Practicing Partners (Maiden’s Bay #2)

Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THE RIDE BACK to Maiden’s Bay felt like an eternity. Aubrie stared out the window as Bran kept the radio on, persistent background noise to overshadow the silence. It wasn’t that she hated him, or was even furious with him. She was upset he hadn’t said anything about probation and his predicament with Seattle University Hospital. Once she did hear what happened, it was understandable he didn’t tell Doc Bernie.

Also wrong of him.

As for the incident with Dr. Hycliff, well, that was unfortunate. Not that she ever condoned violence, but it sounded like the man deserved whatever punches Bran landed.

Now, her behavior with Bran afterward… the intensity in his eyes, his fingers caressing her face. She very nearly kissed the man.

She had to expel that from her thoughts as she showered and readied herself for her date with Garrett. The one-time patient, as she tried to justify it. It was either the last thing she needed after the day’s events, or the exact thing she needed.

She leaned toward the former as she straightened her blouse beneath an unbuttoned sweater jacket outside of Iwaki House. They had agreed on something not too formal, a one-story hibachi grill up the hill but toward the middle part of town. The reasons why she had agreed to any of this flew out of her memory. Her nerves begged her to turn back, but her stomach had suffered enough, given she hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

For a second, Aubrie thought she had walked into the wrong place. Three white walls boxed in waiting patrons, a large landscape painting behind the front desk. A short woman with a tight ponytail greeted her.

“Hi. I’m meeting someone.” Aubrie peeked around the corner, the sizzle of the grills and chatter of diners easing her tension. Just as she was about to check the opposite side, she caught a handwave.

Garrett.

“I see him.” Aubrie smiled, and the woman followed her, carrying an awkwardly large menu.

Garrett sat in one of two chairs at the shorter end of a hibachi grill. The longer side sat four, and another two directly opposite Garrett. The chef nodded in greeting, and Garrett stood, offering Aubrie the empty seat.

“May I get you a drink other than water?” the woman asked.

Aubrie scanned Garrett’s choice, a glass of beer with enough sweat to show he’d been here a while.

“I’ll take a glass of white wine, please.” Aubrie smiled politely at Garrett, who took a sip from his glass.

“Sorry for ordering a drink before you got here,” he said after a gulp. “I was a little nervous.”

Aubrie’s body shifted, shoulders lowering and jaw relaxing, as if she let out a sigh no one could hear. “It’s okay.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “To be honest, I was—am—pretty nervous myself.”

“But you’re a doctor. I didn’t think doctors got nervous.”

She chuckled. “We may have nerves of steel when it counts, but dating? That’s something different, for sure.” Her glass of wine arrived, and she took a sip. “I tend to plan what I can for situations in order to reduce anxiety as much as possible.”

“Oh, yeah? You planned out tonight?”

She shrugged. “I thought this place would be good since we wouldn’t be sitting directly across from each other. It can be awkward.”

“Yet here we are, turned to one another. Should I look the other way?” He swung around in his seat, back facing Aubrie.

“No, no.” She touched his shoulder, and he playfully returned. “We’re good.”

His genuine smile melted what remained of Aubrie’s nerves. This was a nice guy, she just felt it in her gut. And cute.

“So, how are you liking Maiden’s Bay? What all have you seen so far?”

Aubrie took a breath to answer, a breath that was knocked out of her as the greeter filled the two nearest seats with guests. A beautiful blonde woman in a tight floral dress sat catty-corner to Garrett, and a dark-haired man next—

Aubrie choked on her wine.

Bran.

“Are you okay?” Garrett handed her a napkin, and she accepted through her coughing.

“No, yeah, I’m fine. Went the wrong way.” As this evening, no, entire day, was going. She traded the wine for the water glass, eyeing the couple over the rim.

“Hey, I recognize you.” Garrett pointed at Bran. “You were the other doctor, the one who wanted to give me a physical.”

“What’s that?” The blonde woman eyed Bran.

Aubrie scanned the seating at the other hibachis. Were there no other empty chairs?

Bran leaned closer to the woman. “We had two fleets of fishermen in for physicals this week.

