Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis Read Free Book Online Page A

all she ever needed, but this bracelet kept drawing her in, urging her to spend money she didn’t have.
    “Not exactly practical for an ER nurse.”
    Mallory turned and found Mrs. Burland standing behind her, leaning heavily on a cane, her features twisted into a smile, only named so because her teeth were bared. “Mrs. Burland. You’re feeling better?”
    “Hell, no. My ankles are swollen, my fingers are numb, and I’m plugged up beyond any roto-rooter help.”
    Mallory was well used to people telling her things that would never come up in normal conversations. “You need to stay hydrated. You taking your meds?”
    “There was a mix-up at the pharmacy.”
    “You need those meds,” Mallory said.
    “I tried calling my doctor. He’s an idiot. And he’s twelve.”
    Mrs. B’s doctor was Dr. Josh Scott. Josh was thirty-two, and one of the best MDs on the West Coast.
    “Trades on his cute looks,” Mrs. Burland sniffed.
    Mallory wouldn’t have described Josh as cute. Handsome, yes. Definitely striking as well, and…serious, even when he smiled. So serious that he always looked like he’d been to hell and back. And had learned plenty along the way.
    None of which had anything to do with his ability to do his job. Josh worked his ass off. “You’re being very unfair to a man who’s given you your life back. I’ll check into the med issue for you first thing in the morning.”
    “Yes, well, see that you do. Where’s your date?”
    Mallory took a deep breath. “Well—”
    “You’ve been stood up? A shame, since you’re dressed to put out.” Then the woman walked away.
    Mallory went back to staring down at the bracelet. Mrs. B was right about one thing: it was totally impractical for anyone who had to be as practical as she did on a daily basis. The charms would snag on everything from patients’ leads to the bed rails.
    “Sweetheart, what are you doing out here?”
    Perfect. Her mother. Ella was in her Sunday best, a pale blue dress that set off the tan she’d gotten on the hospital’s upper deck during her breaks, where she sat reading romance novels and plotting her single daughter’s happily-ever-after. “Pretty,” Ella said of the bracelet, “but—”
    “Impractical,” Mallory said. “I know.”
    “Actually, I was going to say it’s the type of thing a boyfriend would buy you. You need a boyfriend, Mallory.”
    Yeah, she’d just pick one up at the boyfriend store later.
    “Where’s your date?”
    Oh good, her favorite question.
    “Oh, honey. Did you get stood up?”
    Mallory made a show of looking very busy straightening out the description plaque with the bracelet display. “Maybe he’s just running a little late is all.”
    “Well, that doesn’t bode well for the relationship.”
    Yeah, and neither did the fact that they didn’t have a relationship. “You should have a date too, Mom.”
    “Me?” Ella asked in obvious surprise. “Oh, no. I’m not ready for another man, you know that.”
    Mallory did know that. Ella had been saying so for the past decade, ever since The Divorce, which Mallory—however twisted—still one-hundred-percent blamed herself for.
    “You look a little peaked, sweetheart. Maybe you’re catching that nasty flu that’s going around.”
    No, she was catching Stood-Up-Itis. “I’m good, Mom. No worries.”
    “Okay, then I’m going back inside. Dessert’s up next.” Ella kissed her on the cheek and left.
    Mallory walked around the rest of the auction items. She checked the parking lot again for Mysterious No-Longer-So-Cute Guy. By then, dessert was just about over. When the lights dimmed and the PowerPoint slide show started—the one she’d put together to showcase the auction items—she sneaked in. Tip-toeing to one of the back tables, she grabbed the first empty seat she could find and let out a breath.
    So far so good.
    She took a surreptitious peek at the people at her table but it was too dark to see across from her. To her right was an