Page 28 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

“I found that too. I wish I could walk here, but there aren’t that many sidewalks, even though I’m only a mile away.”

“I’m about two miles,” he said. “I do a lot of running on the roads, but wouldn’t want to walk.”

“You’re a runner?” she asked, her eyes looking him over some.

He’d take that as a good sign.

“I don’t have a gym here I can go to. Actually, most of the gyms are in apartment complexes or hotels. I don’t have the room for one in my house, so yeah, I’m running most days I can.”

“There is a gym at my place,” she said. “At least that I saw. I’m not much of a gym person. I just don’t like people enough.”

“But you came here alone for dinner?” he asked.

“And let me tell you, it was hard,” she said, laughing. “But I don’t want to spend six months sitting in my apartment by myself cooking my meals or getting takeout. I told myself I was going to try this.”

“But I interrupted you,” he said. He moved back when their meals came out.

“In a good way,” she said. “Baby steps. And it’s nice to talk to someone about things other than gossip and work.”

He picked his burger up and took a bite; she did the same with the chicken sandwich she got.

He’d give her a few minutes to process things as she was frowning just now.

“I’m always around,” he said. “Normally alone after hours if you want to do this again. You know, so you don’t have to sit here alone. We can meet.”

He figured throwing that out would make it sound more like a friendship than a date.

She smiled. “Might be nice,” she said.

Might was better than nothing.

“Are you working this Sunday?”

She paused and chewed. “No. I’m working Saturday, but not Sunday.”

“So you’re all alone for the holiday,” he said.

“I am,” she said. “It’s just Easter. Not a big deal.”

“Sure, it is,” he said. “I know how hard the first of the holidays are after you lose someone. You’re alone in a new place.”

She blinked her eyes a few times as if she was nudging back any tears. “It is what it is. I don’t have the time to fly home and my sister, Jordan, is working anyway doing her surgical residency. There is no one else.”

“There’s me,” he said.

“I highly doubt you’ll be alone,” she said, laughing.

“No. I’ll be with my family on the island. My parents and I are going to my aunt and uncle’s. My sister is on call so is staying in Boston. Not sure which of my other cousins will be there, but you’ve met Hudson already. It will give you a chance to meet Carson and Ava, my Uncle Michael too. You know, so you won’t assume they aren’t a doctor if they come down to see you in the pharmacy.”

He was smirking when he added the last part.

“I don’t know,” she said.

“Do something out of your comfort zone since I took this away from you,” he said. “Dare you.”

“Grrrr, that is the wrong thing to say to me,” she said.

He figured he’d rushed and ruined it.

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