would be an ongoing thing,” she said. “But the good doctor has this odd ability to get his way.”
“Yeah, you know who else is like that?” Amy asked. “ All men. Is his pug’s name really Tank?”
“His sister brought the puppy home for the kid,” Mallory said, knowing much more about Josh than any of them since she and Josh worked together at the hospital. “Without asking, I should add. It’s Anna’s life mission to drive Josh insane.”
“Why?” Grace asked.
“I don’t know. I think she’s trying to make him pay for her being in a wheelchair, which of course isn’t his fault. Between her, Toby, and the hospital board all up Josh’s ass about selling them the controlling percentage of his practice, he’s got to be close to losing it completely.”
Actually, every time Grace had seen Josh, he seemed perfectly calm, perfectly in control, and perfectly…yum.
If not entirely too exhausted. “Why would he sell the controlling percentage of his practice?” Grace asked.
“People don’t realize how much work a sole practice is,” Mallory said. “If something happens to a patient, it’s his fault. If a billing error’s made and a procedure’s wrongly claimed, that’s fraud—also his fault. The list is endless, and he’s responsible for all of it. That doesn’t even count the med school loans, the license requirements, insurance bills, office costs, support systems…” She shrugged. “People think doctors have it easy, but they don’t. Josh inherited the practice from his late father, but his first love is the ER. If he sold, he could spend more time there. Or with Toby.”
“Then he should sell,” Grace said.
“Not that easy,” Mallory said. “His father was very popular around here, and he built that practice out of love. People come from all over to go see Dr. Weston Scott’s son, out of loyalty and affection. It’s a huge obligation on Josh’s shoulders.”
Grace nodded. Oh boy, did she understand family obligation. Hers was to become Someone Important . Instead she was walking dogs and delivering flowers and kissing sexy doctors named Josh…She realized conversation had lagged and that Amy and Mallory were staring at her. “What?”
“You tell us what,” Mallory said. “Miss Staring-Dreamily-Off-into-Space.”
“I wasn’t,” Grace said. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s something,” Amy said.
“Oh, it’s something all right,” Lucille said helpfully, getting out of the booth to their right. “She left out the kiss.” She pulled out her cell phone. “Here.”
Oh boy, Grace thought. Déjà vu.
And indeed, Lucille produced the infamous Facebook pic.
Mallory’s and Amy’s eyes cut straight to Grace, and she grimaced. “Okay, so I maybe left a teensy little part out,” she admitted.
Amy took Lucille’s phone and cocked her head sideways. “What are you wearing? That’s one hell of a tiny frigging bikini. I had no idea pink polka dots were your thing.”
“Oh, for God’s sake.” Grace snatched the phone and handed it back to Lucille. “It was you. You posted this thing.”
“Well of course I did. It’s been a slow week. Nothing exciting—until you kissed the town’s favorite bachelor.” Lucille winked, snagged a cupcake, and went on her way.
Intending to do the same, Grace slid her purse on her shoulder and picked up Amy’s box of receipts. “It’s getting late.” She made a move to slide out of the booth but Amy blocked her exit with one very wicked-looking kickass boot.
“ Fine. ” Grace sagged back. “We kissed, okay? No big deal. And I didn’t tell you guys because I didn’t want you to make a bigger deal out of it than it is.”
“You kissed the hottest doctor in town,” Mallory said in disbelief. “Maybe the hottest doctor ever , and you don’t think it’s a big deal?”
“He kissed me ,” Grace corrected, grabbing another cupcake since her exit was blocked. “And are you sure he’s the hottest doctor ever? I
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