Page 36 of Doctorshipped
“It’s time-sensitive,” she answers.
Where she gets these phrases is beyond me.
Brooks chuckles again.
“You may go bake with Jayme,” I tell her. “How will you get there?”
“She said she’d pick me up. Or you could drive me.”
“I see.”
“Why don’t I drive you over?” Brooks looks at me. “If that’s okay with you. Jayme’s a good friend of mine. I know where she lives. She can vouch for me if you like.”
Good friend. I shouldn’t care about Jayme’s friendships. I’m sure most young adults are friends in this town. I don’t care. I’m happy for her. She needs friends. I’m not sure she needs good-looking, available young men as friends, but that’s not for me to say.
“Daddy?”
“Huh? Yes. Fine. I’m sure it’s fine. I’ll text Jayme and you two can go as soon as I hear back from her.”
I send Jayme a text.
Grant:Brooks is here. Fiona informs me you invited her to bake. Can he drive her over? Or is he a really normal looking kidnapper? If he’s not a kidnapper, I’ll pick Fiona up when you’re finished.
Jayme:How sweet! Brooks is the best. And, my, my, Doc. Did you just tell a joke?
Grant: I’m incapable of joking. You should know that by now.
Jayme:I think you told a joke. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it. Tell Brooks thanks. Nevermind, I’ll tell him when he gets here. See you later.
Jayme’s sunshiney answer makes me grumpier.Brooks is the best. Yada yada. Well, good. Good for him. And, Fiona has something to do. That actually is good. Eventually Fiona will need to make friends her own age, even though she always fits in well with adults. For today, she’s happy and she has something fun to do with someone who knows how to have fun, and that’s all that matters.
13
JAYME
“Come in!”
Brooks and Fiona’s chatter carries through the house toward the kitchen.
When I walk into the living room, Fiona’s already bent down giving love to Groucho, who rolled over for her and is shamelessly making every sort of snorting and snuffling sound while she rubs his belly.
“You have a bulldog!” Fiona says.
“We do. He’s a nut. And we have two cats somewhere. Hairball and Oddball.” I look up at Brooks who is standing in the doorway with his arms folded over his chest grinning at Fiona with the dog.
“Want to stay and bake with us?”
“I’d love to, but I have to be back at the station for my shift in a few hours, and I need to pick a few things up at the grocery before then.”
Fiona looks at Brooks. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Anytime. And anytime you want to play a little street hockey, let me know.”
Fiona smiles in a dreamy way at Brooks. He and I exchange an amused look. Women of all ages look at Brooks like that. With his affable personality and his cover-model looks, he’s most women’s idea of the perfect man.
“Ready to bake some muffins?” I ask Fiona.
“Let’s do this.”
