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It’s my first week in urgent care, my second shift. And we’re in the thick of it. The clinic is packed with skiing injuries, lacerations, flu, and Covid cases. Sullivan’s Way had its first big snowstorm of the season, so the slopes are brimming with people. Because of that, we’ve been overflowing with people too. The orthopedic stuff and suturing are second nature to me by now. But there’s a learning curve for a lot of the other conditions. It’s exciting to be exposed to new things. Especially when I have such a patient, supportive staff surrounding me. It makes the job seem fresh again.
“Willow, did you order lunch?” Daphne, one of the front desk staff, asks me. She’s holding a brown paper bag in her hand.
“No,” I say with a furrowed brow.
She hands over the sack. “Well, this has your name on it. Someone ordered it for you. And a hot guy dropped it off.”
“Thanks,” I say, taking it from her while wondering who the hot guy was. I glance inside, and my stomach growls when I smell the hot burger and fries. “I didn’t realize I was hungry until just this moment,” I admit.
Daphne smiles as she sets down a drink and walks back to the front.
“Ooh …” Adie smirks. She’s a nurse practitioner that I’m working with today. “Looks like someone has a secret admirer.”
“I don’t know about that,” I say.
I pull out my phone and open the text feed I have with Benji and Wyatt, assuming it was one of them who dropped off lunch for me.
Me: Thanks for the Billy’s, guys!
A second later, a reply comes through.
Wyatt: Wasn’t me, but I’m glad to take credit for it! How’s your day going?
Benji: I didn’t do it either. But I bet I know who did.
Hmm.
Me: Day’s crazy, but good! If it wasn’t one of you, then who?
Benji: I’ll give you a hint … his name starts with a Z and ends with an E.
I put the phone away while a tingling sensation flutters in my gut. I still feel it every time I think about Zane or hear his name spoken. Just like when I first saw him across the room at Cowboys.
I’ve kept my distance from Zane since I walked away from him at Spring Lake. And he’s given me space. I didn’t like the way it made me feel when he judged me. And I was scared that if I spent too much time with him, especially one-on-one, that I might give in to his gorgeous, sexy smile and lingering gaze. But I have seen him a couple of times when I was running around with Benji and Wyatt. This town is too small for us not to bump into each other occasionally. And he’s been texting me some. It feels like we’re building a friendship … or something like it.
The rest of the day flies by. I scarf down my lunch, but I’m hungry again by the time I get done a little after eight that evening. The thing I’m enjoying the most about the urgent care position is when I’m off, I’m off. When my shift ends and I clock out, I’m officially done for the day. I don’t have people paging and calling me all night. I’m not forced to manage patient care inthe hospital. I work when I’m at the clinic, and I’m finished when I leave at the end of the day.
I seem to have a better work-life balance here. I’m developing a group of friends, thanks to Benji and Wyatt. All the guys around here play hard—Zane too. And for the first time, with their influence, my eyes are focused on the present instead of constantly looking to the future.
I pull my coat around my body and huddle inside its warmth when the wind rips through me as I walk across the parking lot. Clouds of white swirl in the air. There are piles of snow that are bladed into huge hills at the edges of the parking lot. I watch for black ice as I move. There’s a pub close by, and I’m meeting the guys for a drink after work.
“Hey.” I’m immediately hit with the warmth of the room when I walk through the door and see the guys sitting around the bar.
My stomach flips when I see Zane with them. I blow into my cold hands to warm them. I still haven’t gotten used to the frigid temperatures here yet.
The place is cozy with a large, roaring fireplace across the room. The guys are wearing their ski gear after a day of teaching on the slopes. I walk closer, accepting hugs from each of them. Zane is still cautious with me, pulling away faster than I’d like. I remove my coat, draping it across the barstool next to me, and take a seat next to Zane at the bar. I order an IPA.
“Someone bought me lunch from Billy’s today. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
Zane’s expression doesn’t change as he snacks on a plate of nachos. “I don’t know who would do that. You must have a secret admirer. Did you enjoy it?”
“It was perfect,” I admit. “We were so busy; I didn’t have time to think about food.”
“Good,” he says.
“Thank you.” I lean my shoulder into his.
He smirks when the bartender sets the IPA in front of me. “Looks like that beer made a lasting impression on you.”
