Love on Call: A Sweet Fake Fiancé Romantic Comedy

Chapter 17

CLAY

I stare at the patient file in front of me, but it might as well be a page from a Dr. Seuss book for all the sense it makes to my scrambled brain. My thoughts can’t let go of Kat, with all the ”what ifs”. I let out a dramatic sigh and slump over my desk. Would anyone notice if I crawled under it for a quick nap?

Snap out of it, buddy. You”ve got snotty-nosed kids to attend to today. Boogers to wipe and lives to save. Priorities.

But the heaviness in my chest refuses to dissipate. Every minute detail keeps resurfacing, each misstep and lie compounding the gut-wrenching ache. If only I could go back and come completely clean from the start instead of digging myself deeper into a pit.

The fake relationship thing was stupid from the beginning. Pure arrogance blinded me to what mattered—her feelings. How could I have been so foolish to risk losing out on a possible future with Kat?

A soft knock at the door startles me out of the painful reverie. I push my palm into my eye socket to stop the burn as Dr. Kessler pokes her head in, regarding me with concern.

“Everything okay, doctor? You look a bit . . . off today.” Her gaze travels pointedly to the untouched stack of files on my desk.

“I”m okay, just a little out of sorts.” I cough, attempting to force a cheerful expression. “Dealing with some . . . personal matters. Shall we begin our rounds?”

The older doctor”s eyes soften with understanding. “Is everything okay with you and your fiancée?”

How did she figure it out? Is it written on my forehead or something? — Break-up alert. Handle with care.

Does Dr. Kessler have that motherly six sense? I always found it weird how my mom would know when I was hiding something. I tense for a beat before giving a solemn nod. There”s no point denying it—the doc will see straight through me.

Kessler crosses the room to give my shoulder a comforting squeeze. “If you need to take a mental health day, don”t be a hero, son. We all go through troubles at some point.”

Warmth rushes through me at her empathy, a stark contrast to the callous ambition that”s ruled my life for too long now. I shake my head, mustering a more genuine half smile. “I appreciate that but keeping busy is probably for the best right now. Work will be a welcome distraction.” I pause with a flicker of new resolve. “And it”ll give me time to figure out how to fix this mess I”ve made.”

Dr. Kessler studies me a moment before giving an approving nod and patting my arm.

“Relationships can be tough. Don”t lose hope, Clay. If it”s meant to be, you’ll work it out together.” With an encouraging smile, she turns and heads for the door, but pauses and glances over her shoulder. “I’ll start the rounds, take your time,” she says, leaving me to absorb her wise advice.

As I gather the neglected files with a steadier hand and make my way out into the pediatric ward, a seed of possibility takes root—a chance to fight for the amazing woman I carelessly let slip through my fingers.

Kat needs space and doesn’t want to hear me out, but when she’s calmed down, I can try to make things right. For once in my life, a woman is infinitely more important than any professional pursuit. I was content being single all this time, but since Kat’s light shone into my life, losing her isn’t an option I want to accept.

KAT

“What in the ever-loving world were you thinking?” Tim stalks toward me, the wind tearing through his hair and standing it on end.

My cousin Tobias trails along behind him. “Yeah, Kat. What gives? You ruined my golf game.”

I stay sprawled on my beach towel, my arms propped behind my head. “Nice to see you too.” I roll my eyes at Tobias, though he can’t see. “Sorry, Toby, but you can’t blame me. I didn’t ask Tim to come.”

Tim flops onto the sand beside me with a grunt and a growl. “Don’t give me that.”

“What?” I try to sound innocent, but it’s not working. Tim knows me too well, and nothing can stop him once he gets like this. “Where’s Kayla?”

“Talking to Mom.” He pokes me in the ribs until I squirm away. “You called and left me a vague voicemail about that doctor guy. Said that things were over and for me not to worry.”

I inch up onto my elbows. “Yeah, so? I thought you should know since you were worried when you found out about the whole fake relationship thing.”

“Who pretends to date someone?” Tobias sinks onto the sand and flops onto his back, crossing his arms over his eyes. “Better to stay single. Play it safe.”

Poor Tobias. He’s had it rough these last few years in the dating world. He’s sounding as cynical as Tim before Kayla.

Tim glares at Tobias but is ignored. “I was worried about you.” He pokes me again, harder this time. “You give away your heart like it’s replaceable. I worried you wouldn’t be able to keep your emotions out of the game you were playing. Turns out I was right.”

“So what if you were.” I’m grumpy and irritated because he is right. We both know it, and it annoys me to no end that he can see right through me. “It’s not a big deal. Clay was grateful that I helped him get the job. He got rid of Danny for me. We’re even.”

Tim’s heavy stare stays in place.

I turn away but I still feel it burning into the back of my head. I miss Clay. There’s no way around it. Even after sending him away, I can’t stop thinking about our kiss. About us and the potential we had together. Doubt creeps around the edges of my thoughts, chewing away at my decision. What if I was wrong?

