Page 101 of Wrecked on the Mountain

"Sound familiar?" I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Touché." She grins. "But at least we're dealing with ours now."

We keep drinking and soon Charlie arrives with our burgers just as Piper's finishing a story about the latest drama in the General ER department that has me wiping tears from my eyes.

"Oh my God, stop," I gasp, clutching my stomach. "Dr. Richardson really said that to the chief of surgery?"

"In front of the entire board of directors," Piper confirms, grinning as she picks up a loaded fry dripping with cheese and bacon. "His exact words were 'Well, if you think my bedside manner needs work, you should see my golf swing.'"

Piper puffs out her cheeks and drops her voice to a ridiculous baritone that's exactly like my old colleagues. Her impression isso spot-on that I nearly choke on my drink, laughing until my sides ache.

"I can't believe I'm missing all this chaos," I say, then pause mid-bite of my burger.

Actually, I can believe it.

I don't miss the politics, the twelve-hour days, or the constant pressure to be perfect. That's the thing about working in medicine… there isn't much room for error.

Around here? You're allowed to make mistakes. Maybe not when someone is hanging on the edge of a cliff, but the Mountain Rescue team is so good, I wouldn't ever worry if my life was in their hands.

"So tell me more about this spar resort," Piper says, twirling a finger in her blonde hair. "It's soundsamazing."

My cheeks flush, and I know I'm grinning like an idiot. "He was so romantic. You wouldn't think it by looking at him… but he is."

"Oh yeah. I could tell from the airport pickup alone. Fresh flowers, perfectly clean truck, nervous energy like he was meeting the president." She takes a sip of her third cocktail. "The man is gorgeous, by the way. And clearly obsessed with you."

"So he arranged that entire spa weekend just to spoil me," I admit, remembering the rose petals and champagne. The moment in the infinity pool that my body still reacts to every time I think about it. "I've never been treated like that. Like I'm someone worth... I don't know, cherishing."

"Brooke." Piper reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. "You've always been worth cherishing. You just never slowed down long enough to let anyone try."

I know Jamie has said the same thing, but hearing it from someone I've known for so long… it just hits different.

"Remember residency?" I ask, steering the conversation away from the emotions threatening to overwhelm me. "When we thought we'd have it all figured out by thirty?"

"You mean when we thought we'd be married to fellow doctors, living in gorgeous condos, and saving the world one perfectly executed surgery at a time?" Piper laughs. "Yeah, that worked out exactly as planned."

"I thought I'd be department head by now," I confess. "Running my own trauma unit, maybe teaching the next generation."

"And instead?"

I look around the tavern, at the warm faces and easy laughter, at the mountains visible through the windows even in the darkness.

"Instead, I'm sitting in a small-town bar, planning to spend tomorrow showing my best friend around a place that feels more like home than anywhere I've ever lived."

Piper's expression grows thoughtful. "You really love it here."

"I do." The certainty in my voice surprises even me. "I love waking up to mountain views instead of sirens. I love knowing everyone's name. I love that my biggest medical emergency this week had me strapped in a helicopter for fucks sake."

"And Jamie?"

"Yeah. I love him too. More than I thought I was capable of loving anyone."

"Far out. So what's the plan then?" Piper asks, cutting into her burger. "When are you coming back to Chicago?"

I pause, my fry halfway to my mouth. The question should make me panic, should send my mind racing through logistics and obligations and all the reasons I can't just abandon my carefully constructed life.

Instead, I start laughing.

"I'm not," I say, the words feeling like the most natural thing in the world. "I think I'm staying here. Permanently. If they'll have me of course."