by Natalie Ann
“I moved here from Buffalo about a year ago.”
“You were sick of the cold, I bet. Don’t they get something like five hundred feet of snow each winter?” he asked, grinning.
“Not quite, but more than here.”
“Today has to be like a walk in the park for you. It’s only calling for seven inches by tonight. It’s just one of those slow messy falls.”
He hated the winter. Hated snow. Hated the cold. But he’d never leave. His family was here and he was close with them.
“I’m used to things in life being messy,” she said with a grin.
The minute those words were out of her mouth Sierra wished she could have taken them back.
Here she was having a funny conversation with a good-looking guy that she had no interest in.
That wasn’t completely true. He was pretty funny, a little bit charming, and very pleasing on the eyes.
Dark hair, dark eyes, a smile that could melt any mother’s heart. She had a feeling he didn’t smile often though. She wasn’t even sure if he joked often, but he was with her.
Did she think Cori set her up and planned this? Absolutely.
They were working together again, a lot of appointments were canceled and there were doctors in surgery. The office was quiet.
The two of them were just filling supplies when Cori looked at her phone and then decided it was time for lunch and dragged her along. Normally she brought her lunch, but she was out of bread and anything else she could have packed this morning.
Was it fate or just rotten luck?
The minute Cori ditched her with Grey she figured rotten luck, but once he started to talk she realized he wasn’t that bad.
But he was still a doctor and, as they’d both said—that could get messy.
“I’m not sure how to take that comment,” he said.
“Since you aren’t interested in me, there isn’t really a way you need to take it,” she said, smiling at him.
“Oh, I never said I wasn’t interested. I just said I don’t make it a habit of dating hospital employees I couldn’t avoid when things went south.”
Her smiled dropped. “Well, I don’t date doctors,” she said again.
“Heard loud and clear. Good thing I didn’t ask. I’m not sure I could take the hit lately with everyone having such an active interest in my lack of social life.”
“Tell me about it,” she said. “What is it with everyone thinking you can’t be single? I don’t mind it.”
“Exactly,” he said, going back to his sandwich.
There was silence between them now as they ate. It hadn’t been awkward before, but now it seemed as if the devil walked into Sunday mass holding hands with an angel and she had no one to blame but herself for it.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“For what?”
“I don’t know. I guess I have a habit of saying things that tick people off. I should learn to just keep my mouth shut.”
Or so she’d been told enough in her life. More so a year ago when she stepped up when others wouldn’t.
Wasn’t that why she moved here? Because she couldn’t mind her own business or keep her lips sealed. Not when a sense of justice overrode all thoughts.
She didn’t date doctors because they all stuck together like ants on one crumb of bread. It didn’t matter if one doctor was wrong or not, it was a code of sorts to not leave each other’s side.
She didn’t belong in that code, nor did she want to, but she wasn’t letting people get away with things either.
Popular crowds and good old boys clubs were shit if they put others down. If they risked lives. If they didn’t follow the rules.
She didn’t break the rules and she’d be damned if she sat around while others did, especially if it put lives at risk.
And her reward for standing up—pretty much being forced out of her town to a place where no one knew her.
She’d be damned if she was going to have it happen again.
4
Accidental Lunch
Grey wasn’t sure where the change came from with Sierra, but he brushed it off.
They were talking and getting along just fine for two people who said they didn’t like to be with the other.
No, he thought, they didn’t say that. They said they didn’t date the other’s profession. Well, he said he didn’t date hospital employees in general, people he could run the risk of being around after they weren’t together anymore. Didn’t make a habit of dating them at least. That was better.
He would make an exception for someone if he felt a connection with them though.
Did he feel a connection with Sierra? Maybe.
Not that it mattered because she seemed pretty firm in her opinion about his profession and he’d never beg anyone.
When he was back in his office, Jack knocked on the door and came in. “Sorry about that.”
“About what?” he asked. He wanted to see if Jack would admit what Cori tried to do. He was positive Cori would have been honest with her husband.
“The accidental lunch with Sierra. I had no idea she was going to do that.”
“Not a problem. Sierra seemed nice enough.”
“I’ve never met her. Cori talks about her, but Cori talks about a lot of people and I ignore it half the time or my ears would catch on fire.”
He laughed, unable to imagine living with the little firecracker that Cori was known to be. “So she saw an opportunity to do it and just ambushed Sierra and me? I mean it was pretty obvious.”
“That’s what she did. Cori isn’t subtle about anything in life. I told her to mind her own business. You were a grown man and didn’t need anyone setting you up. Good lord, my buddy Ryan tried to do it more times than I can count when I moved here.”
Grey had heard the name before from Jack’s lips. Ryan Mathews, brother of Lucas Mathews that was at the dinner the other night. Both were lawyers, Lucas working for the private sector, Ryan taking over the family firm in Albany.
Since Grey’s other brother, Colt, was an attorney in Albany too, he knew most of the big hitters in the area and had a lot of interaction with them.
