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“It’s going to be okay, I promise. I’m always here for you. You know that.”
“Thanks, Wes. You don’t know how much that means to me.”
After they said good-bye Wes exhaled slowly, feeling his lungs deflate like balloons. Everything inside felt hollow and dead.
Chapter34
Avery was running on three hours’ sleep and caffeine. Between patients, last night’s events crowded into her thoughts. The exhilarating birth of the baby, Avery’s emotional breakdown, the glorious kiss she’d shared with Wes... There was a lot to process. She just had to get through today, and then she and Wes could have a long conversation.
The only question was, what was she going to say? Everything inside her wanted to be with him. But she couldn’t entertain that notion. Could she? Would it even matter? Surely her disclosure had scared him away just as it had Sam. And what about his devotion to Lillian?
Her phone buzzed with an incoming text, and she whipped it out, smiling when she saw Wes’s name.Can you meet me on the porch at noon?
She frowned. Sounded as though he was also eager to havethat conversation, but her stomach twisted at his directness. He was probably in a hurry to leave now that he knew what kind of future she faced. Even she didn’t want to deal with her reality—why would he?
She raised the phone and thumbed inSure.Then she sent the message and slipped into the exam room to see her last patient before lunch. The middle-aged woman was suffering from a urinary tract infection. Avery advised her to drink plenty of water, avoid coffee and alcohol, and use a heating pad for discomfort. Then she gave her a prescription for an antibiotic and sent her on her way.
The clinic closed from noon to one for lunch, and by the time Avery emerged from the appointment, the rest of the staff had already retired to the breakroom. Their chatter and laughter carried down the hall.
Avery headed to the front door, steeling herself for the coming conversation. The stifling heat smacked her in the face as she exited the clinic.
“Hey.” Wes was leaning on the porch rail, wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and a somber expression that did nothing to dispel her dread.
“Hi.” Her attention dropped to the backpack slouching at his feet. The sight of it gutted her. He was leavingnow.
A wave of despair engulfed her. She should’ve known. Of course he’d run after what she’d revealed. Had she really expected him to stay? She crossed her arms, a flimsy barrier against the impending pain. “I thought—”you might stayhere with me.She pushed the pathetic words from her mind. “I thought you might stick around a day or two.”
A muscle flickered in his jaw and his gaze darted away.“There’s been a . . . development in Albany. I need to finish the trail and head that way.”
She swallowed hard and dredged up a professional smile. “Of course. How’s your back feeling today? Do you need any meds to take with you?”
“I have ibuprofen.” He gave a nod toward the clinic. “Will you tell your staff good-bye for me?”
“Of course.”
A beat of silence ushered in tension. It tightened between them with each passing second, vibrating like a wire pulled taut. “Avery, about last night...”
She gave a wry chuckle. “Which part?”
He took her hands in his, those callused fingers that had touched her so gently the night before. She could still feel the sweep of his thumb across her tearstained cheek.
His gaze sharpened on her. “Thank you for opening up to me last night. I know it was hard for you, and I just want you to know... I believe in you. You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever known and I—”
The pause that followed was so long she wondered if he’d continue.
“I’m so glad we met,” he said finally.
Her eyes stung with tears. “Thank you. I-I’m glad we met too.”
“I wish I could stay. I hate leaving so quickly after—”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
She took in those beautiful eyes, the expanse of his forehead, tanned from hours in the sun, the sharp turn of his jaw. She committed it all to memory because soon, that’s all he would be. Her chest constricted at the thought.
His gaze roved over her face, settling on her lips. A little smile played around his mouth. “Maybe we should talk about that other thing that happened last night.”
The kiss. Her heart crumpled up in her chest like yesterday’s newspaper. She squeezed his hands. “Why don’t we just let that one go?” She would never be able to let it go. That kiss, the best one she’d ever had, would also be her last. It was fitting somehow.
