The doctors orders, p.1
The Doctor's Orders, page 1
Table of Contents
Blurb
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
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Copyright
The Doctor’s Orders
By Heidi Cullinan
Sequel to The Doctor’s Date
Copper Point Medical: Book Three
The elevator at St. Ann’s is out of order… but the chemistry between the doctor and CEO is working just fine.
Once upon a time Nicholas Beckert was the boy who stole kisses from Jared Kumpel beneath the bleachers, but now Jared’s a pediatrician and Nick is the hospital CEO who won’t glance his way. Everything changes, however, when they’re stranded alone in a hospital elevator. Ten years of cold shoulders melt away in five hours of close contact, and old passions rekindle into hot flames.
Once out of the elevator, Jared has no intention of letting Nick get away. It’s clear he’s desperate for someone to give him space to let go of the reins, and Jared is happy to oblige. But Jared wants Nick as a lover in a full, open relationship, which is a step further than Nick is willing to go. They’ve traded kisses under the bleachers for liaisons in the boardroom… and it looks like the same arguments that drove them apart in high school might do the same thing now.
Jared’s determined not to let that happen this time around. He won’t order Nick from his shell—he’ll listen to what his friend says he needs to feel safe. Maybe this time he can prescribe his lover a happy ever after.
This novel is dedicated to my patrons, who waited so patiently for a whole year while I did almost nothing but write this trilogy. Thanks for being my rock, guys.
Rosie Moewe
Anu Harvey
DeAnna Ferguson
Carole Lake
Lauren Adams
Michele Crissinger
Raybo Sparkles
Kaija K
Heather Nelson
Susan Freedman
Katherine DuGarm
Carlamia Sciberras
Kim Heath
Dana Fine
Mandy Anne
Susan Romito
Leslie Juhlke
Hils
Aerielle Kaiser
Laura Ryder
Olivia Ventura
Sandy C
Jennifer Harvey
Aurora Willow Kenyon
Maureen Murray
Sueann Snow
Ninna Debel-Hansen
Karen Mathre
Erin Sharpe
Lisa Strimple
Terri Hawkins
Joellen Shendy
MtSnow
Liliane Menard
Amanda Briggs
Juli-Anna Dobson
Kirsten Madden
Emilie
Olivia Orndorff
Amanda Hobson
Lois Bradbeer
John Brandt
Kyl James
Chris Klaene
Christine Weingart
Elaine Corvidae
Karen Ray
Maggie White
Trista Dunaway
Jess Severe
Theodore Loucks
Brian B.
H Lie
Carin Bockleman
Kathryn Martino
Melissa
Melanie Köhler
Jessica Lynn
Kimberly M. Lowe
Brook Savage
Tracy A Faul
Marti
Liz Cowan
Ruth Staunton
Krista Holtz
Mary Dolphin
Melissa Walton
Harrison Hicks
Wanda Gibney
Cindy Kennedy
ABL
Shannon Curry
Erika Fawcett
Melissa Valentine
Jennifer Rice
Nikki Cheah Attenbrough
Sharis Ingram
Hattie
Lauren Weidner
Gitte
Nichole Lacy
Savannah J. Frierson
Laura
Deandra Ellerbe
Daith Garlington
Annika Bührmann
Kate Ferguson
Libby Mills
Marsha
Michelle Thorla
Margaret Mills
Geraldine Austin
leahjberg
Emilia Agrafojo
Liberty Vasquez
Kimberly Curington
Tina Marie
Nanette Kerrison
Janet Linton
Brittney Musick
Katy
Caryn
Jessica O’Rourke
Linda Hansson
MHH
Kim D
Kari Blackmoore
Sarah Evans
Delfina Kardas-Kotlicka
AllAskewe
Jennifer Richards
Janet Ann Black
Shawn Griffin
Becky Gotthardt
Molly Lathrop
Amelia
Nina L
Bethãnia
lae raal
Geri Olson
Suzanne Bibeault
Kaitlin Bryant
Maria Lima
Rachael Waring
Sarah
Tish Lopez
AnnMarie Fasano
Leanne Carroll
Kathleen Harry
Kira Delaney
Emily Johnson
Mink Rose
Heather C
Eileen Haggerty
Stephanie Steinberg
Mary Eagan
Kathy Wallace
Giselle
Alicia Ramos
Jo Morris
Antonia Aquilante
Victoria Golar
Victoria Poulter
Michelle Coleman
Elizabeth Andrews
Tanzi Melton
Lara Adair
Peter Cornes
Kim Williams
Jennifer Drummond
Evelyn Maire
Emily Seelye
Dawn Duhon
Amanda Kelsey
Colette
Renee Spalding
Rachel Maybury
Kelly M. Gonzalez
Linda
Galexis
Liza Q Wirtz
Christina Maria Rose
Heather Cat
Eugenia M
Jess Lane
Joanne Vukman
Stephani M Rozier
Kathleen Koskie
Lea
Tamara Gal-On
Laura DeMay
Nicola Jennings
China Bower
Lesha Porche
Jordan
blkshp
CurlyQ
Leta Blake
Kezia Shugrue
Cheri Nauman
Jane Coulter
Mari Kane
Amanda McLeod
Amy Irwin
Hamykia
Josephine Myles
Raven
Barbara Armstrong
Mary Balkon
Liz Madrox
Silvia Park
Jules Lovesbooks
Sherry Lynn Burke
Carl Lindström
Jewel Cardwell
Saskia
Bert Jones
Layla Lawlor
Rebecca Cartee
Ann Bryant
Anne Jost
Carolyn Hill
Anu
Jenny Scott
Sarah Moore
Felix Kimmel
Sara Lake
Monica N.
