courage and face her. Put everything on the table and get things back to normal.”
“Or put her on the table and—”
“Eden!” Molly shouted, appalled.
The door opened and Louise held a ticket in the air. “Delivery called in for the clinic’s staff meeting. Two dozen bombshell brownies. Damon should be back from the high school drop-off soon.”
“Um, that’s okay.” Molly grabbed the ticket from Louise nonchalantly. “I can deliver this one.”
“That-a-girl,” Eden said. “By the horns.”
She nodded and rolled her shoulders, warrior style.
She could do this. It didn’t have to be that big a deal. She’d seen Days of Our Lives . People kissed all the time. She’d survive this.
*
It took a certain amount of patience to work in the medical profession, and it consistently amazed Jordan how her family was able to do it. That morning alone, they’d treated upward of twenty-five patients with appointments, and another eight walk-ins. And instead of scooping up their prescription and heading out, they all wanted to chat about their week, their son, their wife, or how many football games the high school was on track to win this year.
Not only was it exhausting, it was starting to back up the schedule Jordan was put in charge of monitoring. She’d decided that while she was in town she would help out at the clinic as much as possible, and with a missing receptionist, she saw her opportunity. She could hang at the clinic for a few hours each day. She’d missed her family, and this was a great way to maybe reconnect, make up for the time she’d stayed away. So she was a rather successful producer in the film industry, she wasn’t above answering a few phones for the dueling doctors.
“What’s up, tiger?” Mikey asked, after saying good-bye to his latest patient. He pulled her ear as he passed behind the desk. Her brother practiced at a medical group in Andersville, but devoted two days a week to working in their parents’ clinic. Good thing too, as having a third doctor in-house helped alleviate some of the pressure on their parents. Mikey was a good guy that way.
“Ow. Leave my ears alone.”
“No way. As your brother, it’s my job in life to tug on your ears. What’s up next?” He leaned on the counter as Jordan consulted the computerized appointment book.
“You have Mrs. Fitzsimmons’ sore throat at noon and then the staff meeting after lunch. That’s when I make my crafty getaway. Jackson can take the desk.”
“What? You don’t want to hang out for clinic policies and procedures?”
“Sounds riveting, but I’m a volunteer. This right here”—she gestured to the room around her—“is out of the goodness of my heart.”
“So benevolent.”
Jordan grinned proudly. “Get it while you can.”
The bell above the door rang and they turned. Jordan expected to see yet another patient or maybe Damon with the delivery they’d called in for the staff meeting. But she was wrong.
Molly’s eyes held hers only briefly before fluttering to Mikey. “Hey, you two. What’s with all the standing around? Shouldn’t there be some work getting done around here?” She smiled at them, but it didn’t quite take over her face the way Molly’s smiles usually did.
When Jordan had left Molly’s house the night before, she’d walked the neighborhood, working through the sequence of events. As many times as she’d imagined kissing Molly, the reality of it, of her, had been so much more than she’d ever planned on. She didn’t know what had come over her and caused her to actually act on her impulse, but she did know that as their lips met, all bets seemed off.
Everything had faded away except for the sharp need that left her wonderfully breathless. She could still feel what it was like to have Molly’s lips on hers, the weight of her on her lap, the intoxicating scent of the raspberry shampoo she used.
The exchange had rocked her. And though it had ended horribly, she
“Or put her on the table and—”
“Eden!” Molly shouted, appalled.
The door opened and Louise held a ticket in the air. “Delivery called in for the clinic’s staff meeting. Two dozen bombshell brownies. Damon should be back from the high school drop-off soon.”
“Um, that’s okay.” Molly grabbed the ticket from Louise nonchalantly. “I can deliver this one.”
“That-a-girl,” Eden said. “By the horns.”
She nodded and rolled her shoulders, warrior style.
She could do this. It didn’t have to be that big a deal. She’d seen Days of Our Lives . People kissed all the time. She’d survive this.
*
It took a certain amount of patience to work in the medical profession, and it consistently amazed Jordan how her family was able to do it. That morning alone, they’d treated upward of twenty-five patients with appointments, and another eight walk-ins. And instead of scooping up their prescription and heading out, they all wanted to chat about their week, their son, their wife, or how many football games the high school was on track to win this year.
Not only was it exhausting, it was starting to back up the schedule Jordan was put in charge of monitoring. She’d decided that while she was in town she would help out at the clinic as much as possible, and with a missing receptionist, she saw her opportunity. She could hang at the clinic for a few hours each day. She’d missed her family, and this was a great way to maybe reconnect, make up for the time she’d stayed away. So she was a rather successful producer in the film industry, she wasn’t above answering a few phones for the dueling doctors.
“What’s up, tiger?” Mikey asked, after saying good-bye to his latest patient. He pulled her ear as he passed behind the desk. Her brother practiced at a medical group in Andersville, but devoted two days a week to working in their parents’ clinic. Good thing too, as having a third doctor in-house helped alleviate some of the pressure on their parents. Mikey was a good guy that way.
“Ow. Leave my ears alone.”
“No way. As your brother, it’s my job in life to tug on your ears. What’s up next?” He leaned on the counter as Jordan consulted the computerized appointment book.
“You have Mrs. Fitzsimmons’ sore throat at noon and then the staff meeting after lunch. That’s when I make my crafty getaway. Jackson can take the desk.”
“What? You don’t want to hang out for clinic policies and procedures?”
“Sounds riveting, but I’m a volunteer. This right here”—she gestured to the room around her—“is out of the goodness of my heart.”
“So benevolent.”
Jordan grinned proudly. “Get it while you can.”
The bell above the door rang and they turned. Jordan expected to see yet another patient or maybe Damon with the delivery they’d called in for the staff meeting. But she was wrong.
Molly’s eyes held hers only briefly before fluttering to Mikey. “Hey, you two. What’s with all the standing around? Shouldn’t there be some work getting done around here?” She smiled at them, but it didn’t quite take over her face the way Molly’s smiles usually did.
When Jordan had left Molly’s house the night before, she’d walked the neighborhood, working through the sequence of events. As many times as she’d imagined kissing Molly, the reality of it, of her, had been so much more than she’d ever planned on. She didn’t know what had come over her and caused her to actually act on her impulse, but she did know that as their lips met, all bets seemed off.
Everything had faded away except for the sharp need that left her wonderfully breathless. She could still feel what it was like to have Molly’s lips on hers, the weight of her on her lap, the intoxicating scent of the raspberry shampoo she used.
The exchange had rocked her. And though it had ended horribly, she
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