“I don’t want a red car,” I insist the next day. We’re at the dealership, looking for a new vehicle to replace the one that died the other day. “And I think I want an SUV.”
“Okay,” Jace says with a nod, and we walk toward a line of mid-sized SUVs on the car lot. We haven’t been approached by a salesman yet, but it’s only a matter of time. “What color do you like?”
“Silver or black. And it doesn’t need a sunroof. I’d never use it anyway.”
“Joy, you can have any car you want. If you don’t want to decide today, we can do some research so you can narrow it down to what you really want.”
I blow out a gusty breath. “I hate buying cars.”
“I know.” He kisses my forehead. “We can leave if you want.”
“No, I need a car. I like that black one there,” I say, pointing to the SUV straight ahead. Just as we reach it, a salesman approaches and tells me all of the reasons why I should want a vehicle with more bells and whistles.
“Look,” I interrupt. “I appreciate that you have to sell cars. It’s your job. But I’m telling you I like this one. It suits my needs just fine, and I don’t need or want anything fancier.”
The guy looks at Jace, which irritates the hell out of me.
“And no, I don’t need to ask his permission to make this decision.”
Jace presses his lips together, trying horribly to keep his laughter at bay. He’s been with me to buy cars before.
He knows how much I loathe it.
Which is why I don’t do it often.
“That’s fine with me,” Randy, the salesman, says. “Do you want to test drive this one?”
“Yes,” I reply and spend the next fifteen minutes driving literally around the block before pulling back into the lot. “I’ll take it.”
“That was fast,” he says.
“I make decisions quickly, and I hate to shop.” I hop out of the SUV, not missing the shrug of apology from Jace. He thinks this is hilarious. All I can think is, this is a Sunday of my life that I’ll never get back.
Once we’re at Randy’s desk, he punches up numbers, offers me extra warranties and other things that I pass on, and when it comes time to pay for it, Jace shocks the shit out of me by telling Randy he’ll be paying for it.
“Like hell you are,” I say, looking at Jace like he’s grown a new head. “This is my car.”
“Give us a moment, please?” Jace says calmly without looking away from my face. Randy nods and leaves, after telling us to take all the time we need. “I’m about to be your husband, and I can afford to buy you this car.”
“I don’t need you to buy me this car,” I reply. “Yes, you’re going to be my husband, but that doesn’t mean you pay for everything.”
“You do realize that you’re arguing with someone willing to pay cash for a brand-new car for you.”
“Yeah, because it’s not necessary. Thank you for the offer, but I’m fine. I’ve got this.”
His eyes narrow, and I take his hands in mine. “Look, I know you want to feel like you’re taking care of me, and I love you so much for it. But this isn’t the way to do that. You take care of me in little ways every day. I don’t need you for financial things, but it’s really good to know that I have you if I should need you.”
He sighs, still looking in my eyes and nods. “I don’t agree, but okay. I apologize for assuming.”
“No need.” I kiss his cheek. “You can assume all you want. I’ll let you know when I have a difference of opinion. Now, let’s get this over with.”
“You’ve cleaned that sink three times,” I inform him later Sunday night. The shiny new SUV is sitting in my driveway, and we’ve been home for a couple of hours, but Jace hasn’t sat down once. He’s been cleaning my house like a crazy man.
“I have nervous energy,” he says.
“You don’t say.” I gently take the sponge from him. “Jace, you’re about to take the finish off the surface.”
“I can fold laundry.”
Before he can step away, I catch his hand in mine and pull him to me.
“Talk to me.”
“I have the meeting with the attorneys tomorrow morning.”
“I know, and they’re going to tell you that all is well.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Jace, don’t stress this. It’s going to be fine. You’re going to be fine.”
“I need them to tell me I can go back to work.” He rests his forehead against mine. “I need it.”
“I know. It’s not gotten easier with time for you.”
“It’s worse,” he admits. “I love being with you, but—”
“But you’re a surgeon,” I finish for him and smile at the relief in his eyes. “I have a great feeling about tomorrow. And taking all of this aggression out on my house isn’t making it better. I don’t think it’s ever been this clean.”
“And you’re complaining?”
“Well, I think I lost some paint off of that wall you scrubbed for twenty minutes.”
“No paint was lost,” he says, wrapping his arms low around my back. “Besides, I know someone who knows her way around a paintbrush.”
“Really? Who would that be?”
“She’s gorgeous. And smart.”
“Hmm . . . Do I know her?”
He bites my neck, sending shivers down my spine.
“You know her intimately.”
“Well, she sounds like a heck of a woman.”
“She’s the love of my life.”
~Jace~
“We’ve settled,” Howard, one of three attorneys says the following morning. The three of them, along with Mick, my medical director, all have smiles on their faces, obviously satisfied with the outcome of the case. “You’re free to come back to work anytime.”
“Today, preferably,” Mick interjects. “Your office is waiting for you. I’d like for you to get caught up on some paperwork today, and get back into surgery tomorrow.”
I blow out a breath and lean back in my chair, staring at them in surprise. This is the news I wanted to hear.
“Are you okay, Jace?” Howard asks.
“I think I’m so relieved that I don’t know what to say,” I admit with a grin. “What did they settle on?”
“One-point-two million dollars,” Howard says. “And they agreed to sign documents stating that you were not at fault.”
“Fuck,” I mutter, shaking my head. “That’s a shit ton of money.”
“Well spent,” Mick says. “This is the best outcome for the hospital and our patients, Jace. We need you, and if we’d not pursued a settlement, it could have dragged on for years in the courts. At the end of the day, we all get what we want.”
“I hope they signed an NDA, so they can’t run to the press, and in doing so encourage everyone to file suits when they lose a family member.”
“Of course,” Howard says with a nod. “It’s all been taken care of. Your name can’t be mentioned, and they can’t come back to ask for more money. We all move on with our lives.”
I blow out a gusty breath and stand, then shake each of their hands. “I’d better get to my office.”
“Happy to have you back, Jace,” Mick says with a nod.
I hurry down to my office, shut the door, and take a deep breath. At least Sean Tiller, the doctor from Boston that I don’t like, didn’t leave a mess behind, thankfully.
Or he did, and it was cleaned up before today.
The words on the door say, Jace Crawford, M.D. Chief of Surgery.
“I’m back,” I whisper, then rub my hands together and reach for my phone, calling Joy first and foremost. “Hi, Susan, this is Jace. May I please speak with Joy?”
“Yes, I’ve been given instructions to interrupt her when you call. Hold, please.”
I grin, staring out the window at the Seattle skyline as I wait for Joy. In less than thirty seconds, she picks up the phone. “Hey! Tell me the good news.”