Chapter 18

March 14th

Good friends will go to the end of the Earth for you. Or, in my case, rush past hospital security to bang on the glass window of the oxygen therapy room until they're threatened with being arrested and Max had to once again come to the rescue.

Eli, Leah, and Amelia were crammed into the back seat of Max's car as they all drove to her apartment. Dr. Robertson had finally cleared her to go home around noon the next day. She had a portable oxygen tank to wear for the next twenty-four hours just to be safe. There was no way she was going to explain this to Jack Griffin, so she already had a convincing lie ready for when she called in to take a sick day on Monday.

"Detective Caldwell, I have to say I wasn't impressed with you when we first met, but you're my new favorite person," Eli said as they drove through town. "Not only have you saved our best friend twice, you also didn't arrest us that first night we met. And tonight you stopped hospital security from arresting us. You're our hero."

Paige glanced over to see Max's lips twitch up into a smile. He had to be thinking of the scene he'd come upon. Security was trying to cuff Eli, who was waving his arms around while Leah and Amelia latched onto the security guard's leg to prevent him from chasing after Eli. Meanwhile, Eli was running around the outside of the therapy room screaming that he was too pretty to go to jail.

"I live to serve and protect. Even if it's a Broadway dancer attempting to be a pimp or outrun security," Max said dryly, but the smirk on his face had everyone in the car cracking up.

Max pulled up to the curb in front of Paige's apartment and everyone got out of the car. Eli wheeled the oxygen tank for her while Max helped her from the car.

"Want me to help you upstairs?" Max asked.

"You've done enough by saving my life... again. Thank you, Max. You're a good guy." Paige wanted to say more. It felt different now. He wasn't just a hot guy she'd looked at on an application. This was Max. Caring uncle, police detective who did the right thing, and rescuer of bumbling virgins. He was also not for her.

"Paige!"

Paige turned from where she and Max were looking at each other to see Fraser walking toward them, carrying a large to-go bag and waving.

"I brought you chicken soup. You know they say it's a cure-all. I also brought you some dessert because when I'm not feeling well it's really just the sugar I want. I thought you'd be hungry after what little hospital food you got."

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Max asked.

"I'm off for the next couple of days. I worked past my shift last night. When I saw Paige, I couldn't leave her. So, I worked late. Here, Paige, let me help you upstairs." Fraser slid his free arm around her waist and angled her toward the apartment building and away from Max.

Paige looked over her shoulder as Max watched them head inside. Thank you, she mouthed to him before the door to her building shut. She saw him give her a little nod of his head. Then walking up all those stairs took all of her attention and all of her breath. She should have taken Max up on the offer to help her upstairs. In the end, Leah carried the food and Fraser scooped her into his arms and carried her up three flights of stairs.

Paige didn't like being fussed over and her friends were fussing worse than three mother hens. She was showered, her hair braided, and had been stuffed into cute snuggly pajamas while Fraser re-heated the soup.

"Here's a blanket." Amelia covered Paige's legs with a blanket as Leah brought a pillow over from Paige's bed.

Eli made sure the pillow was in just the right position as Fraser opened cabinets, looking for bowls. Finding one, he poured the soup into it and went hunting for a spoon.

"That man is fine," Leah whispered. "And he wants you."

Amelia frowned. "He's handsome, but there's something I don't like. Something's just off. What about Max? He saved you, called us, and drove you home. It's obvious he likes you."

"He has a girlfriend, Amelia. I think he's just a nice guy doing his job." Paige frowned even as she said it.

"Oh my gosh. I didn't see it until now. You like Max!" Eli whispered excitedly.

"But Max isn't here, is he? Do you know who is? That hot ass doctor who brought her soup and also saved her life," Leah whispered back as they all eyed Fraser to make sure he didn't hear them discussing him.

"Right now, I don't want to think about men, my virginity, or anything at all. My head is killing me. Trying to lose my virginity has almost killed me... twice. I'm going to stop this nonsense once and for all."

"Or maybe it's the wolf she has a thing for," Leah said, completely ignoring what Paige had just said. "He was ripped."

"The bear was rather handsome in a rugged, mountain man kind of way," Eli added.

"He was so... big." Amelia sighed. "I wonder if all of him is that big." Then Amelia blushed deeply.

Paige blinked trying to figure out if Amelia had actually said that or if Paige had imagined it. They way Eli and Leah looked momentarily stunned before gigging told Paige it had happened.

"If you don't want Felix, I can give you Griz's phone number," Paige told her friend who instantly looked petrified.

"No! I was just curious. That's all. I'm sure he's nice and all, but I've actually said more than a sentence to Felix. I'm on a roll."

"You're on a roll too," Leah whispered as Fraser looked for a napkin. "I think we need to leave to let the hot doc shoot his shot with our virgin."

Paige rolled her eyes. "Do I look like I want to have sex right now? I want to curl up and go to sleep with Jane Austen movies playing in the background. I am so over this virginity thing. It's a curse I will never escape."

"Soup is ready for our patient." Fraser walked in carrying the steaming bowl of soup carefully. Shoot. He was being really nice and that was pretty sexy. However, right now Paige just wanted the soup, then peace and quiet.

"We'll let you take good care of our Paige," Leah said to Fraser as she stood up. "I live right downstairs if Paige needs anything."

Eli stood next and smiled brightly at Fraser. "Yes, thank you so much for saving our sweet, innocent, Paige."

Paige had just taken a sip of soup and almost spat it out as she glared at Eli. Amelia was the only one who was behaving herself. Amelia patted Paige's knee and stood up. She smiled at Fraser and looked down at Paige. "Do us all a favor, doctor," Amelia said full of concern. "Give Paige a good once over before you leave."

Paige choked on her soup. Fraser definitely got the double meaning. Leah shoved Eli out the door since Eli slapped his hand over his mouth to stop from laughing out loud. Sometimes she hated her friends.

Fraser sat next to her and rubbed her back. "I guess your friends like me."

"You're pretty hard not to like," Paige admitted before taking a sip of the chicken noodle soup and moaning. "And this might be the best soup I've ever had."

Fraser slipped his hand lower on her back until his fingers cupped her hip. "Good. There's this great restaurant near my condo that makes it. I'll take you there when you get the all clear."

Fraser's thumb was gently moving back and forth, soothing her as she ate the soup. "Tell me about yourself. Where are you from?" Paige asked, her eyelids getting heavy as she took another spoonful.

"I'm from Chicago. My dad is a surgeon. I was always interested in medicine because my dad gave me no other real choice. Luckily, I really love it. When he remarried for the third time to this pharmaceutical rep who's my age, I decided I needed to do my residency far away from Chicago after my step-mom hit on me." She cringed but he winked at her. "Apparently, I'm irresistible."

"I'm sorry. My parents have been together for thirty years. I can't imagine either of them married to anyone else, especially someone my age. It would be awkward for sure. Did you come to New York for your residency then?" Paige asked as she set down her soup.

Fraser nodded and leaned back on the couch. He put his arm around her shoulder and eased her backward so that she was lying against the side of his chest with his arm wrapped around her. It was nice, and normally, she would be really turned on and hoping this would lead to something. But with the combination of the long night and warm soup, her feelings of lust were completely overpowered by exhaustion.

Paige's eyelids slid closed. She rested her head against Fraser's chest and enjoyed the warmth of his embrace and the rumble of his voice as she fell sound asleep.