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Category: Romance/Mainstream
Description: Autumn Osborne has her life all set out for herself. First finish her pediatric residency and then go into private practice. She doesn't count on McCollough Silverman walking into her ER and back into her life after fifteen years. McCollough Silverman is raising his four year old daughter alone. When she hurts herself and he takes her to the ER, he crosses swords with Autumn Osborne unaware that she has been in love with him since high school.
eBook Publisher: Parker Publishing, Inc./Zora, 2011 2011
eBookwise Release Date: February 2011

Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [317 KB]
Words: 78621
Reading time: 224-314 min.

Chapter 1

What was McCullough going to do? He had at least five hours left at work and his daughter needed him. He looked around the post office at the afternoon mail in the cart and a third of the rural mail carriers were back off their routes, cleaning up their cases. He had to get the afternoon mail passed out so everyone could prepare for tomorrow's deliveries. There was no one to designate the work to and he had an emergency. He took a deep breath and exhaled. Maybe his brother could pick her up. No that would not be right his daughter is hurt and asking for her daddy.

He might as well go and let Jackie the station manager know that he has to leave for the day. Walking towards her office he noticed she was talking on the telephone. He tapped lightly on the door before he entered. Jackie's office was not one that was screaming she had finally arrived in corporate America. It was very simple with family pictures on her desk and a picture of magnolia's on the wall above a small table.

Jackie quickly ended her call and gave McCullough her full attention. "Hi McCullough, what can I do for you?"

"Jackie I have an emergency with Tamia and I have to go. The daycare called and said Tamia fell off the slide and landed on her arm. "

Jackie's eyes popped open wide. "Oh no, is it broken?"

He looked up toward heaven praying that she was okay and answered, "I'm not sure. The teacher said that she will not let anyone touch her arm and she is screaming for me so I better get going."

Jackie held her head down and said a silent pray for Tamia and her father being a mother she knew how it felt to be afraid when you receive a call that your child has been hurt.

"Alright I will handle everything around here. You take care of Tamia and give her my love."

McCullough jumped up out of the chair and headed towards the parking lot. Jackie was a sweetheart. Too bad she was already married. Otherwise McCullough would propose. She was a great friend although she was a little older than McCullough she was definitely gorgeous. He met Jackie the year he started at the post office. She was the one who took him under her wing and taught him everything he knew about his job. She also babysat for him when he was in a bind and could not find his brother. She and her husband had three kids and Tamia loved spending time with them.

He left the post office in a hurry and almost ran into one of the carriers.

"Hey man slow down, where's the fire?"

"Hey man, sorry about that. My daughter has been hurt at school and I am in a hurry to get there." He hurried and jumped into his black Chrysler Pacifica and drove off.

Times like this made him think about Tamia's mother Asia. She died in childbirth. Thinking about that always brought tears to his eyes. He loved Asia so much and no woman could ever take her place in his heart. But he was willing to make a space for a new woman in his life, if he ever met one he thought was worthy of his daughters love.

Before he knew it he was pulling up in front of Tamia's school. Jumping out of the car and slamming the door he ran to her classroom as fast as he could. When he opened the door he saw his daughter lying on her blue cot holding her arm close to her chest while sobbing quietly.

She looked so helpless and his heart ached because of the pain she was in. She looked up at the sudden movement at the door and stared straight into the eyes of her father.

"Daddy!" She screamed as she jumped up and ran towards him. "Daddy, my arm, my arm", she cried.

He scooped her up into his arms without touching the injured one trying to comfort her as best he could. "Come on princess I'm going to take you to the hospital okay."

Tamia was the spitting image of her father with the same brown wavy hair and hazel eyes, but the way she acted sometimes reminded him of Asia.

He looked around for her teacher and spotted her in the back of the class room with a group of kids. He began walking toward her when she glanced up and saw him. She smiled at him as she turned to meet him.

"Hello Mr. Silverman. I am so sorry about what happened to Tamia today. We always keep a close eye on the children, it just happened so quickly." She reached her hand up to rub the side of Tamia's face. "I hope you feel better sweetheart."

McCullough watched Ms. Scott as she showed a great deal of concern for his daughter. She was a wonderful teacher. He cleared his throat and Ms. Scott's eyes met his. He was at a loss for words and she could do nothing but stare back at him.

"Well, Ms. Scott thanks for taking care of her until I got here, you have a good day." McCullough turned and walked towards the door.

"Any time Mr. Silverman. I hope you don't mind if I call and check on her later?"

He stopped suddenly and turned towards her, "That will be fine."

He walked quickly to the car and placed Tamia in her car seat. Swiftly moving to the drive's side he jumped in and drove out of the parking lot merging onto highway eighty-five.

When he arrived at Peachtree Medical Center the emergency room parking lot was full. Unsnapping Tamia from her car seat he scooped her up in his arms and rushed her into the emergency room where he saw at least eighty people sitting in the lobby waiting to be seen. This was his first visit to the ER in several years. It was nothing like he had remembered. People were lined up against the wall waiting to be called. All the chairs were filled with a child or an adult. The smell of the ER reminded him of antiseptic spray.

He walked to the registration desk to speak with the receptionist, a Hispanic woman with bleached blonde hair and a navy blue set of scrubs on was sitting at the desk talking rapidly in Spanish on her cell phone. He waited for her to acknowledge him so he could ask how long the wait would be. As he signed his daughter in the lady never recognized him so he decided to interrupt her conversation by asking his question.

The lady looked up at him with an expression on her face that said 'no he did not just interrupt my personal call.

"I really could not tell you how long the wait is sir because I am working up here." She said with an attitude as she pointed to her desk. And then she took her thumb and pointed it over her shoulder. "I have no idea what's going on back there. Now if you will finish signing her in you can have a seat until they call you."

McCullough just stared at the lady like she had suddenly grown two heads. His anger was growing stronger every second he stood there. He felt his face getting hot and he was getting extremely frustrated with the receptionist.

The lady looked at him, "Look sir if you are the sick one then you need to sign yourself in and move on because people are behind you." The lady said as she pointed behind him.

"Look ma'am" he replied in an edgy low whisper, "My daughter is in pain. All I asked you was a simple question. If you don't like your job you may want to quit, because with your attitude you do not belong in the healthcare profession. Now you need to go get your manager because I need someone competent to help me, ma'am." With a satisfied smile on his face McCullough stepped to the side to let the other patients sign in as the receptionist quickly got out of her seat to get the manager.

A Hispanic woman in her mid fifties dressed in a brown Donna Karen suit, matching heels, with the same dyed blonde hair as the receptionist and blue contacts as cool as ice came out of the back office to talk to him. She glanced at him from head to toe before approaching him. Praying that she would be able to calm him down, she walked up to him an introduced herself as the emergency room supervisor while extending her hand.

McCullough looked down at her hand and to be civil he shook it while balancing Tamia in his arms so he could get his daughter taken care of before the pain grew worse than it was already.

She apologized for her rude behavior. She also tried to make light of the situation by asking if he would excuse her this time. The supervisor also promised it would never happen again. She gave him a smile that did not quite reach her eyes as she was trying to make excuses for the woman.

"Look ma'am I do not tolerate that kind of behavior with employees that I supervise at the post office and I do not expect to be treated like that when I come to the ER. No it will not be okay to let her actions slide, either you handle it or I will plain and simple. She does not need to work here if she cannot do her job correctly." McCullough walked off and left the lady standing there with her mouth hanging open.