Page 40 of The Grumpy Doc's Surprise Delivery

His face softens into a smile. “Of course I will. What, you want me to sayMeet me at the Empire State Buildingif this really means anything to you?”

“I didn’t take you for a movie buff.” I grin.

He shrugs. “I’m not much of one, but my college roommate was, and his girlfriend was worse. They both made me watch so many movies.”

I can’t think of anything else to say to that, so I don’t.

“I know this great little diner in town,” he says. “Let’s meet there next week. Let’s make it a date.”

“A date?” I say with a smirk.

“Unless you don’t want it to be.”

“I do,” I say, leaning in to wrap my arms around him. “Thank you. For everything.”

He leans down to press a kiss onto my lips. “No, thank you.”

That kiss stays with me all the way home, a ghost on my lips reminding me of the future I’m about to step into.

CHAPTER 21

EMMA

TWO MONTHS LATER

Irush into the café and fling myself down into the seat opposite Liam.

“Hey.” He grins, watching as I catch my breath.

“Hey. I’m sorry I’m late, I ran here straight from work.”

“Take a breath,” he says, watching in amusement. “It’s okay. How’s your day going?”

I smile and shake my head. “Do you remember I was telling you about that one patient, the one who really needs to come in for that blood vessel repair?”

He nods. “I remember.”

“It doesn’t matter how many times we keep telling her she needs to find some time to schedule it,” I groan. “She keeps finding ways to put it off. It’s going to turn into something way more serious if she doesn’t just come in and see us. I don’t understand why she won’t.”

The best part about having conversations like this with Liam is the way he gets it. Phoebe is great, but she can’t understand this pain like Liam can.

“Some people just love to make their own lives difficult,” he says. “There’s nothing you can do if she won’t come.”

“There should be, though,” I say. “I should be able to help.”

He smiles at me across the table, and I find myself reaching for his hand. It makes my heart turn over in my chest when he doesn’t flinch away.

A couple of times a week, at least, we do this — find an overlapping lunch break and meet in this café to eat, or at least drink a strong coffee. It’s been so good to catch up with him, to laugh about our patients and renew that connection that we felt on the island.

The first time we met up, I was so scared that it was going to be a disaster, that all we had felt in the hotel was a fluke cooked up from stress and proximity. But it wasn’t. We slipped back into our teasing and closeness as easily as you would an old friend.

I even managed to find time to go back to his place after.

To my relief, the passion was as strong as it ever was.

We haven’t had as much close, intimate time as I might have liked, but the evening meals and the one a.m. fast food joints and morning coffees have all been exhilarating. I have the best friend in the world in Phoebe and I’d give her up for nothing, but I’ve never had a relationship like Liam.

All the other boys who were ever into me wanted me to be something I’m not, someone meek and domestic, someone whowould dote on them and give up my ambitions when I was told to. I’m not that kind of girl.

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