Page 86 of Healing Hearts

Gene’s chest tightened as the vision of a life with Amanda became clear in his mind. A life where they could come home to each other after a day well spent. A vision so simple he hadn’t thought it was for him. Yet, if Amanda was a part of it, it’d fill him with new hope and excitement.

“I’d say Amanda is a hundred percent on her baking game,” Susan claimed, taking Gene out of his epiphany. “This pie is to die for. That girl makes the best pie crust in the county!”

Gene looked at the untouched pie in front of him and picked up his fork.

“Amanda made this?”

“She brought it for me today. It’s my favorite,” Dr. Bloom said, smacking his lips with pleasure.

“It seems she knows everyone’s favorite baked goods,” Gene noted.

“True. Sometimes, she brings me lemon shortbread cookies, which are my favorite with tea,” Susan said. “These special things she does make people’s day.”

“I know.”

Gene took a bite of his pie. The buttery flaky crust balanced the sweet tangy flavor of the strawberry-rhubarb filling, triggering the corners of his mouth into upward in a smile.

She was a genius in pie making.

I miss her pies.

Gene’s mind went straight to the gutter and the memory of his first tasting of Amanda’s pies, and it took everything in him to restrain himself from running out of the Blooms’ house and driving to Amanda’s.

And why would you think she’d open her arms for your stupid ass?

Looking at his hosts and seeing the couple had lived a fully satisfying life together, Gene realized one thing. He could go back to the ER in Atlanta and work his way up the chain to the Chief of Emergency Medicine, or he could travel the world with an organization like Doctors Beyond Borders. Both options were thrilling for different reasons, but he’d be missing something he didn’t want to live without ever again.

But to build that life with Amanda, he would need to lay some foundation first.

“Dr. Bloom,” Gene addressed the senior doctor. “About that three-month contract. I have a proposition for you.”

twenty-nine

One week later…

“You’re sure you don’t want to go to the movies with me and Ash tonight?” Jo asked.

Amanda closed the box with the banana cream pie inside and answered, “You two go ahead. Loki and I are just gonna take it easy tonight.”

“Come on. It’s Saturday night. Let’s hang out. Ash is bringing a friend from work. He’s new in town and wants to meet people.”

A yellow flag sprang up in Amanda’s brain. She loved her best friend, but Jo had been low key pushing one guy or another at Amanda ever since the Gene-Noah debacle. Jo thought it was sad Amanda would rather take a break from dating than pick up where she’d left off with Noah after what Gene had done.

At least it was my decision.

“Next time, okay?” Amanda smiled apologetically. “You guys have fun. I’m beat after volunteering the extra hours last night and coming in early today to bake.”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time at the shelter,” Jo said as they walked back out to the cafe area. “You should also take care of yourself.”

“I am by staying in tonight.” Amanda grinned. “But it’s not like reading books to children was a big hardship. They enjoyed it, I enjoyed it, and their parents got a little break.”

Jo rubbed her arm affectionally. “You’ll be a wonderful mother someday, my friend. You’re so natural at it.”

Amanda laughed. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We still have to get you hitched to that man of yours. We’re all set for dress shopping next weekend, right?”

Jo’s face beamed with a big smile at the reminder.

“Yup. My mom’s arriving on Thursday.”

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