Chapter Seven
"We'll see you on Thursday morning, then, Mrs. Barnes,” said Shelley.
"Thanks. I'm glad you could get us in early. I don’t want Cody missing any school."
"That’s why Dr. Harvey comes in early at least one day every week—so we can fit people in. Either kids like your son before school or people who don’t want to miss work."
Mrs. Barnes laughed into the phone. "You can call him Trip, you know, and while you’re at it, call me Sloane. I’ve got to say, you’ve really made a difference at the clinic. Everything seems to run smoother these days—everyone says so—but we don’t stand on formalities around here. We all know him as Trip, not Dr. Harvey."
"Right. Sorry, I forget that."
"Hey, I’m not knocking you for it. I’m just trying to make you feel more at home. I reckon if enough of us talk to you like you’re one of us, you might stay. And we all know Trip needs you."
"Thanks. That’s kind of you to say."
"If you knew me better, you’d know there aren’t many around here who’d describe me as kind. I just say it like it is. Anyway, I’ll quit my blathering and see you on Thursday morning. Thanks again."
"You’re welcome. I’m glad I could help." Shelley ended the call and made sure the appointment was entered into the computer.
She checked her watch. It was only three-thirty, and she was basically sitting here twiddling her thumbs until the end of the day. Trip was working at the hospital this afternoon, and he’d told her she could forward the phone to her cell if she wanted to, but she preferred to stay here. Sometimes people dropped by to make an appointment, and she wanted to be here for them.
If she were honest, she also wanted to be here when Trip stopped in at the end of the day.
She was relieved that there’d been no awkwardness between them after their weekend. They’d both arrived at the clinic at the same time yesterday morning, and she’d been touched to see that he’d stopped at the coffee shack on his way in, bringing coffee for them both along with more of Maisie’s chocolate croissants.
They’d sat in the break room in the back for half an hour, chatting and enjoying their breakfast before they started the day.
She’d barely seen him since then, though.
She had wondered if he might invite her back to his place after work, but that hadn’t happened. He’d been called to the hospital just after four to deal with an emergency.
He’d called her just before five to say that she should close up and go on home. He was going to be at the hospital for at least a few more hours.
And it turned out that he’d been there until after one in the morning.
Even though she’d brought coffee for them this morning, he’d only arrived a few minutes before his first appointment. He’d appreciated the coffee but had to take it into his office with him.
They hadn’t been able to sit and chat.
He’d had back-to-back patients all morning and then left for his regularly scheduled hospital visits at twelve-thirty.
She turned to look out the window at the mountains, wondering if she was crazy to think about maybe staying here after all.
Mrs. Barnes—Sloane—had been right when she said that Shelley had knocked the clinic into shape. But now that things were running smoothly, there wasn’t much for her to do.
She didn’t mind it so much when she got to see Trip throughout the day, but on days like this, she knew there was so much more she could be doing with her life than answering phones and making appointments.
She got up from her desk and picked up today’s newspaper from the top of the pile of magazines. Sitting back down, she leafed through it. It didn’t take long to read. She was fascinated that they still managed to put out a daily newspaper in a town this small.
When she reached the classifieds in the back, she scanned the jobs section and blew out a sigh. She really should start drafting an ad for a new receptionist—for her replacement.
She didn’t want to.
But if she at least made a start on it, that would make things easier when the time came.
She felt bad because, apart from anything going on between the two of them, she knew that Trip was more than a little gun-shy about hiring someone new. He’d had some disastrous experiences before she arrived—from what the girls had told her, there had been some hilarious incidents as well.
As if thinking about the girls had summoned them, her phone beeped with a text.
When she opened her messages, she smiled when she saw it was the group chat with Libby, Candy, Ari, and Retta.
Ari: Help me, ladies. I need to get down off this mountain. Can we get together soon?
Candy: I’m down for that. Where do we want to go, and when?
Libby: I won’t be back in town until next week, if you can wait till then.
Retta: I’m watching baby Levi for Callie and Kolby on Friday night. Other than that, I’m open.
Shelley smiled to herself as she watched the replies appear, then started typing when she realized she was the only one who hadn’t answered.
Shelley: I’m easy. Just let me know when, and I’ll be there.
