Page 128 of Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That At Christmas
Me, too.
Manuel
Not here.
Staringatmyphone,I can't help but snort.These guys couldn't lie their way out of a paper bag.Kellan texted me about coffee this morning, and Mike's garage is closed on Tuesdays.But I don't have the energy to figure out what they're up to.
Eve's at work for the evening, and the dogs are at daycare.The three of them together are everything I never knew I needed.
Without anyone to help for once, I'm...restless.The practice keys still feel like a phantom weight in my pocket even though Dr.Chen's had them for hours.Six years of muscle memory.
Chuck has been dealt with, which was more satisfying than I'll ever admit to anyone but Eve.He’s been put on administrative leave.His father is trying to gather the missing pieces.And his mother is apparently starting therapy, initiating a divorce procedure.
The podcast with Maddie was unexpectedly fun.Turns out being the expert voice on "Ethics and Boundaries in Small-Towns and The World" comes naturally when you've spent your career maintaining them.My parents are out with friends, and for the first time in years, there's no emergency surgery waiting, no late-night farm call, no anxious pet parent needing reassurance.
Just me.Walking around Pine Creek, cataloging memories like I'm taking inventory of a clinic I no longer own.
There's the park bench where Mrs.Wilson and her rescue greyhound finally bonded.The corner where I treated the school secretary's parrot who'd developed a habit of mimicking fire alarms.The coffee shop where I'd grab four different orders every morning.
This will always be home.A part of me embedded in these streets, these people, these animals that shaped who I am.
I push the door to the B&B, the familiar creak welcoming me like an old friend.
The Travel Lover reviewer Sally's been anxiously accommodating is adjusting a photo angle of the decorated staircase.
"Dr.Harrison, I presume?"she says, extending her hand."I've heard quite a lot about you from the locals."
"All good, I hope," I respond automatically.
She smiles knowingly."Very.In fact, you're partly responsible for my decision to give this place five stars."
"Me?I'm just lucky to have stayed here.Sally's the one who makes this place special."
"Yes, but it's also the way you all care.It's about the stories that happen within these walls."She glances toward the back parlor."You should probably head that way.I believe Sally needs help with something."
"Adam, can you come here?"Sally calls with that theatrical urgency."I need help with the lights!"
One last favor before I go.But this time, I'm not letting anyone down to do it.I'm not letting myself down, either.
"Coming," I call back, ducking under one of Sally's mistletoe traps.
I push open the door to the back dining area and freeze mid-step.
"SURPRISE!"
The room explodes with faces turned toward me with grins that range from shit-eating to genuinely warm.Wes with Megan perched on his shoulders, Manuel and his husband, Mike and Jamie, my parents, Noelle, Dr.Chen, her wife, the volunteer firefighters—and Claire?
She stands beside Sally, dressed for travel, her watchful eyes assessing me with the same clinical precision Eve uses.
But it's the center of the room that knocks the air cleanout of my lungs.
Eve.
She's holding Blanche and Dorothy's leashes with one hand and what might be the world's most chaotic-looking cake with the other.LoverBoy sits at her feet wearing a ridiculous bow tie.Her eyes lock with mine, and that wide smile spreads across her face.
"What the—I thought you were at work—"
"I was working on this."She gestures around the room, then rebalances the cake."Turns out planning surprise parties requires a lot of coordination.Very transferable nursing skills."
