Unbreak My Heart (Strawberry Inn Book #4)

Chapter 16

ELIZABETH

I walked into the cozy restaurant that Shay had picked out for our dinner tonight. The hostess told me that she was sitting in the far back, so I scoped out the corner until I saw her waving her arms. It felt good to see my closest friend. Not that I don’t see her around the complex at work, but the dynamic is a lot different. With everything going on in my personal life, I needed to hang out with my friend Shay, not the head of the hospital Shay.

“Hey there, lady! You’re looking good!” She hopped up from her seat and we shared a hug. I may have put a little more effort into my look than I normally do. My skinny jeans were feeling great when I slipped them on tonight and I paired the jeans with a light gray cashmere sweater and gray booties. The temps had dropped significantly in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, but I was nice in toasty in this outfit.

“Sometimes I need to remind myself that I’m not too old, ya know?” We both chuckled and then sat down. The waitress was by right away to take my drink order. Since I wanted the exact wine that Shay was already drinking, we went ahead and ordered a full bottle for the table. This place had a full dinner menu, but we decided to order our favorite little appetizers and create more of a tasting dinner than a full meal.

“So,” Shay began once the waitress had filled our wine glasses, “Who is watching Miss Eva tonight?”

“She’s at her best friend’s place. They’re having a sleepover. It’s her first one, so I’m not going to lie, I’m a little nervous. I know she’s in good hands with Dalton. He was going to make sure she calls before they head to bed tonight. Not that I think they’ll be doing much sleeping.”

“That’s right, I forget that Mr. Bad Manners was Eva’s best friend’s dad.” Shortly after learning that Dalton and I had connections beyond his physical therapy needs, I told Shay. There was nothing to hide or be sneaky about. Since both towns the hospital serviced were small, you were bound to know one of the patients here and there.

“His manners aren’t that bad outside of the hospital setting, I’ll tell you that much.”

Shay grinned over her glass of wine, “Is that true? Seems like maybe you know him more than you’re putting on.”

“Is that really what we’re here for today? I thought we were having a girl’s night.”

“I’m pretty sure that a girl’s night includes spilling all the tea, Liz. Come on, I’m an old boring married lady, give me something juicy to hear.”

I roll my eyes, “There is nothing juicy, Shay.”

“I don’t believe you,” she countered. “He’s a good-looking man, you’re allowed to have a little crush, ya know? As long as nothing happens while he’s your patient, it isn’t anybody’s business.”

I sigh and set down my fork, “That isn’t really a problem anymore because he transferred his care to another location in the city.”

“Whoa!” Her eyes opened wide, “Now I KNOW there isn’t something you aren’t telling me about. He was halfway through his treatments and I know there isn’t anybody better than you.”

“Maybe there is a little more than just being Eva’s best friend’s dad. We’ve grown close, but it was always as friends. We didn’t cross any lines while he was my patient.” I may have been telling a bit of a white lie, but I really didn’t want to get fired, but I also wanted to tell Shay. She had been my sounding board for all my guy issues while we were in college and beyond. Plus, if we’re getting technical, he stopped showing up to his appointments, so he was never my patient after we fooled around. I’m going to just keep that to myself though.