Page 33 of The Grumpy Doc's Surprise Delivery

And it iswow. If you stand at the right angle, you can look all the way down the river, down into the forest. Lizards sit in patches of light and sun themselves, and tiny mammals scurry through the bushes. I’m sure there are snakes and spiders everywhere too, but I try not to think about that. Instead, I focus on the flashes of fish as they jump out of the river, the cry of what sounds like a hawk overhead.

“This is perfect,” Emma whispers, staring at the scene utterly transfixed.

“Yeah,” I agree softly.

She looks at me curiously, as if she wasn’t expecting me to agree with that, but I know how to appreciate beauty when I see it.

My eyes linger on her for slightly too long before I look away. But if she notices, she doesn’t comment. She’s too busy looking at the beauty before us.

That’s why I keep looking at her.

But the last thing I need is for her to realize that I find her attractive. That’s not a conversation I feel like having, not even with myself. She’s just a random stranger who happens to be in the same place at the same time as me.

Besides, she’s looking for so many things that I’m not; she wants a family, a life. I just want to get back to work.

We stand and stare in silence for a long time, and when we finally get tired and decide to start heading off down the path, I hang back for a second to watch her walk.

“Liam, I’m fine,” Emma says, throwing up her hands as she looks over her shoulder at me. “Honestly, can you stop?”

“Excuse me for being concerned about my patient,” I huff.

“I amnotyour patient,” she snaps. “I’m your…” She trails off as if she doesn’t quite know how to end that sentence.

“I’m your…?” I ask. It’s kind of an aggressive move to push her on it, but I’m intrigued to see what she’ll say. I want to know what she thinks I am.

She hesitates, looking me up and down as if she’s trying to decide what to say. I’m not in a hurry, though. I can wait for her all day.

“Friend,” she says at last. “You’re my friend.”

I smile. “Okay, well, as your friend, I’m concerned about you.”

“And you don’t have to be. You don’t have to be so nice, you know. It doesn’t suit you.”

“Ouch,” I say, pressing a hand to my chest as if she’s wounded me. “Fine. I’ll be nasty again.”

“Don’t,” she says quickly. “I like this side of you.”

I don’t know what to say to that, so I say nothing. Instead, we just keep walking, her words running around and around in my head.

Friend.

I don’t have too many of those. I think I like it.

CHAPTER 18

EMMA

“Idon’t really have anything else to wear.” I sigh into the phone. “He’s seen everything I brought. I wasn’t expecting to have to impress anyone! Maybe I should just call it off for tonight.”

“He’s invited you for drinks,” Phoebe says firmly. “You have to go.”

“Why? It’s nothing that serious. It’s just drinks.”

“Yeah, that’s why you should go. It doesn’t have to be serious. When was the last time you had any fun?”

“I’ve been having fun all week.”

Phoebe is being difficult again. Unfortunately, she’s also right.

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