Hayes chokes on his beer. “You what?”
“It was an accident!” I protest. “Mostly.”
“That’s so classically you,” Forest says.
“Right? I swear. But it was still random running into him.”
Braelyn is the only person who knows about the kiss. I didn’t tell anyone else. Our circle is too small, and I didn’t want it somehow getting back to my brother by accident.
Quinn grins, her eyebrows bouncing. “What are the odds? How did he look?”
“Annoyingly good,” I admit. “And apparently, he’s moved back to town.”
“He moved back with his daughter,” Forest explains. “His ex-wife died about six months ago, and he felt it was time for a change for them.”
“Oh.” I forgot that happened. Micha flew home from somewhere in Asia for the funeral and stayed in California with them for a week after. I don’t remember the details around their relationship or her death, but I know they had a daughter, Zoey, because Micha is her godfather.
“He’s here with my brother and a few of the other guys,” he continues. “I spoke to Aston briefly last week before he moved back. We used to hang out sometimes and go hiking when we both lived in LA. He’s living with his parents until he finds something better.” His dark eyes rattle with realization. “I should have thought about it sooner, but he’s going to be working at the hospital with you.” He points at me.
That pulls me up short. “What?”
“He’s a pediatric trauma surgeon.”
“Oh yeah. I forgot.” Because for two years, I’ve tried not to think about Aston Hughes or the powerhouse kiss he nailed me with and then regretted. The thought of him working at my hospital with me makes my stomach churn and my chest flutter. I work in the MSICU, or medical-surgical intensive care unit, at Boston Children’s Hospital. I’ll see him. I’ll see him a lot.
Crew leans forward, his elbows on the table. “You don’t look so happy about this.”
“It’s fine,” I lie and drain my martini.
“This is better than a rom-com,” Braelyn declares, signaling the waiter for another round. “The nurse and the doctor with a complicated past, forced to work together saving children’s lives…” She fans her face. “Maybe he’ll make you come for the first time. I bet he’s damn good at it.” She launches into a rendition ofFrozen’s “For the First Time in Forever.”
I glare at her to watch the complicated past stuff. “It’s not a rom-com,” I protest ardently. “It’s an interesting professional situation at best, and he’s not going to be the guy to make me come for the first time. More than likely, we’ll ignore each other and be nothing but professional.”
“Ah, I see you heard the good news, same as I just did.”
I freeze, my insides icing over as my eyes turn into saucers bigger than the moon. I stare at Roman.Please tell me Aston didn’t hear me talk about him making me come for the first time. Which isn’t entirely accurate. Judging by Roman’s grimace, he did. Awesome.
“Hey, everyone.” Aston shakes hands with Hayes, Forest, Roman, and Crew and gives the women hugs before returning to my side and nudging me with his elbow.
“Is this all true?” I ask. “Are you really working at my hospital?”
“It’s not your hospital, Swan. It’s our hospital now.”
Swan?Before I can even comprehend that nickname, he continues.
“And yes. We’ll be working together. I signed the paperwork this morning. Home sweet home.”
Just great.
4
SKYLAR
Iwake up with a headache that I’m not so affectionately naming Aston. I guess that’s what happens when you go to sleep annoyed.
After climbing out of bed, I use the bathroom and brush my teeth, all the while mentally ranting to myself. But really, what does it matter if he’s going to be working with me? He doesn’t seem to care about the kiss. He even called me immature for still lingering on it. Maybe he’s right. I was a bit drunk that night. I kissed a man whom I thought was a stranger in the dark. It turned out it wasn’t. Case closed.
I’m not going to let it have power over me. That’s become my mantra where men are concerned, and it’s now extending to Aston. You can’t have a new reality with an old mentality, so here I am. I’ll see him at work, and we’ll be indifferent, just as I told Braelyn we’d be, and that’s that.
