Page 315 of The Doctors Will See You Now

The rest of the people I knew were gone. How long had I zoned out?

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Just…the last twenty-four hours have been pretty long. I worked night shift last night,” I half lied. I mean, the facts were true, but I’d been awake for more than twenty-four hours more times in my life than I could even keep track of. That shit had nothing to do with my current wandering mind.

“No date tonight?” Winnie asked with a smirk.

“You know I never bring a date to this shit. Unless it’s you.”

Wes shook his head with a laugh, but he pulled Winnie even tighter into his side with his arm at her hip.

I put both hands up in defense and laughed. “Don’t worry, Wes. Not at all interested.”

Wes smiled, but Winnie leaned forward and hit me. “And what’s wrong with me exactly?”

I laughed again. “I don’t think I can win right now, so I’m just going to shut up.”

Wes leaned back out of Winnie’s sight line and mouthed one word to me. “Smart.”

Will tapped on the microphone at the front of the ballroom, and Winnie dropped her voice to a whisper. “Shit. I think that means we’re supposed to sit down. What table are you at?”

I pulled the little place card from my breast pocket and flipped it open to see.

“Eight.”

“Same as us!” she cheered softly. “Come on.”

Wes just shook his head as Winnie grabbed my hand and pulled me. I smiled. I actually missed my friend. It was good to see her.

“Hey, everybody!” Winnie called as we made it to the table and Wes held out her chair for her. “Does anyone not know Scott Shepard from St. Luke’s?”

I scanned the faces of those I knew: Kline, Georgia, Wes, Winnie, Nick Raines—another doctor at St. Luke’s and Winnie’s ex, who looked more miserable than even me, by the way—and then stopped when I got to a couple I’d heard about but never actually met.

“We don’t,” the huge guy said, offering me his hand. “Thatcher Kelly. And this is my wife, Cassie.”

“Hi,” Cassie greeted, holding out her own hand and then keeping it.

Uhh…

“You’re hot.”

I glanced around the table, a little fucking panicked at this point. Her husband was really fucking big. But he just winked at me. “She’s right. You’re pretty fucking attractive.”

I glanced to Winnie for help, but she shrugged.

Actually, as I looked around the table, everyone looked pretty unfazed.

When my eyes finally made their way back to Thatcher, he was smiling big and broad. “Yep. This is how we always are. Nice to meet you.”

I laughed a little, thinking, as weird as they seemed, I liked them immediately. There was just something about them. And if I wasn’t mistaken, Cassie Kelly was sans bra, and I didn’t really mind that either. “Nice to meet you too.”

“Uh, hi everyone,” Melody’s voice said over the speakers cautiously. I turned my attention to the front just in time to see Will give her an encouraging nod. I guessed public speaking wasn’t exactly her thing.

“First, let me just tell you how thankful I am to all of you who you came tonight. You have no idea how many deserving women you’re helping by being here and donating your time and money.

“But I know, and they know, and trust me, we’ll never forget.”

Georgia put her fingers to her lips and wolf-whistled through a giggle before an ever-patient Kline pulled her fingers from her mouth and kissed them.