Chapter Two

When Emma walked in the door, the house was a whirlwind of activity.

“Are you guys ready for school?”

“Almost.” Josh said.

Josh was the typical 12 year-old boy. Hey, look just like Emma only in boy form, He had brown hair and brown eyes. Being the oldest, he was in charge of getting the other two ready for school.

Ashley, 9 years old, looks like Josh, with brown hair and brown eyes but more of an olive type skin.

Curtis, 7 years old, was a toehead with blue eyes, and sometimes, in the winter, his hair was more of a reddish blond.

Finally, Kathryn, 4 years old, looked like Emma's mom, Nina, with strawberry blond hair, but like Curtis, her hair could change more red during the change of seasons.

Charlie, her ex-husband, was there helping the kids get ready. That was their agreement. He would stay at her house on shift nights and get the kids off to school, so the kids wouldn’t have to get up so early.

He was on his way out the door when Emma came home. Being a 9-5’er, it was easy enough for him to stay with the kids every third night so she could work this great job. It makes it easier for the kids and also to be able to sleep in their own beds.

“Whew” Emma thought to herself as she saw Charlie leave. Another fight avoided.

Charlie had always wanted to be a paramedic. So when she got her license, that started all the trouble in their marriage. Not that the internet romance he had going with a woman an hour south of them hadn’t already put things in a downward spiral. The children were always fighting with him, and he was the most insensitive person on the planet. Emma had gotten quite the emotional beating over the last 15 years.

Now that she was on her own, she was ready to concentrate on raising her children and getting a grip on her life and career.

“Ahhh.” She sighed as the kids had finally left for the day.

Now she could relax and enjoy her day off. Maybe even lay down with Katie for a bit.

The next week went by without a hitch. The babysitter, Joe and his wife, another EMT from the city ambulance had Katie on the days she worked till the kids got out of school, and they watched her till Charlie got there after work Things were quickly falling into a nice pattern.

One month later, Emma had gotten used to the rhythm of home and work.

She was learning how the job worked. There were a total of three crews on every 24-hour shift. There were other staff there on day shifts, and on any given day, there could be 12-14 people working there. Emma knew at least a majority of them by name, but she did know everyone on her shift.

Jeff from Black Shift had asked her if she would pick up his shift for a wedding he was in. She talked to Charlie and the babysitter and got it all arranged.

Her first 24 hours was a breeze. She decided to get up early to get a shower and get ready for the last 24 hours. Emma had asked Brian how the bunk situation worked, and he told her just to ask the shift where his bunk was and just sleep there.

After she was showered and ready for her day, she went to the fridge and got out a pop and a breakfast bar. When she came around the corner, she ran right into Nick. Emma looked up at those blue eyes and realized that Nick was laughing at her. He had a hold of her shoulders to keep her balanced.

“Thanks for running into and laughing at me.” Emma said

“Hey you ran into me. Don’t get all pissy, my sweet. We have a long day ahead of our partner.” Nick snickered.

“What are you talking about?”

“I am Jeff’s partner, and now yours for the next 24 hours. So let’s enjoy it being happy. We are going to have a great day. We will get the rig check done and grab some breakfast.”

They went about the rig check quietly and replaced their supplies quickly. Their schedule was full for their day. They did have time for a quick breakfast.

Emma drove because Nick said she needed more experience behind the wheel of the rig. Emma, however, figures it was a ploy to allow Nick easy access to watch her. She could feel Nick’s eyes burning a hole right through her.

“What are you looking at?” She asked.

“You. Do you know how beautiful you are?” Nick said with a smile, “Not to mention you smell great! What are you wearing?”

“Just plain old soap and water, it is called a shower, you know the concept?”

“Sure, but that isn’t just soap and water. So let’s try again, funny girl.” Nick said with a chuckle.

“Well, if you must know, it is a mixture of essential oils. Why?” She laughed.

Boy, it felt good to laugh!! It had been such a long time since she laughed with another adult, god how she loved to laugh. Emma truly missed this type of healthy interaction.

The whole day turned out to be one laugh after another with Nick’s constant flirting. They went to one of their regular patient’s house, Lucy, an elderly woman on dialysis. She had kidney failure. Right from the beginning, Emma and Lucy took a liking to each other. Nick said he would drive so they could visit. Emma went to the door to get Lucy and noticed something was different. Usually Lucy is at the door ready for her day and there was no sign of her, so Emma went in the house. Right away, there was a change in Lucy’s demeanor.

“Hey doll, what is going on with you today?”

“Oh Emma, I just don’t feel so good today. I feel so tired and I have no energy.”

“Do you think you can make it out to the rig?”

“I just don’t know.”

“Listen sweetie, I will go get Nick, and we will roll out the red carpet treatment for my favorite patient.”

“That sounds great. You are such a good girl.”

“Shhh, don’t let that get out.” Emma said as she chuckled.

Emma opened the rear doors, “Ok big boy, we are taking Lucy by cot. She is not feeling well today.”

“Well, my little medic, let’s go take care of this sweet lady.”

“Ok you get the head of the cot, and I’ll get the feet.”

