Beyond Broken Read Free Page B

turned to the door and took a deep breath, mentally reviewing the emergency buttons hidden in easy locations. It was a wise safety precaution, especially since I’d be alone when I assisted patients. Hopefully there wouldn’t be a repeat of yesterday’s issues. Not sure what to expect, I said a quick prayer for wisdom and knocked on the heavy wooden door.
    “Come in!” Mr. Bentley called, irritation evident in his tone.
    Here we go.
    “Good morning, Mr. Bentley. How are you feeling today?” I tried to keep my tone relaxed as I entered the suite and walked over to the couch. He was sprawled over the armrest with several heavy blankets. His piercing gray eyes were bloodshot and tearing up. I mentally took notes on his appearance and went to the side of the couch.
    “How do I look? That will give you a pretty legit answer on how the hell I feel,” he mumbled, as he rested his head against the leather arm of the couch.
    Ignoring him, I murmured, “You’re progressing. You’re one day closer to the end of your detox.” I reached out to take his pulse.
    “Don’t—” He jerked his arm away and sat up, glaring at me with an expression full of contempt.
    “I’ll need to take your vitals, Mr. Bentley.” I said warily, folding my hands in front of me.
    “Warn a guy before you start grabbing body parts—” He snickered and gave me an amused glance. “What, you don’t get it? C’mon! I’m dying here and even I thought it was funny.”
    “Oh, I got it,” I said plainly, a completely open expression purposefully on my face.
    “What are you, a prude?” He snorted in disgust and leaned back again, closing my eyes.
    “No, I just wasn’t impressed.” I reached out again. “I’m going to take your pulse, Mr. Bentley. Please remain still.”
    He snorted but let me place my two fingers to his wrist. His heartbeat was erratic but strong. Everything I had anticipated and nothing out of the ordinary for someone in his current condition.
    With a nod, I removed my fingers from his wrist and made notes on the iPad the front desk had checked out to me when I arrived. After logging in, I entered his stats and then glanced up.
    He was watching me. Even though his gaze was anything but clear, there was an intensity behind it that was unsettling in its awareness. A tingle prickled my flesh, but I stopped it from spreading. I held his gaze, unwavering.
    “Yes?” I asked after a moment.
    “Nothing.” An insecure expression passed over his features before he glanced down.
    “Next I’ll take your blood press—”
    “Hello, Greyson. I see you’ve made the move from your bed to the couch. I commend your bravery.”
    A man strode in; his gaze was fixed on his iPad. He was easily over six feet tall and broad, far broader than any other doctor I had ever met before. His sandy blonde hair wasn’t overly short, so it had a slight curl that gave him the California surfer look. When he glanced up, the piercing blue of his eyes was startling as was the brightness of his grin as he reached out to pat Greyson’s shoulder.
    Greyson winced.
    “Hey, Dr. Solomon. You really don’t need to speak so loudly,” he mumbled and glanced away, his expression one of grudging respect.
    “The sensitivity to noise will pass soon. Ah, you must be our newest addition to the Willow and Oak.” He turned to me and offered a hand.
    Shifting my iPad to the other hand, I reached out. His hand was warm and easily enveloped mine.
    “Yes. I’m glad to meet you, Dr. Solomon. I’m Sophia Holton.”
    “So that’s your first name,” Greyson drawled, pulling my attention from the warm gaze of Dr. Solomon.
    “Yes,” I replied, slightly confused.
    “Damn Nurse Regina would only say your name was Miss Holton. Makes me feel like I’m your student or something, not that I’d care. You can teach me any day.” He winked.
    I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “If you were curious, all you had to do was ask, Mr. Bentley.”
    “And yeah, if