Seaside Heartbeats_A Sweet Romance Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty One

  Twenty Two

  Twenty Three

  Twenty Four

  Twenty Five

  Twenty Six

  Twenty Seven

  Twenty Eight

  Twenty Nine

  Thirty

  Thirty One

  Seaside Hunters

  Author’s Note

  Other Books

  SEASIDE HEARTBEATS

  THE SEASIDE HUNTERS

  by Stacy Claflin

  http://www.stacyclaflin.com

  Copyright ©2015 Stacy Claflin. All rights reserved.

  Edited by Staci Troilo

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental or used fictitiously. The author has taken great liberties with locales including the creation of fictional towns.

  Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited. Do not upload or distribute anywhere.

  This ebook is for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be resold or given away to others. If you would like to share this book with others please either purchase it for them or direct them to StacyClaflin.com for links. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

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  One

  Brayden Hunter stared at the clock, the second hand unmoving. Or was it his imagination? He slumped in the seat at the hospital cafeteria, every muscle aching. His job was too much. All he wanted was to go home and sleep. He'd been up all night consulting the ER doctors over the phone.

  "You okay, man?" asked Jeremy, one of the nurses in his clinic.

  Brayden stretched his neck and then looked at his friend. "Yeah. I probably just need some more coffee."

  "I hear you. I was at that beach party way too late last night."

  "Sounds like fun. I'm tired from being on call last night." Brayden yawned. "I heard it all night from my condo."

  One of the hospital's cardiac surgeons sat down. "At least you don't usually have to come in when they call you. Two nights ago, I was there all night. No climbing back into bed for me."

  "That's why I didn't get those extra five or six years of education. Only twelve for me." Brayden half-smiled as he picked up his sandwich. He took a bite, finding it dry and bland.

  A few more guys sat down at the table, and the conversation quickly moved to sports. Brayden tried to keep up, but between his heavy eyelids and the sandwich threatening to cut his tongue, he just listened—barely. It was hard to focus when this exhausted.

  "Did someone say coffee?" asked a perky voice. Cali, another of the nurses from his cardiology clinic, stood smiling by the table. She held two coffees in her hand.

  Cali reminded him of his baby sister, Sophia. She had been so happy and full of life, no matter what life threw her way. His heart ached just thinking about her.

  "Brayden did," Jeremy said, nudging him.

  Cali slid him the white paper cup in a brown sleeve and squeezed next to him. "I overheard you saying you needed coffee, and I just happened to be on the way to the stand." She smiled widely.

  "I appreciate it." Brayden yawned again. He sipped the hot, soothing drink. It was strong—just what he needed.

  "Hope you like double-shot lattes."

  "Today I do." Brayden took another long sip. He could feel the caffeine working already.

  Cali's face lit up. "There's going to be a concert at the beach over in Kittle Falls tonight around dinner time. Wanna join me?"

  Some of the guys around the table gave him encouraging looks.

  Dating was the last thing Brayden wanted, and he didn't believe in mixing work with pleasure. He'd seen how it could make things awkward professionally when others had dated coworkers and things didn't end well.

  "I appreciate the offer, Cali, but I need to get some sleep after being on call all night."

  "I'm sure it'll be over by ten. Plenty of time for sleep after that." She batted her big, blue eyes. Just like Sophia always had when she wanted something, and he'd usually given in. Brayden's heart ached all the more.

  "Cali, when are you going to give up?" asked Jeremy. "Brayden hasn't gone on a date the entire time I've known him."

  "I know," Cali said. "It's such a waste. A young, handsome doctor like you." She shook her head.

  "Waste?" Brayden asked. "I help save lives all the time. Besides, there's no time for dating."

  "You can make time, you know." Cali tilted her head, looking into his eyes.

  "Not with a sixty hour work week." Brayden took another sip of the coffee. "Tell you what. Tomorrow, I'll get you a latte. In the meantime, I'll bet Jeremy would love to go to a concert."

  "I'm always up for a good time." Jeremy looked hopeful.

  Cali looked over at Jeremy and shrugged, not looking particularly interested. "Okay."

  Brayden let out a sigh of relief. Between his parents and people at work trying to set him up, he'd had enough. He was a successful cardiologist, and he wanted to keep it that way. If his mom had her way—he not only dated someone, but actually had a family—he would be miserable.

  A wife would undoubtedly be unhappy with his long hours, and understandably so. And the family would consist of babies crying all night long. He didn't want those things. He went to school to be a cardiologist. Brayden loved helping people so that they could live longer. He often saw lives transformed.

  A month earlier he'd seen a heart attack patient who had been weak and sick. Just that morning, the man returned for a follow-up appointment, able-bodied, stronger, and excited for the years ahead. That was what it was all about.

  If his parents wanted grandkids, they had four other sons who could provide them. Just because Brayden was the oldest, and now back home, didn't mean he needed to have a family. It wasn't in his plans. He was actually looking forward to being the cool uncle. Then he could play with his brothers' kids and still keep his career—which he really needed to stay serious about.

