Page 14 of The Grumpy Doc's Surprise Delivery

“Okay,” she says, nodding slightly. “Tomorrow. What are we going to do until then?”

“I don’t know. Talk?”

“Talk? About what?”

“Anything. Just until you feel like you can walk again.”

To that, she says nothing. And keeps saying nothing until an awkward amount of time has passed and we’re both just sitting here in silence, listening to the trees swaying above us and the birds calling to each other.

CHAPTER 8

EMMA

It’s kind of damp sitting here on the ground. If it wasn’t so warm, it would probably make me sick from the cold. But it is warm and I will dry off, whenever Liam decides to allow me to stand again.

I’d be angry if he wasn’t right.

“So what brought you to this course?” asks Liam.

I don’t honestly believe he cares. But he’s trying, I suppose. I humor him. “Work sent me. Why do you want to know?”

“Just trying to make conversation,” he sniffs. Clearly, he’s trying to take my mind off the throbbing agony in my foot. Not that I want to admit to him that it hurts.

Not that admitting would make a difference at this point. He can clearly see that I’m injured.

“So, where is work for you?” Liam asks, not done with his line of questioning.

I recognize the tactics. This is about to turn into patient small talk, where he asks questions to make me feel comfortableenough to talk to him. I’ve done this myself. And even though I can see right through him, I can’t help but answer. “I’m from San Francisco.”

I don’t suppose there’s any harm in telling him that. What’s he going to do? Stalk me?

Time to put that thought to bed.

“Oh, really? So am I. What part?”

“Well, I live a few blocks from work, and I work at Rogers Memorial.” He chuckles at that, and I frown. That’s not very humoring-the-patient of him. “What? Why are you laughing?”

“No, it’s nothing. It’s just… I work at Hope General.”

“No way,” I blurt. Hope General is our rival; we’re constantly competing to be among the top hospitals in the state. “How do you like it there?”

“I like it well enough,” he says with a shrug. “The workload is good. The hours are reasonable. I can make a big difference in the lives of patients who need my expertise. My colleagues are dedicated. And a million of these trainings wouldn’t do a thing to make them work harder. They all make patient care a priority. Even the janitors.”

“I know what you mean,” I say. “Everyone at Rogers works so hard. I don’t think we get the recognition we deserve.”

For probably the first time since I’ve met him, Liam’s face splits into a smile. I can’t pretend that I don’t find it charming. It makes his whole face light up, giving him an almost boyish handsomeness.

“Growing up,” he says, “I realized that working hard was the only way to get ahead in life, something that should be championed. Something that we should all try to do.”

I smile. “I hear that.”

A beat of silence passes between us as we agree without words. I think I understand now why my comment about work ethic wound him up so much earlier.

This is a man who cares about work more than anything else. Just like me.

The realization sets off a flutter in my chest, one I can’t ignore.

“Hey, isn’t it funny?” I say. “We don’t live that far from each other, but if we’d never attended this course, we probably never would have met.”

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