Chris seemed onboard with my plan about ignoring all the heavier topics for now. Since he’d met Craig and had been the doctor at the emergency room when the medics brought Adi in, I was sure he had a million questions.
But he seemed content not to ask them now, which made me like him even more. “We’ve been together since I got started about eight years ago. He’s a giant and a goofball, but I love him. My job would’ve been impossible most days if not for him.”
“He seems really good with kids,” I commented. “Adi can’t stop speaking about you two.”
He grinned. “He is good with kids, but she’s a really good kid. It’s not difficult to warm up to her.”
“About that.” I fidgeted with my fingers in my lap, but I knew this was my opening to address the massive elephant sitting on the table between us. “I’m sorry about what she said in that session. My sister and I weren’t discussing you behind your back or anything like that. She just asked about the doctor treating Adi, and when she heard what nurses called you, she felt compelled to remind me our visits with you are for Adi’s benefit. I only made that comment to get her off my back.”
His eyes lit up with amusement. “Don’t even think about it. I’ll admit to being curious about what you said, but it’s not a big deal. I know how these things go. How’s your first shift back at work?”
Chris and I spent the rest of our lunch break talking. We stuck to small things, just getting to know each other. He asked about Katie and Adi and told me more about his practice, Hunter, and what their machinery was capable of.
For the first time in weeks, I actually felt like myself. I laughed, teased him, and didn’t constantly feel like I had to keep my guard up just in case trouble was waiting around the next corner. It was a nice change of pace.
“It was good to see you, April,” he said once our burgers were done and our water bottles drained. “Maybe we could have more lunches together.”
It wasn’t a question, but it wasn’t a demand either. He had this way about him that just made things easy.
I nodded so automatically it was almost like my head was attached to a string someone else was in charge of. “Sure, that would be nice. Same time tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow is my day off, but I’ll see you on Monday?” He flashed me another smile that absolutely should not have made my heart go all aflutter.
“See you on Monday,” I said. “Enjoy your day off.”
As he walked away from me, I couldn’t help but steal a glance at his firm butt. The guy had a nice ass. And nice eyes. And a nice smile.
And also, none of those things were only nice. Despite the fact that I knew better, for one fleeting moment, I wondered if having my own Pretty Woman story would really be all that bad.
Chapter 11
CHRIS
“Man, it stinks out here. I love it.” Hunter took a deep breath and grinned at me, pulling his faded ballcap lower over his forehead. “There’s nothing like a Sunday morning next to the water.”
I nodded and set my tackle box down between our feet. “I’ve heard the stripers have been biting this season. We should have made some time to do this months ago.”
“Yeah.” He shrugged before crouching down to bait his hook. “Shifts have been crazy recently, though. It’s not like we’ve had much free time.”
“True.”
He unpacked what we needed, and we both lapsed into silence as we got our rods rigged up. Once we were done, he walked a safe distance down the pier and cast his line. He was still close enough that we’d be able to speak while we fished, but far enough away that I, hopefully, wouldn’t get a fishing hook through my lip.
“If we went into private practice, we wouldn’t have to deal with such crazy shifts,” he said. “It’d still be hard work, but we’d make our own hours and we could have a ‘Gone Fishing’ sign made for when we just need to get out.”
“I don’t think it works that way.” Making sure there was no one around me, I let my own line fly and widened my stance. “If we set our own hours and actually do well, we might end up working even more.”
“But the hospital won’t let us have a ‘Gone