My Sweetest Sasha: Cole's Story (Meadows Shore Book 2) by Eva Charles
Authors: Eva Charles
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computer, and pulled up the report she worked on daily. It was too important, too unwieldy to piece together at the end. Over time, while she’d transcribed interviews, synthesized documents, and memorialized her observations, Cole Harrington, the physician, the man, who had once been nothing more than a blurry image, came into focus.
Watching him navigate through his friend’s crisis offered the clearest picture of the person he really was. And much to her dismay, she found herself attracted—intensely attracted—to him. She hadn’t seen it coming. It had sneaked up on her when she wasn’t paying attention, but there was no denying it.
While she banged on the keyboard, hell-bent on keeping her personal feelings out of the work, pure euphoria began blasting from the speakers in the operating room. The instrumentals from The Who’s Baba O’Riley electrified her skin. She’d been around long enough now to know what it meant—a tough procedure, a close call, but they were over the hump, nearly home free.
She couldn’t stop smiling while she watched the transformation in the operating room, and for the first time ever, she caught Cole’s eye through the glass. He was nodding to the powerful pulse of the music, a cocky smile on his beautiful face. The mood in the OR was light, and she allowed herself to revel in their moment, to enjoy the throbbing music as it reached a crescendo, to bask in Cole’s laser focus as he finished.
There were times when there was no music, when grief and hopelessness were the only sound in the room. When nothing, nothing could lift their spirits. It made her wonder what kind of man stared down death every day, knowing his actions would tip the balance for another human being. She shuddered, thinking of Christian who’d been destroyed by the unrelenting pressure.
But Cole was different, wasn’t he? Stronger. Tougher. He wholeheartedly embraced the responsibility—he relished it. Everything about it, the good and the bad, taking every single thing as it came. The only thing he refused to accept was mediocrity, not in others, and certainly not in himself.
He did nothing in half measure, dedicating himself fully to whatever was lucky enough to capture his attention. And when he gave his heart, he surrendered it completely. She saw it in the way he loved his family and friends.
Yes, sometimes she hated his words, his attitude, his unyielding nature, but something about him beckoned, pulled her away from the calm predictability that characterized her life to the wild irreverence that characterized his. The pull was fierce, unrelenting, slashing through the layers of practical sensibility she’d painstakingly stacked in place.
And when she saw him standing there now, the music pounding, she wanted nothing more than to run to him, share in his joy, kiss the cocky look off his gorgeous face, kiss him so hard it’d make his lips sting.
Two weeks left of the assignment, just two more weeks … and her life would be quiet and predictable again. She’d go back to taking the bus to work, back to eating dinner alone every night, back to a life without him. The thought plunged into her heart, a razor-sharp spear, wounding her beyond belief.
* * *
Alexa had just a few more people to talk to before completing the report. She’d saved the toughest interviews for last. Sue Miller topped the list of challenging prospects, and she dreaded meeting with her. Sue was highly protective of everyone under her purview, and she had a soft spot for Cole.
She carefully approached Sue outside the operating suite one afternoon near the end of her shift.
“Hello, I’m Alexa Petersen. I work in Risk Management, and I was hoping you’d have some time in the next few days to talk to me.” She half hoped Sue would refuse to meet with her.
“I know who you are. I was wondering when you were going to come see me. Most people would’ve come to me first.” She glared at Alexa like a teacher
Watching him navigate through his friend’s crisis offered the clearest picture of the person he really was. And much to her dismay, she found herself attracted—intensely attracted—to him. She hadn’t seen it coming. It had sneaked up on her when she wasn’t paying attention, but there was no denying it.
While she banged on the keyboard, hell-bent on keeping her personal feelings out of the work, pure euphoria began blasting from the speakers in the operating room. The instrumentals from The Who’s Baba O’Riley electrified her skin. She’d been around long enough now to know what it meant—a tough procedure, a close call, but they were over the hump, nearly home free.
She couldn’t stop smiling while she watched the transformation in the operating room, and for the first time ever, she caught Cole’s eye through the glass. He was nodding to the powerful pulse of the music, a cocky smile on his beautiful face. The mood in the OR was light, and she allowed herself to revel in their moment, to enjoy the throbbing music as it reached a crescendo, to bask in Cole’s laser focus as he finished.
There were times when there was no music, when grief and hopelessness were the only sound in the room. When nothing, nothing could lift their spirits. It made her wonder what kind of man stared down death every day, knowing his actions would tip the balance for another human being. She shuddered, thinking of Christian who’d been destroyed by the unrelenting pressure.
But Cole was different, wasn’t he? Stronger. Tougher. He wholeheartedly embraced the responsibility—he relished it. Everything about it, the good and the bad, taking every single thing as it came. The only thing he refused to accept was mediocrity, not in others, and certainly not in himself.
He did nothing in half measure, dedicating himself fully to whatever was lucky enough to capture his attention. And when he gave his heart, he surrendered it completely. She saw it in the way he loved his family and friends.
Yes, sometimes she hated his words, his attitude, his unyielding nature, but something about him beckoned, pulled her away from the calm predictability that characterized her life to the wild irreverence that characterized his. The pull was fierce, unrelenting, slashing through the layers of practical sensibility she’d painstakingly stacked in place.
And when she saw him standing there now, the music pounding, she wanted nothing more than to run to him, share in his joy, kiss the cocky look off his gorgeous face, kiss him so hard it’d make his lips sting.
Two weeks left of the assignment, just two more weeks … and her life would be quiet and predictable again. She’d go back to taking the bus to work, back to eating dinner alone every night, back to a life without him. The thought plunged into her heart, a razor-sharp spear, wounding her beyond belief.
* * *
Alexa had just a few more people to talk to before completing the report. She’d saved the toughest interviews for last. Sue Miller topped the list of challenging prospects, and she dreaded meeting with her. Sue was highly protective of everyone under her purview, and she had a soft spot for Cole.
She carefully approached Sue outside the operating suite one afternoon near the end of her shift.
“Hello, I’m Alexa Petersen. I work in Risk Management, and I was hoping you’d have some time in the next few days to talk to me.” She half hoped Sue would refuse to meet with her.
“I know who you are. I was wondering when you were going to come see me. Most people would’ve come to me first.” She glared at Alexa like a teacher
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