“Someday, hopefully, you will take the head and not on the cot.” Nick laughed.

“What did you say?” Emma asked.

“You heard me, woman. Can’t you see how sexy you are?” Nick said with an appraising look on his face.

“We will talk about this later, OK?”

“Yes, but not too much later, I must insist.”

“Ok, let’s just go.”

As they came into the house, Nick could see why Emma was going to take Lucy by cot.

“Hey there, doll, I told you we were going to take care of you?”

“Thank you, Emma. You always take such good care of me.”

“That is my job. You are my favorite patient, though. Not only do we live in the same town, but we share the same birthday.”

“Well you are sweet all the same.”

“Ok now let’s get to business, I need those vital signs.”

Emma finished up the report on Lucy while they were en-route back to the station. When they got back to the station, it was empty. The two other crews were still out on calls.

“Which bunk is Jeff’s?” Emma asked.

“The lower corner.” Nick said with a smirk.

“Are you sure you look like you are up to no good.”

“No that is really my bunk. His is the middle lower.”

“Ok, well, I am going to make my bunk.”

“Cool, can you turn on the TV and put it on channel 50, please?

Wrestling is on soon. Is that cool?”

“Ok, can you say weirdo.” She laughed.

Emma got her bedding for the rack and proceeded to ready her bunk after she turned the TV on. She did not hear Nick come into the room. He could smell her as he snuck up behind her. It was intoxicating. He wondered what she would do. Would she smack him, or would she be the death of him? We'llback, there was only one way to find out.

She felt his hands on her hips. The pressure of his thighs against hers and the hardness of his cock against her ass excited her. Even before she turned around she knew he wanted her. Could she do this? Tell him she wasn’t interested? Time to see how solid her resolve was.

He felt her weight shift as she turned to face him. As she looked into his eyes she saw nothing but pure lust. Now she knew she was in trouble. There was no telling him no, he wanted her and she knew she wanted him to want her. Before she had time to protest his lips were on hers. He tasted of sweet BBQ from his dinner, and she loved it. Emma’s head swam, and the passion she had thought died years ago rose again. Nick felt resistance for just a moment. Then her arms snaked around his neck and she held his head in place as if she could not let him go. Nick didn’t expect such a strong reaction from her. He encircled her with his arms, while his hands groped her ass. His tongue entered her mouth like a spear and he probed the depths of her mouth like a conquering Viking.

God she missed passion, but this was different. She never felt like this before. Nick could feel the fire that burned in her and now he was having trouble taming the beast growing within. All he wanted to do was take her right there on the bunk, but he knew there would be an audience soon. So, he slowly broke the kiss, and noticed something different, instead of a female having the dazed and confused look, Emma was crying. He knew then something in him changed, because he wanted to kick himself instead of just walking away. With her in his arms he felt the need to protect her. “What’s wrong my sweet?”

“I’m alright, just fine.” Emma said as she tried to turn away.

Nick wouldn’t let her go, “You don’t look fine, what is wrong mon-cheri?”

“It is just that I haven’t had these type feelings in a long time and I do not know what to do with them. Actually I haven’t had feelings like this or even this strong, ever.”

“Don’t worry, we can take it slow mon-petit.”

“Are you French?

“No mon-ami, I am from New Orleans.”

“Oh my god, I have always wanted to go there.”

“Someday, lover, I will show you the ins and out’s of ‘nawlins.”

“Are you always this sweet? If so why are you not married?”

“Some people think I’m a big jerk. My last girlfriend said I was very insensitive, and a man whore.” He laughed.

“Well so far I haven’t seen it.”

Just then the garage door began to open. Another crew was back.

“We will finish this later. I want to explore these feelings you are having in great detail.” Nick said with a smile. Then he brushed one last kiss on her lips, then let her go and went downstairs.

Emma was still reeling from the flood of feelings she was having, the passion Nick ignited in her. She could still feel his lips against hers and the faint taste of sweet BBQ her mouth. She did not need this complication in her life right now.

After she finished her bunk, Emma went downstairs. When she turned the corner she could hear talking, there was excitement in their voices.

Mike and Terry were back and from the conversation she heard it sounded like their call was a code.

“I didn’t realize we would get patients that sick.”

Mike laughed “Yes we do princess.”

“Just think you could be the big medic in charge.” Terry said

Emma never had that thought in mind. Wow, she had lots to think about. First Nick and all the passion and feelings, then the thought of maybe having to work the code. Cool! Those thoughts excited her. She could not tell which excited her more.

Then it was time for bed. She was lying there for quite a while thinking about the day, worrying about Lucy. She was the code that the crew picked up. They started her dialysis but the realized she was too sick to continue, so they sent her to the hospital. Luckily the hospital and the dialysis center are on the same campus. She wanted to call the hospital and check on her. She would stop by the hospital tomorrow.

Then something touched her head. She looked up and Nick had put his hand through the bunk-bed railings and was playing with her hair. She reached up and touched his hand. Could this guy be real?

“Don’t forget I am only a bunk away. I can take care of any nightmares you may have. Now get some sleep my love.”

With that she fell asleep with his hand on her head.