Cause of Conflict (Nurses of New York Book 2) Read online

  “Drop us off up here, please,” Edward instructed the carriage driver as they reached a cross street a few blocks away from Sophie’s house. “We’ll walk from here.” He turned to her. “Is that all right?”

  “It’s more than all right.” Anything that would make this night last just a little longer.

  Once they were both out of the carriage and Edward had paid the driver, they began their walk, slowly, leisurely, looking up at the stars and feeling the breezes that washed over them. Sophie inhaled deeply, perfectly happy in every way.

  “Wait just a moment,” Edward said, reaching out to touch her arm. She paused, and they both stood there in a patch of moonlight that filtered down through a crack between two buildings. It made everything seem silvery.

  “Sophie, I have no idea what you think of me after everything we’ve been through together. I hope you consider me at least a friend, but I hope you think of me as something more.”

  Her breath caught, and she glanced away. She didn’t want him to see her face. If she was mistaken—if she was misinterpreting his words—she didn’t want her sudden blush to give her away.

  “You’ve helped me in so many ways, Sophie. For once, I have hope—I don’t have to live with those horrible, debilitating headaches anymore. You’ve shown me the importance of compassion and connection. And most of all, you’ve helped me realize that I’d lost a piece of myself, my humanity.”

  He reached out, touched her chin, and turned her to face him. “You’re restored me to myself, and I can’t imagine ever going back to how I was before. I need you in my life. I need you by my side.”

  “But we’re on rotation,” Sophie replied. “I never know from one day to the next which doctor I’ll be assigned to.”

  Edward chuckled. “Oh, you funny thing. That’s not what I meant at all.”

  “Then . . . then what did you mean?” She had a hope, a very strong hope, but she wasn’t going to jump to any conclusions. She wanted to hear it straight out, with no chance for a miscommunication.

  Edward took both her hands in his and held them to his chest. “Sophie, could you ever forgive me enough to consider marrying me?”

  She swallowed a few times so she could speak without a sob. “Well, I don’t know. I’m needed in surgery, and I don’t see how I could possibly get away. The doctor I work for is very strict about punctuality, and—”

  He silenced her with a kiss, a kiss that was glittery with moonlight and promises. When he let her go, all trembling, she looked up into his eyes, her heart pounding like it had never pounded before. “Elmer Tompkins isn’t going to like this, I’m afraid.”

  Edward laughed and brought her in for another kiss.

  The End

  And now for a

  sneak peek at Touch of Tenderness, book three of Nurses of New York.

  Libby stood with her hands clasped behind her back, trying to keep her composure. Mr. Franklin was young—so very young—and sitting up there on the examination table, he looked a bit scared.

  “Mr. Franklin, you did a very brave thing in rescuing those people from the fire,” Dr. Wentworth said, placing a hand on his patient’s shoulder. “But as the smoke and ashes blew into your face, tiny particles went into your eyes, and you have a multitude of corneal abrasions. This means you have scratches all over the surface of your eyes. We’ll need to flush them out and then bandage them. You will need to keep them bandaged until all the pain has subsided.”

  Mr. Franklin took a deep breath. “Will I lose my eyesight?”

  Dr. Wentworth didn’t answer for a moment. He paused long enough that Libby looked at him in alarm, wondering why he was being silent. Finally he answered, “God willing, no.”

  “And if God isn’t willing?” Mr. Franklin replied. “Are you trying to prepare me for the worst, Doctor?”

  “I wish I knew, son,” Dr. Wentworth said, patting his shoulder again. “I wish I knew.”

  I hope you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek at Touch of Tenderness. Please join me at www.ameliacadams.com to stay on top of news and upcoming releases, and follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amelia-C-Adams/584870491648423.

  Other books by Amelia C. Adams

  The Nurses of New York Series:

  Sea of Strangers

  Cause of Conflict

  Touch of Tenderness (coming May 2016)

  And many more to be announced …

  The Kansas Crossroads Series:

  A New Beginning

  A Free Heart

  The Dark and the Dawn

  A Clean Slate

  A Clear Hope

  The Whisper of Morning

  A Careless Wind

  A Narrow Road

  The Bitter and the Sweet (coming February 2016)

  And many more to be announced …