“And he doesn’t like sand. Why would he move to a beach town?”
“Are you attempting to find faults in him so that you can dismiss the idea?” Robbie asked.
I shrugged, feeling like the kid in this relationship. “Maybe.” I turned my eyes back to the screen. He’s nice looking.”
“His love of routine aligns with your stated preference for emotional safety,” Robbie said.
“What? When did I say that?”
He looked up. “You said you never want to feel destabilized again. That’s essentially the same thing.”
“When did I say that to you?”
“Not to me. To your girlfriends. I overheard.”
“Yeah, okay. Well, I mean, after your father, can you blame me?”
“I cannot.” Robbie nodded solemnly. “Which is why Grady is not the right choice for you.”
I stared at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Mother, I sense you have feelings of a romantic nature for our favorite surfing instructor.”
I tugged at my top lip with my thumb and forefinger. “He’s my friend, that’s all.”
“I want you to marry Grady,” Madison said, looking up from her coloring book, a smear of cream cheese on the side of her mouth. Under the table, Trevor’s tail thumped at the sound of Grady’s name. Even the dog was in love with him.
My heart sank. Why did Madison and I always love the wrong men? “He and I are great friends. We would not make a good couple.” Even as I said it, I wished it was different. Grady was the most fun person to be around that I’d ever met, but he would make a terrible husband. If only he were a grown-up instead of a perpetual surfing Peter Pan.
Robbie was right. I needed to put myself out there.
I went back to the photo section on @KidDoc.
The first picture was probably his work badge photo. Clean-cut dark hair, warm eyes, and a smile that told scared kids everything was going to be okay. In the second picture, he was on a hiking trail in the Pacific Northwest, wind in his hair, sun on his face.
Another showed him reading to a toddler in a clinic waiting room, a stethoscope still around his neck. The child was leaning fully against him, relaxed and safe. That one got me a little. Maybe more than I wanted to admit.
He looked good. More than good, actually. He was a man who might, theoretically, be very good for me. Could he be the man to make me forget my feelings for Grady?
Robbie returned to his spot at the table. “I already confirmed he’s real.”
“How did you do that?” I asked.
“Second Chance doesn’t require user identity authentication, which is a security flaw. So I ran a cross-reference.”
“Okay. You cross-referenced him? What does that mean exactly?” This boy of mine was too much.
He pulled the laptop back toward him, typing for a second. “I look at publicly available databases, his medical license, and his hospital biography.” He turned the laptop so I could see. A crisp webpage appeared with his photo.Dr. Mark Brenner—Pediatric Hematology and Oncology.
“Primarily he treats kids with cancer and blood disorders. It’s a high-stress specialty with a high burnout rate. But his patient reviews are exceptional, and he’s published three papers in the last two years.” Robbie continued briskly, “He’s been in Willet Cove for six weeks. Moved here to join the hospital’s pediatric oncology team. No criminal record. No lawsuits. No concerning social media activity. Unless you count an excessive number of pictures of his nephew and niece. Which some people might find endearing.”
I smiled in spite of myself. “He does seem pretty great.”
“Yes,” Robbie said simply. “I agree wholeheartedly. He passes all baseline safety and compatibility thresholds. The data supports meeting him.”
Madison leaned over the table to look at the screen. “He looks nice, Mommy.”
He seemed like a kind and intelligent man. A man who took care of sick kids. With cancer. I might have doubted his true existence had Robbie not done so much research. “Okay, fine.” I flexed my fingers and made a dramatic face. “Here goes nothing.”
