Summer on Lovers' Island (Jewell Cove 3)

“Likewise, Dr. Collins.”

She stood on the dock and watched as he pushed away, then slowly inched out of the harbor, going left toward what she assumed was his house and private mooring. Not that she would know what either of those looked like.

Because Josh liked keeping his private life private, too.

CHAPTER 12

Sliding back into a work groove wasn’t as difficult as Lizzie anticipated, and she had mixed feelings about it. Her female vanity kind of wished it were a little harder for Josh to keep things platonic, but it did make things easier on a professional level. It was Josh who set the tone on the first morning, pouring her a coffee and throwing her a smile but then disappearing into his office before seeing the first patients of the day. At work, he treated her with the same deference and intimacy as he did Robin. And Robin, Lizzie reminded herself with a bit of irritation, was married with a kid or two. It had been over a week since Josh and Lizzie’s trip to the island, and it was like nothing had ever happened. She wasn’t sure if he’d changed his mind about the “next time” thing or if he was waiting for her to make the next move.

She left the exam room, put the chart on Robin’s desk, and went to the kitchen for an apple or yogurt or something else to keep her going until quitting time. The problem with this whole platonic/professional thing was that Lizzie was having a difficult time forgetting. Maybe it had been the dry spell since breaking things off with Ian in April. But really, she’d had much longer dry spells than that before and had felt none of the preoccupation she was feeling now.

Which meant, she supposed, that her ego was the problem. Josh was so good at putting that Sunday behind them that her pride was stinging a little bit. Particularly since she was unable to forget a single second. And she spent far too much time, alone in the cottage at night, imagining what it might have been like if they’d had protection and had made love the way their bodies had demanded.

Far too much time. Maybe she should just go for broke and proposition him to a night of hot sex at the cottage.

She was thoughtlessly shoving Greek yogurt into her mouth when her office phone rang. When she picked it up, it was Robin’s voice on the other end. “Lizzie, Sarah’s on the line for you. Do you have time to talk to her?”

Josh’s sister. Why that made Lizzie nervous she didn’t know. It wasn’t like Sarah knew what had transpired between Lizzie and Josh. “Put her through, thanks, Robin.”

There was a click. “Hi, Sarah?”

“Lizzie.” Sarah’s voice was warm on the other end. “Hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time. Listen, Mark and Matt went out this morning and brought back a mess of fish. I’m having a big fry here tonight and wondered if you’d like to join us.”

Lizzie hesitated. She wasn’t sure who “us” meant. “Tonight?”

“It’s better fresh. We pool the deep fryers. One for fish, one for fresh-cut fries, and Jess makes the coleslaw. I’ve got far more than our little family can eat. We do this several times a summer anyway. If you don’t have plans…”

She should say no, but the alternatives were going home to make yet another salad with chicken on the top and begging for a seat at Charlie’s table, where Lizzie always felt like she was intruding on Charlie and Dave’s love nest.

“I don’t know, Sarah.…”

“Well, there’s lots if you decide to come. No pressure.”

Now she felt bad, because she sensed the ever-hospitable Sarah was a little bit offended. “If I did come,” Lizzie asked, “what should I bring?”

Sarah’s voice perked up considerably. “I haven’t had time to make dessert today. A pan of brownies wouldn’t be amiss.”

Lizzie felt marginally better. Like she was asked to be included as the provider of a part of the meal, not just a guest. “I can do that.”

“Great! Come over around six.”

Lizzie sat back in the chair. “Excuse me for asking the obvious, but is Josh going to be there?”

Sarah laughed. “Wow, you guys don’t talk at work at all, do you? Of course he’s going to be there. I asked him to ask you a few days ago, when Matt and Mark made the fishing plans. But typical Josh. So focused he forgot.”

Now Lizzie was regretting agreeing. Josh didn’t forget things like that. He’d deliberately not asked her, like he didn’t want her included in their family meal. And now she couldn’t back out, not without looking like an idiot or, even worse, like she was not going because of Josh.

Damn him to hell.

“I’ll see you at six,” she replied. “Gotta run. I have an appointment in a few minutes.”

“Bye, Lizzie.”

She hung up, took one look at her yogurt, and threw the rest of the container in the trash. It would be fine. She’d show up at six, dessert in hand, stay long enough to eat, and then blast off. She could certainly come up with some excuse. A headache, or an early morning, or needing to stop off at Charlie’s on the way home.

At four o’clock Lizzie stopped at the kitchen for a glass of water when Josh came out of his office, looking delectable in his customary jeans and golf shirt. Lizzie had noticed the differences in their appearance this week. Josh was right. She leaned toward conservative dress at work, from her hairstyle down to her low heels. Just because it was a small community practice didn’t mean she should sacrifice her professional image.

And maybe that was the problem with a town this size. In the city, she was able to compartmentalize work and play. The two didn’t encroach on each other, because away from the hospital she could enjoy a sort of anonymity that wasn’t possible here. In Jewell Cove it was all tied up together. No privacy.