Page 240 of Texting Dr. Stalker

If we met someone new who didn’t know our destiny granted by our grandparents, they’d smile uncertainly at the doctor who’d married the flower child. In reality, we shouldn’t really go together, but thanks to a pact made decades ago, our future had already been written.

Besides, they only saw the upstanding, risk-averse doctor while I got the slightly dangerous, mask-wearing motorcycle rider who sometimes dragged me out of bed at two in the morning to go soaring into the stars. The stalker who’d tattooed the smallest skull above his hip—hidden beneath his scrubs and only visible when he made dirty, wonderful love to me.

“Anything important?” I asked as I made up two plates and carried them to the table.

Zander didn’t look up from his phone, a frown cutting his forehead.

“Uh-oh.” I sat down and picked up my fork. “I know that look. Do you have to go back in?”

His eyes met mine. “Sorry, no, I…I just got an email from the staffing office.”

“Oh? What did it say?” I took a bite of juicy, buttery fish.

“They wished me a wonderful time on my honeymoon. And not to answer my phone under any circumstances.”

“What? I thought we agreed we couldn’t have a honeymoon? You’re too busy and—”

“We did.” He passed his phone to me. “But somehow, I have leave booked for three weeks. Starting tomorrow.”

“How?” I scanned the email, then jolted as a message from Colin popped up. “Colin’s just texted you. He says to call him.”

He frowned and took back his phone. “What the hell is he up to?”

I shrugged. “Better call him and find out, I guess?”

With a worried look, Zander pressed Colin’s number and put the phone on speaker between us. It only rang once before Colin picked up.

“Now…before you get mad at me, there’s a reason I didn’t tell you.”

“Why would I get mad, Col?” Zander cracked his knuckles as if his friend was here to punch him. “What did you do? Are you behind the fact that I have three weeks off when I didn’t ask for any?”

“I am.”

“Why?”

“Because you wouldn’t have taken the time off if it wasn’t for me. You would’ve let your poor little wife go without a honeymoon all because you’re a workaholic.”

“I have a few important surgeries coming up. I can’t just—”

“You’llalwayshave important surgeries coming up, Zan. That’s the point. There will never be a break from the work. There will never be a good time to get away. Not one, do you hear me? When you’re on your deathbed and someone asks what you most regret, you know what you’ll say? You’ll say you regret not spending more time with your delectable wife and so…you’re welcome.”

Zander flinched as Colin struck a nerve. Before he could reply, Colin added, “There are other doctors. Other surgeons. Your patients won’t suffer, and you aren’t letting anyone down by putting yourself first for a few weeks. Didn’t you tell me you wanted to find a better work-life balance now that you’re hitched? Well…this is me fulfilling that wish.”

“I don’t understand how they let you ask for it off. Isn’t there some sort of—”

“Yeah, about that. I kinda had help. Of the legal kind.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“It wasn’t entirely Colin’s fault, Zander,” a woman cut in, a smile in her voice. “I’m half to blame.”

“Christina?” Zander scowled at me before looking at his phone again. “Why are you with Colin? What the hell is going on?”

No one spoke for a second but then Christina blurted, “I’m at Colin’s place because we’re kind of…you know. Seeing how it goes. And before you start, Colin arranged your leave because, the day after you two got married, the family lawyer called me. He delivered a document that demanded your presence at some secretive location, and when we showed it to the hospital, they were only too happy to give you time off.”

“Wait. Why did the family lawyer contact you? I’m the one in charge of the Norths’ affairs.”

“Because he had strict instructions from Gran to tell me over you.”

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