Page 54 of That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump
“My mind went to some pretty dark places,” he says. “And as a doctor, I feel responsible. I blame myself for not making sure Wendy was taking care of herself. For not taking care of her.”
My chest constricts. Of course he wants to protect the woman he loves. That’s a feeling I hope to have myself someday. “But youdidtake care of her,” I say. “No one does that better than you.”
“I’d be lost without her, son.”
“Then you stay there with her as long as you need.” The words come out thick. Molasses in my mouth. “And don’t worry about us. I’m at the clinic, and my friend Natalie came to help. She pushed all your appointments until after the wedding. And I can stay here straight through the weekend if you want me to…” My voice trails off. I don’t have the words. I owe him so much.
“That’s a kind offer, son,” he says. “But Wendy seems to be out of the woods. So I’ll stick around here the rest of the night, then check in at the clinic myself tomorrow. Probably mid-morning.”
I glance at Willa, then Gator, and finally LuLu. All three are curled up, sleeping calmly. Their ribs slowly swell and deflate as they breathe. They trust us. They trust me. And I may not want to be a vet anymore, but I do want them to be safe.
“I’ll be here.”
“We’re not holding you back from any wedding plans yet, are we? Wendy would want you to be with your family, son.”
“No, I’m good, Doc.” Every time he calls me son, my determination to help the man increases.
“You know, I told Wendy hiring you was the right choice,” he says. “There’s no one I’d trust more to take over the practice when I retire.”
And there go the knots again. My guts might as well be a bucket of ropes by now. “Thank you, sir.”
“By the way, your friend, Natalie—the one who pitched in today—are you talking about Natalie Slater?”
“I am.”
“Well, please thank her for Wendy and me. She’s leaving soon, isn’t she? For California, if I recall.”
“She is.”
“Ah.” His voice is wistful. “Lovely state. Lucky girl.”
Lovely girl. Lucky state.
After ending the call, I head to my locker. My insides are one big hollow pit. So I collect my notebook and head to the exam room. The space is brightly lit, quiet, and solitary. Rolling the swivel stool up to a table, I grab a pen. Flipping through the pages, I find the bookmark where I left off yesterday.
Time to write again.
ChapterTwenty-Two
NATALIE
I can’t tell which of my senses kicks in first, but if I’m dreaming I don’t want to wake up. There’s the scent of pine, leather, and sea salt. A rough palm moves over my hair. A deep voice murmurs, “Morning.” When I swallow, my mouth tastes like cotton. Like the cotton scrubs pressed against my cheek. I crack an eyelid and see the half wall between the office and the lobby. The view is horizontal, not vertical. At some point, I must have fallen asleep. No, Idefinitelyfell asleep.
In fact, I remember closing my eyes midway through Brady’s story about… What was it? Maybe a bird he was treating that scratched his face last year? And he’s got a little scar above his eyebrow now? Or maybe I dreamed all that. I’m going to have to check.
But I’m definitely not sitting up anymore.
A blanket appears in one corner of my peripheral vision, tucked around my shoulders. Soft and warm. In the other corner are navy scrubs. That’s right. I know what’s happening now. I’m lying on Brady’s lap.
I REPEAT: YOU ARE LYING ON BRADY’S LAP!
I bolt upright, my face flaming hot. “I’m awake,” I blurt, pulling a blanket up around me. More blankets are piled on the other side of the couch, and Brady sits between the pile and me. His scrubs are rumpled. His hair is wild, sticking up like he’s been in a wind tunnel.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” he says. His eyes are soft. No frown lines in attendance.
“How long was I…” My voice trails off.
“Hours,” he says. “You slept like a log.”