  The hospital gig was supposed to be temporary, but somehow had already stretched into almost a year. He needed to press past his fatigue and find the right building in Kittle Falls to build his new practice.

  Laughter distracted Brayden from his thoughts, bringing him back to the lunch table. Jeremy and Cali discussed their date while everyone else was back to sports.

  He looked up at a clock to see the time. "I've got to get back, guys."

  Cali moved out of his way, and Brayden took his tray with a half-eaten sandwich. Hopefully it would be enough to get him through the afternoon. He exchanged goodbyes before heading back to the cardiology department.

  Brayden passed through the waiting room, filled mostly with older people. He noticed a young blonde reading a fashion magazine. Her hair was pulled back, and she wore workout clothes—in other words, she didn't look like a typical cardiology patient. Perhaps she was bringing a grandparent to the office.

  He hurried back into his office to find a new stack of papers and folders on his desk. He flipped through the files of his patients for the afternoon. It was going to be a long one. Brayden drank the remainde
r of his coffee, and then threw the cup into the trash bin.

  He had about fifteen minutes before seeing the first patient, so he quickly went through the stack of labs he'd been neglecting. The caffeine kicked in, and he got through the stack with three minutes to spare.

  He picked up the stack of files and flipped through the first one. It looked simple enough. A case of supraventricular tachycardia. SVT was typically easy to manage, at least compared to most of what he usually saw every day.

  Brayden knocked on the door before entering the exam room. He stopped when he saw the only person in the exam room was the gorgeous blonde from the waiting room. He hadn't paid attention to the age of the patient on the paperwork.

  "Lana Summers?" he asked.

  She smiled and stood, extending her hand. "Yes. Nice to meet you, Dr. Hunter."

  Brayden shook her hand. Her skin was so smooth and soft, and she smelled like tropical flowers, reminding him of his last trip to Hawaii. It took him a moment to find his voice. "It's my pleasure. Have a seat, please."

  Lana sat back down in the patient chair, and Brayden sat in the plush wheeled chair. He rolled it over closer to Lana. Usually, he stayed by the desk to look over the nurse's notes on the computer. "Tell me about your SVT," he said, looking into her beautiful blue eyes. They reminded him of the ocean during the summertime.

  She leaned forward, bringing the scent of her perfume to him. He took a deep breath, loving it. "Well, it just started the other night when I was sleeping. My family's spending the summer in Kittle Falls in a house on the beach. I woke up because my heart was pounding so fast I didn't know what was going on. I was afraid I was going to stop breathing." The fear in her eyes showed she wasn't exaggerating.

  Brayden looked over the file. "It says here when the paramedics arrived, your heart rate was two-thirty-three." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you didn't pass out."

  Lana's beautiful eyes widened. "Me, too, Dr. Hunter. But I was determined to stay awake."

  He gave her a reassuring look. "I'm glad you're okay, but rest assured SVT is rarely deadly."

  "Rarely? So, it can kill people? I looked it up online today and didn't see anything about that."

  "Usually, only the elderly—and rarely."

  "What if I have another attack?"

  "Episode," Brayden corrected. "There are several ways to lower your heart rate on your own. One is to stick your hands under cold water. A lot of people find that works. Others cough or even hold their breath. And if you ever feel faint, you can try putting your head between your legs."

  She stared at him for a moment. "You mean it's that easy?"

  "Most of the time. Though I wouldn't call it easy. It's scary to have an episode from what I understand. I'm sure I'd be scared, too."

  "But what if that doesn't work?"

  "In most cases, it'll just resolve itself like it did for you." He looked at the file again. "By the time you got to the ER, it looks like your heart rate was in the normal range."

  Lana nodded. "Yeah, but what if it doesn't go back to normal?"

  "We have medicines that can shock your heart back to a typical rhythm."

  "That doesn't sound pleasant."

  "It's not, and it's only for extreme cases."

  She looked down at her hands for a moment before looking back to him. "What's extreme?"

  "Without breaking patient confidentiality, I can tell you a little about a case I consulted on a while back. The patient was pregnant and had a heart rate over three hundred bpm, and it had lasted for hours. To be honest, none of us could believe she was still conscious. She received the treatment."

  Lana stared at him. "Was she okay? The baby?"

  "Both are fine."

  "Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again?"

  "You can avoid high levels of caffeine and alcohol. Eat well and stay active—general heart care will help to keep it strong and healthy. I don't believe there's any scientific proof, but I've noticed SVT episodes happen more in the warm weather, so try not to get overheated."

  "No caffeine?"

  "That's not what I said." Brayden smiled. "Just don't overdo it. Small amounts should be fine, though you might want to avoid it for a while after an episode."

  They spoke for a little while until Lana appeared to feel better about the whole thing.

