Sliding Home

By Jaqueline Snowe

FROM AWARD-WINNING ROMANCE AUTHOR JAQUELINE SNOWE

Book two in the Out of the Park series

Two years ago, she shut the door in his face. Now, he's opening it...

Michelle Benning is determined to pursue her dreams and escape her past. This means working two jobs and going to school, which leaves no time for relationships. So when the one guy she never got over shows up two years after their fling, she'll avoid him at all costs. No problem.

Famous baseball player Brooks Madsen knows there's more than just attraction between him and Michelle, no matter how much she tries to fight it. But for every step closer he gets to her heart, she forces him two steps back...and Brooks intends to find out why.

Brooks finds her stubborn and she finds him difficult, yet the sparks between them burst into red-hot flames. But when a figure from her past returns, Michelle's forced to make a tough decision, one that threatens any second chance at love that she and Brooks might have...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Nov 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781839434532

Jaqueline Snowe

Jaqueline Snowe lives in Arizona where the ‘dry heat’ really isn’t that bad. She enjoys making lists with colorful Post-it notes and sipping coffee all day. She has been a custodian, a waitress, a landscaper, a coach and a teacher. Her life revolves around binge-watching Netflix, her two dogs who don’t realize they aren’t humans and her wonderful baseball-loving husband.

Book preview

Author

Totally Bound Publishing books by Jaqueline Snowe

Out of the Park

Evening the Score

Classic Curves

Whiskey Surprises

Out of the Park

SLIDING HOME

JAQUELINE SNOWE

Sliding Home

ISBN # 978-1-83943-453-2

©Copyright Jaqueline Snowe

Cover Art by Erin Dameron-Hill ©Copyright November 2020

Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Totally Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2020 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

Totally Bound Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

Book two in the

Out of the Park series

Two years ago, she shut the door in his face. Now, he’s opening it…

Michelle Benning is determined to pursue her dreams and escape her past. This means working two jobs and going to school, which leaves no time for relationships. So when the one guy she never got over shows up two years after their fling, she’ll avoid him at all costs. No problem.

Famous baseball player Brooks Madsen knows there’s more than just attraction between him and Michelle, no matter how much she tries to fight it. But for every step closer he gets to her heart, she forces him two steps back…and Brooks intends to find out why.

Brooks finds her stubborn and she finds him difficult, yet the sparks between them burst into red-hot flames. But when a figure from her past returns, Michelle’s forced to make a tough decision, one that threatens any second chance at love that she and Brooks might have…

Dedication

To nurses, everywhere. They are heroes and there are not enough words to describe how thankful I am that we have these selfless, hardworking badasses who take care of us.

Trademark Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Anchorman: Paramount Pictures Corporation

Beamer: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG

The Brady Bunch: Paramount Pictures Corporation; CBS Studios Inc.

Fifty Shades of Grey: E. L. James

Kiltlifter: Four Peaks Brewing Company, Inc.

Google: Google Inc.

Hallmark: Hallmark Licensing, LLC

Home Alone: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Horcrux: J. K. Rowling

Lexus: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

NCIS: CBS Studios Inc.

Pinterest: Pinterest, Inc.

Pop-Tarts: Kellogg North America Company

Psycho: Paramount Pictures Corporation

Rebecca: United Artists Corporation

Red Bull: Red Bull GMBH

San Diego Padres: Padres L.P.

Tahoe: General Motors LLC

The Hulk: Marvel Characters, Inc.

Tinder: Tinder, Inc.

Uber: Uber Technologies, Inc.

Velcro: Velco Industries, B.V.

Vertigo: Paramount Pictures Corporation

Walmart: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Chapter One

Michelle

The smell of urine didn’t bother me in the slightest and I held my head a little higher when the other students in our clinical session in the empty patient room that we often used for practice coughed and tried to cover up the fact that they were gagging. Ally Kay—which was a badass name for a nurse—pinched her mouth into an impatient line as my classmates learned to change a bedpan.

If you can’t handle the smell, then this career will be quite difficult for you, Ally said, staring a little longer at the girl next to me. Her intense gaze moved right over me and I considered that a compliment. She was known to rarely give praise and tended to scrutinize the details. I had a semi-crush on Ally, because details were my thing.

Now, if the patients are connected to a catheter, you will need to remove it like so. She held up the device that emptied into a large bag. The other end would be connected to the patient so he or she could remain immobile for as long as they needed. Make sure you always check the bag when you enter the patient’s room.

And we just dump the urine in the toilet? a student asked.

