“Everything I’ve eaten in Miami is so good.”
Her face turns bright red, and oh shit. I realize she thinks that means her, too. Well, it does. Of course it does, but I didn’t actually mean that when I said it. I start to laugh, and I can’t stop no matter how hard I try.
Before I know it, she’s laughing, too, and everyone else is looking at the two of us like we’re crazy. Maybe we are. All I know is I like being with her, and I want more of her.
Chapter 3
DEE
I cannot believe he said that! He’s laughing so hard, he can’t breathe, and he’s taken me down with him. The sheer outrageousness of the comment broke the tension that has filled me since I heard about Marcus being in the hospital.
“Um, what’d we miss?” Carmen asks, her shrewd gaze darting from me to him and then back to me again.
“Do not repeat that,” I say to Wyatt.
He wipes tears off his face as he sends me a dirty grin. How can one man be so incredibly gorgeous? He reminds me of Patrick Dempsey at the height of his Doctor McDreamy-ness, with wavy dark hair, blue eyes and a smile that lights up his face. And, apparently, a filthy mind. Although I sort of already knew that…
I can’t believe I slept with this man, had dirty sex with this man—three times—and no one knows that but the two of us. It’s not like me to keep something like that from Maria and Carmen, but for some reason, I just never got around to telling them. Now, he’s back and asking me to go for a ride with him later tonight and see him tomorrow night, and there’s no way I’m going to be able to keep whatever this is with him hidden from them for much longer.
We were raised by mothers and grandmothers who are experts at extracting information from unwilling parties. Any of us can sniff out a scoop with the tenacity of a bloodhound, and judging by the way the two of them are watching us as we enjoy our inside joke, they’re on the scent. Maria has already asked me if he’s the Wyatt who was texting me earlier.
It’s not that I’d care if they know, but for some reason, I want to keep him to myself for a bit longer. I try not to pay too much attention to him as we eat the delicious enchiladas that Austin insisted on treating us to and sip margaritas. I only have one, because apparently, I have to drive later.
Wyatt sticks to seltzer like he did at the wedding. I’m not sure why he doesn’t drink. We never talked about it, but now I wonder.
My phone chimes with a text from Bianca. He’s conscious. Not that you care.
I’m relieved to hear Marcus is awake and hopefully going to be all right. I respond to her. I do care that he’s all right, but I’m not coming there, and I’m not going to see him. If you can make him understand that, you’d be helping him move on.
“Everything all right?” Maria asks.
“Marcus is awake.”
“That’s good news.”
“I told Bianca to let him know I’m not coming there, and she needs to tell him that.”
“Good for you. That’s the right thing to do.”
I can feel Wyatt watching me, probably wondering what we’re talking about. “A friend of mine is in the hospital.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“We, um, we might’ve talked about it on the way over here,” Carmen says. “Wyatt knows what’s going on.”
“Ah, okay, then you know he’s my ex, and he might’ve staged a suicide attempt to get my attention.”
“I do know that, and I’m sorry he put you in that position.”
“Did they also tell you how he married someone else when he was supposedly still with me?”
“They might’ve mentioned that.”
So he knows my entire deal. That’s just great.
“He’s a fool.”
The way he says that, not to mention how he looks at me as he says it, means so much to me. “Thank you.”
“He’s the biggest fool,” Maria says. “He had Dee. What the hell was he thinking marrying that skank?”
“I’m sorry that happened to you, Dee,” Austin says. “It was his loss.”
I already love my future brother-in-law, but now I love him even more. “Thanks. It’s in the past now. I’m sorry he’s in a bad place, but I keep telling myself it’s not my fault. He made his choices.”
“He made the wrong choice,” Carmen says. “He was lucky you ever gave him the time of day.”
“You guys are good for my dented ego.”
“Your ego shouldn’t be dented,” Wyatt says.
He may as well have just told them we’ve already slept together.
Maria and Carmen are intrigued by the vibes he’s putting out.
“How long are you here, Wyatt?” Maria asks.
“Just until Monday night this time. I’m interviewing at Miami-Dade on Monday.”
“What kind of doctor are you?” Austin asks.
“I’m a cardiothoracic surgeon.”
“I don’t even know what that means,” Austin says, laughing.
“Don’t worry,” Wyatt says. “I don’t have much of a fastball.”
I love the way he downplays his skills by complimenting Austin. That earns him big points with me, not that he needs them. He’s already batting a thousand. Haha, good baseball analogy.
“I specialize in heart and lung surgery as well as other thoracic, or chest, organs,” Wyatt says.
“And my head just exploded,” Austin says.
“Jason can fix that,” Wyatt says, grinning.
He’s adorable, funny, smart as hell and sexier than any man has a right to be. The more time I spend with him, the more I like him. And I already liked him a lot before tonight.
“So you’ve been thinking about relocating to Miami?” Maria asks.
“I hadn’t been, but after I was here for the wedding, I started thinking about a change of scenery.” He glances at me, but I pretend not to notice.
Maria and Carmen most definitely notice.
“Then Jay mentioned the opening at Miami-Dade, and here I am. Miami is looking better to me all the time.”
“I love it here.” Jason smiles at Carmen. “It’s the best place I’ve ever lived.”
“I love it, too,” Austin says with a goofy grin for Maria. “My favorite place in the whole world.”
“The scenery is rather spectacular,” Wyatt says.
And we’re fooling no one. My face is so hot that I wonder how my skin doesn’t blister.
“Dee, how would you feel about showing me around while I’m here?” Wyatt says. “I’ve only ever been to Miami for the wedding. I didn’t get to see much on that trip.”
“That’s a fantastic idea,” Carmen says. “Dee knows Miami inside and out. She’d be the best tour guide you could ever have.”
“And it would give Dee something to do besides stew over what’s happening with what’s-his-name,” Maria adds. “I love this idea.”
“We can take you to see the ballpark sometime if you’re interested,” Austin says.
“I’d love that,” Wyatt says. “Thanks.”