Page 10 of Paging Doctor Grump

I put my hands on my hips. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“You think you know everything there is to know, but you don’t. Instead, you just have this preconceived idea of who I am and how I should react to things.”

“You’ve already shown me who you are once. Why the hell should I change my opinion now?”

Brookes flinches as if my words cut him deep. Guilt starts to curl through the pit of my stomach, but I’m not going to apologize. He might not remember the entire night, but I’m sure he remembers the way he left me.

Not that it matters. Not anymore.

“Fine, Jessie. Have it your way.”

He walks out of the room and slams the door shut behind him. I groan and run a hand down my face, wondering how the hell I’m going to deal with him tomorrow night. I need a break. The next twelve hours spent away from Brookes are not going to be enough.

The worst part is that I can’t even look forward to the weekend. I have to head back to the Nolan Case Wilderness Center to start my training. I have to spend the next few days with Brookes at work and then the days I get off are going to be spent in even closer proximity to him.

This is not good.

I want to earn the fellowship at UC Davis. I need to complete my residency. Unfortunately, to do both of those things, I have to put up with Brookes McAllister.

Which seems next to impossible when he knows the very worst things about me. In those hours we spent talking that night, I told him more about my life than I’ve ever told other people. I told him about my deepest fears and insecurities. In those hours between multiple rounds of sex, I let him in to every little corner of my life.

Though I doubt he remembers any of it. If he did, he might have called the morning after. Hell, he might have been there when I woke up.

It seems like taking off is something he’s good at.

I take my hair out of the ponytail and run my fingers through it, trying to relieve the headache that’s starting. After taking a deep breath, I open the door and walk out of the room.

Brookes McAllister is just another colleague and nothing more. He will never be anything more to me. I have to continue on with my life, working toward my goals without worrying about his presence in my life.

It means nothing to me. He means nothing to me.

We were together one night. It isn’t enough to bend myself out of shape over this man. I was vulnerable with him, and he ran. I should have seen it coming.

I have nobody to blame for this awful situation but myself. I know better than to trust people. I know that I can’t rely on anybody else.

At least today is over and I have twelve hours without Brookes making my heart race.

4

BROOKES

“Alright,” Patrick says as he ties his black curly hair back into a bun while holding a stack of maps between his knees. “This is going to be the first training exercise we go through. It’s also going to be the simplest and most important thing you’ll do here.”

Dani and another man stand beside him, looking sickly in love with each other. I roll my eyes and cut my gaze over to Jessie. My gaze drops to the wine-colored leggings that hug her toned thighs. They form to the curve of her ass, making my cock strain against the front of my pants.

Though it’s cold out, there’s no snow on the ground yet. The sun is shining overhead and fat, fluffy clouds drift across the sky. Pine trees and decaying leaves scent the air as Patrick starts to pass out the maps.

“You and your partner will be navigating part of Rocky Mountain National Park today.” Patrick hands Jessie our map and winks at her. She rolls her eyes and I try not to get irritated.

The two of them have been close all morning, talking about some small coffee shop in town that I’ve never heard of. If I have to listen to them talk about the lemon scones one more time, I think I’m going to lose my mind.

Other people move closer to their partners to look at the maps, but I’m sure Jessie will try to skin me alive if I get closer to her. She glances over at me with a look that promises physical harm if I even think of standing that close to her.

The entire week has been nothing but Jessie busting my balls or barely talking to me. There is no in-between. Hell, the only time she’s nice to me is when we’re around patients.

Maybe I should be worried about her ditching me in the woods and leaving me alone, never to be found again.

That wouldn’t be the worst thing. I wouldn’t have to talk to my dad about how my career change is going. There’d be no listening to the satisfaction in his voice when he tells me I made the wrong choice, even though I know I didn’t.

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