Page 14

Pepperoni and Regret

The following week, I was in luck. I’d agreed to a follow-up visit with Kyle at the clinic adjacent to the hospital. Dan had her set up with a small office next to his. To look my best, I’d only tried on about eight different outfits before settling on a pair of pale blue jeans and my navy and white checked sweater. I paired it with my short brown leather jacket even though I didn’t quite need one, given the moderate temperature.

“Lesbians love outerwear,” I remember Devyn saying once, over drinks at Ronnie Roo’s, and as someone whose fashion sense I very much admired, I made a point to memorize that tip. I could outerwear the hell outta this season and planned on it. With a bounce in my still tender step, I made my way to the clinic without crutches.

Tasha clapped her hands when I arrived. “Look at you. Good as new.” She stood and applauded louder, which prompted me to take a bow.

“You work at the clinic, too?” I asked, tilting my head in slight confusion.

“It’s like you forgot you live in a small town. We’re all one big family in the Dreamer’s Bay medical community,” Tasha said, waving me off. “Sometimes I’m here. Sometimes I’m there. They point and I go. It’s just my destiny.” She switched gears and craned her neck behind her. “Dr. Remington is finishing up with a patient, but she told me to get you set up in her office rather than an exam room.”

Her office? It felt halfway like I was being called in to see the principal and half like I’d been granted access behind the Kyle curtain. Both ominous and exciting. I took a seat in a rather comfortable, expensive-looking green chair with a high back across from a very large desk that faced me. “Wow. Who knew doctors snuck away to places like this.”

“They have a lot of paperwork and dictation, I’ve found.”

“I’m learning so much.”

“About what exactly?” Kyle stood in the doorway, trapping Tasha between us. She performed the signature eyebrow arch that only confirmed her soap opera status.

“The inner workings of small-town medicine culture,” I informed her.

“Oh, well, I’ve learned a lot, too.” She came into the room and deposited her laptop and stethoscope on the desk. An honest to goodness stethoscope. I refused to swoon. “First of all, people in small towns bring you food. You’d imagine maybe a few cookies, but it could be anything. I’m still working through a macaroni and cheese casserole. It has the most amazing crispy crust on top.”

“Madeline Marks was here.” She had the best mac and cheese casserole in South Carolina.

“See?” she deadpanned. “This place is so intertwined you know people by a two-sentence description of their recipes . That would never happen in the city.”

“Nor should it,” Tasha said.

“They can’t be stealin’ our shine.”

Kyle laughed. “I’ve never thought of you as Southern, but there was a slight twang on that sentence.”

I shrugged. “It comes out when I get protective,” I said, now performing a full-on drawl.

“You stop that,” Kyle said, eyes wide in the midst of laughter.

Tasha offered a fist bump that I accepted. “I’ll let you two get at it.”

I think we both raised our brows this time.

“To it, I meant. I’ll let you get to it.”

“Thank you, Tasha,” Kyle said, and waited patiently for her to close the door as she left. She walked around her desk and took a seat in the black leather executive chair. Her hair was down today, with a handful falling neatly across her forehead. “So, how have you been?”

“My foot?”

“Exactly. Yes. Your foot.” Her eyes were bright and inquisitive. What I’d learned about Kyle was that you could tell everything about her mood based on her very expressive eyes.

“It’s actually doing a lot better. I only even remember it’s injured when I’m on it for extended amounts of time.”

“And you’re giving yourself breaks at work? And using crutches when needed?”

“Yes, Doctor. I’ve followed all of your directions.”

“Even elevation? It can make a big difference.”

I laughed. “You’re very thorough.”

She met my gaze. The temperature shifted. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

With a deep breath, she looked around her desk as if searching her brain for whether she had anything else to say. “I would encourage you to watch out for strawberries at the store and continue to pay attention to your pain level, okay? Pull back if the foot is giving you trouble, and feel free to call me directly with any questions.”

Oh, no. That was it? We weren’t going to flirt anymore? She wasn’t going to attempt to pursue me and then I’d dodge the attention, when actually this time , I planned to meet it head-on? I wore my outerwear. I was ready to mix it up. It appeared I wouldn’t be given the opportunity today. That was a shame and had me flustered.

“Yes, totally. I will do all of those things.”

“A model patient. Take care, Potter.”

I made my way quietly to the parking lot, shooting Tasha a wave as she chatted away on the phone. Well, that was a crash and burn if I’d seen one.

Apparently, meeting in her office didn’t have any larger implications after all. Maybe the other exam rooms were just full and Kyle was squeezing me in somewhere. And then a horrible thought occurred. What if things had taken off with Raven? That had to be it. Just as I was coming around, Kyle was interested in someone else. My stomach turned, and I went cold and clammy. That was certainly telling, wasn’t it? I drove home and made myself a frozen pizza for dinner, shutting the oven door extra hard because that’s what a person with a wounded heart did.

So much for taking back control of my destiny.

Bring on the damn pepperoni and regret.