Ari: I can wait until next week for Libby, as long as we all get together at the bakery on Friday afternoon. How does that sound?
Retta: That works for me.
Candy: You know I’ll be there.
Libby: Don’t wait for me if you need a night out before then.
Ari: I’d rather wait a little longer so that you can come. How’s Wednesday for everyone next week?
Shelley: I’ll definitely come out next Wednesday, but I don’t know about the bakery on Friday.
Libby: Tell Trip he needs to take you down there. Even if he can’t finish early, you guys can come after he’s done seeing patients.
Shelley: Maybe. It’s usually too late, though.
Candy: I can do Wednesday.
Libby: Me too.
Retta: And me.
Ari: Awesome. See most of you on Friday, then—and all of you next Wednesday.
~ ~ ~
When Trip arrived back at the clinic, he parked in his spot and cut the engine. Thankfully, the hospital had been quiet this afternoon, and he'd gotten finished a little earlier than usual. He usually hung around when that happened, to chat with the nurses and staff to make sure that he was in the loop with everything that was going on.
But he'd spent enough hours there last night. He'd been eager to come away, and not just because he was tired. He'd wanted to get back here. He peered out through the windshield. He wanted to see Shelley before she left.
He admitted to himself that he didn't just want to see her, he wanted to invite her over for the evening. He didn't know if she'd stay the night. But if she didn't want to, he liked the idea of simply having her over for dinner. He didn't even know if she'd want to do that. He climbed out of his SUV. There was only one way to find out.
He was surprised that she wasn't sitting behind the desk when he walked in. Her computer was still on. He looked around, and when his gaze landed on the screen, his heart sank. She was working on an ad to find her replacement. He jumped guiltily when she spoke behind him.
"Oh, hey. I was just in the back. I thought I heard something. You’re early."
He forced a smile onto his face even though his heart was pounding. "Yeah, things were quiet in there this afternoon."
She smiled. "I'm glad. You deserve a break after last night, by the sound of it."
"Yeah."
He stared at her, trying to think of something else to say. He shouldn't be surprised. She'd told him that they needed to work on the ad. But he'd started to think, started to wish, that maybe she'd reconsider.
She gave him a puzzled look. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Do you want to get out of here?"
"Sure. You must be tired. I bet you want to get home and take a rest."
He stared at her for a long moment. She'd misunderstood him. He'd intended his words as an invitation, but... He glanced at the computer screen again. What would be the point? He gave her a rueful smile.
"I am tired. Let's close up and call it a day."
He walked her to her car, and she gave him a puzzled look before she got in.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"I am. It's like you said. I just need to go home."
As he stood in the parking lot watching her drive away, a heavy feeling settled in his chest. Soon enough, he'd be watching her drive out of his life.
He climbed back into his SUV, deciding that he needed to remember that fact. Even if they did spend more time together in the next few weeks, it would just be as friends. With benefits, maybe, but still just friends.
As he pulled away from the clinic, he had to remind himself that he didn't want a woman in his life anyway. He should be happy. But that feeling in his chest weighed heavy as he drove home. He wasn't happy, not one bit.
When he arrived home, his mood lifted when he rounded the back of his house and saw Travis's truck parked there. As he pulled up, Travis climbed out and greeted him with a grin. He got out of his SUV and smiled at his friend.
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
Travis laughed. "Is that any way to greet your oldest friend?"
Trip grinned at him. "I'm not complaining, just surprised, that's all. What are you doing up here? And where's Retta?"
"I had to come up to town to run a few errands. And she's hanging out with Callie and little Levi." Travis smiled.
"She's enjoying being a grandma, isn't she?" Trip asked.
"That would be an understatement," said Travis. "She loves every minute of it. Although to be fair, I can't say anything; I'm just as bad."
Trip grasped his shoulder. "I'm happy for you. That kid's lucky to have you as his grandpa."
Travis beamed as they walked up the steps to the kitchen door. "You know me. I never felt like I missed out on having kids. But I'm into this being a grandpa thing in a big way."
"It suits you," said Trip. "How long can you stay for? Do you want a beer? Want to eat with me?"
"Like I said, Retta will be over there for the evening, so yeah, if you want to feed me, I'll be happy to stick around."
