Page 92 of Hearts on the Table
“I swear. I’m sorry, Lainey. I’m so sorry. It’s been killing me.”
I sighed. “I think you did the right thing. I’m sorry I blew up at you.”
“I’ll forgive you if you forgive me.”
I grinned, remembering a similar bargain we’d made with a punching bag between us weeks ago, before all this had started. “Deal.” I kissed him again. “I love you.”
I tasted his smile. Licked his lip to get some more. “I love you so fucking much, you have no idea.”
“I might have some idea. Are you mad? About Mercy?”
“Honey, I’m not in a position to be mad about anything right now.” He swallowed, eyes darting between mine. “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“We won’t see each other as often if we’re in separate hospitals.” I’d been fretting about it ever since I’d gotten the offer from Mercy, before all the drama happened. “It’s hard enough right now when we work together. What if…” I trailed off, struggling to articulate the sheer volume of what ifs I had rattling in my brain.
What if we grew apart? What if some other, prettier fellow came along and caught his eye? What if we never saw each other?
He kissed me like he could hear every fear multiplying in my brain.
“Baby.” He smiled when I shivered at the term. “I’ve been waiting for you for years. I’m not going to let you go now.”
It should have felt odd, standing in a hospital hallway, pressing myself up against my attending, planning our life together, and sealing my mouth against his. But it didn’t. It felt right. Right like someone checking my tire pressure. Right like extra queso after a hard day. Right like the feeling I got when I thought about leaving this place behind.
So, I’d go to Mercy and Sam would stay here and keep watch over the residents, the way he was born to do. Jones would probably get the attending job, along with Nate. He and Katie could live their lives here, raise their babies, and be blissfully happy for all eternity. The thought still didn’t sit 100% right with me, but I didn’t dwell on it too long. I had my own happy ending to start living with the man in my arms, who I’d overlooked for too long.
“I’m sorry it took so long for me to catch up.”
Epilogue - Lainey
Three Years Later
“I can’t believe you made me carry this across town.”
I huffed out a laughed, opening the door to our house. I’d always loved Sam’s place, but I liked it so much more now that it wasours.
The funky velvet furniture I’d picked out blended beautifully with his leather couch. We’d expanded the patio to add a pair of chaise lounges that were just about my favorite thing in the world. We often laid out there together watching Conner, Jas, and their three boys, Eli, Xander, and baby Rupert (Ru, for short) run around the courtyard.
“We had a limo,” I answered, dumping my clutch on the kitchen countertop and grabbing a glass to fill with water. My husband needed it.
He, Conner, and Will had gotten a bit too into the wine while they were toasting my success. Sam took the glass, downing it in a few massive gulps, before setting my award next to my purse. The Golden Heartwasheavy. I’d nearly dropped it when Cooper and I were giving our joint acceptance speech. We were one of the few surgeon pairs on record to be recognized by the American Heart Association. But, if I did say so myself, our joint work on mechanical transplants was pretty revolutionary.
Once Cooper jumped ship and joined me at Mercy a mere two weeks after I’d left Cedar, everything had come together. We worked better than ever in a hospital that trusted us to do our jobs. Plus, I had to say, watching the egotistical surgeon fall inlove with his truly incredible wife was one of the more hilarious things I’d ever witnessed.
“Limo, sure, but wecould have had a hotel,” Sam whispered, grabbing around my waist. He’d been making excuses to do so all night, utterly entranced by the expanse of skin my backless dress bared to his touch.
“Buthere,we can be as loud as we want,”I whispered back, pressing my lips into his. He groaned.
“Good call,” he muttered without taking his mouth from mine. I squeaked when he lifted me up, carrying me up the stairs to our bedroom. “So smart. Impressive, award-winning wife.”
I bounced on the mattress where he dumped me. By the time I sat up, his bowtie was already halfway undone. I scrambled to assist with his shirt buttons, running my hands up the smooth skin we revealed.
“You know we had a deal, right?” He lowered me back down, grabbing handfuls of my silk dress to pull it up my body. I did, in fact, remember our deal. Hard to forget when he found an excuse to bring it up every month or so.
Three years or until I won the Golden Heart. That had been his timeline for kids. They’d just happened to coincide. When we’d found out Cooper and I had won, Sam hadn’t stopped smiling for weeks. He’d started making many, not-so-subtle hints about making an appointment with my OBGYN. If he’d had his way, I’d have gotten my IUD out weeks ago.
Good thing I loved for my husband to have his way.
“Actually…” I gasped when his fingers found the crease between my legs. He uttered a ridiculous curse against my collarbone.
