Page 7 of Fix Me Up

I leave without looking back, knowing that if I had a tail, it would be between my legs.

chapter

three

Daisy

“Owen?”

Ursula was the first new friend I made when I moved to Fate. As the pharmacist, she and I always have much to discuss.

We always meet for coffee on Fridays, when the visiting nurse practitioner covers my shift at the practice. The first time I decided to treat myself to a three-day weekend, I never returned to a five-day work week.

“Yep,” I reply, sipping my coffee at Love Games, my favorite store in town. Technically it’s a tabletop gaming store, but they’ve recently expanded to include a separate room for live game play on weekends. During weekdays, the play space doubles as a popular coffee spot. I love sitting here with my friend, gossiping about the town while surrounded by nerd paraphernalia. On top of that, Rhys and Rebel have the entire coffee area decked out with cozy chairs luxurious lighting, and cool music. They’ve also added a shady back patio so coffee customers are encouraged to walk straight in through the alleyway instead of tromping through the game shop.

Ursula is still processing the fact that Owen asked me out.

“The single dad? The one you went on a blind date with on New Year’s?”

“That’s the one,” I say, bracing for the onslaught of questions.

Her face is a mixture of shock, glee, and disbelief. “The one who showed up without a ticket, and also with five thousand questions for you about raising babies? Then broke your high heel when he stepped on your foot on the dance floor? Then proceeded to fall asleep before the midnight countdown? That Owen asked you out?”

Oh god. The memories.

“That took some balls!”

I set down my coffee, letting it cool some more. “Gee, I wonder why I keep reliving that night. Could it be that no one has stopped talking about it?”

“I can’t believe he still wants to go out with you!”

I snort-laugh, “Thanks!”

Ursula shrieks and covers her face. “Sorry! That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

“Sure you didn’t,” I tease.

“It’s just that every time I see him at the pharmacy, he looks so tired and stressed; I don’t know if he’s going to black out or have a heart attack. And Graham will only keep growing and becoming more of a handful. I can’t imagine him having time for a relationship.”

I shrug. “He had time to sit in the waiting room for three hours to ask me. With the kid.”

“You’re kidding,” Ursula says, her eyes wide.

“I wish I were kidding. Cute toddler. Not impressed that he used the kid to get to me.”

Ursula squints. “Are you sure that’s what he was doing? Maybe he doesn’t have a sitter at his beck and call.”

“I can’t believe you’re defending him,” I say.

Then she says the most unexpected words I’ve heard all morning. “You did say yes, though, didn’t you?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh come on. He’s so cute! And he clearly likes you!”

“It would be a conflict of interest,” I say. “A couple of weeks after the blind date, Graham officially became a patient at my practice. I can’t date Graham’s dad.”

Ursula shoots me a sarcastic look. “Babe. Look around you. There are 1,502 people in this town. You can’t not mix business with pleasure because every family member, neighbor, and friend with benefits is also a client. Our entire lives are a conflict of interest.”

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