Yes. You empty the bag into the plastic container and dump the urine in the toilet. She modeled the final part of the process and set the equipment down on the floor. The sooner you master it, or get over the fact you will get bodily fluids on yourself, the sooner you can prepare your mind to be a nurse.

Our small group mumbled under their breath at her but I remained focused. She wasn’t wrong. Ally checked her watch and took a large drink of water before she held up the water bottle. You’re going to be on your feet for at least eight hours, often times without a break. Make sure you drink water. I’ve had students pass out from dehydration and it isn’t fun.

One boy in our class started chugging his sports drink full of sugar and it made me laugh. Ally eyed him for a second but shook her head before continuing with our instructions. It was our first day of clinicals this week—one of three full days of being at the Victory Hospital—while the other two days were spent in classes. Situated right in the heart of downtown, it was by far the busiest hospital in the valley—the parking garage was always full.

You’re all paired up with an experienced nurse and you will shadow them for eight hours today before meeting up for a reflection. Professor Hannigan insisted that you each interact with patients today instead of just observing. We can never predict exactly what will happen, so be prepared for changing bedpans and taking vitals. Any questions? Ally crossed her arms over her hot pink scrubs and tapped her foot twice.

The chatty yet friendly girl next to me raised her hand and Ally raised her jaw slightly, granting permission to ask the question. What is it, Bella?

Will we be out of here by four?

What an idiot. I tensed, waiting to see what Ally would do, because it was obvious Bella wouldn’t make it in this major. The rest of us knew better than to try and leave early, and even though my best friend had an engagement party that I would miss a good chunk of, I wouldn’t dream of skipping out early from clinicals.

Ally took a deep breath before marking something on her clipboard. No. She opened her mouth to say something else, but the phone she carried went off and she snapped her fingers and said my name. Follow me, Michelle.

Bella looked relieved at not being chosen by Ally and I smiled. Tough people didn’t scare me. Neither did no-nonsense, no-small-talk people. If anything, I appreciated them because my life was so damn busy that a minute saved from awkward conversation could be better spent doing anything else.

Ally held up the phone and replied to the head nurse’s request. Each patient on the floor had a call button that went to the nurses’ station where the head nurse would respond to the patients and essentially dispatch their assigned nurse. It was pretty cool and Ally met my eyes for one second before responding. We’re on our way.

She went to a locked room storing medicine that patients needed, came back with a small cup with three different colored pills and grabbed one of the many desks-on-wheels that lined the hallway to place the meds in.

She walked fast and with purpose and I matched her stride as she headed to the maternity recovery ward, informing me about the patient en route. Lindy Jetton is recovering from an emergency C-section and her baby is in the NICU. The night nurse will update us before our rotation starts and I want you to take her blood pressure and temperature and mark them down.

Will do.

Have you done any of those before?

Yes, I said, already going over the steps I’d been taught. This will be my second time interacting with the patients.

Good. She stopped, knocked on a door twice and eyed me. I’ve heard good things about you.

Pride filled my chest at her words. Thank you. I work hard.

Prove it.

We entered the small room with our desk-on-wheels. Inside, a petite woman with blonde hair piled on top of her head looked exhausted. Her face was pale, her lips turned down at the sides and the man I assumed to be the father of her child sat helpless on the small pull-out couch.

Heather, the night nurse, grabbed a clipboard and introduced Ally and me as the next people to take care of the patient for the day. She went over the last time the patient had taken medicine, asked where her pain was on a scale of one to ten and if she had any questions.

Is there any way to have more pain medication? the woman in the bed asked, her husband coming up to rub her arm. I couldn’t sleep more than twenty minutes at a time.

We can call your doctor to see if we can up order a higher prescription to help, Ally said, still using the same confident tone. It shouldn’t take more than an hour max.

Please.

Heather said some kind words to the couple and smiled at me before departing. Ally introduced me and excitement and nerves took root in the base of my throat. My voice shook when I waved to the pair who were looking at me with tired smiles.

Do either of you object to having Michelle take your vitals?

No. The woman sat up and gave me a kind look. You have to learn somehow.

That I do. I moved to the patient bed and put gloves on, the non-allergenic material sticking to my sweaty skin. Then I got the thermometer ready by putting a plastic covering on it. Please put this under your tongue for me.

She did and I prepared to take her blood pressure. I briefly recalled having read that high blood pressure after giving birth was a huge red flag that something could be wrong. The thermometer beeped and she was in the clear—I repeated the temperature to Ally, who documented it and wrote it on the markerboard where the patient could see.

Excuse me while I try to navigate through all the IVs, I said, wrapping the Velcro material around her upper arm. One IV positioned itself in an awkward spot so I had to twist and turn them until they were straight. Sweat pooled on my brow at the time this was taking, but Ally said nothing. Okay, keep your arm relaxed at your side for me.