“Name is Doctor Jackson, but here you can call me Bran.” He reached out a hand across his date to Garrett, who shook it. “You’re….” Bran snapped his fingers. “Greg.”

“Garrett.”

“That’s right.” He put a hand on the woman’s back. “This is Macy. Macy, this is my colleague Doctor Turnbridge, and her date, Garrett.”

“Please, call me Aubrie.” She exchanged smiles with the modelesque woman.

Macy. Of course. How could Aubrie forget? The woman at Campy’s the first night she met Bran. She threw aside the fact he had asked Macy on a date. What mattered more was, why were they here? Had he figured out where she was going to meet up with Garrett?

Or was this pure coincidence?

“Rough day with a patient?” Garrett asked.

“What?” Bran took a second to register his meaning, then rubbed his swollen lip. “Yeah, this, no. Would you believe it if I said rough day with a doctor?”

Garrett chuckled.

Bran joined in, then sneaked a glance at Aubrie. “No, this… not a big deal.”

His face may not have been, but him being here was. “Bran, can I speak to you for a sec?” Aubrie nodded away from the table. Toward anywhere but here.

“Sure.” He placed a hand on Macy’s shoulder. “Excuse me.”

Aubrie led Bran to the lobby, then swiveled on her heel, meeting him face-to-face. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Whoa, calm down.”

“How did you find out?”

“Are you serious right now? I had no idea you were coming here with Greg tonight.”

“It’s Garrett. And after what happened today, you’re going out with Macy?”

“Oh, so it’s okay if you go out, but not me?”

Aubrie rolled her eyes.

“Look,” Bran said, “there were two things I wanted. To eat and to drink. And Macy’s number was laying right there on a napkin on my nightstand.” He straightened. “Wait, is this because I asked Macy out?”

“What?” Aubrie’s voice turned a little too high. She closed her eyes, shaking her head. “Of course not. What you do on your own time is your thing.”

“Exactly. Thank you.”

“But you’re disrupting my thing. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been on a date?” She immediately regretted saying it. And hadn’t noticed the handful of customers waiting for a table around her until now.

Bran sighed. “What would you have me do, Aubrie? There are no other tables here at the moment. Would you like me to take her somewhere else?”

“Yes.” Aubrie’s mind flashed to Bran taking Macy to his place at the inn. It was a split second, a freakish thought that shouldn’t have bothered her. Shouldn’t have even appeared in her thoughts. “I mean, no. It’s fine.”

“It’s fine?” Bran said it with doubt.

“Yes, it’s fine.” It came out with a streak of irritation.

“Okay, fine then.” Bran gave one nod and waited for Aubrie to lead the way back to the table.

They returned, Aubrie more aggravated than she was before their talk. Garrett had Macy giggling up a storm as Aubrie took her seat.

“He’s a charmer,” Macy said to Aubrie.

Bran slipped a hand behind Macy’s waist as he sat back down. “What did we miss?”

Aubrie met Bran’s glance. Her eyes must’ve betrayed her because he mouthed the words, You said fine.

“It is fine.” The out-loud words silenced the group, their eyes on Aubrie. She cleared her throat. “I—I’ve heard just about everything on here is good.” She held up the menu to block out Bran’s gaze.

Garrett pulled her out of her anger bubble with a touch to her wrist. “I was thinking maybe we could get one of the samplers and split it. Try out a few different things.”

Aubrie took a deep breath, taking in the man sitting next to her. His scruffy locks and golden smile. She was on a date, for crying out loud! And Bran wasn’t going to mess it up.

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

She hadn’t meant to, but she glanced at Bran, whose expression had turned more serious. It wasn’t anger or annoyance. She couldn’t quite place it.

“Let’s have a toast.” Macy raised her cocktail glass. “To relationships, old and new.” She smiled at Bran, who returned it with his own.

Aubrie clinked glasses with Garrett and nodded to the reunited couple. Although she didn’t see how they were a couple, considering Bran had ditched Macy years ago and didn’t want to tell her the truth about why.

