Page 103 of Axe-identally Married
I couldn’t help but chuckle. Late January was peak time for the cold and the flu in Maine, and generally, toddlers were ground zero for all infections.
“In fairness,” I quipped, “I saw several ear infections today too.”
Dawn grabbed her coat and bag and gave me a salute. “See you Monday, boss.”
After she’d disappeared, I sat back in my chair and breathed, eyes closed, thinking about how things had evolved around here. This office was running smoothly, and we were working as a team. Even Walters was noticing the positive changes I’d put in place.
Little did he know I had grander plans.
It would take time, but I could do so much more for the people of Lovewell. I hadn’t become a doctor to get rich, and I’d rather make less money and give myself and my patients better quality of life. So I was cooking up plans and had been in touch with some of my mentors from my residency days.
I never could have done this much without Cole’s encouragement. He patiently listened to all my complaints about the state of rural healthcare and asked helpful questions. His curiosity about my career was honestly flattering. He wasn’t only interested in the medical stuff, but the how and why behind it all. I was used to being taken seriously at work, but never in my personal life. Not until Cole. My romantic entanglements had mostly been hookups or friends-with-benefits arrangements, and those guys hadn’t been super interested in my opinions.
They hadn’t been super interested in my orgasms either, I was now realizing.
And Cole could not be more different in either aspect. He was very interested.
My face was heated as I climbed out of the car, since I’d spent the drive home thinking about him and what we’d gotten up to last night.
Inside, I threw a load of laundry into the washer, and when I emptied my lunch bag, I noticed that the dishwasher had already been emptied, so I rinsed the containers and put them in. Then I headed to my room to put on my yoga clothes, still smiling about Cole and how far we’d come since that wild night in Vegas.
Despite the way I floated an inch off the ground while daydreaming, one tiny doubt still niggled in the back of my mind.
What would happen in the future?
We’d been thrust into this arrangement, and though something real had grown from it, we’d only agreed to stay married for six months. Could this last in the long term? WasCole even interested in trying? I was tied to this town and to my job, but more than once, he’d talked about moving and starting over. We were halfway into this marriage, but that small doubt surfaced every day. It was only a faint whisper, but it was enough to make my heart sink.
For now, I pushed my doubts away and focused on my yoga mat. I’d been craving a deep stretch all day and loved the way it made me feel.
My YouTube yoga class was wrapping up when he came home, bearing flowers and a smile.
I stood, sweaty and disheveled, but my state didn’t stop him from pulling me in for a kiss.
“I brought you these.” He thrust a large, colorful bouquet at me.
Grinning, I brought them to my nose and inhaled.
“Where did you get these?” I took another whiff. “These are not from the gas station.”
“I have connections,” he said with a smirk. “And I would never buy my wife gas station flowers.”
I pulled him down and kissed him again.
“Thank you. No guy’s ever bought flowers for me before.”
He stiffened, a glower overtaking him. “You can’t be serious.”
I shrugged. We’d talked through my lack of serious relationships, but I’d never brought up this detail. Why would I? It hadn’t bothered me very much.
He shook his head as though he could not comprehend how I could be treated so egregiously. “Anyway,” he said with a heavy breath tout. “I brought you the flowers because I was hoping to take you out tonight.”
My heart flipped. “Out?”
“Yes, wifey. On a date.”
“We’re married. You don’t need to take me on dates. Also, we’re sleeping together.”
He rolled his eyes and let out a dramatic sigh. “Willa, I want to take my girl out and show her off. It’s nothing fancy. Jude’s band is playing at the Moose again, and I want to go support him. He mentioned he may play one of the songs he’s written. So I thought we could go together, make a night of it.”
