“Hmm…” she muttered.
Ethan faced the diner again and watched as two to-go containers were placed in bags. The silence between them dragged as Serena thought on the matter. The fragrant smells assaulted him once again when he walked to the counter.
“Thanks,” he whispered to the woman as she handed him the bags.
“Thanks for coming in,” she replied before grabbing the coffee pot and moving down the counter, effectively dismissing him.
“Where are you?” Serena asked.
Ethan leaned against the door to let himself out as he juggled the bags of food, as well as the phone to his ear. “Grabbing Max and me food before we get back to work.”
Serena asked him about a variety of possible triggers, all of which he had tried, but one. “I can’t imagine operating on someone. If this happened during the operation, there’s a chance it’s all related if you’ve tried everything else. Fear of hurting his patient or losing them during surgery? I know it would make my anxiety shoot through the roof.”
Ethan nodded and remembered she could not see him. “Makes sense. Max only ever becomes emotional when something is wrong with one of us or an animal comes in who needs him desperately. I’ll try to find a way to recreate those emotions.”
A warm breeze blew through his hair and his mind drifted to images of Serena. Everything always seemed to come back to her. He imagined her on a cliff top, her red hair whipping around with a gust of ocean wind.
“Did you want me to come help?” she asked.
He was sorely tempted to tell her yes, not because he needed it but he wanted her there. Only hours after seeing her and he was ready for another fix.
Ethan shook his head. “No, I’m sure you have better things to do than to help another Broderick,” he said, forcing a teasing tone.
“I know but—”
“Sorry but I just got back to Max’s. Can I call you later?”
Serena cleared her throat. “Yeah, that’s fine.”
Ethan shoved the phone in his pocket before heading inside. Thoughts of Serena were not too far from his mind.
Chapter 8
“This one’s a great guide to each gemstone, if you want a better understanding how they work.” Serena pulled the book off the shelf and offered it to the pixie of a woman.
“Oh, yes. That’s perfect. Trying to keep all their uses and separate which ones cancel each other out is… Well, I feel like all the information is floating around in here,” she said, tapping her temple. “But none of it is really sticking, if that makes any sense.”
Serena chuckled. “Yeah, I understand what you mean. If you find one you’d like, and I don’t have it, I can try to find it for you as well.”
Relief and excitement flashed in her eyes. “Yes, that would be wonderful!”
The bell on the door chimed, drawing Serena’s attention. She hated herself for feeling disappointed when it was not Ethan. Instead, she found his sister, Brandy, giving her a bright smile.
“Let me know if you need any more help. I’ll be at the counter, ready to check you out.”
Serena moved through the store and reached Brandy a moment after she got to the counter. “Hi! I didn’t know you’d be coming by,” she said, accepting the other woman’s hug. It was filled with kindness and warmth, unlike the initial emotions they’d shared when they met.
Brandy pulled back. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever, so I thought I’d pop in.”
Serena’s eyes lowered to the slight roundness of Brandy’s stomach. “How’s the baby?”
Brandy’s hand caressed her unborn. “Great. The morning sickness is finally going away, although some days it still hits me.”
A pang of jealousy struck Serena. “If you want, I have some tea to help with that.”
“You do?” Brandy asked, her eyes wide with excitement.
Serena chuckled. “I do. Follow me, and I’ll show you while you tell me the real reason you’ve come to see me.”
