Free Then Came Indecision (Southern Love #2) by E. L. Todd Page A

went to nursing school.”
    “Then why are you a tech?” She folded a towel but refolded it when it wasn’t perfect.
    “I guess I’m just scared I might hurt someone.”
    “You don’t seem like you would ever hurt anyone.”
    “Of course not,” Alexandra said. “At least not on purpose.”
    “Maybe you should rethink it. I like you.”
    Alexandra smiled. “I like you too.”
    “My nurse is mean. She keeps calling me Ms. Tannet. I keep correcting her but she doesn’t listen. And the needle in my arm really hurt. Don’t get me started on the tube between my legs.”
    Alexandra looked at the computer. Unsure how to respond, she remained silent.
    “I’ve been in the hospital a lot for the past few years. I’ve had a lot falls and a lot of infections. And the nurses I liked the most were the ones who cared. It made me trust them. The nurse I have now…I don’t trust her at all. I wish you were my nurse.”
    Alexandra felt her cheeks blush. “Amy is a great nurse. I think she’s just having a bad day.”
    “We all have bad days,” she said simply.
    “I suppose.”
    Ms. Tanner folded her towels at least a hundred times before her exams came back. After she was cleared to go, her son picked her up and took her home. Alexandra thought about their conversation long after it was over. She considered going back to nursing but she was still scared. She would never forgive herself if she hurt another person.
    “On my very first day of nursing, one of my patients died.”
    Alexandra flinched when she realized Betty was standing beside her.
    “It really shook me up. I knew some of my patients would die no matter how well I did my job, but you’re never prepared for it. And even now, it’s still hard to accept.”
    She wasn’t sure why Betty was telling her this.
    “I overheard your conversation with Ms. Tanner,” she explained. “I’m assuming something similar happened to you.”
    Alexandra nodded.
    Betty placed her hand on her shoulder. “We can’t save them all, dear. Don’t let it stop you. You’ re a wonderful nurse. I can tell.”
    “Thank you,” she whispered.
    “And you would be much better suited as a nurse than a tech. You’re just wasting your potential.”
    Alexandra nodded, unsure what to say.
    “The job is yours if you want it.” She walked away and returned to her seat, leaving Alexandra confused.
    When she finished her shift, she drove home in the dark. It was late, almost midnight, and she was tired. After she parked her car in front of the house, she walked to the porch.
    There were candles on the banisters and a bottle of wine on the table. Paul was sitting in a chair, staring at her. “Would you care for a drink?” He held up a wine glass.
    Alexandra stared at the candles, moved by the gesture. But then guilt rose up her throat. “I should get to bed.”
    He stood up and approached her. He wore jeans and a green t-shirt. The color looked good on his skin, making it appear pale. When he reached her, he placed his hand on her waist. “Just one drink. It’ll calm your nerves.”
    “I’m not pleasant company right now.”
    “You’re always pleasant company to me.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to a chair. After she sat down, he poured her a glass of wine.
    She sipped it while she looked at him. His eyes were staring into hers, intense but calm at the same time.
    “How was work?”
    She shrugged.
    “Not very talkative, huh?” he asked with a smile.
    “It’s just…the same thing every day.”
    “I find that hard to believe.” He drank from his glass.
    “Everyone keeps telling me to be a nurse.”
    “Numbers don’t lie, baby. You should be one.”
    “Then why am I so scared?”
    He stared at her for a long moment. “You’re so fearless when it comes to everything else. But when your decisions affect other people, you change. You’re so scared to hurt other people that you avoid it. But you can’t be that way. No matter what you do, no matter how good you