Oct 19, 2023 | Blog, Kimberly Kincaid, October 2023
All Wrapped Up (Pine Mountain Book #7) by USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Kincaid is available now. While this is part of a series, it can be enjoyed as a standalone. Note, this re-release is still filled with tasty goodness and I love, love, love the new cover.
If you are looking for a holiday destination, consider Pine Mountain, a cozy small town where second chances are possible, and hopefully a christmas romance is on tap for the Double Shot employee. Will the former firefighter and headstrong reporter find a way to forgive and accept despite the secrets that still threaten to torch this rekindling before it can burn hot? I love a holiday themed romance in a series with characters we’ve grown to love as they interconnect and give us those little nuggets of time forward from when we saw them last.
Nothing grabs you into a story faster than a heart racing scene that leaves you on the edge of your seats. When a fire breaks out at the local grocery store it hits too close to home for Nick when he’s told not everyone is accounted for. Do you like your heroes strong, a dash of stubborn, a pinch of broody, and a layer of ooey goodness? Good, then you’re in luck. Nick is all that and more. What will happen when he runs into the store? I dare you to keep it together.
Nick Brennan has spent the past few years managing a bar in a small town trying to forget his past. A life and job he loved that was taken away unexpectedly. Now through layers of guilt and pain, he tries to balance a heavy load as he processes through the pain. When the one woman he never forgot walks back into his life will he finally have the answers he needs or will he let her walk away again?
Ava Mancuso loves her job as a reporter and when a local fire has the potential to put her on the map with a front page story. The last thing she imagined was standing in front of the very man she walked away from all those years ago. Is she ready to open up and trust he won’t push her away? Will her secret destroy her chance for love once again, or will she finally have faith to fight for the man she loves? Any woman brave enough to challenge Nick has to be equally as headstrong and confident in her convictions. When Ava is forced to make a choice between her heart and her career, which will she choose?
A scorchin hot read with love, loss, secrets, forgiveness, and acceptance. Caution, may lead to unexpected need to turn on the A/C. So steamy the pages ignite. May include a dash of Erotic elements or elude to further exploration of desire and need.
Once again a story from Kimberly with all the feels, the heat, and a whole lot of fun. It’s time to head out to Pine Mountain for a drink at the Double Shot, sit down with old friends and catch up.
I received an advance copy from Kimberly Kincaid for an honest and fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Amazon Purchase Link
below.
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click on the link and purchase the featured book and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small percentage between 2-6%. Any profit earned from this transaction is given directly back to readers via giveaways (gift cards, books, etc.) Thank you in advance.
USA Today best-selling author Kimberly Kincaid writes romantic suspense that sizzles and thrills. Equal parts action and emotion, her firefighters and first responders always save the day.
When she’s not finding adventure with her family, including naughty Whippets, Olive, Daisy, and Jack, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, digging in her garden, or curled up with her nose in a book.
Kimberly’s most current series is The Intelligence Unit, which is part of her Remington World. Other series in this world (all characters cross over, but all romances stand alone) are Remington Medical and Station Seventeen. All titles stand alone for easy reading. Please see each series page for reading order.
Sep 18, 2023 | Blog, Kimberly Kincaid, September 2023
Fire Me Up by USA Today Bestselling Author Kimberly Kincaid (Pine Mountain, Book 5) is a re-release filled with tasty goodness.
Teagan O’Malley loves her job as a Paramedic but when a call brings her face to face with Adrian, her world will never be the same.
Adrian Holt loves working in a kitchen and can’t imagine being anywhere else. When he finds himself with six weeks of rest, will he be able to take it easy and stay out of the kitchen or out of trouble?
What will happen when Teagan discovers her Dad’s secrets and Adrian insists on helping? Will he be able to keep his past from tearing them apart?
While Adrian is supposed to be taking it easy and recovering, he’ll discover he can’t stay out of the kitchen. If you thought things got heated in his kitchen … ;).
Kimberly delivers a story with all the feels, the heat, and a whole lot of fun. A fast paced plot of two people who would do anything for those they care about, even if it means risking their lives just to keep them safe.