Lin Z Bee
Brandon Witt
Samantha Pilon
Lori MacNabb
Emptycicada
Acknowledgments
THANK YOU to Sonali Dev for help with the Amin family’s names, and to Eliza David and LaQuette for beta reading. I couldn’t have put this book together without you guys and hope this story lives up to your generous guidance. Thanks to Lillie for the indispensable story bible and deep proofing, to Sasha for holding my hand through my year of mess, and to Dreamspinner Press for letting me bring my team to this trilogy.
Chapter One
ONCE UPON a time, Nicolas Beckert went to weddings without a heavy pang in his heart.
He’d attended plenty in his day, between his Copper Point cousins, relatives in Milwaukee, and friends of the family. For several years it felt like every weekend there was yet another gift his grandmother or mother picked out, waiting for Nick to amplify it with a little extra cash and a handwritten note wishing the couple a bright future. Nick had always happily gone to these weddings. As the one who had understood without being told it was his job to live up to the legacy of service and grace his father had left behind, Nick knew his duty, and he took pride in fulfilling it, never once begrudging even a penny of tho se cash packets tucked into the card or a second of those busy Saturday afternoons.
Lately, though, the weddings themselves underscored the fact that while he was present at these events, he was separate from them in a way he couldn’t ever let anyone know.
The wedding of his third cousin at the New Birth Baptist Church in Copper Point was particularly uncomfortable, and it wasn’t just because the first Saturday in June had dawned uncharacteristically muggy and hot. People were gossiping as they always did, but the topic du jour made him distinctly uncomfortable.
“Did you hear, the surgeon and nurse finally picked a date for their wedding? Coming up fast too. First weekend in October.” The speaker, one of Nick’s distant relations, raised her eyebrows knowingly, fanning herself with a paper plate as she stood in line for the buffet. “Going to be a big to-do, since Dr. Wu has his family coming from Taiwan.”
Nick’s great-aunt clucked her tongue. “The things we see sometimes.”
The group around them made ever-so-slightly disapproving noises.
This was spoken a bit loudly, for the benefit of Dr. Kathryn Lambert-Diaz, whose first cousin was the bride. Kathryn was attending with her wife, Rebecca, whom she’d married years ago in a ceremony among friends and accepting family members while Kathryn was doing her residency at the University of Iowa. Nick watched them both, worried Rebecca in particular would say something, but they only continued to chat politely with Kathryn’s parents. They didn’t have plates of food in their hands and looked as if they were about to leave.
“The other couple hasn’t set their date yet, but they’re next.” By other couple, his great-aunt meant Dr. Owen Gagnon and Erin Andreas. “Should have never thought to see the day.”
“All of them working at the hospital too.” Uncle Billy leaned around his wife to address Nick, who stood close enough to easily be drawn into conversation. “You best keep your people in line there, son.”
His wife swatted Billy with her fan. “You leave the boy alone. He’s had enough work, with the embezzlement scandal. He don’t need your sass too.”
Pastor Robert came up behind Nick and rested a hand on his shoulder. “I have faith in our Nick. He’s done a wonderful job with the hospital. I daresay we’ve never had better leadership in place there, thanks to him. We certainly haven’t had a better CEO.” He winked at Nick. “If all it comes with is a bit of unusual community color, I suppose we can count that as a blessing.”
Everyone at the table chuckled, and Nick inclined his head. He wanted out of this conversation. “I should go check on my grandmother and mother, to make sure they don’t need anything. If you folks’ll excuse me?”
They shooed him away gleefully, but Nick could hear them talking about him as he disappeared, and a perverse instinct kept him nearby but hidden so he could eavesdrop.
“He’s the next one we need to see married off.”
“Get him a wife and a couple of kids, and we’ll have ourselves the Copper Point Obamas!”
“What’s taking him so long, though? He never dates anybody.”
“Well, he’s been busy with all those scandals.”
“Scandal’s been done and dusted. Besides, a man’s got needs. It’s not right, him never dating.”
“You don’t think our Nick….”
Nick’s stomach turned over. Wiping his mouth to cover the grimness of his countenance, he moved out of earshot before he heard the rest of that sentence.
