#WIPWednesday

I hope you all made it through the Christmas holiday happy and healthy. We made it, but barely!

The weather has been beautiful, the food plentiful and the gifts gracious.

I started a brand new project this week and an I am already well into it so I've decided to have an excerpt be this week's #WIPWednesday. The book is still untitled but it has been fun to write so far. Evie and Landon are the perfect match...they just don't know it yet. :-)

Amelia walked toward the door. “Maybe you’ll have better luck with him.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, not quite ready to deal with reality yet.

“Good morning, Mr. Reed.” She didn’t sound all that old. “Do you plan to stay in bed all day?”

“Maybe. What’s it to you?” I sounded like an ass but I couldn’t stop myself.

“Well, it’s all the same to me if you want to rot away in that bed. I get paid either way.” I heard soft footsteps cross the room toward the little sitting area. Good. I have no intention of getting out of bed today or any other day just because someone told me to.

Rolling over on my side, I shifted the pillow enough to peek out. From my vantage point, all I could see was a pair of canvas shoes. The television turned on. I heard her flip through channels, finally settling on some home improvement show.

“Nobody watches those stupid shows anymore.”

Either she didn’t hear me or she was ignoring me.

“Those shows are ridiculous.” I made sure to project my voice from under the pillow.

“No more ridiculous than a grown man hiding under a pillow and acting like a two year old.”

I threw the covers off and shot up to a sitting position, ignoring the burning pain in my leg. “What the fuck is your prob…” Holy shit. The woman sitting on the couch looking at the television and completely ignoring me was neither old nor fat. She wasn’t hideous or horrible. In fact, she was fucking hot.

“Who the hell are you?” Way to be charming, Landon.

She looked over at me, boredom in her expression, before returning her attention to the television. “The nurse your father hired. Who the hell do you think I am?”

“I don’t need a nurse.”

“I agree. You need a nanny.” She flipped the channel to a news program and grimaced.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I turned so I could swing my legs over the side of the bed, the brace making my movements jerky not angry and pronounced like I’d intended.

“It means, you can’t even dress yourself so how can anyone expect you to do anything.”

I dropped my gaze down and with a curse, grabbed the sheet and pulled it across my lap. I’d totally forgotten about falling in bed naked the night before. Unfortunately, other parts of me were not only aware that they were unclothed but they were announcing themselves quite loudly.

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“Whatever. I’m a nurse. I’ve seen worse. Of course, I’ve seen better too. Much better.” She clicked to another station. I could have sworn I saw her lip twitch as I growled over her insult.

“Just get out. I don’t need you. Tell my father to go to hell.”

She tossed the remote control on the coffee table and checked her watch. “You have ten minutes to get ready for physical therapy or I’m taking you the way you are.”

I crossed my arms over my bare chest. “I’m not going.”

“You are going so get dressed.” She stood and looked him over. “You’re down to eight minutes.”

“And just how do you expect me to get down all of those stairs?”

“The same way you got up them. Walter showed me the elevator.”

Damn it. I was hoping she hadn’t found that yet. I waved a hand in the air. “Whatever. Are you going to watch?”

“Watch what?” She dropped her gaze to my lap and gave me a little smile that was more taunting than friendly.

This woman was absolutely infuriating. “Fine. Suit yourself.” I whipped the sheet back and reached for my wheelchair. Instead of turning away, she stayed right where she was with that little smile dancing around on her lips. With about as much grace as a bull in a china shop, I managed to get from the bed to the chair while she just stood there and watched.

“I thought you were supposed to be here to help me.”

“You didn’t say you needed my assistance.”

“Really? I had to ask? Isn’t that what you are here for?”

“Let’s get something straight, Mr. Reed.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at me. “I’m a trauma trained RN. I am not your maid or your gopher or any other thing. It is my job to get you back on your feet both literally and figuratively. I’ll handle your medical care and your personal care as needed but I am not at your beck and call.”

I'm also very proud to say that In the Shadow of the Shield has been getting some great reviews!

 

Thank you to all who have read it. Please feel free to add your review to Amazon as well!