He clears his throat.“That’s what happens when all I do is work.”
I nod, chewing, still unable to believe this change in him.This is a man who has barely spoken to me.And when he has, it’s been cold and gruff.Now he wants to redecorate with me?I feel a mix of hope and guilt.Hopeful that it will help our strained relationship, and guilty because I’m leaving after my residency in a year, and I still haven’t told him.But I’m hopeful it’s a positive thing.“Sure, I’ll help.I mean...this place could use it.”
We eat in a comfortable quiet for a while, forks scraping gently against plates.Thinking about his openness to change the house, I wonder if that would include other things, like what about the lonely dinners, the empty bed, the years he’s spent angry that someone left him behind?I shouldn’t ask, but if not now, when?I glance up and go for it.“Have you ever thought about moving on?”
His brow furrows.“Moving on?”
“I mean… dating.Meeting someone new.”
His mouth tightens, the way it always does when he doesn’t like a subject.So naturally, I expect him to shut me down completely.I’m a little sorry for bringing it up, but then a little push might help.“Not really.”
“Not even a little?”
He stares into his coffee like it might save him.“A few women have asked me out,” he admits after a beat.“But I wasn’t interested.”
“Was that soon after Mom left?Or more recently?”I’m a little shocked by his confession, and then it shifts to pain.To hear women have asked him out and he turned them down.
“Doesn’t really matter.People go.”
“You know,” I say quietly.“Not everyone’s going to leave you.”
His eyes lift slowly to meet mine.“You’re leaving.”
The bacon turns to lead in my stomach.
“You know about the offer?”I whisper as I try to understand how he found out.How long he’s known and why he’s been sitting on this information without asking me.I only found out just before I arrived in Pulse Point.
He nods.“The New York Hospital director is a friend of mine, so he called me after he spoke to you and said they offered you a spot after your residency and that you accepted.”
A strange pressure builds in my chest.This was my dream.My goal.And he knew before I even had a chance to tell him myself.I wanted to find the right moment to bring it up.But there hasn’t been one.
“I didn’t think you’d…” I stop myself.“It’s a good offer.”
“You earned it.”
There’s something in his voice: a proudness that breaks me a little.
I blink fast to push back the sting behind my eyes.“Still.Maybe you could find something… someone who’ll stay in town.You deserve that.”
He exhales sharply.“Let’s not talk about that anymore.”
I offer a small but sincere smile, grateful he shared as much as he did.“Tell me more about this renovation.What’s the plan?”
He leans back, stretching his arms over the back of the chair.“Clear it out.Donate some stuff.New paint.Some prints.Blankets that don’t look like they came with the house in the eighties.”
I laugh.“Trying to make it look more inviting?”
He gives a half-smile.“Exactly.”
I push my plate aside, feeling strangely optimistic after the conversation we just had.“I don’t have to be at the King’s until later tonight.We’ve got time.”
“Should we head to the hardware store first?”I ask.“Get the paint and supplies before we start clearing things out?”
He nods, grabbing his keys.“Makes sense.That way, we can work straight through once we get back.”
We climb into his truck and head to Pulse Point Hardware.The ride is quiet, but not in a bad way.After a few rounds of bickering over swatches, we settle on White Dove, which is a soft warm white with a touch of beige, creating the cozy and inviting atmosphere he’s looking for.Personality will come later, with prints and decor.
At a Pulse Boutique, the home decor store, we grab sheets, rugs, and artwork.
