Nursing the Soldier's Heart. Merrillee Whren

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      “Will you please behave?” Waving a hand at Jen, Kirsten stared at the computer monitor and hoped the man would pass by without a comment. “Don’t say a word to him.”

      “Can’t be unfriendly.”

      “We have work to do.” Kirsten tried to concentrate on the scheduling chart on her monitor and to not be tempted to see where Brady was. Why was she letting him bother her? She had to admit Jen was right. Underneath the tattoos and scruffy appearance was a good-looking man, but she couldn’t let that interest her. Charm and good looks didn’t undo bad character. What kind of man would ignore his grandmother for years?

      “Hello, ladies. Care to share some of my contraband?” Brady held up a plastic bag bulging with unseen goodies. “I caught some of the cafeteria workers before they’d completely closed down. They loaded me up with treats.”

      “No, thanks. We’ve already eaten.” Kirsten berated herself for not following her own advice. She had engaged the man in conversation. Now she’d have to pay the price.

      Jen cast Kirsten a quizzical look, then smiled up at Brady. “She’s not speaking for me. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

      “Sure.” Brady set a large drink on the counter, then proceeded to take several plastic containers out of the bag. “Roast beef. Gravy and mashed potatoes. Corn on the cob. Chocolate cake.”

      Jen stood and surveyed Brady’s bounty. “How did you manage to get all this?”

      Brady grinned. “I used my considerable charm on the ladies.”

      With her gaze downcast, Kirsten rolled her eyes. Besides being ill-mannered, this guy was full of himself, too. Hardly a captivating combination. But who was she to judge? She’d been rude, too. The urge to apologize sifted through her mind, but she couldn’t find the words and quickly dismissed any desire to join the conversation.

      Kirsten recognized that it wasn’t just Brady’s unresponsive behavior toward Cora that bugged her. He reminded her of Lance Tucker, the man who’d broken her heart in college. A charmer just like Brady, Lance had convinced her that he loved her. In the end, though, he’d broken her heart. She’d gone to his apartment unannounced and found him with another woman.

      Jen nodded. “Looks like you used your charm well.”

      “There’s more. I helped myself to the vending machine, too.” Brady dumped several bags of junk food onto the counter. He picked up one bag and held it up. “I haven’t had pork rinds in a long time.”

      “Not my favorite snack.” Jen wrinkled her nose. “On second thought, Kirsten’s right. We’ve already eaten so I’d better refrain from eating more, but you must be hungry.”

      Don’t you have a grandmother to see? Kirsten wanted to ask him the question, but she pressed her lips together to enforce her own silence.

      “Yeah, my stomach’s been growling since I hit Interstate 285. I would’ve stopped to get something, but I wanted to get here.” Brady split open the bag of pork rinds and popped one into his mouth.

      “How far did you drive today?” Jen asked.

      Brady swallowed. “Too far. Started out in Dallas this morning.”

      “Wow! You’ve driven a long way. You must’ve been eager to visit Cora.”

      Brady nodded and gathered his haul. “And I’d better get down there and see if she’s awake.”

      As he sauntered down the hall, the bag swinging by his side, Kirsten couldn’t help but look. She watched him until he disappeared into Cora’s room. Aggravated with herself, she turned to find Jen grinning. “Okay, so you’re right. He is good-looking.”

      “Aha. So are you going to ask him to the wedding?”

      Frowning, Kirsten narrowed her gaze. “Absolutely not. I just met the man. What would he think if I asked him to a wedding when he barely knows me or anyone here?”

      “He’d think his abundant charm had wooed you.” Jen laughed.

      Kirsten shook her head. “Maybe I’ll take Dad up on one of his date suggestions just to put an end to this discussion.”

      Jen tapped a finger on her head. “Oh, good thought. Make the new guy jealous.”

      “You’re impossible.” Kirsten pressed a button on her keyboard and the nearby printer sprang to life. “I have reports to prepare. These days registered nurses spend more time filling in charts and reports than they spend with patients.”

      “I agree with you there.” Jen lifted her own stack of papers and resumed her spot at the desk.

      Kirsten grabbed the pages from the printer and pinned the schedule to the bulletin board, then sent an email copy to the nurse’s assistants and LPNs. While she checked the next scheduled doses of medications, she tried not to think of Brady, but the image of his broad shoulders and disarming grin flitted through her mind. Despite his appeal, too many things about him said bad boy. She’d already dealt with one of those, and she didn’t want to repeat the experience. Brady Hewitt was everything she didn’t want in a man.

       Chapter Two

      Cora’s roommate still had the TV near full volume when Brady returned to the room. His grandmother continued to sleep. A soft snore accompanied her breathing. How she slept through the noise was a mystery to him. He settled in the nearby chair, put his bag on Cora’s rolling tray and extracted his food. As he opened the containers, the aroma made his stomach growl again. He grabbed the plastic fork and ate with abandon.

      He scarfed down the food so fast he forgot to savor it, and he’d forgotten to thank the Lord for his blessings. He put down his fork and bowed his head. Thank You, Lord, for bringing me safely here. Thank You for being with Cora and helping her to recover completely. And thanks for this food.

      When Brady raised his head, Cora was sitting up in bed. “Brady, is that you?”

      “Gram, you’re awake.” Brady jumped up from the chair, put his food aside and hurried to her bedside. He gave her frail shoulders a big hug. “I finally got your message and came as soon as I could.”

      “Let me look at you.” Cora eyed him from head to toe. “You’ve grown up a lot since I last laid eyes on you. The pictures you sent don’t do you justice. You look a lot like your dad.”

      Brady merely nodded. He didn’t want to be anything like his dad. Brady hadn’t seen the man in years. He’d made a promise to himself that he would make something of his life, not let his circumstances determine the outcome of his life as his dad had done.

      “Why did it take you so long to get here?”

      Hoping to avoid answering her question, Brady shoved the cart over to Cora’s bedside. “You want something to eat?”

      Cora waved a hand at him. “No, they feed us dinner around five o’clock. Can’t eat another bite.” She peered at the cart. “Is that chocolate cake?”

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