* * *

I guarantee the devil was laughing the day he invented karaoke. When I’d agreed to meet up with my friends at Ronnie’s to celebrate Elizabeth’s tenth year in business with On the Spot, I hadn’t forgotten the once-a-month karaoke component and now watched in amusement as Cricket and her group of minion friends sang “Come and Get It” by Selena Gomez, to embarrassing results.

“But they believe they’re good, though,” Jonathan said, studying the stage as Cricket shook her hips and the microphone in unison. “And that takes a lot.”

“A whole, whole lot,” I answered earnestly.

“Bless their hearts,” we mouthed in unison.

“I can’t believe those women used to be my best friends in high school,” Devyn said, squinting. “I’m rethinking so many choices right now.” As the former captain of their mean-girls cheerleading squad, she’d come a long way since then.

“You’ve more than made up for it. Plus, you’ve moved forward with your life, grown, blossomed. Cricket is boycotting the school book fair just like she boycotted the blood drive in eleventh grade.” I sat back with a smile. “So, the least I can do is enjoy the car crash onstage right now. Even Sean is cringing, and he’s the most supportive bartender ever.”

Elizabeth stared hard at the stage. “I feel like Heather practices that pouty face in the mirror.” She inclined her head for an alternate view. “How does she get her lips to stick out that far? I’m so confused right now. But also a little bit impressed.”

I laughed and shook my head, having dutifully forgiven Elizabeth for swallowing the Kyle-works-here-now headline. I was actually having a really good time. The karaoke was atrocious, but that had worked out in our favor. I owed Cricket and her crew a fruit basket, which I once proposed we assemble and sell at the store. Faber said no.

“Dr. Kyle’s here.”

Record scratch. My laughter faded. “She is?”

“Look at you perk right up,” Devyn said. “Things must be better on that front than the last time we ran into her here. You looked like you wanted to throttle her.” A pause and a wink. “And not in the fun way.”

“We talked,” I confessed to the table. These were my good friends, after all. I trusted them. “Cleared up a few things. And…we’re friends.”

“Friends,” Jonathan said with tented hands. “You pick each other up from the airport? Pat each other’s hand when you’re proud? That kind of friend?”

“Or,” said Devyn, looking me straight in the eyes, “the kind of friend you press up against the wall and—”

“Don’t give away all our secrets,” Elizabeth said.

“Well, well .” I swiveled to her like a lollipop on a turning mechanism. “Someone’s feeling extra saucy tonight.”

“Sometimes I surprise people. But which of those friends are you two?” she asked, turning straight back to me in playful challenge. Our table’s friend energy was recharging me tonight. These were the kinds of nights that lifted me up and gave me life to face the rest of my workweek.

“The airport kind, I think.”

“Boo,” said Jonathan. “I was rooting for a comeback story.”

“Maybe I was, too. But if it’s not meant to be, it’s simply not.”

Devyn sat back. “What are you waiting for? She’s right over there talking to Maya and Jeremy. If you’re even a little bit interested, make it known,” she said, as if going after what I wanted would be the most natural thing in the world. For her, it was. I sighed. I should take a page from Devyn’s very successful book and collect my courage.

“You think?” I was asking Devyn specifically. Elizabeth and Jonathan swiveled from me to her like cats following a laser dot.

“I know.”

I nodded. I turned. I got this . It would be easy enough to approach one of my valued employees. No big deal. I talked to Maya every day. And just because Kyle looked so very Kyle tonight, it still didn’t alter my determination. She wore black jeans and a purple top with sleeves that came to just past her elbows. I really did enjoy her strong and feminine forearms. Use it, I told myself.

“What are we drinking tonight?” I asked, approaching Maya’s table like the mayor of Ronnie Roo’s. Jeremy sat across from Maya, engaged in conversation with Kyle.

“Hey,” Maya said, her eyes lighting up. “We were just talking about you.”

“Me?” I turned to Kyle. “Dare I ask?”

She raised her longneck and shrugged. “What can I say? Everyone wants to thank me for saving your life.”

“You mean patching up my sprain?”

“Same thing.”

She pressed her lips to the bottle for a drink mid smile. I couldn’t look away. God grant me strength in this bar . When I finally did turn back to the table, I saw Maya and Jeremy exchanging a look. Was I about to become break room gossip? Probably. In this moment, I was willing to risk it.

“Hey, did you see Faber today?” Maya asked. “He let himself into your office and left with a bunch of file folders.”

I frowned, lust session placed on hold. The filing cabinets contained our financial records. At least the hard copies. He wouldn’t know how to access the digital if he wanted to. “Did he say anything to anyone?”

Maya laughed. “Not a word, just shuffled on out of there, his comb-over in full effect.”

“An actual comb-over?” Jeremy asked, as my mind raced trying to figure out what he might be doing there. Surely this wasn’t another attempt to teach Harlowe the business and install her at the store.

“Jare-Bear, this man is a walking crisis with more bank than God.”

“He does have too much money for his own good,” I mumbled. Kyle was watching me, her brow creased. Jeremy and Maya were laughing with their heads together, young kids in love. Kyle took the opportunity to check in. “Hey, are you okay? Want to talk it out?”

