CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
claire
“Oh,hey, glad you could make it,” I hear the instructor for my fertility awareness class say as I continue sifting through the folder of materials she handed out.
“Uh, yeah, thanks for the invitation,” a familiar male voice replies, and my head pops up involuntarily. Rowan’s eyes meet mine, and he swallows hard.
What on God’s green earth ishedoing here?
“Guys, this is Dr. LaFleur. He just started working with me at the clinic here in Camellia. He’s here tonight to brush up on his charting skills,” Tenley says to the rest of the class. “You already know Claire, right?” she directs at Rowan, a suspicious twinkle in her eyes.
Rowan glares at her, just the slightest, and the way she purses her lips in a challenge makes me wonder what kind of office gossip the two of them have been sharing.
“Right,” he replies quietly after a while. “But, please, just call me Rowan.”
“Have a seat, Doc.” She gestures to the empty chair next to me, and he lets out a defeated exhale as he settles in.
“What are you doing here?” I whisper once Tenley turns to gather another set of materials for him.
“Exactly what Tenley said,” he mumbles. “And before you ask, I didn’t know you were taking this class.”
I scoff. “Of course not.”
Tenley turns back to hand Rowan a folder. “This is actually perfect. You guys won’t mind partnering up for some of these activities, will you?”
“Actually, I’m not sure I’m comfortable sharing my charts with a stranger. It feels a little too personal.” I turn to shoot Rowan a dirty look when he lets out an incredulous laugh beside me.
“No worries,” Tenley replies, grinning. “We’ll only be looking at the practice charts included in your workbook tonight. But if you’re uncomfortable, by all means …”
I roll my eyes. “Fine.”
“Great,” she reaffirms and leaves us to finish setting up her presentation.
“So we’re back to being strangers now?” Rowan asks under his breath.
“Not exactly. But we’re not on our-cycles-have-synced terms, either,” I grumble.
He snorts. “As someone who was moments away from being represented by a tiny heart on your actual chart, I beg to differ. Not to mention, you’re my emergency medical contact now.”
My brow lifts in surprise. “Oh, so we’ve gone from pretending we don’t know one another to publicly acknowledging our hookup?”
“I haven’t been going around bragging about it, but I’m told the good people of Camellia have noticed my truck in your driveway,” he explains matter-of-factly.
“And what have you been telling them?” I ask in a harsh whisper.
He shrugs. “Nothing. I still think what has or hasn’t happened between us isn’t anyone else’s business.”
“Except to clarify for your sister and brother-in-law that you didn’t actually go through with it,” I mumble, and he frowns.
“I didn’t exactly have a choice the other night. I wasn’t even planning on confiding in Landry until he asked us point blank.”
“Exactly,” Isay dryly.
He turns in his chair to face me now. “I thought we talked about this. What am I supposed to do, Claire? Tell people about our failed one-night stand? Keep it a secret and let you go on thinking I’m embarrassed to be seen with you?”
I open my mouth to answer before I realize he has a point. The problem is that no matter how indifferent I want to be about Rowan and our situation, I find myself caring entirely too much.
“I don’t know, okay? I just hate the way all of it makes me feel,” I blurt out, my face heating when my voice breaks.
