Page 4 of Her Braun
He turned and braced his elbow on the top of the counter, and she sighed in mild jealousy at his height.
"What's up?"
The world around them moved in perpetual motion and she was fairly sure no one was listening in. "Callen asked me if I wanted to go to the Admin Conference in Chicago."
Roan's expression lifted in pleasant surprise. "Good. I had a feeling he was going to do it soon."
Kay wasn't sure what to make about his comment. "You usually go to those things. Is everything okay?"
"Everything is great."
She knew Roan enough to know that he'd try to reassure her even if it wasn't, but this was different. He was happy that she was going.
Or at least that she'd been asked to go.
"I don't want to go and create any tension here."
"No tension at all." Roan leaned in just an inch. "I've got the wedding coming up so that was a concern."
Ah. She nodded, understanding. "Okay. Thanks."
She turned to go but Roan reached out and touched her arm.
Shocked, she stopped and looked up at him.
"You didn't let me explain."
She cleared her throat, ready to explain for him.
"Kay? Let me, okay?"
She grinned at him, but it was a thin-lipped grin at best.
"I know you haven't said anything to me about it. At least, not explicitly, but I've had a feeling that you wanted to go and yes, Callen's been sending me to these conferences for the last couple of years, but that's not what I want anymore."
What?
He smiled as if he'd heard her silent question. "Ever since I asked Pilar to marry me- No, since before that. I've been thinking about what I want in my career and my life."
She saw the way his whole face softened, and his thumb reached over to touch his ring finger on his left hand. He didn't wear a ring at the moment, but he was going to have one after he married his fiancée.
"I admit that being the head of Trauma here at Cole was something I wanted before, but not now. I had a talk with Callen. I wanted him to understand..."
"That... it's you and not him?" Kay was trying to keep her heart from pounding out of her chest. She was also hoping that her humor hadn't fallen short.
"Exactly." Roan's mouth curled up at one corner. "I believe that I'm on his shit list right now and likely for a bit. He made sure to explain just how much money the hospital had invested in me." Roan shook his head. "Again, I wanted to be the head when Callen moves up, but now that I'm getting married, and Pilar and I are talking about kids..."
"You want to know that you might be able to have some life outside of the ER. I get it."
"I never expected to fall in love, especially not with a police officer, but now, my priorities are different."
She smiled at him, understanding completely.
She didn't have an outside life beyond the walls of the hospital.
Nor did she think she was destined for one.
So this, having the opportunity to become head of the ER department at Cole?
