New Year's Steve: Loving the Holidays, #2

By Rose Bak

Sometimes, it takes stitches to mend the past…

When an accident sends writer Janna Frazier to the emergency room, it's not just the blood loss that's making her woozy.  She is shocked to learn that her doctor is the man she fell in love with at a New Year's Eve party twenty years ago. The one who disappeared without a trace, leaving her pregnant and humiliated.

Dr. Steve Jacobs had almost forgotten the woman he fell for all those years ago. Now he learns that taking Janna's virginity and then losing her phone number had more serious consequences than he ever imagined.

Having found her again, Steve is determined to give their relationship another chance. But can Janna move past the hurt and anger she's harbored all these years?

"New Year's Steve is book two in the "Loving the Holidays" series, contemporary romantic comedies featuring seasoned couples in their forties and fifties. Expect strong men, independent women who know their own minds, meddling friends and families intent on matchmaking, and lots of steam. Each book in the series is a standalone with a happily ever after. Buy yours today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rose Bak
• Release date: Jul 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201012694

Rose Bak

Rose Bak has been obsessed with books since she got her first library card at age five. She is a passionate reader with an e-reader bursting with thousands of beloved books.  Rose's contemporary romance books focus on strong female characters over age 35 and the alpha males who love them. Expect a lot of steam, a little bit of snark, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Book preview

About This Book

Sometimes, it takes stitches to mend the past...

When an accident sends writer Janna Frazier to the emergency room, it’s not just the blood loss that’s making her woozy.

She is shocked to learn that her doctor is the man she fell in love with at a New Year’s Eve party twenty years ago.  The one who disappeared without a trace, leaving her pregnant and humiliated.

Dr. Steve Jacobs had almost forgotten the woman he fell for all those years ago. Now he learns that taking Janna’s virginity and then losing her phone number had more serious consequences than he ever imagined.

Having found her again, Steve is determined to give their relationship another chance.  But can Janna move past the hurt and anger she’s harbored all these years?

New Year’s Steve is book two in the Loving the Holidays" series, contemporary romantic comedies featuring couples in their forties and fifties. Expect strong men, independent women who know their own minds,  meddling friends and families intent on matchmaking, and lots of steam.  Each book in the series is a standalone with a happily ever after.  Buy yours today!

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This book includes a special except from Until You Came Along,  book one of the Oliver Boys Band series, available now from select retailers.

Be sure to join Rose’s mailing list and get a free book.  Click here to be the first to hear about all the latest releases and special sales.

Dedication

For everyone who hopes to meet someone from their past –

just so they can give them a piece of their mind.

Janna

I can’t  believe this happened, I’m so stupid.

I looked down at the blood slowly soaking through the dishtowel. The white fabric was stained with dark red blood stains that were gradually turning brown.  I had wrapped the towel around my  bloody finger right before we left for the Emergency Room, but the damn thing was still bleeding an hour later.  Good thing I wasn’t squeamish about blood.

The pain was terrible.  My finger throbbed in time with my pulse.

Accidents happen, Sammie reminded me with a gentle smile.  Try to keep your hand higher than your heart.

It was a stupid accident.  I wasn’t even quite sure how it had happened.  One minute I was I was cutting a pineapple, the next I was bleeding.  I had called my best friend Sammie when I realized that the knife had sliced my finger deep enough that I was likely going to need stitches.  It was a big, jagged cut down the finger to the top part of my palm.  I hoped I hadn’t cut anything important, like a tendon.

For a moment I had entertained the idea of just driving myself to the hospital but thought I should probably get a ride just in case. Fortunately, Sammie had the day off and lived in my neighborhood, so she was able to fetch me and get me to the Emergency Room quickly.

I looked around.  There was only one other person in the waiting room.  Monday afternoons appeared to be a slow time at the ER, hopefully that meant I would not have to wait too long. The hard plastic chairs were really uncomfortable, and the scent of antiseptic was making me nauseous. Plus, I really wanted a pain pill. Have I mentioned how badly my finger hurt?

A nurse opened the double doors and looked around expectantly at the almost empty waiting area.

Frazier. Janna Frazier, she called.

I jumped to my feet quickly,  too quickly, and then the wooziness hit.  It all happened in slow motion.  My vision went fuzzy.  The room started spinning like a carnival ride. I felt myself swaying.  I heard Sammie calling my name, as if from far away. In my peripheral vision I saw the nurse rush forward.  The floor seemed to get closer. Then the blackness took me, and everything was blissfully quiet.

Janna, Janna can you hear me?

The deep male voice rumbled through my consciousness, and I shivered.  It was a nice voice, deep and growly, but with a touch of kindness.

Janna honey, open your eyes now.  Another voice, this one firm and decidedly female. 

