Page 65 of Tumbleweed Temptation
“Here, let me pin that on you.” Marianne took the mum from the box with a kind of reverence, then inspected Ginny to find the best place. “Are you left handed or right handed?”
“Right.”
“Okay, this should keep it out of the way.” She leaned in and lifted Ginny’s blouse away from her skin to pin it securely.
Ginny blushed at the thought that Austin might have been the one to pin it on her, had Marianne not volunteered. She wondered if he’d thought the same.
Once she got to work, though, she was aware of the mum constantly, trying to work around the ribbons, and readjust the flower itself so that the weight didn’t make her shirt gap. At one point, she was ready to remove it and put it in his fridge until the game.
But then she thought about how much trouble Austin had gone through to get it, because the nearest florist was in Kimmel. She started getting compliments, thumbs up, and somehow the mood of all of the patients seemed to be lifted by it. Ginny was actually really excited for the game when Austin walked his last patient out. Marianne had left just before lunch, satisfied Ginny knew enough to go forward. And if she didn’t, Marianne had left a notebook bound with a plastic comb, tabbed, for reference.
“Hey, I’ve got to do some paperwork real quick before we go,” he said as he passed the desk. “You mind going up and getting the stuff for the tailgate?”
“Aren’t we supposed to leave at three?”
“Yeah, I called Con and told them to go without us, we’d meet them there.” He turned to face her. “You want me to call him and tell him to pick you up?”
“And then you’d have to go on your own?” The idea of being later than planned tensed her belly. But she didn't want him driving the distance on his own. “No, I’ll wait. I mean, I’ll get the stuff and wait.”
He started to go back into the exam room.
“Austin!”
He stopped, pivoted toward her.
“Thanks. For the mum. Everyone loved it.”
“Good. That’s...good.” He flashed her a smile and turned into the exam room.
Ginny felt a little weird being in his apartment by herself. But she felt at home enough to know what to get, and where to find it.
When she came back down, cooler in one hand, he was welcoming Mr. Canales through the door. He held up a finger when she looked at him quizzically. “Another half hour or so.”
Not enough time to go home, so she walked into the empty exam room to make sure everything was clean and stocked for Monday. Not unlike doing side work as a waitress.
She could hear the murmur of Austin’s voice through the wall, though not what he said. As much as he said he hated being back in town, he appeared to be a good doctor. He was calm with everyone that she had seen to this point.
She had tidied and restocked and was sitting at the computer, trying to familiarize herself with the programs when Austin walked out of the exam room with Mr. Canales. Austin glanced in her direction and smiled, but the smile wasn't sincere. In fact, the furrow of his brow told her he wasn't thinking about her at all.
“You about ready?” he asked her when Mr. Canales was on his way.
“Sure.” She held up the cooler in answer.
“Let’s get on the road.”
She was glad he was driving. She didn't care to drive long distances, especially at night. Well, it wasn't dark yet, but it would be when they came home. She buckled in carefully so she didn't mess up her mum.
He was quiet as they headed out of town, clearly preoccupied. He didn't apologize again for making her wait, or explain why there’d been a delay.
The road between the towns hadn’t changed at all since they’d made the route every day in the school bus. Was that what he was thinking about? How his mom used to drive them? They drove over the dry creek bed that had caused so much damage and heartache, and he didn't flinch, kept his eyes on the road.
She had to admit, he looked really handsome driving a Jeep. Hot, even.
But they were going to be working together now and she couldn’t think like that anymore.
“Hey, listen, can you get my phone and call Mr. Canales?” He finally broke the silence.
She picked up the phone from the cup holder and unlocked it with the password he gave her, then scrolled through his contacts.