The characters draw you in, leaving you wanting more, and wishing you could take a drive to Pine Mountain grab dinner and drinks at the Double Shot.
If you like your romance reads to include:
✔ Like Meets Like (no opposites here!
Everyone is fierce!)
✔ Bad Boy Tattooed Hero
✔ Forced Proximity
✔ Heat in the kitchen & the
bedroom!
✔ Heroine in Danger
✔ Bad Boy Tattooed Hero
✔ Secrets
A scorchin hot read Caution, may lead to unexpected need to turn on the A/C. So steamy the pages ignite. May include a dash of Erotic elements or elude to further exploration of desire and need.
If you enjoy this installment in the series check out Kimberly’s backlist.
I received an advance copy from Kimberly Kincaid for an honest and fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchase. If you click on the link and purchase the featured book and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small percentage between 2-6%. Any profit earned from this transaction is given directly back to readers via giveaways (gift cards, books, etc.) Thank you in advance.
Jan 29, 2021 | Blog, January 2021, Kimberly Kincaid
Skin Deep is an enemies to lovers story in Kimberly Kincaid’s Station Seventeen series that’s sexy and badass. A firefighter and a detective will need to work together to prove they can co-exist despite their past. Will this firefighter be able to protect himself from getting burned again? If you’re ready for a book that’s full of tension, wild chemistry, and lots of suspense white fighting fires and hunting for a killer don’t miss this book.
Don’t miss out on meeting Kellen and Shae. There is something for everyone in her backlist and hopeful you will find an adventure to sink into during these cold winter 
months. This spicy read is best enjoyed with your favorite iced-beverage, a cozy chair, and maybe a fan.
I previously received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review from the author.
**Previously Published 10/7/16 In honor of the WRW Readers and Bloggers Luncheon**
Kellen Walker was kind enough to sit with me and chat for a round of Tasty Tidbits back in 2016.
Wanna know more about this adventurous firefighter?
Grab a mug and enjoy.
Ten Thermal Tidbits from Kellan Walker (Skin Deep by Kimberly Kincaid)
1.You could have chosen any profession, why a firefighter? I’m not a suit and tie kind of guy. I’m good under pressure, so I figured I’d play to my strengths. After being an Army Ranger, it felt like a good fit.
2. What’s the most challenging aspect of being a firefighter? Besides having to stomach our rookie Slater’s cooking? Probably dealing with the stuff we see. Calls can get really intense. But a lot of them turn out okay, so that makes it a lot easier.
3. Boxers or briefs? Boxer briefs. Best of both worlds.
4. Would you pose for a pin-up calendar, if it was for a good cause? And get the crap that goes with that? No way! I’d make a donation for the good cause, though.
5. What’s your guilty pleasure? (remember we have a PG-13 audience Kellan 😉 PG 13, PG 13…okay, then I’ll go with action movies. Isabella and I will sometimes stay home and marathon a whole bunch of them back to back. Then we make our own action 😉
6. Hard Rock or Country? Mostly hard rock
7. Favorite Movie? I’m going old school. Die Hard. Bruce Willis is a badass!
8. Most romantic thing you’ve done? I’m not really a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but lucky for me, Isabella’s even tougher than I am. I surprised her with a trip to the gun range last week. She loved it, and I loved that she did. Everybody won.
9. You open up your ipod, top five songs in your playlist? Moth Into Flame, by Metallica, Animals, by Maroon 5, Sucker for Pain, by Lil Wayne, Radioactive, by Imagine Dragons, and Til the Love Runs Out, by One Republic
10. It’s Sunday and Baseball is on the TV, who are you rooting for? I’m not much of a baseball guy. But if I had to pick…the San Francisco Giants.
Kellan made his way up Washington Boulevard, where he’d parked yesterday morning before shift. Funny how quiet the city could be before things like rush hour and regular workdays kicked in, all soft sunlight and clean storefronts. He slid in a breath of cool air, scanning the sidewalk and the two-lane thoroughfare where Station Seventeen was situated.
He saw the woman leaning against his ’68 Camaro from forty feet away.
