Prognosis: Romance (Doctors in Training 4)

She sensed again that he had never been part of such a tight group before, probably because he had been so much younger than classmates from his previous schools. The study group were all close in age, with no more than four or five years separating the youngest, Anne, from the oldest, Connor—gaps that made less difference in adulthood than in adolescence and college-age.

Shannon liked all of them and could see why James had grown so attached to them. She had to admit that she had been secretly a little impressed to meet Anne’s husband.

“Liam McCright?” she repeated after being introduced. Eying his trademark curls and familiar, roguishly infectious smile, she’d blurted, “I’ve watched you on TV!”

He had responded easily to her gauche remark, setting her immediately at ease, but she still found it hard to believe at times that she was seated next to a man whose cable TV adventure travel show had made him increasingly famous. She didn’t follow celebrity gossip very closely, so she hadn’t realized he was married to James’s friend, Anne Easton.

“How long have you been married?” she asked as they’d gotten acquainted.

Anne and Liam had exchanged an amused look, a private joke Shannon didn’t understand but that the others apparently did, judging from their smiles. “Just over three years,” Liam answered. “But we didn’t announce it publicly until last year.”

She hadn’t asked any more questions about their private lives and the conversation had soon turned to plans for the upcoming months until graduation. Four of the five study-group members—James, Haley, Ron and Connor—would be out of the state for away rotations in October, and James and Anne would be away in November. Residency interviews would begin in December and continue for the next couple of months and then matches would be announced in March. Graduation would be held early in May.

“I’ll just barely make it back for the Halloween party,” Haley commented. “Someone else is going to have to do the prep work for that one.”

“I won’t make it to that one,” James said, holding up his hands in Haley’s direction. “You can’t blame me for missing a party when I’m not even in the state.”

She smiled. “Okay, you’re excused from that one.”

“Thank you.”

“You’ll be spending your thirtieth birthday all alone in Seattle,” Anne said as if it had just occurred to her. “We should all try to get online that night and have a virtual party or something.”

James gave her a little smile. “That would be nice.”

“It sounds as though you’re all going to be very busy for the next few months,” Shannon commented, not wanting to think about James being gone for so long. She was getting a little too used to having him around, she thought.

The married couples shared long-suffering glances. “We’re all used to that,” Anne said.

Connor shrugged. “It’s just the life we’ve chosen. Liam’s schedule is packed full with his travel and writing and filming. Mia’s busy with teaching and working toward her doctorate in education. I know you must have a full calendar with your party business. None of us subscribe to the theory that doctors should be placed on pedestals or given special treatment just because the career we chose is somewhat demanding.”

“Hey, speak for yourself,” Ron cut in with a grin. “I might like to be on a pedestal.”

Haley rolled her eyes. “You’d only fall off and break your neck.”

“Hey!” her husband protested while the others laughed. “I resent that.”

“Get over it,” Haley advised him.

He heaved a sigh and pushed his chair back from the table. “I think I’ll have a couple of those cheesecake thingies. Anyone want anything from the food table?”

“I’ll go with you,” James offered, standing. “I wouldn’t mind something sweet. Can I bring you anything, Shannon?”

She smiled up at him. “I’d take a couple of those cheesecake thingies.”

“You got it. Anyone else?”

Connor and Liam decided they might as well go, too, taking orders for desserts from their wives.

Shannon watched as James moved away from her, conversing with his friends and disappearing into the crowd around the food table. He was only half a room away from her and she missed him already. That was no way for her to prepare herself for the next two months—or more—without him in her life, she thought with a hard swallow.

After all her big talk to Devin about knowing what she was doing with James, she hoped she wasn’t destined to have her heart bruised by him, no matter how hard she tried to prevent it.

Chapter Nine

“I could get used to being waited on like this,” Mia said with a laugh when only the women were left at the table. “Of course you know it could be a while before the men come back. Look at that group of guys gabbing by the goodies table. And they say we’re the talkative ones.”

“Uh-oh, looks like Margo has cornered Liam,” Haley said to Anne, glancing meaningfully across the room. “Think we should go rescue him?”