Page 62 of All I Need

“You’re spending your Friday night at a yarn store with an eighty-year-old lady?”

“Yup.”

“Sucks for me because I’d love to spend some time with you but I like that you’ll be with Polly.”

“Do you ask all your employees to hang out with you on Friday nights?” I ask, only partly joking. He knows a little of my past but he hasn’t exactly told me much about his.

“Ah, no. This would be a first.”

“I’m sorry I have plans,” I tell him and it’s the genuine truth. Not that I don’t adore Polly or look forward to spending time with her, but I think he was proposing going on a date and I can’t say that thought didn’t make my stomach flutter.

“Not your fault. I would say let’s plan for later in the weekend but Grayson and I are leaving first thing in the morning for Chicago.”

“What’s in Chicago?”

“Baseball. Annual trip for the two of us. Sometimes his dad will join us if his schedule allows.”

“Mick?”

“Yeah. Right now he’s planning to be there, but we’ll see.”

“Sounds like you’ll have a good time and I’m sure Grayson would love to see his dad.”

“Yeah. Sucks, though,” he repeats his earlier sentiment. “I wanted to see you more before I’m gone for the weekend.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Your next patient is here, Walker,” the queen of interruption says.

“She’s got stellar timing, yeah?” I say quietly with a grin and Walker nods his head in agreement.

“If I get back in time Sunday night, I’ll stop over and see you.”

The fact that he’s upset about not seeing me for a while is definitely good for my soul.

“Okay. Send me a picture of you guys at the game.”

“I’ll definitely keep in touch while we’re gone,” he squeezes my pinky again before trudging off, back to work.

At the end of the day, Linda shows me how to lock up and close the clinic down for the weekend. Walker was called away to an emergency visit so I didn’t get a chance to talk to him again before closing time.

I can’t say that I wasn’t slightly disappointed but with the promise of talking over the weekend, I hopped into my car and headed back home, Linda’s words about being happier because someone is in my life ringing in my ears.

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