Page 41 of Eligible Best Friend

“Don’t forget the pediatrician part.”

Muscles ripple across his back, but his gaze stays on Jayden as he splashes and giggles. “I didn’t do the pediatrician part.”

“I don’t mean to pry…” I don’t, but I’ve learned to tread carefully around this subject. “Have you thought of another type of residency, like family medicine or emergency? It’s not too late, not for someone with your caliber of training and experience.”

“Except that most other medical students have my caliber of training and experience and they didn’t give up when life got tough.”

“Neither did you.”

The look he gives me says I should know better. “The residency programs won’t see it like that. Besides, I can’t take the risk I’ll get accepted into a position in a different town.”

The finality in his voice should stop more questions, but I have one more. “What if Cass moves?”

“She won’t.” He helps Jayden onto the top stair, where he can sit and play with the water going to his belly. Ford sits a couple of steps down, the water lapping his strong chest. “She’s got a good job in hospital administration and she’s out from under her parents’ thumb.” He cocks a brow. “Sound familiar?”

Other than the job part, where I’m making much less each year. “I can go at any time, Ford. There’s nothing keeping her in town but you.”

He frowns. “There’s Jayden.”

The boy glances up at his name and grins. Ford bobs the rubber duck and Jayden squeals and makes a grab for it.

“She’s here for you. With her family’s money, she could go anywhere. She wants you.” I wait for the insecure jealousy that usually haunts me when I think of Samuel’s ex-wife, but instead, I’m just worried for Ford.

He looks at me and sees how serious I am. His gaze goes back to Jayden. “Say you’re right about Becky.” He waits to make sure I get it. Jayden might not be able to tell his mom what we’re saying, but we’re not sure what he can understand.

“Okay. About Becky?”

“Right. Why would Becky want her friend to settle down if she was waiting for him to do that with her?”

“Because she’s still in love with him.” His mouth flattens. He doesn’t believe me. “At least her idea of him, of who he was supposed to be when they were together.”

“I don’t see it.”

“You might not, but when Becky does, she might realize that nothing else ties her here. Not a potential husband, not a custody agreement, nothing.”

Ford rescues the yellow duck from floating too far. “Becky was the one that ended things.”

“She might regret it. What if it was a manipulative move that didn’t work? You have—Becky’s friend has his whole life in front of him. He needs to figure out a way to keep what’s really important to him.”

“Becky’s friend needs more money,” he says tightly.

And we’re back to the beginning. Every time we’ve talked about his issues with Cass, we go in the same circle. Pretty soon, that circle’s going to shrink until it’s just a noose around his neck.

* * *

Ford

As Jayden’s bedtime creeps closer, I know I have to get him home, but Mom brought out the picture albums. She’s got Jayden on her lap at the kitchen table. The album is spread open in front of Lia and I’m on the other side.

Lia points to the trophy held up by a bunch of five-year-old boys. “You didn’t tell me the team you coached took first.”

“They didn’t. That’s an adult league trophy, but I told them to do that for the picture.”

She laughs. An open, generous sound. This is nothing like going through these pictures with Cass. First of all, Cass had to be almost bolted to the chair to look at the photos. Then all she focused on was the fashion of the time, like Mom’s “Rachel cut” and the eighties car Mom drove in the nineties.

“Oh, these are going backward in time. Oh well.” Mom nudges Lia to open a new album.

Lia smiles over my senior pictures and asks about the experience, not the style of clothing I’m wearing. She giggles over the shots of me at the Fargo Zoo when I was fourteen, then the time when I was twelve and got my one and only Mom haircut.

---