Page 109 of The Plus One Professional

The elevator doors opened on the third floor, and we turned down the hallway toward radiology. As we walked down the corridor, I got a strange butterfly feeling in my stomach and started to feel like this was a bad idea. “Are you sure this is okay? I don’t want to intrude.”

“It’s fine. My mom’s in a really good mood today, sort of. I think. She keeps laughing, then crying. But, like, not in a sad way.”

I didn’t know what that meant, but my plan was to say a quick hello and then pretend my car had arrived. The closer we got, the louder the sounds of kids talking got. They were talking over each other, so I couldn’t understand what they were saying. As we turned the corner, I heard a voice that had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.

“Boys, settle down.”

My brain was still processing who that voice belonged to when we entered the room and I saw Cole sitting in a waiting room chair, looking so sexy it should be a crime.

He was dressed the same as when I’d run into him in front of Bliss Bridal: white shirt, faded blue jeans, and camel work boots. He looked so ridiculously hot.

When he saw me, he stood up. “Bailey?”

“You know my Uncle CJ?” Carly asked, turning to me.

Oh shit. Cole was Carly’s uncle. I felt like I was a beat behind. That hadn’t clicked when I saw him. All I’d thought about was how sexy he looked.

“You know Bailey?” Cole asked Carly.

“She’s my big sister,” Carly explained as her phone rang, and she moved to the corner to answer it.

Cole looked at me, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a woman being pushed in a wheelchair into the room by a nurse.

“Mom, can we have pizza tonight?” A little boy rushed over to the woman in the wheelchair.

“Yeah, Mom, can we?” the second boy asked. “Uncle CJ said we could only have it if it sounds good to you.”

The woman looked up at Cole and then over at me. “Did Uncle CJ make a friend?”

Hearing that snapped Cole out of staring at me like I was a ghost. He turned toward the woman. “Sara, this is Bailey; Bailey, this is my sister Sara, and my nephews Leo and Luke.”

“Hi.” I waved at the trio.

Luke smiled and waved back. Leo sniffed at me as he tilted his chin up.

“Bailey.” A knowing grin spread on Sara’s face. “Nice tofinallymeet you, Bailey.”

“Nice to meet you, too.” I smiled, not missing the way she’d said finally.

Had Cole mentioned me? If so, what had he said? Had he told them that I broke things off for a stupid reason?

Carly got off the phone, and when she walked over, she said, “That was Riley. Do you think Birdie is really going to be able to get tickets for the show when they come to the city in June?”

“Yeah, I’m sure she can.”

“Carly, you can’t ask Uncle CJ’s friend for tickets,” Sara admonished her.

“Yes, I can. She’s my big sister.”

“Through the program,” I explained again. “The Big Sister program.”

“Wait.” Sara looked between her brother and me as she waved her finger. “So, you’re Carly’s big sister. Did you know that Carly was CJ’s niece?”

“No. No, I just…we just found out,” I rushed to assure her. I didn’t know why it felt so strange.

Sara’s eyes bounced between us. “So you two likereally,reallyknow each other.”

I wasn’t sure why, but I felt on the spot.

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