“I am.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I don’t stand a chance, do I?”
Now there were tears in her eyes for other reasons. “I never meant to hurt you.”
“And I wish I was the guy who made you happy.”
“I really do mean it when I say I’d like to still be friends, John.”
He opened his arms and Monica had no problem going to them. When he pulled away, he kissed her cheek. “Take care.”
She twisted around to watch him walk away and her eyes collided with Trent’s.
His face was stone-cold.
Her heart did a hard kick in her chest and she waited for him to move. The excitement of seeing him was mixed with the fear that he’d misinterpret what he’d just seen between her and John. But if they were ever going to move forward, he needed to trust her, and she needed to trust that he wasn’t running off without explanations.
She fisted her hands at her sides and waited for the cold stare to melt, and just when she thought he’d turn and run, he opened his arms.
Those movies where the woman ran into the arms of her guy had always seemed contrived until that moment. Trent lifted her into his arms and whirled her around. “I missed you,” he said, his voice tight.
He set her on her feet and kissed her, and not a little peck but a full-on tongue-to-tongue bedroom kiss that wasn’t suitable for television. She was a little breathless and pink cheeked when he let her go and found some of the staff staring and catcalling.
“Looks like Queenie is thawing,” she heard someone yell.
Monica waved off their comments. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Looks like I need to stick around or risk someone pushing in.” He was smiling as he said his words.
“They can push, but they’ll never get in.”
He kissed her again, briefly.
The phone in her back pocket buzzed and she reached for it. It was after five, and the call was from her lawyer.
Her hand shook as she took the call and plugged her opposite ear to hear. “Please tell me you have good news,” was how she answered the phone.
Goldstein laughed. “They dropped the case, Monica. Congratulations.”
She reached out for Trent and squeezed his arm. “You’re serious.”
He laughed. “I’ll call you next week about the countersuit. They’re already talking settlement.”
Trent stared at her now, searching for answers with his gaze.
The grin on her face stretched from California to Boston. “Thanks, Larry.”
“Have a great week, Monica.”
She screamed when she hung up and threw herself into Trent’s arms.
Katie walked over, Dean and Savannah at her side. “Well?”
Monica found her feet again, but Trent kept his arm around her. “They dropped.”
Hugs and congratulations spread until someone put a bullhorn in Monica’s hand.
“Can I get your attention. Everyone?” She waited for the crowd to turn her way.
Trent picked her up and put her on a chair so she could look above the heads of the people gathered.
“I just got off the phone with my attorney. The hospital dropped the case.”
When the clapping died down, Monica thanked everyone for their support and effort in helping her.
Katie took the horn from her when she was done. “We have a banquet prepared over at The Morrison for all of you to help celebrate. So let’s get the party started.”
The banquet was complete with a full buffet dinner with champagne fountains and a DJ.
“How could you have known they’d drop the case?” Monica asked Katie as she stood beside Trent, Dean, and Walt as they toasted a successful day.
“I didn’t. But I love a party and figured we’d thank everyone for coming.”
“I knew they’d drop the case,” Dean said.
“Me, too.” Trent hugged her into his side.
“Well, I’m glad they did. Now I can move on.”
“What are you going to do now?” Walt asked.
She’d already told him she wouldn’t be returning to the hospital to work. “I think I’m going back to school. Get my masters.”
“Nurse practitioners?”
The more she thought about it, the better she liked the idea. “Yeah.”
Walt’s smile fell. “I guess you won’t be back to Borderless Nurses.”
“I’ve not ruled it out, Walt.”
Monica noticed Gary Owens walking by some of the staff and shaking their hands. He had a Coke in his steady hand. “Don’t take me off the roster yet.”
She and Trent stayed until the last guest left before heading back to her apartment.
As they walked inside, she came to the realization that her time there was coming to an end. “I’m going to miss this place,” she muttered as she walked into the living room and kicked off her shoes.
Trent sat next to her, and pulled her into his lap. “Are you leaving?” He asked his question with a smile on his lips.
“Seems silly to have a two-bedroom apartment when it’s just me here.”
His smile fell, but Monica didn’t relieve his thoughts quite yet. “You didn’t run away.”
There wasn’t a need to explain what she referred to. Trent nuzzled her neck. “I wanted to deck him.”
“But you didn’t, and you didn’t bolt, either.”
“I want to say it didn’t enter my mind, but the feeling to leave was brief. My desire to stick around and fight for you was stronger.”