Second First Kiss

Huge, silent exhale. Geez. Sage shouldn’t let herself get so wound up, and then so relieved, within a matter of seconds.

I have to get off this Jasher Hotchkiss amusement park ride. Right now. Disconnect. Remove my emotions from it.

The kissing was fine. The admiration, too. As long as she didn’t let herself care. It was when she cared that things went violently wrong.

“The answer about the patient’s situation just came to me when I was thinking about energy drinks having chemicals.” Jasher pressed his palms together. “After Sage mentioned one of his final symptoms, I knew for sure. It fit together.” He shot Sage a look that had gratitude written on it. And maybe something else.

“Well!” Tyanne spoke with her mouth full. “Anne-Marie pretty much thinks you walk on water. And don’t forget, her dad used to be the principal of the high school and is now on the school board. Plus, her mom is mayor of Mendon. Good show, if you’re trying to sway public opinion about yourself.”

“I was trying to save a guy’s life.”

“Well, duh. Of course you were.” She patted him hard on the back. “You’re a doctor.”

All four of them sat down on a large blanket spread on the ground. The indigo sky stretched above Cherry Hill Meadow, studded with a million stars—the kind of sky that made Sage believe almost anything was possible.

“What about your clinic sale?” Tate had rarely spoken in front of Sage beyond a little pantomime. His voice was stern. How he and Tyanne fit together was a mystery. “You finalized with the quack’s brother. Someone told me.”

Sage stiffened beside Jasher. Finalized? The sale of the clinic?

“Someone who?” Jasher’s voice was taut, like wire.

“Your mom.” Tate took a long draw from a can of soda. “She wasn’t happy about it, but she wouldn’t give me details. Almost like she thought I’d be mad, too. What’s the deal, Jasher?” He sounded mad already.

Tension quivered. Jasher shot Sage a look, as if to say, Sorry. I wasn’t expecting to talk business tonight.

“It’s all right.” Her voice was low, a near-whisper. It had to be all right. Jasher did have to go away. “I know you’re not the biggest fan of Mendon. Selling Parrish Medical—while I don’t like the idea of losing a great surgeon”—especially not one as skilled as Jasher—“I can see how it makes sense for you.”

Every word that came from her mouth felt like a piece of broken glass, because she was telling him in not so many words that he could go. Maybe it wasn’t broken glass. Maybe it was a shattered heart.

“So, are you saying you don’t mind?”

Of course she minded! She hated the thought of his leaving. “You have a prodigious talent, Jasher. I’d never hold you back from realizing your full potential as a surgeon.”

Jasher’s brows pushed together as if she’d wounded him.

“I feel the same about you, Sage.” Jasher leaned near, his words for her alone. “You deserve to excel in your career.”

As long as Babbage was the head of anesthesia, Sage had reached the pinnacle of her potential in this region. “Well, thanks. That’s really nice of you to say.”

“I mean it, Sage. A hundred percent.”

Okay.

“You didn’t answer me, dude.” Tate swept the air in Jasher’s direction with his pop can. “Who are you selling the clinic to? Come on. It’s just us.” He nodded toward Tyanne.

“It’s still in the works, guys.” Jasher clearly didn’t want to be talking about this. Not even after Sage had given him the go-ahead. She’d better deflect it, change the subject.

“Guess who I saw in town today, guys. Zephyr Quennelle.” Sage took a swig of her Orange Fanta. “Remember him? Big guy. Runs a doughnut empire in Reedsville. Do you think he’s going to open a Zephyr Donuts in Mendon? I’d be game for that.”

Dead silence ensued for so long that Sage’s shirt collar grew tight around her neck.

“What did I say wrong?” She looked back and forth at the others, who were all looking like they knew a whole bunch of stuff she didn’t know. “Are you all anti-doughnut?”

Tate placed a hand on Tyanne’s back, rubbing it softly. It was the most tender action she’d seen from Tate. He may be rough around the edges, but he loves his wife.

Jasher cleared his throat. “I—I don’t think Zephyr Quennelle was in town on doughnut business.”

“Good. He shouldn’t be in town on any business. No one in his family should be allowed to practice any kind of anything in the entire state. In the entire country.” Tate’s speech faucet suddenly opened full blast. “Criminals should be behind bars.”