Page 137 of The Doctor's Irreplaceable Love

After he watched Trav pull away, he let himself into the kitchen and poured a glass of soda—he didn’t usually drink the stuff, but Shelley had insisted on buying a case to stock the fridge in the break room at the clinic.The overflow had ended up here at home.

He took his glass through to the den and pulled his phone out of his pocket before he sat down.He smiled to himself as he took the ring box out of his pocket too and flipped it open.Travis was right—it was a badass ring.

The diamonds were big and bold, and the setting was classy, yet somehow understated.It was the perfect ring for Shelley.He set the open box on the coffee table beside his soda and pulled up Libby’s number.

“Hey, Trip” she answered.“What’s up?”

“Hi, Libb.I just wanted to check in with you and see how you’re doing.Are you going to come out with everyone tonight?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.I texted with Blane and told him that I’d come for a drink if nothing else, but… I don’t know.I’m still at work now, and I want to stop and see Jim on my way back up to town.”

“Jim’s going to be there tonight,” he told her.“You could see him then.”

She let out a short laugh.“I know.Nice try, but… you know how it is, Trip.”

“I do.I’m not trying to force you into anything.I was just hoping that you might come.”

“Oh!I heard that you guys went ring shopping this morning.Do you want me there because you’re going to propose tonight?”

“No!”

“Oh, shit—sorry, I thought… but then I should know better than to rely on gossip.”

“Sorry.I didn’t mean to bite your head off.The gossip’s right.I did go ring shopping with the guys this morning.And I bought Shelley a ring—but it’s not an engagement ring.I’m not going to ask her to marry me.”

“What then?”

“I’m going to ask her to spend the rest of her life with me.”

“That’s perfect.I was kind of surprised when I heard you’d bought an engagement ring.After Katrina, you always said…”

“And I wasn’t just saying it—I meant it.”He looked at the ring, which seemed to sparkle at him from the coffee table.“I’m definitely not going to give her the ring tonight.But I’m inviting everyone over here for lunch tomorrow.I’m not promising anything, but I might ask her then.If the right moment comes up.”

“So… if I want to be there when you ask her, I have to come to your place tomorrow.Is that what you’re saying?”Libby asked.

“Like I said, I’m not even promising that I’ll ask her then.But I’d love for you to be here, Libb.”

She sighed again.“And I think you know that I’d love to come.It’s just… it’d be bad enough if I came out tonight.Coming to your place—that would be even tougher.Your house might be huge, but there’d still be no way for me and Mav to avoid each other, would there?”

“That’s kind of the point,” said Trip.“I usually keep my nose out of it.I’ve never given you a hard time or asked you to do any more than you’re comfortable with.But…”

“Go on, say it,” said Libby.“It’s true that you don’t get on my back about it like some of them.Whatever you have to say, I probably need to hear it.”

“I’ve never pushed you to do more than you’re ready to.But maybe… if you guys aren’t ever going to get back together… it might be time for you to admit that.And find a way to be comfortable around each other.”

Libby was quiet for a long few moments, and Trip waited.

“I’m still here,” she said eventually.

“Good.I’d hate for you to hang up on me.”

“I’d never do that.It’s just… I don’t think I’m ready to admit that we’ll never get back together—even though I know I should.I’ve never known what my life is without Mav in it.And even after these last few years, when we’ve barely seen each other, barely talked… I don’t know who I am without him, Trip.”

Trip closed his eyes.“Then maybe it’s time for you to admitthatto each other—because I know damn well that he still feels the same way.”

Libby made a noise that could have been a cough but sounded to Trip more like a sob.

“I’m not going to push you, honey.And if you don’t come tonight or tomorrow, I won’t give you a hard time.If you want to hang out sometime soon—just you and me, so you can talk about it—I’ll be there for you.”

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