The Best Of The Year - Medical Romance. Carol Marinelli
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eaten a canned dinner of stuff they’d found in the pantry, but the mood had been somber as they’d sat on the couch later, facing the fire, Jack’s arm around her.
What had he been thinking?
If she’d said something, he’d responded, but emotionally he’d seemed to have withdrawn.
Today she’d treated a couple of patients, giving one teenager a lecture on helmet usage when he’d appeared with a lump on his forehead after falling on the slopes, and hugging a child who’d had a boo-boo on her finger—courtesy of a sharp pinch from a door. Neither were serious injuries.
Unlike the weird volley of emotions that soared through her chest one second and fell into the pit of her stomach the next, only to bounce up and start the cycle all over. It was exhausting.
She slumped in a chair in the dining room, picking at her salad. Ellory was off hiking by herself for the day. She’d left a note at the front desk that she’d check in with Mira later and that she hoped her outing with Number Five had been productive—and hot. She had a “feeling” about this one.
So did Mira. And it wasn’t a good feeling.
In fact, it was as ominous as the weather forecast for the coming week. There was the threat of the first big storm of the season. Moisture was gathering to the southwest and there was a high-pressure system in the northeast that was preparing to send a frigid blast of air their way. When those two forces combined, things could get dicey over the next five days. At just over twelve thousand feet elevation, Silver Pass was almost sure to get a large portion of that snowfall, if it arrived. Already the resort was busy preparing behind the scenes while trying not to worry any of their guests. The storm could very well peter out. She’d met with her dad this morning for breakfast, but he’d been distracted about the preparations.
If only she could be just as diligent to prepare for any eventuality with Jack. But without even a vague forecast to go by, there was nothing she could do. Oh, she could tell him she was reneging on their deal, that she didn’t want to see him any more for the duration of his stay. But what if she was overreacting?
A man’s shoes came into view beside her table. Her heart leap-frogged over itself as she jerked her head up, only to land with a clunk when she realized it was Robert. Great, just what she needed.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
She motioned to the chair across from hers. “Help yourself.”
He set his coffee on the table and then dropped into the seat. “We never did get a chance to talk.”
“About what?” Lord, she really didn’t want to rehash their whole breakup.
“Your dad came out to see me a few hours ago,” he said. “Did you tell him about us?”
“Yes. Why? Did he say something?”
He shook his head, lips pursing. “No. He really just talked about how long to keep the slopes open, if this storm hits.”
Leaning back, he ran a hand through wavy blond locks that had always reminded her of a Norse god. She could see why women were attracted to him. But he no longer did anything for her.
“Okay, I’m not sure I understand, then. Are you worried?”
“I just want to know exactly what you told him. Do I need to look for another job?”
Ah, so that’s what he was worried about. With his snarky comments of late, maybe she should let him sweat for a while. But since she was finding out first hand how it felt to be kept in the dark about someone’s intentions, she didn’t wish that on anyone. Not even Robert.
“Whether or not you look for another job is up to you. If he asks for specifics, I just plan on telling him the truth, that we both realized it wasn’t going to work and decided to break our engagement.” She shrugged. “So as long as you keep doing your job, you should have nothing to worry about.”
“Thank you.” In a move that was not in character for the self-assured cocky man she knew, he covered her hand with his and gave it a squeeze before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “I know it doesn’t mean anything, but I want you to know I’m sorry for how things went down. I should have had the courage to tell you up front that I wasn’t ready to settle down.”
You mean before you made out with that bimbo and several others? Yeah, you could have saved us both a whole lot of grief—and saved me from a clunker of a resolution.
One she no longer wanted to keep.
She didn’t say any of that, though. “What’s done is done. I recommend honesty the next time you get involved with someone.”
His lips gave a rueful twist. “Understood.” He hesitated. “If later on down the line—”
“If you’re going to say what I think you are, then no. You’re right. It wouldn’t have worked.”
“Is it because of that guy you’ve been hanging around?”
Mira swallowed, trying to divert her thoughts to something else. It didn’t work. Jack’s face popped into her mind—the way his eyes had darkened as he’d settled over her last night.
Lord. Robert was right. It was because of Jack. That’s why she was so sure it could never work with him, even if she found out he hadn’t been cheating.
She was in love with Number Five. Someone she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt would never cheat on the person he loved. He’d shown that in how he talked about his wife...the guilt he carried about how she died.
Mira just...knew.
Maybe she really could tell the good guys from the bad.
And she loved him—for that reason and so many more.
The knowledge was both exhilarating and devastating. He’d made it clear he wasn’t looking for anything serious.
But with you, I find myself wanting a next time. And a next.
Jack’s words from last night whispered through her mind, then rewound and played back all over again.
It certainly wasn’t something she was going to admit to Robert, though.
“I’m not involved with anyone. Nor am I planning to be. I’m just not interested in giving us another chance.”
He gazed at her for a second before giving a slow nod. “Okay. Let me know if you change your mind. I’ll be around.”
With that, he picked up his insulated drink carrier and walked away.
Right past Number Five, who was standing not three feet away, his own coffee cup in hand. His eyes were on them.
Oh, God. How much of their conversation had he just heard?
Enough, evidently, since he veered away and chose a table twenty feet away.
Oh, no, he didn’t. If he wanted nothing to do with her, he was going to have to tell her flat out.
Leaving the remainder of her salad uneaten, she got up and went over to his table and pulled out a chair. Unlike Robert, though, she didn’t ask if she could sit. She just did.
“Hi,” she said. For all her bravado, her heart was slipping around in her chest like a skier who’d just realized the run he was on was way above his skill level.
Jack’s fingers tightened on his mug. “Hey. Hope I didn’t run him off.”
“You didn’t.” She licked her lips. “How are you?”
“That’s the question of the year, isn’t it?”
“I’m sorry?”
He blew out a rough breath. “Nothing.”
After several beats went by, she decided to test the waters.