Page 28 of Guarding Over You
“You make a good point,” she said. “I hope you haven’t had too many deadly ones.”
“Not mistakes,” he said. “But in my job, the outcome can be horrible no matter how many things you do right.”
“God, listen to our depressing conversation. I get enough of that in my job. Tell me more about the townhouses. Anything or anyone I need to be on the lookout for? So far it’s pretty quiet. Gracie has been riding her bike around with me next to her and the traffic is calm too.”
He was more than willing to change the subject right there with her. He didn’t need the reminder of the ones who didn’t make it.
Most were losses he couldn’t have prevented, complications beyond his hands. Others… he’d never even learned how they ended and maybe that was for the best.
Treat them. Move on. Don’t let it stick.
Because once you let it in—once you started replaying every decision—it could eat you alive.
He knew better than to let that happen. Not if he wanted to keep his head straight, his career intact, and the part of him that still cared from getting crushed.
Then Arden’s voice cut through the noise. Steady, warm, real. She was saying hi, waving to someone else, her smile filling her face when she turned her attention back to him.
And just like that, the heaviness eased. She didn’t even realize she’d done it, but she had that effect on him. Reminding him that not every thought, every word, or every action had to carry weight.
“It’s a nice area,” he said. “Quiet like you said. The only traffic is those living there and nothing dangerous I’ve seen. No speeding or anything like that. Everyone is pretty respectful and we are toward the back, so easy enough for her to ride around.”
“I have to say,” she said, “one of the best decisions I’ve made in the past year. Seems to be working out well. Every part of it.”
It was the look of pure appreciation in her eyes that got him. For the guy sitting across from her.
Her gaze lingered, tracing his face as if she were trying to memorize it, that soft grin still tugging at her lips. Her fingers played absently with the fork, a slow twist, a tell he probably wasn’t supposed to notice. And damn if it didn’t do something to him.
He wasn’t easily thrown off, but the warmth in her eyes hit somewhere deep past the armor, past the practiced calm he wore like a cage for all around him.
For a second, he forgot about the hospital, the noise, the burden of everything he carried, but all he saw was her.
“That’s the thing about life—it’s happening all around you, the good, the bad, the joy, and the sorrow. You just have to decide what you’re going to latch on to.” He looked at his watch, knew he needed to get a move on and his lunch was gone, all but a few fries he picked up. The thoughts in his head were getting a little deeper than he’d planned on top of it. “Speaking of latching on, got to get to the ER. It was nice talking to you.”
“You too,” she said.
He picked up his tray, dumped the remains of his lunch in the garbage and slid the blue plastic on top. Grabbing the rest of his water bottle, he went to the locker room to change into scrubs.
He made his way to the nurse’s station, Maddy waiting there with a massive grin. “There he is. Didn’t think you were going to break away from your lunch date.”
“What?” he asked.
Erika and Shelly were at the station and both stopped to listen to Maddy. “I ran down and saw you sitting with the cute new social worker. Arden, right?”
“That’s her,” he said. “And I’m sure you noticed the place was packed. It was the only open seat so I snagged it.”
“Sure,” Maddy said. “You tell yourself that. You think I haven’t noticed how you look at her? She was down hereyesterday too and your eyes locked in as if you were a missile ready to launch.”
“Now, Dr. Ridgeway, you’re not going to be one of those typical men and make a comment on that, are you?” Shelly asked.
“My boyfriend would,” Erika said, wiggling her eyebrows. “Worse if there were other men around to hear.”
“No comment,” he said. “Sexist or otherwise. It was an open seat, I ate lunch. I found out Arden lives in the same townhouse unit as me, so just being friendly. Time to get to work.”
Erika narrowed her eyes at his response. Sorry if she didn’t like it, but he wasn’t going to do the typical immature shit other men might, nor would he be caught gossiping. Friend or not.
But it was more than that, and if others saw it, then maybe he’d have to be more careful. If for no other reason than to protect Arden from being caught up in the ER staff’s playfulness.
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