uneasy and anxious. Maybe she should have taken those antidepressants instead of shoving the prescription into her purse.
A woman in front of her shrieked and sprinted toward a man with scruffy hair and an eager expression who swung her into his arms.
What must it be like to be greeted like that?
She was probably never going to find out. Unless she got a cat.
Should she get a cat?
No. She was already responsible for the lives of too many living creatures. Did she really want to add another to the list?
And what would it do when she worked long hours? It probably wouldn’t even be pleased to see her when she walked through the door. It would be like Vicky, disapproving of her lifestyle choices.
She tightened her grip on the case and walked past the couple, trying not to listen.
I love you.
I love you, too.
In that moment, their lives seemed perfect. Katie hoped there was nothing grim waiting for them around the corner. That single, dark thought annoyed her.
What was the matter with her? Was she really so warped by her job that she’d forgotten good things happened to people, too? People fell in love, babies were born, friends were made. Some people went through their lives without ever needing the services of the emergency department.
She had enough insight to know that her vision of the world was distorted.
Being a doctor in emergency medicine was like peeping through a window at a crisis. You saw a glimpse of someone’s life, but never the whole picture. She rarely saw this reality. There was a businessman striding through the crowd, talking on the phone as if the people around him didn’t exist; a couple hugging; a little girl balanced precariously on a suitcase.
And she saw smiles. People who were pleased to see each other. People who didn’t live their lives waiting for a disaster to happen.
She felt another twinge of envy as she saw a family of three generations embrace. Envy and a hollow feeling of loneliness. She felt as if everyone in the world was connected apart from her.
Maybe if Rosie had been here to meet her, she would have felt differently. Instead Rosie had sent the best man, who no doubt was as excited about the plan as she was. Four hours in a car making conversation with a stranger.
Oh joy.
Why wasn’t Rosie here? Did she really have a dress fitting or was she mad at Katie for expressing doubts about Dan?
But if she’d kept quiet and then Dan made Rosie miserable, how would she have felt?
Maybe this journey was a reprieve. A few hours of rest before she had to try to pull it together in front of her family. Given that Mr. Best Man didn’t know her and was simply doing his duty, he wouldn’t be able to identify that she was more stressed than usual. And who better to question about the groom than the best man? Maybe she could tempt him to spill all the gory details he was thinking of including in his speech.
But before that, she had to actually find the man.
How was she supposed to recognize him? Rosie, presumably distracted by wedding arrangements, hadn’t sent a description. All she’d said was that he would be waiting at arrivals.
There seemed to be a million people waiting at arrivals.
She glanced around to see if anyone was holding a card with her name on it.
Maybe she’d end up spending Christmas in the Denver airport. At least it was more cheerful than the emergency department.
“Katie?” A deep voice came from behind her, and she turned and found herself staring at a broad chest and a pair of powerful shoulders.
Happy Christmas, Katie.
She lifted her gaze past the dark shadow of his jaw to a pair of ice-blue eyes. “Hi.” Her voice emerged as a croak and she cleared her throat and tried again. “I mean, hi. Dry throat. I’m probably dehydrated from the flight.”
“That happens. I’m Jordan. Friend of Dan’s, and best man.” He stuck his hand out and she shook it, her fingers enveloped by strength and warmth.
“Katie. Big sister and, apparently, maid of honor.” The words sounded ridiculous to her. He was probably trying to picture her at a wedding. “How did you know who I was?”
“I had a description. Lone female, dark hair, stressed expression.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your sister warned me you’d probably look tired and stressed, so I looked for someone pale who didn’t look pleased to be home for the holidays.”