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And sex with his neighbor was a really bad idea. Not just because she lived so close – though that was bad enough. But because he liked her. Too much to mess her life up the way he knew he would if he touched her.
“Maybe another bowl of ice cream?” he asked, pulling himself out of his damn brain.
She smiled. “Why don’t you take the tub? That way you can have enough ice cream for the week.”
“Don’t you need it?”
“I’m just playing around. I’ll make more before I get the recipe exactly right. Seriously, take it. But remember to take it out of the freezer about ten minutes before you want to eat it. That way it’ll be the right consistency.”
“Ten minutes. Got it.” He knew he didn’t have that much willpower.
“You’re not going to wait that long, are you?” Her eyes danced with amusement.
“Nope.”
She laughed. “Well, it’s your teeth that’ll suffer. I hope you have a good dentist.”
“It’ll be worth it to taste this stuff.” He took the tub and winked at her, in spite of himself. Her grin was so damn pretty, it made him want to kiss her.
Which was precisely why he stepped back, still clutching the tub, and told her he should get home.
Before he did something stupid, like kiss her.
“Thanks again for all you did today. You’re Isla’s favorite person right now,” Meghan said, as he walked toward the door. “I think you have a new fan girl.”
“It’s a pleasure.” He could deal with Isla. It was her mother he was finding difficult. “Good night, Meghan.”
“Good night.” She opened the door for him, and he stepped outside.
“Make sure you lock up tight.”
She gave him an amused glance. “You’re not my father.”
No, he definitely wasn’t her father. But he was her neighbor. It would do him good to remember that.
The next few days passed in the blink of an eye. He’d worked three night shifts in a row, which meant he’d have a nice four day break to rest and recuperate before starting on days the following week.
Emergency medicine wasn’t like any other specialty in the hospital. Unlike his consultant friends, he didn’t build up relationships with patients, or get to see them from the first consultation to their recovery from whatever they were suffering from. Most of his patients were brought into the ER in severe pain, or unconscious, and it was his job to get them stable and admit them to wherever they needed to go. He didn’t get to find out if they recovered or not, or if their lives were enhanced by his interventions.
He restarted hearts, diagnosed organ failures, reset bones, and stitched up wounds, and then did it all over again on a new bunch of patients.
He hadn’t seen Meghan since that night after Isla’s accident, though he’d slipped a piece of paper with his number under her door when he’d gotten back from his first night shift, in case Isla needed any help. But she hadn’t messaged him, and he didn’t have her number to check in. And that was a good thing. They were neighbors, not best friends.
On Thursday morning, at the end of his final shift, he was walking back to his car in the parking lot when he heard his name called out. His chest tightened as he saw Carlyn Monroe walking toward him, and he clicked his car open, ready to make his escape.
“My shift is over,” he told her, his voice holding a warning. He didn’t have the energy or patience to deal with her right now. “If you’re in pain, go into the ER, somebody will help you.”
“I’m not hurt.” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, staring up at him. “I was just wondering if you’d heard?”
“Heard what?” He was so over this now. James had told him he should take out a restraining order on her. Maybe he was right.
Except Rich was partially to blame, wasn’t he? He’d taken her on two dates, after all.
“That my gallery will be hosting your sister’s show. I’m so excited to work with her. She’s got amazing talent.” Carlyn’s lips curled up. “I guess that means we’ll be seeing much more of each other, too, right?”
“Your gallery?” Rich blinked. He was completely unaware she owned a gallery in Angel Sands. He could barely remember what they’d talked about on their dates. They were months ago.
Goddamn it, would she ever get out of his life? This new information felt like a punch in the face.