Trip took two beers from the fridge and handed one to Travis. "What do you want to eat?"
"What's on offer?"
Trip chuckled. "Not as much as usual."
"You mean Maisie hasn't been over cooking for you in a while?"
"She has. But the lasagna’s already gone."
Travis's eyes widened. "You mean you ate the whole damn thing already? When was she here?"
"It's been almost a week, but..."
Travis laughed. "Even if you ate it every day for a week, I don't see how you've gotten your way through an entire one of Maisie's lasagnas by now."
Trip pursed his lips. He wasn't sure that he wanted to tell his friend about Shelley staying over again on Saturday night.
Travis narrowed his eyes at him. "Shelley. She helped you eat some when she was here on Friday night."
He nodded.
Travis grinned. "And she's been back again since."
Trip nodded again.
"So... what's going on?"
Trip shrugged.
"Come on, talk to me, buddy. Are you two finally getting somewhere?"
"I don't know."
Travis blew out a sigh. "How about we figure out what we're going to eat, stick it in the oven to reheat, and while it's doing that, you can tell me all about it."
Once the food was in the oven, they sat on the stools at the island. Travis met his gaze and held it. "What's going on? Is Shelley the reason that you're down?"
"Who says I'm down?"
Travis laughed. "I do. I know you. You can't fool me."
"I'm not trying to fool you. I'm tired. I was at the hospital until the early hours."
Travis nodded. "I heard that. But there's a difference between tired and down. You, my friend, are down, and you're about to tell me why."
Trip had to laugh. "All right." He took a swig of his beer and set the bottle down. "I told you she was here on Friday night."
Travis nodded.
"What I haven't told you is that she came back again on Saturday night... and stayed the night."
Travis raised his eyebrows. "She stayed the night on Friday, but in the guest room. Are you saying that wasn't the case on Saturday night?"
Trip nodded slowly, and Travis grinned.
"And you guys had a good time?" he asked.
"The best," said Trip.
Travis's smile faded. "But something's gone wrong since then."
"Not exactly. We're still getting along great. But..."
"But what?" asked Travis. "Come on, put me out of my misery. What's happening?"
Trip blew out a sigh. "I was going to ask her if she wanted to come home with me from work tonight."
"But...?"
"But when I got back from the hospital, she was working on drawing up the ad to find her replacement."
Travis frowned. "Wasn't that always the plan?"
"Yeah."
"But now you don't want it to be the plan."
"I ... I don't know."
"Well, then you need to figure it out, and fast, don't you? I like Shelley; you know that. If I thought you were interested in pursuing something with her, I would have been a lot more vocal about it before now. But I know you, or at least I thought I did. You're not interested... are you?"
Trip shrugged. "I didn't think I was. I thought we'd be okay to have some fun for the last few weeks that she's here, but..."
Travis grinned. "But the thought of her leaving has made you come to your senses."
"Maybe."
"You're still not sure?"
He shook his head. "It feels like I'm sure, but maybe I'm just getting carried away." He took another slug of his beer. "That's probably it. It just took me by surprise. And after we had such a good time this weekend, and things have still been good between us at work this week, seeing her getting things ready so that she can leave just caught me off guard. I don’t know, Trav. I … I need to figure it out."
"That's what you need to do," said Travis. "Make your mind up. And make your move."
Trip nodded. "Or let it go."
Travis chuckled. "Maybe, but I don't think so."
~ ~ ~
By the time Friday afternoon came around, Shelley had started to think that whatever she and Trip had started last weekend was already over. He seemed different, and the only thing she could put it down to was that he regretted sleeping with her. He only had a few appointments this afternoon, and she was starting to think that she might just do what he always said she could and leave early. If he needed to make follow-up appointments for anyone, he could just make a note of them, and she'd deal with it on Monday.
She took her phone out of her purse when she heard it beep with an incoming text. She smiled when she saw Harper's name on the screen.
Harper: Hey, you. Sorry the week got away from me. And I know your time there is ticking down—unless you decided to stay. What do you think? Should I make plans to come visit or not?
Shelley: Absolutely. I don't think I'll be staying. So, you should get here as soon as you can.
Harper: Oh, no. Does that mean things aren't good with your sexy doctor?
