Page 124 of One Reckless Night

47

JARED

Iscrubbed out of the surgery, rolling my shoulders and stretching my neck to work out the kinks. The procedure had taken longer than expected. I hated when shit didn’t go to plan.

But I also secretly loved it. I loved the challenge. It was probably not something my patients or their families ever wanted to hear, but I loved a little excitement. I performed so many surgeries, it was easy to get bored. The unexpected got my heart racing. Not that I ever let it show.

But now I was running behind schedule.

I finished washing up and made my way to the waiting room to talk with the patient’s family. Being sick sucked. Being sick and confined to a hospital at Christmas was really shitty.

But in our case, I was kind of hoping we’d be in the hospital. Things were going good with the pregnancy, but I knew Amelia was uncomfortable.

After answering all the questions from the family, I headed to the locker room and quickly changed into my street clothes. It was nearly Christmas, but you wouldn’t know it in Florida. The air was warm, the palm trees swaying gently in the breeze and it was a beautiful day. I didn’t have time to appreciate it, though. I had somewhere to be.

Roger, my driver, was waiting for me outside the hospital. He nodded as I slid into the back seat, his expression calm and professional. “Where to?”

“The address I gave you earlier,” I said, checking my watch. “And step on it, Roger. I’m already late.”

He didn’t ask questions, just nodded and pulled away from the curb. I leaned back in the seat, my mind racing with all the things I wanted to say and do. This was it. The moment I’d been planning for weeks. The moment that would change everything.

When we arrived at the nondescript little shop, Clair was waiting outside, her arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently. She looked up as I approached, her expression a mix of annoyance and amusement. “You’re late,” she said. “I thought you were going to chicken out.”

“Surgery ran long,” I said, shrugging. “You know how it is. And there is no way in hell I’m chickening out.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. “Well, you’re here now. Are you ready?”

“Yep, I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”

Clair smiled, her expression softening. “Good. Let’s go.”

We stepped into the shop. It was a high-end jewelry store that catered to VIPs. It didn’t look like much from the outside, which only added to the excitement. Glass cases filled with sparkling rings, necklaces and other jewelry. A sales associate greeted us with a bright smile. Clair took charge immediately, steering me toward the engagement rings.

“What are you looking for?” Clair asked.

“Something… perfect,” I said, my eyes scanning the cases. “Something that says ‘I love you’ without needing words. Something that isn’t ostentatious. Something she can wear to work. And something that won’t maim our son.”

Clair raised an eyebrow. “That’s a lot for a simple ring.”

“Just help me find the ring, Clair.”

She laughed, shaking her head, and started pointing out options. We spent the next hour going through rings, Clair offering her opinion on each one. She was brutally honest, which I appreciated. If a ring wasn’t right, she didn’t sugarcoat it. I was beginning to think we would never find the right one. I thought this would be a lot easier.

“What about this one?” I asked, pointing to a ring with a simple, elegant design.

Clair studied it for a moment, then nodded. “It’s beautiful. Classic. Amelia would love it.”

I felt a surge of relief. “Good. Let’s⁠—”

Before I could finish, Claire’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen, her eyes widening. “It’s Shawn,” she said, her tone surprised.

I smirked. “Answer it.”

She did, putting the call on speaker so I could listen in while she continued to peruse the case. “Clair, I… uh… I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me tonight.”

Clair’s eyes lit up. She looked at me with a huge grin on her face.

“Well, it’s about damn time, Shawn,” she said. “We can talk about your timing later. I’ll meet you there at six, okay?”