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Ivy could tell. When Charles came in to see
    her, it was like watching two light bulbs light up. Then Charles came back
    from his first tour a totally changed person and things came to a head
    when Marie found him in their bed with another woman. Her friend was
    not about second chances and filed for divorce a week later. It was
    confusing and sad what had happened, because they had been all about
    each other. Sometimes the relationship they had made Ivy envious. But
    now Marie was on the hunt for a new love and she deserved it.
    Detective Reese Alvater, a.k.a. Officer Yummy, nicknamed by Marie,
    came in every other day to see his brother on their floor. He’d lost his arm
    in Afghanistan and was dealing with a brain injury and shell shock. The
    combination made him volatile; one minute he was the sweetest kid and
    the next they had to restrain him and use sedatives to calm him. Specialist
    Jon Alvater had a long road ahead of him. It was just him and his brother

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    left in the family and the detective was determined to see his brother
    through it all. Marie also thought that the handsome detective had a thing
    for Ivy. She couldn’t see it. Though Ivy couldn’t argue that the man was
    good looking. He had sexy, sandy brown hair to go with gorgeous blue
    eyes, and he was around six foot two and built. She was friendly and
    caring toward him and his brother. That was it.
    Ivy picked up a chart and flipped through the pages. “I seriously doubt
    the man has any interest in me except that I’m the nurse his brother has
    seemed to imprint on.”
    “That’s still a good thing, Ivy. That boy won’t eat, drink or take his
    meds from anyone but you,” Marie said.
    “Eventually, the therapists are going to have to break him of that,” Ivy
    said. “I can’t be there for him forever and he needs to learn that he can
    stand on his own two feet and live. Until then, I’ll do what I can for him.”
    Marie patted Ivy’s hand on the counter and handed her another chart.
    “You always do, sweetie. That’s why this place would be lost without
    you. Anyway, he hasn’t had his morning meds yet and his brother is in
    with him now. Perfect time for you to go make sure he eats and takes his
    pills.”
    “I’ll do the rounds for the other patients after I finish with him,” Ivy
    said. “Time to make the big bucks.”
    Marie’s laugh trailed behind her as she went down the hall to the last
    room on the left. Ivy knocked on the door and poked her head inside and
    teased. “Is it safe to come in? Everyone decent?”
    “Nurse St. Clair, you’re here.” Jon beamed a smile to her from his
    bed. Ivy felt her heart break all over again. This boy was once a vivacious
    twenty-two-year-old kid with his whole life ahead of him and sometimes
    he reverted back to a childlike state. Today, at least, he was calm and
    happy and that was a good thing.
    “Hey, Jon. Did you sleep well last night?” Ivy asked with a smile.
    “Uh-huh. No bad dreams or anything,” Jon said. He held up a box.
    “Look what Reese brought me. An iPad. I can use it with one hand.”

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    “Well, that looks awesome. I don’t have one yet, so you tell me if you
    like it and I might just have to get one,” Ivy said with a smile.
    “I don’t know why I have to use one hand. Where did my other hand
    go?” Jon asked quizzically. “And why am I always hurting?”
    His brother, Detective Alvater, looked at Ivy with sadness in his big
    blue eyes. It was one of those days when Jon forgot that he was a soldier.
    The therapist said it was his way of coping, but each time they had to
    remind him of who he was, it was like flipping a switch; he’d go from
    calm to agitated.
    “Jon, you were a soldier and you got hurt in Afghanistan four weeks
    ago,” Ivy explained gently. “But we’re here to take care of you, okay?”
    He nodded with a smile. “Sure. Can I play with my iPad now?”
    “In a few minutes.