“Go ahead,” I mutter when the silence stretches too long.

“What?” Tim sounds innocent, but there’s a thread of steel in his voice that never completely goes away. “Tell you I told you so?”

I flip onto my side and face him. “It’s what you want to say.”

A muscle ticks in his jaw and he draws his knees up until he can rest his arms on them. “I thought about it. But what’s the point? It won’t make you feel better, and since I’m a reformed man and all that, I no longer take pleasure in proving I’m right.”

“Then you’ll be out of a job.” I scoff and roll into a sitting position. “You love proving you’re right.”

“Not like this.” He stares out across the water. “I never wanted to see you hurt, Kat. That’s why I didn’t want you to put yourself in this situation.”

“Don’t do like me.” Tobias never moves his arms from his face. He rolls his feet from side to side, digging little trenches. “It takes time to heal. Make sure you give that to yourself. You need lots and lots of time. Alone.”

Their concern warms me even more than the blistering sun. I angle the umbrella to shade me and Tim and throw my arms around his neck. “I like this new you.” I almost joke about this new Tim but hold back so I don’t risk hurting his feelings or making him withdraw into that old persona. “Did you come all the way here to check on me?”

He pats my arms where they hang around his neck and his body tenses a split second before he grins. “And to have a weekend away. Promised Kayla we’d go wind surfing.”

“Oh boy. I’d pay to see that.” I kiss his cheek even though he grumbles about it and sits back on my towel. If anyone will understand, I think it’s Tim. I brace for his possible annoyance and spill my guts. “I miss him, Tim. I’m disappointed in myself for falling in love with him, and I wish things had worked out.” It’s a ridiculous idea that Clay and I could be a couple after all the duplicity. I’ve told myself that over and over again, but that kiss. That one kiss lingers with enough fire to burn through many of my objections. Surely that was real.

“Don’t worry about Clay.” Tim scowls down at the sand and digs his bare heels into the ground. “I’m going to have sand everywhere.”

“Excuse me?”

Tim motions at his legs. “I’ve been out here half an hour and I’m already covered in sand. How does it get everywhere? I’m itching in places nobody should itch.”

“Not that.” I wave away his complaints. Sand is part of the deal here. You either learn to live with it or you go somewhere else. “What did you mean about Clay? There’s nothing you need to do. Stay out of it.”

“Right. Okay.” He agrees too easily, but he stands and holds out his hand. “Come on. Mom wants you back at the house. She said something about you helping Ellie.”

I groan and flop onto my back. “Your mom thinks I’m heartbroken and that the best thing for me is to keep busy.”

“Busy is overrated.” Tobias digs in deeper. I swear the man is part starfish the way he works his way into the sand. Maybe a crab too from the way he’s talking. “I prefer long days on the golf course.”

“We’ll go golfing later.” Tim barks at Tobias. “It won’t hurt you to spend some time with family and get over yourself.” He faces me and his expression softens. “You are heartbroken. And that is the best thing for you.” Before I realize what he’s doing, Tim grabs me by the waist and throws me over his shoulder. “Now stop moping and join the family. We’re playing charades tonight.” His voice lifts in a falsetto of fake amusement. “I can’t wait.”

I laugh and slap his back. “You can tell them you hate charades.”

“Yeah.” He bounces me hard enough to push all the air from my lungs. “But I like watching them play. Nathan is horrible.” Now he sounds like the Tim I know. He still finds joy in seeing Nathan be bad at something. It is pretty funny though. Nathan can’t act to save his life. We all end up laughing until we can’t breathe.

Maybe Tim’s right about that part. Maybe it is time I stop moping and wishing for things I can never have. Clay is back on the mainland living his best life with the job he’s always wanted. I’m busier than ever thanks to the new contract. There’s a chance it might lead to another with the hospital where Clay works. I can’t handle seeing his name and billing his clients, or the thought of seeing his messy doctor scrawl every day.

Tim slings me to the ground but keeps his arm around my waist until my head stops spinning and I can stand on my own.

Kayla stands on the porch with her hands on her hips. “Are you abusing your cousin?”

“Nope.” Tim whacks my shoulder with a smirk. “She needed to be knocked out of her funk.”

“Oh, I know all about the funk.” Kayla’s grin rounds her cheeks and she jumps off the porch into Tim’s arms. He swings her up to his chest and holds her close.

“For the record, I was enjoying my funk.” I grumble and move past them.

Tim ruffles my hair like I’m five years old again. “Keep telling yourself that. One day, you’ll believe it.”

I wish. I’m glad that Tim found Kayla, and she stuck around to see him through his anger and resentment. He came out a better man for it all.

I recall a saying Aunt Marg told me once. Something about fire making some things stronger even as it destroys other things. It’s a twisted metaphor, but I understand it more now than I did back then. This whole thing with me and Clay will make me stronger as long as I make it through the burning.

Looking at Tim’s smiling face, I remember that he didn’t actually agree to leave Clay alone. I need to extract a promise from him before he heads back to the mainland.