It took an incredible amount of effort, but I finally pried my eyes open.  The harsh fluorescent lights singed my corneas, and I groaned.  Where was I?  What happened?  I felt so cold and weak, and I was shivering. I turned my head and stared at the lady standing next to me, my brows wrinkled in confusion.  She was wearing scrubs with a large sunflower pattern and a blue surgical mask.  Was she a doctor?  A nurse?

Where am I? I croaked, my throat as dry as the Sahara.  What happened?

You’re at the ER, the doctor/nurse/whatever told me.  You fainted when you got up from your chair in the waiting room.  You lost a bit of blood from that cut on your finger and your body went into shock. Fortunately, we caught you before you hit the ground and cracked your head open as well.

The last hour came back to me in a rush. 

I looked down and realized I was laying on gurney, covered by a thin white blanket. I saw one of those pulse ox clips clipped to the pointer finger of my non-injured hand. I could hear the beeping noise of a machine behind me, tracking my vitals.

My finger, I moaned, looking down to where a throbbing pain was once again calling my attention. My hand was elevated on a pillow and my finger was wrapped in gauze.  How long had I been out?

Your finger is OK Janna, the cut is deep but fortunately you missed the tendons, the male voice answered.  You’re definitely going to need stitches though.  I wanted to wait for you to wake up first.

I frowned.  Something about that voice seemed familiar and it bothered me. 

Are you the doctor? I asked, hearing the confusion in my voice.

Yes, I’m Dr.  Jacobs. I’m an attending here in the ER, he responded.  And this lovely lady is Stacy, your nurse.

With effort, I turned my head to get a good look at him.  He was a white guy about my age, early forties, give or take a couple of years.  He was tall and fit, even beneath his navy blue scrubs I could tell he was muscular.  He had sandy blonde hair and brown eyes that crinkled at the corners.  A deep cleft bisected his chin.  And that voice...

Shock and recognition hit me.  I knew this guy. He was older, a man now instead of the boy he had once been.  He had filled out quite a bit since I last saw him, but it was definitely him. New Year’s Steve.  I would recognize that chin anywhere.

Steve?  Steve Jacobs? I asked incredulously.  I can’t believe it’s you!

Yes, he said with a confused frown.  I’m Dr. Steve Jacobs, have we met each other before?

Oh my god, you’re  New Year’s Steve! I said hotly and shock and anger flooded my body.  He reared back in confusion.   I can’t believe you don’t remember me.  Asshole!

Twenty years ago....

Don’t look now. Hot guy staring at you, eleven o’clock.

I looked out of the corner of my eye in the direction my friend Sammie had indicated, striving to look casual.  Sure enough, someone tall blonde and yummy was coming our way, staring at me intently. 

Maybe my night was looking up.  I hadn’t been too psyched about coming to this New Year’s Eve party, but Sammie had insisted.  My BFF and housemate was a huge bookworm, just like me, but she had decided that the two of us needed to get out more.  Christmas break was the perfect time.

C’mon, all we do is study and work at Feldman’s, Sammie had said.  It’s semester break and the store opens up late for the holiday.  Let’s act like regular twenty-year-olds for once.

The fact was that neither Sammie nor I were regular twenty-year-olds, not really.  We lived independently in a house that we shared with a couple of other girls our age and worked full-time while taking a full college course load.  We never went to parties. Normally we had exactly zero time for fun.

That’s why we had accepted an invitation from a co-worker to attend Chi Omega’s annual New Year’s bash.  Neither of us was in the sorority, but our co-worker was. She had assured us that there would be lots of other non-sorority people at the event. Given that there were at least a hundred people here, our friend had been right.

I was dressed in a flirty floral skirt that flared out just above my knee and a plain white scoop neck t-shirt that showcased my breasts with the aid of one of shaping bra. I had paired the outfit with brown wedges and a brown leather jacket that I had stashed behind a couch.  My dark blonde hair was loose and flowing past my shoulders in soft waves that I had worked almost an hour to achieve. My hair was very committed to maintaining its usual straightness. 

I was even wearing a bit of make-up. I had ringed my eyes in brown eyeliner and applied a couple of coats of waterproof mascara to my lashes,  then used a dark pink lipstick that I’d found in my make-up bag.  I didn’t remember buying it, but it sure looked good with my complexion.

The sorority party had been fun so far.  The alcohol was flowing freely, the music was good, and the place was crawling with good looking guys, including the one who had just stopped in front of me.  I said ‘me’ because unlike other guys who came up to us looking to see which one of us would be interested, this hottie was 100% focused on me.

He was dressed simply in faded jeans, a white button down that was untucked from his pants, and black and white adidas shoes.  He was a white