Page 359 of The Doctors Will See You Now

Bill cleared his throat and pulled his own vows out of his breast pocket. Apparently, we’d moved along while I was busy checking out my woman.

“Nicole.”

He took a deep breath and cleared his throat again, reaching up to swipe underneath his eye.

He was crying. Another perfect match. Tanner and Linda, Harlow and me, and now, Nicole and Bill.

“This far into the total expectancy of my life, I’d thought I was done. Done with the major milestones and the greatest joys. Done learning new things and meeting new and unexpected people. Done making major changes to my very routine life.

“I was happy. I had friendship and the love of a great daughter, and I didn’t feel unfulfilled.”

Choked up again, he had to pause and lick his lips while he composed himself.

I was feeling a little emotional myself. And, when I glanced up and across the space to the love of my life, it was pretty clear I wasn’t alone.

Fresh tears marred her wedding makeup and her bottom lip quivered, but Harlow looked content. I didn’t see even an ounce of the unsettled energy that used to consume her—the energy of a woman who’d decided to settle on a life she didn’t want in an attempt to avoid heartache.

My transformation wasn’t any less significant. The Scott of old at this wedding would have had one distinct thought. Danger, ladies! Take a look at the kind of man Scott Shepard will never be!

As it turns out, I could be wrong occasionally. I never would have thought.

“I had no idea,” Bill Paige continued. “No idea what life could be if I just opened myself up to it. With you, I know I’ll be forever grateful that I did. Thanks for waking me up, baby. I promise, when it comes to us, I’ll never sleep again.”

Harlow’s eyes glowed majestic as they held mine. I was spellbound, now and forever.

Right on, Bill.

Who needed dreaming when this was what it felt like to be awake?

“Another beer, Frances?” Amanda half slurred and flashed a lazy grin in my direction. Her blond hair glided across her shoulders as loud laughter left her lips.

I grinned. Life was good. I was on spring break from my fourth year in med school, currently living it up in the city that would always hold a special place in my heart with the only man ever to have my heart. Life couldn’t get any better. Not to mention, Amanda was drunk and visiting home with her Spanish lover. Well, now husband.

Yes. She’d not only fallen in love with her client, but she’d up and married the man and changed her nationality in the process. Officially a citizen of Spain for the past two years, my best friend had never looked happier.

I missed her like crazy, but God, I was happy for her. Happy for both of us, actually. And although our lives had taken completely different paths, we were still as close as ever. FaceTime and Skype and twice yearly visits to see one another helped with that.

As the four of us sat inside of Radio Star, a popular karaoke bar in Midtown, drinking beer and watching the crowd showcase their drunkest vocals, I knew with certainty that life couldn’t get any better than this.

“Are you gonna be a little pussy, Lances?” Amanda all out slurred this time, and I flipped her the bird from across the table.

“Shut up, drunky.”

“I’m dot srunk! You’re drunk!” she shouted back, and I couldn’t fight the smile that consumed my face.

“Exactly.”

Mateo wrapped his arm around his wife and chuckled. “I think you’ve hit your quota, mi amor.”

She raised her glass directly in front of his face and frowned. “But I’m all out.”

Instead of responding, he merely set her glass back down on the table and kissed his wife until she basically forgot her fucking name. It was more than apparent that the man knew when to pick his battles. I liked him on principle alone.

Scott wrapped his arm around my shoulder and tucked me close to his side. “What’s the over under?” he asked on a whisper, and I tilted my head to the side in confusion. “How many minutes will they last until they have to leave to go do the sex?”

“Hmmm…” I tapped my chin with my index finger and glanced back at Amanda and Mateo. Considering they were still engaged in a battle of the lips and tongues, something had to give soon. “I give them another ten minutes tops.”

Scott grinned. “I’m going with five minutes.”