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Jay frowned. “No. I think we’re over for good this time. We’ve talked a few times, but it’s just not going to work out.”
“That’s too bad,” Gareth said. “I really thought you two were in it for the long haul.”
“That was only going to be possible if I agreed to leave Serenity. Casey has her heart set on a bigger city where she’d have better opportunities for her law career.”
“You could have left if you’d wanted to,” Gareth said. “You know that Mom and Dad would never say you had to stay here.”
Jay nodded. “I know that.”
Gareth waited for him to go on, but instead, his brother just sighed, then got to his feet. With a wave of his hand, Jay walked out of the office, leaving Gareth to stare after him.
He wanted to press Jay for more information but doing that had never ended well in the past. Their communication was always better if Jay initiated their conversations.
Leaning back in his chair, Gareth clicked his pen as he considered his morning so far. Hopefully Jay’s day would look up. And hopefully, Nora would leave him alone.
Movement in the doorway pulled Gareth from his musings, and he looked over to see Janessa coming toward him with something in her hand. When she set it on the desk in front of him, he saw it was a container. “What’s this?”
“Just a little sweetness for your Valentine’s Day from you-know-who.”
Gareth couldn’t help the smile that came in response to her revelation. “Oh, nice.”
“Enjoy,” Janessa sang out as she left his office.
Oh, he most definitely would. Aria had taken to giving him baked goods that she’d made. His favorite so far were the double chocolate chip cookies. As he cracked the lid on the container, he saw she had once again made them, but these were in the shape of hearts.
Even though he hadn’t had breakfast that long ago, Gareth slipped a cookie out of the container and took a bite. Humming appreciatively, he put the container in the drawer of his desk, not wanting anyone else to steal its contents.
If Janessa was in the building, that meant that Aria was too, so it took all of Gareth’s willpower to not get up and seek her out. Instead, he focused on his appointments for that day, trying to put aside his excitement over his plans for later. He still had a full slate of appointments that he needed to get through before he could focus on Aria.
He was coming out of one of the exam rooms an hour and a half later when Nora approached him with a smirk. “Looks like Aria has an admirer.”
“Really?” he asked, assuming that the first of his gifts had arrived. “Why do you say that?”
“She received a delivery of flowers.”
Gareth turned his attention back to the paper he’d jotted down some notes he wanted to look into regarding the patient he’d just seen. As he walked toward his office, he murmured, “That’s nice.”
He wasn’t completely sure what she’d hoped to accomplish by telling him about the flowers. Did she expect him to react with jealousy? Truthfully, if the flowers had been from someone other than him, he probably would have been jealous.
Though he really, really wanted to head out to the reception area to see Aria with the flowers, he knew he couldn’t do that. It was enough to know that she’d received them.
He’d just settled behind his desk when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Gareth fished it out, smiling when he saw the text on the screen.
Aria:The flowers are beautiful! Thank you so much.
She included a selfie of herself with the bouquet, her smile beaming and beautiful.
Gareth glanced at the door, then took a minute to send her back a response.I’m glad you like them, though their beauty doesn’t come close to yours. Thank you also for the cookies. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Aria:You’re welcome. Happy Valentine’s Day to you too!
Aria:Your next patient is here. Chat later!
Gareth smiled as he sent her back a thumbs up. He hoped that she enjoyed the rest of the things she’d be receiving from him that day.
***
Aria stared at the young man who stood on the other side of the reception desk. He held a basket wrapped in clear cellophane with a large bow made of red ribbon.
