a compartment in her brain that she’d thought was forever nailed shut. Why had he kissed her if he’d had no intention of asking her out on a date? Had he found her somehow inferior to the other girls he’d gone out with?
Her eyelids clamped closed for a second. That was a question to which there was no answer. And ultimately she’d chosen a different path. But one that hadn’t necessarily turned out much better. But seeing him interact with that woman a few minutes ago had been a good wake-up call about why she needed to be careful.
She forced her attention to her surroundings. “How about over to our right? It’s pretty empty.”
“Looks good.” He lifted the tote off her shoulder, fingers lightly brushing the side of her neck as he did so. A shiver erupted from that tiny contact, setting off her inner seismograph. It started frantically scribbling a warning that she’d better heed.
You need to sit down. Now.
She headed off in that direction, urging Tommie to follow. She did, but not without a shrill wail of protest. Hollee rolled her eyes.
“Not you too,” she muttered. “One of us has to keep our heads, girl. This is a man who doesn’t stick around for long. Don’t count on his dog being any different.”
A minute later they arrived at their destination, Clancy having to go more slowly in deference to Gordy’s shorter strides. “Could you hold him for a minute?”
She took the dog’s leash as he removed the quilt from the tote and tossed it open, allowing it to flutter toward the ground. Why did the man make everything look effortless? He took the ball and its thrower and set them on one corner. “That blanket looks handmade.”
“The quilt? It is. My grandmother made it. She used it for picnics and so did my mom. Now it’s mine.” She didn’t think it would last another generation, though, as it had been mended more than once. But she couldn’t bring herself to leave it in a cabinet unused. It just seemed wrong. And since she was an only child, and there were no prospects on the horizon, it didn’t look like there would be a next generation. A pang went through her.
“Nice.”
He took Gordy’s leash again and motioned for her to sit first. She did, smiling when Tommie immediately tried to plop in her lap. She’d never quite grasped the fact that she was a big dog. Bigger than laps were made to accommodate. But that hadn’t stopped her yet.
Clancy toed off his tennis shoes and sat his jeans-clad form on the other side of the quilt. Gordy didn’t try to crawl in his lap, she noted. He, evidently the better behaved of the two, sat beside his owner, his tail wagging back and forth.
Sucking down a chilly burst of air, but glad the weather had warmed up enough to allow this kind of outing in December, she allowed her muscles to finally relax now that her legs had stopped their quivering. “By January this will be impossible, so we’d better enjoy it while we can.”
He set Gordy’s leash on the quilt beside him. “Oh, I plan to enjoy every second I get.”
Giving him a sharp look and finding his attention focused in the distance, she decided he wasn’t talking about her but about the weather.
She started to remove Tommie’s leash, since the park allowed it, then stopped. “If I let her go, will it bother him?”
“No. If she won’t run off, I’ll take his leash off too. He has a tendency to play follow the leader.”
“Tommie pretty much sticks to me like glue.”
Once freed, the dogs came to the center and sniffed each other again before moving into the nearby grass. Gordy rolled, while Tommie sat and kept watch. It looked like she wasn’t going to have to keep Tommie entertained after all. The animals looked perfectly content to romp nearby.
“How are you settling in at the hospital?”
He leaned back on his elbows. “It’s a big change from what I’m used to, but I’m enjoying it. Obviously, I get more pediatric cases here than I did in the military.”
“Those have to be hard.”
He shifted to look at her. “They’re different. A lot of them are due to accidents or burns, which definitely make you stop and think.”
“Think? About what?”
“About what would have happened if things had turned out differently. About the long-term effects of a split-second decision.”
Long-term effects? Oh, those were very real. One kiss had turned her world upside down and then dumped her onto her backside. It had been a heartbreaking lesson to learn: Don’t let your impulsive side take control. Ever. Something she’d been very conscious of. It’s one reason she hadn’t dated since Jacob had died. She didn’t want to take a chance on love, only to find out she’d made a mistake. Again.
Ugh. This was ridiculous. She hadn’t thought of this stuff in years.
Maybe that wasn’t exactly true, but it’s what she needed to do: stop thinking about it. Those decisions were over and done with, and like Clancy had talked about with those injuries, they were irrevocable.
She fingered the stitching on the quilt. “I guess the same thing is true in labor and delivery. I’ve seen my share of surprise pregnancies. The parents’ attitudes make the difference between it being a blessing or a burden. Like you said, split-second decisions carry consequences that follow you. For a long time.”
Clancy stared at her, and it dawned on her that this time her tying something to the past hadn’t just been in her head. She’d done it out loud, and he’d caught her. Only she hadn’t done it on purpose. It just came out.
“Yes, they do.”
Forcing herself to concentrate on the dogs, who were now lounging in the grass sunning themselves—Tommie’s belly on full display, while Gordy’s head was up, his eyes closed. “Well, they’re sure enjoying themselves.”
“They are.”
She smiled. “So am I. I guess we got our play date after all.” She quickly nodded toward the dogs. “Or theirs, I should say.”
Despite her earlier thoughts, it really was nice just to sit beside him and soak in the sun. The only impulsive decision here had been to stay when she’d wanted to run. And it wasn’t proving to be as disastrous as she’d feared.
“I appreciate you letting us crash your party.”
She laughed. “I don’t think Tommie is complaining too much.”
“Neither is Gordy.” He thought for a minute. “If you wanted, Tommie could stay at my place so your mom wouldn’t have to move in with her. I’m sure my mom wouldn’t mind feeding them both and letting them out.”
“So you’ve decided to go?”
“It looks like Ava and the baby will be fine so yes.”
She thought for a minute, trying to process what he’d just said and the fact that he’d suggested the dogs stay together. Her mom loved Tommie and she was pretty sure she’d be devastated to have to change her plans. “My mom’s looking forward to spending time with Tommie. Maybe Gordy could come stay at my place.”
He looked at her, frown in place. “Are you sure? He can be a little stubborn, as you saw earlier.”
“Really? Well, my mom’s put up with my stubbornness for twenty-seven years. I think she can handle Gordy.”
“Gordy would probably like the company, actually. My mom still works, so she can’t spend the whole day with him. But he can certainly survive. Ask your mom first, though, and see what she says.”
“I will, but I already know it won’t be a problem. So just plan on it. Besides, your mom will probably be busy with her new grandbaby. You can drop him off on your way to the hospital the day we leave.”
“I