“Davis revoked his admission when his last grades came out.”
“Ouch.” How did I not know that?
“He didn’t want anyone to know. He decided to come home and help me with the business. But now even that is starting to struggle.”
That surprised me. Parker Sporting Goods was the only place in town to stock up on outdoor gear. “Really? The store is established and no other place near here offers what the store does.”
“There is a big name sporting shop over in Kedler, and of course, people think nothing of driving to Reno these days.”
“So is it bad? Is the store really in trouble?”
My father rubbed his brow. “It’s making money, but I have suggested he look at getting out. He could sell it and use the money to find himself.”
“What about you? You don’t need the money?” How would Dad live if the Eli sold the store and took the money?
“The house is paid for. I’ve got Social Security and Medicare—“
“Will that cover all you’ll need?”
“Your mom had life insurance that Eli helped me invest. I know he seems off-kilter and perhaps weak, but he took good care of your mom and I while you were gone.”
Now I felt guilty for being gone so much.
“And of course, he’s done a lot for me. He keeps up the repairs on the house. Arranges to get me to doctors if he can’t do it himself. Don’t be too hard on him. He’s hitting the middle age crisis a bit early, but I think he sees his life isn’t unfolding as he wants, and he feels trapped to change it.”
Put that way, I felt selfish for running off to live my life. It was my turn to help Dad. To help the family.
“I’ll do my part, Dad, I promise.”
“I know you will, pumpkin.”
“What can I get you? Are you hungry?”
“No. Any chance you and Nick—“
“No, Dad. Why are you so interested?”
He gave me a sheepish grin. “I’d just like a grandchild or two before I’m too sick to enjoy them. Neither you nor Eli seems particularly interested in giving me one.”
I laughed. “Eli is older. Besides, from what I saw tonight, he needs to get laid—“ I stopped as I remembered I was talking to my father. “Get a girlfriend.”
My father snorted. “You’re not wrong.”
I made some dinner and watched nature shows on TV with my father, and then headed back to my condo, unpacking a couple boxes in my kitchen before heading to bed.
I lay under the cool sheets feeling a little bit like today had all been a dream. Especially the part about seeing Nick. Dancing with Nick. It was so strange that after four years, I’d have the reaction I did. Nick was extremely attractive, so I could see having that initial flutter a woman had when seeing a good-looking guy. But this had been more than that. It was like my heart and hormones had forgotten he and I weren’t together anymore. They’d immediately gone back to four years ago when Nick and I were discussing having a future together.
Is that how Eli felt? Every time he saw Nick, was he reminded of the dreams and plans they’d made? They’d both planned to go to medical school and return home to open a practice together. I understood about being weirded out about his friend and his sister being together, but Nick hadn’t done anything wrong. He’d always treated me with respect, and in truth, I think he did try to avoid me and his feelings in deference to Eli in the beginning. Was Dad right in that Eli was unhappy because he felt stuck in life?
Now that I was here, perhaps I could help. I could take the pressure of him and give him a chance to find himself. If he’d take it.
5 Nick
For the next week, I had dreams of Mia every night, or I should say day, as I was on the night shift the following week. Since holding her close in the bar, her scent was locked in my brain, and whenever I slept, she came to me. We’d start out dancing, and soon we were fucking. It was a wonderful way to sleep, and extremely frustrating too. Every time I woke up, I had to get into the shower and yank my cock as I conjured up my dream again until my cum sprayed the shower wall.
The following week, I was back on days, still dreaming about her. I couldn’t decide if it was good or bad that I rarely saw her when I was at work. She was distracting, so not seeing her seemed like the better option, and yet, knowing she was in the same building, looking so beautiful with her sexy curves and brilliant blue eyes, made me want to run up to the third floor to the administration offices and fuck her on her desk.
I shook my head as I grabbed a cup of coffee. That was one thing I shouldn’t be thinking about; fucking her. I couldn’t help my dreams, but while awake, I needed to remember that Mia and I were in the past. It was a lovely past, one that I often wished I’d handled differently. Four years later, though, time had marched on. Any chance of us having a future together was gone.
Aside from Mia crowding my thoughts, my day was fairly normal. We had a steady stream of emergency room visitors, all with varying ailments, but none of them too serious.
I’d finished my coffee and headed back to the ER when Peggy flagged me. “Lorraine Mason is here.”
“Ms. Mason?” Thinking of her brought me back to kindergarten.
“Yep. She has a temperature of one hundred point three, and is complaining of aches and pains.”
I headed to the area where Ms. Mason was being treated in. She looked pale, but her bright eyes lit up as she saw me.
“Nicky.”
I smiled at the name she’d called me ever
