Chapter Thirty-One
Emily
Flowers were everywhere, just like the last time Gavin had them delivered to my wing at the rehab center. But this time they came with a card, and every nurse and patient knew they were for me. And this time, there were even more of them. There were so many, I put a vase in every patient’s room, on each table in the cafeteria, and I sent bunches home with the staff.
Gavin was trying to make my last day here as memorable as possible, and he certainly did. The only downside was that I wouldn’t be here tomorrow to enjoy the roses, but it made me smile to think my colleagues, some who I’d spent the last seven years with, would get to enjoy them.
“I’m going to miss you,” my charge nurse said as she pulled me into her arms once I’d collected my things from the nurses’ station, the rope that kept her glasses on scratching against the side of my face.
“No crying.” I leaned back to look at her. “You promised.”
“I can’t help it. We’ve been through a lot together, girlfriend. A marriage, divorce, two kids, a new relationship for you. Shit, that’s a whole lifetime.”
“This isn’t goodbye.” I held her hands. “This isI’ll be back in a couple of weeks to bring you all lunch. Besides, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still be in Boston. You can text me for all the reasons and haul my ass out for drinks.”
“Don’t think I’m not going to.”
“You better.” I winked.
I gave her another hug and I made my way around the unit, saying goodbye to the people who I’d shared so many shifts with, even some who had been working my first day here when I was still a mess over Sarah.
And when I got outside, Gavin’s SUV was parked directly by the door.
Denis smiled at me through the window, getting out to open the back seat. “Good afternoon, Emily. How was your last day?”
“Sad. Emotional.” My shoulders lifted. “But perfect.”
“I’m sure they’re going to miss you.” He patted my arm.
I peeked into the back, Gavin’s handsome face smiling at me from the farthest seat. “What are you doing here?” I couldn’t hide my grin. “I thought I was meeting you at home?”
“Surprise.”
My hand gripped the doorway. “Don’t you have meetings all afternoon?”
“I canceled them. The office can survive without me.”
I laughed as I slid in, Denis closing the door behind me. “Can they, though? With Jordan on the road so much, they need you there to hold things down.”
He pulled his phone out of his suit pocket. “That’s what this is for.” He wrapped an arm around the back of me and hauled me toward him. “If I want to pick up my girlfriend from her last day of work, nothing is going to stop me. Not employees, meetings, or any of my brother’s unhandled bullshit.”
I moaned a little while he kissed me. “I know I already thanked you for the flowers, but thank you again. I can’t even express how gorgeousthey are. You’re the most popular person at the rehab center right now. Don’t be shocked if you get fan mail.”
He chuckled. “You’re welcome.” He held the back of my neck. “You’re doing okay?”
Something he’d asked me at least every day since my connection to Sarah had been discovered. He just wanted to make sure my mind wasn’t going back there, drowning myself in a blame game that occasionally still returned.
I couldn’t say those thoughts were fully gone. They never would be. But hearing Gavin’s side of the story absolutely made me feel better.
I nodded. “It’s been an emotional day. I didn’t cry, so that’s a bonus, but it was hard to say goodbye to everyone. That place has been like a second home to me.” I ran my hand over the buttons of his shirt, feeling his muscles beneath. “Maya popped in and brought lunch. She’s in town for a day, I guess, before she meets your brother somewhere. It was awesome to have her there.”
“Did she say where she was meeting him?”
I shook my head. “No. Why?”
“Just curious.”
He was up to something.
