Page 32 of Paging Dr. VanRyan

I bent and handed her a baseball hat, tugging one onto my own head. “This will help.”

She pulled it on and I grinned. “Adorable.”

Maddy snorted. “You put one on and somehow become hotter. I do, and it’s adorable. Unfair.”

“I disagree. I like you adorable. You’re sexy too.”

She looked away. “Stop it.”

“You are. Incredibly so. I thought that the day I saw you in the bakery.”

She looked pleased.

“Surely to God, whoever you dated before me told you that. Repeatedly.”

“There haven’t been many. One fairly serious one but I don’t think he thought I was particularly sexy. In fact, I didn’t do much that pleased him.”

“Sounds like a bit of an asshole.”

“Turns out he was.”

I picked up her hand and kissed it. “I find you sexy. Funny. Smart. An excellent cake decorator. A fabulous wake-up call.” I winked. “You please me very much.”

She turned our hands and kissed my knuckles. “Back at you, Dr. VanRyan.”

Our hands stayed clasped for the rest of the ride.

We toured around the water a while, then I pulled into one of my favorite little inlets. The water was clear and inviting. Refreshing on a hot summer’s day. I cut the engine and dropped the anchor by a spot that offered a great view and was private. We were the only ones there, which pleased us. Maddy unpacked the picnic she had insisted on bringing. I had planned on ordering a basket, but she’d refused, and looking at the tempting morsels, I was glad she had done so.

There were sandwiches, stuffed full of tempting meats and cheeses. Flatbread with goat cheese, olives, and grilled vegetables. Fruit and fresh veggies. Cheese and crackers. Sausage rolls and treats from the bakery. Cupcakes and cookies. A veritable feast. She even thought of plates, utensils, and napkins.

I provided cold water, iced tea, and lemonade.

And from the small storage area, I added a light blanket and pillows.

She teased me about being prepared. I rebuffed her words, informing her this wasn’t my boat.

“Dad is always prepared.” Then to prove the point, I dug into the cooler he had left and held up a small bottle of prosecco and two glasses. “He left these for us.”

“Thoughtful.”

I opened the bottle and poured us each a glass, filling hers fuller since I would have to drive the boat later.

We sat in the sunshine, sipping wine, eating delicious food, and talking. It was amazing to me how much we had to say. To share. Moments of the days we didn’t see each other. Humorous incidents.

“No,” she murmured, her eyes wide. “He didn’t say that.”

I nodded, still amused. “He fell on the bottle accidentally, and it got stuck in his rectum.”

She shook her head. “People never learn.”

“Nope. And they think we haven’t seen it before. His story became so twisted, even he couldn’t remember what he had said. Finally, one of the nurses, Joan, told him to be quiet. None of us cared how it got there, we just needed to figure out how to get it out.”

She cleared her throat. “And you did?”

I nodded, munching on my third sandwich. “I doubt he’ll fall on one again. It took forceps, lube, and three people to do it. He passed out, which helped.”

“Oh my.”