The patient obeyed and the machine started tightening around her. She stared at me for a second and I wanted to take the worried look off her face. Did you have a boy or a girl?

A little baby girl. She’s perfect, she said, emotion clogging her voice. She reached her other hand out to her husband, who clasped hers, before she looked back at me. She’s upstairs in the NICU. Jaundice.

I nodded but couldn’t hide my frown from them. Oh, I’m so sorry you have to spend some time away from her, but she is in amazing hands.

That’s what I keep repeating in my head.

Have you been up to see her yet? I asked, telling Ally her blood pressure. Relief went through me when her numbers were normal.

No. The lactation consultant is coming here in an hour so we’ll go after that. I did get to hold her though. It was the most amazing thing. Do you have children?

I do not. I smiled and organized the wires to hang the device back up on the appropriate hook. I’d love some one day, but right now is just about finishing school.

I get it. The woman smiled and I patted her hand. Everything good for me?

Yup. You’re doing well. I’m going to change your bag for you. I bent down and undid the hook, disconnected the tubes and poured the liquid into the plastic container meant for it. It wasn’t pleasant, but it didn’t gross me out and I disposed of it in the toilet, took off my gloves and tossed them into the correct trash receptacle, then washed my hands before returning to the woman, gloving up again and reconnecting it. Okay, all set. I disposed of those gloves too.

Thank you, she said, and my heart tightened at the emotion in her words.

Of course. I smiled and found Ally staring at me with one side of her mouth lifted just a hair, the slight indication of pride hitting me like a lightning bolt. She went to the desk-on-wheels and scanned the patient’s wrist bracelet before giving her the three types of medicine.

We’ll be back in an hour with more pain medicine, but call if you need anything, okay? Ally said.

We will.

Ally jutted her chin to the door and pushed the desk with her. I followed, not quite wanting to leave the kind couple. Take note, Michelle, not every room will be like them.

What do you mean?

She didn’t respond because her phone went off, but hours later, I understood her words. Some patients were beyond rude and others were demanding and hysterical, while an occasional one was kind and normal. My face hurt from forcing an unnatural smile for so long that when we were paged back to the first couple’s room, I sighed in relief.

Ally chuckled and patted me on the shoulder once. You’ll learn to appreciate the patients that treat you as a human rather than the help. Not all the people we see are as dramatic as 127B or 138B, but I rationalize it by remembering they just gave birth.

Good call.

She pushed the door open and Lindy smiled at us. Hi.

We heard you needed us? Ally asked.

I’m okay, but we’re going up to the NICU for a couple of hours, so is there any way to take some pain meds before we go?

Ally nodded and went through the same steps of documenting the process, taking the pills from the rolling desk and scanning the patient’s wristband while I redid the vitals. The only difference in the room this time was the sound of the TV playing, and I glanced up and almost dropped the thermometer.

It was him.

Brooks Madsen.

You a Soles baseball fan? the husband asked, smiling at me. Madsen just got a hell of a contract for five years.

Wow, I said, hating how my heart hammered against my ribcage. That’s…great.

The woman laughed and I focused on her instead of the gorgeous man on TV. She made a resigned face. We would be watching baseball news after having a kid.

Maybe it’s a good distraction? I said, forcing out all the memories I had of Brooks.

He is pretty to look at, she said, smiling when her husband made an annoyed sound.

Uh huh. I told Ally her vitals and glanced at the TV again when Ally took over for the other parts. He looked as good as I remembered and my face felt way too hot. Don’t think about him. Not his hands or how his mouth felt on me.

Anything else? Ally asked, pulling me from my own mind.

That’s all, thank you.

We left her room and the clock right next to the TV caught my attention—Fiona and Gideon’s engagement party started in an hour and I would totally be late. Not even like a cute oops my class ran over late. It would be an obnoxious I’m a shitty friend late.

But Fiona would understand because she knew more than anyone what my schooling and becoming a nurse meant to me. I just hoped she remembered all that when I showed up four hours later than planned.

* * * *

My dirty scrubs sat in the passenger seat of my car and I put on a quick layer of mascara before glancing at myself in the rearview mirror. The bags under my eyes seemed less dark—so yay—and my simple jeans and dark blouse would have to do as far as dressing up went. There wasn’t enough money in the world for me to wear heels after being on my feet for ten hours, so my sneakers completed the casual look and I refused to feel self-conscious about it. I was here for Fiona, not the super-rich baseball players that her fiancé hung around.

