Page 54 of Between Our Hearts

Sadie found herself laughing again. “That’s true.”

“It’s settled, then.” The tension in Parker’s jaw seemed to loosen as she leaned her elbows on the table. “Did I tell you about the amature MMA fighter I treated on Tuesday?”

The corner of her mouth kicked up. “No. No, you didn’t.”

?Chapter 28?

“Poison control and all the emergency numbers are on the fridge.” Clark ran a hand through his hair before remembering he’d styled it with pomade.

“Clark, relax. Iamthe emergency response, remember? I know it’s been a while since I’ve watched her, but we got this, don’t we Lottie?” Parker held her free hand up for a high five. Her other hand was securely wrapped around his daughter’s waist, keeping her on Parker’s romper covered hip.

Lottie stopped tracing the pumpkin vines on Parker’s forearm and slapped her little fingers to Parker’s. “Yeah!”

He was about to run through Lottie’s bedtime routine again when Sadie breezed into the kitchen. Her hair was down, falling in waves over the jacket of her light grey pantsuit.

“Ready?”

“Yeah,” he breathed once the air returned to his lungs again.

After goodbye kisses for Lottie, they paused in the mudroom for Sadie to slip on her flats. He jogged around to the passenger side of his truck to open the door before Sadie pulled it open herself.

His wife paused before getting in. “You look really nice tonight.” Her hand ran the button line of his navy collared shirt underneath his open black suit jacket. Seemingly unsatisfied, her fingers raised again, fidgeting with the knot of his black tie.

“You too.” The words hoarsely left his lips.

Her eyes flicked to his as her mouth parted slightly. He was leaning in when the garage door flung open.

“Bye bye!” Their daughter waved enthusiastically.

“Okay.” Parker ran into the door frame. “She’s definitely gotten faster in the last couple of months.”

A strangled sound broke from his throat, but Sadie only smiled as she stepped into the cab of his truck. “Have a good time, you two.”

???

After a short ceremony congratulating each resident and the giving away of various accolades, everyone gathered around the dining tables of the second-story private room of the swanky restaurant. Overlapping conversations bounced around the room as people drank their cocktails and gathered plates from the various food stations.

Not every attending surgeon in the group was there, but since his wife was the director, she and a few others who worked more closely with the residents were. He’d recognized some of her colleagues’ faces and was introduced to those he hadn’t met before the simple ceremony started. Five residents had graduated this year including Sadie’s favorite, Reagan. His wife was incredibly excited that Reagan had decided to take an offer with their surgical group and stay in Durham.

As Sadie moved around the room, congratulating each resident in turn, Clark collected another plate of delicious morsels. Even as he was placing asparagus wrapped in prosciutto on his plate, he couldn’t help watching his gorgeous wife. She’d discarded her light grey blazer, and her skin seemed to glow from beneath her silky white sleeveless blouse.

“Where’s that sweetheart of yours?” Maggie, the surgery practice’s office manager, asked from behind him, holding an empty plate.

“A friend is watching her tonight.”

“That’s nice.” She smiled, picking up a spoonful of lobster mac‘n’cheese. “It’s good for parents to get out by themselves every once in a while. I bet since your daughter is getting older, you two have been able to get out a bit more.”

“Yeah, it’s been nice,” he lied. He and Sadie still had a lot of emotional space between them to recover, but he hoped regular date nights would come back into their life soon.

Maggie placed two rolls on her plate, continuing on. “How are all the projects on the house going? Sadie says you’re always improving something.”

A pleasant resonance settled just beneath his breastbone. Sadie wasn’t the type to share unnecessary information or engage in small talk. If Maggie knew about his work at home, then his wife must have cared enough to discuss it on her own terms.

His eyes found Sadie again standing beside three colleagues. Clark could tell by the movement of her hands that she was detailing a surgery. That excited glow hovered around her, making her so beautiful he had to resist the urge to cover his pounding heart with his palm.

“I usually have a project underway.”

“Since she’s been picking up so many extra call shifts and scheduling those extra surgeries, it must be an expensive project.”

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