Roc laughed. “True.”
Burgers may not be the most healthy thing to begin with, but I knew mine were healthier than the Rooster. Only half the amount of grease. “I thought Harlyn was going to freak out on me when I didn’t agree with her.”
I chuckled and wiped my mouth. I took a large bite and sat back in my chair.
“Harlyn is one of a kind. I’m lucky to have her in my life again but I’m still used to doing whatever I want with no one caring.”
I swallowed and got up to grab a drink. “You and Harlyn weren’t close before?” I grabbed a half-empty bottle of wine and a glass. “Did you want another beer?”
Roc nodded and wiped his hands. “I wasn’t exactly the best dad to her when she was growing up. I was gone more than I was home.”
“You’ve really worked on a pit crew all of these years?” I grabbed a beer and set it on front of him.
“Yep. Was the only thing I wanted to do growing up, and it’s still the only thing I want to do. Granted, I lost my family to it.”
“You were married?”
I sat down and filled my glass to the brim. I wanted to know about Roc’s past, but I also knew I was going to need a little booze to keep me loose. Talking to Roc was nice, but I never knew what he was going to say.
“For about ten years. Was gone more than I was home.”
“You race year-round?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I was just a fucking idiot who didn’t realize to keep my family I needed to actually see them. Harlyn’s mom finally got sick of me not being around and divorced me. Wasn’t like it really changed much except I got an apartment to store my stuff at when I wasn’t in town.”
“But now it seems like you two get along.” I sipped on my wine and reached across the table for one of his tater tots. I popped a tater tot in my mouth and he scowled at me. “I only wanted one,” I laughed.
He quirked his eyebrow and shook his head. “Crazy woman,” he muttered. He cleared his throat and sat back in his chair. “I guess we always got along, but it wasn’t like we were close. She resented me for not being there, and I just didn’t get it. Plus, her mom died and Harlyn needed a family. She deserves to have one, even if that family is me.”
“Things are always hard to see when you’re in the moment. Besides, it seems like Harlyn has you and a pretty amazing group of friends right now. ”
I knew all too well of the story Roc was telling. I had been there, but I didn’t get the chance to get to the point he was at.
“You talking about Remy?” he grumbled.
“Yes, Remy is included in that, Roc. I really don’t see why you don’t like him.”
Sure, Remy was a bit of a goofball, but it was endearing. Harlyn looked at him like he was her knight in shining armor, and there really wasn’t much more a girl could ask for.
“Told ya, he’s not good enough for her.”
“Or maybe he’s giving her the attention you knew you should have given Harlyn’s mom.”
He looked up at me and curled his lip. Bullseye. Hit that nail right on the head.
“You trying to be my shrink now too, Doc?” Roc growled.
Boy, did the man know how to growl. I’m sure he did it to intimidate me, but all the low timber did was make a shiver run through my body.
I shrugged and popped another tater tot in my mouth. We must not be affected by the man, Mave. “If the shoe fits, I’m gonna put it on and lace it up.”
He shook his head and focused back on his food. “Why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself, Doc? Since we’re having sharing time while we eat.”
“My life is hardly exciting, Roc.” Work, eat, sleep, repeat.
“Well, you were a nurse before you became a doc. That’s all I know. There has to be more to you than that.”
I circled my finger around the rim of my glass. There were things to tell, but did I really want Roc to know them? “I was married.”
He looked up. “And?”
“And now, I’m divorced.”
“Damn, Doc. It’s like pulling teeth with you.”
“You want to know why I’m divorced?”
He nodded. “Seeing as you know I was basically a deadbeat dad, I think it’s only fair you share your story of failed marriage.”
“You were hardly a deadbeat dad. Your priorities just weren’t in the right place back then.” I tipped my glass toward him. “I can tell you’ve got that all straightened out right now.”
Roc mumbled thank you. He kept his eyes on me, and I knew I wasn’t going to get out of talking about why I was forty-one and divorced.
“Dr. Dale Clark. Amazing surgeon and horrible husband. He liked to find comfort in the arms of his nurses and patients.” My finger stopped moving, and my eyes connected with his. “I was too dumb to see the signs.”
Too dumb and too involved in my job to see what was right in front of my nose.
“What was it you just told me? It’s hard to see things when you’re in the moment?”
It was like Roc was reading my mind. I laughed and drained my wine glass. I grabbed the bottle and filled it back up. “Using my own words against me?” My eyes drifted to the side and my laugh drifted off. “Locked office doors and nurses who can’t and won’t look you in the eye, Roc? I was dumb. Plain and simple. I’m a doctor. I diagnosis patients and help heal them, but I couldn’t see my husband sneaking off to fuck his nurse while I covered his rounds.”
I shook my head at the absurdity of it all. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
“You’re better off without him.”
I pointed at him and laughed. “Now that is the damn truth.”
Except Dale had done a bang-up job of fucking me up for any other man. Was there really a man out there who could keep it in his pants? I had yet to find one.
“How long have you been divorced?”
“Two years.” I saw Roc flinch. “Yeah, I was that dumb when I was thirty-nine. Thank God I never had kids with him. It’s bad enough working in the same hospital as him. I don’t think I could stand being tied to him for the rest of my life.”
Even though Dale had been the reason our marriage fell apart, I still felt like I was the one in the wrong. Partly because people couldn’t understand why I had divorced in him the first place. They all knew he cheated on me, but they also all thought I should have just stuck it out with him. Married to a doctor? Not as enchanting as it sounded.
“That asshole still works there?”
I shrugged. “What can I say? He was apparently a good enough lay that none of his conquests complained about him to the board. We got divorced, everyone knows why, but it doesn’t get said out loud.”
“Guy needs to be knocked into next week.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I used to think that way. I imagined walking up to him and just kicking him in the nuts, but then I realized I needed my job more than I needed to kick Dale.”
“So he just acts like nothing happened?”
“In public. In private, he begged me to stay with him and promised he would change.” I rolled my eyes. “I was dumb, but I wasn’t a fool. Once I knew what he was doing, I was done.”