Kellan’s pulse flared even though his footsteps never faltered. Long, denim-wrapped legs leading to lean muscles and lush, sexy curves. Loose, confident stance that spoke of both awareness and strength. Long, caramel-colored hair that she tossed away from her face as soon as she saw him coming, and God dammit, that was the second time this week he’d been blindsided by Isabella Moreno.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, wincing inwardly as the words crossed his lips. Not that he didn’t feel every inch of the attitude behind them, because after her f#&k-up had put his sister’s life in danger three months ago, he so did. But slapping his emotions on his sleeve wasn’t on Kellan’s agenda, good, bad, or extremely pissed off. Of course, Isabella already knew he was chock full of the emotion behind door number three, anyway.
She pushed herself off the Camaro’s cherry red quarter panel, sliding one hand to her unnervingly voluptuous hip while the other remained wrapped around a cup of coffee. “Waiting for you.”
“I got that.” His tone left the what-for part of the question hanging between them, and Kellan had to hand it to her. Moreno wasn’t the type to mince words.
“I need a favor. I want you to walk me through the scene of Monday’s fire.”
Jesus, she had a sense of humor. Also, balls the size of Jupiter. “You want me to take you back to the scene of a fire that gutted a three-story house just to give you a play by play?”
She nodded, her brown eyes narrowing against the sunlight just starting to break past the buildings around them. “That about sums it up, yeah.”
“It’s a little early for you to be punching the clock, isn’t it?” he asked. Most people weren’t even halfway to the door just shy of oh-seven-hundred on a weekday morning.
Moreno? Not most people, apparently. “What can I say? I’m feeling ambitious.”
Kellan resisted the urge to launch a less-than-polite comment about her work ethic, albeit barely. “I already told you and Sinclair everything I know.”
“Okay.” Her shoulders rose and fell beneath her dark gray leather jacket, easy and smooth. “So humor me and walk me through it again anyway.”
His sixth sense took a jab at his gut, prompting him to give the question in his head a voice. “Is this part of the investigation?”
“Why do you ask?” she said, and yeah, that was a no.
“Because you called it a favor, and you just answered my question with a question.”
Moreno paused. “I’m a cop. We do that.”
Nope. No way was he buying this. Not even on her best day. “And I’m a firefighter who’s not interested in putting his ass in a sling just to humor you with an unsanctioned walk-through.”
The RFD might offer a little latitude on firefighters revisiting scenes—a fact Kellan would bet his left nut Moreno damn well knew—but just because he’d worked the job didn’t mean he had carte blanche to prance through the place like a fucking show pony now that the fire was out.
Not that a little thing like protocol seemed to bother Isabella in the least. “Your ass will be fine. I’ll take full responsibility.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that one from you before.”
The words catapulted out before Kellan could stop them. Moreno flinched, just slightly, but it was enough. “Look, I need to get back onto that scene,” she said. “Are you going to help me or not?”
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchase. If you click on the link and purchase the featured book and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small percentage between 2-6%. Any profit earned from this transaction is given directly back to readers via giveaways (gift cards, books, etc.) Thank you in advance.
Author Info:
Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet and hot and edgy romantic suspense. When she’s not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as “The Pleather Bomber”, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. Kimberly is a USA Today best-selling author and a 2016 and 2015 RWA RITA® finalist and 2014 Bookseller’s Best nominee who lives (and writes!) by the mantra that food is love. Kimberly resides in Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.
Nov 12, 2019 | Authors Dish, Blog, Kimberly Kincaid, November 2019
Welcome newbies and seasoned readers to Authors Dish. With only three and a half weeks until Thanksgiving, Authors are dishin’ their favorites.
I am grateful for readers, authors, and everyone who make it possible to sink into my cozy chair and enjoy a new book adventure each and every day.
It’s time to find out what inspires your favorite Authors and discover how they enjoy the holidays, prepare their homes, set their tables and give thanks to those important in their lives.
Whether you’re celebrating at home or traveling far away, enjoy every minute of the season. We’d love to know how you enjoy your holidays, tell us below!
Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we plan to share plenty of reasons to be thankful so be sure to check the blog often. Wanna dish? Drop me a message.
