Page 145 of Summer with the Single Dad

“I’m telling you, you didn’t kill him,” Paulette said. Then she pulled Justine in for a hug, laughing as Justine laughed and cried. “You have one of the lowest mortality rates in the hospital. Nobody thought for a second that you did.”

They pulled away and Justine chuckled through the tears. She used the hem of her T-shirt to wipe her eyes.

“When are you coming back?” Paulette asked. “I miss operating with you.”

Justine glanced away, finding Bennett in the crowd, unable to ignore the surge of emotions that filled her, or the undeniable sense of peace that took over her body. She sighed and smiled. “I don’t think I am. I want to stay here.”

“You could pick worse places, I suppose.” Paulette sipped her prosecco then gripped Justine’s arm. “Change of subject, but did you see the chocolate wedding favors? They’re shaped an awful lot like,” her face pinched in thought for a second and she brought her voice down, “buttholes. Do you think that was an error?”

Justine grinned. “The only error that was made was Ashli sleeping with my fiancé and choosing to get married where my boyfriend works. I may or may not have suggested the chocolatier and the different shaped confections they offer.” She winked which prompted Paulette to snicker and shake her head in appreciation and approval.

“Excuse me,” came a deep, dark rumble. “I couldn’t help but overhear, but I’ve heard the tale of the woman in the white robe who performed an emergency cricothyrotomy today. I had to come and meet you.” A tall black man with straight white teeth, a killer smile, and short black curly hair held out his enormous hand. “Dr. Grayson Malone.”

She took his hand. His shake was strong and confident. “You’re Dr. Malone!”

He chuckled. “I am. You’ve heard of me?”

“Just today for the first time. Ellie at the spa said you’d hire me on the spot.”

His laugh grew deeper and more infectious. “Did she now?”

“She said you just lost a doctor who moved to Africa to fix cleft palates and that you need a replacement. Maybe I can be that replacement?”

“What kind of a doctor are you?” The twinkle in his light brown eyes said he’d already hired her. This impromptu interview was just for fun.

“Cardiothoracic surgeon, but I did a rotation in family medicine as well as one in emergency before I settled on surgery and specialized.”

His brows hiked, but the half-smirk said he knew that.

“Come by the clinic tomorrow. Let’s chat more.”

“What time?”

“Ten-ish?”

“I’ll be there.”

With a smile that could make even a nun blush, he wandered back into the crowd.

“Okay, maybe I need to move here too. He is damn fine. I’d go all Grey’s Anatomy in an on-call closet with him,” Paulette said.

A peel of laughter fled Justine’s mouth, and she clamped her hand over it. “Paulette!”

“What? I’m freshly divorced and back on the market. I need to see what’s out there. And that man is definitely on my shopping list.”

“You’re terrible.”

“I’m also horny.”

They both giggled, but then Paulette’s face turned serious. “I am going to miss you though.”

“Why’d you come to the wedding?” That question ate at Justine the moment Paulette approached her. If they were such good friends, why’d Paulette RSVP “yes” to the union of the damned?

Paulette’s face turned sheepish. “You and Tad are my friends. Or at least he was. I don’t agree with what he did to you, and I’ve never liked Ashli. But as a surgeon, I respected him. I don’t as a person anymore though. And I’m sorry if you feel like me coming here today was a betrayal to you. It gave me a chance to see you again though. And take that weight off your shoulders about your patient.”

Justine did a big horse-style raspberry with her lips. “Yeah. There is that. I definitely feel lighter.”

“Good.” They hugged once more, then Paulette drifted off into the crowd.

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