The Problem with Starting Over: Southwest Secrets Series, #2

By Tina Cambria

After the disastrous breakup of a promising relationship, nurse Leslie Martinson has decided she's not the happily-ever-after type. But when she encounters an adorable four-year-old patient at work, she's surprised at the sparks of attraction flying between her and the little girl's handsome single dad. Even so, starting over with another guy is not in her plan.

 

Army veteran Ryan Gardner is still adjusting to being widowed and a single dad. So he's blindsided when his daughter requires urgent care and declares she wishes the attractive nurse caring for her could be her mommy. Even though he has no desire for a romantic relationship, something keeps drawing him to Leslie.

 

Some nudging from a pint-sized matchmaker convinces Ryan and Leslie to take a chance on each other. But can their growing feelings of love survive against the guards they've developed around their hearts?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Casselton House, LLC
• Release date: Oct 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393019749

Book preview

Chapter One

There was something about waking up at four in the afternoon that Leslie Martinson found unsettling.

But she occasionally had to work a stretch of night shifts as an RN at the hospital, and that meant cranking up her white noise machine afterward and getting to bed around 8 AM.

If she was lucky.

The unsettled feeling morphed into anticipation of her upcoming date with her boyfriend, Jeremy Dalton. A physician at New Loudon Hospital, he worked in the Emergency Department just like she did. After his shift ended at 7 PM, they were scheduled to go out for dinner later.

Big changes coming, Ollie, she cooed to her bulldog, stroking his head after he trotted to her bedside. I don’t know exactly how it will play out, but you’ll always be my special guy.

A spark of excitement ignited inside her. Both she and Jeremy had the next two days off, and she envisioned two lazy days where they could spend plenty of time together in the Colorado sunshine. And indoors too, of course. They’d been seeing each other for almost a year, and unbelievable as it seemed, she may have finally found the right guy to settle down with.

Humming as she rolled out of bed, Leslie pulled on a short robe and headed to the kitchen with Ollie at her heels. Her small dog sat patiently while she put food in his dish. Here you go, good boy, she said, placing his meal on the floor in front of him. I’ll have a better idea of where Jeremy’s head is at after our date tonight. Then I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow, my sweet Ollie.

With her thirtieth birthday approaching, she’d recently been thinking it might be a good time to hit an additional milestone in her personal life. Maybe she and Jeremy had what it took for a solid, long-lasting relationship.

When she stepped into the shower to freshen up for their date, her imagination went wild with ideas for what Jeremy might have in mind for tonight. In addition to his calm demeanor in a crisis, he occasionally showed a romantic side that she enjoyed. Like the framed photo he gave her last month, an adorable selfie he’d taken of them sharing an ice cream cone.

He’d put the picture in a personalized frame that proclaimed:

you + me.

jeremy loves leslie.

When he’d given her that gift for no specific reason, saying it was Just because I love you, babe, she couldn’t help thinking that things between them were definitely getting real.

While getting dressed, her cell phone jangled, and her pulse quickened when she saw it was Jeremy calling. Hey, she said, drawing out the word, I’ve been thinking about our date tonight.

I guess you didn’t hear, Jeremy said in a flat voice. The hospital announced this morning that they’ll be closing in three months.

Leslie’s mouth went dry. You’re joking.

I wish.

No one said anything when I finished my shift this morning, she said. What―did this just come out of the blue?

It’s the first I heard about it. Emails came out at nine this morning, and the word spread through the hospital within fifteen minutes.

But how can they just close the hospital? Where will the local folks get their care?

The hospital’s been taken over by Range Regional, down the interstate. Jeremy sighed. But there won’t automatically be jobs there for New Loudon staff. There’s a rumor they might turn the hospital building into a combination of urgent care, physical therapy, assisted living, and a lab. Oh, and maybe a pharmacy too.

She fought off a wave of light-headedness. I can’t believe this. What are we going to do?

Um, well, I made a few inquiries during my lunch break. I’ve actually arranged to fly to Chicago first thing in the morning for a job interview there.

