“Cream? And let me guess, you’re going to put the cheese in there as well.”
“Of course. I told you I make the best omelets,” I grinned.
“At this rate, you’ll be one of my patients.”
Of course he was eyeing the ingredients and counting the cholesterol. I would too if this was how I ate every day.
“This is a treat for me,” I said. “Normally it’s coffee and a mango or kiwi.”
“Much better choice.”
“And before you start on my bread, it’s flaxseed. Is that acceptable, Dr. O’Connor?”
“It’s one of my favorites,” he replied.
“At least I did something right,” I sighed.
Finn turned around and said, “I sound like such an ass. I’m sorry.”
“Ass might be a bit of a strong word,” I teased. He didn’t crack a smile, so I asked, “Is something bothering you besides my lack of cooking skills?”
“We didn’t make it to the hospital in time last night,” he said.
My heart sank. I had no idea who the patient was, but I felt for their family and friends. Even though more lives were being saved, getting the person to the hospital in time was still a challenge.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” I said gently.
“Logan said he knew him. That he’d been working at New Hope for a few years but quit suddenly. I assume it had to do with health issues. Unless he was eating your cooking,” he said with a wink.
I gasped and threw my napkin at him. “Just for that, you’re eating that sad-looking omelet.”
“As long as it comes with a slice of that bread, you’re on.”
Finn insisted I sit while he served up the food. Then he sliced the bread.
“I know you won’t want butter on it. In the refrigerator, I have some fresh peach jam.”
“Did you make that as well?” he asked.
“No. There’s a small shop in town that sells all types of homemade jams. I try to purchase everything I can that was made in Tabiq. Of course, that’s not possible for so much and we are so dependent on imports that it concerns me.”
“Have you considered helping small companies learn how to export their goods? I don’t know all the factors around such things, but if this jam tastes as good as it looks, I’d purchase it,” he said as he spread a good helping on his slice.
It was nice to talk about the economic challenges Tabiq was facing and not feel as though Finn was judging us for our past mistakes. Instead, he was trying to assist us in the process of turning things around. It made me feel comfortable sharing more with him.
“Would you like a tour of Tabiq?” I asked.
Our eyes met and he asked, “Will you be the guide?”
Nodding, I replied, “My appointment this afternoon, cancelled. Unless you have things you need to attend to at the hospital with Logan, that is.”
“There are no scheduled surgeries and we spent most of the day there yesterday. I saw everything I needed to know in order to make my decision.”
And that decision is?
Since he didn’t provide one, I wasn’t about to push. That made showing him all the beauty Tabiq had to offer more important than ever.
“I’ll even treat you to lunch,” I said.