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“Cut the crap, Poppy. You were just letting the hottest surgeon in the universe kiss you in front of the whole hospital. You can spare me a few minutes to get caught up!”
I fill Katarina in on everything that’s happened in the last week and laugh as, with each new story, her face becomes more and more shocked. Retelling all of it even makes my head spin. “Okay, I’ve really got to get back to work. And I’m sure there’s some patient with a situation only you can handle waiting in there.” I point to the ER doors.
“Yeah. I’m sure there’s a raging case of herpes waiting in a room for my arrival.” She groans.
Poor Kat.
“Oh, come back down here before you leave for the day. I almost forgot that I have something here for you.”
“What?”
“Not sure, really. Gavin wanted you to have it.”
That’s odd. “Okay, I’ll be sure to pop back down before you go. Bye.” I quickly make my way back to the department. Hopefully, Frank won’t wonder where I’ve been.
* * *
“Hey, I’m here,” I announce as I come around the corner to the nurses’ workstation, where I see Kat typing into a computer.
“Hi. Perfect timing. Eve came in early for me today. I’d almost forgotten you were coming back.” Kat reaches over to her backpack on the chair beside hers, digs inside, and retrieves a white envelope. “Gah, I’m dying to know what’s in there, but I’ve got to get home. The sitter has plans this afternoon, and I don’t want to be late.” She stands, coming over to give me a one-armed hug. “Good ones are hard to find.”
“I bet,” I say, examining the nondescript envelope. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I figured I’d stop as my shift was ending so I could head out soon after.”
Turning the nondescript envelope in my hands, my mind comes up blank. What could this be? I’d met with Gavin for dinner the Monday after the Hanover Haven bananagrams took place. I hadn’t seen him in a while and was excited to share all of my news. I’d also jumped the gun, explaining my plans to set up a trust for him. It was probably too soon, but he needed to know how important he was. That I knew Dan would’ve wanted it that way.
“I can’t believe you are going to pass me off like this!” The disgruntled, angry voice of a male around the corner has my attention. Looking up from the envelope, I notice it’s more than just mine. Most of the staff is looking down the hall.
It’s not uncommon to hear frustrated voices in the ER. The tension is high here. Yet, as I walk over to where several employees have gathered to gawk as I prepare to return to my quiet department, I see Brantly Martin standing in front of Broadie. Brantly has his hands on his hips, his face red as a tomato.
“What do you mean you’re not available? My wife’s in need of emergency surgery, and you’re going to stand here and tell me no?”
“I’m not telling you she can’t have surgery, Brantly. It will just have to be with one of my partners. She’ll be in perfectly good hands with any of them. But Jarod’s on today. I’d trust him to operate on my daughters if they needed it. There’s no need to get upset because I’m not available.”
“You said it was a laparoscopic procedure. That shouldn’t take you much time,” he continues to argue.
I watch as Broadie’s calm, professional exterior begins to crack. He doesn’t seem to care that he has an audience at the moment.
He leans down, making sure he’s at eye level with the surly, unapologetic Mr. Martin. “I have plans this evening. Important plans, which I have no intention of breaking. You know me well enough that if I didn’t, I’d already be scrubbing in. Jarod will take good care of her, Brantly.” Then he straightens and walks past Mr. Martin down the hallway as the onlookers all revel in Broadie’s handling of the angry administrator.
Could I be his plans?
Two hours later, I’m pacing in my kitchen. Why am I so nervous? Curious as to whether Broadie had made some outlandish plans for us this evening that he couldn’t get out of in order to perform Mr. Martin’s wife’s gallbladder surgery, I decided to try to reward his commitment to me by at least dressing the part. Wearing the shoes he bought me, my blue halter dress I wore in Jamaica, and the priceless charm bracelet he designed for me, I clutch onto the edge of my kitchen island and wait.
Knock, knock.
My eyes drop to the kitchen clock. 8:30. Right on time.
I make my way to the door, and as I open it, I’m greeted by my handsome date. He’s wearing dark jeans and a white button-down shirt.
“Poppy.” His voice cracks. “You look incredible.” His eyes trail from my head to my toes before turning to himself. “Hell. I should’ve at least brought a suit jacket.”
I usher him inside. “Why? You look nice.”
All of a sudden, he looks embarrassed. “You look like you’re dressed for a night on the town.”
Tilting my head in confusion, I’m feeling a bit lost. Had I been wrong about what he’d told Brantly earlier?
“What’s the matter?” He sounds alarmed.
