The Lucky in Love Collection - Lauren Blakely Page 0,102

I even want to see him? I like living alone.

I flip through my sweater patterns, and when his footsteps fade, telling me he went upstairs, I grit my teeth and try to tamp down my disappointment. I shouldn’t be disappointed. In fact, I’m not disappointed at all.

I study my patterns, trying to decide what to make and who to make it for, when I hear water running.

The shower.

He’s taking a shower.

He’s naked in my house.

What the hell was I thinking?

What the hell was Shaw thinking?

I head to the kitchen, pop a frozen pad thai meal into the microwave, and grab it before it’s fully cooked. I take the dish, a napkin, and a fork to my room and shut the door.

Sitting on my bed, I shovel the half-warmed pad thai into my mouth, then I grab my laptop and open up the reports I’ve been working on. Work. That’s what I’ll do. Work on reports to impress the chief.

I don’t think about Elias. I don’t entertain the dash of guilt. And I definitely don’t think about my roomie who ditched me.

It’s not like we had a date.

Not really.

Well, maybe it felt a little bit like one.

And that’s just the problem.

16

Derek

The next day, Hunter slams the door of the ambulance, getting in after our third ER visit, then breathes a sigh of relief.

Scrubbing a hand over his jaw, he says, “For a while there, I thought we were about to be anointed the new angels of death.”

“It can feel that way some days.”

It’s been a rough morning so far. We came close to losing our first patient en route to the hospital after a heart attack, then our second when a woman had a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting, and came even closer with this call—a scary-as-shit workplace accident. The guy lost a ton of blood after falling off a ladder, but we made it through the ER doors in time. He’s in the capable hands of the doctors and nurses now, and all we can do is hope for the best.

My stomach rumbles. “And it’s lunchtime.”

Hunter pats his belly and cocks his head as if listening to his stomach too. “Yup. Mine says it’s time for In-N-Out Burger.”

“Dude, you can’t live off burgers and fries.”

“Like hell I can’t. I’m going to get me two double-double burgers today.”

During my first week on the job, my partner has plowed through an astonishing amount of fast food, devouring enough fried chicken, wings, and burgers dripping with fixings that I feel in danger of a second-hand coronary. “Are you trying out for one of those all-you-can-eat contests?” I ask as he puts the van in reverse to pull out of the hospital parking lot.

Hunter waggles his eyebrows as he steers. “Hey, that’s a damn fine idea. I can put down more hot dogs than you can dream of.”

“I assure you, I do not dream of hot dogs.”

“But I like this food contest plan. Maybe I can meet a nice new lady at a hot-dog-eating contest.”

“Do those type of contests have ladies in them?”

Hunter flips the blinker as we head toward the street. “I don’t know, but I imagine a woman who can scarf down hot dogs is my kind of lady.”

I groan. “I haven’t eaten yet, and you’re already ruining my lunch.”

He laughs as he heads to the nearest In-N-Out Burger. I love that place, but I can’t survive on it every day, so I pop into the grocery store next to it, grab a chicken salad, and meet Hunter outside.

He eyes my meal suspiciously. “Are you a vegetarian?”

“One, you say that like it’s a bad thing. Two, there’s meat here in this salad.” I point. “Right there on top of the lettuce is a food known as . . . wait for it . . . chicken.”

He lifts his supersize soda and takes a thirsty gulp. “But where’s the bread, man? No way can you survive on greens and meat.”

I shield my eyes from the bright noon sun. “Have you never heard of Paleo eating, man?”

“Eating dinosaurs? More power to you—I bet those things have tough skin.”

“I assure you, I’m not eating velociraptors. But if I were, I’d opt for a skinless, boneless breast.” I spear another piece of chicken. “I do eat bread, but not too often. I’m all about fewer carbs and more veggies and protein.”

Hunter digs into his double-double burger and gives me a knowing nod. “Ah, I get it now,” he says around a mouthful. “You’re probably