Page 42 of Forbidden Whispers

“I’m gifted,” Noah said. “Look, I think we’re forgetting the real reason why we’re here.” He turned his attention back to Nora. “Can you please put your feelings about me aside for a moment and just check to see if I was here for treatment Friday night?”

Nora gave him a long look, then, with a huff, turned back to her computer and began tapping on the keyboard.

A moment later, she read from the screen. “Yes, you were in our Emergency Room, and you saw Dr. McCaughan. He was the on-call doc that night.”

“Is there any way I can speak with him?”

“I’m not sure,” Nora said. She did more tapping on her keyboard and then glanced up at them. “You’re in luck. He’s in the building right now.”

Nora directed them through the double doors behind her. They went through them, then walked along a tangle of hallways, following signs to the Emergency Room on the other side of the building.

“Noah,” Maggie said as they walked. “Maybe you should give me a list of all the women in town that you FDF-ed with so that I don’t accidentally match you up with one of them. Although that might be a challenge since we seem to be running into them literally everywhere!”

Noah sighed. “Look, I know it seems like there have been a lot of women, but...” He ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up in that absolutely adorable way of his. “Oh, whatever! Maybe it has been a lot. But please, Mags, can we just focus on Valentina right now?”

“Okay, okay,” she said with a small smile, feeling warmth flood through her upon hearing him use the nickname he’d had for her in high school.

Eventually they walked through another set of double doors to enter the Emergency Room lobby.

Where the main entrance had exuded a somewhat calm, quiet ambiance, this area was bustling with activity. Many of the chairs that ran around the perimeter of the room were filled with people, some reading books, some staring into space, some talking, while a few others were clearly in need of help and were waiting their turn.

Noah and Maggie stepped up to the small desk area. A sliding glass window allowed for communication between staff and visitors.

“Driver’s license and insurance card, please,” said the woman behind the glass, barely glancing up from the paperwork in front of her.

“I’m not here for an emergency,” Noah said. “I was here Friday night, and I’d like to speak with the doctor I saw, Dr. McCaughan?”

The woman looked up then. She was middle-aged and plump with a slightly frazzled air. Dark-rimmed reading glasses were perched at the end of her nose.

“He’s with a patient right now,” she said. “I can let him know that you’re here, but you’ll have to wait a bit.” She indicated the full waiting room with a wave of her arm.

“We understand,” Noah said. “Whenever he’s available. I promise not to take up much of his time.”

Together, he and Maggie claimed two seats away from the other waiting patients.

“I’m sorry I harassed you about your FDFs,” Maggie said, nudging one shoulder against Noah’s. “And you know, despite all the teasing you endured at breakfast, it’s clear that Jake, Alex, Rita, and your grandparents care a lot about you.”

Noah leaned back in the hard plastic seat, his long legs extended straight out in front of him. “I know they do, and I love them. But that doesn’t mean I don’t owe Jake a few good punches for messing with me like that in front of you.”

Maggie smiled. “Isn’t that what brothers do? Not that I have any brothers, but I feel like that’s what most guys always do. They find some way to tease or insult one other, instead of coming right out and admitting they love each other.”

Noah tipped his head, thoughtful. “Yeah, I guess that’s kind of true.”

Maggie turned serious. “Noah, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why didn’t you come right out and tell me about your real dating history when I did my intake interview with you?”

Noah looked down at his hands that were folded in front of him. He slowly rubbed his thumbs together. He was quiet for so long that Maggie wondered if he’d heard her. But then he spoke. “I guess, I was just embarrassed.”

“But why? Back in high school, we used to be comfortable talking about anything with each other,” Maggie said.

He looked up at her and something unreadable glittered in the depths of his eyes. “We did. But high school was a long time ago.”

Maggie thought she heard a hint of sadness in his voice. She dragged her eyes away from his and brushed some imaginary lint off her white shorts. “Let me ask you a different question then. Why do you think you keep choosing the wrong women and having FDFs?”

“Because the universe doesn’t want me to be happy?” Noah said with a smirk.

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