on the same page. Who needs all that crazy chemistry.” She forced a laugh. “Not me…”
“Grace.” He wasn’t smiling. “If this is too much—”
“No, of course not. We have a deal. I’ll watch Toby. Another reason to minimize the whole kissing thing, right? Because I don’t kiss my bosses. In fact, my last job didn’t work out because I wouldn’t…” She grimaced. Damn big mouth of hers. “You know.”
Josh’s expression was suddenly even more serious. “No,” he said quietly. “I don’t know. Tell me.”
Well hell. How did they get here? She rolled her shoulders and looked at the ocean across the street, uncomfortable with the subject and the memory she didn’t want to tell him about. “It’s no big deal. He wanted…things. I didn’t want to give him things. The end.”
Josh studied her for a moment. “But first you sued the pants off him, or at least smacked him around a little, kicked him where it hurts, right?”
She let out a low laugh. “No.” Nothing nearly so satisfactory. She’d simply left Seattle, not willing to fight for the job that she’d realized she’d never be comfortable in. Unnerved about what had happened, scared about her future, she’d gotten in her car and headed out. She’d been thinking only about putting some distance between her and what would have been a bad decision, and then she’d ended up here in Lucky Harbor.
A complete accident that had turned out to be the best accident of her life. A glorious break from the fast track of her life.
“Grace,” he said, and waited for her to look at him. “I’m not that guy.”
“I know.” And she did. “Which is how”—she waved her hand between them and let out a low laugh—“it got a little out of hand just now. My fault, I know, but I just don’t want you to think—”
“I don’t,” he said. “I wouldn’t. And you weren’t alone in letting it get out of hand.” He shook his head. “Not even close. I acted inappropriately. I’m sorry, Grace.”
In her world, blame was assigned and cast upon the closest target. In her world, people did not take responsibility for their own mistakes. She met his gaze and gave him the utter, terrifying truth. “It didn’t feel inappropriate,” she admitted. “It felt…”
“Fun?” His tone was lighter now. Teasing. And she knew they were truly going to be okay. He didn’t want this; he didn’t have time for this. That made two of them. She’d be leaving soon, going back to her “real life.” Soon as she found it. “Anything critical I need to know to ensure Toby’s well-being?”
“He’s shy and won’t tell you if he’s hungry or thirsty. He eats dinner at five-thirty, and there’s stuff in the freezer with directions included. Be careful not to deviate—he has food allergies. There’s a card on the counter listing all the no-nos. And don’t let him feed Tank any of his Zhu Zhus. Tank is the Antichrist himself, but even the Antichrist can’t digest metal and plastic. That painful lesson cost me six hundred bucks last week.”
“Ouch,” she said, grateful not to have a pug puppy. Or a Zhu Zhu. “So feed and water the kid, and keep Tank away from the Zhu Zhus. Got it.”
“And Anna…”
“I’m thinking she can tell me when she’s hungry and thirsty. And she probably knows not to try to inhale any Zhu Zhus, right?”
Josh let out a breath. “Yeah. But she’s not your responsibility. Don’t let her drive you off.”
“She won’t need any help?”
“No. Trust me on this, no. And I should probably apologize ahead of time for her.”
“We’ll be fine, Dr. Scott.”
He let out a half laugh. “Back to that, are we?”
“Don’t you like it when people call you doctor?”
“Only if they’re sitting on my exam table.”
She looked into his eyes for a sign that he was being falsely modest, but he wasn’t. There was nothing but a mild impatience in his gaze.
And a lingering heat that stoked hers back into flames.
“Grace.” He wasn’t smiling. “If this is too much—”
“No, of course not. We have a deal. I’ll watch Toby. Another reason to minimize the whole kissing thing, right? Because I don’t kiss my bosses. In fact, my last job didn’t work out because I wouldn’t…” She grimaced. Damn big mouth of hers. “You know.”
Josh’s expression was suddenly even more serious. “No,” he said quietly. “I don’t know. Tell me.”
Well hell. How did they get here? She rolled her shoulders and looked at the ocean across the street, uncomfortable with the subject and the memory she didn’t want to tell him about. “It’s no big deal. He wanted…things. I didn’t want to give him things. The end.”
Josh studied her for a moment. “But first you sued the pants off him, or at least smacked him around a little, kicked him where it hurts, right?”
She let out a low laugh. “No.” Nothing nearly so satisfactory. She’d simply left Seattle, not willing to fight for the job that she’d realized she’d never be comfortable in. Unnerved about what had happened, scared about her future, she’d gotten in her car and headed out. She’d been thinking only about putting some distance between her and what would have been a bad decision, and then she’d ended up here in Lucky Harbor.
A complete accident that had turned out to be the best accident of her life. A glorious break from the fast track of her life.
“Grace,” he said, and waited for her to look at him. “I’m not that guy.”
“I know.” And she did. “Which is how”—she waved her hand between them and let out a low laugh—“it got a little out of hand just now. My fault, I know, but I just don’t want you to think—”
“I don’t,” he said. “I wouldn’t. And you weren’t alone in letting it get out of hand.” He shook his head. “Not even close. I acted inappropriately. I’m sorry, Grace.”
In her world, blame was assigned and cast upon the closest target. In her world, people did not take responsibility for their own mistakes. She met his gaze and gave him the utter, terrifying truth. “It didn’t feel inappropriate,” she admitted. “It felt…”
“Fun?” His tone was lighter now. Teasing. And she knew they were truly going to be okay. He didn’t want this; he didn’t have time for this. That made two of them. She’d be leaving soon, going back to her “real life.” Soon as she found it. “Anything critical I need to know to ensure Toby’s well-being?”
“He’s shy and won’t tell you if he’s hungry or thirsty. He eats dinner at five-thirty, and there’s stuff in the freezer with directions included. Be careful not to deviate—he has food allergies. There’s a card on the counter listing all the no-nos. And don’t let him feed Tank any of his Zhu Zhus. Tank is the Antichrist himself, but even the Antichrist can’t digest metal and plastic. That painful lesson cost me six hundred bucks last week.”
“Ouch,” she said, grateful not to have a pug puppy. Or a Zhu Zhu. “So feed and water the kid, and keep Tank away from the Zhu Zhus. Got it.”
“And Anna…”
“I’m thinking she can tell me when she’s hungry and thirsty. And she probably knows not to try to inhale any Zhu Zhus, right?”
Josh let out a breath. “Yeah. But she’s not your responsibility. Don’t let her drive you off.”
“She won’t need any help?”
“No. Trust me on this, no. And I should probably apologize ahead of time for her.”
“We’ll be fine, Dr. Scott.”
He let out a half laugh. “Back to that, are we?”
“Don’t you like it when people call you doctor?”
“Only if they’re sitting on my exam table.”
She looked into his eyes for a sign that he was being falsely modest, but he wasn’t. There was nothing but a mild impatience in his gaze.
And a lingering heat that stoked hers back into flames.
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