Page 45 of The Doctor's Irreplaceable Love

Libby met her gaze and held it."I think there is.Trip looked more relaxed just now than I've seen him in a long time.You're good for him.I've thought that from the beginning, but I didn't know if either of you would ever get around to admitting how you feel about each other."

Candy nodded."I’m the same.I've been keeping my fingers crossed, but I was starting to think that it wasn't going to happen.I know at first you weren't planning to stay very long, but as time's gone on, it seemed like you'd settled into just a working relationship with him, a friendship."

"And you are going to stay now, aren't you?"asked Retta.

Shelley drummed her fingers on the table."I don't know."She laughed at the range of expressions around the table.Retta and Libby looked sad.Candy looked disappointed.And Ari narrowed her eyes at her.

"What?"she asked with a laugh.

"You know damn well what," said Ari."We all want you to stay.You're one of us now.We want you here because we don't want to lose our friend.And more than that, we want to see you happy.Trip's a good guy.You're not going to find one better somewhere else."

Shelley blew out a sigh."I know that, but I wasn't even looking for a man.I've been there, done that, thrown away the T-shirt.It's not for me."

No one spoke while the server returned with their drinks and asked if they were ready to order.He gave them a few more minutes and Shelley felt bad while everyone studied their menus.Of course, she knew what a good guy Trip was.And of course, she knew that all the girls loved him.He was a good friend to all their men, and she could understand why they wanted to see him settled and happy too.But...

Libby looked up from her menu."I'm not going to try to talk you into anything you don't want to do.But there is something I need to say."

"Go ahead and say it then."

"I'm not trying to give you a hard time.It's just that I've known Trip since we were kids.I grew up with those guys.Trip's one of the best of them.Has he told you much about his marriage?"

Shelley shook her head slowly."He's told me a little about Katrina.It sounds like his life with her wasn't easy."

Libby let out a short laugh."You can say that again.I never liked that woman.She andWilla —" she shook her head."Let's just say that they weren't my kind of people.I don't want to say anything bad about them, but I will say that I could never understand why Deacon and Trip married them."

Candy nodded."From what I've heard about Willa—and I've heard more about her from Cadence than from Deacon himself—I don't understand how she and Deacon ever got together."

"Yeah, like I said, I'm not going to start calling them names.What I will say is that I'm so much happier for them and for myself that they've met you."Libby glanced at Ari and Retta."And that Ace and Trav are now with you ladies."She turned back to Shelley."What I need to say is that if you don't plan to stick around, please let him down gently.Like I said, he's happy with you.You're good for him.I'd hate to see him get hurt."

"I'd never want to hurt him," said Shelley."I know what a great guy he is.And I really do like him."She looked around at the other women."I'll just come out and say it.You all must have had to figure out something similar when you got together with your guys.I kept saying—and kept thinking—that I need to leave soon.That it's time for me to move on, just because it's what I do.At least it's what I've done for the last few years.I needed to feel free.I spent so many years locked into my career and my marriage that when I escaped it, I felt like I needed to keep on the move.To never get bogged down again."

No one spoke while the server came back to take their order.When he'd gone, Libby asked, "And you feel like staying here would be getting bogged down?"

"No.I don't.I love it here."She smiled around at them."I love having you ladies as friends.I've never had a group of girlfriends like this before."

The others smiled."I know I can speak for all of us when I say neither have we," said Candy.

"Even if things don't work out between you and Trip, you could stay here just because you like it here," said Retta.

Shelley pressed her lips together as she mulled that one over.It was true.Of course it was.It was just so blatantly obvious that she hadn't even considered the prospect before.

Ari smiled at her."Have you had enough of us sticking our noses in yet?"

"Yeah, I think I have."

"Okay, let's move this along then," said Libby."And I hope I didn't piss you off with what I said."

"No!I get it.I understand.And more than that, I'm glad he has you to look out for him.I don't know where this is going between us.Neither of us do, but I promise you, I don't want to hurt him.And if I figure out that it's not what I want, I promise you I'll tell him as soon as I know that."

"Okay," said Libby.She looked around at the other women."What else is going on, ladies?"

"I'm just glad to be down from that damn mountain," said Ari."I'm getting cabin fever stuck up there."

Candy laughed."I've told you before.You should move down to one of the cabins by the river.So that you can come and go more easily."

Shelley loved the way Ari smiled as she said, "I know that would be the logical solution, but I do love it up on the mountain."She looked at Retta."What about you?How are things going on the property?"

Retta nodded happily."Everything's moving along nicely.I only have a few cabins still left to decorate now."

---