Practicing Partners (Maiden’s Bay #2)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“SPEECH!” STAN, THE triage nurse, shouted.

Bran took in the crowd in the break room—a moment when fourteen of the finest doctors, nurses, and staff took the time to see him off. He took one last bite of his slice of red velvet cake, a cake in the shape of a cartoonish patient in a hospital gown. The red interior added to the macabre humor.

He took a sip of water and set down his cake plate. “I’m very touched you guys put this together. Really, it’s great to see the team I’ve been working with these past years. You are truly amazing, and as much as you know I’m not one for sappiness, I will miss you all.”

There were a few awws and giggles from the party-goers.

“But, remember, I’m not completely gone. I will see some of you”—he pointed to two of the cardiology physicians—“in Maiden’s Bay when you visit. I really think it’s a great opportunity for that community, and thank you all for being so receptive to the idea. You will be changing lives. I know it can be tough sometimes to remember why we get into this profession to begin with, but that was it for me. To make a difference. And that’s what we’ll continue to do. Thank you.”

They clapped, and he walked through the room, partaking in the handshakes and shoulder pats.

As the celebration died down, an administrator walked into the break room. “They told me I’d find you here.”

Bran shook his hand. “Help yourself to some cake.”

“Don’t mind if I do. First, though, I came to give you these.” The man opened the folder, stacked papers with yellow and orange sticky tabs. “Doctor Jackson—Senior—will need to sign the yellow, you the orange. You can run it by your legal team, of course, but it has what we’ve agreed upon.”

Bran accepted the document. “Great. I’ve said it before, but let everyone know how thankful I am, how thankful we all are, in Maiden’s Bay, for this opportunity.”

“I will.” The man clapped his hands, reminiscent of Doc Bernie’s habit. “Now, where’s that cake?”

Bran pointed it out to him, then walked out of the break room and down the hallway to the nurse’s station. He stopped short of the desk, the sight in front of him a shock.

“Aubrie. What…?”

“Bran.” She seemed out of breath, her bangs slightly disheveled and ponytail loose. In other words, gorgeous. She could’ve shown up in a frock, and his knees would go weak.

“Everything okay? Doc Bernie?”

She stopped him with a hand in the air. “He’s fine. No, I, uh… came here to see you.”

Could she have changed her mind about staying? Or did she have a choice few last words before heading east? “Okay. How about we…?”

She nodded and followed him to the makeshift supply room, the same one in which she patched Bran up after the scuffle with Sebastian Hycliff. Bran licked his lip, as if being in the room brought back the achiness.

He shut the door most of the way, the gray-blue tinge of the room gloomy like the Seattle sky. He stood across from her, the silence eating away at his guilt. Although she had come to see him, he had unspoken words to get out. A promise he had made to Doc Bernie.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“It’s not something I planned when I woke up this morning, that’s for sure.”

They exchanged nervous chuckles.

Bran swallowed the fear and went for it. “Look, before you say what you came here to say, there’s something I need to tell you. I actually did plan on telling you when I came by the apartment that day. But it didn’t turn out how I had envisioned.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He stepped toward her. “Aubrie, I love you. I thought it was crazy to think that after knowing you for such a short time, but then I thought it was crazy they were hard to say. I hardly ever say them—in fact, I’ve never said them to anyone I’ve been with since my high school sweetheart.”

“The one who left you for a fisherman?”

“What?” The dawning realization clicked. “Yes.” Maybe that’s why he’d been a jerk so long. He was jaded when it came to love. Mom had left him. His first girlfriend had left him. Since then, he left everybody else before they could leave him.

What a fool I am.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner. Part of it was fear, I admit. Another part didn’t want you to think it was my Hail Mary to keep you around. It’s not. I genuinely want you to know. What you do with it is up to you.”

Aubrie’s lips quivered, eyes watering. “Doc Bernie told me about your plan.”

She wasn’t going to say anything about what he just said? Her bypassing it hurt, but he shouldn’t have any expectations on her reaction. She came to visit him for a reason, and love probably had nothing to do with it. He got out his truth, and now he could carry on knowing he shared it with her.

“When did he tell you?” He didn’t know what to ask, but wanted her to know he listened to every word. Every syllable.

“This morning. Right as I was saying my goodbyes at the practice.”

“I see.” But he didn’t see. Why was she here? To critique his plan? Was she mad Doc Bernie agreed to it after what Bran had done? Could she not see he tried to make it right?

“I think it’s wonderful.”

The compliment froze his breathing for a second before he let out a long sigh. “So, you’re okay with it? Even after—”

“Yes, even after what you had planned on doing. After the lying, deceiving, sneakiness. Because this is the right thing to do.” She broke a smile. “I can’t believe neither one of us thought of it before.”

“Well, it’s good to hear you support it. As much as I didn’t do it just to ease the pain I caused, it makes me feel a little better that I’m on the right track. For the people of Maiden’s Bay.”

She nodded slowly.

“Aubrie, I don’t know if it’s in the cards for me, for your forgiveness. I’m okay with that. If it takes time. I’m doing this to put actions behind my words. Anyone can say they’re sorry. But not everyone has the opportunity to show it.”

Aubrie wiped a tear falling down her cheek.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Just stop.”

Bran held back more words. Was she mad? Sad? He didn’t know what to do, except let it unfold.

“I’ve already forgiven you, you idiot.” More tears were wiped. “This whole time I’ve been thinking what would’ve happened if you hadn’t come to Maiden’s Bay with your awful plan. And it keeps leading me to one conclusion.”

He wanted to ask but kept quiet.

“If you hadn’t thought Doc Bernie’s was a way out of your troubles, you wouldn’t have returned to Maiden’s Bay in the first place. Most likely, we would’ve never met, let alone work together and get to know each other. It’s almost as if you had to have done this terrible thing in order to make this beautiful thing.”

Bran’s heart raced at the words. He stepped closer, touching her hands, holding them in his. “What are you saying? Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

She let out a cry. “You big dummy. I love you, too.”

Bran smiled. He touched her chin and tilted her head up, looking at those brown eyes. “I am a dummy. But I promise you, this dummy will never hurt you again.”

Her hands moved to his cheeks, cupping his face. He leaned in, greeting her soft lips, tears streaking down her face, the streaks salty. He didn’t care. He kissed her cheeks as if he could heal any hurt she felt. She could cry poison, and he’d taste it.

He’d take any piece of her, but she was giving him everything. His heart threatened to burst.

He backed away, a thought freezing him. “Wait, does this mean you are staying? What about your new job? And Doc Bernie’s search?”

She placed a finger on his lips. “Funny thing. Doc said he didn’t call any applicants yet. That he was waiting for me to actually leave before doing it.”

“For a man his age, he’s awfully conniving, isn’t he?”

“Where else do you think you got it from?”

He chuckled. “Good point.”

“As for my job, all it takes is a phone call. They had their share of candidates to choose from. But….”

“But what?”

“I haven’t called because I wasn’t sure if you’d agree, with your new plan and all, to having me as a coworker?”

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close. She let out a quick yelp of excitement. Here she was, the love of his life, right here in his arms. He vowed to himself to never let a night go by without saying I love you. And now she wanted to be around him all day. Him, Bran. The man who couldn’t commit, the man who lived the casual bachelor lifestyle. The man who had changed, to better himself, because of this woman who walked into his life.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”