“I don’t expect—”
“I love you too. But—”
He winced at the but.
“But,” she said softly, “I’m not the girl who dreamed about a wedding and kids. I’m . . .” She shook her head. “I’m still not sure I see those things for myself.”
“A piece of paper linking us . . . kids . . .” He smiled into her eyes. “I can do without those things. What I can’t do without is you, Charlotte.”
Heart. Melted.
He started to kiss her, but someone was calling his name urgently from down the hall and he straightened. “We’re swamped. I gotta go. But I can’t until I know we’re okay.”
She smiled. “We’re more than okay.”
He smiled back and vanished.
Still smiling, she left the building and walked over to the urgent care next door to share her lunch with Jane.
She found her sitting behind the counter staring off into space, looking pale.
And maybe like she’d been crying.
“What is it?” Charlotte asked.
Jane just shook her head.
“Jane—”
“What is that amazing scent?”
Charlotte looked around. There was no one waiting to be seen. “Let’s take lunch.”
They went into the back, heated the container, then sat at the small staff table and shared the food.
“Mateo cooked this?” Jane asked after shoving in a few big bites. “You’re going to have to marry him, you do realize that, right?”
“It’s his mom’s cooking.”
“But he shared it with you.”
“Yes,” Charlotte said, unable to keep the small smile off her face.
Jane took in her expression and nodded with satisfaction, though the good humor didn’t make it all the way to her eyes. “He’s the One.”
Charlotte set her fork down. “You ready to talk?”
“No.”
“But you will anyway?”
Jane pushed the food back. “My grandpa has cancer.”
Charlotte felt the breath stutter in her throat. “Oh, Jane. I’m—”
“—Sorry?” Jane shook her head. “I am too.” She looked away. “I’m . . .” She stood up and paced the room. “I’m feeling a lot of things.”
“You’re angry,” Charlotte said softly.
“Damn right I am.”
“It’s one of the first emotions to hit with a cancer diagnosis.”
Jane stopped pacing, “I’m not one of your patient’s family members.”
Charlotte nodded. “Of course not. I’m sorry.”
Jane closed her eyes for a beat, then sighed. “No. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. He didn’t tell me about it. I wasn’t important enough to him. I had to find out on my own.”
Charlotte’s first thought was pain and fury for Jane, who’d started to trust her grandpa after a life filled with hard-earned mistrust of her family. If the man had been standing here, Charlotte could have killed him with her bare hands. Her second thought gave her an icy shiver. “Jane. Tell me you didn’t defy HIPAA—”
Jane’s face closed off and Charlotte’s heart took another hard kick. “Jane . . .” She broke off when her phone beeped. Work. She was needed in the OR stat.