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“Sure. Or just food in general.”
“I like French fries, but I didn’t eat them too often. As far as other food, my mom made the most amazing homemade mac and cheese. I think I could have lived on that and just swapped out the accompaniments. You know, bacon with it for breakfast. Hamburger for lunch. Chicken for supper.”
Gareth laughed. “It must really be amazing if you’d eat it that frequently. Did she teach you how to make it?”
“Yeah, but I haven’t made it since she passed away.”
“Well, if you do make it, please invite me to try it.”
“I will. The main reason I haven’t made it yet is because it’s not much fun making it for one, you know?”
“Yeah. I get that.”
“Do you know how to cook?”
“Yep,” he said. “Mom tried to teach all of us at least the basics. So I can cook for myself, though I do try to catch a meal with one of the siblings as often as possible. I get the best food at Charli and Janessa’s, though if I go to where Kayleigh works, it’s pretty good food too.”
“I enjoy cooking at Charli and Janessa’s,” Aria said. “That kitchen is amazing. I’ve only been helping them with meals so far since I don’t think I’m as good a cook as either of them.”
“We aren’t fancy eaters,” Gareth assured her. “As long as the food tastes good, we’ll eat it.”
When they reached the restaurant, he found a parking spot close to the building, then they got out and headed for the door. Gareth hadn’t been to the restaurant in a while, but he was quite sure the food was still good.
A smiling woman greeted them upon entering the restaurant, and it took only a moment to be seated. It was a small restaurant, focused more on takeout than dine-in, so the atmosphere was cozy and intimate, the air richly scented with spices, promising a tasty meal.
The server who came to take their order greeted them with a warm smile. Considering his earlier conversation with Aria, it was no surprise that she ordered butter chicken. He ordered curry since he did like spicier food, and it was rare that anyone in the family made it. They also requested rice and naan bread.
Once they were left alone, Gareth floundered for a topic of conversation. It wasn’t that he had nothing to say; it was that he hadso muchhe wanted to learn about Aria that he didn’t know where to start.
“Do you miss living in a big city?” Gareth asked. “I know that moving to a smaller city can be a bit of an adjustment.”
Her expression seemed to freeze for a moment before she shook her head. “I didn’t mind living in the city while I was there, but I’m happy with the change of scenery. It isn’t like I’ve moved to the middle of nowhere. As long as I’m within driving distance of a store or two, I’m happy.”
“How about working in a hospital?”
Again, she seemed to pause for a moment before answering. “I actually like the slower pace of the clinic and knowing that I’ll become familiar with people over time.”
“The clinic is definitely slower paced. It was a bit of an adjustment for me when I came back here after doing my residency.”
“Was it always your plan to return?”
“Yep. I always knew that I’d come back and work alongside my folks. But not long after I came home, they decided to semi-retire from the clinic and do medical missions work.”
“Did that happen right away?”
Gareth shook his head. “It was about a year after I got back, though they told me about their intentions sooner. They wanted to make sure I was confident in running the clinic alongside Jay. He’d been doing the admin work for a couple of years by that point. Most importantly, though, was my mom’s desire that we have a female doctor to work with me before they completely left the clinic.”
“That’s where Nora comes in, huh?”
“Yep. It took us almost the full year to find someone who was willing to move to Serenity.”
“Why was Nora willing to move when others weren’t?”
“That’s a good question,” Gareth said with a shrug. “Perhaps she had issues in previous workplaces. We’ve had no problems—for the most part—with her patient interactions. The issues have definitely been centered around her perceptions concerning my relationships with other women.”
“Jealousy?”
“I guess. The problem is that it’s usually just her imagination. She seems to think any woman I have a conversation with, I’m interested in dating.” Gareth frowned as he recalled some of the conversations he’d had with Nora that had no basis in reality. “I’ve only dated one woman since Nora came to work with us.”
