He shook his head. “I married my high school girlfriend.” His hands rested on her h*ps and pulled her closer. “That was a miracle in itself, that I had a girlfriend in high school. Especially one like Serena, she was beautiful. But I was a nerd, not a jock. I got very good grades,” he said, resting his lips on her forehead. “I bet Ted got good grades and is athletic, too.”

She nodded. “Golf, tennis, polo...”

“Polo? Jesus, he is so easy to hate.”

“You met a girl, you loved her, you married her, you were committed,” she said.

“Try not to hold that against me,” he replied.

“I think it might be best if we just reel this back in, refuse to take it any further and keep our relationship strictly professional.”

“That’s very wise,” he said, holding her. “I’m afraid that’s no longer an option for me. If it’s what you want, I completely understand. But I hope you’ll at least think about it a while longer.”

“I’m afraid if I let myself get any more involved, you’ll eventually hate me.”

He shook his head. “That’s not possible. Listen,” he said, lifting her chin with a finger. “I was interested in you the second I met you. I just got more interested every day. Then I crossed over into seriously wanting you. If it turns out you’re not mine to have, I’ll be really disappointed. But if you think I’m going to walk away without trying, you’re crazy. I’m not that big a fool.”

“I should at least take another day or two to figure out if I can deal with this,” she said. “Even though you brought cannoli.”

“Much to my disappointment, you’re going to get a couple of days....”

“Ah, you do see the wisdom to that!”

“No, Peyton. My phone is in my pocket, set to vibrate. I’m on call tonight till midnight. It would be so embarrassing if someone bled to death because I was getting laid.” He made a face and shrugged. “It might be worth it, but it would be embarrassing.”

A huff of laughter escaped her. “What makes you think you’re getting laid?”

“I’m a dedicated optimist.” He heard a sound and looked over her shoulder to see the old turntable release another record. “Wow. I haven’t seen one of those in twenty years.”

“I collect old vinyls. Very old.”

“Aw, see, you’re just way too classy for me....” He swayed with her in his arms, wishing that he’d learned to really dance. As he was feeling her against him, he was listening to the lyrics while Ronnie Milsap sang that any day now his wild and beautiful bird will have flown away. The words were just plain too telling, enough to depress him. He felt her arms tighten around him, and he kissed her. Damn, he liked kissing her. They had such a nice fit, such a good rhythm and movement. He couldn’t remember ever tasting anything so right for his mouth. He kissed her through an entire song—probably three minutes.

As the next record was being released, she said, “What am I going to do about that job offer?”

“Honey, that’s the easy part. Answer it. Tell this world-class surgeon that you’re flattered, intrigued and you’re thinking about it. That’s the truth. Just out of curiosity, would you tell me what she offered you?”

“One-twenty,” she said.

“One hundred and twenty thousand? Dollars?”

She nodded.

He whistled. He ran a hand over his head and down his neck. “I guess I’m going to have to win you with charm.”

She smiled at him. “You are very charming. And cute.”

“Cute. You really know how to gut a guy.”

She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms. “Just in case you were worried, you completely outgrew that nerd thing.”

“I did?”

“Oh, mama,” she said, kissing him once more. She finally broke away with a little laugh. “You’re cute in a very manly way.”

He shook his head. “That wasn’t exactly a save. I’m going to go. Otherwise I’ll undress you and show you a few things. And my phone will ring. That’s how my day has been going.”

“I’m sorry, Scott. About the news, about the dilemma.”

He ignored that. “Dinner tomorrow night?”

She nodded.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” He gave her another kiss and left. He hoped they were the best cannoli she’d ever had.

* * *

There was a nice restaurant in Coos Bay that was extremely small and very quiet, just the perfect place for good food and talking. It was an American menu, everything from steak, chicken and fish to pasta. The drive was rather long just for dinner, but for a couple who liked to talk about things, it worked. Once they were settled at a corner table and each had a glass of wine, Scott started the conversation. “Tell me about the job offer. How did you handle it?”

Peyton thought she was going to get that question before she even got in the car. In fact, she had wondered if he would ask her while they were both at the clinic, but he had restrained himself. She gave him a smile. “I did exactly as you suggested, which was what I was going to do, anyway. I emailed her and said it was a very tempting offer, and I’d like a little time to think it over. I heard from her immediately. It happens she has a family vacation scheduled as well as a conference in Europe, and to accommodate those trips, she’s pulling a very crazy schedule. She said if I wanted the job it was definitely mine, but asked one thing of me—if I’m considering turning it down, would I please visit her practice, meet the staff and let her show me around the hospitals where she has privileges before making a final decision. One of her hospitals, she boasts, has a pediatric coronary care unit. She’ll be back and available in Seattle in September. I told her I’d see her then.”

“So you didn’t accept the offer?” Scott asked.

“No. I think visiting her office is a good idea before making a final decision.”

“So, you’re staying in Thunder Point your full three months?” he asked.

“Unless you’d rather I just leave now.”

“Not a chance. I have a proposition....”

“Indecent?” she asked with one raised brow.

“Incredibly decent,” he said. “We’ve got a month and change. Let’s have some fun.”

“Sex?” she asked.

“God, I hope so. But I was going to suggest a few other things. Let’s go into the mountains to see the sights, let’s check out the redwoods south of here and look at the beaches up and down the coast. Let’s learn to paddleboard. We should date and play and hang out. And there’s one thing I’d really love to cash in— You said if we were friends, you’d take me to the farm. We’re friends, right? Can the kids come? They’ve never seen a working farm, and they love animals. I’ve discovered I love Basque food as much as I love Basque women.”

“We also have a clinic to run,” she reminded him.

He smiled. “Yes, we do. And you have the baby coming.”

She nodded. “Adele. The middle of September.”

“There’s a lot to do in the next several weeks.”