Page 81 of Torn In Two

I dropped into the empty seat beside her and reached across the table to shake Hawk’s hand, feeling vaguely guilty for the feelings I was harboring for his woman.

He raised his glass at me. “Glad you made it.”

“You promised me a drink, so I figured it would be rude not to show.”

Hawk grinned and signaled to the waiter. “Can we get another round? Top shelf. Whatever our friend here wants. He delivered a baby this afternoon, so he deserves it.”

The waiter widened his eyes. “Seriously?”

I laughed uncomfortably. “I’m a doctor, so it’s not actually as impressive as it sounds.”

Kara shook her head. “Actually, it was. I was terrified the entire time, but you were so calm and collected. Even when the baby wasn’t breathing, you just got the job done. You were amazing.”

I swallowed thickly, accepting her praise awkwardly, all while wishing she was calling me amazing for any other reason.

I was a good doctor. I knew that. But I didn’t want that to be the only thing she saw.

I wanted her to see me as a man.

But then she turned to Hawk and gazed at him the way I wanted her to look at me, and I told the waiter to make mine a double.

I needed it if I was going to be the third wheel with the two of them all night. Watching him whisper in her ear and her laugh and lean into him suddenly seemed like the worst sort of torture. I struggled to remember exactly why I was subjecting myself to it.

When the waiter brought my drink, I downed it in one and asked for another.

Kara pulled away from Hawk and leaned into me as I set my glass back down on the table. “So we’ll have to reschedule Hayley Jade’s appointment. Any idea when you might want to do that?”

I stalled on my answer, realizing if I was in agony now, spending more and more time with them wasn’t exactly going to help. I couldn’t be her therapist when I wanted to be so much more.

I was saved by Kara’s gaze flickering to focus over my shoulder. “Hey! They let you out of the kitchen!”

Hawk overdramatically screwed up his face. “Oh, look who it is, here to wreck my mood.” But there was a renewed interest in his eyes, and he didn’t turn away from whoever was approaching the table.

I swiveled, relieved to be off the hook but then groaning internally at the sight of Hayden strolling across the restaurant in his all-black chef uniform, hair tied back in a messy low ponytail at the base of his neck, and a barely there beard covering his cheeks.

“Jesus Christ,” I muttered into my drink. “Could he be any more attractive?”

Hawk glanced over at me and snorted.

Red-hot embarrassment skated down my neck that he’d heard. I cringed. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to say that.”

Hawk eyed me. “You swing that way?”

I shook my head. “Doesn’t mean I’m blind though.”

Hawk chuckled quietly, his gaze too all-knowing for me to continue to hold.

Kara eyed us curiously, but then Hayden was at the table, gripping the edge of it and leaning down to plant a kiss on Kara’s mouth.

Jealousy surged inside me that both he and Hawk got to do that. Got to touch her all they wanted while everything inside me ached to do the same.

“Everything okay with you all?” Hayden asked. His gaze fell on me. “Grayson, right? We met when Kara was in the hospital. Heard you also deliver babies in your spare time.”

“Only on Fridays,” I joked lamely, desperate to change the subject. “Great place you have here. Opening night seems like it’s going well. Tables are all full. Food smells amazing.” I held up my half-empty glass. “Drinks are sweet.”

Hayden grinned and tapped the menus on the middle of the table that we hadn’t even opened yet because I’d been too busy drowning my sorrows in whiskey. “I recommend the trout.”

Hawk grinned across the table at me. “Nice and light. So you aren’t too full for…dessert.”

---