It was a good offer. She inclined her head to an open space next to the bar where we could have some space to ourselves. “I’ll catch up with you later,” I said, giving Maya’s shoulder a squeeze. But lost in Jeremy’s eyes, I wasn’t sure she heard a word.

“I saw the look on your face when she mentioned your boss leaving with file folders. This is the same guy who made you cry that day in the store?”

“Same guy. I don’t know what he’s up to, but he’s the stupidest bull in the china shop when he gets an idea in his head. If I didn’t care so much about the store, I’d let him run it into the ground.”

“But you do. You care a lot. You’re Savanna.” She leaned a casual shoulder against the brick wall, which left us standing fairly close together. I resisted the urge to wiggle my shoulders as the zap of energy moved straight through me. I didn’t think I’d get used to the Kyle effect.

“I’m not sure I could turn it off if I tried.”

“My advice? Don’t let him think he can push you around, because he will. I speak from experience.”

She was right. I let him get away with too much bad behavior in order to keep him off my back and as far away from the store as possible. “Right. But what if I’ve already done that?”

“Doesn’t matter. You make the change starting now.” The determination in her eyes was admirable. She and Devyn would surely get along. “Anyway.”

“No. I appreciate the words of wisdom. Thank you.”

“I hope I didn’t overstep, but I saw the way your whole demeanor shifted.”

She’d noticed? Not a lot of people knew my tells, those little details unique to me. “You didn’t overstep.”

She straightened. “Good. Well…let me know how it goes.”

“That’s it?” It sounded like the conversation was over, but to me, there was so much more I longed to say. I wanted to tell her how good she looked and how much I appreciated all the little things she’d done for me since coming to town. How I still remembered how much it had broken my heart to be stood up on that bridge, but I was healing because I understood why she’d done it. I wanted. I wanted. I wanted.

“Is there something—”

I went up on my tiptoes and silenced her lips with mine. Holy hell in a lust-filled handbasket. The ripple of desire that shot through me in the first second of contact reminded me why Kyle and I were incomparable in the chemistry department. I could get lost in these lips forever, soft and responsive. She didn’t hesitate to kiss me back with the kind of soft determination I remembered from Charleston. What I also now remembered was how expertly she kissed. With heat surging, I wanted more. I was also acutely aware of our surroundings. A bar. We were kissing in a bar. With people.

I stepped back, searching for air and control of myself. My heart thudded, angry I’d ended the really nice kiss. I was one hundred percent in agreement.

“Where did that come from?” Kyle asked. There wasn’t a lazy grin, or even a playful one. It was an earnest question, because the answer mattered to her.

That resonated with me, because it meant she cared.

My heart squeezed as her eyes searched mine for any kind of clue. “I think it was only a matter of time.” I shrugged and sent her a small smile. “It’s us, after all.”

“After all,” she said, returning the smile. “Can I see you soon?”

“I was hoping you’d ask. But—”

“I know there are details we need to address about the past, about what happened, and you probably still have a lot of feelings about it—”

“Yes, all of that. But I was just checking in on where things might stand with Raven.”

She looked at me strangely. “Raven? What about her?”

“I didn’t know if you were dating, and if you are, that’s fine—”

“You think I came to Dreamer’s Bay for you and then took up with some other woman? Not happening.”

Warmth blossomed in my chest. Fear fluttered in my stomach. There was a lot going on, but none of it had to be figured out right now, and that realization left my spirits soaring. I could just enjoy letting go for a moment, enjoy this stolen moment when everything felt…perfect.

I turned to my left to see if she wanted to join the group at my table, only to find nearly every human in the bar and restaurant staring straight at us. Kyle must have noticed, too.

“Whoa,” she said, quietly.

“Should have known,” I said back. “Nothing here happens under the radar. Nothing.” I looked at her. “We will be the headline tomorrow at every water cooler in town. Just how it is. I’m sorry. This is on me.”

“Uh-uh, you don’t get all the credit. Besides, this has been my favorite five minutes in a very long time. I wouldn’t change a detail.”

I smiled and probably blushed. “Do you want to sit with us and listen to some bad karaoke?”

She hesitated. “I’m actually on really early in the morning and should get a good night’s sleep, and I happen to feel like this was a really nice end to the evening.” She touched my cheek. “I’ll call you soon. Or, you know, you call me.”

“You got it,” I said.

She set her beer on the bar, said goodbye to a few people on the way out, and disappeared into the night.

When I returned to my friends, I was met with three wide-eyed stares.

“What?” I asked, like it was no big deal to make out with doctors in bars.

“You know exactly what,” Elizabeth said. “That was epic. That was iconic.”

“I’m honestly shocked,” Jonathan said. “And impressed. You really went for it.”

“I took Devyn’s advice and let my feelings be known.”

“And how do you feel?” Devyn asked.

I exhaled and let the exhilaration, hope, and potential of all to come wash over me. “Like I’m ready to take on the whole world.”

She grinned and touched her glass to mine. “You will, too.”