Page 10 of Will & Patrick's Endless Honeymoon
No family and no drama. Jenny is selling it hard now, speaking right to his heart.
She smiles. “And thereareother good neurosurgeons on staff—”
“Not half as good as me.”
“Maybe not. But you approved their hire so they must be competent enough to care for your patients for ten days.” She squeezes his hand, tilting her head earnestly. “I’ve had a pep talk ready to go for a few weeks now. Do you want to hear it?”
“Why do you think I brought this up?”
“Right. Okay.” She takes a deep breath, smiles at another nurse who trundles past with an empty patient bed, then gives him her “this is serious” face. “Patrick McCloud, you will go on this honeymoon and you will love it. Do you understand me? Will deserves this. He’s been through hell, deals with his crazy family, and, and,and! He’s never been anywhere, despite having more money than God, because he’s never felt allowed to go. Don’t be another person who holds him back. He’s your true love, your sweet, patient puddin’-pop, and he wants this so much. He’s been hinting at it for years before he flat out asked you if you’d be willing. You know it’ll make him happy, right?”
“Yes.”
“And making him happy is your number one goal in life?”
Patrick rubs his nose. “It is.”
She nods. “Exactly. Case closed. You’ll go and have fun. No more panicking.”
“What if something goes wrong while I’m gone?”
“Like with Addison?”
Patrick’s lips tighten. He’s lost other patients since fifteen-year-old Addison died while he was in surgery with another patient, but she still weighs on his mind. Especially lately. Maybe it’s because Caitlin is going to college and it reminds him that Addison should have been on her way too. Or maybe it’s because this is a small town, and every year people put flowers by the tree Addison’s parents planted in her memory. He can’t ever forget.
“You’re not a god,” Jenny whispers as a pair of doctors Patrick vaguely recognizes as being from obstetrics stroll past. “There are no guarantees, whether it’s you or some other doctor.”
Patrick rolls his eyes. Those are his own words being parroted back at him. He says them often enough when outcomes aren’t as rosy as he’d hoped.
“What else is bugging you?” Jenny prods. “Get it out now, so you don’t take it home and spill it all over Will.”
“I don’tdovacations.” He prefers his days structured. He likes to get up, work, eat, watch some TV, screw Will, sleep, and then work some more. If he has to fit in some time with Will’s family somewhere in there, or take a phone call from Dinah, then so be it. The rest of the structure gives him a sense of safety and control. It gives him something todoin the world; it tells him how tobe.
“All the more reason to take one, then.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“You and I made a long list of potential activities. Plus there’s always sex. You love that. It’s a fun way to fill a day.” She grins.
“Yes, but Will’s asshole can only take so much screwing.” Though he has a plan for that. The truth is, he’s just panicking because the trip is looming near. He knows, deep down, he’ll be fine. This is just the last-minute tantrum he has to throw to accept the inevitability of it all.
Jenny sighs. “Here you are whining about going on an amazing honeymoon when I haven’t been on a real vacation in forever. MaybeIshould go with Will instead of you.”
“That would definitely undermine any hope of achieving my number one goal in life.”
Jenny laughs. “True. I guess I have to stay here with Dylan and my…” Her brow furrows. “I was going to say my man, but I think I broke up with him again last night.”
Patrick catches her eye. “You think? Or you did?”
“I did.” She wrinkles her nose and gives him her patented innocent expression.
Patrick huffs. “Finally. Good riddance.”
Jenny rolls her eyes. “Reverse psychology won’t work with me, buster.”
“No reverse psychology here. This is all going to plan.” Patrick smirks.
“Meaning?”
