Page 54 of One Sweet Day I Found You

“Oh.” Courtney sat back, taking it all in.

Just then the waiter came by and made a show of dropping off their salads. When she left, Courtney pushed hers gently aside and leaned in. “That must’ve been so hard to do. I mean—that’s life changing. Was your dad upset?”

Nick raised a brow. “Oh, you can’t even imagine. He still is.”

Courtney crossed her hands and rested them in front of her. “So, that explains the search-and-rescue thing? How you decided to volunteer and do all that?” The big picture of Nick was starting to come together.

“Yep.”

“Okay, because I was wondering how someone—just out of nowhere—decides to go saving people out in the woods, just to ride his bicycle more often.” She flashed a smile. “This makes a lot more sense.”

Nick gave a nervous little laugh, but he seemed to be studying her face. Searching for something.

“So, do you have any regrets about it? Wish you could go back and change the past? Or are you happy with your decision?”

“Hmm.” He tilted his head, staring at her as if he hadn’t often heard the question.

Courtney waited, gazing at him intently.

Nick finally spoke. “You know, I’m happy with it. I never really wanted what my dad has. I tried. I really tried to do it—for his sake—but I can’t keep up with that kind of pace, that kind of pressure. I mean—I love saving lives, bringing people to safety, and getting them to the next level of treatment.” He looked thoughtful then went on. “Seriously, it’s something that makes me feel alive. But, if working in medicine means I have to deal with all that stress—and, of course, to be a doctor, it does—then I don’t want it. I can’t hack it.”

He sat back and took a gulp from his water glass. Courtney let him go on.

“I didn’t want it enough then. And I don’t want it at all now. I’ve seen what life is like without all the pressure, and I’d much rather live my life the way I am, now. What I’m doing now—well, let’s just say I feel like I canbreathe. I didn’t feel that way in med school. Felt like I was drowning.”

Courtney sat back. He had impressed her again, by the fact that he knew himself well enough to make such a choice. Not to mention the fact that he was brave enough to go against the wishes of his family. She gazed at him. He wore the expression of someone who’d just laid it all on the line.

Her heart was beginning to ache for this guy. She wanted to throw her arms around him and hold him, right here and now. But that wouldn’t be appropriate, given the setting. Instead, she asked another question. “So, what happened after you left? How’d you find yourselfhere?”

Nick laughed again, this time more cynically. “Right? Well, I was kind of a mess when I first dropped out. Lot of things happened that I didn’t see coming.” He paused a moment. “Went through a breakup with a longtime girlfriend. Her name was Regina. We had big plans, but she dumped me when she found out. Anyway, it was for the best—I know that now. She only wanted to marry Doctor Nick.” He cast his gaze away from Courtney momentarily.

She nodded at his attempt to make light of it. The story sounded similar to her past with Austin—two people who’d grown in very different directions. Now she realized why his dropping out had been so difficult to share, but she didn’t want to push him. She ought to tell Nick about Austin, too, but right now wasn’t the time. This was about Nick.

He went on. “I had to get out—just, away. Anywhere. Forget about everything for a while. So I took off. Rode my bicycle around until I ended up in Heritage. Decided to stay on and just see how things went.”

“I totally get that. I went through the same sort of thing. It’s how I ended up in Australia. Sometimes, it’s the best thing you can do. Gives you a whole new perspective.” Courtney took a sip of her wine. He seemed glad she could relate. She went on. “So, do you feel like you’re over all that now? How have things gone?”

Nick didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, actually, I do. And I’d never trade the life I’ve had since then. I’m happy here.” He locked his eyes on her. “Really happy.”

Courtney’s expression softened. She reached out and offered her hand and he took it. He half-stood and gave her a quick kiss across the table.

Nick sat back down and picked up his fork. “So, are you hungry?”

“Starving.” Courtney was glad they’d talked. She slid her plate in front of her and they started in on the salads.

In a little while, the waiter came by, took their plates, and refilled their water glasses. Nick sat forward. “So, can I ask you something, too?”

“Sure. Anything.” She wiped her mouth and sat back. “What is it?”

He looked like he was measuring every word. “Okay, so, does it bother you that I dropped out of med school? That I’m never going to be a doctor? That you aren’t sitting across the table from someone like that right now?”

Courtney gave a tilt of her head. “Someone like what?”

Nick didn’t say anything, just shrugged as if to play it down.

Courtney asked a question. “Like a guy who knows the difference between what he wants and what he doesn’t?”

Nick considered this.

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