Page 12 of Only This Once
Rachel tried to shake her head subtly, but Julia ignored her. “For him, sure, but you’re here with us. You’re going to miss him, aren’t you?”
Heather swallowed, her beaming smile fading. “Yeah, I will, but I’d miss him no matter where he went. He is my baby, and I get that he wants to spread his wings a little.”
Julia was the youngest, but that made her want to stay close to home more than ever. Her mother’s health scare when she was younger had made her cling to as much time at home that she could get. All of them had decided not to go away.
That wasn’t always the case, though. Jinx had surprised her by leaving. Since he’d been very aware of his single mom’s struggle, she’d thought he’d want to stay close, too.
Maria’s waving hand caught her attention. Her sister laughed. “Where’d you go? We were asking what your something good is.”
Julia laughed. “Sorry. Probably work again. Dr. Holden is very easy to work for, and he really is a skilled surgeon.”
Maria made a buzzing sound. “Nope. It can’t be the same thing two months in a row.”
“It’s not! Last month, my good thing was getting the job. This month, it’s that the job is awesome. Those are two separate things.”
Rachel shook her head. “Not really.”
“Well, I can kind of see how that could be,” Heather defended.
“Besides, that’s all I have this week. I—” Julia’s phone buzzed where it sat on the table. She glanced down at it, her lips parting as she saw the name on the screen. She picked up her phone, pushing up from the table. “I have to get this.”
Rachel waved her off. “Fine, have a reprieve.”
Her sisters laughed in the background as she headed toward the living room, pressing accept. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to call.”
“No fair,” Jinx protested. “It hasn’t even been a day.”
“Didn’t want to seem too desperate? I get it.” Her lips hurt, and she realized she was grinning. “I guess I really did miss you more.”
“I missed you, Jules. A lot. Don’t doubt that.”
Her chest clenched at his steady words. “Jeez, I was teasing. Don’t get so serious on me all of a sudden.”
Jinx laughed awkwardly. “Sorry. I just didn’t want you to think I didn’t care.”
“I didn’t feel too left out. Feebs said you weren’t calling her, either.”
“Yeah. I didn’t realize it would be so hard to keep in touch.” Jinx grew quiet.
“Hey, so are you asking me to meet up or what?” Julia asked. “I’m with my sisters right now, but we could hang out tomorrow. Maybe somewhere where the girls aren’t all hitting on you? I don’t want to be a cockblock.”
He let out a startled laugh. “I appreciated the save last night. Can I buy you a coffee as thanks?”
“I never turn down a free drink. Tomorrow work?”
“Oh, yeah, we could do that. I have a shift, but we could meet up afterward. That café near the hospital?”
Julia paused. “Can we go somewhere else? I’d rather not run into anyone from the hospital.”
“Right. I want to talk about that, too.”
Of course he did. Everyone wanted the juicy details. Julia considered canceling, but it was Jinx. She really did want to see him again. Maybe a little too much.
“How about the fancy café that opened downtown?” she offered. “I’ve heard good things about it but haven’t tried it yet. What time does your shift end?”
“Around four. I could pick you up after?”
She shook her head, but he couldn’t see that. “No, you’ll be coming from the hospital, and I’m coming from the other way. We’ll meet there.”