He didn’t get three feet, though, before he ran into the choir director, James Grant.
James greeted him with his usual wide smile. “Nick, looking good, brother.” His grin faded as Nick failed to mask his unsettled emotions fast enough. “You all right? Something happen?”
Nick fished up a smile. “Nah. No worries. Too much to do, is all, too much on my mind.”
James raised an eyebrow. “Things haven’t calmed down at the hospital?”
“Oh, you know how it goes.” Nick couldn’t quite catch his groove. That last remark kept echoing in his head. You don’t think our Nick….
James put a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Hey. You want to go sit somewhere for a minute and talk? You don’t look so good.”
Talking was the last thing Nick wanted to do. And much as he loved James, sitting with him and having an intimate heart-to-heart would only fuel the flames of what people were apparently thinking about their Nick. He held up his hands. “Thanks, but honestly, I’m just doing a little too much these days.” He took a step sideways and kept walking as he spoke. “I gotta go check in for a second. But we’ll talk soon. The choir is killing it, by the way.”
“All right.” James waved him away, looking sad. “We’ll talk later.”
Nick gave himself a moment behind a bush to gather his composure before hunting down his family. His mother, grandmother, and sister were together at the table where the groom’s closest relatives had gathered, Grandma Emerson holding court. She was in the middle of telling some story as Nick approached, but his sister broke away to greet him.
“Hey, you.” She nudged him with her hip. “You going to get down with me later?”
“Can’t. Got the reception for Dr. Amin.”
She sighed. “Oh right, I forgot you had to leave early.”
“Erin’s covering for me, letting me show up late.” He tugged at his tie and reached into his pocket for his handkerchief to dab at his neck, which dripped in the heat. “Need to go home and freshen up before I head out to the country club.”
“Country club crowd.” Emmanuella wrinkled her nose. “How bad will that be?”
“Standard hospital donor schmoozefest. Pretty dry and crusty, but they made the cardiac unit possible. I wish you would’ve agreed to be my date so you could meet Dr. Amin. She’s amazing. You’ll love her.”
“I’ll meet her sometime when she’s not at one of those dog and pony shows, thanks. The dedication ceremony was more than enough for me.” She punched him lightly in the arm. “Besides. It’s time you get a proper date for yourself instead of hauling me around to these things.”
“She wants to meet the family, though, since she wasn’t in town for the ceremony.”
“You should invite her family over for dinner. Mom and Grandma would love it.” She leaned in closer and spoke quietly. “Did I hear right, the Ryans will be there?”
The Ryans were Jeremiah Ryan, their father’s longtime friend and sometimes business partner back in the day, and his daughter Cynthia. Since then, Ryan had made quite a name for himself in the hospital industry, to the point that now he was the CEO of a corporation managing several medical centers in the Midwest. Nick nodded, stealing a careful glance at their mother. “Was she the one who mentioned it?”
Emmanuella snorted. “I can’t believe she hasn’t bothered you about it yet. You know she’s always dreamed about Cynthia Ryan as a daughter-in-law.”
Yes, Nick was painfully aware. He didn’t comment, choosing to wipe his mouth with his hand and send his gaze out across the crowd. It landed on the bride and groom, who stood hand in hand as they greeted their guests two tables over. They looked so happy.
Nick fought another pang in the center of his chest.
His mother spied him then, smiling wide and waving him to her side. “Baby, come sit and eat. I made you a plate, and it’s getting cold.”
Though Nick wasn’t remotely hungry, he held up his hands in apology, dredged up his most charismatic grin, and settled into the space beside her. “Sorry, was making my rounds.” He reached across the table to shake hands with the groom’s family. “Wonderful ceremony. Thanks so much for having us.”
Mrs. Hill beamed and pressed her hand to her chest. “We’re so glad y’all could come. Especially since your mother tells me you have another event yet today?”
“Reception for the new cardiologist, yes.”
Mr. Hill’s chest puffed up at being prioritized over the fancy country club shindig. “I’m telling you, Nick, your daddy would be so proud to see the work you’ve done with that hospital. Not just becoming the CEO, but cleaning up all the mess those fools made for so many years. You’re a credit to his name.”
Nick inclined his head. “Thank you, sir.”
Mrs. Hill elbowed her husband with a sly wink. “Now we have to help find him a lovely wife too.”
Nick pushed the potato salad and baked beans around his plate, doing his best to ignore the leaden feeling in his stomach.
As the table conversation resumed, allowing him to drift into his own thoughts again, Nick focused on the sea of guests. People were happy and laughing, caught up in the festivities. It was a humble gathering, with homemade decorations and family and church members helping cook and serve the dishes in lieu of a catered lunch. It was practically more picnic than wedding, except everyone was dressed in their finest outfits, and in the case of many of the ladies, hats. Nick loved the children the best, in their frilly dresses and suits and ties, chasing each other and giggling as they ran about the lawn, mothers and aunties occasionally hollering at them to mind their clothes or sit and finish their food.
