Heart Like Mine (18 page)

Ethan laughed. “It might be sparkling grape juice, at this rate. Not sure we have anything more serious here.”

“Sounds good. Don't want to get too inebriated too early. I hate when people show up trashed to their own surprise parties.”

The table went silent, and Delaney felt suddenly like the one person in the room who wasn't in on the joke.

“What are you talking about, Mols?” Joshua tipped his head and did a really good mystified look, if indeed they were trying to cover for a surprise party.

“Oh, come on.” She looked around at all of them. “I'm so onto you. My birthday's in three days, it's Saturday, Mama gave me a rare night off, and Josie just happened to invite me up here for drinks?” She wrinkled her nose. “Which—okay, a little weird—turn out to be grape juice?”

“Highly suspicious.” Ethan nodded as he opened the bottle of juice and poured the carbonated beverage into their glasses. “But you're wrong, Mols. No surprise party. This is it.”

“Seriously?”

Josie turned to her. “Don't you think we'd find somewhere better to go than a kitchen? You spend half your life in a kitchen.”

Molly eyed them all, including Delaney. Then she jumped up and pushed through the swinging doors that led to the living room. One second later, she pushed back through them and sat back down in her seat.

“Huh.”

Josie giggled. “Think there was a herd of people out there waiting to yell
‘Surprise!'
?”

“No.”

“Sure.” Josh leaned over and squeezed her shoulder. Delaney kind of wished it was hers.

“Fine. Maybe.” Molly picked up her glass. “Okay, enough about me—you know, since nothing apparently
is
about me tonight. What are we toasting?”

Josie lifted her glass. “A successful interview with the
Boston Globe
.”

“You nailed it?” Molly's eyes widened as she looked at Ethan and Joshua.

Ethan nodded. “We totally nailed it.” Then he looked at his watch. “I'm starving. You guys want to throw some steaks on the grill?”

Josie put her hand to her mouth, looking stricken. “Oh, no. I never went for groceries today. We have lettuce, pickles, and an egg, I think.”

He grimaced, looking around the table. “Anybody want to go out?”

Delaney felt suddenly out of place among this crowd who'd known each other since high school. They were so easy with one another—an ease that came only from a shared history … and a shared present. They probably hung out together every weekend.

Josie put her hand on Molly's. “Can you stand to go to Bellinis? Might be the only place we can get a table at this hour, if we call Mama B before we leave.”

Molly sank down in her chair. “Now I
know
there's no surprise party, because you people would never make me have it at my own flipping restaurant.”

Josie and Ethan stood up, and Molly gathered her purse, eyes landing on Joshua and Delaney. “You two coming?”

Delaney shook her head. “Oh, thanks. I'd love to, but I need to get back to—”

“Come on.” Josie grabbed her elbow. “We know you just ate there last night, but really, can you get too much Bellinis? You've barely eaten all day.”

Delaney turned to Joshua. How'd they know about last night? And why did she get a secret little thrill knowing he'd maybe told them? “I don't want to crash your dinner. I was just here for the interview.”

Joshua stood up, holding out a hand. “The interview ended up lasting all day. You must be starving, too. Come with us.”

“Are you—sure?”

This was so awkward—him practically being forced to ask her while his three friends stood waiting.

He smiled, and her knees felt it first. “Can you stand another dinner with me?”

“I'm not at all sure.”

Ethan laughed as he opened the door and motioned everyone outside. “Okay, we're settled. Molly? Ride with me and Josie? Josh and Delaney, want to follow?”

They all filed out the door, and when they got outside, Delaney automatically started for her own car as Josie, Ethan, and Molly piled into an SUV at the edge of the driveway.

Before she got to her car, Joshua put a hand on her elbow. “Want to ride down there with me?” He waved as the SUV left the driveway, and then he leaned close. “This totally
is
Molly's surprise party. Parking down there's going to be a nightmare. Ride with me. I promise I'll bring you back whenever you want to leave.”

