supportive of my every dream!”
    “I don’t remember promising that when I married you.”
    “You have no idea what you promised me. You were too busy staring off into space. You couldn’t even remember to say, ‘I do.’ Admit it.”
    Heidi blushed, looking down at her plate. “I’ll admit nothing of the sort! I was paying attention to every word!”
    “Then why did I have to remind you to say, ‘I do?’ Explain that one!”
    “I was contemplating whether you were worthy of me saying it to. I mean, for all I knew you were a mass murderer.”
    Slade sighed, rubbing his head. “Are we back to that?”
    Heidi shrugged. “I was never there. It was my mother!”
    “Uh huh.”
    They finished eating, and he paid for their meal, glancing down at his phone. “We might actually have a whole date night.”
    Heidi grinned. “Wouldn’t that be fun?”
    “I hope so. I’m trying to make it fun.” He stood and they left the restaurant together.
    “The bar is about a block from here. Do you want to walk or drive?”
    Heidi looked up at the sky, which had darkened while they were eating. “It’s a gorgeous night. Let’s walk.”
    He took her hand in his and they walked through the downtown area of Fort Worth together. “We need to go to the Water Gardens sometime.”
    “Not this weekend. Too much is going on.”
    “I know, but soon.” He looked over at the entrance, thinking they should have had wedding pictures done there. Oh well, it was too late now.
    “So are you still maintaining that you can ride on a mechanical bull while standing up?” she asked. “Do I need to make sure I have a first aid kit ready?”
    “Not at all. I promise, I’ve done it a million times.”
    “A million?”
    “Okay not a million. Probably a hundred, though.”
    When they got to the bar, the guy at the door grinned. “Slade! Good to see you, man! Are you going to put on a show for us tonight?”
    “Nope. Just for my bride here. She doesn’t think I can ride a mechanical bull standing up.”
    The man shook his head. “You have no idea what this man can do. He’s pretty darn incredible!” Then he looked back at Slade. “I should have known you’d marry a pretty lady!”
    Slade smiled. “The prettiest lady in all the land, you mean.”
    “Sure, man, sure. The prettiest lady in all the land. Whatever.” He shook his head when Slade pulled out his wallet. “Never a charge for you.”
    Slade led Heidi to a small table near the mechanical bull, which no one was using. He promptly took off his boots and walked toward the machine.  Another man who Slade tried to give his money to held up both hands, and refused it. “No way. You make this thing look like a toy. No money from you.”
    Slade carefully mounted the bull. He hadn’t tried this in a few years, but he knew it would all come back. He’d done it so often that he couldn’t imagine not being able to.
    The band’s song ended, and Slade heard the owner of the bar’s voice, and he couldn’t help but grin. “Ladies and cowboys, you are in for a real treat tonight. My friend, Slade Henderson, is taking a break from being a bigwig doctor and returning to his roots. Please gather round the bull because I can