  "All in all," Brayden said, "if you're going to have a heart condition, it may as well be SVT. Can I get your blood pressure?"

  Lana nodded. "The nurse took it before you came in, though."

  "I understand, but I like to check it myself." Brayden stood, and walked to the other side of the room. "I'll need to wrap this around your arm, and the machine will do the rest."

  "Okay." Lana walked over to him, standing only an inch away.

  Brayden wrapped it around her arm and then he pressed the button for it to start.

  "Your blood pressure is high. Is it usually high when at rest?"

  "I…I'm not sure."

  "Let's try this again." He readjusted the strap around her arm, trying to ignore how soft her skin felt against his. He pushed the button, and it came up with the same high number.

  "Hmm. You can sit back down." He flipped through the chart and saw that her heart rate had been normal when the nurse had taken it before he came in. "I'll be right back."

  "Okay."

  Brayden went into the hall. He got the attention of Eugene, one of the most experienced on the nurse staff. He explained the situation, and sent him into the room to take Lana's blood pressure again.

  He studied the chart before going back in.

  "Everything is normal," Eugene said.

  "Let me see that." Brayden walked over and looked at the machine. Sure enough, it showed numbers within the normal range. He turned to Lana. "Mind if I give it a try again?"

  She shook her head.

  Brayden wrapped the strap around her soft arm again, and then he started the machine. The numbers came high again.

  He frowned. "We'd better get this serviced. Eugene, can you take her to another room to use another machine?"

  "Sure thing, doctor."

  Two

  Lana Summers stopped in front of a fountain near the hospital entrance.

  That had been the most embarrassing experience of her life. Cardiologists had no right to be that hot. None at all.

  Every time Dr. Hunter touched her arm to get her blood pressure, Lana's heart pounded, nearly exploding out of her chest. She was so glad that neither he nor that nurse had figured out why her numbers were so drastically different when Dr. Hunter was there.

  He was tall, well-built, and had a smile that could melt an iceberg. And that cologne…it smelled heavenly. She could stand there all day with him adjusting her arm.

  She needed to drop coffee cold turkey and stay out of the sun. Whatever it took to keep her SVT under control. There was no way she could face that again. Dr. Hunter would either figure out that she was attracted to him, or he would think she broke all of his equipment.

  "How did everything go?"

  Lana turned around to see her mother. "Oh, fine. They just told me how to manage it. No big deal."

  "Why do you look flushed?"

  "Just frustrated, I suppose. It sucks that I have to deal with it, but like the doctor said, if I'm going to have a heart condition, at least it's not more serious."

  "Not serious? He obviously didn't see you last night."

  "Mom, I'm fine. Really."

  "They didn't give you any medicine?"

  Lana stepped away from the fountain. "Nope. I just have to exercise more. Oh, and avoid caffeine."

  "Like I've been telling you for years." Her mother shook her head. "No one ever listens to me."

  "Ever? Stop exaggerating."

  They walked to the car in the garage, Lana telling her mother everything about the visit—except for the hot, young Dr. Hunter. If she kept thinking about him, she was going to have another episode. Her heart sped up just pi
cturing his face or thinking about him standing so close.

  On the car ride back, Lana allowed herself to daydream about the doctor as she looked out the window and watched the beautiful northern California coastline.

  When they got to the rental beach house, her father stood at the kitchen table with papers covering it. He had a pencil behind each ear, and looked perplexed.

  "What's the matter, Dad?"

  He looked up at Lana. "Just trying to figure out where to put the game room."

  "It's a mansion. There's plenty of room."

  "Yeah, but the clients want it close to the bedrooms, but not too close." He took a pencil from behind his ear and chewed on the eraser, staring at the blueprints.

  "Dad," Lana said. "They know you're taking the summer off. Don't worry about it."

  "I never stop planning. What do you think, Lana?"

  Her mom smiled. "Yes, let's hear from the newly licensed architect."

  Lana groaned. "My brain hurts from so many years of studying, you guys. This is supposed to be a vacation."

  "Just a peek." Her dad begged with his eyes.

  "You know I can't say no to that." Lana walked over and looked at the prints. "Why do you insist on hand drawing everything? It's so much faster on the computer."

  "New isn't always better, little one."

  Lana rolled her eyes. She stood only an inch shorter than her dad. The old nickname was outdated, but she had a feeling it would stick, just like her dad's insistence to draw out plans.

  "What do you think?" he asked.

  She studied the page with the bedrooms. "If you move the guest bathroom next to the last bedroom here," she pointed to the spot, "and you moved this coat closet next to the bathroom, the Wii room would fit perfectly, and it would have enough space between the last bedroom and the game room."

  Her dad brought his hand to his chin, obviously thinking. "You know, I hadn't thought of that."

  "Also," Lana said, "you could move the picture window over next to the closet if you wanted a little more space between the rooms."

  "Genius!" Her dad smiled, and then looked at her mom. "Did you see that, Susan? Our daughter is a prodigy."