Serenity to Accept

An emotionally scarred nurse falls for the handsome new doctor. But his deep love for Jesus is a bigger roadblock to love than either of them anticipated.

Karin Reid has never had much use for God. There’s been too much pain in her life for her to accept that God is anything other than, at best, disinterested or, at worst, sadistic. Until she meets Jason Garcia.

After his own mistakes of the past, Jason is committed to dating only Christians. He decides to bend his rule for Karin, as long as she comes to church with him.

“Who’s the hottie?” Karin craned her neck to get a better view of the man paying for his lunch.

Nikki laughed. “See what you miss when you skip lunch break? That’s the new ER doc, Jason Garcia. Thirty, never married, and deeply religious.”

Karin’s eyebrows shot up as she reached for a side salad. “I take it you struck out?”

“Didn’t even get to bat, honey. He has a strict ‘no dating the hospital staff’ policy and he’ll tell you all about it should you even attempt to strike up a friendly conversation in the lunch line.” Nikki frowned at the salad selections in the refrigerated case. With a sigh she grabbed one and dropped it on her tray.

“Hmm.” Karin ladled a hearty serving of blue cheese dressing over the limp greens. “How did you come by the deeply religious bit?”

“Watch a minute and you can probably piece it together for yourself.” Nikki added a dish of chocolate pudding to her tray.

After a longing look at the desserts, saliva pooling in her mouth, Karin made herself slide her tray past the sugary treats.

She swiped her hospital ID, nodding absently as the cashier wished her a good day. Could she help it if her eyes followed Doctor Garcia as he made his way to an empty table in the corner, sat down, and bowed his head over his tray? “Ah. Gotcha.”

“Just wait. He doesn’t seem to do perfunctory prayer. He’ll sit like that for a good five minutes. If I were a betting woman…”

“Which you are.”

“As I was saying, if I were a betting woman, I’d say he’s mentioning patients by name.” Nikki glanced around the packed cafeteria and elbowed Karin. "Quick, let’s grab that empty table over by the window. You know how fast tables get snapped up around here on a Saturday with extended visiting hours.”

Karin reluctantly tore her gaze from Jason blessing his food and followed her friend across the room. “So I take it you’ve timed him?”

Nikki laughed. “I might have checked my watch a few times. What can I say, he’s easy to look at and my lunch buddy has been begging off lately. What’s up with that, anyway?” She watched as Karin stabbed her fork into the salad several times. “I’m pretty sure that lettuce is already dead.”

With a sigh, Karin set the fork down and looked out the window. “My brother got engaged two weeks ago.”

“And she’s a nightmare?”
Karin shook her head. “No. No. I really like her. She and Phil seem perfect for each other. But then everything with Will exploded, leaving me with no one while Phil goes on about how awesome everything is in his life.”

“You knew the thing with Will was over a long time ago. I never did understand why you didn’t just end it and be done.”

“I know.” Karin speared a bite of salad. “I should have. Maybe that would have been less ugly. I suppose I didn’t want to face the fact that I’d hooked yet another loser in a long litany of losers.”

Nikki offered a sympathetic smile. “Been there. But hey, at least you didn’t humiliate yourself with the new doctor, right?”

Karin snickered. “There’s that.” She lifted a shoulder. “I figured you’d want all the gory details about Will and there’s really no point. I know I’m better off without him, but I can’t stop feeling sorry for myself. And I’m having a hard time being happy for my brother, which just makes me feel small and mean.”

Nikki set her pudding on Karin’s tray. “Eat this, you’ll feel better.”
Karin dipped her spoon into the chocolate. So much for watching what she ate.

“You’re well rid of Will, so I won’t make you rehash any details. Honestly, I’m just happy I won’t have to hear you complain about him anymore.”

“Thanks, I think.”

“As for your brother, from what you’ve told me, he deserves to be happy. And he deserves to have his sister share in that happiness. So suck it up.”

Karin laughed and spooned up more pudding. “You’re right. Mean. But right.” She glanced at her watch. “We’d better hurry.”