Page 56 of The Doctor's Surprise Family

“Claire? You okay?” Blake touched my hand.

I conjured a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.”

“You’re not getting what Oli had?” He touched my forehead. I brushed him off.

“No, no. I’m fine. Let’s just sit here and watch the last of that sunset, and listen to those crickets sing us their song.”

Maybe it was better to live in the moment, enjoy what I had while I could have it. But if there was the slightest chance Blake would step up, the slightest chance we could be a real family, wasn’t it my job to give him that push? For Oli, at least, if not for myself?

I watched the sun go down over the trees, and the pinpricks of stars scatter the sky. Next time, I promised myself. Next time, I’d ask him. But not tonight, when the moon was so perfect, and Blake’s hand in mine so warm and strong. I’d keep tonight to remember, sweet and perfect, then next time, next time.

Next time, I’d ask.

CHAPTER 19

BLAKE

Ihung up the phone in a state of half-shock: just weeks from now, this could be my life. This could bemyhouse, my patch of backyard. My bedroom. My kitchen. My tree-lined street. A whole new life, but how would it look?

I’d called my CO a few weeks back to feel out my options, just a day or two after our aquarium trip. Today, he’d called back.

“Well, you’re in luck.”

“I am?” My stomach did a backflip.

“Yeah. There’s a fellowship right there in Memphis, a pretty prestigious one, in trauma medicine. You’d be involved in some research, important stuff. The effects of early supportive care on long-term outcomes. I told ’em about you, and they want to meet. But it’d need to be right away, soon as you can. Their first choice dropped out, so they’re in a rush.”

I swallowed. “Right away? As in…?”

“As in toot sweet. You need to un-ass yourself and give ’em a call.”

I licked my lips. This was happening too fast. I had no idea what my life would be here, if Claire would want this, or if she’d push me away. I could uproot my whole life and she could throw up her walls, and I’d be lucky to see Oli on the weekends. We’d end up in court, and?—

“You hear me? Toot sweet. For my sake, as well. I’ll need to replace if you if you head back stateside, so the sooner I know, the less headache for me.”

“Yes, sir,” I said. “Soon as I can.”

I hung up and stood staring out at the yard. Oli could play there if this was my home. I could put up a swing set, or we’d blow more bubbles. Or I could teach him to hit a baseball. We could sit at that picnic table when he got older, doing homework together, or just hanging out.

I turned away from the window, shaking my head. Thatmightbe my life if I moved back stateside, but just as easily, it might not. Claire hadn’t said anything about our lives past my leave. What was I to her, this time around? I’d been looking at this as our big second chance, but maybe to her, I was a fling, and free childcare. Maybe she didn’t trust me much beyond that.

What if I moved home and we didn’t work out? If she met someone else, and he took my place? I might still get Oli on the weekends or birthdays, but he’d call another man Dad. That man would raise him.Thatman would take him on his first fishing trip,thatjerk. That asshole.

I took a deep, shaky breath. That could happen. It could. I could give up the life I’d built — a good life, good friends — and come back here, and have it all fall apart. Icouldend up sidelined, butmaybe I wouldn’t. And if I did, at least I’d be close. At least I’d be here, if Oli needed.

I was deep in my grappling when the doorbell went off. So deep I jumped and slammed my elbow on the counter. I yelled half a word a kid shouldn’t hear, then it occurred to me,what if it’s Oli?I ended up screamingshoe leatherat the top of my lungs, and running to get the door still rubbing my elbow. Sure enough, itwasOli, holding Claire’s hand.

“We were just at the park,” she said. “Hope it’s not a bad time?”

I grinned. “Not at all. Come on in.”

Oli squeezed past me and ran down the hall, out through the kitchen into the backyard. He had a little football, the soft kid-sized kind, and he tossed it back through the door. It bounced off the table and into the trash.

“Sorry,” said Claire. “Oli, not in the house.”

“I’mnotin the house. See? I’m outside!” Oli held out his arms to encompass the outdoors. Claire fished his football out of the trash.

“This stays outside too.” She tossed it back out the door. “He got it at daycare, a present from Mike. A thank-you for Playland. He couldn’t have sent a nice card?”

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