Chapter Twenty-Seven
Wren
“ E verything okay?” Genie asked me as I came around the corner in the office in between patients.
I nodded, not sure what I should say. “All good.”
“I see you rounded super early, and you are marked out this afternoon as soon as your appointments are done.”
Another nod from me.
“Well, you only have two more patients waiting. I see Smyth picked up a couple of your late-day visits, anxious to grab some surgeries.”
“He’s just doing me a favor. I called Misty, his PA. I didn’t want to bother you…you do so much already.”
“I can handle it. Maybe you didn’t want me to know Daniel arrived on a commercial red-eye this morning. I heard he rode in coach.”
“Oh, shut it.” I tried to sound annoyed, but the smile across my face told a different story. “I’m guessing you spoke to Ryan today. Who am I kidding? You talk to him every day. I should start interviewing for your replacement soon.”
“Are you firing me for real this time?”
“No way. I want to see you squirm when you tell me you are uprooting to Los Angeles and need a letter of reference.” I was leaning up against the wall.
“Go see your patients and get out of here. You have some making up to do at home.”
Daniel rang my doorbell at six this morning. He’d hopped on an eleven o’clock flight without anything but the clothes on his back. The Uber was still idling outside my house when I found him standing outside.
“Did you throw your key off the Hollywood sign?”
He hustled inside, wrapping me in his arms, not answering my question. He nuzzled my neck and I heard him breathing me in. “I didn’t want to presume I could use the key,” he mumbled into my neck.
I couldn’t resist taking a long inhale of him—stale scotch, mint, and pure Danny. “Welcome home,” was all I said as Rourke jumped at his ankles.
I’d decided at eleven, as he’d texted and said he was in row thirty-two, seat F, that I’d already forgiven him for his boyish jealousy.
“Home?” He pulled back, looking at me, raising an eyebrow.
“I decided I don’t want a life that doesn’t have you in it.”
His lips grazed my forehead. “Did you also decide honesty becomes you?”
“Yeah, and you need a shower and a nap. And I need to get to work.”
With his mouth still on my skin, he said, “I’ll be here when you get back.”
“Will you look after Rourke? I can cancel the walker…”
He nodded and mouthed, Go .
Now, as I walked back in the door, he stood waiting with a wineglass in one hand, wearing dark jeans and a white golf shirt. And, wait for it, a dish towel tossed over his shoulder.
“Hey,” he said, leaning over and kissing my cheek before handing me the glass.
It was summer, so I didn’t have a coat and I’d dropped my bag by the door. “Hi. I want to ask, or maybe I don’t,” I said, eyeing the towel.
“Come on,” he beckoned, Rourke at his feet.
“Is that a bow tie on Rourke?”
“It sure is. Meet ma?tre d’ Rourke…”
Stepping into the kitchen, I took in the mess—pots, pans, towels, and jars everywhere. With a raised eyebrow, I set down my wine and went to wash my hands.
Using a paper towel, I finally spoke. “Um, I have a lot of questions. But mostly, I don’t recall having a bow tie for my dog, so maybe we should start there?”
Daniel leaned back into the counter and said, “Take a sip of wine, Birdie.”
I did as I was told, figuring the wine might help wash away the apocalypse happening in my kitchen.
“Well?” I asked after allowing the Cabernet to burn my throat.
“First, I want to say that I’m not here to freeload or take over your life. I messed up last time, and I don’t intend to do that again. If you’ll have me back, I plan to do something with my day other than being your bitch.”
“I never thought you were my…bitch.”
“I’m joking, but I do need an outlet for me. I don’t want to take away your career, and if you’re here, I want to be with you. If you don’t want me to move right back in, I can go to the Four Seasons.”
“That’s stupid,” I blurted out. One minute I was thinking we rushed, and the next I was hanging on by a thread at the idea of Daniel not moving back in with me.
“I don’t want to pressure you. I need to say I’m sorry again. I was an idiot.”
“You were.”
“Good, then we agree on something.” He pushed off the counter and moved toward me, gathering me in his arms. “Birdie, I’m in love with you. I want you to be my present and future in whatever capacity you’ll have me.”
I swallowed. I didn’t know what any of this meant. “Was that a proposal? Because I thought we were in the middle of making up and then you were going to explain what the hell is going on in my kitchen.”
“Would it be a yes?” He pinched my butt, yanking me in for a kiss.
“A maybe?” I leaned back and said, not taking my gaze from his.
“I’ll take it.”
“As for the Four Seasons, that’s a no. You can come back. I see you’ve already showered and raided the clothes you left here. Now, get to cluing me in…” I flashed my free hand around the kitchen.
Daniel cleared his throat, his palm ghosting along my cheek. “Well, I cooked. It seems like it was a success, but we won’t know for sure until you taste it.”
I walked over to the stovetop and lifted a lid. “Paella?” I took in the yellow rice with what looked like sausage and shrimp and a variety of vegetables.
“Paella,” his deep voice confirmed.
“From a Scot?”
He laughed and the lines by his eyes crinkled in accordance. “Well, I asked Ryan’s assistant to help me, and her mom is from Spain so this is what we came up with.”
I felt myself nodding. “And what, you didn’t sleep, Ubered around shopping for my dog and food?”
“Tsk, tsk. You clearly haven’t been paying attention to us Hollywood types. We have a guy who has a guy who knows a girl who did everything for me. Ran out for the groceries and then snatched up a hot outfit for Rourke.” He stood next to me and lifted the lid. “Smells good, yeah?”
“It does,” I whispered.
“Then let’s eat.” While he was plating the food, he said, “Rourke, can you show this lady to her seat at the counter?”
I took that as my cue and went to sit, the red Cabernet making sense now with paella on the menu.
Mostly, I was so happy to have Daniel back that he could have served me a Happy Meal and I wouldn’t have cared.