A Time For Love (A Time For Love Series-Book 1)

The New Nurse

STEF POV 

"I wanted to drop these off too, Lena. I figured you could use them as well for Stef's training. They are the best quality! Even better than the ones we had at Lenox Hill." I hear Duke say to Lena as I stir my tea and help cut Bird's grilled cheese sandwich. Duke had just gotten her a few minutes ago as he is still standing in the foyer with his hat and gloves on looking as if he is ready to run out already once he spots me.

"Oh, thanks! I think these will work great. Would you like to come in? We were just about to have lunch, Duke."

"Oh, no, I don't want to interrupt your cute lunch! Besides, I have tons of errands, darling! Gotta hit the pavement!"

I look over again at the two of them as Duke quickly glances at me, and I can see he is rather nervous like he always was around me. Duke had stopped over one other time since I had moved in with Lena and didn't even come in. I knew why, and I was hoping to clear the air with him today and apologize for scaring him in the hospital.

"Duke, don't be silly. You aren't interrupting at all. I just made some lunch. Plus, we can catch up a bit, and I can try to convince you to go back to Lenox Hill, silly."

"That, my dear friend, is not happening. But, I do have to go." He insists as I look over again and hear him whisper something I can clearly make out. "I don't want to upset Stef or anything."

"You aren't. Come!" Lena grabs his hand and pulls him into the kitchen where Bird and I are sitting as I continue to look right at him as he avoids me and my eyes.

"Hi, DUKE!" Bird says, smiling. "It's almost Christmas time!"

"Oh, I know it. And you are going to have an amazing one. I bet with these two lovely ladies." He says smiling, and Lena places a mug of coffee on the table for him. "How lucky you are!"

"I am. I'm excited."

"You should be! Hi...Hi Stef." He smiles at me as I nod my head, returning the smile.

"Hi Duke. How....how are you?"

"Oh, not too bad!" He says nervously as I feel Bird's hand on mine.

"Mama, can I have more milk?"

"Sure, sure sweets."

"I'll get you some!" Duke whirls around quickly as I clear my throat, and Lena looks over at me and smiles as Duke comes back over and accidentally spills the milk. "Oh goodness lord! I'm so sorry, Bird, and Stef. Let me clean this up!" He rushes to get a paper towel as I gently grab his hand, and he looks right at me.

"Come...come talk to me in the other room. If...if you have a second?"

"Oh..well, I was going to clean this up for you! I messed up your lunch Stef and-

"Duke, don't worry. I got it." Lena says as Bird helps her clean up the spill, and he looks at me rather worried.

"Pl...please I'd like to talk to you. For..for a second." I say again as he nods his head, and we make our way into the living room. He takes a seat on the couch, and I park myself in front of him as he plays with his fingers looking around nervously.

"Du.. Duke. Thank you... thank you for setting up my room. And...and for helping Lena. I'm....I'm sorry if I was mean to you...in... in the hospital. I'm...I'm not a mean person." I say as his face softens. "I just...at least I...I don't think I'm a mean person. I'm still...still trying to figure myself out. I.. ...thank you for..for all you did in here."

"Oh, Stef, I know you aren't mean. Well, the truth is I didn't know you, and I had to remember what happened to you. I guess I didn't want to make you more upset, and it made me rather jumpy." He says softly as I nod my head.

"I...I get why. I..I do. I'm working on...on my patience. I wasn't...I wasn't nice to the hospital staff. I..I wasn't my best."

"Listen, I can't imagine how you feel and felt, Stef. I've kept an eye on you in the hospital from the beginning with Lena. I felt so much for you and Mike and your friend. Lena just, she just opened her heart so much to you and she took a leap and it softened you, along with that little one in there. It's so nice to see! I can see you have a heart of gold because Bird looks so happy. We can all see that. But, I don't want to be jumpy around you, honey, believe me, but you were ramming hard into people threatening to throw Callie out the window!" He laughs as I bust out laughing now.

"AND, I don't put it past you!"

"I.. I don't even remember... saying that." I laugh at myself now even though I most likely did because Callie on my damn nerves.

"Ahh, you had a lot going on, and you're just a tough cookie on top of it. You have to be to survive what you did. It's commendable!"

"Ah, I don't... I don't know about all.. all that."

"Goodness, how can you not? You are a trooper, Stefanie! And honestly, someone I'd love to be friends with. I mean, I'm sure I can squeeze you into my friend circle and find a spot for you!"

"Ha!" I can't help but laugh now and shake my head at the dark skin, bald headed man who was finally relaxed.

"Yeah... I have...I have so... so many friends myself. I will...will need to squeeze you.. you in, too."

"Oh, I bet you do! But I have to say I didn't like how they treated you either in that hospital, and I loved your nickname for Donna. Nurse Demon! It fit that woman so perfectly!" He laughs as I find myself smiling again.

"She..she...she was a jerk. Tryin.. trying to keep.. to keep my daughter from me."

"Foolish! Lena told them off anyway for you! And then you and Mike did. It was classic and had that entire place talking! Foolish fools!" He shakes his head and waves his hand as I look hard at him again.

"But...Le..Lena said you quit? That...that you don't have a job..now?"

"YES! There was no reason for me to stay without her! Plus, I'm a good damn nurse, and that floor was just hell. Nonsense. Not the patients, but my co-workers were junk besides Lena, and I wasn't there for their drama. Nope."

"So...so you are looking for a job?"

"I am! Waiting tables for now! It's not my favorite thing, beautiful, but pays the bills." He waves his hand again, and I smile a bit and glance back over to Bird and Lena, who are cleaning up the lunch dishes.

"Um... I know we... we just started to talk, but..I.I need a new nurse. I..I don't know if you feel comfortable doing that. I won't... I won't yell at you. I just...I...can't take another new person in...in..in here. The last one didn't know how to take blood and kept poking me..and the other one couldn't read the blood pressure..ma...machine.Maybe un.. until you find another job? My...job will pay you. My insurance." I stutter as he looks somewhat shocked at me, and I feel badly putting him on the spot like this. "You... you don't need to answer right now. You... you can think about Duke."

"What on earth do you mean she kept poking you and couldn't read a blood pressure machine! That is basic darling."

"I...yeah...I know." I blush as he shakes his head, looking right back at me.

"Well.. I will need to look at my oh so busy schedule, my dear. I'm just very booked up. People are just banging on my door, you know." He looks at me rather seriously then cracks a wide smile. "I'm teasing! Not one person is knocking on my door! I'd LOVE to be your nurse! And I have a wonderful yoga meditation we can do to help your headaches and such. It will do wonders! I promise you that!"

"Thanks.....thanks.. Duke. Thank you."

"Phew me too because I didn't want to keep being jumpy! And LENA, I will take lunch!" He yells as I laugh now, shaking my head and seeing that maybe I had a new friend..and..and that was a nice feeling.