The Affair: A Romance Novella by J.C. Valentine

Author:J.C. Valentine [Valentine, J.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J.C. Valentine
Published: 2016-12-12T18:30:00+00:00

Need more heat to chase away that winter chill?

Read on for an excerpt from NOEL: A BLUE COLLAR CHRISTMAS!

Noel

A Blue Collar Christmas

USA Today Bestselling Author

J.C. VALENTINE

CHAPTER ONE

At three a.m., the E.R. was pretty dead, just the way Noel Walker liked it. It was going on the tenth hour of what would normally be a twelve-hour shift, but tonight, she was pulling a double. Not that she really minded taking on the extra work while her friend and co-worker, Loretta, went on her honeymoon. It just meant that, while Loretta worked on building her tan, Noel was working on fattening her paycheck. Not that she was in particular need of the money. She was very frugal, except during this time of year.

Closing in on the holidays and still currently single, but not even close to being ready to mingle, Noel had gotten in the habit of giving rather than receiving. It always filled a special place in her heart when she could make a patient smile.

Nothing sucked worse than being stuck in a hospital when you’d rather be at home opening presents and surrounded by family. Something she knew a lot about. Since leaving home to begin her residency at a hospital far enough away to qualify as halfway across the country, she’d spent a grand total of nine Christmases in her studio apartment with nothing but a bottle of Merlot to keep her company.

Yet, the deafening quiet of the holidays couldn’t compare to the deathly boring early morning hours of the E.R. If it wasn’t in such poor taste, she would say that it felt as if someone had died.

Maybe it was the stillness that unnerved her the most. Noel thrived on the excitement of trauma, which was why she preferred any other shift besides the third. During her residency, she was the only one of ten who actually enjoyed working the emergency room shifts. She’d wholeheartedly signed on for every Halloween and full-moon shift, determined not to miss out on the insanity those nights were sure to bring. Admittedly, she was a bit of an adrenalin junkie, so that might explain why she experienced heart palpitations every time she heard ambulance sirens pulling into the bay.

The rush it gave her when the shit hit the fan was unparalleled. The knowledge that she was helping to save lives never got old. The only bad part of the job was when they lost a patient, but she’d long since learned to cut the emotional ties and move on. Getting attached to every critical case was a death sentence in its own right. She’d seen far too many good doctors and nurses move on after losing a patient.

The E.R. definitely wasn’t for the faint of heart.

“Hey, Noel,” Carly called from behind the main desk when she saw her walk up. “When do you go on break?”

“Forty-five minutes.” And damn did she need it. A quick bite to eat and a powernap were calling her name.

“Before you go, could you check on the

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