Just like that? Leslie asked, her stomach knotting. Why didn’t you wait to discuss it with me? I may not want to move to Chicago.

A deafening silence roared from her phone’s speaker. Had the connection dropped?

It took a few more seconds until Jeremy cleared his throat. That’s up to you, he said. But I’ve got to look out for myself.

So, I guess… I guess our date for tonight is off?

What? Our date?

The sound of Jeremy sucking in a mouthful of air and then slowly expelling it conjured up an image in Leslie’s head. Him, wildly glancing around the Emergency Department, trying to retreat to an even more private space where no one would hear whatever excuse he was in the process of inventing.

We were supposed to have dinner tonight, Leslie said, cutting him off before he could shift the focus.

There you go again, reminding me of something I already know. Jeremy heaved out a huge sigh. Given my precarious job situation, I’m sure you understand…

Yeah, she understood. She understood that Jeremy was acting condescending toward her. Funny how she’d managed to ignore all the other times he acted the same way. Maybe she’d made a huge mistake thinking she and Jeremy had a future together.

And she understood that she had no boyfriend, possibly no job, and a mortgage to pay.

Staring forlornly at Ollie, she took in her dog’s empathetic eyes. The little guy seemed to know something wasn’t right. He was a more loyal companion than the man she’d thought was preparing to eventually make things permanent with her.

Jeremy hadn’t asked her how she felt about a possible move to Chicago, because he didn’t care if she came along or not.

How had she managed to get so deeply involved with Mr. Wrong?

Avoiding getting too involved with any guy was her longtime strategy. There was no way she’d have her life turn out like her mom’s had. She focused on her career, so she’d always be able to take care of herself.

Now, when she’d finally let her guard down with Jeremy, allowing herself to actually consider marriage in the future and convincing herself he was interested too, he was dumping her and scurrying off to Chicago with barely a good-bye.

It was hard to admit she’d read Jeremy so inaccurately. He’d enabled her to embrace the idea that she could have a happy marriage despite growing up in the shadow of what had happened with her parents.

She huffed, thinking of how she was always willing to give advice to friends with problems. And she thought her advice was good.

But the truth was that she wasn’t always good at figuring out her own personal issues.

Her huffing sound must have prompted Jeremy to find out why she hadn’t responded to his comment about being sure she understood why he’d gone ahead and scheduled an interview for a position in Chicago without the slightest discussion with her. Leslie, you do understand, right?

I sure do, she said, her thumb hovering over her phone’s end call button. Okay, bye.

And with a flick of her thumb, her fantasies vanished into cyberspace.

Leslie’s Journal Entry - August 31

This wasn’t the journal entry I expected to be writing tonight. To be honest, it’s the first entry I put in this brand-new book, a fancy model with an embossed cover in a lovely shade of rose. Journaling is supposed to be a form of self-care, so here goes.

I’ve been saving this journal for a special day. Big mistake. I thought I might be composing a glorious recap of Jeremy’s declaration that he was falling in love with me and wanted to bring our relationship even closer.

Or at the least, I’d be writing about his suggestion that we plan a couples getaway soon. A romantic weekend where he’d come up with some incredibly special scenario where we could create some beautiful memories. Fall in Colorado is gorgeous, and I figured Jeremy might select a spectacular setting for such a special time together.

Turns out he and I were completely on different pages. Or maybe completely different books.

I guess I was nothing more than a distraction for him.

I mean, I get it that he needs a job. He’s got student loans to pay for his medical school tuition. Big bucks, I’m sure. Since he’s an emergency doc, he doesn’t have a practice where he regularly sees the same patients. His work at the hospital is a job, just like mine is.

But I need a job too, the same as he does. My mortgage payments and other bills aren’t going to magically get paid if I don’t have any income. I wish Jeremy and I could have discussed a game plan together. Maybe I would have considered looking for a job in Chicago too. There are probably some good jobs there for RNs.

Except Jeremy didn’t even give me a chance to weigh in on that. He independently created his own exit strategy.

