Love on Call: A Sweet Fake Fiancé Romantic Comedy

Epilogue

ONE YEAR LATER . ..

KAT

It’s hard to believe how things came together. I stand beside Clay and tip my head up, taking it all in. His smile is steady and true, a constant since our marriage. He might still lean toward overworking himself, but he’s learning how to make boundaries so that his work doesn’t eclipse his personal life.

Warm sunshine and the crowd in front of us creates a festive atmosphere.

Rex darts in and out among our family. Our family. I like the sound of that. Someday, Clay and I might have a child of our own. In the meantime, we’ve worked hard at achieving another dream.

Dalton slides an arm around Pam’s waist and grabs Rex with the other, catching the boy in mid run and bringing him to a stop. Rex swivels to face us and grins, waving both hands in wide arcs. “Is it time yet?”

Clay shakes beside me with quiet laughter. “Yeah, buddy. It’s time.”

“Woohoo!” Rex jumps and pumps both fists into the air.

Off to the side, two news reporters take pictures. We’ve already been interviewed and the articles are ready to go. This is the last step, the official opening. Tobias stands along the edge, his camera in front of him as he clicks. He lowers the camera and frowns, then tilts his head toward a woman by his side.

She’s too far away for me to hear, but the animated way she moves her hands is familiar. Why do I feel like I know her?

I wave at Tobias to get his attention. He nods that he sees me but grins at the woman. Annoyance pushes its way in. What was all that about playing it safe and protecting his heart by staying single? The look he’s giving the woman is a dead giveaway that he’s not following his own advice.

Clay holds up one hand and everyone falls silent. Well. Almost everyone. Rex tries, even covering his mouth with both hands, but he fidgets and hops in place.

Aunt Marg and Uncle Steve, Mom and Dad, and all the rest of my family mingle with Clay’s family. We all fell into being one big family so fast that it still makes my head spin.

“Thank you all for coming out today. This is a long-awaited dream, and one that neither Kat nor I knew would come together the way it did.” Clay’s voice is warm and smooth. The Head of Pediatrics job is what sent us on this journey. Clay is a fantastic surgeon and a wonderful man to work for. He found out that the job he’d craved as the Head of Pediatrics came with less time in the operating room and more time in his office with stacks of paperwork.

This is the best of both those worlds.

Clay takes my hand and squeezes. “Clay and I are thrilled to officially open Ashley Pediatrics, a multi-doctor specialty clinic and surgical facility.”

Cheers roar and everyone claps, filling the sidewalk and the surrounding area with noise. A few cars drive past, and more than one rolls down their window when they reach the stop sign and ask what’s going on.

Tomorrow morning, we’ll be front-page news. We’ve been advertising for months and already have several patients on the week’s schedule.

Clay and I turn to face each other and step back, exposing the glass doors leading into our building. It’s a surreal feeling, knowing this is our place. My background in billing, coding, and office management combined with his pediatric surgery skills means we have a lot of work ahead of us, but we both agreed that it’s worth it.

The tall white building stretches high behind us. Off to the left, a catwalk attaches our building to the pediatric surgery wing on the other side. We did our best to cut down on confusion in navigating between spaces, but as soon as we began building, we realized that we needed to remain close to the hospital while also being a separate entity.

“Yay!” Rex tugs Dalton’s hand. “Let’s go see the fish.”

Dalton pretends to resist, but he lets Rex haul him toward the door and inside.

Clay holds one door, while I hold the other, and we usher in our friends and family, along with several prospective clients that we’ve been talking to and who wanted to come see the place for themselves.

I’ve never seen an office have an opening like this before, but it’s been exactly what we needed.

Tobias walks past, his brows furrowed and his lips moving in a mutter.

“Hey.” I grab his sleeve and pull him to a stop. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” His grip on the camera tightens.

I arch a brow. “Does this nothing have anything to do with the woman I saw you talking to?”

He clamps his lips together and grinds words between clenched teeth. “Leave it alone, Kat.” He stalks off before I can say anything else. The woman has disappeared, and I still don’t remember why she looked familiar.

Cool air brushes over my face. The last two people walk in and I take Clay’s hand, leading him into the open waiting room. Colorful paintings dot the walls, and the floor is inlaid with a bright pattern that encourages kids to move around. A quiet room on my right offers parents and children the ability to get away from the lights and noise.

We’ve done all we can to accommodate every need. I squeeze Clay’s hand. “Good work, Dr. Ashley.”

He lifts my hand and kisses my knuckles. “I could not have done it without you.”

We stand side by side, our staff coming to join us.

This is our future, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Clay and I found common ground in our love of caring for others. His caring heart drew me to him from the beginning, and the playful nature beneath the solemn exterior shows more than a giving heart. I love all the different parts of him and our relationship.

“Rex is trying to climb into the fish tank. Again.” I pull him across the lobby with a laugh.

He pretends to scowl. “I told you the fish tank was a bad idea.”

“Right. And your idea of a mini golf course out back was a good one?” I bite back the smile begging to break free. We’ve pretended to argue about this for months. “Thank goodness we went with fish and not turtles, or the poor things would be turned into golf balls.”

“Don’t give Rex any ideas.”

Dalton scoops Rex away from the fish tank and the two of them rejoin Pam. I love seeing Rex comfortable enough here to be himself. That’s what we want for all the children that come into our care, and that’s what they’ll get—a fun and safe place to be themselves.