“I heard he was quite the playboy in his day,” Grey said.
“And then some. But he’s happily married with twins and another on the way.” Jack shook his head. “The two of us sound like a bunch of women chatting about this.”
“Yes, we do,” he agreed. Jack had never been much of a talker about their personal lives so this whole thing was odd.
“Anyway, just wanted to say I’m sorry for my wife. I want to say she won’t do it again, but she seems to think everyone has to be happy like her all the time.”
“I think there is this thing about married couples wanting everyone to be like them.”
“I didn’t. I was married before Cori and it never crossed my mind if others were single. Even now, I’ve got more important things to focus on than whether you lay your head down alone at night.”
“Thanks,” he said. “Seriously. I’m kind of sick of everyone sticking their nose in my business or giving me life advice. I’d like to think I don’t do too bad.”
Now he was just trying to build himself up, he knew. The worst part was he’d never been like that before and had no idea why he was now.
Jack nodded his head and went back to his office, Grey getting ready to see his first patient, putting the impromptu lunch setup out of his head.
Later that night he was sitting on the couch after clearing the sidewalk of snow. He had someone come and plow his driveway, but he dealt with the front walkway, stairs, and deck. He’d consider it his workout for the day.
There was a knock at his door, but before he could get up to see who it was, his brother Colt walked in. “What are you doing here? I thought for sure you’d be home taking care of your own mess.”
“On days like this I just need to come to Paradise.”
Grey rolled his eyes, sick of the Paradise Place jokes from his b
rothers. He never should have bought this house in the development a few years ago.
“As you can see it looks like the rest of the capital region. Cold, wet, and miserable. I’m sure you’ve got one hell of a mess at your own place.”
“Shit no,” Colt said. “I pay someone to deal with that. I thought you did too.”
“The driveway. I did the walkway and stairs. Not that it matters. No one walks up it daily, not even the mailman.”
Their mailboxes were at the end of the driveway and there were no sidewalks in the development. If he didn’t get a chance to clean his front up one day, it wasn’t the end of the world other than it froze over and made it a bitch to remove at another date.
“So what is really your reason for being here?”
Colt shrugged and toed his boots off, then hung his jacket up. “Got any beer?”
“In the fridge. Grab me one too.”
He didn’t normally drink during the week but then again he was alone. When he had company he didn’t mind throwing one back.
Colt came back with two glasses and handed one over. “So there are rumblings at work about me getting my partnership soon.”
“That’s great,” he said. “It’s what you want.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think it’d be this soon. I’m only thirty-three.”
Grey shook his head. “Your point? Some people never get it, much less this soon and you’re complaining?”
“I just want to make sure I can live up to it.”
Grey felt like he was in some twilight zone. Colt never lacked confidence a day in his life. He was always opinionated and argumentative.
“Where is this coming from?” he asked.
“You know one of the partners is always hitting on me. In a sly kind of way,” Colt said.
Grey laughed. “Some men like cougars.”
“Not me,” he said.
“So you think that is the only reason it’s happening. That she thinks you’ll thank her for it?”
“No clue. I’m probably overthinking the whole thing.”
“Yes, you are. When you get your partnership you’ll have earned it and you know it.”
“I know. Not sure why I’m feeling this way.” Colt tipped back his beer. “So I hear you got talked into going to social hour over the weekend. How did Jake manage that?”
“I’m still trying to figure it out myself. Rachel dragged him to it, he wanted me there to hide from her, then Jack overheard and asked me to go since Cori was pestering him.”
“You never fall for pressure like that. What’s the matter, getting bored sitting here all alone every night? When was the last time you went on a date?”
“Drink your beer and get out,” he said with a smirk.
“And you get so defensive when anyone asks you. You aren’t still holding onto Molly, are you?”
“Of course not,” he said. “She’s married with a family of her own now.”
“Yeah, but you wanted it to be you and your kids at this stage. You know it,” Colt threw in his face.
As if he needed the reminding. But the truth was, he didn’t know what he wanted in his twenties. He’d just listened to Molly’s ideas and nodded his head because it was easier.
“She didn’t want to wait and I had things to accomplish first.”
Colt shook his head. “I get it. You wanted to finish school and get established. She wanted to get married right out of college. It wasn’t meant, Grey. Just accept it.”
“I have accepted it. It was ten years ago.”
Why the hell was Colt bringing this up now? Molly’s name hadn’t come up in years. It seemed like the universe was shifting toward his social life for some reason.
“And you’ve dated a lot in that time but never with anyone really serious. Every time it seemed to get serious you pulled the brakes. Why?”
“Beats the hell out of me,” he said.
“You know. You just don’t want to admit it.”
Did he know? He wasn’t so sure. He supposed it had to do with asking someone to wait for him. Believing she was the one, only to have her walk away so easily.
He’d told himself he hadn’t felt the same connection to another woman as he had Molly and if he was willing to marry her in his timeframe, then he couldn’t marry someone he didn’t feel as much for, right?
