Page 38 of Slash & Burn

The hospital director was beaming up at Grady, the sincerity in her smile warm enough to melt through the apprehension that was still trickling through my veins.

“It’s our pleasure, really,” he said, glancing over at me with a proud grin.

He was looking especially good that morning, his clean-shaven jaw so sharp you could cut your hand on it. The crisp white collar of his button down was open at the top, giving him a relaxed look, even if the rest of his suit was nothing but polished. We’d never discussed wardrobe for these things, and every time he’d shown up in something slightly different, but today’s get-up was downright mouthwatering.

Part of me wondered if that was on purpose.

We hadn’t seen each other since the pool, and our texts had been minimal and professional. But when I pulled up to his house that morning, he was waiting for me at the door and I could have sworn he’d blushed, just a little.

“We’ve got a group just down that hall waiting for you,” she went on. “And then, if you have time, some of the older kids are upstairs, and they’d love it if you could pop in to say hi.”

Grady nodded enthusiastically. “Whatever you like, I’ve got no place else to be today but here, so just show me the way and I’m in.”

“Wonderful,” she muttered, looking back at me. “Isn’t he just wonderful?”

It was easy to agree with her, nodding as I followed them down the corridor. It was harder to ignore the way Grady’s gaze kept slashing to me, a mix of heat and uncertainty in his eyes that made my heart race.

No one had ever held me like that before, touched me like that. The intensity of that night had played over and over in my head. It was nothing like the sweet, sugary fantasies I’d built up as a kid. It was so much better.

“Do you have the book?” Grady asked me, his voice low as he was being introduced.

I pulled a copy from my tote and handed it to him. “Of course.”

He looked down at the cover, his mouth peeling into a surprised smile. “Is this a new one?” His eyes flicked up to meet mine, a sparkle in them that confirmed I’d made the right call in swapping the book for today’s reading.

“Yeah. I thought you might like it.” The cover had a little penguin holding a hockey stick, a gathering of forest animals on a frozen pond about to play a game.

Grady tilted his head, regarding me appreciatively for a second before he nodded and then turned to head to the front of the room. It wasn’t a big deal. It was just a book. But as he said hello to the kids and held it up for them to see, he glanced my way once more, gratitude in his eyes.

When my phone vibrated with a text from LeAnn, I stepped out of the room.

LeAnn: Hey, have you talked to Adam lately?

My heart rate spiked, the mere sight of Adam’s name in print made me feel sick.

Jill: No. Why?

My sister-in-law knew everything about my relationship with Adam, and the aftermath. She’d been one of the people to sit with me in the waiting room for my therapist, taking turns with the rest of my family to make sure I went to my appointments. She would never mention him unless she had a damn good reason.

LeAnn: I think I just saw him in town.

Jill: You think or you know?

LeAnn: It was him.

I stared at my phone, my blood running cold. What was he doing back? I hadn’t seen him in over a year. Not since the night he broke my heart and walked out. I thought I’d never have to see him again.

I wanted to be unaffected by this, to feel like I’d grown and shed that version of myself that would spiral if I ran into him. But given the thrumming of my temples, the dryness of my throat, it appeared I still wasn’t over everything. Over him. And that only made me feel worse.

LeAnn: Are you okay? Where are you?

Jill: I’m at the hospital.

LeAnn: OMG are you alright? Do you need me to come? What’s wrong?

Her rapid-fire questions made me laugh. For the tough, spit fire she was, my brother’s wife had a heart the size of Texas. I quickly typed back before she ran to her car.

Jill: I’m fine. It’s a reading for the program.

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