Page 3 of All I Want

Callie grinned. “Yes, but I’m not blind. So, what’s your deal with him? Come to think of it, you’re never around when he stops by. At least from what I remember.”

“I should get back to my patients.”

“I know for a fact that you just did your rounds and I’m due for a quick break. Want to grab coffee?” Callie asked.

Maggie’s phone buzzed.

Saved by a meeting.

“Sorry, I can’t. Forgot I have a meeting with Sandra,” she said, backing away from her friend.

“This isn’t over, Maggie,” Callie called out as Maggie headed to her boss’s office, hoping her meeting ran long and that Callie would forget about the game.

***

Five hours later,Maggie couldn’t wait to crawl into her bed. The combination of a late night last night after the game went to overtime and checking in on Camilla, her ten-year-old patient who was back in the hospital after she’d gone through remission twice, had taken its toll. She both loved and hated her job, but seeing Camilla back in a hospital bed hit a little too close to home. Camilla reminded Maggie of her sister, Grace. Same bright smile through the pain, and a giggle that brought Maggie back to high school, when her eleven-year-old sister was battling the same aggressive cancer that plagued Camilla.

Grace was why Maggie had pursued pediatric oncology. She hadn’t been able to save her sister, but she’d do everything she could to help other kids battling cancer.

“Hey, you up for that coffee yet?” Callie said.

“Crap, you startled me,” Maggie said, laughing and shoving aside thoughts of her sister.

“I’m about to clock out and you look like you need a breather.”

“That obvious, huh?”

“I saw Camilla was back,” Callie said, shaking her head. “I’d really hoped…”

“Me too. And yes, I could use a caffeine boost,” she said, locking up her tablet and following Callie to the elevator. She didn’t want to talk about Camilla.

“Don’t think you’re getting out of telling me how you know Westie,” Callie said over her shoulder, her grin back in place.

Maggie paused. Crap, she’d forgotten all about her upcoming inquisition. Maybe she didn’t need coffee after all.

Callie linked her arm with Maggie’s. “Don’t even try to escape. You’re holding out on your best friend. It really hurts, Mags, like a lot.”

Maggie couldn’t stop her smile. Maybe confiding in her new friend was a good thing.

They found a table in the hospital café and tucked into the corner with their coffees and a cookie or two. Okay, she’d grabbed two. A balanced diet was a cookie in each hand, and she excelled at stress eating. Good thing she also enjoyed cardio, and working at the hospital kept her constantly moving.

“Now spill.”

“It was a great game. I’m glad they won. The kids had so much fun. I’d forgotten how loud kids can get when they’re excited.” And she had loved it, loved watching him play live again. It’d been way too long.

The penalty had been bullshit, but they’d killed it and she was not ashamed to admit how loud she’d cheered when he’d sunk the puck into the back of the net twice. Nor could she forget the heat in her cheeks when he looked up at this suite and saluted the kids. She swore he’d spotted her in the corner, but that was ridiculous.

“Yeah, yeah. It was a great game. They won. Now stop hedging. How do you know Westie? I’m honestly a crappy friend for not calling you out on your clear avoidance skills before,” Callie said over her coffee cup.

“I’m not avoiding him. I’m just busy. Being a new resident isn’t easy,” she said.

Callie waved her off. “Yeah, yeah. Spill, lady.”

She took a deep breath. “I grew up with Westie—with Alex, in a suburb outside of Chicago. He lived on the street behind mine and sat behind me in school.”

“And?”

“We may have dated.”

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