Today in the cafe is Author Kimberly Kincaid
Kimberly Kincaid
1. What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition? As often as possible, we watch the Macy’s parade. I just love seeing all the floats and the performers, and my girls love it, too. It’s like our pregame for the day!
2. How do you decorate your table and home? The table is pretty simple, because we are usually a big crew and start out buffet style, then cram whatever plates we can onto the table for passing around. My house has a mix of decorations from my childhood and newer things that I’ve seen and loved. We do have cozy blankets on every couch and chair for after-meal snoozing, though!
3. My favorite hostess gift is… Something we can all share during the meal/visit, whether that be a pumpkin pie or a really warm smile and hug.
4. It’s time to pack up the leftovers, what do you do with all the food? Share it, use it for other yummy dishes or toss it? Oh, we share! We eat really clean for most of the year, so it’s hard for me to have too many leftovers of a decadent meal without falling out of my routine. But every year that we host, Mr. K makes the turkeys in our smoker, and every year, I make the most delicious turkey stock and turkey noodle soup with the leftovers from the birds. So, so, so good!
5. Black Friday shopping – on line fun, up early with a cup of java and a long list, or last minute shopper and don’t care about the sales? I shop in person early, then online after a nap at home. Some of the best fun I’ve had my my sisters in law and mother in law and niece have been Black Friday shopping. We just bundle up and grab coffee (tea for me!) and go, go, go. It’s a blast!
6. I am thankful for… good food, great friends, and big love. I’m blessed to have all of them.
Bio: Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet and hot and edgy romantic suspense. When she’s not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as “The Pleather Bomber”, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. Kimberly is a USA Today best-selling author and a 2016 and 2015 RWA RITA® finalist and 2014 Bookseller’s Best nominee who lives (and writes!) by the mantra that food is love. Kimberly resides in Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.
Click on the link here for fun and FREE printables to keep you organized this fall season.
Jun 27, 2019 | Authors Dish, Blog, June 2019, Kimberly Kincaid, Lynne Silver, Tessa McFionn
If you’re heading to New York City July 24-27, 2019 for RWA2019 or another conference reminders and tips are always helpful. Especially when it comes to packing, and as a first timer commuting to the hotel each day I am hoping I remember to pack all the things in one suitcase ;).
There is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night needing the very thing you forgot to pack. Or, finding out moments before you have a meeting or fun place to go, you ran out of or forgot something essential.
So, to all the newbies, and seasoned travel veterans, I’m running an Authors Dish specifically targeted on what authors and industry professionals always include in their suitcases, what they stash in their conference bag to avoid hunger pains and the things they forget once and hopefully never again.
May this inspire you to pack light and not forget anything at home. If you’re heading to RWA2019 I’d love to say hi. Comment below so we can be sure to meet up in NYC.
Stay tuned as we’ll have plenty of tips and tricks in the upcoming weeks so check the blog daily.
Today in the cafe are USA Today Bestselling Author Kimberly Kincaid, Lynne Silver, and Tessa McFionn
Rae: What five things do you have to pack when attending a conference?
Kimberly: An empty water bottle, workout clothes, Lara bars, the white noise app on my phone (not something I pack, but I definitely need it!), and a power strip is I’m sharing a room with others.
Lynne Silver: I pack snacks, a shawl, business cards, empty notebook & pens, and a printed schedule.
Tessa McFionn: 
Have to haves:
1. Combat boots. I actually have at least two pairs that I pack
2. My Jack Skellington lounge pants. They look best with the combats 😉
3. Way too many shirts!
4. An extra bag for swag
5. My laptop. Never know when inspiration will strike 😉
Rae: What is your snack attack must haves in your day bag?
Kimberly: Lara bars, fresh fruit (bananas or apples from the coffee shop), trail mix.
Lynne:Not to jinx myself, but I’m a pretty good packer. I usually mean to bring my RWA badge holder from year to year, and do forget that some years.
Tessa: Well, the night bag MUST have whiskey, but the day bag is usually filled with peanuts and granola bars (plus a Special Dark bar)
Rae:What’s the one thing you forget to pack and swear to remember next time?
