A few minutes later, Jay pulled into town and parked in front of Summit Dental, a sleek little clinic perched on theedge of the lake. The rest of the lot was empty, and that was when I realized it was five o’clock. Most dental clinics would be closed at this hour.
“Crap,” I muttered, the paper towel still clutched to my mouth. “There is no way this clinic is still open.”
Before I could even protest, Jay hopped out of the truck and strode up the steps. He swung the door open, and I blinked. The lights were on, and the doors unlocked. The place looked ready for business.
Relief flooded through me. “You’re kidding.” I removed the towel from my mouth so he would hear me. “They’re actually open?”
Jay shot me a grin over his shoulder. “Looks like it. Don’t ask me how I know.”
I hurried out of the truck to follow after him. As I stepped into the foyer, warm dark wood greeted me, along with a giant stone fireplace. The waiting room couches were brown leather, adorned with dark-hued pillows and mahogany rugs that I honestly could sleep on. They looked so comfy. I briefly wondered if we’d somehow wandered into an adorable lodge instead of a dental clinic.
Then the sharp scent of medical-grade antiseptic hit my nostrils, and I knew we had to be in the right place.
No one was in the waiting room, and the receptionist was nowhere in sight. My relief that they were open began to wane slightly.
Jay slipped his keys into his pocket and headed toward the back door. “This way,” he said, holding it open.
“Shouldn’t we wait for someone?” I asked, tugging the paper towel from my mouth. “Maybe there’s just one person working in the evening, and they’re in the back?” My voice betrayed my nervousness.
“Nope. It’s just us,” he said, striding into the clinicalarea with unusual confidence. I followed, my heartbeat picking up a bit.
“Are we… breaking and entering?” I asked, confused. If they were closed, wouldn’t it have been locked?
“No. I have a key,” he said, completely unfazed. I blinked, trying to reconcile the fact that Jay had a key to this empty dental clinic. I still wasn’t sure what was going on. Or maybe I was just in denial.
“Why do you have a key?”
Jay didn’t answer. Instead, he started pressing buttons and switches. He turned on the X-ray machine and booted up the computer system like he’d done it a thousand times. My brow furrowed as I peeked around the clinical area, every detail somehow adding to the chaos in my brain.
“Sit down. Let’s get an X-ray,” he said once all the machines were up and running. I perched on the chair, clutching my paper towel still, wondering if I’d accidentally wandered into one of my nightmares.
“Jay, what is going on?” I was so stunned that I didn’t even protest when he slipped the sensor into my mouth.
A few seconds later, the X-ray flashed on the screen. Jay leaned over, studying it calmly. “No fracture,” he said. “Just a little movement. The ligament will tighten back up in a few days.”
I blinked. “I’m sorry—what?”
He turned toward me, that infuriatingly composed expression still not budging.
I laughed nervously, pointing at the screen. “Okay, wait. How do you even know what you’re looking at right now?”
The corner of his mouth lifted, a slow, teasing grin. “This is my office, Hope.”
I blinked. “Your office?”
He nodded once. “Yeah. I’m a dentist.”
For a long moment, I just stared. “You’re a dentist? No. No, you can’t be a dentist.” I couldn’t hide the horrified expression on my face or the breathlessness in my voice.
Jay’s brow furrowed. “Why not?”
“Because—because I thought you were a doctor,” I sputtered. “Like a real doctor.”
His eyebrow arched. “You don’t think dentists are real doctors?”
“I mean, not—ugh, that’s not what I meant!” I threw my hands up. “I thought you were a podiatrist! For days I’ve been picturing you removing ingrown toenails!” I was clearly losing it in front of him, but I was too shocked to care.
His lips twitched like he was holding in a laugh. “A podiatrist?” He tilted his head, feigning deep thought. “So let me get this straight. You were totally fine imagining me digging out someone’s crusty toenail, but you draw the line at a little blood and spit?”
