Page 39 of My Heart Before You

“The best advice would be to find someone to keep you warm on the long winter nights.” Max wrapped his arm around his wife and squeezed her to him.

Kate playfully hit her husband in the chest. “Max! Leave him alone. He’ll find someone when he’s ready.”

“So when he’sseventy?”

“Colin’s more of a gentleman than you are. He’s probably taking his time finding the right woman.”

“First off, I was a perfect gentleman when we started dating . . .” She arched an auburn eyebrow. “. . . well, almost a perfect gentleman. Secondly, he’s not even looking. This is why I think we should set him up. Amanda from your office seems nice. Who knows, maybe they’ll hit it off.”

“He’s probably looking for someone who likes him for him, not someone who specifically asked me to set her up with one of my husband’s ‘doctor friends,’” she scoffed, using finger quotes.

“So he’s a talented surgeon. Should we hide that fact from the world? Anybody can Google him.”

Colin cleared his throat loudly, bringing to his friends’ attention that they were not at home alone having this discussion but conducting it in front of him. Two sets of eyes blinked at him.

“I can see this is not the first time you’ve had this conversation. Thank you for your concern but I’mfine.” Adding as an afterthought, he slipped into old habits. “I’m too busy with work for a relationship anyway.”

“Oh no you don’t. You can’t use that excuse anymore. I know exactly how many hours you work, and there’s plenty of time . . .” Max smiled at this wife. “. . . to find a wonderful, smart, incredible woman who you love and respect.”

Kate turned and gave her husband a quick kiss. As the two grinned at each other, momentarily caught up in their affection, a pressure built in Colin’s chest that came out as a single dangerous word.

“Actually . . .”

He gripped his teeth together tightly. Both of them would jump on the hopefulness in his voice like hammerheads on fresh chum.

“Actually?” They said in chorus.

He let out a groan and flopped back in his chair, covering his head in his hand. Instead of facing the questioning firing squad like he expected, the two of them started whispering to each other excitedly as if conspiring against him. Clips of phrases slipped to him. “No, don’t, you’ll scare him off.” “I don’t know, I’d never seen her before.” “Which one?”

“Guys, this is worse than a thirty-six hour shift.” He sat up with a long exhale. “Get on with it.”

Kate straightened herself slowly and seemed to be mentally sorting through a list, as if she only had one question to ask the President of the United States. “Is it the brunette in the green dress from the party?”

His mouth gaped momentarily before composing himself.

“How did—” came out at the same time Max asked, “What brunette in a green dress?”

At that second, Owen’s computerized cry screeched through the baby monitor on the coffee table between them. Max snapped it up and turned the volume down, having a wordless conversation with Kate.

When Max stood to help his son, Colin did the same. “I had a great time, really, but it’s late. I think I should be going.”

“Oh no, you didn’t answer the question!” Kate shot up and pointed her finger at him.

They stood at a momentary standstill for a handful of seconds before Owen’s increasing cries tumbled down the staircase and broke them from their deadlock.

Max pushed past his wife towards the stairs. “Don’t let him leave.”

“I think it would be best if you sat down.” She motioned to the chair.

“Really?”

This was insane, even for them.

Kate’s expression softened. “I’ve known you for four years. I know that’s not as long as Max has, but in those years, I’ve never seen you with someone you really cherished. You hold your heart so protected it’s hard for anyone to get through. I know that life has been harder on you than most, but don’t you think that’s even more of a reason to find someone to love?”

He was silent for a moment trying to think of how to explain why he lived the way he had for so long. How for years he’d been terrified of the idea of finally letting his guard down. But now that he’d met a woman he wasn’t just willing to, but really wanted to try a real relationship with, she wasn’t interested.

“It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t see me that way.”

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