“I don't know, Joshua. I should probably get home. You have plans already. I don't want to crash. Really.”

“You wouldn't be crashing. Half of Echo Lake will be there. It's going to be loud and crazy and Italian, in all the best ways. You'll be family by the time you finish your first drink.”

She smiled. “Is that how Bellinis parties work?”

“All the ones I've seen.” He shrugged. “Come with me, Delaney. I'd really like it if you would.”

“Have I mentioned the part about how I break out in hives in crowds?”

“Stranger danger?” He winked.

“Pretty much. Just one of the reasons I work on the sixth floor. Fewer humans up there.”

He laughed. “Well, from what I've seen this week, nobody would know you're clinically terrified. You've handled the third-floor strangers pretty well.”

“Right.” She rolled her eyes. “Those ones are scared not to be nice to me. They're all sure I have their employee ID numbers recorded on my layoff sheet.”

“True.” He nodded, smiling. Then he put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently, steering them toward his truck. “Come on. Let's go to the party. I have a feeling you get out just about as much as I do these days. We could both use a couple of hours away from the hospital, don't you think?”

She bit her lip as he opened the truck door, letting his hand slide down her back. When she turned to answer, she found herself deliciously trapped between his body and the truck, and for a long moment, neither of them spoke. His eyes went to her lips, and she felt her breathing go shallow as her own eyes traced his five o'clock shadow, then the open collar of his shirt, then back up to his eyes, which had cruised silently from friendly and amused to downright hot.

She swallowed. Oh, God. He was going to kiss her.

And oh,
God
, she was dying for him to. If he
didn't
kiss her right now,
she
was going to kiss
him
.

Then he closed his eyes tightly for a brief second, stepping back. “We should—the party.”

“Right.” She swallowed. “Of course.”

He took her hand to help her into the truck, but didn't linger this time. Instead, he closed the door and headed around the truck, leaving Delaney to attempt a two-second recovery before he got into the other side.

He opened his door and slid inside, throwing her a friendly smile, like the previous minute hadn't actually happened. “Ready?”

She took a deep breath.
More ready than either of us wants to know right now.

“Ready.”

“Quick piece of advice, since this is your first Bellinis party.” He started the engine, then squeezed her knee. “No matter how hard Molly's dad tries, do
not
have more than one of his killer drinks, or I will have to carry you out of there.”

Delaney's stomach jumped again, picturing him slinging her over his shoulder and taking her home. She wished the thought wasn't so appealing.

“I might have three, just to see if you can do it.”

Oh. God
. Had she really just said that?

He looked over, his eyebrows up.

Yep. She'd said that.

He cleared his throat. “I'll keep that in mind.”

*   *   *

“So.” Ethan sidled up to the bar next to Josh two hours later, lifting a beer as he scanned the crowd.

“So—what?”

“So—Delaney.”

Josh's eyes locked on her, sitting in a booth across the restaurant with Josie. She was laughing at something Josie'd just said, and though he couldn't hear the sound over the noise of the crowd, he'd heard it last night in that same booth, and he could feel it in his gut.

He looked sidelong at Ethan. “Have you been assigned by Josie and Molly to get the scoop?”

“Absolutely.”

Josh rolled his eyes, lifting his beer to his lips, trying not to think of her tongue nervously licking her own lips just a couple of hours ago, sending him to a fresh hell as he'd watched.

“Colleague. She's just a colleague.”

“You're sure?”

“Let me ask you something.” Josh turned toward him. “Why is it that everyone is suddenly so interested in my nonexistent dating life?”

Ethan shrugged, a sly smile on his face. “Maybe because it looks like the nonexistent part might be waning?”

“We're not dating.”

“I know. Self-imposed hospital-employee dating ban and all.”

“Exactly.”

“So tell me this—if you didn't work with her, would you want to date her?”

Josh paused, not willing to answer. His eyes traveled to the far booth again, and he could see Delaney's shoulder where her lacy summer sweater had slipped down. He had an overwhelming urge to push through the crowd, kiss that shoulder, and then slide the fabric back up for her.

