“What about you?” I asked. I hadn’t been the only one in a shitty mood. “How are you feeling?”
A shadow crossed his face before it melted into another flippant smile. “I’m great. Why?”
“It’s okay to grieve,” I said, not fooled by his insouciance. I didn’t want to poke at his wounds, but I knew how destructive bottled-up emotions could be. “Even if it’s over something that’s part of your job.”
Josh’s smile dimmed, and his throat flexed with a hard swallow before he looked away.
“Let’s grab something to eat,” he said. “I’m starving.”
I took the hint and dropped the issue. Everyone handled grief differently. I wasn’t going to force him to talk about something he wasn’t ready or willing to discuss.
“So, who’s staffing the hospital while everyone is here?” I changed the subject to something lighter.
Josh’s rigid shoulders relaxed. “Essential staff is still there, but they’re rotating shifts so everyone has a chance to swing by the picnic,” he said. “This is the only all-staff event we have besides our holiday party, so it’s a big deal.”
“Jules!” A beautiful, familiar-looking brunette beamed when we arrived at the food table. “So nice to see you. I didn’t realize Josh was bringing a date.”
“It’s not a date,” Josh and I chorused.
A short pause followed, during which the brunette’s already wide grin broadened.
“Of course. My bad.” She held out her hand, her eyes twinkling with humor. “I’m Clara. We sort of met at The Bronze Gear.”
Recognition slammed into me. “You were Josh’s date.”
They worked together? And they were apparently on good terms, judging by the ease with which they greeted each other.
A horrifying tendril of jealousy snaked around my gut and squeezed.
Oh no. Oh no, no, no. I could not be jealous over Josh.
Scratch that. I wasn’t jealous over Josh. I probably ate expired yogurt for breakfast or something. That was the problem with lemon-flavored foods—they tasted tart whether they were supposed to or not.
Clara burst into laughter. “Oh no, I wasn’t his date. Just his coworker. I’m a nurse in the ER.”
“She has a girlfriend.” Josh assembled a hot dog on a plate. “The bartender from The Bronze Gear. Speaking of, where’s Tinsley?”
“She’s not my girlfriend. We’re just dating, and she’s working, so she couldn’t make it.” Clara eyed me with a speculative gleam in her eyes. “If you’re not his date…”
“She’s my fake date,” Josh said before I could answer. “Remember last year’s picnic? I could barely breathe with all the people shoving their daughters in my face. I wanted to avoid a repeat.”
“It must’ve been traumatizing,” Clara said.
I smirked at her dry sarcasm. I liked her already. Any woman who called Josh out earned an A-plus in my book.
“It was. Here.” Josh finished assembling his food and handed it to me before replicating his efforts on a fresh plate.
A hot dog with ketchup, mustard, and relish. A side of salad. A handful of chips and a chocolate chip cookie to top it all off.
“Do you really need two plates?” I gestured at the one in my hand. “That’s excessive, even for you.”
He stared at me like I was dumb. “That plate is for you,” he said. “This is mine.” He added a hamburger and coleslaw to his bounty.
Thank God he didn’t do that for mine. I hated coleslaw. The texture grossed me out.
“Oh.” I shifted my weight and tried to ignore the buzz of warmth beneath my skin. “Thanks.”
Instead of responding, Josh turned his back on me to greet another coworker.
Trust him to do something semi-nice and act like a jerk again immediately after.
I took an annoyed bite out of my hot dog and caught Clara watching us. She turned away when she noticed me staring, but her shoulders shook with what looked suspiciously like laughter.
Since LHAC wasn’t officially part of Thayer Hospital, no one else from the clinic was here, which saved me and Josh from having to explain our fake date to Barbs and company. I also wasn’t worried about my friends finding out. None of them knew anyone who worked at the hospital except Josh.
For the next few hours, I accompanied Josh as we circulated the park and played the dutiful part of his date whenever someone tried to introduce him to their sister, daughter, or granddaughter. He hadn’t been lying when he said everyone wanted to set him up—I counted a dozen matchmaking attempts, even with me by his side, before I gave up.
“I don’t understand the appeal,” I grumbled after a nurse and her daughter walked away, looking disappointed. “You’re not even that great a catch. A trout, at most. Maybe a largemouth bass, emphasis on the largemouth.”
“You liked my mouth just fine in the library.” Josh’s silky response sent flames licking over my skin.
“It wasokay.”
I sucked in a gasp when he tugged me to his side, his whisper a dark warning in my ear. “Don’t provoke me, Red, or I’ll spread you out on the picnic table and tongue fuck you until you have to fucking crawl home because your legs don’t work anymore.”