Page 12

I winced.

“Too much?” she asked. “I never know the line.”

I gave my head a shake, eyes wide. “No. Just trying to imagine myself in your shoes. Being tasked with taking care of the love of someone’s life. Or their child, saving their life.”

She nodded. “Trying to, anyway.”

“That part has to weigh heavy, too. Losing a patient. I don’t know how you come back from that and do it all again the next day.”

She stared ahead, reflective. “I always want to be able to say that I did everything I possibly could have done.”

“And that’s not always the case, I take it?”

She went quiet for a bit, and I gave her that space. Then finally, “I’ll say this. There’s a lot of second-guessing, wondering if I’d played it more conservative, or some cases, taken the bigger risk, would the outcome have been different? It’s not a perfect science. That part’s been harder than I ever expected.” She regarded the sky.

That’s when I noticed how clear the sky was, the stars pinpricks of light tossed and scattered.

“I don’t often talk about this stuff.”

“Maybe it’s easier because I’m a stranger.”

“You’re not a stranger. You’re Potter.”

It was the best answer she could have come up with, and before crafting a reply, I let the warm comment land, blossom, and spread out. “I know you said you have a roughyearahead of you, but what are you doing for therestof your life?” I was only half kidding.

“Everything is up for discussion,” she said in a breezy tone.

Another stellar answer. We shared a smile as we approached the suspension bridge. It was larger than I’d imagined. Quaint and gorgeous, stretching across the pond. The rustic charm accentuated the quiet beauty of the park all around it, causing visitors to pause and snap a photo.

“Isn’t it beautiful? I ran into it one night on a decompression walk and just stopped and stared.”

“Look at it. Just sitting here, so close to the hustle and bustle of the city.”

“I thought the same thing. A hidden gem tucked between cement and metal chaos.”

I marveled, realizing it was the bridge’s lighting scheme thatstole the show. “Look at that,” I breathed. Every one of the cables was individually illuminated, isolating each vertical extension as it stretched down from the towers to the bridge itself. “There’s a theatrical quality to these lines that would be hard to capture in a photo.”

“Which is why we should just enjoy the view. Let’s walk across,” Kyle said and slid her fingers between mine again, intertwining them. We were holding hands, and my heart sang. She turned, checking in on me, on us. I sent her a smile back, because I very much enjoyed the feel of her hand in mine. I felt protected, valued. Her advice was also sound:enjoy. I could do that.

“If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you choose?” I asked. I turned and leaned against the railing of the bridge, facing her. The sizzle I’d felt since the moment we first spoke intensified now that we stood so utterly close. I could feel the heat from her body.

“Dreamer’s Bay.” She smiled serenely, proud of herself.

“Funny. But truthfully.”

“Truthfully, it’s on the list. You sold it really well. I want to get groceries and be greeted by name. And it’s on the water. Even better.” She slid a strand of hair behind my ear, in a flawless execution. I was waiting for a stumble, a misspoken word, or an awkward comment. Nothing yet. She caught me staring and grinned.

“Visit anytime.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“Where else, Kyle? Where would you go?”

“Somewhere in Greece. I want to eat a giant salad and watch the giant waves roll in from atop a giant cliff.”

“Well, you’ve finally done it.” I straightened.

“What did I do?”