Page 69 of The Doctor's Surprise Family

I took my time with my charts, putting off going home, but in the end, hunger and exhaustion won out. I texted Blake to let him know not to wait. We’d talk tomorrow, or the day after that. Tonight, all I wanted was food, and then bed. He wrote backNO PROBLEM, and I sighed with relief. But when I rolled up the drive, the lights were on in the guesthouse.

I scowled. “What the hell?”

Blake stepped out on the porch. He had his jacket on — good. He was leaving.

“Sorry,” he said, as I rolled down my window. “I’m going, I swear, but I left you some food. The pie was still baking, so?—”

“That’s okay.”

“Your plate’s in the fridge, but I just put it in. You can nuke it a minute and it should be fine.”

I grunted my thanks, too tired for good manners. Blake held the door for me as I hurried inside. I peeled off my coat and shuffled through to the kitchen, and a delicious smell greeted me. Hot apple pie. My first instinct was to lunge for it, forget the main course. But the pots on the draining board were stacked up high. Whatever Blake had left for me had taken some effort. It felt kind of rude to skip to dessert.

I set my bag on the table and went for the fridge, and took one look inside, and sprinted back for the door. Blake was already pulling away, and I ran after him, shouting his name.

“Blake, wait! Wait! Blake!”

He didn’t hear me. I ran faster. I caught up to his car when he slowed for the gate.

“Blake!”

He leaned out. “Huh? Something wrong?”

I bent over, panting, my hands on my knees. “You— You made?—”

Blake’s door swung open. “You all right?”

“Just out of breath.” I straightened up. “You made everything. Corn. Potatoes. Your special garlic bread, with the cheese in the crust. All— all my favorites.” I coughed, out of breath. Blake steadied me with a hand on my arm.

“I thought you’d be hungry. Did I mess up?”

I shook my head no, still catching my breath.

“You should go in,” said Blake. “It’s freezing out here.”

I nodded. “I know. Would you… come in with me?”

Blake’s brows shot up. “You don’t want me to go?”

“Not yet. I want…” I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but I did know one thing: I couldn’t let Blake drive off so easy. Maybe he didn’t know how to fight, but I sure as hell did, and our family was worth it. I took his hand and gripped it in mine. “Come in and eat with me.”

“Sure. Just a second.” Blake leaned into the front seat and came out with a bag. He held it up, smiling. “I’d packed mine to go.”

We headed back in and unpacked our food. I heated mine up and took my place at the table. Blake watched at I took my first bite of potatoes, delicious and buttery as only he made them.

“Taste okay?”

“Yeah. They’re amazing.” I swallowed past a sudden lump in my throat. “Listen, I wanted?—”

“I needed to?—”

We laughed, stiff and awkward, as we both talked at once.

“You first,” said Blake.

“No, you go ahead.”

Blake straightened up. He set down his fork. “I don’t know if Sam said anything, or if you heard from Joelle, but he read me the riot act the other day in the park.”

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