“You sure you’re not already in too deep?”
“No, I told you, he means nothing to me.”
Justin chuckled. “You forget, I’ve known you my whole life, and I know when you’re lying. You may think Ryan’s like Todd, but he’s not. He’s one of the good guys, and if you won’t give him a chance to prove that, then you’re the one who’s missing out, big time.”
Ryan cursed when a knock interrupted his train of thought. “Come in,” he barked.
Justin poked his head in the door, grinning. “Hey, boss, did I catch you at a bad time?”
Smiling, Ryan gestured to the chair across from him. Justin was a good guy and a damn fine doctor. He would be an excellent addition to his new clinic. “No, man, come on in. Take a load off.”
“Thanks. Listen, you mind if I talk to you about something kind of personal?”
“Not at all,” Ryan said, removing his wire-framed reading glasses and tossing them down on the desk. “I could use a break from my own problems. Let me hear about yours for a while.”
“This isn’t a problem exactly,” Justin said, hesitantly. “I mean, it’s more of an opportunity. If you’re interested, that is.”
Sliding his chair back and propping his designer shoes up on the edge of the desk, Ryan said, “Try me.”
“You know I’m getting married in Aruba this weekend, right?”
“Yeah sure, what about it?”
“I know this is really short notice. If I’m imposing, you just have to say the word…”
Ryan laughed. “Just spit it out already. I haven’t got all day, kid.”
“Sorry. Okay, here’s the deal. My best man got mono, and he can’t make the wedding. I thought about asking one of my other friends to step in, but then I thought of you.”
“Me? Why me?” Ryan asked, taken aback by the offer.
“We’ve been spending a lot of time together over the past few months, and I’d like to think we’ve become pretty tight…” Justin said, quietly.
“Hey, I feel the same way,” Ryan said, feeling like a jerk for making him uncomfortable. “I’m sorry; you just caught me off guard.”
“It’s okay.” Justin looked him in the eye. “If you think it’d be weird because my sister will be there, I totally understand. I can find someone else.”
“Did you just ask me to do this because you’re trying to help me out with your sister?”
“Listen, Ryan, not many doctors of your stature would take a chance on someone like me. I had no experience or references. I don’t know anybody in this business; I don’t have a last name that’s going to draw patients.”
“You’re a great doctor, and I’m damn lucky to have you,” Ryan said, pointing his gold pen at him. “Your sister told me about you, but you earned this job and my respect on your own merit. Don’t ever doubt that.”
“That’s just it,” Justin said quietly. “Very few times in a man’s life does he meet someone who’s willing to take a chance on him. You did, and that’ll change the course of my life forever. Now I can see possibilities I never even dreamed of before I met you. I want what you have: the talent, the successful clinics, and the respect of your peers.”
Sighing, Ryan scrubbed his hands over his face. “My friend, don’t envy me. I’d kill for something you already have.”
Frowning, Justin asked, “What’s that?”
“A woman who loves me.”
“I talked to my sister about you,” Justin said quietly.
Ryan’s gut clenched at the mention of Alana. He was so careful not to make Justin uncomfortable by asking about his sister, but he listened carefully for the past three months, hoping to glean any information he could about her. “What did she say?” he asked, hating himself for putting Justin on the spot. “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to. I understand that your loyalty lies with your sister, not me.”
“You’re right about that,” Justin said. “If anyone ever tried to hurt her, they’d have to answer to me, and
“No, I told you, he means nothing to me.”
Justin chuckled. “You forget, I’ve known you my whole life, and I know when you’re lying. You may think Ryan’s like Todd, but he’s not. He’s one of the good guys, and if you won’t give him a chance to prove that, then you’re the one who’s missing out, big time.”
Ryan cursed when a knock interrupted his train of thought. “Come in,” he barked.
Justin poked his head in the door, grinning. “Hey, boss, did I catch you at a bad time?”
Smiling, Ryan gestured to the chair across from him. Justin was a good guy and a damn fine doctor. He would be an excellent addition to his new clinic. “No, man, come on in. Take a load off.”
“Thanks. Listen, you mind if I talk to you about something kind of personal?”
“Not at all,” Ryan said, removing his wire-framed reading glasses and tossing them down on the desk. “I could use a break from my own problems. Let me hear about yours for a while.”
“This isn’t a problem exactly,” Justin said, hesitantly. “I mean, it’s more of an opportunity. If you’re interested, that is.”
Sliding his chair back and propping his designer shoes up on the edge of the desk, Ryan said, “Try me.”
“You know I’m getting married in Aruba this weekend, right?”
“Yeah sure, what about it?”
“I know this is really short notice. If I’m imposing, you just have to say the word…”
Ryan laughed. “Just spit it out already. I haven’t got all day, kid.”
“Sorry. Okay, here’s the deal. My best man got mono, and he can’t make the wedding. I thought about asking one of my other friends to step in, but then I thought of you.”
“Me? Why me?” Ryan asked, taken aback by the offer.
“We’ve been spending a lot of time together over the past few months, and I’d like to think we’ve become pretty tight…” Justin said, quietly.
“Hey, I feel the same way,” Ryan said, feeling like a jerk for making him uncomfortable. “I’m sorry; you just caught me off guard.”
“It’s okay.” Justin looked him in the eye. “If you think it’d be weird because my sister will be there, I totally understand. I can find someone else.”
“Did you just ask me to do this because you’re trying to help me out with your sister?”
“Listen, Ryan, not many doctors of your stature would take a chance on someone like me. I had no experience or references. I don’t know anybody in this business; I don’t have a last name that’s going to draw patients.”
“You’re a great doctor, and I’m damn lucky to have you,” Ryan said, pointing his gold pen at him. “Your sister told me about you, but you earned this job and my respect on your own merit. Don’t ever doubt that.”
“That’s just it,” Justin said quietly. “Very few times in a man’s life does he meet someone who’s willing to take a chance on him. You did, and that’ll change the course of my life forever. Now I can see possibilities I never even dreamed of before I met you. I want what you have: the talent, the successful clinics, and the respect of your peers.”
Sighing, Ryan scrubbed his hands over his face. “My friend, don’t envy me. I’d kill for something you already have.”
Frowning, Justin asked, “What’s that?”
“A woman who loves me.”
“I talked to my sister about you,” Justin said quietly.
Ryan’s gut clenched at the mention of Alana. He was so careful not to make Justin uncomfortable by asking about his sister, but he listened carefully for the past three months, hoping to glean any information he could about her. “What did she say?” he asked, hating himself for putting Justin on the spot. “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to. I understand that your loyalty lies with your sister, not me.”
“You’re right about that,” Justin said. “If anyone ever tried to hurt her, they’d have to answer to me, and
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