And I don’t think he even remembered we were supposed to go out for dinner tonight, much less had any thoughts of further solidifying our relationship.

Yes, I feel shocked, disappointed, maybe even a little betrayed.

And angry at myself for being so clueless.

What do they always say? Focus on what you’re grateful for. So, that’s what I’ll journal about.

Okay, I’m healthy. My psyche is a mess at the moment, but I’m healthy.

And now I’ve got to figure out where I belong in a post-Jeremy, post-New Loudon Hospital world.

Chapter Two

The next year, nine months later

---

Ryan Gardner shoved the last of his clothes into a suitcase and took a final look around his home.

It didn’t feel much like home since he’d been away serving two nine-month tours of Afghanistan most of the time his wife and daughter lived there.

But the real thing that made it feel nothing like home was the absence of his wife. He’d been back in Texas for a few months after getting discharged from the army when his world turned upside down.

One minute he was busy adjusting to civilian life and his new job, enjoying time getting to know his young daughter better, and reconnecting with his wife. The next thing he knew, his wife was dead, and he was a single dad.

His world was upended, and he swore the only way he survived was because he knew his little girl, Madison, depended on him.

For everything.

And that was terrifying. He loved her with all his heart but wasn’t sure he was the best one to be solely responsible for a four-year-old girl.

Soldiers he could handle. But he quickly realized he had a lot to learn about fatherhood. In particular, fatherhood when there was no mother around.

Daddy, can I keep Mr. Snuggums with me while we drive? Madison’s sweet voice, half-babyish, half-almost ready for kindergarten, brought a lump to his throat. Nearly a year after his wife died, he still had to fight off the what-might-have-beens that occasionally slithered into his thoughts.

Of course you can, Maddie. He gently patted the top of her head, her masses of light brown hair gathered up into a ponytail that cascaded past her shoulders. A smile lit up her face, and she clutched her stuffed toy rabbit even closer. Mr. Snuggums might be a little nervous about moving to Colorado, so it’d be nice if you’d comfort him on the drive.

And it was going to be quite a drive for a four-year-old. He was used to tearing over rugged terrain in a Jeep, sleeping outdoors, and all the situations that could come with an army deployment. But two full days of driving could be a challenge for a kid Maddie’s age.

He had a ton of her favorite songs queued up to play during their journey. It was going to be Singalong City if that’s what it took to make the drive a fun experience for her. They’d stay in a hotel tonight along the way, and if everything went as scheduled, they’d arrive in Cottonwood Ridge late tomorrow afternoon. The Colorado mountain air would be a welcome change from the late May hot spell they’d been experiencing in Texas.

Just as Ryan was ready to scoop up the last of their belongings and head to his Ford Explorer, the buzzing of his cell phone sent a jolt of adrenaline through him. The sensation reminded him that he still had work to do on not being startled so easily. It was part of the hypervigilance he’d developed from spending so much time in dangerous situations during two deployments, and he wondered if he’d ever be completely free of it.

Shaking his head and shoulders as though he could simply wave the sensation away, he clicked on the phone to accept the call from his aunt in Cottonwood Ridge. Hey, Aunt Sheila! Maddie and I are ready to lock up the house and start heading for Colorado.

Just checking to make sure everything’s on schedule, she said, her warm voice reverberating through the speakerphone. Now give little Maddie a big hug for me. I can’t wait to see both of you tomorrow evening.

Maddie’s right here. She’s bringing Mr. Snuggums with her too.

Hi, Aunt Sheila, Maddie called out.

Hello, my little darling. Now take care of Mr. Snuggums because I can’t wait to see him too.

Mr. Snuggums couldn’t be in better hands, Ryan said, grinning at Maddie. And thanks again, Aunt Sheila, for helping me out.

I’m glad to do whatever I can, she said. You be careful driving.

Sure thing. See you soon. He ended the call and turned to Maddie. I think we’re ready to be on our way.

