Page 141 of Summer with the Single Dad

“Yes. Yes, of course. Right this way.”

“What the hell happened?”

That voice.

Again.

Justine froze. Again.

Why was he here? Wasn’t he supposed to be married right now to the home-wrecking, baby-mama nurse?

Turning around, she took in the sight of Tad, standing there in his off-white tux with the tails and cummerbund.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“What happened? Why are you covered in blood?”

Brooke was behind her and reached for Justine’s arm. “Is this …?”

“Yes,” Justine said bitterly, glaring at Tad. “And I’ll ask him again. What are you doing here?”

“I realized after seeing you yesterday that I made a huge mistake. I never should have cheated on you. We are meant to be together. We’re a power couple. In a few years, we will rule that hospital. I’ll become chief and you can be right by my side. A neuro-god and his cardio-goddess. We’ll be unstoppable.”

Did she fall into the koi pond and hit her head? This had to be a dream … well, more like a nightmare. “You’re … you’re kidding, right? Where’s Ashli? And isn’t she having your baby?”

Tad’s face went stoney. “Ashli isn’t who I want.”

“But your child?”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“Tad … you were about to get married today—you’re literally still in that hideous freaking tux. Now you’re here doing … what?”

“Telling you that I made a mistake.” He smirked. “And we both know how hard that is for me to admit.”

He wasn’t wrong about that.

“We are meant to be together. We were born to cut together. Come home with me. Back to Seattle. Back to the hospital. I don’t need kids. We’ll build a medical legacy instead. Have our names on procedures and buildings that will outlive generations.”

“I’m happy here, Tad.”

He glanced around, sneering at the spa like it was some dumpster fire and not a beautiful Japanese garden with bonsai trees and pagoda statues. “You’re telling me you want to stay on this rinky-dink little hippy island and waste your talents? Doing what?”

“I’m. Happy. Here. Tad.”

His light-blue eyes glowed almost white in the sunlight, before narrowing to thin slits. “You’re seeing someone here, aren’t you?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Huffing, he rolled his shoulders. “Well, I can forgive that. We all need to slum it sometimes. It was like me with Ashli. And if that’s something that you need, then we can discuss the possibility of an open relationship.”

Now she had to have hit her head in the koi pond. “Have you lost your mind?”

Taking a step toward her, he reached for her. Her instinct was to step back. And she knew Brooke was behind her. Brooke had her back. The gentle pressure of Brooke’s hand on her shoulder gave her that boost of confidence she desperately needed.

“You can’t possibly be happy here. Not in the long-term. And not with whoever it is … though I’m assuming it’s Bennett since I overheard him and the bartender talking about you. The pub is financially struggling. Why else would they have the ability to accommodate a last-minute wedding and bend over backward to make it happen? They just wanted the money. He won’t make you happy. You’ll be back in Seattle cutting by the end of the summer. I guarantee it.”

She shook her head, clamping her molars together tight. “No, Tad. I won’t be.”

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