Kimberly: It’s different every time, but I’ve forgotten Band-Aids (you ALWAYS need them), flip flops (trips to the vending machine or lobby for water), and Chap Stick (went out to buy it!)
Lynne: Not to jinx myself, but I’m a pretty good packer. I usually mean to bring my RWA badge holder from year to year, and do forget that some years.
Tessa: MY PHONE CHARGER! Cannot even begin to count how many times I’ve had to buy a new charger at hotels or airports.
Rae: Thank you so much authors! I’ll be keeping a running list and will post it a week before RWA2019 so that hopefully no one needs to make a quick run to the lobby market or drug store around the corner. I’ll see you soon for new authors and more ideas!
** Author Bios **
Kimberly Kincaid:
USA Today best-selling author Kimberly Kincaid writes romantic suspense that sizzles and contemporary romance with heart and heat. Equal parts action and emotion, her firefighters and first responders always save the day.
When she’s not finding adventure with her husband and three daughters, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book.
Kimberly’s series include Station Seventeen, the Line series, Cross Creek, and her brand-new Remington Medical series. All titles stand alone for easy reading.
Lynne Silver: Lynne Silver is the author of sexy contemporary romance such as the popular Alpha Heroes and Coded for Love series. She absolutely loves to travel and explore new cities. She has a slight (huge) addiction to donuts, fancy purses, romance novels and video games. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and two sons. She loves connecting with readers so please find her on social media.
Stalker links:
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/tU2O5
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lynnesilverauthor
Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LSilverdivas/
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2i3VMJG
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/LynneSilver
Twitter: @LynneSilver
Website: www.lynnesilver.com
Tessa McFionn:
Tessa McFionn is a very native Californian and has called Southern California home for most of her life, growing up in San Diego and attending college in Northern California and Orange County, only to return to San Diego to work as a teacher. Insatiably curious and imaginative, she loves to learn and discover, making her wicked knowledge of trivial facts an unwelcomed guest at many Trivial Pursuit boards.
Her love of the fantastical began at a young age while her mother read to her and her brother such classics as The Hobbit and Rikki Tikki Tavi. She continued this love, devouring Terry Brooks, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ray Bradbury, and Isaac Asimov as well as comic books galore. Romance entered the field in the guise of Anne Rice’s An Interview with a Vampire, and during college, she discovered the works of Sherrilyn Kenyon and Christine Feehan, and the rest is history.
Her first novel, Spirit Fall, came to her as she looked over the edge of a very dark place. Since then, she’s added three more tales to the world of the Guardian Warriors and Spirit Bound, Book Two in the series, was awarded the 2016 Write Touch award for Paranormal Romance from WisRWA. But she never lost her love for science fiction and began a space opera, The Rise of the Stria, in March 2018 with the release of To Discover a Divine.
When not writing, she can be found at the movies or at Disneyland with her husband, as well as family, friends or anyone who wants to play at the Happiest Place on Earth. She also finds her artistic soul fed through her passions for theatre, dance and music. A proud parent of far too many high school seniors and two still living house plants, she also enjoys hockey, reading and playing Words with Friends to keep her vocabulary sharp. She is currently the President of the San Diego chapter of Romance Writers of America and loves spending time working with such amazingly intelligent and creative writers.
Feb 13, 2019 | Blog, Blog Tour, February 2019, Kimberly Kincaid
BACK TO YOU is a complete standalone, and can be read as your first Kimberly Kincaid book or your twentieth.
BACK TO YOU is a steamy medical contemporary that has action in the emergency room and the bedroom!
BACK TO YOU in a spinoff series from Kimberly’s sexy Station Seventeen books. It stands completely alone, and does share a world with some very hot cops and steamy firefighters (who make cameos!) No cliffhangers, no spoilers, all red-hot HEA.
Review coming soon!
Of all the ways Parker Drake had envisioned his first day as an intern, witnessing a sedan-versus-bike messenger that resulted in an open tib-fib before he’d even walked through the hospital doors hadn’t been in the top one thousand.
Being face to drop-jawed stare with the one woman he’d been certain he’d never lay eyes on again, and who probably hated him as passionately as he’d once loved her?
