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Brooke
Damn. After my impulsive confession, I needed a moment. Or maybe a therapy session. But would it take a therapist to state the obvious? With my parents shipping me and my brother off to boarding schools, moving whenever it suited them, and loving their careers more than they’d ever loved their children, it wasn’t difficult to understand why I’d craved security in a relationship. Even a sub-par one.
Never again. No, I wasn’t swearing off relationships entirely like Mr. “my ex-wife did a real number on me.” But I’d never again settle for less-than-incredible in order to have someone. I wanted a partner, not a security blanket. And when I reentered the dating world, I sure as hell wouldn’t seek out a man who broke into a cold sweat if he heard the word “relationship.”
I followed Lucas’ SUV to Meredith’s house, which was located less than a mile from my brother’s. Although I preferred being closer to the beach, Studio City had its own charm with its urban-suburban mix, palm-tree-lined streets and abundance of restaurants.
The chalk art on the cemented driveway of the modern-looking house made me smile as we both got out of our cars and walked up to the front door.
A tall, sandy-haired man with a toddler on his hip opened the door. “Hi, Lucas.”
“Hi, Andy. Hi, Charlotte. How are you?”
The adorable little girl with curly hair waved shyly. “Hi.”
Lucas gave me a nervous glance, understandably worried given my crazy upchuck earlier.
I cracked a smile, hoping to prove I was in fact a stable person.
“Andy, this is Dr. Brooke Morrison.”
“Hi, how are you?” I held out my hand.
He shook it. “Very well, thank you. Meredith is excited you’re here. Come on in.”
Andy led us through a foyer and into a spacious living room with beautiful, light wood floors, and warm, inviting tones. Family pictures decorated the walls. A woman with a dark ponytail and glasses on her heart-shaped face sat propped up on the sofa with her slippered feet on the coffee table.
She was all smiles. “You must be Brooke. Nice to meet you. I’d get up—”
“No, no. Please don’t stand. How are you feeling?”
“Feeling okay. Just trying to ensure this baby bakes a little longer. Nice to see you, Lucas.”
He leaned in and gave her a hug. “You too, Merri. Is there anything I can do for you?”
His concern for his friend and colleague was touching.
She patted her pregnant belly. “It’s sweet of you to ask, but we’re good. This bed rest is for the birds though.” She turned to me. “With my last pregnancy, I worked up until forty weeks. But this little man wants to come out early, so I have to take it easy, at least for a few more weeks. Dr. Laura Lewis is my OB, but if she’s out for any reason, I hope you don’t mind a call, Brooke. There’s no way I’m letting Neil near my vagina if I can help it.”
“Ah, if you mean Dr. Simmons, I completely understand.”
She frowned. “I’m sorry you had to meet him without a prior warning. He’s a prick, but I hear he’s a good doctor.”
“That happens a lot.” Dr. Simmons would probably get along famously with my mother.
She chuckled. “Yeah, I’m sure you’ve met plenty of doctors given you grew up with one. I met your mother one time when I was doing an internship down in Newport Beach. She was intense, but impressive. I’m assuming you got into the same field because of her?”
I forced myself to relax about the fact she knew my mother. Instead, I thought about her question. My brother and I had each followed in our respective parent’s footsteps—Caleb going into the law like my father and me going into medicine like my mother—hoping in doing so we’d finally earn their love. Of course it hadn’t worked. But I kept my answer simple. “Yes, that was a big part of my choice.”
“Want anything to drink? Eat?”
“No, thank you.” I was still full from a heavy lunch and anxious to go over the patient records with her.
“Okay, let’s get started.” She pulled out her iPad and started thumbing through her patient list while I followed along with my own. Although Lucas didn’t need to stay, he went out to the backyard to play with Charlotte and have a beer with Andy.
“Did you enjoy the house calls today?” Meredith inquired.
“I did. Definitely more personal than in-office visits.”
