Page 57

“What in the world is happening?” I said to the ether. I turned around in a daze.

“I think you just lost your awful boss, and maybe that’s not such a bad thing?”

“Unless we also just lost our jobs.” I tried to decide what to do next. “I better figure out what’s going on. Will you be able to—”

“Replace my own ice cream? Absolutely.” She clapped me hardon the shoulder like a football coach. “You got this, okay? Go get ’em.” That was a growl if I’d ever heard one.

I stared at her in surprise.

She straightened. “I was trying out a new technique.”

“I see. Keep workshopping, though.”

“Yep.” Elizabeth flashed a killer smile. “You got it.”

* * *

The week had been one to write home about if I didn’t already live there. I’d fallen back into the hot and steamy with Dr. Kyle Remington of all people, spoken to my newly discovered father, and likely lost my job. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to top the drama. I also didn’t want to.

To find a way to decompress and find my bearings, I’d invited Kyle to eat-and-walk, one of my favorite pastimes in all of life. We needed time together to just…be. And what could be better than introducing her to the eat-and-walk Aunt Lindy and I had perfected?

“An eat-and walk? So how does this work?” she’d asked over the phone while on break at the ER. I could hear the hospital announcements through the call, reminding me how important her work world truly was. “I imagine there’s eating. There’s probably walking, too.”

“Yes. Very astute. You grab a guilt-inducing snack, one you can’t possibly indulge in without feeling at least a little bit bad, and hit the sidewalk for a scenic stroll. When paired together, those two things are a magical combination capable of making everything better.”

“Even the headache from the drunk man hollering in exam room three?”

“Especially him. This exercise was designed for ridding the brain of angry drunk folks.”

“Okay, if you’re going to be there, sign me up.”

“You’re in such luck.”

Tonight, we’d chosen strawberry ice cream cones from Jimbo’s amazing homemade cart and paired them with a stroll through the center of town as the sun set. I looked out at the sky as we started our walk, humbled by the soft pinks and purples swirling on the horizon—as if the universe had paused to paint us a moment of calm. “Dusk is my favorite time of day. I’m not sure I’ve ever told you that.”

“You definitely haven’t.”

“Not daytime anymore. Not yet night. Almost like we take a little break in between regularly scheduled programming.” I took a minutejust to soak in the quiet. Most people were home from work or getting ready to start dinner. It came much earlier in autumn, but it was the same old wonder. “It’s this unique little stretch of time where everything is relaxed and beautiful.”

“Is that why you chose this time for us to meet?”

I scrunched my shoulders, making sure I absorbed every beautiful nuance of our surroundings. To not be left out, Kyle’s aqua eyes shone extra bright, caught by one of the last slanted rays of sunshine. “That’s exactly why. It brings me peace, this thirty-minute window. Did you know that’s how long it lasts? Much shorter than most people think.”

“I did not know the metrics”—she studied the sky—“but I think you’ve just made me appreciate each of the thirty.”

“Just like you’ve made me appreciate people with blue eyes.” I gave my head an appreciative shake as I watched her.

“Thank you, Potter. You’re good for my ego.” She took a beautiful lick around the side of her cone. An ice cream endorsement or foreplay? Definitely both.

“Oh, and guess what happened today at the hospital? This one threw me for a loop.”

I took a lick of my own and closed my eyes to savor. Jimbo had not skimped on the fresh strawberries. “Tell me.”

“Well, I can’t now. I’m too busy watching the show.” When I opened my eyes, her gaze was fixed on my mouth, just as mine had been on her moments before. We were a pair, and I reveled in the flirtatious energy that pinged back and forth.

I offered her a smile. “Show’s on pause. What happened?”

“I had a blast from the past in the form of the very guy my parents wanted me to settle down and marry one day.”