They lived in a mansion that was too damn big in my opinion, but my small one-bedroom apartment was a step up from how I’d grown up, so it really was all about one’s perception. My car looked out of place compared to the new and expensive trucks lining the circle drive, but I shrugged. Fiona had worked her ass off for her success, something I was in the process of, and she was the least judgmental person I knew. Gideon wasn’t too bad either, despite his insane wealth.

I knocked on the door and waited thirty seconds until someone opened it. Brigham O’Donahue had a huge smile when he saw me and I mirrored the gesture. Brigs.

Michelle. He ushered me in and gave me a brief half-hug, favoring his left side. I think you passed the fashionably late time frame an hour ago.

I know, damnit. I sighed and gave him the best what can I do look. Clinicals took longer than normal since two students asked a million questions after the fact. I can’t leave early.

I get you. Fiona won’t give a shit.

I’m hoping.

He led us into the foyer and passed the kitchen to the patio door, where my beautiful friend looked so damn happy with her fiancé. The sight of them made my heart swell. Fi! I yelled, barging through the group of large men surrounding the door.

Her face lit up and she left Gideon’s arm to embrace me in a full-body hug. I apologized but she waved it off. Your school is more important. I’m glad you’re here at all.

Me too. Fingers crossed they let me go to the wedding, I said, not quite joking. Fiona frowned but I pulled her in for another hug. Congrats, Fiona. I’m so happy for you and Gideon.

Thank you. Her cheeks turned slightly red. Help yourself to food and drinks. As much as you want. Gid invited some teammates and they eat so damn much. I set aside a plate for you.

You’re my favorite. I waved at Gideon and politely smiled at the presumed baseball players surrounding us. One guy had his back to me, deep in conversation with someone I recognized from billboards but had never spoken to, and the back of my neck tingled with awareness. His curly brown hair and broad shoulders reminded me of him, but that chances of that would be remote.

I shook my head, blaming the damn interview I saw on TV for me thinking about Brooks Madsen. My too-intense fling from two years ago wouldn’t be here at Fiona’s engagement party, right?

Chapter Two

Brooks

Interviews weren’t my favorite thing, but I didn’t mind doing them when the person interviewing me wasn’t some jaded reporter looking for a quick tagline. The fact that my agent’s daughter’s friend was a student at the local university, worked for the school paper and let me pick the time and location were the three reasons I showed up at Ned’s Café. I’d worked there for years as a teenager and it had been a good while since I’d seen Ned and his wife, Clarissa.

The same bell rang when the door was opened and the familiar smell of coffee beans and baked goods hit me full force. My mouth watered at the delicious aroma and one pastry wouldn’t mess up my strict diet. A young girl stood at the register and smiled at me with wide eyes and parted lips. H-hello. Can I help you?

Good morning, I replied, searching behind her for the old man. Is Ned here?

Um, he’s in the back? She tilted her head toward the office for a second before staring at me with wonder on her face. You’re…Brooks Madsen.

Yes. That is my name. I glanced at her nametag. Ashley.

You’re here. In the place I work.

Correct again, I teased her. Mind if I go knock on the door to see if Ned’s here? I put in a lot of shifts here, back in the day.

Really? Her voice squeaked. That’s so cool! Brooks Madsen used to work at the same place I do. Wow.

I smiled and made my way behind the counter and I knocked on the door twice. Heavy footsteps carried from the back until the door opened and Ned Olsen looked back at me.

Brooks Madsen, you still have the same ugly mug.

And you look like a living fossil, I said, using the same quips we’d worn out years ago. How’ve ya been?

Get in here. He pulled me into a quick hug and patted my back. It’s good seeing you. Heard you got traded back to Phoenix. Bet your mom’s real happy.

My stomach soured at the brief, innocent mention of my mother, but I forced a smile. She is, yes. How’s Clarissa doing?

Her left hip gives her trouble but she’s doing well. She’s gonna be in a tizzy that she missed you coming in today. He shook his head and pointed back toward the dining area. You here to eat or do you want your old job back?

I laughed and it felt good. If I get bored in the off season, this is the first place I’ll come.

You better. I’ll be ticked off if you slum it somewhere else, hot shot. Ned stared at me and his old, wrinkly face softened. Damn, it’s good see you.

You too, old man.

A flash went off and I looked over my shoulder and found Ashley pointing her phone at us. S-sorry. I wanted to tell me friends about you.

No phones when you’re on the clock, girl. Delete that right now. Ned spoke with the authority that had scared me when I was younger. It clearly had the same effect on Ashley. The girl’s face rivaled a tomato and she blinked way too fast.

It’s…it’s already sent. I’m sorry. I can’t undo it.

Ned groaned