Chapter 20
“How’s NP life treating you?”
I glanced across the Sunday dinner table at Morgan, who was in her usual spot beside Wes. “It has its moments…but I love it.”
“Bet you’re loving those paychecks a lot more,” Wes teased with a chuckle.
I laughed. “Yeah, that’s definitely a perk.”
“And how has it been precepting with Blake?” my mom asked.
“It’s been good,” I answered. “He definitely knows his shit.”
“I don’t know why, but at first glance…he doesn’t scream doctor to me.” Morgan chuckled. “I forget he is one half the time.”
“What does that mean?” Wes snorted. “What does a doctor look like?”
“I don't know. He’s just so…big.” I choked on my water as Morgan laughed at Wes’s expression. “I just mean that he looks like he could crush someone, but instead, he’s saving lives.” Wes playfully arched his brow, and she laughed harder. “I’m gonna shut up now.”
Since my breakdown after losing that patient, work returned to normal. Death was an inevitable part of my job, but after that case, I felt the sharp edge of that reality more than ever.
At first, I blamed myself, feeling like my choices shaped what happened.
And while Blake helped me see that it wasn’t my fault, it took time for me to accept it.
In the days that followed, I kept replaying the case, searching for any mistakes I might have made, or anything I might have missed, but the outcome never changed.
I had to accept that it was out of my control.
Whenever I remembered that moment with Blake after he found me—his understanding and kindness—something different would surface, blending comfort with a deeper, more confusing feeling.
The way he looked at me felt less like a colleague’s concern and more like there was some kind of unspoken affection between us.
I was quick to push that thought aside, though, because there was more than a good chance I was reading too much into it.
You know, stupid, hopeless romantic heart and all.
I’d noticed a subtle shift in Blake as well.
Maybe only someone watching as closely as I did would notice the difference, but while he still carried his usual weight, he seemed lighter in a sense, quicker to smile and joke.
Seeing him a little more carefree made me happy, but it also deepened the confusion I was wrestling with.
One evening, Blake and I left the hospital together after our shift, walking alongside Marie.
As we made our way to the employee parking lot, Marie glanced over. “Dr. Dimples, are you coming to the Anchor with us tomorrow?”
Blake snorted. “Dr. Dimples? Really?”
“Oh…is that the first time I’ve called you that to your face?”
I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle my giggle as Blake narrowed his eyes playfully. “You’ve been calling me that behind my back, Graham?”
“Did you just last name me?”
“You just called me Dr. Dimples,” he countered.
“Fair,” Marie said with a shrug. “And yes, I’ve been calling you that since day one. Now you know. So, are you coming or not?”
Blake huffed out a laugh. “And what is happening at the Anchor tomorrow?”
“A bunch of us are going out to celebrate Marie’s birthday,” I answered.
“Starting our weekend off the right way,” Marie added.
“Ah,” he said with a nod. “Well, I offered to cover for Dr. Wileman tomorrow, so I have to work, but I’ll see how the shift goes.”
Marie scoffed playfully as she veered off toward her car. “Fine. I guess that’s acceptable.”
Blake and I both chuckled. “G’night, Marie!” I called out.
“Night!”
We neared our Jeeps that were parked side by side, and I glanced over at his, letting out a small laugh. “You know, your duck is looking awfully lonely there all by itself.”
“Well, I like to actually see when I’m driving, so…”
I rolled my eyes with amusement. “I can see just fine.”
“Maybe you should feel special that the only duck I have in my window is the one you gave me.”
“There you go with that whole ‘make the logic work in my favor’ again,” I quipped. He smiled, tapping his finger against his temple as I chuckled. “So, do you think you’re going to come tomorrow night?” I asked as I stepped toward my Jeep.
“I’ll see how I feel after work. And if I do, I’ll have to see if Gabe can stay with Mav.”
“Give Maverick an extra treat for me when you get home tonight,” I said as I opened my front door.
Blake chuckled. “Will do.”
“Goodnight.”
He stood there watching me slide into the driver’s seat. “G’night.”
The following night, Courtney, one of the ER nurses, picked up Marie and me from my townhouse.
The three of us met up with some others for dinner, and now she was giving us a ride to The Rusty Anchor.
She offered to be the DD, and while I had no intention of getting drunk, I took her up on it, just in case.
It was Friday, so the bar was pretty packed.
Inside, some of the hospital staff were already at the tables in the back, along with a few of Bayport’s police force, who Marie had invited—she’d been telling everyone she could to come out tonight.
I headed to the bar, paying for Marie’s first round along with a tray of shots before making my way toward the back tables.
My attention flickered between conversations and the door, anticipation needling me. I was watching for Blake, my heart jumping each time that bell above the door rang.
Pathetic, I know. I wanted to see him, even though I knew better.
I shouldn’t feel these tangled, confusing things for him or let him preoccupy my thoughts the way he did.
Blake was supposed to be off-limits as my brother’s best friend and my preceptor.
Yet the closer we got, the harder he was to resist. The pull wasn’t just physical, although one look at him had my body thrumming and imagination wandering.
It was more than that, though. It was a persistent ache, a desire to truly know and understand him, that I couldn’t seem to shake.
I wanted to know him.
Not the Blake I’d always known as Wes’s friend. Not the doctor who mentored me day after day.
I craved the real him—the version buried behind all of the walls. I wanted to understand the burdens he kept hidden and the struggles he faced alone. And I wanted to take them away.
My head and heart were tiptoeing along a line, one that could have real consequences if ever crossed—with my brother, with my job.
Each time a rush of longing hit, I hesitated, questioning my feelings and the risks involved.
Yet a reckless part of me didn’t care. I wanted to see what could happen between us, even knowing what it might cost.
Later that night, while the bar buzzed around us, Marie headed up to take a birthday shot with one of the police officers. I chose to stay at the table, taking in the scene.
When I heard the bell above the door ring, I glanced over with a pang of anticipation. My eyes widened as he scanned the crowded bar, and when his gaze landed on me, a familiar smirk curled on his lips as he started in my direction, like he’d just spotted his target.
He stopped in front of where I was sitting on the pub stool, and my brow furrowed while he remained looking as unbothered as always. “Hey, Hales.”
Not Blake.
“Brett.”
His eyes trailed over me before lifting to mine again. “Lookin’ good.”
“What are you doing here?”
He crossed his arms, his stance full of arrogance. “I stopped by your place, but you weren’t there. I remembered this was one of your hangouts, so I took a shot. Looks like it paid off.”
My brow arched. “You dropped by my place?”
“Yeah. You’ve been ignoring my messages for weeks now, and I wanted to see you. To talk to you.”
“Why?”
“Because I”—Don’t say it—“miss you.”
I let out a breath. There it was. “Look, this isn’t really a good–”
“Come on, Hales,” he interrupted, staring at me with that familiar gleam in his eyes, like he was rewatching an old film and knew exactly how it would all play out. “Let me at least buy you a drink, and we can have a chat.”
Before I could respond, one of the bar staff approached, and Brett took it upon himself to order two drinks.
I could feel Marie’s eyes on me from the bar, but I didn’t look at her because I already knew exactly what she was thinking.
..because I was thinking the same thing.
My approach to the situation was probably a little more subtle than she’d suggest, however.
Brett went to my place, then showed up here looking for me. I told myself it would be just one drink—a conversation he wanted, but it wouldn’t go as he expected.
I had zero intention of falling back into old patterns. To accept less than what I deserved.
When the bell above the door rang again, my gaze slid toward it, and the man who made me make that very promise walked inside.