“Yes. Tomorrow night?”
“Perfect.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Paige
I metCormac for dinner at the local diner, nothing too fancy, but perfect, small town comfort food.
I order baked mac ’n cheese and a side salad, while Cormac ordered a burger and fries, and we both ordered milkshakes. Who goes to a diner and doesn’t order a deliciously creamy milkshake?
“I thought your niece was your daughter when I first walked in. I wasn’t going to ask you out, figuring you were married or whatever. I mean, a good-looking guy like you, must be taken.” I watched Cormac’s face, his emotions easy to read. He wore his heart on his sleeve despite how hard he tried not to.
What, or should I say, who hurt him?
“No. I’m more of a loner type of guy. I focus on work, my niece, and that’s about it.”
“I understand. I’ve dedicated most of my life to my career so far. I figured it was time to slow down somewhere, put down some roots, be close to my parents. So here I am.”
“I can imagine it was hard getting through medical school.”
“It was. Clinicals were worse, and residencies even more so, but I made it through. I can’t wait to help people in this small town and the ones around here. There’s only one other doctor’s office in town and as the town expands, we need more access to care.”
“I agree. Did you grow up around here?”
“A few towns over. You?”
“I grew up here. Went into the military for a while, before coming back and going into security at the hospital. Worked my way up pretty quickly. I had a lot of specialty training in the military that helped beef up my resume.”
“That’s amazing. Thanks for your service. I always admire men and women who fight for our country. You’re brave.”
“Thank you. I wish I felt it.”
“You should. You accomplished a major feat.”
“Yeah, I know. But it doesn’t always feel that way.”
“I can imagine it was hard easing yourself back into civilian life. Give yourself grace.” I reached across the table and placed my hand over his. His eyes shot up and burned through mine, his gaze piercing and strong. But there was pain. A lot of pain. “If you ever want to talk about anything, I’ll gladly listen.”
“Thank you.”
Our food came and I shifted the conversation, finding out he enjoyed watching boxing, relaxing over a fire with some beer, and he lived for his niece. He pretty much shut himself off to the rest of the world. Yet here he was, talking to me.
“I love watching trashy reality TV. That’s my guilty pleasure,” I said over a slice of flourless chocolate cake. We shared the slice of sinfully rich chocolate, the whipped cream adding a perfect sweet touch.
Cormac laughed. “The drama ones? Or the competition?”
“Definitely the drama.” I grinned. “I love it. Especially with a bottle of wine and a carton of ice cream.”
“Naughty doctor. I like it.” Cormac said, his voice low.
Was he flirting with me?
After we finished at the diner, Cormac walked me to my car. “I’d love to see you again, Paige. I had a great time.”
“Me too.” I looked into his eyes, then down at his lips, then back up to his eyes, my stomach twisting into tiny knots. I wanted to kiss him so much. But I also wanted him to kiss me.
Silence fell between us and the moment stretched on when finally, he leaned closer.
