Page 64 of Doctor Second Chance

I'm literally smiling from ear to ear as I recount last night’s events to Isabella over lunch on the rooftop terrace. The warm Birmingham sun bathes us in a gentle glow, and I feel lighter than I have in days.

"When he showed up after eleven at night, I was stewing so much in my anger that I could barely look at him," I say, sipping my sweet tea. "I basically told him to leave and turned over in my bed."

Isabella leans in, her eyes wide. "You're savage! What happened?"

"He left!" I laugh. "I didn't leave him much of a choice. I mean, as far as I saw it, he's just going to meander in at an indecent hour and act like nothing after not talking to me for days? No thanks, fuck face. That's basically how I felt."

"I got you. But I can see something else went down, so…"

"Well… He came back."

"And, long story short, I heard him out. Begrudgingly. And he had a plausible explanation. Enough so that I wanted to hear more."

I give her the whole shebang, filling her in on Opie's mom, the accident, the coma, and the brain activity. She is the perfect audience for me because she gets me. And she can get mad at Shep with me and then also forgive him.

I laugh, shaking my head. "It turns out he saw Justin holding my hand and thought he was my boyfriend. Can you believe it? He was jealous! That's when he finally got me. How arrogant of me?"

"No way!" Isabella exclaims. "But wait, what about that nurse he was hugging?"

"Oh, that," I wave my hand dismissively. "Carly, a nurse on the floor, is an old friend from his residency. That's why they seemed so familiar. He was just excited because he got news about Ari. She had been following the whole saga. So she was sharing in the good news with him."

Isabella's jaw drops. "Hold up. Are you at all worried about the baby momma? Is it weird he is so worried about her."

I fill her in on the details about Ari's disappearance and subsequent hospitalization and the fact that Shep’s stress (and then his happiness to find out she was hopefully pulling through) was about Ari. "So, no, I find it fucking sexy and sweet."

"Because it is. Wow, he sounds pretty amazing if all of this shakes out to be legit."

“The moral of the story is that it was all just one big misunderstanding after another," I conclude. "We talked it out, and... well, let's just say we made up properly."

Isabella squeals with delight. "Elle! You little slut! In the hospital bed?"

I feel my cheeks flush and can't contain my grin. "Maybe. But Izzy, it felt so right. It’s like all these years apart just melted away. Plus, if you catch my drift, I needed a release down there.”

I wave goodbye to Izzy as she heads off to her cake-tasting with Mark. A pang of sadness hits me—I should be there as her maid of honor, sampling decadent slices and sipping champagne. Instead, I'm shuffling back to my five-by-five hospital room.

I round the corner, and my mood instantly lifts. There's Shep, looking like a snack in his soft scrubs, lounging in the visitor's chair in my room. His eyes light up when he sees me.

"Well, hello there, stranger," I say, unable to keep the grin off my face.

"Hey yourself," he replies, his voice warm and rich like honey.

I don't hesitate. In three quick strides, I'm at the chair. I swing one leg over and straddle his lap, my hands resting on his broad shoulders.

"So, Dr. Duncan," I purr, "I have some bad news about my fine motor skills."

His hands settle on my hips, thumbs tracing small circles. "Oh? Do tell, Ms. Klass."

I lean in close, my lips brushing his ear. "Turns out I'm absolute garbage at Operation. My patient died at least four times."

Shep chuckles, the vibration rumbling through his chest. "That's a shame. I was hoping you'd be my scrub nurse someday."

"Hey now," I protest, pulling back to look him in the eye. "I'll have you know I excel at other... hands-on activities."

His pupils dilate, and I feel a thrill of satisfaction. "Is that so?" he murmurs.

"Mhmm," I nod, trailing a finger down his jawline. "Want me to demonstrate?”

“That is absolutely essential. But first, we need a business meeting.”

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