His gray mustache twitched when his lips curved up into a smile. “Good afternoon, Charlie. Welcome to Seattle. I hope you’re settling in okay.”
Cocking my head to the side, I studied the man, wondering if I’d met him. He looked familiar, but when I couldn’t place him, I smiled sweetly. “I’m sorry, you have me at a disadvantage. Do we know each other?”
“Here’s your coffee,” the barista announced sharply, placing a large paper cup wrapped in a cardboard collar on the counter.
Killing her with kindness, I overexaggerated a smile and said, “Thank you. Have a nice day.” Turning back to the man, I waited for his answer.
He stood, as I assumed a man of his era would. “My apologies. I imagine how that may have sounded. I’m Dr. Riley. I saw your name on my class roster.” He extended his hand. I shifted my coffee to my left and shook his offered one with my right. “Would you care to join me while I wait for my wife to arrive?”
Why not? “Sure.” I shrugged off my jacket, suddenly feeling warm, and draped it over the back of my chair. “So how do you know me?”
“I did my residency in Richmond.”
“Ahh, so you’re a fan of the Thunder’s?”
“When I have time to watch. I’m glad to see they’re going to the championship game. And lucky for them it’s at home.”
“Yes, it’s wonderful.”
“Too bad about St. James, though.”
Hearing Collin’s last name had my heart slamming in my ribs. We still couldn’t get in sync, and it was awful.
“Why would you say that?” God, had he gotten hurt? Nah, Sally or one of the girls would have told me.
“Seems he’s a bit off. Has been for a couple of weeks. His completion percentage has dropped a few points. Some are calling it a postseason slump. He only had one touchdown in the entire playoff series. He averages two per game… at least. Not that I need to tell you that. You haven’t heard?”
Slowly shaking my head, I felt even worse not having been able to talk to him. “No. I haven’t really watched any games since I’ve been here. My Sundays have been spent volunteering at the Children’s Hospital.” Naturally I didn’t elaborate that each time I saw him my heart would break a little more. I’d check the scores but hadn’t watched the news or read any articles.
Since my parents were away, I had wanted to keep busy during the holidays. Even New Year’s Eve had been spent following doctors around the ER. I’d missed a text from Collin, and, of course, he’d missed mine. It was becoming a horrible habit. Sally was slated to come and visit in a few weeks, but we hadn’t spoken recently, and she definitely didn’t tell me about Collin’s slump.
“That’s very generous of you. I’m sure the kids love having you there.”
“It’s been very rewarding.” My phone’s alarm went off. “It was nice talking to you, but I need to go.” I stood, bundled up, grabbed my coffee, and hustled out of the café, passing an attractive older woman on the way out. When I looked into the front window, I saw her sitting with Dr. Riley. The way they both smiled at one another brought a longing ache to my chest.
Snatching my phone from my pocket, I called Sally on my way to the academic building.
“Hello, Dr. Nicholson.” She giggled.
“I’m not a doctor yet. Can I ask you something? Do you have a minute?”
“Sure. I’m in Aspen with my parents, waiting for my ski instructor to arrive.”
A bit surprised, I tabled what I was going to say. “You’ve been skiing your entire life. Why do you need an instructor?”
“Because he’s gorgeous. By the time he’s done with my lessons, I might teach him a thing or two.” She laughed and I rolled my eyes.
The cold wind had me hustling toward the large brick structure in front of me. “You’re unreal. Anyway, is there a reason I had to hear from a stranger that Collin hasn’t been playing well lately?”
I yanked open the heavy wooden door that had to be a century old and stepped into the building where the lecture was about to begin. Rather than go in, I ducked into an empty, musty classroom, and shut the door. Despite being shielded from the outdoors, my body still shivered.
“I’m sorry. I knew you would want to fix things, and, honey, I’m not sure that you can. He’s been tight lipped about your relationship. All I got out of him was that you two keep missing each other, and it’s been hard. Ooh! Speaking of, my instructor just got here. Try not to worry. Love you.”
Our call disconnected, and through the door I could hear the murmurs of the lecture beginning, but I didn’t care. I slid into one of the chairs and called the one person who could help me. My father. Most girls would turn to their mother when it came to their love life, but I knew the romantic in her would tell me to follow my heart. My father would have a more methodical approach, which was what I needed.
Glancing at the clock, I saw that it would be right around 7:00 p.m. in Zürich. I pressed the picture of us in my contacts, and within a couple of rings, he answered.
What was it about hearing a certain person’s voice that percolated emotions? Swallowing back the sadness I didn’t want to sway his opinion, I perkily said, “Hi, Dad.”