“No, come on down and try it out,” Ty said.
“Thank you!” Nate nudged Damon. “I’m thinking it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to come close to the number of push-ups you can do.”
“Maybe not now, but you can get the jump on some training,” Damon said. “I’m going up to Boston for a month next week.”
Understanding dawned in Nate’s eyes. “You’re on. We’ll square off when you get back.” They bumped fists, then Nate looked down at the card again. “I can’t wait to see this place inside. How long can I stay?”
“All day,” Kyle said. “We’re open six to midnight.”
“Awesome. You’re going to lose money on this day pass.”
“We can do better than that,” Cassie said smoothly. “I just thought of our next promotion.” They all turned to her and she smiled. “We’re going to offer a discount on membership to service men and women, whether they’re active or not.”
“You served: you get the discount,” Theo agreed with a nod. “I like it.”
“Like Disneyland,” Kyle said. “That’ll totally rock.”
“I’ll be saving my pennies,” Nate said with enthusiasm.
“You need to install the app to plan your day,” Meesha said and took charge of Nate’s phone. Cassie explained that he could book into classes online or just check the schedule and the entire group turned to leave the church.
Damon followed the others with the priest. He’d arranged for a small reception in the room the church used for social functions and he could hear conversation already building as he approached. A couple of kids brought the pictures and he couldn’t believe how much better he felt.
All that energy shared by others had really helped.
It was just as Haley had said.
Yet she hadn’t come. He knew why. She’d wanted him to call her, to invite her, to make the next move for once, and he hadn’t done it.
He’d make that right ASAP.
Haley heard Garrett’s voice before she saw him.
That just gave her time to have a small heart attack and compose her features before he caught up with her. She was leaving the interview and crossing the lobby of the hospital, just starting to think she might have missed seeing him, when she heard him laugh. She didn’t turn around but kept walking, letting him catch up with her.
Her heart was thundering.
The inevitable meeting was upon her and she felt more flustered than she had for the interview.
The interview had gone well. Haley arrived early, thanks to her mom being off and lending her the car, and her own inclination to leave lots of time for wrong turns. She liked the doctor and the head nurse who had spearheaded the program and thought it would be easy to work within the outline of their plan. She felt at ease with them and didn’t think that she fumbled any of the interview questions.
She’d just been wondering what she’d do the rest of the day when she heard Garrett.
Of course, he wouldn’t leave their meeting to chance.
Garrett was big on making his own luck.
She figured she had her mom to thank for Garrett knowing about her interview. He’d probably timed his appearance in the lobby to coincide with her departure. No doubt his plan was to see her after the interview rather than before, when she might be nervous. Garrett planned for all the variables.
“Haley Slater! Is that you?” he called, his deep voice booming through the hospital lobby. Haley was sure that every person within half a mile turned to look.
She pivoted to face him and tried to look surprised, as if she hadn’t been both expecting and dreading this meeting since getting out of Brad’s truck. “Garrett! What a surprise. You’re looking well.”
That was an understatement. He looked fabulous. Garrett had always been tall and handsome, but now he was a successful man. He’d filled out a little and had a touch of silver at his temples. He still had a killer smile and the looks of a movie star. That confidence oozed from every pore. People turned to look at him wherever he went, drawn by some magnetism he possessed. He managed to look handsome, glamorous and purposeful as he strode toward her, a stethoscope around his neck and a chart under his arm. Haley couldn’t keep her body from responding to the sight.
Oh, how she had loved this man. Did she still? Her heart squeezed tightly as he bent to kiss her cheek. She remembered the feel of his whiskers against her skin in the morning, the weight of his hand on her hip as he slept, the secretive little smile he gave her when he was thinking something naughty. She closed her eyes as she caught a whiff of that cologne he wore, the one that still curled her toes, then he looked intently into her eyes just the way he always did. She’d teased him that he could read her thoughts whenever he looked at her like that. It still took her breath away.
Blue, blue, blue. A thousand hues of blue. And that concentrated concern. It was like looking into the sun. Haley’s mouth went dry.
Garrett could still do it. He could still make her feel like she was the only person of importance on the planet and the center of his universe. That look still turned her knees to butter and made her heart do somersaults. Her palms were damp, as if she was sixteen all over again.
Was this kismet?
Haley tried to remind herself that he’d dumped her for Krista and failed.
She remembered instead that he was divorced.
“Haley,” he murmured, his voice warm. His gaze swept over her and filled with admiration. “You look fantastic. How did the interview go?”
Haley blinked. Of course, he knew why she was at the hospital. Her mom had probably told him everything. “Well enough, I think.”
“Well enough,” he echoed, shaking his head. “You and your modesty. It’s like a breath of fresh air. Still an idealist believing the good guys have to win?”
“Doesn’t everyone think that?”
Garrett laughed. “Do you have time for a coffee with an old friend?” He’d already claimed her elbow and was guiding her toward the coffee shop.
Haley felt her brows rise and she said something she would never have said before. “Old friend?” she echoed lightly. “Is that what we are?”
“Aren’t we friends, Haley?” His sidelong gaze was piercing and very blue.
Haley looked down, her feelings mixed. “I think most women would have less than fond memories of a fiancé who married someone else,” she said with care.
“But we weren’t really engaged,” he protested.
“Funny. I thought we were.”
“But that was just between us, Haley. We hadn’t announced it. I hadn’t bought a ring.” He smiled, as if that explained everything, but Haley’s stomach twisted.
She remembered his insistence that they choose the rings after his residency was finished.
She sat down, her thoughts spinning, and he got them both a coffee. He charmed the woman behind the counter and Haley didn’t think he paid for the coffees. She wasn’t surprised that he remembered how she liked hers, because the man had a photographic memory.
Was it possible that Garrett wasn’t perfect after all?
Haley knew that Damon wouldn’t have played word games like that. He did what he said he was going to do—and refused to offer what he couldn’t do.