Free Pressure (Valley Hospital Series Book 1) by Lillian Bryant Page A

copper taste in my mouth starts to build as I watch him smile down at a very blonde, very curvy, and drop dead gorgeous woman in scrubs. He places his hand on the small of her back, and my eyes start to fill with tears.
    Shit, Bailey cut it out.
    I close my eyes for a moment and regret it. I can feel his hands on me. I can see his face as he loses control. I open my eyes, and to my relief and dismay he’s gone… gone with her.
    “Motherfucker,” I say out loud in a rushed whisper. One month… and he’s already got a new unsuspecting victim. My breathing becomes rapid, and I can feel the heat in my chest. I want to scream. I want to slap myself for ever thinking that I’d been falling for him. Bailey Evans was smarter than that. For all I know, he might have been with that tart of a nurse the whole time. Calling her a tart makes me feel worse, because, in all reality, I’d been a tart with him too.
    Three nurses walk by me laughing and joking. I haven’t really made any friends here at Valley. Nothing is truly keeping me here. Maybe I’ll look for a new job. I pull the strap of my bag over my shoulder and head to my car. There’s no sign of Cole or the blonde, and I assume they’ve left together. I try not to think about him fucking her… but I’m unsuccessful. The image is now burned in my brain, and I’m starting to feel really nauseous. Before I make it to my car, my battle to keep down my feelings and the S’mores Pop Tart I ate an hour ago is lost. The retching sound seems too loud as I puke into the shrubs just a few feet from my car.
    “You okay, miss?” A deep voice makes me jump. I spit the acrid taste from my mouth.
    I look up at the tall man. He’s incredibly broad and wearing the standard navy blue EMT uniform. I’m struck by the fact he’s got a half sleeve of tattoos, not to mention, he’s the kind of attractive that would make even the most confident girl meek. Strong jaw, tanned skin, each feature drawn in an appealing angle.
    Oh God, could this night get any worse?
    “I’m fine. No need to worry about little ole me… just barfing in a shrub in front of a handsome firefighter.” Did I just say that? His chuckle confirms it, and now I officially want to die. Why God? Why couldn’t I have been born with a filter? 
    “I can’t believe I just said that.” I notice he’s holding my bag in his hand. I must have dropped it when I lost my lunch. The smile on his face is boy-next-door; the deep dimple in his cheek makes me smile. His eyes are a pale blue, and as they scan down my body and back up again, I start to feel insecure. He shakes his head and laughs.
    “You gonna make it? You’re right outside the ER, you know?” He hands me my bag and smirks at his own sarcastic banter.
    I grab my badge and hold it up so he can read it. “Bailey Evans, RN, Women and Newborn.”
    His smile widens. “Nice to meet you, Bailey Evans, RN. I’m Brent Taylor, EMT SLC North.” He presses his lips together fighting a smile, and I can’t help but laugh.
    “I’d prefer it if the next time we have a little run in, I’m not puking my guts out.” I turn to leave, but he calls out to me.
    “Wait…” he runs his hand through his hair, “I mean, you gonna be okay?”
    It hits me then. It’s like a cold splash of water to my face. “I hope so, Brent Taylor, EMT.” My smile is small as I turn and start to walk away.
    “You got a boyfriend?” he asks, and my heart begins to beat heavy in my chest, my lips tremble, and my eyes fill with fluid. The acid in my stomach burns. I’m grateful my back is to him.
    “No…” my voice wavers, and I try with everything I have not to cry, “I don’t.”
    I feel the weight of his large, warm palm on my shoulder. “Seriously, you okay?” He turns me around easily. His brows furrow as he takes in the tears that are now falling down my cheeks. He probably thinks I’m a nutjob.
    “Just a bad day. You know how it can be?” I’m able to pull on my fake