He cleared his throat. “I might.”

“You're in so much trouble, buddy.” Ethan laughed as he clapped him on the shoulder. “Tell you what. I'll cover for you if you want to go offer her a ride home. If you leave now, you might be able to catch the sunset down at Twilight Cove.”

“I'm not dragging her out to our old high school make-out spot.”

“She didn't grow up here. She won't know. She'll just think you're a sucker for sunsets.”

Josh rolled his eyes. “You know, you're starting to sound an awful lot like a sappy old married guy.”

“Scary, isn't it?” Ethan put his empty bottle on the bar. “Go get the girl, Josh.”

“I don't have time to date somebody. You know that. It'll end just like the rest of them have, and Delaney's too—nice—to do that to.”

“Or … maybe it
won't
end like the rest of them have. Maybe she's different.”

Josh paused, picturing her walking around his pediatric floor all week. “Oh, she's definitely different.”

“Well? How can you not want to at least find out if there might be something there? Don't be a dumbass, or you'll end up watching somebody
else
leave with her. How's that gonna feel?” Ethan clapped him on the shoulder again, then turned to head across the room toward Josie and Delaney.

Josh
did
want to find out if there was something. He so did. But who was he kidding? The heat between them at his truck earlier could have seared them both, had he actually leaned in and kissed her. She'd wanted him to—he'd felt it. But really, that's what would do him in eventually. He'd ask her out on a real date, things would maybe go well, and a month down the road, she'd be itching for more time together and he'd be unable to deliver it.

And
kaput
.

That's how his relationships went. Every single time. Even the one that he'd
thought
was different.

Since Nicole, he hadn't actually dated women he could envision spending more than a month with, anyway, but still. Between the hospital and Avery's House, he was lucky to have five free hours a week. It wasn't fair to make any woman think he had any more to give than that right now.

Maybe someday, when he had his own practice and could make his own schedule, he could finally think about more than casual, once-in-a-great-while dating. But right now, with both of his workplaces operating on shoestring budgets and not enough people, he was much better off keeping to himself.

His parents had sacrificed everything so he could be a doctor, and then they'd died before he'd even graduated. They'd been so tied down with his debt that they hadn't even retired yet, and the guilt of that still ate at him every day. So no way was he going to do his job halfway. Ever. He owed them that.

He looked at Delaney again, but this time, she was looking straight at him, and he felt suddenly guilty for leaving her alone for so long. She didn't know a soul besides Josie and Ethan in this crowd of Bellini family members and restaurant regulars.

Then his view was interrupted as Molly's dad pushed through the crowd with a pitcher of his signature lemonade, headed straight for Josie and Delaney's table.
Ah, hell
. If that man filled up their glasses again, both he and Ethan would be hauling the women out of here in wheelbarrows tonight.

He headed across the bar, determined to get to Delaney before she regretted the entire evening.

 

Chapter 16

“Delaney, have you tried my lemonade yet?” Papi held up a frosty pitcher, tipping it toward her empty glass. Delaney blinked hard, realizing she was seeing two of him. Either she was way more tired than she thought, or the delicious lemonade she'd just inhaled was spiked.

She pulled her glass toward her. “Just finished one, Mr. Bellini. I think I'm all set.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You come to my restaurant for a private party—you call me Papi. That's the way it goes. And you drink my lemonade.”

He poured the icy liquid into her glass, then turned to Josie. “Josie? You want some more?”

Josie shook her head. “One's good for me, Papi.”

“Okay, then. You girls have fun. You want we should start the music?” He did a funny jig-style dance move, making both of them laugh, then moved back toward the bar, stopping to refill glasses along the way.

Knowing she probably shouldn't, Delaney took a long sip of the lemonade, loving the way it slid down her throat with both a chill and a tiny burn. It was getting hot in the restaurant, and the drink was refreshing and delicious.