“It’s calledCocido Madrileño,” he said, picking up his spoon as if giving me permission to dig in. “Even though we moved back to the States when I was three, we would go to Spain almost every summer until I was seventeen. MyAbuelamade this for us the first day we arrived, and it was always my favorite meal.”
The first bite hit my tongue, and a quiet, blissful moan escaped me.
“Okay, wow. You made this? It tastes amazing,” I said, wide-eyed. It really was one of the best stews I’d ever tasted.
He nodded. “I’m glad you like it.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Real food hasn’t tasted this good in… forever. It really, really sucks that you’re a dentist.”
Jay chuckled, leaning back in his chair, studying me like I was far more entertaining than the food, which was weird, because the stew waspretty freaking interesting, in my opinion.
“I’m afraid to ask, but why does my profession ruin perfectly goodCocido?”
I took another bite, delaying my answer because I didn’t exactly know how to explain why I loathed dentists without spilling everything about my past.
“Because I despise dentists.”
His brows rose. “Despise? That’s a strong word. Did you have a traumatic experience as a kid?”
I shook my head, swallowing. “No, nothing like that.”
He waited, one brow arched, clearly expecting more. “Then I’m more confused than ever.”
“My family’s in the business.”
Jay’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? Is your father a dentist, or your mother?”
I nodded. “My dad.”
“And are you in the dental field too, then?” he asked. Man, this guy isn’t subtle in the slightest, is he?
But for some reason, I didn’t hate it. It was actually sort of refreshing.
I hesitated, biting my lip. Then I sighed. “I’m a dental hygienist. And I’m supposed to apply to dental school next month.”
Jay let out a surprised laugh. “You’re kidding.”
“Unfortunately, no. I wish I were.”
“Wow,” he said, smiling fully now. “So the woman whoran from me for being in dentistry… is in dentistry herself. Interesting.”
“It’s juicy stuff, I know,” I said dryly, folding my arms across my chest. I’d drained the stew in under five minutes like a ravenous beast, and I wasn’t going to apologize. You can't make something that good and expect me to eat it slowly.
“So if you’re supposed to be working on dental school applications but you’re here in Big Bear…” He tapped his chin. “Let me guess. Daddy issues.”
I let out a dry laugh. “You really don’t hold back, do you?” I shook my head, a wry smile tugging at my lips. “I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t part of it. But it’s more complicated than that.”
“Complicated how?” he asked without missing a beat. I paused. Was he really going to try to get all of this out of me tonight?
I sighed, glancing toward the lake through the gorgeous black-framed windows beside me, trying to figure out how to explain it. “My dad’s kind of a big deal in the implant world. He teaches, runs clinics, invents things… so naturally, my parents shoved me right into it all. My father wanted me to be a dentist. So I told him I’d start with hygiene first, and if I liked it, I’d try for more schooling.”
Jay’s expression softened. “You didn’t find it interesting?”
“No, it wasn’t that,” I admitted. “There were times I enjoyed it. I liked school, and the bookwork was actually sort of interesting. That wasn’t what made me hate it. It was my father controlling me every step of the way and talking about the plans he had for me before I even finished with something. He kept tabs on me and madesure I was performing perfectly. I wasn’t allowed to make any mistakes—especially because I needed good grades to apply to dental school.”
I swallowed, hating how talking about it brought back all the emotions. “After graduating, I took the DAT and was waiting to submit my applications. My father had me work in the clinic for a bit to gain clinical experience. He didn’t want me to have a lull in my résumé. But he isn’t the only dentist at the clinic. He has multiple business partners. One of them is his best friend…”
I paused, unsure how far I should go. “Conrad was the most difficult. Particularly neurotic and temperamental.”
