He’d been full of fun and teasing The night before, and even this morning. Now he was as serious as serious could be. Which one was the real him? The mischievous player who’d stolen a kiss from her under the mistletoe or the brilliant, intense heart surgeon attempting to save his patient’s life?
“How late do you have to stay?” Riley asked Trinity later that day, hoping she wouldn’t have to pull a full shift.
“I’m not sure. If nothing else has come into the emergency room, I expect the charge nurse will let me go soon.” She gave him a suspicious look. “Why? Do you need me to help you with something? Another procedure?”
“I do need your help with something. Have dinner with me.”
Her brow lifted. “You need help with dinner?”
“I’ll be lonely if you don’t join me.”
“I seriously doubt you’re ever lonely.”
He thought about her comment. He couldn’t really say that he recalled ever being lonely. He had a full life that he enjoyed a great deal, but the thought of not spending the evening with Trinity, as crazy as it was, did leave him feeling oddly bereft. “You might be surprised.”
“I don’t think going to dinner together is a good idea.”
Why had he known she’d refuse? “Because of last night?”
Her cheeks blushed a rosy pink and she shook her head.
“No?” One eyebrow rose. “Because you don’t want to encourage an incorrigible bloke like me?”
Looking torn, she took a step back. “That’s not it.”
He waggled his brows. “Then you do want to encourage an incorrigible bloke like me?”
If her cheeks had been pink before, now they were blood red. “You are incorrigible, but…”
He took her hands in his. “Then you’ll help me?”
“You don’t understand.”
“You have other plans?”
“No, but—”
“No worries, I’ll let you choose where we go. I’ll even splurge for dessert.”
“I don’t want dessert.”
He shrugged. “Okay, I’m easy. No dessert for you. If you’re nice I’ll share mine, though.”
She let out a long breath. “You really are incorrigible.”
He wouldn’t deny it.
“What time should I pick you up? You need a ride to your car and it’s my responsibility to get you there.”
“I’m not your responsibility.”
He studied her a moment then rubbed his knuckles across her cheeks. “We’re talking dinner and a ride to your car, Trinity, not for ever. Smile and say, ‘Thank you, I’d love to go to dinner with you, Riley.’”
Her face screwed up with doubts, she bared her teeth. “Thank you. I’d love to go to dinner with you, Riley.”
He laughed and tweaked her nose. “Atta girl.”
How had Riley finagled Trinity into doing this?
Going to the hospital Christmas party one night and going on a dinner date the next was just too much for her bah-humbug to digest.
Oh, yeah, she didn’t have her car, she justified to herself.
“Jingle-bells, jingle bells,” he sang, looking way too amazing in his jeans and lightweight sweater as he maneuvered through traffic.
Urgh. The only thing worse would be if he was wearing an ugly Christmas sweater.
He glanced her way and grinned. “Penny for your thoughts.”
“You don’t want them.”
“Sure I do.”
“I was imagining you in an ugly Christmas sweater. I bet you have a closet full.”
Laughing, he arched one brow. “Ugly Christmas sweater?”
“You know, the ones that sport more decorations than a department store.”
“Oh, those ugly Christmas sweaters.” He grinned. “I might have a few prime specimens tucked away from years past. You wanna borrow one, or are you just making your Christmas gift request?”
“Hardly.” But she ruined the effect by laughing at the thought that he might really have a few. Surely not. Covering his shoulders and chest with a knit sweater with sparkly dangly things all over it would be awful.
“Speaking of department stores, do you mind if we swing by and pick up a few strands of lights for my tree before we go eat? I should have grabbed some last week but didn’t realize mine were shot at the time.”
She bit the inside of her lip. He’d been so kind to her that could she say no?
“I guess that would be okay.”
Not really, but maybe she could sit in the car to avoid the hustle and bustle. If he insisted on her going inside the store, she could surely find a happy place in her mind somewhere for however long it took him to get his lights.