Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“No reason that I can see,” he says with a chuckle, then spears a cucumber with his fork and playfully waves it at me. “But if you ever get rid of Reed, I’m back in the running.”
He’s joking and his tone is light enough, but still I’m curious. “Back in the running for what?”
“Why, for you, Josie,” Aiden says, his smile fading and his eyes somber with sincerity. “You might be my one big regret in life…leaving you, that is.”
“But you don’t even know if you’re going to stay here,” I blurt out, and now even more curious as to why he’s saying these things. I much preferred him just wanting to do a casual dinner, but now he’s talking about regrets over our lost relationship?
“I’m seriously considering it, Josie. I want to give it some time and let me practice in this type of setting for a while. Maybe it’s time for me to settle down in one place and be a regular doctor.”
That rankles me. Calling what I do just “regular.” Sure, I haven’t had to deal with epidemic outbreaks or bullets whizzing by my ears while I attend a patient, but I hardly think that my everyday work is just regular.
But I let it go, because Aiden’s opinion of me or what I do doesn’t matter. And it’s more than enough for me that Reed thinks what I do is cool. He certainly tells me that over and over again, filling me with a continual pride in my work knowing that he’s impressed by it.
“Is Reed really your neighbor?” Aiden asks lightly.
The chuckle starts up before I can control it, remembering the very unconventional way Reed and I first met. But that’s not a story I’d ever share with Aiden. “He is. Just next door, as a matter of fact.”
“What does he do for a living?” Again, I analyze his words, his inflection, and his facial expression. All seem to be just curious in a friendly way.
For the very first time, it flows through me in warm waves. I get to be proud and impressed with what Reed does. He’s always telling me how much he admires what I do, and because I really don’t have any close friends around and there’s no time for girl talk while at work, I never get to brag about him.
So I do. “He’s a professional hockey player for the Carolina Cold Fury.”
I wait for Aiden’s eyes to go big and perhaps fill with a tinge of jealousy, but I just get a pleasant smile back from him. “That’s nice. So he makes good money then?”
I blink a few times in disbelief before they zero in on Aiden. “They’ve won back-to-back Stanley Cups.”
Aiden just stares at me blankly for a moment, then he lifts his chin in realization. “Sorry. The last few years I haven’t been able to watch TV or sports. But you know I was never into that stuff anyway.”
This is true. Regardless if he was in Haiti, Yemen, or the good old USA, he probably wouldn’t have even known the Cold Fury had won two championships.
“Then why did you ask about what he makes?” I ask him.
“Just don’t want you to be taken advantage of, Josie Bug,” he explains smoothly. “You’re a doctor. You make pretty good bank.”
“Well, he makes millions, so I think I’m safe on that part,” I mutter. Although I have no clue what Reed makes, as I know enough about hockey to get by, but that would not include knowledge of salaries. Regardless, it’s not important to me, because Reed isn’t after my money.
Still not sure what he’s after, though, since I don’t fall within his normal criteria, but I’m going to roll with it for now.
Chapter 17
Reed
I lock the Tahoe remotely and head toward the steps that lead up to my town home. The lights in Josie’s place are burning bright, and as I jog up, I can hear peals of laughter coming from her place. A small smile forms on my lips, because this amuses me.
Josie’s hosting a little party at her place tonight for some medical peeps, and this makes me smile because it’s so “anti-Josie.” I’ve come to learn a lot about her over the last several weeks, and my girl is somewhat of an introvert when it comes to crowds. I first saw it at the Cold Fury party as I introduced her around. If we were standing with a group of people, Josie was utterly quiet, choosing to listen to the conversation with rapt attention. But if she was in more of a one-on-one situation, she could chatter up a storm with anyone.
I’ve learned over the weeks that is how she leads her life. By the way she talks about the patients she cares for, I see a genuine compassion and connection to the individual. I also get to hear about her disdain for meaningless conversation or pack mentality, which is why she avoids large groups of friends.