Ermahgerd!
揇id you mean Connor Daniels??
Slowly I turn, hoping with every fiber of my being that I抦 wrong. My hope dies a quick but painful death when I come face-to-face with Callie Daniels抯 friendly green eyes.
I force a swallow down my panic-narrowed throat and wave a sweaty-palmed hand as nonchalantly as I can manage.
揘o. Not Connor Daniels. Definitely not. I meant another Connor.?
Callie抯 light-blond brows furrow and her blond head tilts in curiosity.
揙h. Another Connor??
Lying isn抰 a skill I possess. So, I literally say the first thing that pops into my head梚t抯 my only defense.
揊rom Tacoma.?
I never said it would be a good defense.
Callie squints. I don抰 blame her.
揅onnor from Tacoma??
揧es.?
揕ike, Tacoma, Washington??
When I was twelve, my neighbor, Noah Jarvis, convinced me to run across Highway 9 to the Dunkin?Donuts on the other side. Halfway across the southbound lane, Noah panicked, turned around, and tried to run back.
He got hit by a Range Rover and spent the whole summer in traction.
Moral of the story? The only way through is forward梐lways stick with the plan.
揧ep . . . that抯 where Tacoma is.?
揜eally??she asks, like she absolutely doesn抰 believe me but is too nice to say so.
And that抯 when I cave. Because lying is just too exhausting. The inconvenient truth tears out of me in a rapid-fire burst.
揙kay, no梟ot really. I meant Connor Daniels. But for the love of God, you can抰 say anything! To anyone!?
Callie says nothing for a few seconds. She just stares at me, looking me over, a slow, sly smile sliding onto her pretty face.
揟his is fantastic!?
揘o one!?I stop short of screeching梑ut it抯 close.
揅onnor is my brother-in-law. I could introduce you.?
I rub my hands over my face梑ecause she抯 not listening to a word I抦 saying.
揤iolet works at the hospital. She抯 a nurse.?
Lainey Burrows has entered the chat. Coming up beside me and Callie梐nd she抯 not helping either.
Because news of my occupation just delights Callie Daniels even more.
揟hat抯 perfect!?she says. 揝o you and Connor must know each other already??
I grab their arms and drag the three of us into a tighter triangle in the corner, to keep the sound of our voices contained and knowledge of my mortifying crush drowned out by the beat of the music.
揧es, we know each other. We work together. So you have to swear to me梬oman to woman, Girl Scout pledge, sisterhood of the traveling vagina level swear梩hat you won抰 tell anyone what you have learned here tonight. Especially NOT your husband. And it can抰 be one of those 慜h, honey, I抦 going to tell you something but you have to promise not to mention it to your brother?kind of things that I know all you married people do, because it never works! He抯 a man梙e抣l talk.?
揑t抯 true.?Lainey says, slurring a little behind the big silver straw in her giant pink-concoction-filled Bride goblet. 揋arrett came over to the house the other day so he and Dean could have a 憇trategy session?for the upcoming football season. But all they did was gossip about which of their players was dating who and which one of them was most likely to get dumped before the first game. They were like little old ladies.?
揝ee! You can抰 say anything, Callie. You don抰 understand.?
揘o, you don抰 understand!?Callie says with a vehemence that takes me back a step. 揧ou haven抰 seen the women Connor has gone out with.?She ticks off each one on her newly manicured hand. 揟here was the girl with the dragon tattoo . . . on her face. The woman who would only eat foods that started with the letter G. The one we found out later was on the FBI抯 Most Wanted list梐nd they抮e just the tip of the shitshow. Connor抯 a relationship guy, a family guy梙e抯 not meant to be alone. He抯 going to keep searching for his better half and who knows what kind of disaster he抣l stumble across next. But you抮e gorgeous! And you know Lainey and you seem normal . . . and you抮e a nurse! I mean, Jesus, if Connor made his perfect woman in a computer梱ou are what would come out!?
A sudden heaviness weighs down on my me, crushing my tone into a whisper. A sad, truthful whisper.
揌e doesn抰 even see me. We抳e worked together for two years and he barely knows I抦 there.?
Callie puts her hand over mine, squeezing. 揥hat if you抮e wrong? I can抰 believe that Connor wouldn抰 notice someone like you. What if he does see you? Or what if he just needs a little nudge to see you? Guys can be really stupid. Sometimes they need help.?
Lainey waves her pointer finger at Callie like it抯 a magic wand.
揂lso true.?
I let myself think about it梩o imagine being set up with Connor. How he would pick me up at my house, maybe bring flowers. How easy our conversation would flow梐bout life, work, his kids, my brother and sisters.
I picture what it would feel like to make him smile, make him laugh, or even better梩o make him groan. To have him look at me with heat and hunger in his eyes . . .
And I want it so much my heart throbs and my mouth goes dry and my vision swims.
But just for a moment.
Because then I come back down to earth . . . to reality. My reality.
揟hat抯 not a chance I can take. I love this town, I love the hospital, I love my job. If Connor had any clue that I have feelings for him and he didn抰 feel the same way桰 don抰 know how I would ever be able to look at him again.?
Callie抯 face goes soft with sympathy. Maybe pity.
揗y life is in your hands, Callie. Please promise me you won抰 say anything.?
Her features tighten with hesitation, like I抦 dragging her over a line she doesn抰 want to cross. Then she sighs. 揙kay, if that抯 what you really want . . . then I promise.?
Blessed relief blooms through my chest cavity.
揟hank you.?
Callie loops her arm through mine. 揅ome on條et抯 get a drink.?
揧es, your hands are empty,?Lainey says like she抯 only just noticed. 揘o empty hands allowed, ladies!?
I walk over to the champagne fountain with them, secure and settled that my secret is safe and nothing will change.
But here抯 the thing about Callie Daniels. She may seem all sweet and undevious, but deep down . . . she抯 a lying-liar who抯 not above lying when she thinks it抯 for a worthy cause.
Because even though Callie raised her left hand solemnly when she made me her promise梙er other hand was behind her back. With her fingers crossed.
Classic loophole.
But I wouldn抰 find that out until later.
After it was already too late.
CHAPTER SIX
Connor
I抦 back on days at the hospital. It抯 a slow Thursday morning, but that抯 the thing about the Emergency Department梚t can turn on a dime, and like Forrest Gump抯 box of chocolates, you never, ever know what you抮e gonna get.
Not all doctors like that aspect of the job梩he unpredictability梑ut I do. It keeps me sharp and in constant learning mode so I can stay on top of my game.
At 11:30 I get nine occupants from a three-car accident.
None of them are seriously injured, thankfully, and a few sutures, a dozen X-rays, two slings, and one neck brace later, I send them on their way with prescriptions to take it easy for the next few days and ibuprofen for muscle pain.
We have lunch breaks built into our schedule, but our schedules are more of a suggestion than a rule.
So I don抰 make it down to the hospital cafeteria, where Garrett and Dean are waiting, until two hours later. Garrett texted me on Monday that he wanted to meet up for lunch when I was free.