Carter’s hands stayed busy, but his eyes flicked up at me through his lashes. “So… Gustavo was angry.”
I wanted to comfort him, hold him tightly and reassure him everything was going to be okay, but I couldn’t. At least, not in front of the guard while we were supposed to be working.
“Why the hell did you treat him like he had heartburn?” I hissed, remembering my reaction when I realized he’d had Santiago propped up on pillows. “I told you to buy us some time. He’s going to kill you if he thinks you’re the same as that other doctor.”
Honestly, I wasn’t nearly as worried about the man himself as I was about the guards with the giant guns. But either way, Carter needed to stop being such a damned do-gooder.
His hands shook, and I could have kicked myself for griping at him. His voice was breathy. “I couldn’t stand seeing him in pain when I knew a way to help alleviate it. I’m… I’m sorry, okay? You called me a control freak the first time we met, and you’re right. I’m usually more levelheaded, but it drives me crazy when I can’t fix things. I don’t know why I can’t keep it together better.”
I let out a breath. I needed to remember Carter wasn’t used to dangerous situations like I was. He wasn’t trained for this. I stepped closer until our arms touched. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I just don’t want you hurt. I’m trying to protect you, but you have to help me out here.” I tried to think of a way to distract him. “How did you know that lady was pregnant? That was some quick thinking.”
He allowed himself a small smile. “She did that stomach-rubbing thing pregnant women do, and when we first came into the room, it looked like she was on the verge of hurling.” He shrugged. “Lucky guess.”
“Lucky is right. One time I gave up my seat on the tube in London to a woman I thought was pregnant. She kicked me in the nuts and told me to fuck off.”
Carter snorted and glanced at me with dancing eyes. “You’re kidding?”
“No. I learned a valuable lesson that day.”
“Never assume a woman is pregnant, even if they’re a day away from delivering the baby?” Carter suggested.
“That, and always wear a cup on public transport.”
Hearing his soft chuckle made my shoulders relax like they were under the hard, pounding spray of a hot shower. I wanted to hear more, so I kept talking. “Then there was the time I accidentally proposed to a man during a military operation.”
Carter’s head whipped around. “You’re kidding? How do you accidentally propose?”
“Believe it or not, I was asking for someone nicknamed the Butcher. Apparently ‘butcher’ and ‘marry’ are very close in Romanian. The man and his friends were not happy with me.”
Carter went back to what he was doing, but I could feel his body relaxing against mine. After a few minutes, he told his own story.
“Speaking of proposals, you know how my ex got married recently?”
Oh, I knew. Carter talked about Dr. Tucker Wright—now Tucker Johnson—a lot. A lot a lot.
Tucker was sweet. Tucker was handsome. Tucker was hilarious. Tucker was so smart he could probably solve crossword puzzles without even reading the clues. Tucker was one of the reasons Carter had moved from his fancy life in Nashville to the backwoods of nowhere.
Not that I was jealous of the guy! Obviously. For one thing, Tucker was happily married. For another, Carter and I weren’t like that. I just thought it was interesting that a person could have such positive, friendly feelings for their ex-boyfriend. I was worried about Carter’s well-being, that was all.
“Yeah, married to the dairy farmer with the pet hog. I remember.”
“Well, I believe the proposal involved reference to corn rotting on the cob.” He smiled in a fond little way. “Remind me not to marry anyone from the Thicket, I guess.”
I watched his forehead crinkle in concentration as he maneuvered a pipette onto a slide. As if we had a microscope. “Hey, are Dunn and Tucker the couple you were watching at the gala?”
He glanced over at me. “You saw me watching them dance?”
I nodded. “And I overheard you talking to the bartender.”
“Mpfh. Well… it…” He stopped and sighed, pretending to focus on the slide he was preparing.
“You, ah… you still have feelings for him? The ex?” I asked, feeling uneasy. When I’d seen him watching the couple on the dance floor, I could tell he was envious of something.
“No. Not really. I mean, I love Tucker. He’s a good man. But he needed Dunn to spice up his life and keep him on his toes. Sometimes being a doctor can get… overwhelming. No, that’s not the right word.” He paused and stared at the wall for a second. “Dark. Sometimes it gets dark. And Dunn doesn’t do dark. He’s the life of the party, always making Tucker laugh and pushing him out of his comfort zone. It’s a nice escape from practicing medicine.”