Before stepping onto the porch, he reached into his left pocket and rubbed the penny he considered to be a lucky charm. It was a superstitious habit he’d adopted after his wife and one of his close friends died within three months of each other. He’d heard the expression that bad luck comes in threes, and he didn’t want to bring more bad luck to anyone he knew.

Locking the front door behind him, he fought off an urge to linger a while longer. He had to accept it was time to move on and start over. The most important thing to him right now was to provide love and stability to his daughter. His aunt’s offer to help him get a job at the Colorado resort where she was the executive housekeeper had been like a lifeline he desperately needed.

And he’d grabbed hold like a drowning man.

Hand in hand, he walked with Maddie to his SUV, her tiny fingers curled securely around his. It sometimes amazed him how much his daughter trusted him. But her trust wasn’t misplaced. He’d do anything to protect her.

After his wife died, he occasionally had a hard time concentrating on his civilian job as a security analyst. Working at his computer, he sometimes found himself staring blankly at the screen, his mind nowhere near his assignment. And at the end of the workday, he had to be both mom and dad to Maddie.

On top of that, everywhere he looked he saw memories of happier times. Just when he figured he had to make a fresh start, Aunt Sheila had popped up with a temporary rescue plan.

Ryan latched Maddie into her car seat and pretended to tickle Mr. Snuggums’ belly. When she burst into giggles, it seemed as though she was the one getting tickled.

His heart clutched, and he was grateful that she was able to laugh so easily. Maybe someday he’d be able to do the same.

But for now, he needed to focus on making up for all the things his daughter had been through in the past year or so. That was going to be his most important mission.

Chapter Three

Ten months after the hospital closing announcement, Leslie felt good about the fresh start she’d recently made in Cottonwood Ridge. A Colorado resort town set at the base of a mountain and surrounded by forestland, winter brought crowds of skiers and snowboarders.

It was the polar opposite of the town in Florida where she’d worked as a travel nurse for five months after New Loudon Hospital closed for good. She was glad she’d taken on that assignment, with warm weather when it usually snowed in Colorado and plenty of good experiences caring for the snowbirds who wintered in Florida. But when her contract ended, she wanted to return to people and surroundings that were more familiar.

The summer season had just started in Cottonwood Ridge, and the warm days of late June were a pleasant change from the town’s snowy winter. With a substantial year-round community and tourists who enjoyed hiking or attending cultural festivals in summer, the local atmosphere buzzed constantly. Leslie had only been in town about two months, but she already liked the place and the people.

Catching her breath after a man who’d come to the Urgent Care Center with crushing chest pain had been transported by ambulance to the nearby hospital, Leslie finished her nursing documentation and barely had time to take a breather before she was summoned to the pediatric exam room. The front desk receptionist slapped a clipboard into her hands and whispered, A four-year-old girl with ear pain. Looks like she could be feverish too.

It must be the season for ear problems, Leslie whispered back to the receptionist. She’d seen at least four patients with the same complaint in the short time she’d been working here.

Her best friend, Danielle, had moved to Cottonwood Ridge from New Loudon with her husband, Kyle Williams, two years ago. Now they were parents to an adorable toddler named Kyleigh Rose and seemed to be one of the happiest couples on earth. And they’d helped Leslie find her new job at this Urgent Care Center. She was filling in for the next two months for an RN currently on maternity leave. By then, she hoped to have figured out what her next move would be.

Turning her attention to the details on the new patient’s information sheet, she read that the little girl was accompanied by her father, who’d noticed her tugging at her left ear last night. By morning, the child was crying a little and complaining that her ear hurt.

She lightly knocked on the door to the exam room and then opened it. Her gaze went straight to the little girl slumped in her father’s lap, the child’s posture reminding Leslie of a crumpled rag doll. Madison? she said softly. I’m Miss Leslie. How are you doing today?

Madison’s eyes fluttered and she glanced from Leslie to her father. Leslie followed the little girl’s glance and found herself staring at a handsome, dark-haired man with the slightest scruff of a beard. She had to stop herself from