Had to be a one in a million.
The man in his arms groaned in pain, snapping time back into motion and Parker back to reality in less than a heartbeat.
“I need a little help over here,” Parker called out, and fucking great, Tess was here, too?
“What happened?” Charlie asked as Tess hollered for a gurney and a C-collar, both of which arrived astonishingly fast.
Parker blinked, his brain momentarily too swamped with adrenaline to form a reply. Focus. On something other than how the hell Charlie is here in front of you instead of far, far away in Nashville. Now would be good, since you’re holding a guy whose tibia is sticking out of his skin.
Well, that did the trick to redirect his thoughts from her, at least temporarily. Then again, work always did. “Mike Yoshida, got clipped by a Camry while riding his bike,” Parker said, placing the man on the gurney and diving right in to the bullet. “Obvious right lower leg deformity, GCS 12. No apparent head or neck trauma, no LOC.” The guy’s helmet was still firmly in place. Not that it had done his leg a lick of good, but at least that would be a hell of a lot easier to repair.
“Hi, Mr. Yoshida, I’m Dr. Michaelson, and this is Dr. Becker,” Tess said, but only after she’d shot a micro-frown in Parker’s direction that promised nothing good once their patient was stable. “We’re going to take care of you, okay?”
“O-okay.” He tried to nod, but Tess placed her hands firmly over the sides of his helmet to keep him still as Charlie grabbed the C-collar.
“Dr. Becker and I are going to put this around your neck. I know it’s not super comfortable, but we have to err on the side of caution until we can get a closer look at your spine.”
Charlie, who was in street clothes, and Tess, who wasn’t, had both gloved up to examine the man while a nurse guided the gurney past the automatic doors and into a curtain area.
“You didn’t think to call a paramedic instead of dragging him in here on your own?” Charlie asked, her red-gold brows pulled low in disapproval, as Tess continued her rapid trauma assessment on the patient.
Parker took a deep breath and reminded himself that he deserved every degree of chilliness Charlie wanted to offer. “I am a paramedic. Or I was for five years. Anyway”—he grabbed a pair of nitrile gloves from the dispenser box on the wall and slid them into place—“the accident happened less than a block away. Calling an ambo would’ve been stupid.”
Dropping her voice enough to keep it from the patient while Tess asked him a few more questions and examined his leg, Charlie said, “He was in an MVA, and you moved him without a C-collar. That is stupid.”
Shock popped Parker right in the solar plexus. “Seeing as how we were in the middle of a busy city street and the guy had already been hit by a car once, I thought getting him out of traffic might be prudent.”
“Parker—” she started, but he shook his head. As much as he wanted to, arguing with her was a bad idea for several reasons, none of them small. Anyway, he couldn’t change what he’d already done.
“Yes, I moved him,” Parker said quietly. “But I did an RTA in the field. He was alert and reactive, with no signs of a head or neck injury. He was in a lot of pain and had an open fracture, and I wanted to get him treated as fast as possible. So, I made a judgment call.”
If her expression was anything to go by, Charlie remained highly unimpressed. “So he didn’t present with any outward signs of a spinal injury,” she argued. “That doesn’t mean he’s fine. There could be any number of things going on that you can’t see.”
“I know that.” Parker had completed four years of medical school, nearly seven months of his first internship, and three of his five years at Station Seventeen as a lead paramedic. He was hardly a dumbass.
“This tib-fib is pretty straightforward,” Tess said loudly enough to grab both of their attention. She’d—damn—already cut away the patient’s jeans to reveal a nasty break, and splinted the injured leg to keep it stable. “Let’s get head and neck films to see what we’re dealing with otherwise.” She swung her stare to the dark-haired nurse who had appeared with the gurney and stuck around for the ride. “And page Dr. Sheridan, along with whoever’s on call for ortho, stat, please.”
“I’ve got the films, Dr. Michaelson,” Charlie said, her eyes on Tess’s very pregnant belly, and Parker’s throat went tight. But then Tess had stepped out of the curtain area and the nurse had produced two protective aprons, and Charlie was shooting the X-rays as easily as she’d order a fucking latte.
