Page 57 of Dr. Intern

Parker may be leading the retreat, but Walker’s outdone himself with hosting. I have no idea how in the fuck he had time to get all of this together with everything else going on in his life. I’ve wanted to ask him how the conversation with his wife went, but we haven’t been alone together, and he’s been in entertaining mode, constantly on the move as he makes sure people have what they need.

I’m hoping now that we’re settled by the campfire I’ll be able to chat with Parker about Claire. I deliberately plopped my chair next to his and offered him a Budweiser even though he’s not a big drinker. Parker took it, nursing the beer as he directed the general surgery residents on how to make a proper fire. I couldn’t help giving him shit about his instructions—he’s a city boy through and through, and he has absolutely no business teaching people how to make a campfire. Probably not the best move if I’m trying to butter him up, but I just couldn’t resist.

Currently, we’re playing a game called Truth or Drink. The rules are simple: one person picks a question and asks it to the group. Everyone has to either answer, or take a sip of whatever libation they’re enjoying. Some of the questions have been pretty funny, actually, especially when someone asked who the scariest attending was, and the general surgery interns unanimously pointed at Parker.

“Buffington, your turn,” Matt nudges me from my left. His backward baseball cap looks ridiculous with his thinning hairline, but I know he’s just trying to look cool in front of the only female ortho intern he’s obsessed with. “You’re the last one.”

“Sorry, what was the question again?”

Someone across the campfire calls, “Would you rather take call for a week straight or spend a month only debriding necrotic wounds.”

I make a gesture of throwing up and immediately respond, “Call for a week straight, for sure. Pretty sure I’ll be smelling those debriding cases until the day I die.”

Everyone laughs and one of the girls from general, whose name I can’t remember, says, “Okay, my turn to pick the question. Who in the group would you not want your sister to date?” The question sends a ripple of laughter and hushed whispers around the campfire.

Walker leans over to me and grumbles, “This is a stupid fucking question. I don’t even have a sister.”

I smirk, waiting for someone to respond. I’d probably pick Walker just to fuck with him. Although, if I had a sister, he wouldn’t be a half-bad choice. The man is perfect.

Parker, who’s been watching the game with a mix of amusement and detachment, leans forward slightly. “I’ll answer that,” he offers.

Everyone turns to him with surprise, considering he’s flat-out refused to play the game so far.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Parker says, shaking his head at everyone. “This is the easiest question you guys have posed all night.”

He turns to look at me, almost in slow motion, and responds, “Dr. Beau Buffington.”

Chapter 23

Claire

It turns out the stories where the fireman rescues the cat aren’t that unrealistic, because I’m currently standing on the back of the sectional trying to pull Frosty from the top of our ten-foot Christmas tree. I turned my back for less than five minutes to put cookies in the oven and found him batting at ornaments halfway up the trunk of my beautifully flocked tree. When I tried to snatch him, he burrowed himself deeper into the branches, daring me to play his little game of hide and seek.

The good news is, he’s adorable and I could never be mad at him. The orange devil brings me so much joy that all of his shenanigans make me laugh rather than yell. Beau, on the other hand, is having a hard time. His supernatural patience is stretched thin by the kitten, and it’s hilarious teaming up against him whenever we can.If we were ever parents, I would one hundred percent be the fun one, and Beau would be the disciplinarian because that’s exactly how it goes with Frosty.

Once I got back from Cassidy’s parent’s house, I practically had to force myself to not text Beau. I desperately wanted to know how the conversation with Parker went but have been doing everything in my power to stay occupied. This morning that meant putting on my oversized Christmas sweatshirt that says “Tis the Damn Season” with a pair of black leggings, and getting to work.

Parker had practically nothing festive in storage, so I took advantage of the weekend sales and turned this place into a winter wonderland. Almost every inch of the condo is covered in something Christmasy at this point, except for my roommate’s bedroom. Though if Beau wants help decorating up there, I’d be happy to help him. I feel like stockings would look incredible hanging from his bed.

“Just because you live with a doctor who fixes bones, doesn’t mean you should try to break them,” Beau’s voice calls as he closes the front door.

“Almost got him,” I grit out, ignoring his warning as I push myself up onto my toes and reach for the kitten. “Come here, buddy.”

I hold my breath, as if that will make me grow the extra inch that I need to grab Frosty. Without thinking, I jump slightly, catching hold of his scruff and pulling him down from his perch. Normally the movement wouldn’t have been a problem, but my ankle twists slightly on landing, causing me to lose my footing on the back of the sofa.

My stomach drops with the sensation of falling, but before I can even process what’s happening, my rapid descent halts abruptly. Two strong hands grip my waist and hold me in the air like we’re the main characters in Dirty Dancing . . . only definitely less graceful.

Regaining my bearings on the ground, with Frosty nestled in my arms, I’m acutely aware of Beau’s fingers still tightly wrapped around my hips. My heart races, not just from the near-fall, but also from his touch which now sends a distinct thrill through me. It’s been too long since I felt him on my skin.

Now that we’ve had our little revelation, my body seems to have given itself permission to react to everything he does. Even a simple flirty text sends me spinning into a haze of longing, desperate to relive our night together.

It would be easy to be pissed at my brother for complicating things, but I understand where Beau’s coming from. Parker doesn’t have many friends, and he seems to have a serious aversion to secret keeping after what happened last year, so I can imagine he would freak out if he found out Beau and I were seeing each other behind his back. Not that my brother has any control over my relationships, but I know both Parker and Beau value their friendship, and having this conversation up front is the right thing to do.

The kitten yells, and I quickly bend to the ground to let him scamper away, forcing Beau to release me from his grip.

“Sorry,” I say quietly as I stand up. “Thought I could do it on my own.”

The darkness in Beau’s eyes quickly dissipates now that he knows I’m safe. “I knew you would the second I saw you up on that couch. It’s a good thing I’m still fast as fuck.”

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