Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Josie?” Aiden’s voice penetrates my silent musings.
I blink. “Yeah…um…I think I could commit to that. But I might want to knock those hours out in just one day so I can still maintain a few days off for myself.”
“Totally understand,” he says with obvious delight in his voice I’ve accepted. “This is going to be awesome to work on this project with you. Just like the old days.”
I laugh, because Aiden and I used to butt heads all the time in residency, but I think that might have just been our total familiarity with each other since we were a couple. “Well, thanks for asking me.”
“Sure thing,” he says, and turns for the door. Just before he reaches the knob, it opens and a nurse pokes her head in.
She looks to Aiden, then me, and smiles big. “You got a delivery, Josie.”
She pushes the door open further and she’s holding the biggest bouquet of flowers I’ve ever seen in my life. Hydrangea, Gerber daisies, roses, and some purple flower on a stalk that I have no clue what it is. The vase is tall and thick, and there’s a box tied to it with a ribbon.
“Wow,” Aiden says in awe. “Reed sure has the romance thing down.”
I quickly analyze Aiden’s tone, but I don’t detect any snideness or bitterness. He seems genuinely impressed by the display.
The nurse brings the vase all the way in and sets it on the desk. I stare at it in disbelief because of its monstrous size. I’ve never had anyone send me flowers before, but I’ve seen other people get them and I’ve never seen arrangements this big.
“Enjoy your flowers,” Aiden says with a wink, then walks out of the office with the nurse. When the door closes, I reach to pull out the card from among the blooms and giggle nervously as I realize my hand is shaking.
I stare at the words curiously, not understanding what they mean.
If it’s meant to be…
Password: 4593
Thoroughly confused, I untie the box from the vase. When I lift the lid, I see an iPod nestled inside some blue silk fabric. I pull it out and turn it on. When the password screen lights up, I type in the password from the note card.
I stare at the home screen, not sure what I’m supposed to do with it, but since it’s an iPod, which is first and foremost about music, I pull up the iTunes app. There’s only one song listed, “Meant to Be,” by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line.
Never heard of it or the people who sing it, but I push play and listen.
Immediately the hair stands up on the back of my head from just the first few words sung by a male country singer. He’s joined by a female singer with a voice so beautiful my eyes sting. They sing a song of finding each other and wondering where their relationship is going, the key message being if it’s meant to be, it will be.
I find myself softly singing the chorus, So won’t you ride with me, ride with me? See where this thing goes.
When the music fades away, I blink my eyes hard to dispel the moisture and let out a sigh of pure happiness. Who thinks to do something like that?
And how in the hell had Reed gone from banging every Barbie doll in the free world to bestowing the ultimate in romantic gestures?
I know it happened sometime in the past several weeks, and I also know that I’m falling hard and fast for this guy.
Chapter 19
Reed
Not sure how it’s become my favorite thing to surprise Josie in the parking lot when she gets off work, but I find myself doing it more and more. Most often, I’ll just take her somewhere close by for a late dinner and then back to her car, where I’ll follow her home.
Sometimes I’ll just bring her home with me in my Tahoe and we’ll eat pizza in bed and rock the headboard hard. On those nights, I get up early to take her into work the next day if she has a shift.
I know all of this is going to change drastically when the training camp starts in less than thirty days, so I suppose I’d better take advantage of my free time and use it all on Josie so we cement what we have into something solid and long lasting. I’m definitely ready for more.
I’m sure Josie got that message today when I had flowers and a song delivered to her at the hospital. God, she was fucking adorable when she called me.
Reed, she’d said in a breathy, awed voice. What am I going to do with you?
Whatever you want, Doc, I’d replied.
The flowers are gorgeous, she had murmured, and as if she was taking a moment to reflect internally for the right emotion, she added, That song…it’s just…perfect.