Not Pretending Anymore by Ward, Penelope (big ebook reader .TXT) 📕

The truth was, I did check Molly out when she wasn’t looking. It would be pretty damn hard not to. But she didn’t need to know that.

She smiled. “It’s fine.”

“Anyway, the timing could be a total coincidence. But I don’t think it is. How about you? How are things with you and the good doc? Anything new on that front?”

“Not really.”

“Well, maybe seeing us together will give him the push he needs, like it seems to have for Julia.”

Molly swept the last of her waffle around her plate, dipping it into the melted ice cream. “Why does it need to be such a game? If Will likes me, why would he only act on it if he thinks he might lose his opportunity? Same with Julia. The entire thing seems so immature. To be honest, I still can’t get over what I did the other night at the bar. Taking off my bra and pretending to spill water on myself to get a man’s attention? I’m twenty-seven, not seventeen. Looking back, even though it accomplished what I’d set out to do, I’m pretty mortified.”

I shook my head. “I think sometimes we’re all so busy looking for what’s out there that we miss something amazing right in front of us. Does it matter if jealousy or whatever makes us wake up, as long as it does?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess. Maybe that’s just the way life is—but it seems silly.”

It hit me that although Molly was talking about Will, she could have been talking about what went down with her mother and father. And it wasn’t lost on me that Will had the same occupation as her old man, and Molly and her stepmother were both nurses. I was no psychiatrist, but I sensed there might be some deep-rooted correlation.

I got up to put my plate in the sink. “When’s the next time you work with Dr. Hyperopia.”

Her nose scrunched up. “Hyperopia?”

“As opposed to myopia. It’s what you call someone who can see long distance, but not up close.”

“Oh.” She smiled. “I get it.” Molly took her plate to the sink and rinsed it. “He’s the on-call OB this Friday night. So if anyone goes into labor, I’ll probably see him then. It’s rare we go a night without the OB having to come in to deliver.”

“Why don’t I come pick you up for lunch, then?”

“Uh…because I work seven at night to seven in the morning. My lunch hour is at midnight.”

I shrugged. “So?”

“I’m not going to ask you to come to the hospital at that hour.”

“You didn’t ask. I offered.”

“I know…but…”

“It’s a date, Mollz.”

She sighed. “Okay, thank you. Let’s see if he’s even there.”

We cleaned up the rest of the kitchen together in silence, and then Molly said, “I think I’m going to call my mom back. If I don’t, she’ll worry all night about how upset I was when I hung up. I should probably also get in touch with my sister, though it’s pretty late in London now. Maybe I’ll wait until morning to call her.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“By the way, I haven’t had Belgian waffles and ice cream since I was a kid. It was delicious. Thanks for making me breakfast for dinner.”

“No problem. I’m going to go do some reading in my room for work. But if you want to talk after you hang up with your mom, you know where to find me.”

“Thank you.”

Molly poured herself another glass of wine and said goodnight before heading down the hallway to her room. She turned back as she got to her bedroom door, only to catch my eyes glued to her ass. I’d thought she was going to be pissed off, but instead she smirked.

“I guess you’re not afflicted with hyperopia?”

My lips curved to a grin. “Twenty-twenty vision. Thank God.”

“Goodnight, Dec. Thanks for everything. And I don’t just mean making me dinner.”

“Anytime. ’Night, Mollz.”

CHAPTER 6

Molly

“Holy crap. Some woman who just pushed out a watermelon is going to be pregnant again too soon.”

Daisy and I were sitting at the nurses’ station next to each other, but I had no idea what she was talking about. I looked up from the computer screen and traced her line of sight.

Oh my. A man was strutting down the hall carrying an enormous bouquet of flowers. He had on a well-fitted, three-piece suit with the knot of the tie slightly loosened, and a five o’clock shadow peppered his carved jawline. Not just any carved jawline—Declan’s carved jawline. Spotting me, he flashed a million-dollar smile and two cavernous dimples.

“Actually…” Daisy whispered. “I think he just got me pregnant.”

I’d had no idea he was coming since he was supposed to call first. So between the surprise of seeing him and how amazing he looked, I seemed to be incapable of speaking. Instead, I sat and stared until he walked right up to me.

“Hey, gorgeous.”

Daisy’s eyes widened as I stood.

“Declan…what are you doing here?”

He held up a bag I hadn’t even noticed in his hand. “I made you dinner…or I guess it would be your lunch.” He extended the flowers to me. “And brought you these.”

“They’re beautiful. But…you didn’t have to do that. I didn’t realize you were coming.”

“I wanted to surprise you. Did you take your break yet?”

I shook my head. “No. But I can go in, like, fifteen minutes. I just need to finish up a few things here.”

Daisy, whom I’d forgotten was still sitting next to me, stood up and plucked the patient’s chart from my hands.

“I’ll finish for you.”

“Oh…okay. Thanks, Daisy.”

Declan’s ears perked up hearing the name. “Daisy, huh?” he said. “I’m Declan, Molly’s date for dinner this evening.”

“Nice to meet you, Declan.”

“You, too. I appreciate you covering for my girl so I can eat with her. I work days, and she works nights, so I miss seeing her face.”

Daisy seemed unable to stop smiling. “That’s so sweet. Take as long as you want. It’s pretty quiet tonight, so