“Head and neck are clear,” she called to Tess a few seconds later, who returned to the curtain area and looked at the images on the portable monitor, nodding her agreement.
“It’s just my…leg that hurts.” The man’s labored grunt punctuated the claim, and Charlie—Christ, how was it possible that she’d gotten even prettier over the last six years—softened her gaze, leaning in toward him.
“Do you have any drug allergies, Mr. Yoshida?”
Another groan. “No.”
Charlie looked at the nurse. “Start an IV so we can get some pain meds on board while we wait for those consults. We’re also going to need to do a full set of films on that leg for ortho.”
“I can start the IV,” Parker offered, taking a step toward the supply cart beside the gurney. Anything would be better than just standing here, useless.
Charlie’s arm shot out, and even through his shirt and hers, the contact sizzled through him as if they’d touched intimately, skin on skin. “No. You absolutely cannot.”
“I’m qualified to do it,” he said. He’d started hundreds of lines. Maybe even thousands. For God’s sake, Charlie had been there when he’d learned how.
“You’re a paramedic,” Tess said, clearly on Team Charlie, and also clearly unaware that he’d tendered his resignation at Station Seventeen to return to medical school and had been placed here at Remington Mem for his internship, take two. “We have very capable nurses. You brought Mr. Yoshida in, but we’ve got it from here, Parker. You can go.”
His pulse slapped faster. “Actually, I—”
The curtain moved, the metal loops shushing along the track built in to the ceiling and stopping the rest of Parker’s words in his windpipe.
“Someone called for a—whoa, yeah. Surgical consult,” said Jonah Sheridan, who had appeared behind Tess. Parker recognized him, both from running patients in to the emergency department for the last five years and the semi-rare occasion that the staff at Remington Mem came to hang out at The Crooked Angel, where the first responders from Station Seventeen and the cops from the Thirty-Third precinct tended to gather.
Sheridan completed a quick but thorough perusal of the patient’s injury. Parker listened carefully as Tess gave the guy a brief rundown and the nurse started the IV, then again as Sheridan looked at the patient.
“What’s your name, sir?”
“Mike,” the guy groaned, leaning back against the gurney. “Mike Yoshida.”
“Well, Mr. Yoshida, I hope you like Jell-O, because you’re going to be here for a day or two. You definitely need surgery to repair that injury to your leg.” He turned toward the dark-haired nurse, who Parker belatedly recognized from his first internship six years ago, and damn. How could he have changed so much while this place had stood stock-still?
“Kelly, let’s get some antibiotics in that IV along with the pain meds Dr. Becker ordered, and call surgery to book an OR.” Dr. Sheridan rattled off a few more directives—specific medications and dosages, plus a rush on the X-rays Charlie had already ordered—then shifted to look at Parker, blond brows lifted in question.
“You’re the paramedic, right?”
S&*t. “Intern. Parker Drake.” Tugging off his still-spotless gloves, he extended his hand, trying as hard as he possibly could to un-hear the twin gasps of shock from Tess and Charlie.
“Huh,” Jonah said. “A new attending and a paramedic intern. The hits just keep on comin’. Okay, Mr. Yoshida.” He turned back toward the patient while Parker battled some shock of his own. Charlie was working here now? As an attending? Surely, he’d misunderstood. “Let’s get you ready for surgery, shall we?”
“OR three is open, Dr. Sheridan,” Kelly said, hanging up the wall-mounted phone. “They’re expecting you.”
“Perfect. We can do the films upstairs while I scrub in and get Dr. Mallory up to speed. Let’s go.”
Sheridan and Kelly wheeled the gurney from the curtain area. Now would normally be the time for everyone to scatter, with the patient stable and the handoff to a surgeon made. But since everything about the current situation was far from normal, Tess killed the four hundred-pound silence with a long, low exhale.
“I’m sorry. Did you just say you’re…”
“An intern. Starting today.” He looked at Charlie, whose expression was impossible to decipher. “Did Dr. Sheridan say you’re…”
“An attending. Temporarily, at least. I’m covering Tess’s maternity leave for ten weeks.”
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