Page 63 of My Heart Before You

Colin:Preferably I’d like to stay in a condition to continue working in my chosen profession.

She felt bad about that. Luckily, he’d said he was in the office tomorrow and would be able to sit down and rest his ankle during his appointments.

Emilie:Fine no ice skating, what did you have in mind?

Colin:How about dinner at L’eau?

A quick Google search revealed a beautiful waterfront French restaurant. Her stomach flipped just looking at the pictures. Not ready to take their fledgling relationship to amazing French restaurant level, she held her breath as she sent her message.

Emilie:I’m not quite ready for dinner

He responded back almost instantly.

Colin:How about brunch? Everyone loves brunch.

She laughed at the true statement.

Emilie:I do love brunch

Colin:Thursday?

Pulling up her calendar she confirmed.

Emilie:Thursday is good

Colin:Perfect. I’ll pick you up at 10.

She smiled at her screen for a long while before setting it on the table and resting her head on the window. Analie was right; everything was going to be okay.

?Chapter 24?

Colin stood in the shower longer than he usually would, letting the hot water beat over his skin as he delayed the inevitable. Avoidance usually came easily to him, but there was no avoiding the brutality of a northeastern winter. He’d given himself credit for making it through the last few months with a pretty good attitude, even though it had been completely, ridiculously, and unnecessarily cold all the time.

Now that it was late March, he’d hoped to see some semblance of old man winter loosening his grip. The only thing distracting him from the frigid temperature was the time he spent with Emilie. The last six weeks had been the best of his life. He’d savor the few hours they would get together once a week and then impatiently count the minutes until their next date.

Exiting the revolving doors to his building, an icy wind slapped him hard across what part of his face was exposed. His eyes immediately started watering, and he grumbled, pulling his thick fleece scarf up until it brushed his lower eyelashes. At least the walk to the hospital was short.

Once all his necessary and numerous winter belongings were securely locked away, he double checked his OR assignments for the day.

“Good morning, Dr. Abernan,” Kitty sang as she walked past him.

Resisting the urge not to just grunt in response, he said, “Good morning, Kitty. Are you circulating today?” She wasn’t wearing her manager's white coat.

“No, just got hot wearing my coat.”

He couldn’t imagine being hot on a morning like this, but he also wasn’t a menopausal woman.

“I’ll be in meetings all day. I probably should wear business clothes, but I’m used to living in scrubs.” She smiled as she shrugged.

“I completely understand.” He grinned back at her, preferring scrubs to dress shirts anyday. “Have a good day.”

“You too.”

His morning pre-surgery routine went smoothly, and he was halfway through his routine quadruple bypass when his mind began to wander. It went to where it usually did, thoughts of Emilie—specifically the realization that he was in love with her.

He was having a hard time putting words to the way he felt about Emilie. It was so much more than this pulsing need to be near her. Or the feeling of her gorgeous freckled skin under his fingers and her lips on his. Or the way her laugh lit up something that had long been dimmed and dark inside him. Or that her strength made him proud that she’d chosen to be with him when she could have anyone. It was a beat that drummed in his chest every moment of every day, unwavering in its veracity.

He thought he’d been in love his senior year of high school, and foolishly opened theWhen you fall in loveletter before understanding what love really was. The way he felt about Emilie was like nothing he’d ever experienced, so he’d pulled out that letter from the bottom of his box last night and read it again to see if it made more sense.

---