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She went through the kitchen and grabbed plates and silverware for them, then set the table. When he joined her in the dining room, she was ready. He passed her the food she’d ordered and put chips and salsa in the middle of the table.
While they ate, they chatted about different things they’d done over the past ten years while they’d been apart. “I had a job in college waiting tables,” she said. “It was ridiculous. I think I still hold the record for most broken plates.”
He laughed. “I’ve only ever done the one job, but I have worked to grow Dad’s business to something he and Mom could be proud of.”
“How did he die?” she asked.
“Another stroke. He never would keep his blood pressure under control.”
“I’m sure you miss him. Is it strange doing the job he did for so long?”
“In some ways. In others, I feel like I’m doing what I was born to do. I wasn’t meant to sit behind a desk. Is it weird that you’re married to a blue-collar worker?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nope. Just weird to be married.”
Chapter Four
They spent a lazy Sunday at home, and he made supper for them. She watched him cook, surprised at how very comfortable he was in the kitchen. She’d expected him to eat out most meals, and while they’d ordered in the night before, he said it wasn’t his habit at all.
He made shrimp fettuccini alfredo, and it was absolutely delicious. “This alfredo sauce is to die for!” she said as she took her first bite. “Did your mom help you learn?”
He shook his head. “I love the food network. I watch their shows all the time, and they have this cooking course you can take. I enrolled a couple of winters ago, and I still watch to learn new things to cook a lot. If I’m waiting for a doctor or a client, I’ll sit and learn to make something new.”
“This came from that?”
He nodded. “You could learn to cook that way as well, I think.”
“I could if I was inspired to do so. I’m not sure I’m up for any more learning for a little bit. So many years have gone into schooling that I’m ready to give my brain a break.”
“That’s fair,” he said. Nate reached for the parmesan cheese. “I just have to add a little more…”
“When was the last time someone checked your cholesterol?” she asked, as she eyed the shaker. There was a lot of parmesan cheese in the alfredo sauce, and he was adding more?
He shrugged. “I don’t think anyone has. Why?”
“When you come to the office this week, I’m doing a full-blood panel on you. Your dad always looked really fit, and he had strokes young. If there’s something wrong, I’ll find a doctor for you.”
“You won’t treat me?” he asked, surprised.
“It’s unethical. I won’t treat any relatives. I feel bad enough treating Mom’s best friend.”
“Is Aunt Lydia going to be okay?” he asked.
Shelby shrugged. “If she listens and does as she’s told, she will be.”
“Does it make you crazy when people don’t do what they’re supposed to do?” he asked.
“More so than I can express. I had a patient at the hospital in Minnesota who had congestive heart failure. I told him over and over that he needed to be careful and not eat so much red meat. And he needed to cut down on his sodium. Every time he came into the ER where I was working, his wife was with him, and he’d tell me he was sticking to his diet and doing everything he should be, and she was sitting behind him shaking her head.”
“Did he go to the ER a lot?”
“At least once a month for the years I was in the ER.”
“Was he the norm or an aberration?” Nate asked.
“Most people have a hard time eating only what they should. I was just thankful his wife was honest with me, or I’d have thought something was happening inside him to make him worse. I think he gained a hundred pounds in the years I saw him.”
“That’s really ridiculous,” he said.