Shelley: Things are fine.
Harper: You only use the word fine when things really aren't fine. What are you doing tonight? Want to talk?
Shelley made a face to herself. She might as well agree to talk to Harper. It sure didn't look like she'd be spending any time with Trip tonight or over the weekend.
Shelley: I'll shoot you a text when I get home.
Harper: Are you sure you're okay?
Shelley: I want to say I'm fine again, but you won't believe that. It's all okay, I promise.
Harper: Okay. I'll get it out of you later.
Shelley slipped her phone back into her purse when Trip's door opened. She smiled at Millie Jennings, who had just come out. Millie gave her a nod as she left. Shelley watched Trip's door for a few moments, wondering if he'd come out to chat or if he'd hide out in there between appointments, like he seemed to have done for the last couple of days. She was tempted to go and knock and ask him if everything was all right. She didn't like what felt like tension between them, and she'd rather have it resolved than drag on.
Just as she was thinking that she should probably go talk to him, his door opened. Her heart leaped into her chest when he came out and smiled at her. He looked more like the man she'd seen on Sunday—warm and friendly—and less like the harried doctor she'd been dealing with for the last couple of days. He came over and leaned his elbows on the reception desk. The way he was smiling gave her no choice but to smile back at him.
"What's going on?" she asked.
He chuckled. "You mean other than me being an asshole? Not much."
She had to laugh. "You’re not being an asshole."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Thanks. I didn't mean to be. But I felt like I was."
"Why?" she asked.
He blew out a sigh. "I guess you could say I was being a brat."
She laughed. "A brat? Why? What makes you say that?"
He glanced at her computer. "I saw you were working on the ad for your replacement the other day."
"Oh."
He nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought. I know it shouldn't have, but it surprised me. Like I said, I've been acting like a brat."
She gave him a puzzled look. "I ask again, why?"
He smiled. "Because I don't want to lose my friend."
"Aww." She reached out and touched his arm. "I don't want to lose my friend either."
He raised his eyebrows. "But in a couple of weeks, I'll only be a faraway friend, right?"
Her heart pounded in her chest as she asked, "And you don't want that?"
He shook his head slowly. "I'd be happier if you stayed. Would you?"
She swallowed. She didn't know how to answer. Yes, of course, she'd love to spend more time with him. But even if they did that...
He met her gaze. "You can say no."
"I'd like for us to keep seeing each other," she said eventually.
"But?"
She shrugged. "I don't know, Trip. I've been so used to moving around, not settling in one place."
He cocked an eyebrow. "And you couldn't see yourself settling here?"
She raised her eyebrows back at him. "Are you saying that you'd want me to?"
He straightened up. "That's the thing. I think we're both in the same boat, aren't we? I'd like for us to keep seeing each other. But what that might mean, where it could lead... I don't know. I don't feel like I can ask you to stay just to explore what might happen between us. At the same time, the way I feel about you has kind of taken me by surprise."
His words made warmth bloom in her chest. "If it's any consolation, it's taken me by surprise, too."
He smiled. "So, what do we do?"
She shrugged. "We don't have to decide right this minute, do we?"
"No."
"Then let's just see how things go."
"Okay." He stared into her eyes for a long moment. "Want to start by coming over for dinner again tonight?"
She chuckled. "Do I need to bring pajamas?"
He laughed with her. "No, you can borrow mine if you think you need them."
"Okay. I'll come."
"And stay the weekend?"
"Do you think that's a good idea?"
"I do. The way I see it, we both want to explore this. But neither of us knows if it's worth changing our lives for." She inhaled sharply, and he shrugged. "Like I said, I've been an asshole this week because I was trying to tiptoe around the edges. I reached the conclusion that we'll both be better off if we just wade right on in and tell the truth."
"I have to say, that's how I usually operate."
"Yeah, me too. So, I'll spell it out. The only way we're going to find out if this is something that we want you to stay in town for is by giving it a shot. Do you want to?"
"Yeah, I do."
He reached across the counter and gave her hand a squeeze. "Good. I do too." He looked up when the front door opened. "How about after I'm done with Mr. Peters, I'll follow you home so that you can leave your car there and pack a bag for the weekend? Does that work for you?"
"Yeah, it does."