Page 84 of Meant to Be
Her head cocked to the side, as if she was surprised by the compliment.
“You handled Hank like a pro. You were calm with Drake, who is a levelheaded guy but can get pretty intense, especially where Lexie is concerned.”
“Thank you.”
Mitch studied her. Until now he’d never really seen her as a doctor. Of course, he’d known she was, but his memories of her in college too often clouded his thinking of her.
“I’m proud of you.”
Her brows rose. “You doubted me.”
“No.” He smiled and rubbed his hands on her arms. “It’s just sunk in that you achieved what you set out to do. When we were together before, it was your goal, but you were struggling to get through organic chemistry.”
“It wasn’t easy, but I made it.”
The recognition of her achievements had him pondering what their life would have been like had they continued down the path they’d planned. Would she have been able to finish medical school? Would she have gone to Jordan? The idea that the answers might be no bothered him.
Her head tilted to the side. “Have you regretted not going to law school?”
“No. I was done with school and after getting out of the army, I had no plans. Kevin suggested law enforcement.”
“You’re good at it.”
He grinned. “You’ve never seen me in action.”
“Yes, I have. You were gentle yet still pushed enough to get my statement. You were kind even when you still resented me. And this is a small town. People don’t just talk about your conquests. They talk about your work, about how good you are at it.”
Mitch drew himself up to his full height, the feeling of pride washing through him that townspeople were saying he did good work. Not that Charlotte Tavern had a lot of crime. Mostly it had burglaries, vandalism, drunk and disorderly, and some domestic disputes. They hadn’t had a murder in over a year.
Another bolt of lightning flashed, followed by a deafening bang. “Maybe we should go inside.”
Disappointment flashed in her hazel eyes, but she nodded.
He opened the door and let her in first. He flipped on the light, but the house remained dark. “Uh-oh.” He flipped the switch up and down, without success. “Looks like the power is out. Wait there.” The house wasn’t completely black, but it was dark enough that anyone who didn’t know it well would have to stumble through. He went to the small desk near the door and took a flashlight from the drawer. He turned it on, lighting the living area.
“I’ve got a lights-out kit in the kitchen.”
“Lights-out kit?”
“Flashlights, candles, radio… you know.”
She smiled. “Yes. I’ve just never heard it called that. Do you lose power often?”
“Not often, but frequently enough that having a kit helps.”
He took her hand and led with the flashlight to the kitchen. Opening the door of the pantry, he pulled out a plastic box and set it on the counter. He tested a flashlight then handed it to her.
“I’m going to change. My clothes are wet.”
He nodded, although he liked the way the wet clothes clung to her, showing her curves. While she was gone, he dug through the kit, checking the candles, batteries, matches, and radio. He left it on the counter and thought about what they should eat. He had a gas stove, which meant they could cook dinner. Odds were the power wouldn’t be out too long, unless a tree had taken down a power line.
“Much better.” She entered the kitchen wearing a T-shirt and yoga pants. If she wasn’t going to wear the wet dress, this would do.
“How about ice cream for dinner?”
She gave him an amused smile. “Ice cream?”
“When I was growing up and the power went out, we ate ice cream. No power to the fridge means frozen stuff melts.”
