A knock on the door signaled the arrival of Nathan’s next patient. He cleared his head of mental images of Zoe in his arms and went to answer.
The rest of the day went smoothly. Zoe snapped a few more pictures and took some videos. When Nathan asked her not to film a particular appointment with a patient he knew was struggling, she put her camera away without hesitating. Eventually, the last patient of the day left, and he turned to her.
“Shall we have dinner?” he suggested.
“I’m afraid it’ll be a working dinner for me.” She held up the camera. “I’m a bit behind schedule, so I’m going to hole up in the B&B and work for a few days.”
“Of course, that makes sense.” Though Nathan couldn’t help the sinking feeling in his chest at the thought that he wouldn’t see Zoe for a while. He walked her out, and she headed off to the B&B alone. Nathan went back to his house for a quick dinner of spaghetti and a walk in the forest. He tried not to think of Zoe. He tried not to imagine kissing her.
It didn’t go very well.
In just a few short days, most of which they’d spent at odds with each other, Zoe had turned his life on its head. Nathan had long ago given up on finding the kind of love his friends and cousins had. After all, Islingburn was a small town with only a few remaining eligible women — and he’d never been in love with any of the women when theywereeligible. Zoe made his heart and mind race, though. She challenged him. She made himlaugh. She seemed to enjoy his silly voices and little quirks that many people found annoying.
The problem, of course, was that she’d be returning to New York when all this was over. There was no future for them. Maybe there was no present for them, either — Nathan still wasn’t sure if Zoe wanted to kiss him as much as he wanted to kiss her.
The next two days dragged by. Nathan went to his appointments and did the high-quality work he always did — he would never let his own thoughts influence patient care. A few people asked why Zoe wasn’t there to film, and he explained that she’d gotten all the footage she needed and was working on the pitch now.
On the evening of the second day, Nathan decided that enough was enough. He made a batch of chocolate-chip cookies and a few sandwiches and took them over to Zoe’s B&B. He wasn’t sure she’d been eating enough, what with all the working — like him, she seemed like the kind of person who could get so caught up with work that she forgot to sleep and eat.
Nathan strode up to the front door and knocked. A moment later, Iris, the older woman who ran the B&B, opened it. She smiled at Nathan.
“Hi there, Doc. Are you here to check on my husband? His knees are doing well, apparently, and he’s walking better again.”
“How wonderful.” Nathan smiled. “Let him know I’m glad to hear that, and if he has any concerns, he can always come in or just give me a call. I’m actually here to see Zoe, though.”
“Really?” Iris’s brown eyes sparkled as she stepped back to let him in. “I know you two have been working together.”
“We have,” Nathan said.
“She’s a very pretty girl, Doc,” Iris continued. “Fiery, too. I like that. At first, I thought she was a bit rude, but I think that’s just the big city in her.” She winked.
“Zoe is very…”Beautiful. Talented. Dedicated.“Special. But this is just a professional visit — I need to see how the pitch editing is going.”
“Sure, sure.” Iris winked as though they were sharing a secret. “Well, she’s upstairs. She’s been working hard; we’ve barely seen her.”
“Thanks, Iris.”
“Anytime, Doc.”
At Iris’s direction, Nathan climbed the stairs, passed what seemed like hundreds of family portraits, and went to the one room with a closed door. He knocked and waited. Nothing happened, so he knocked again. There was a thump from inside the room, then the sound of footsteps, and the door opened.
Zoe looked, once again, completely different. Today she wore yoga pants and an overlarge T-shirt that saidSprinklesacross the front. Her hair was in a bun again, but this time it was a loose twist that barely contained her curls. A pencil was tucked behind her ear, and her feet were bare. When she saw Nathan, her eyes widened.
“Nathan?” She began trying to smooth her hair back. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Nathan smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t disturb you. I just brought some food.” He held up the cloth bag he’d put the cookies and sandwiches in. “I thought you could use something to eat.”
“Iris has been feeding me really well.” Zoe met his eyes and smiled, her hands going still on her hair. “Actually, since you’re here, I could use your help.”
“With what?” Nathan asked, but she just grabbed his hand and pulled him into the room. He’d expected it to be messy, but the bed was neatly made, and the window was open to allow the fresh evening air in. The only sign that Zoe had been working hard was the open laptop on the desk, along with several empty coffee mugs.
“Come on, come on.” She pressed him into the desk chair and leaned over him to click something on the laptop. Her soft floral smell enveloped him, and her arm was pressed against his. He stole a glance at her, but she was completely focused on whatever she was doing with the computer. After a moment, she straightened up.
“Okay. Watch.” She pressed the space bar, and a video began to play. It started with a panoramic shot of Islingburn from above — Nathan wasn’t sure how she’d gotten that — as soft instrumental music played.
“Welcome to Islingburn,” Zoe’s voice said in the smooth tone of a narrator. “A small town in rural Vermont where kids ride their bikes on long summer afternoons, neighbors watch out for each other, and doctors care for their patients like their own family.”
The music swelled as images of kids on bikes, smiling strangers, and finally, Nathan cuddling an infant played.
