“I’m not talking about business stuff.Don’t you want me anymore?”
His jaw ticked.“There’s never been a time I didn’t want you.”
“So, you’re pouting and punishing both of us?”
“Maybe,” he said cautiously.
I stepped back, spine snapping straight as I dropped into business mode, like yanking a lever.“Do we have a credit card for the practice?We’re out of distilled water.I’ll run to the grocery store right now over lunch.I also need stuff for dinner.I won’t use the work card for that, to be clear.And,” I glanced sadly at the food I brought, “maybe I’ll grab something for myself to eat now.”
He blinked at me, looking like I’d smacked him with a dictionary.“Water?”
“Yes.”I crossed my arms, forcing myself not to smile.“We need more distilled water for the ultrasonic cleaner.You want to come with me to the store?”I waggled my eyebrows.“I’ll even let you drive.”
“What the hell?You start all that and now you want to go buy water?”
“You’re the one who pranced in here and flashed naked skin,” I shot back.“Don’t throw down a challenge like that and expect it to go unanswered.”I bit down on a grin.“What would you do if I whipped my top off right now?”I grabbed the hem of my scrub top like I might.
He went rigid.“Do it, and neither of us will be making it to the store or any of our afternoon appointments.”
I lifted my shirt just enough to flash an inch of my stomach and gave him the double eyebrow raise of death.“Your move, Whiskey.”
“I’ll drive.”He hauled me into his chest like he had zero patience left.“You’re trouble.”Then he kissed me so hard I forgot everything for a second.
A knock at the door had us jumping apart.
“Dr.Hurst, there’s a downed cow that needs you before you start any of the castrations on the rest of the herd,” Marty called out.
Josh dropped his chin but stalked to the door.He flashed Marty a smile.“I’ll take care of it after I take Erika to the store to get distilled water.”
“Great.”Her eyebrows rose.“You two okay?You’re not arguing again?”She glanced into the office, curious.
“We’re good.”Josh turned toward me and cocked his head.“You coming?”
After five minutes in the car, it became obvious we weren’t going toward a store.“Where are we going?”
“My house.Forlunch, to be specific.Nothing else.I’ll grab the water after work.”
“Why?”
“For starters, you need to eat something other than rabbit food.Second, we need to talk.”
“About what?”
He parked the car and got out, clearly expecting me to follow him up the steps into his house.I did.The moment we got inside I announced, “We don’t have time to mess around.”
“We’re here for lunch.Lunch!” he yelled from the kitchen.When I got there, he said, “We’re eating my mom’s chicken casserole.You ever tried it?”
I shook my head.
He slid a Tupperware container out of the refrigerator into the microwave and waved for me to take one of the bar height chairs at the counter.Then he handed me a sparkling water can across the counter.“We won’t talk business.Or exes.”His voice was steady.“We’re just going to talk.Like two people who haven’t seen each other in ten years.”
I searched his face, trying to figure out why.“Okay.What does that look like?”
“Like a mini-date.”He cracked open his own sparkling water, the sharp hiss filling the silence.“What music are you into now?”
I blinked.Of all the things I’d braced for, that wasn’t one of them.“Music?”
“Yeah.”He shrugged like it didn’t matter, like it wasn’t a lifeline he was tossing between us.“I’m still mostly listening to country.I’ve gone to a few concerts.Tried branching out.”He tested the casserole, frowned, and added more time on the microwave.
