said.
His comment diverted her attention from the onlookers behind him. “Um, what’s that now?” Bliss felt like fiddling with her hair or something to distract her from his eyes. She couldn’t do anything. Her hands held the fragile basket with tubes of labeled blood.
“Bliss Tadeo , your name, it means perfect joy and praise.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.” Bliss couldn’t think of anything else to say to that beautiful statement. “You aren’t from around here, but I feel as if I’ve met you before. Do you have family in Merry?”
He shook his head. “No, I am alone.”
Four words never sounded so desolate in her opinion. “You have no one, I’m sorry.” Bliss saw the frown of the head ER doctor. “Hey, it was nice meeting you, Caim . I have to get back to work. I’ll see you around, okay?”
“Good-bye for now, Bliss.” He made her name sound like a caress, and she could almost sigh as he passed by her and headed for the doors.
As she moved down the hallway, Amber fell into step next to her. “Okay, who was that mysterious hottie with the killer body? Spill it, woman!”
Bliss laughed lightly, but the flutter in her stomach told her she was excited just as much as her friend was. “I have no clue who he is. His name is Caim , and he asked me out to dinner.”
“And you said yes, right?”
“No! I don’t even know him!” Bliss said, shocked.
“Then why did he want to take you out to dinner?” Amber threw her a glance as if her best friend was hiding a secret.
“Because he saw I was upset over the boy who came into the emergency room. He wiped away my tears with his thumb.”
“Oh! That is so sweet. Can we keep him?” Amber gushed.
“Down, little pixie chick. I’m sure I will never see him again,” Bliss said with laughter in her voice.
“Well, shoot, that was the best excitement we had all night.” Amber pouted.
“Did you not see the two guys with the arrow?”
“Yeah, but they were assholes, drunk, and so not cute.”
Bliss grinned as they walked into the lab to drop off the blood. “You got that right.”
She walked down the corridor, back to the ER. She stopped in surprise when a black feather floated down to her feet. She picked it up, twirled the quill of it in her hand, and watched how the shiny black of it caught the light. Probably some fool going after geese in the middle of the night. Yet, instead of throwing it away, she tucked it into her pocket, and it ended up in a little glass vase she kept on her desk.
* * * *
Caim was standing outside when Bliss got out of work. He stood still as can be under the streetlight, while the cool night wind buffeted the long dark coat he wore. He felt her presence as soon as the doors of the hospital slid open and she stepped outside. She was like a cooling balm on his soul, or on what little of it he tried to retain.
“ Caim ?” Her soft voice reached out to him, caressing him. He didn’t expect her to touch him, but when her hand lay softly on his shoulder, he closed his eyes in pleasure.
“What are you still doing out here? It’s after midnight.”
“I was waiting for you,” Caim replied. He looked at her, and when the lamplight touched her mocha skin, he remembered everything about her features from times past.
“Do I have to get my mace?”
Caim felt anxiety at her words. “You never had to fear me.”
“I was just teasing, Caim ,” Bliss said with a small laugh. “I’m going to my car. Will you walk with me?”
He nodded and took her small hand in his. It felt as if a buzz of electricity went along his arm as they touched. The slight hitch in her breath when their fingers twined let him know that she felt the connection too.
Bliss laughed nervously. “I seem to be at a loss for words.”
“You do not have to say a thing. I enjoy your presence.”
“You don’t even know
His comment diverted her attention from the onlookers behind him. “Um, what’s that now?” Bliss felt like fiddling with her hair or something to distract her from his eyes. She couldn’t do anything. Her hands held the fragile basket with tubes of labeled blood.
“Bliss Tadeo , your name, it means perfect joy and praise.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.” Bliss couldn’t think of anything else to say to that beautiful statement. “You aren’t from around here, but I feel as if I’ve met you before. Do you have family in Merry?”
He shook his head. “No, I am alone.”
Four words never sounded so desolate in her opinion. “You have no one, I’m sorry.” Bliss saw the frown of the head ER doctor. “Hey, it was nice meeting you, Caim . I have to get back to work. I’ll see you around, okay?”
“Good-bye for now, Bliss.” He made her name sound like a caress, and she could almost sigh as he passed by her and headed for the doors.
As she moved down the hallway, Amber fell into step next to her. “Okay, who was that mysterious hottie with the killer body? Spill it, woman!”
Bliss laughed lightly, but the flutter in her stomach told her she was excited just as much as her friend was. “I have no clue who he is. His name is Caim , and he asked me out to dinner.”
“And you said yes, right?”
“No! I don’t even know him!” Bliss said, shocked.
“Then why did he want to take you out to dinner?” Amber threw her a glance as if her best friend was hiding a secret.
“Because he saw I was upset over the boy who came into the emergency room. He wiped away my tears with his thumb.”
“Oh! That is so sweet. Can we keep him?” Amber gushed.
“Down, little pixie chick. I’m sure I will never see him again,” Bliss said with laughter in her voice.
“Well, shoot, that was the best excitement we had all night.” Amber pouted.
“Did you not see the two guys with the arrow?”
“Yeah, but they were assholes, drunk, and so not cute.”
Bliss grinned as they walked into the lab to drop off the blood. “You got that right.”
She walked down the corridor, back to the ER. She stopped in surprise when a black feather floated down to her feet. She picked it up, twirled the quill of it in her hand, and watched how the shiny black of it caught the light. Probably some fool going after geese in the middle of the night. Yet, instead of throwing it away, she tucked it into her pocket, and it ended up in a little glass vase she kept on her desk.
* * * *
Caim was standing outside when Bliss got out of work. He stood still as can be under the streetlight, while the cool night wind buffeted the long dark coat he wore. He felt her presence as soon as the doors of the hospital slid open and she stepped outside. She was like a cooling balm on his soul, or on what little of it he tried to retain.
“ Caim ?” Her soft voice reached out to him, caressing him. He didn’t expect her to touch him, but when her hand lay softly on his shoulder, he closed his eyes in pleasure.
“What are you still doing out here? It’s after midnight.”
“I was waiting for you,” Caim replied. He looked at her, and when the lamplight touched her mocha skin, he remembered everything about her features from times past.
“Do I have to get my mace?”
Caim felt anxiety at her words. “You never had to fear me.”
“I was just teasing, Caim ,” Bliss said with a small laugh. “I’m going to my car. Will you walk with me?”
He nodded and took her small hand in his. It felt as if a buzz of electricity went along his arm as they touched. The slight hitch in her breath when their fingers twined let him know that she felt the connection too.
Bliss laughed nervously. “I seem to be at a loss for words.”
“You do not have to say a thing. I enjoy your presence.”
“You don’t even know
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