She’s here. She’s?—
He turned to see Rochelle smiling sweetly right behind him. Elias quickly hid his disappointment.
“Hey, Elias. I saw you looking around when you came in. Are you looking for Gabe? He’s on his way over from the rec center for lunch.” She fidgeted with her wedding ring as she spoke—a beautiful band with a mountain landscape carved on it that Gabe had their friend Ben create.
“No, I was just…looking around,” he ended lamely.
Rochelle tilted her head as she studied Elias. “You sure? It looked like you were expecting to see someone.”
Waylon chucked next to him. “Told you this would happen if she showed up here, didn’t I?”
Rochelle’s eyes went round. “She? Do you have a girlfriend, Elias?” She looked past Elias and caught April’s eye. “Elias has a girlfriend.”
“No, I don’t,” Elias said, caught off-guard. “I just loaned a patient a shirt today and she wanted to give it back, so I told her I stop by here every day.”
April smirked. “That’sa new one, Elias.”
Waylon laughed while Elias tried to defend himself. “What? She didn’t have any clothes on so I was being a gentleman.”
That only made Waylon, Tim, and Andy laugh harder while the women exchanged incredulous looks.
“A gentlemananda professional,” Elias added, and that made April erupt in laughter.
“Are you sure you weren’t ‘playing doctor’?” she asked.
“Hey, I’m a paramedic, which is way better than being a doctor.” Elias pretended to be offended, but it was worth getting laughed at to see April’s smile reach her eyes.
“Well, if anyone comes in here with a scrubs top, I’ll be sure to get it for you.”
“Oh, why do that?” Rochelle asked, eyes twinkling. “I think he’d rather retrieve it himself.”
“No, I…well.”
“What’s her name?” April propped her elbows on the counter and rested her chin on her hands.
“And, it’s starting,” Waylon drawled.
“Your fault.”
“What’s starting?” Rochelle asked.
“The gossip grapevine. Which one of you is going to call Ellie?” Waylon looked back and forth between Rochelle and April.
Rochelle put her hands on her hips. “That’s so insulting, how you just assume things.” She shook her head in disgust, then smiled. “Of courseI’mthe one calling Ellie.”
“And I’m calling Arden and Gina,” April added. “Right after I tell Hannah.”
“Then I’ll call Stephanie after Ellie, and I’ll text Sandra. I think that’s all of us,” Rochelle finished.
“Wait, no!” But their laughter drowned out Elias’ words.
An alarm on Tim’s phone interrupted the hilarity. “That’s our next call. Time to go,” he said.
“Tell Gabe we said hi,” Waylon called over his shoulder as they jogged out the door.
“Be careful out there, guys,” Rochelle shouted just before the door closed behind them.
Wren wasn’tat Riversong the next day either, much to Elias’ disappointment. He didn’t have to ask about her—April greeted him with “I haven’t seen a woman with a scrubs top, sorry” before he could open his mouth.
