Page 53 of Fourteen of a Kind

Graham

“What was your nightmare about last night?” Ella asked as we ran along the shoreline.

I couldn’t and didn’t want to tell her the truth, so I had to think of something quickly.

“I dreamt that I was in the middle of surgery, and I messed up, and the patient died,” I lied.

“I hate those kinds of dreams.” She smiled. “Other than your nightmare, did you sleep good?”

“I did. Your bed is really comfortable. But truth be told, I think it had more to do with the beautiful woman in my arms all night.” The corners of my mouth curved upward as I winked at her.

Her lips flashed a bashful smile. We talked about the hospital and patients while we ran along the beach.

“How about I make us breakfast when we get back?” she said.

“How about I help?” I smiled.

“If you insist.” She grinned.

We finished our run and went back to her house. While she made us some coffee, I opened the refrigerator and took out the eggs, noticing she had a lot of fresh vegetables. Grabbing some, I set them on the counter.

“Omelets?” she asked, walking by.

“Yep. It’s crucial to get our daily veggies in.”

“You know it.” She reached into the cabinet and pulled out an omelet pan.

“You go sit down. I got this.”

“Graham, I can’t let?—”

I turned and gripped her hips. “Yes, you can. Maybe I want to show off my cooking skills.”

“Fine. You win. Did your aunt teach you how to cook?” she asked, sitting down at the island.

“Actually, my nanny and aunt did.” I cracked the eggs into a bowl.

“You had a nanny?”

“Yeah. My dad worked a lot and needed someone to take care of me while he was gone.”

“What did your dad do for work?” she asked, and my heart started racing. I should have known better than to bring him up.

“He was a doctor.”

“What was his specialty?”

“Oncology.” I needed to change the subject fast. “Where are your knives?”

“In the corner on the counter.”

I walked over, grabbed a large knife from the block, and cut the vegetables.

The sliding door opened, and Ava walked in. “Hey, you two.” Suddenly, she closed her eyes and quickly opened them. “Hello there.” A bright smile crossed her face. “I see you’re making omelets. Let me.” She walked over and took the knife from me.

I looked at Ella, and I could tell something was off.

“Hi, Ophelia,” she said.

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