Page 8 of All I Want

Her heart clenched again. When she’d moved to the city and heard about what he did for the kids and the hospital, she’d wondered if his charity work had anything to do with her sister. He could’ve supported anything, but he’d started the Warriors, and the city loved him for it.

“Yeah, the kids are great, and I want to do whatever I can for them, even if it’s just coming to a game.”

“Thank you for doing that. The kids love going to the games and seeing the players.”

“And, I’m so proud of you, Dr. Maggie. I knew you could do whatever you set your mind to,” he said, nudging her shoulder. “But how have we not run into each other at the hospital?”

“I don’t know,” she hedged. “My schedule’s been crazy, and I’ve only been here a few months.”

“Sure you weren’t avoiding me?”

She fiddled with the rim of her glass. Damn straight she’d avoided him. What was she supposed to say to the man she’d loved for so long and then bailed on?

“Of course not. Just a crazy schedule. I was going to reach out when I was settled.” His eyes narrowed; even she didn’t believe her lies.

“But you didn’t.”

She hated what she heard in his voice. It was completely valid.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve called you or asked to come to a game earlier in the season. But now we’re here, and I want us to be friends.”

“Right, friends. So, how’s everything going? Seeing anyone?”

She scoffed. “Ah, definitely not. Residency and all,” she said with a wave of her hand. She didn’t want to discuss her dating life, or his, for that matter.

He got up and grabbed her hand. “Come on,” he said, guiding her toward a small table in the corner.

She tamped down the nerves somersaulting through her belly when he linked his fingers through hers, pulling her to the empty table. She scolded herself for missing his touch when he dropped his hold so they could sit down. Her reaction tonight was one of the reasons she hadn’t wanted to see him again.

He wasn’t single. She had no time for dating. And he wouldn’t want her after the way she’d left him.

She continued repeating that mantra as a waitress dropped off another round of drinks she hadn’t realized he’d ordered.

“So, catch me up on all things Maggie,” he said, eying her over his beer.

She laughed. “I’m not sure where to start.”

“Why San Francisco? Not that we don’t have top-notch hospitals here, and not that I want to believe you picked a hospital in the city where I live.”

Was that hope in his eyes? No. Of course not.

“Ego, much,” she teased, avoiding the question. “I applied to a bunch of hospitals across the country. I wanted something new, a change of location, and this is one of the best children’s hospitals in the country. When they offered me the position, I wasn’t going to say no.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. It’ll be nice to have an old friend from home out here.”

“Yeah, me too,” she said, taking a sip of her beer.

Friend.There was that word again. The word she’d asked for.

A word she was beginning to hate, but she shouldn’t want what she couldn’t have.

***

“You did not,”Maggie said, her cheeks sore from laughing an hour—and two drinks—later. She was still tucked away at the table with Alex. They’d caught each other up on the last four years, and god, she’d missed this. Him. Maybe they could do this. Be friends.

“When the kids want you to dress like Olaf and have a Frozen singing contest, you do it,” he said, with a grin.

“But you can’t sing. You’re bad, cats in heat crying bad.” She giggled.

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