That was his logic at least. Right or wrong, it was there.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Finish your beer and leave me in peace.”
Colt laughed, not the least bit offended.
“Will do, boss,” Colt said to him. Something he often did when they were kids when Grey lorded it over him that he was the oldest.
“Just remember that.”
“You never let us forget. You carry a grudge until the end of time.”
He opened his mouth and shut it, wanted to argue, but then realized maybe his brother was right. Not that he’d tell him that.
5
An Introduction
“So how did it go?”
Sierra turned to see Cori standing there bouncing on her toes with a bag of M&M’s in hand. It was barely ten in the morning. “How did what go?”
“Lunch with Grey.”
“Oh, you mean that blind date you tried to set us up on?”
“Please,” Cori said, waving her hand after she threw some more candy in her mouth. “That wasn’t a date. That was more like an introduction.”
Sierra wasn’t buying it. “Either way, it was sneaky.”
“I’m not sneaky,” Cori said. “I saw my husband having lunch and we never get to have time alone so I took the opportunity. I could have had you sit at the table with us while we had some sexy flirting going on.”
“No, thank you,” Sierra said. Happy couples just made her want to reach for a barf bag.
“Then you can say I did you a favor by not leaving you alone either. Not that Grey would have cared. I think he’s kind of a loner.”
“So what’s his deal?” she asked.
“Are you interested?”
“Just because I wanted to know his deal doesn’t mean I want to date him. I’m not into dating doctors.”
“Why? There isn’t anything wrong with them. I happen to be married to one, you know.”
“Yes, I know. Happily married too. You tell us all the time.”
“That’s right. Jack’s a great guy. A great catch. Yes, he’s cocky if that is what you mean, but that doesn’t make him any less of an awesome person.”
“He’s older than you, right?” Sierra asked, figuring Jack had to be in his mid-thirties.
“He is. I’m thirty-five and he’s almost thirty-nine. He was thirty-three when we met. He’s pretty sexy for an old man, huh?”
She didn’t think Jack was that close to forty as he sure the heck didn’t look it with his dark hair and eyes. She didn’t see any gray in his hair and it was nice and thick too. She wondered if he dyed it.
Nah, no way. Jack Reynolds wasn’t a vain man at all.
“He’s hardly old. Is that how old Grey is?”
“No,” Cori said. “He’s a few years younger. Not sure his exact age. If you want to know I can ask Jack, but I’m sure Jack has no clue and will tell me he has no intention of asking Grey either.”
“I don’t need to know his age.”
“You brought it up, not me,” Cori said, filling her mouth with the rest of her candy and then crumpling up the bag.
“No, you brought it all up when you asked how it went.”
“And you asked what his deal was. I’m assuming you want to know why he’s still single? Even Jack had been married before but his wife had died.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah. She had cancer. It hit Jack hard. He moved here to be closer to his best friend, Ryan. And then of course, I noticed him and the rest was history.”
Sierra shook her head. Cori could easily get sidetracked. “It’s a nice story.”
“So Grey,” Cori said. “Not sure his deal. I know he’s dated but isn’t seriously seeing anyone. Why he isn’t married is a question you’d have to ask him.”
“I don’t plan on it since I don’t think I’ll see him again to have that conversation.”
“You never know,” Cori said and went back to the front to see if her patient was ready.
Sierra walked to the front too, saw a paper in her slot and grabbed it for her next patient. “Hi, Sean. I’m Sierra and I’m going to get your vitals before Dr. Boswell comes in.” Her patient smiled at her, followed her to the back and then went to sit down. “Are you okay? You seem to be limping.”
“Yeah. I hurt my knee a few days ago pretty bad. When I leave here I’m going to the surgical pavilion. I’ve got an appointment with Dr. Baxter.”
She couldn’t even do her job without the mention of Grey around her. It was like the universe was ramming into her and saying what a loser she was for being single. No, loser for being set up. That she didn’t want.
“We’ll get you out of here so you can get to your next appointment. You should be in good hands with Dr. Baxter,” she said.
“Do you know him?”
Why couldn’t she keep her mouth shut? “We’ve met. He’s a really nice guy.”
“Perfect,” he said.
“So why are you here today?”
She took Sean’s vitals, jotted down notes, then left the room for her next patient where she had to get some samples. Yay her!
“So you hurt your knee playing basketball?” Grey asked his new patient, Sean Webster.
“Yeah. My wife told me I’m too old for this. I thought it’d get better but it’s not. My primary sent me here. I had an MRI done and they said there is some ligament damage.”
Grey had pulled up the images before he came in, then did so again and walked through the damage he saw with Sean.
“It looks like you’ve got a small tear in your MCL. Around a level 2. We’ve got a couple of options. For this kind of injury, I’d like to put you in a brace, resting, and elevating your leg as much as possible. Do you have a job where you are on your feet?”