The Doctor's Undoing (Doctors in Training 3)

He shot her a look across the small table. “Thanks, Haley, but I’ll be fine on my own. Really.”

He thought she had extended the invitation out of pity—and she supposed he was right, for the most part. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spend the day with Ron—but she had to admit to herself that it worried her a bit to include him in her family holiday. She would analyze the reason for that later.

“I’m sure you will be fine,” she said with a breezy smile. “But I’ll be in the car almost two and a half hours that day, round-trip. I would enjoy the company.”

He studied her face very closely, making her resist shifting self-conscio

usly in her seat. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want you to—”

“Haley,” he cut in firmly, his eyes holding hers. “Do you want me to be with you on Thanksgiving?”

There was a lot more to that seemingly simple question than was immediately apparent. More for her to evaluate later, she decided, keeping her response strictly on the surface. “I would love for you to join us. As I said, it would be nice to have company for the drive.”

He frowned, and she could tell he wasn’t satisfied with her tone. He seemed to want something more from her—something she couldn’t quite decipher in this time and place. Did he want her to assure him that he meant much more to her than a temporary bedmate—or to reassure him that she wasn’t expecting anything more?

She didn’t have time to fret about it now. And this certainly wasn’t the place for an intimate conversation, she thought as someone bumped her shoulder with a tray, moving on without even an apology.

She glanced at her watch. “I have to get back upstairs. Let’s consider this settled, shall we? You’re joining us for Thanksgiving.”

“It wouldn’t do any good for me to argue with you, would it?”

“None at all.” With a nod, she stood and picked up her tray. After only a momentary hesitation, Ron followed suit.

No holiday had ever been more welcome to Haley. She desperately needed the four days off, even though she expected to spend a good portion of that time studying.

She’d learned so much during the past month, she thought wearily early Thanksgiving morning as she sat behind the wheel of her car, headed toward her family home in Russellville. She was looking forward to doing her second month of surgery rotation, which would be divided into two, two-week blocks.

She glanced at the passenger riding quietly in the other seat, gazing out the window at the scenery they passed along westbound Interstate 40. She still wondered if she’d done the right thing by persuading Ron to join her today, even though his first instinct had apparently been to politely decline.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t wanted him to come along, she assured herself. It was only that there was so much potential for awkwardness with her family. Her parents hadn’t thought it at all odd when she’d told them that she’d invited Ron. But they still thought he was just one of her study friends. Would they be able to tell the difference in the relationship once they saw her and Ron together?

They’d been lovers for almost two months now, though they had spent only a few nights together. The fact that they didn’t spend even more time together was partially due to their busy schedules, but also a deliberate choice on her part. She didn’t want Ron leaving his toothbrush at her place or hanging his shirts in her closet. That was no way to keep their relationship breezy and casual and fun. Getting too intimately entwined was a sure way to end up with a hole in her life—and another in her heart. She was relieved that she hadn’t had to spell out her conditions to him; he seemed to understand the boundaries she’d implicitly drawn, and he had never overstepped them.

Probably because he was as determined as she was to keep this all light and easy, she thought, remembering how skittish Ron had always been about commitments. She suspected that was part of the reason he’d been so hesitant to accept her Thanksgiving invitation; spending time with the family probably skirted a bit too closely to long-term relationship territory for his comfort.

They’d settled into a routine that suited them both. They got together a couple of nights a week to study, share a meal, talk and laugh. And, occasionally, to share amazing, mind-blowing sex.

What they did not do was talk about the future. Or share any deep emotions. There were still many things Ron had not told her about his past—nor did he seem inclined to do so. Which was one of the clues, as far as she was concerned, that he was no more thinking permanence than she was.

They were having fun. Enjoying each other. Relieving some of the stress of medical school by playing. No need to add to the stress they were already under by trying to force a relationship neither of them was ready for, she assured herself.

“You’re quiet today,” she commented, needing a distraction from her line of thinking.

He turned toward her with a smile. “Just enjoying the ride. Feels good to be out of the hospital for a day, doesn’t it?”

“I was just thinking that. I know you’re glad to have that rotation behind you.”

“Yeah. No more Singer. Hooray.”

She smiled. “So has he completely destroyed your former interest in hem-onc?”

“I was never interested in surgery,” he replied lightly. “I kind of like having a life outside the hospital.”

Which hadn’t exactly answered her question. “So hem-onc is still on the table for your specialty?”

“Depends on which residency program I can charm my way into,” he quipped with a laugh.