Page 12 of Doctor's Bossy Match
I hang up and call Mom and check in with her as I drive.The engine gives a tiny splutter I pretend not to hear, and I keep talking until I pull into Scarlet’s house.
Scarlet lives on one of those sprawling lots just outside of town.Classic old money with a sloped lawn, sweeping porch; the kind of place that makes you feel underdressed just parking out front.
Half the reason I’m back here in Pulse Point, doing my residency, is because of her.
I step out of the car, inhale deeply, and make my way up the stone steps.My heart beats faster as I press the bell.
The door swings open with a burst of energy.
“Oh, my God!I can’t believe it.”Scarlet practically launches at me, arms flung wide.
We hug tightly, and for the first time all day, I feel myself exhale.Something about her untangles the knot in my chest.
“I’m so excited you’re here,” she says, pulling me inside by the hand.She looks exactly the same, with red bouncy curls and a big, bright smile.Marriage and motherhood suit her.
A little boy peeks out from behind her leg.Then, in a flash, he ducks back behind it.
“Dusty,” she coos, glancing down.“This is Regan.Mommy’s friend from school, remember?The one from the video calls?”
He nods shyly, fingers gripping the hem of her top.He’s bigger than he looked on my phone screen.The last time I actually saw Scarlet in person was over five years ago, when she was pregnant with him at her baby shower.
I crouch slightly, smiling.“Hi, Dusty.You’ve definitely got your mom’s eyes.”
He just blinks at me, then whispers something to Scarlet I can’t quite catch.
She laughs.“He wants to know if you’re staying for dinner.”
“I’d love to, but it’s been a big day.Next time, for sure,” I say, looking up at her.“But where’s Greer?”I ask as I stand up.
“At work,” she says with a shrug, then flashes a mischievous grin.“Even better.More time for us to catch up.”
She loops her arm through mine, leading me into the house.
The place is stunning, with herringbone floors, a massive country-style kitchen island centered like a showpiece, and touches of green in every corner, like it was staged for a magazine.
But it’s more than just the aesthetic.She has the husband, the kid, the life.
This is what I want to come home to someday, what I hope to find after stepping out from my father’s shadow and proving myself back in the city.Not the house, exactly.But the love and stability.The sense that someone chose to build this with you, not because they had to, but because they wanted to.
I shift my attention back to Scarlet, feeling a little jealous.She made it look so easy, staying here, building something beautiful.But then again, she didn’t have my father.
Scarlet moves into the kitchen, flipping the kettle on.“Let me make you some tea,” she says, already reaching for the cupboard and making us tea.
I sink onto a stool at the island.
“So,” she says, sliding a mug across the table until it bumps gently against my hand.“First day, how was it?Don’t hold back.”
I curl my fingers around the warm ceramic, grateful for something to do with my hands as I think.Where do I even start?The gossip?Brant?My dad?“It was… good.Overwhelming, honestly.I barely saw the new wing; they threw me straight into the deep end.”
It’s not the whole truth.I leave out the whispers about getting the job because of my dad, and the annoying feeling like I have to work twice as hard to prove I deserve to be there.But Scarlet doesn’t need all that yet.
She leans back against the counter, arms crossed, but a smile tugging at her lips.“Classic hospital moves.Welcome back, now go sink or swim.”
I chuckle, lifting the mug to my lips.“Exactly.”
Her eyes light up.“I’m so excited about the new cardiac wing.It’s actually happening.”
“Thanks to your family, seriously,” I say, lowering the mug.“It’s a big deal.”