“You didn’t drink.” Garrett’s full attention was on Aubrie.

“What?”

“After a toast, and the clinking, you’re supposed to take a sip.”

Aubrie stared at the glass raised in her hand. “Oh, right.” She took a sip.

Garrett leaned closer, the scent of cedarwood helping Aubrie escape her reality for a second. “Be honest with me.”

Aubrie’s heart skipped. Had he sensed something was up with her and Bran? No, that was silly because nothing was up with her and Bran. They were colleagues. Who happened to be on a double date this evening.

“You were afraid you were going to choke again, weren’t you?” He glanced at the wine glass, then back at Aubrie. It took her a second to process the words, and when she did, she chuckled.

“You got me there.”

The hibachi chef spun a spatula in the air and caught it, to the applause of the others at the table. “Everyone ready to order?”

He went down the line, starting with Aubrie and Garrett, then Macy and Bran. A group of four ladies rounded out the table, Aubrie catching some of their chatting about their kids off to college.

“How about we check out the fish tanks while we’re waiting?” Bran asked Macy.

Her reaction of confusion seemed about right. “But it’s hibachi. They basically perform while they prepare our food.”

Bran smiled, then leaned to her ear and whispered something. She frowned slightly, but let him take her hand. Aubrie caught his glance. Thank you, she mouthed.

Bran gave a nod and guided Macy to the fish tanks on the opposite side of the room.

It brought about a minute of relief for Aubrie. “I’m so sorry about that.” She placed her hand on his knee. It felt natural, and he didn’t seem to mind. “I didn’t know he was going to be here.”

“It’s okay.” Garrett shrugged. “I see my crewmates all the time when we’re back in town. Granted, not as much as I see them when we’re out at sea.”

“Do you get sick of any of them? I can’t imagine being in such tight quarters for… how long are you guys out there?”

“Sometimes weeks.”

“That’s….” She giggled, and he matched with a laugh.

The hibachi chef flung a sizzling shrimp onto the top of his hat, and the women at the other half of the table cheered.

“It’s a lot, for sure,” Garrett said. “Of course, we get on each other’s nerves by the end of it. But we’d also risk our lives to help each other. As long as we have that, we’re good.”

“Now you’re starting to make it sound enjoyable.”

He chuckled and placed his hand on top of hers on his knee. It sent her heart fluttering. If only they could be by themselves and have a chat.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Being okay with this.” She pointed with her free hand to the empty seats, which were going to be filled again at any minute. “Here I was worried we’d be alone, staring at each other with nothing to say.”

“Really, it’s okay. I mean, unless you two have something going on.”

Aubrie’s hand froze beneath Garrett’s. She tried to pass off the wave of panic that arrived with his words. “What? No.”

Garrett nodded. “I just didn’t know for sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“The other day, at Doc Bernie’s. He was pretty adamant not to let me see you.”

“Well, in his defense, you were pretty adamant to see me.”

Garrett laughed and raised his hands in defeat, her hand missing the touch. “I admit. I’m guilty.”

“He was just looking out for me, that’s all. You know, like your crew does for each other.”

“Okay. Maybe it was more me being insecure. I didn’t think you’d go out with me, and now you’re sitting right here.” His smile could’ve melted the coldest of hearts.

“That’s right. I’m here. With you.” She tipped her glass to his, and they clinked again. She wanted to take this all in. To be happy in this moment. The first date she’d been on in ages, and he was sweet, funny, and outrageously adorable.

But then Bran returned, pulling her out of what this date could have been. Dropping the bottom out of her stomach and messing with her thoughts.

“What did we miss?” Macy furled her eyebrows in disappointment. “I heard cheering.” She gave a dramatic frown.

“Oh, nothing. A few shrimp theatrics.” Aubrie’s hand lay on the table, and Garrett took it in his once again.

Aubrie smiled at him, squeezing his hand briefly in response. Macy grinned, as if admiring the pair of them.

While the look on Bran’s face had returned. The one Aubrie couldn’t identify earlier. But this time, she was pretty sure she deciphered it. Not anger. Not irritation.

Jealousy.