“Hmm, I think so, too. I was just going to make myself a cup of herbal tea now I’ve found the kettle. Care to join me? And you can tell me all the gossip before I start attacking the unpacking again. You can also tell me about the cute doctor while you’re at it.”
*
David walked into Helen’s treatment room just as the high pitched squeal from his goddaughter filled the air.
“I’m sorry, Connie, baby girl. I hate making you cry but it’s for the best little one.” Helen tried to soothe the toddler as her mother held her for the shots but she’d been here before and knew what Helen was about to do to her.
The nurse stuck the needle into the baby’s chubby thigh and administered the vaccine. When she pulled it out, David was there holding his arms out for a cuddle. Connie dropped her lip and cuddled into his neck, the small sobs doing nothing to make him feel better about the process.
Helen threw the needle into the sharps container. “That brings Connie up to date with everything, Susan. Any other issues you want to discuss while you’re here?”
“Not for the baby, no, but Rick wanted me to let you both know we’re having a cookout on next Saturday and he wants you to come.” Susan tickled her baby under the chin and the little girl gurgled, the injection already forgotten as Helen wrote up the notes on her chart.
David took a sloppy kiss on the cheek and returned it with smacking noises. “Can I get back to you on it? Last time I came over, he tried to set me up. Not sure I’m ready for another attempt, to be honest. Left me with a sour taste in my mouth and an aversion to what your husband calls, ‘just drinks with friends.’” It hadn’t ended well for either him or the intended date. She’d been a shy woman, add that to his horror to being set up, and it wasn’t a good evening for either of them.
Susan had the sense to blush and Helen giggled behind her hand.
“Sorry. I keep telling him that you’re happy as you are but he won’t believe me. You know what an old romantic he is.” She grabbed her handbag and slung it over her shoulder. “Please say you’ll come, David. You’re one of my best friends and I don’t see you often enough. Besides,” she tickled the gurgling baby under the chin, “I don’t want your goddaughter to think you’re only the mean guy that’s responsible for her needles. You need to prove to her that you’re human and really do love her.”
“You don’t have any trouble hitting below the belt, do you?” He ran his hand over the soft baby curls on Connie’s head. “Fine, I’ll be there then. And remind that husband of yours to leave me alone and stop throwing unsuspecting females at me. I’m more than happy on my own.”
Susan leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Sure, sure. You say that but I know you don’t mean it.”
“I do. Now leave me to get on with my job, woman.” He laughed as Susan walked out with a snort of disbelief. “You believe me, don’t you, Helen?”
She raised her eyebrows at him but didn’t answer.
It was true, as far as he was concerned. He was happy by himself most of the time. He had been for ages. Ever since he’d returned temporarily to Cherry Lake to help his parents out. The one time he tried a serious relationship he thought was his forever love story, it all fell apart because he had to move home. Elise wasn’t keen on giving up the city lifestyle to move to back with him. Considering he couldn’t give her a timeframe of how long he’d be there before he made it back to the Seattle, he couldn’t blame her. Too hard to keep a relationship with his crazy work schedule and the distance between them. But what cut him to the quick was the way she put her job before their relationship without even trying to find a balance between them or give him a chance to sort out his family issues.
After Elise had dumped him, David had tried to date but his heart hadn’t been in it. He couldn’t find the spark he previously had and lost the inclination to try to find it. With the death of his father, life had changed. He’d taken over the family medical practice and put his energy into giving the locals the same care and dedication his father had given them until he could decide what to do. He had every intention of trying to move his mother back to her hometown of Seattle but so far she’d refused to discuss it. Once David had settled into a routine, it was hard to whip up the enthusiasm to change his ways.
He’d believed romance wasn’t for him and decided not to date. His well-meaning friends ignored that now he was back home and constantly tried to set him up, which never ended well for either him or the poor women who hoped they’d found their soul mate in him. Now he was used to being a confirmed bachelor and ignored desperate efforts of family and friends to set him up.
David walked out and went to the kitchen for a mug of coffee. Noises came from the shop next door and he paused, listening. He wasn’t sure how he felt about sharing the space with someone else after having the place to himself for so long. Would she change anything and, really, if she did – would it matter? He took a mug out of the cupboard and poured a coffee, tempted to check up on her and see how the burn was. A burst of laughter sounded on the other side of the door.
Without overthinking things, David walked over and knocked.
