Fools (Licking Thicket 3)

“Dunn Johnson to see Dr. Rogers, please,” I said to the receptionist in my most assertive voice.

The young woman nodded, typed my name into the computer, and then blinked up at me. “And what time is your appointment for, sir?”

“I don’t have an appointment. It’s an emergency visit. It’ll just take a few minutes.”

She frowned and glanced at my chest where I hadn’t realized I was rubbing. It hurt. Ever since Tucker had denied me in public, it hurt like a sonuvabitch. How dare he? How could he possibly think I wasn’t all in after everything that had transpired between us? After I’d been inside of him.

“Sir, do you need an ambulance?”

I shook off the memory of the two of us in bed together. “I mean… maybe. It does kinda hurt. But first I want to talk to Carter. Can you get him for me, please? Just… it’ll just be a second, I promise.”

She shot a worried glance at me as she stood up and scurried back into the office behind her. A minute later, Carter appeared, all professional and shit in his white coat.

Asshole.

“Dunn? What are you doing here? Is everything okay? Is it your dad?”

Okay, now that… that was nice. I didn’t want him to be a nice guy. I was hopped up on anger and annoyance, and he was going to make the perfect target. If he could just stop caring about my dad’s heart, that’d be great. “No. It’s Tuck. Can we talk? It’ll just be a minute. It’s important.”

He hesitated for a minute before sighing. “Sure, come on back.”

I followed him to an office and closed the door behind me. Carter took the chair behind the desk, and I sat opposite him in one of the visitor chairs. I perched on the edge of the seat and clasped my hands together between my knees. “So, like… give it to me straight here, Doc. What’s the deal with Tuck going to Nashville? Is this what he wants? Is this…” I swallowed. “Is this what’s best for him? Is that why he’s being weird with me?”

I hated asking him for advice regarding Tucker. I despised the very idea that he could know anything about Tucker better than I did. But we were past the point of protecting my pride. I needed answers.

“What happened?” he asked.

I threw up my hands and stood so I could move around. I felt caged and antsy, like my entire life was wobbling on a cliff’s edge.

“We were together, right? I mean, really together. And I thought… I thought… this is it. It’s finally… it’s finally right. And it was good. So good. But then he…” My voice broke a little, so I swallowed and tried to calm down. “He keeps putting the brakes on, and now this lunch with this doctor about a job, and I can’t… I can’t handle not knowing what he really wants.”

“Did you ask him?”

I glared at him. “You are incredibly smarmy.”

He laughed which of course only made him more attractive in an assholey way. “How dare I ask you to communicate clearly and maturely with your life partner,” he said calmly. “I must be a monster.”

I nodded aggressively. “You are. You really are.” I had to admit, I did kind of like hearing him call Tuck my life partner. That was exactly what he was, and he’d been my life partner for a while now. I just hadn’t realized it. “But that option’s off the table now since I… got a little upset at him earlier. So now I’m here. Desperate times and all that.”

His office wasn’t very good for pacing, but I did my best.

Carter steepled his hands together in front of his smirk. “Ah, I see. You’ve come to the subject-matter expert on all things Tucker Wright, is that it?”

I lunged toward him, but he rolled the chair out of my reach with another laugh. “Never mind,” I snapped. “I can see you don’t give a shit about him if you’re not willing to help out his best friend in the world.”

“Calm down, Farmer Johnson. He’s not going anywhere. If you’re so oblivious that you can’t see how goofy in love that man is with you, maybe he deserves better.”

I knew he was messing with me, but I snapped at him anyway. “No one is better than me for Tucker Wright. No one.”

Carter’s wide, easy grin surprised me because it was 100 percent sincere. “Good. As long as you realize that, I can help.”

I was surprised by his quick agreement. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch. I genuinely like Tucker and want what’s best for him. I believe that’s you. So let’s figure out how to get you two fools out of your own way.”

I side-eyed him. “Still waiting for the catch.”

He pointed to the office door. “I have three more patients, and then we’re going out for a very boozy lunch. I’m going to need a little medicinal help if I’m going to strategize love shit with you. Go wait for me out there in the waiting room.”