(Complete) When Tim Burke meets Julie at a party, she isn't impressed. When they see each other again, Julie decides to give him a chance. As Julie faces burdens and sorrow in her own life, Tim and his family provide the support and love she needs...
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Clare made a habit of spending her days off in the park even though it wasn't the lake. Considering winter weather was on its way to Maine, she would enjoy the benefits of California while she could.
Clare had woken to Marco breathing softly in her ear. They had a ten-hour window between when Clare finished her shift and Marco had to start his. Marco had whispered as they settled in to sleep. "Two ships passing in the night, thanks for letting me slip into your port."
Clare had giggled until Marco shushed her. He needed to be awake in seven hours. She resisted the urge to say it was his fault because he had made the joke. She drifted to sleep glad they had hooked up.
Looking at her phone, she nudged Marco. "Wake up or you'll be late."
He snuggled into her. "Do we have time for another round?"
"Not if you plan to shower."
"Okay. We need to figure out our schedule. Have you thought anymore about trying the linen closet?"
Clare pushed him with her feet. "No!"
They had less time together, but she refused to risk getting in trouble. Sex with Marco was good but not red mark on her record good. It was something Nick would do.
After Marco left, she fell back to sleep for an hour before she showered and called home. The sound of her mother's voice was bittersweet. By the time their conversation ended, she felt sad, because her nieces were no longer little girls.
"They won't remember me."
"Of course, they do. They talk about you and their trip to California all the time. Tim and Jules talk about you to them... Nick too, since he's around."
"I'm sure he'll always be their favorite."
"You fret too much. It's not a competition."
Everything with Nick was a competition, and her mother knew competition drove her children. Saying goodbye to her mother felt sad. By the time she arrived at the park, she felt melancholy. Thankfully, she had sunglasses on as she felt some rogue tears escape.
She was trying to conjure up happy thoughts when she heard the jingle of dog tags. She sat up as an excited Teddy ran over to her.
"Teddy!" She kissed his head and hugged him hoping for some dog therapy.
"Hello. You know my dog?"
Clare looked up. When Michael said Teddy was his friend's dog, she hadn't imagined a beautiful woman. She felt something in her gut she had no right to. "I met him with your friend, Michael. I'm Clare."
The woman's entire face lit up. "You're Clare! Michael mentioned meeting you."
"He did?"
It had been more than a few weeks, since their breakfast together. They had texted, but she had been putting off seeing him again. She worried if she became his friend, she would miss him more than Marco. Marco was fun, but there was a reason he chose anesthesiology. He was not particularly sensitive. Michael had cared she missed her family. Michael also had a beautiful girlfriend.
"Of course, he and my husband are like brothers, so that makes me practically his sister. I'm Lindsay."
"Your husband... sister." She mumbled feeling relieved.
"Yes. Oh did you think? Not that it would matter because you're seeing someone, right?"
Clare nodded. "Another resident. Although our schedules make it almost impossible."
"What do you do for fun?"
Clare wondered if it was a trick question. "Residents don't have time for fun. I come here for some sun and sleep."
"You should come to one of my dinner parties. They're tons of fun."
Clare felt stunted. Dinner party sounded adult and she had been too busy to socialize as an adult. "My schedule is busy." She stopped short of asking if Michael would be invited.
"We'll find a night that works. You can bring your boyfriend."
She didn't want to introduce Marco to Michael even if they were just friends. "We hardly ever have the same night off."
She was switching to a new rotation in an office practice, so her hours would be more reasonable.
"Well then, I'll work around your schedule. This will be fun. I'll need your number. Actually, do you have time for lunch?"
Clare agreed lunch with Lindsay. She lifted Clare's spirits after her call home had darkened them. They went to a restaurant with outside seating for Teddie.
"Do you work?"
"Not since they sold the business."
"You're out of work, because the business you worked for was sold!"
Lindsay laughed. "I worked for Toby and Michael's business, but it was bought and so I don't need to work... neither of them do."
Michael said he used to work as much as she did. She really knew very little about him. "But Michael works?"
"They both do. They're smart and like the challenge."
The two women enjoyed their lunch. Clare felt as if Lindsay was amused to be with her. It was nice to have a friend. Lindsay even confided in Clare after she told her specialty. She was trying to conceive. Clare felt some regret she would be gone before her baby was born.
It wasn't until she went home she began to worry that making friends was a mistake. She had to convince herself there was nothing wrong with making a few memories. After all, there was always Facebook.
She didn't work until the following morning and wasn't used to having so much time off. She debated texting Michael but decided not to. The more she learned about him, the more she needed to stay away from him. She called Nick instead.
"You're not delivering babies tonight?"
"No, I'm out of the hospital for the next eight weeks. How's Maine Med?"
"Great! I get to see Tim at Grand Rounds."
"What's he like?"
"He's Tim. I heard him joking around."
"That sounds like him." Clare rolled her eyes.
"Hey Clare, Mum said you're worried Ava and Ella won't remember you. Don't worry I show them pictures of you. They like the ones when you were in your awkward phase."
"I never had an awkward phase!"
Nick laughed. "I figured you still are. So how're the California men?"
"How're the Maine Med nurses?"
"I may have a few who like me but I asked you first. Any doctors in love with you?"
"In love, no, but it doesn't mean I don't date."
She regretted the minute she said it. If Nick pressed she would tell him about the guy she hasn't dated instead of the one she had.
"Like you have time to date." Nick laughed and left it there.
Lindsay set the date for her dinner. She didn't know what to wear. Were all the guests going to be rich too. Meanwhile, she didn't ask if Michael would be there and Lindsay never mentioned him. She hoped he would be. She was also curious to meet the man who was Michael's best friend and Lindsay's husband.
By the time the evening arrived, she almost cancelled ten times. Instead, she stood on the stoop of an adorable bungalow with a front porch. There were three cars in the driveway and she had parked her 1996 Corolla on the street. It reminded her she didn't fit this world. Before she could turn and run away, Lindsay appeared at the door wearing jeans and a nice top. Clare wore a sundress with a sweater since it was cooler in the evening.
