along the countertops—trying to locate her phone, I think. “No.” But she purses her lips. Her telltale sign that she’s lying.
“You’re lying,” Dori says.
“No, I’m not,” Juno says and again purses her lips. She might as well give up the fight.
“Well, ladies, I have to get Juno home to shower and change. Thanks for the donuts and juice,” I say, trying to save her.
Juno’s smile says she’ll be thanking me later. I love these new perks.
“You’re welcome,” Ethel says, her eyes skimming down my body again.
I tuck my chair farther under the table.
“Juno, I just want to talk to her,” Dori says.
“Grandma, she’s not ready, okay? The last thing we need is Kingston to find out she’s back before Stella can face him. You know how weak he is when it comes to her.” Juno’s tone and words change Dori’s behavior.
Dori stares at her cup of coffee for a moment then nods. “Okay, you’re right. I think I’m just a little upset that I didn’t get a hand in getting you two together. I mean, I’ve been waiting months for this moment.” Dori glances between Juno and me.
“Sorry, Grandma, but you did. I mean…” Juno tries to see where maybe she had something to do with getting us together, but the truth is she didn’t.
“No, I didn’t, but that’s okay. I’m sure you’ll need me down the road.” She stands and sips her coffee, grabbing her purse. “Ethel, stop making googly eyes at Colton and let’s go.”
“What do you mean down the road?” Juno asks, getting up and hugging her grandma and Ethel.
“You guys have a lot more to go through. Did you really think you just admit your feelings, and everything is hunky-dory?” She laughs. “God, I love that saying.”
Juno’s eyebrows crinkle and she searches me out. I shake my head. This is Dori. She likes to be the matchmaker for her grandchildren, to feel as though they wouldn’t have found their way without her.
“Kids are so naive,” she tells Ethel, who nods. “They think everything is easy-peasy.”
Both women walk down the hall, and I put my arm around Juno.
“The key, Dori?” I try one more time.
“See you kids later.” She opens the door for Ethel, and they leave, shutting the door behind them.
“You’re getting that key back,” I say to Juno.
She laughs. “You’re so paranoid.”
“Because she has a key to my house and her friend looks at me like I’m a piece of meat.”
“Ethel’s a vegetarian,” Juno says, still laughing.
I tickle her ribs until she’s squirming and begging for mercy. I swallow her laughter with a kiss.
Dori’s wrong—Juno and I have this in the bag. Nothing is gonna go wrong now that we’re finally a couple.
For the past week, Juno and I have been inseparable. Dr. Murphy has called me in for a meeting today and I’m hopeful it has something to do with buying the practice.
I knock on the door to his office and he looks up from the computer, waving me in.
“Colton,” he says, directing me to the chair in front of his desk.
“Good morning.”
“So we lost Brigette,” he says and a pit forms in my stomach. “But sounds like she’s happy. You both are.”
“Was your friend able to help?” I ask.
“He might have, but she and Rhys left two days ago to explore the lower forty-eight. I’m not sure what their plans are.”
Dr. Murphy knows more than me. Although it was an amicable split between Brigette and me, she didn’t come to me to talk about it before she and Rhys set off into the sunset. I hope she’s happy though.
“That leaves an opening here at the office. I have a call in to my professor friend in Anchorage with the hopes that we can get someone to help us out. But I think we should get the paperwork together. I figure you’ll need to secure a loan, so why don’t you finalize that, and I’ll contact my lawyer?”
“Really? You’re ready?” There’s a strong possibility that Dr. Murphy will stay on until we find a new person and train them.
Dr. Murphy smiles and nods. “After your stint of stopping your wedding for the one you love, Mrs. Murphy has some newfound love for spontaneity, and she wants to travel. I promised her five years ago I’d slow down once I found someone I trusted, and she’s been bothering me since you graduated. So here we are. That is, if you still want the practice?”
“Yes.” I nod enthusiastically. No question about it, especially now that I’m