Page 33 of The Doctor's Truth

“Good news…I think you’re going to live.”

“My hero.”

“You better be glad I found you here and not Donovan.”

“Oh, yeah. He would’ve left me. Teach me a lesson.”

“Would you have learned?”

“Me? Learning a lesson? Seems unlikely.”

He snorts a laugh. “That’s why I don’t try. You’re a grown-ass woman. You can make your own mistakes.”

“You’re a good person, Jason.”

“So are you.”

Something about that makes me shy. I shrug my chin into my chest. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

“No, I guess not. You’re a bad girl. A naughty girl.”

I scoff on a laugh. “You have me pegged.”

Our eyes meet. “What are you doing for the holidays?” he asks.

“Um…”

I know what I want to be doing. But I also know what I should be doing—avoiding Jason at all costs.

“Retract that question,” he says stubbornly. “I know what you’re doing. There’s a Christmas Eve ferry ride they do every year. They put on a band. Serve hot chocolate. The whole thing. Departs at seven thirty. Otto will love it.”

“I’ll think about it.”

He squints at me. “You do this a lot, don’t you?”

“Do what?”

“Pretend like you’re going to commit to something and then bail at the last second.”

“I do not!”

But even as I protest, I feel my face flush. I am notorious for backing out of any and all plans.

He holds out his hand and extends his pinky. “Promise you’ll come.”

I snort a laugh. “What are we, twelve?”

“Muskrat swear that you and Otto will be on the ferry Christmas Eve.”

I hook my pinky in his. “We’ll be there.”

“Wasn’t so hard, was it?”

I crinkle my nose at him.

18

Jason

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