Page 83 of Doc Rock
“No, I want that,”she blurted.
Ford held her gaze, and the air in the car became heavy. He finally wrenched his eyes away.
“Good,”he said, then opened his door and climbed out of the car, hearing Sie do the same.
The building they parked outside of was a pub that wouldn’t have been out of place in any small town in Australia. In fact, it looked just like the one they used to play at in their hometown.
“We’ll find the others, then I’ll go and change.”Sie led the way to the door, swinging it open she ushered him inside.
As she scanned the room, hesawher grin in recognition at a woman waving at her and pointing to some seats at their table.
“That’s Hel and Frost. They were at Clara’s baby shower.”Sie looked over her shoulder at him and pointed at a ginger woman and the big fella sitting next to her. Then she added,“Although you probably didn’tgetto meet anyone after finding me.”
“No, I didn’t. I stormed off pretty fast.”Ford’s lips pulled up at the corner.
“Yeah. I figured.”Sie didn’t comment further, instead leading him across the room.“Hi, guys!”she greeted her friends warmly.“This is Ford.”She pointed at him, but didn’t give them any more explanation.
A few of the other doctors waved in greeting, then froze when they looked at him properly. It looked like at least some of her friendsknewwho Ford was.
Hel’s eyebrows nearly shot up into her hairline, and Frost choked on the sip of drink he had just taken.
“Ford?”the ginger woman said squeakily.“As in, Ford?”She put more emphasis on his name.
“Yes. As in Ford.”Sie lifted her eyebrows in return.
“Nice to meet you.”The bear of a man was on his feet, having recovered from his choking fit and held his hand out.“I’m Frost. This is my fiancée Ethel.”He had a wicked grin on his face as he said it.
“Jake Winston Forster. I will kneecap you if you keep using that travesty of a name to introduce me by.”The woman who didn’t want to be called Ethel admonished, then made eye contact with Ford.“Don’t listen to him. He’s taken one too manyhockey pucks to the head and can’t remember his fiancées name is Hel.”
“Ice pucks to the head?”Ford asked, his eyebrows raised.
“I used to play ice hockey in the NHL,”Frost said.
Ford nodded. Oh yeah, Clara had told him that. His eyes strayed to Sie. Finding her had knocked that fact clean out of his head.
“I need to change. I’ve come straight from work. Can I trust you to look after Ford for a few minutes and not terrify him?”Sie asked, glaring at her two friends and ignoring the others who were whispering among themselves.
The couple glanced at each other, and Hel grinned broadly.“Nope. If you want to change, you need to take the risk.”
Sie rolled her eyes and turned to Ford.“If they ask anything you don’t want to answer, just say no comment.”
Hel chortled.“No comment means yes.”
“Behave. And have you checked your phone?”Sie asked.
Hel shook her head.“No. It’s in my handbag.”
“Do me a favour and check it while I’m gone,”Sie informed her, then murmured to Ford,“Will you be okay?”
Ford grinned at her.“I think I’ll be fine on my own for five minutes.”
Sie stared at him a moment longer, then muttered,“Don’t be so sure of that.”
Before Fordcouldanswer, she strode off towards the toilets. Hewatcheduntil she was out of sight.
By the time he turned back to the table, Hel was rifling through her bag for her phone. Pulling it out, she looked at the screen and screamed in delight, clutching onto Frost’s arm.
“They had their baby!”She thrust the phone under Frost’s nose, so hecouldlook at the picture too.
