Page 17 of Wrapped in Love

“You didn’t get the time off?”

“I did, but not the weekend we talked about. It’s two weeks later,” I confessed, hating the fact that I was disappointing her again.

“So, March.”

“Yes.” Not Valentine’s, like I’d promised. “I’m sorry.”

“I understand,” she whispered. “Shane, I⁠—”

My pager buzzing and my name over the loudspeaker interrupted us.

“Damn,” I groaned. “Finish what you were going to say.”

“No, it’s fine. We’ll talk later.”

“Callie, I’m sorry about Jake.”

“I know.”

“And the weekend.”

“Okay.” She sighed. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“I love you,” I told her. I had expressed the words to her when she was here. I had no doubt in my mind. Her sweet response left me no doubt as to her own feelings, and it was the one thing that kept up my spirits.

But today, she didn’t echo my sentiments.

“I know, Shane,” she whispered.

Then she hung up.

I hated the sound of the dead line.

FOUR DAYS LATER

“Shane,” a voice called.

I turned, meeting the eyes of my boss, Thomas Grant. “Hey, what’s up?” I asked. I was anxious to get home. I had put in another long day, caught up on all my charting, and wanted to try to call Callie. It felt like days since we had spoken. She was still sad about Jake, and our situation wasn’t helping. We were both hurting. I was worried about her and, if I was honest, about us. I let Elly know what had happened, and she was great, but Callie needed me.

And frankly, I needed her.

“Can we talk for a moment?” Thomas inquired.

I hid my impatience and followed him to his office. I slid my messenger bag from my shoulder and sat down.

“How are you?” he asked.

I frowned. “Good, Thomas.”

“I was talking to your dad last night.”

I nodded. Thomas and my dad had gone through med school together and were still close. I had been thrilled to discover I would be working with him here, and we got along well.

“He told me something interesting.”

“What’s that?”

“He said you’d fallen in love with a pretty shopkeeper over the holidays and are pining over her. He said how much you hate it here.”