If it was the former ... well, the same could be true. Had he been tamping down his emotions all this time? He let out a sigh.
Exactly what Dr. Willis had warned him against. He’d scolded Peter on multiple occasions because Peter said it was easier to compartmentalize everything when he was working with patients. Dr. Willis insisted that the best doctor was the one who was personally invested. One who cared about each and every patient. Prayed for them. Took time with them.
“Peter?”
Whitney’s voice jolted him back. “Hmm?” He blinked away the memories.
“Are you all right?” One eyebrow quirked up. “You’ve been petting Ginger for several moments now. Not that she minds, but I need your help digging us out.” She sent him a prodding smile as she pointed over her shoulder with her thumbs.
“Sorry. My mind was elsewhere.”
“I figured as much.” With a shake of her head, she giggled.
No more shoving his feelings down. “I was actually thinking about you and Judas.”
Her expression shifted to serious. “Oh. You heard us talking?”
“I did.”
“I take it you don’t approve?” The edge to her voice told him he was on thin ice.
It was his own fault. He’d opened this can of worms. “I know your family has been close to Reynolds for a long time....” The words hung in the air. Should he finish?
“Sounded like there was abutcoming?”
He’d expected her to get defensive and angry. But instead, her tone had changed. The look she sent him was vulnerable. Almost as if she was seeking his approval.
He high-stepped through the drift toward her. “But ... I don’t believe he’s the right man for you.” There. He’d said it.
“How am I supposed to know who the right man is?” She threw out her arms and huffed. Exasperated. That’s how he would describe her.
Well, he’d backed himself into a corner. He couldn’t exactly say, “I’m here!” He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Well, then how on earth am I supposed to know that Judas is wrong for me unless I allow him to court me?” Whitney leaned down and tugged another pup out of the snow. It took her a few swift maneuvers to untangle the dogs’ lines.
“That’s a good question. I’m not trying to tell you what to do, Whitney. I’m simply telling you as a friend what I see.”
She mumbled something under her breath.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”
“Probably because I didn’t want you to.” She put a hand to her forehead, then went back to the dogs. “Everything has changed in the past year.Everything.”
As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t do anything to fix that. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” With a side-glance at him, she let her hood fall back. Her curly hair spread out over her shoulders. “I appreciate you speaking your mind with me, Peter, but there are some things I’m going to have to figure out on my own. Without Mama or Granddad to talk to ... I feel lost.”
“I wasn’t trying to make you feel worse or to confuse you.” There didn’t seem to be any way out of the mess he’d created. “I’m sorry. Maybe you should ignore the fact thatI said anything.” He swiped a hand down his face and blew his breath out. “Just know that I care and I’m here if you need someone to talk to. All right?” He turned away.
“All right. I appreciate that. I always wanted a big brother.”
Good thing she couldn’t see the scowl crossing his face. The last thing he wanted was her thinking of him like a brother. “How about a good friend?”
“I suppose so, although I’ve never been certain men and women could be friends without issues of something more coming to interfere.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Interfere? In what way?”
“You know. Inevitably one or the other starts thinking about the other in a way that takes them beyond friendship. Without meaning to they might think of how nice the other person looks or how great they are at ... well ... at most anything.”
