Page 44

“Cara...” Abby’s cheeks flamed as she sputtered. “I don’t... I’m not... We aren’t...”
“I’m teasing,” Cara said, more gently. “You and Will waited, and I’m sure you and Scott will, too, because I know how important it is to you.”
Abby winced, weaving her fingers together, then pressing them into her lap. “We haven’t exactly, uh, talked about it.”
“It’s been six months, girl! What have you been talking about?” Cara demanded.
“It hasn’t been six months,” Abby repeated, rolling her eyes.
Cara rolled her eyes. “Oh, my God, this is going to be the ‘it’s coffee, not a date’ conversation all over again.”
Abby counted back in her head. “Four months if you include when we started spending time together. Three if you count our first official date.”
“Fine. I can work with three months,” Cara conceded. “It’s still a ridiculously long time to wait for a first kiss, though. You know that, right?”
“I’m not you, Cara.” Abby dropped her gaze to her hands, still tangled in her lap, Gen’s leash twining through her fingers.
Even with Will, she’d been slow and cautious, though that had been tempered somewhat by adolescent hormones and peer pressure. Now, haunted by the ghost of her ex-husband, slow and cautious had become ponderous and guarded.
But Scott had torn down her defenses, one at a time. With the same methodical precision as executing a play, he’d planned his pursuit perfectly. And, incredibly, she could acknowledge it had worked. His patience had paid off, and though she certainly wasn’t ready to jump into bed with him, she could imagine a future including him and Dylan. A life together. A new chance at happiness.
She finally glanced up at Cara, who wore an uncharacteristically somber expression.
“I know you’re not. I’m sorry.”
Abby nodded.
“But I am going to tell you about my date last Friday with Chase Edgerick over in ortho.”
“The new department head?” Abby had seen him in passing. Handsome enough, though not Cara’s typical preference. She didn’t tend to date inside the hospital.
“Cunningham is pissed. He thought he had ortho wrapped up, but the Board of Directors picked Chase instead.”
Abby winced. An outsider hired in over his head? Tom wouldn’t have liked that at all.
“He’s calling him a DEI hire. Loudly.” Cara crossed her arms.
Abby whistled. “He’s going to get himself fired if he’s not careful.”
“And not a single person would miss him.”
Abby glanced around the hospital cafeteria and shushed her friend. “You will, too. His dad is still on the board, even if Tom didn’t get chosen.”
“Fine,” Cara scoffed. “But I, for one, am glad to see daddy’s influence finally isn’t enough to drop yet another choice position in his lap. He hasn’t done a lick of original research in years. He and Will may have hated each other, but at least they fostered some healthy competition.”
“Will didn’t hate Tom,” Abby insisted. “He just didn’t think nepotism should rule hiring. I happen to agree.”
Cara shrugged. “So do I, but this is supposed to be a research hospital. If he’s not publishing, he’ll perish.” Cara winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it...”
A knife twisted in Abby’s chest. She knew the saying—publish or perish—but in Will’s case, his obsession with work might very well have played a contributing role in his death.
How different would her life look today if he hadn’t stayed so late finishing his very last paper?
Cara leaned forward, covering Abby’s hand with hers. “Really. I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me.”
Abby breathed through the stinging prick in her sinuses. “I know. It’s okay.”
“Anyway, Chase published an article inThe American Journal of Sports Medicinelast month about youth athletes and he has another one coming out in October withThe Journal of Orthopedic Surgery and Research.”