Page 63 of Sit, Stay, Love
Crouching in front of him, she poured antiseptic onto a wad of cotton and gently pressed it against the wound.
He hissed. ‘How’s the good doctor? He looked a bit shell-shocked at walking in on us like—’
‘He’s fine,’ she interrupted. ‘We’re having dinner tonight.’
‘Ah.’ Ethan’s mouth turned down at the corners and he nodded.
‘I was supposed to have dinner with him last night, but I came to see you.’
‘Ah,’ he said again, a little brighter this time. ‘That must have gone down well.’
‘Not so much. I thought I should make it up to him. I don’t want him to feel…’
‘Like he’s being replaced?’
Her shoulders sagged and she flopped onto the couch and slouched against the cushions. ‘He’s really important to me, Ethan. He’s my best friend. My family. I won’t do anything that jeopardises that.’
‘And I jeopardise that?’
‘I’m hoping you don’t. I’m hoping you two might become friends.’
He laughed dryly.
‘He’s a good guy. The best. And if I can make sure he knows that nothing will change between him and me, then I think he’ll be okay.’
‘If this…’ he said, pointing a finger between them, ‘… happens, things will inevitably change for you guys.’
Her brows knitted. That was exactly what her mother had said. ‘I’ll figure that out if we get to that.’
‘If?’ Ethan echoed. ‘I’m hoping it’s when.’
Chapter Twelve
They were seated at a white-clothed table under a Moreton Bay fig adorned with fairy lights, and the beach was so close they could practically dip a toe in the ocean.
‘This is a bit posh for us, isn’t it?’ Sera mused, glancing around the restaurant, glad that she’d worn her good jeans and her cute pink jumper dotted with hearts.
‘I had to bring you somewhere with an extensive cocktail menu, so you could drink my wallet dry,’ Toby said.
‘Ooo.’ She rubbed her palms together.
He handed her the menu. ‘Go crazy.’
‘Aren’t you going to join me? Tomorrow’s Tuesday. You have Tuesday mornings off. And you didn’t drive, so…’
He snatched the menu back. ‘Margarita jug?’ He lifted one eyebrow.
‘Yay!’ She clapped her hands.
He laughed and shook his head. ‘You’re excited tonight. What’s going on?’
‘Nothing. I’m just happy to be here with you.’
He looked at the food menu. ‘You don’t have to try so hard, Ser. It’s just me.’
‘I’m not trying hard,’ she lied.
‘Good. Because that would be weird.’
