“Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude on your morning,” he said, giving her the opportunity to rescind her implied invitation gracefully as well as inadvertently save his ass from indulging the building not-so-patient-like attraction he felt. But she didn’t save him from himself, in fact she pretty much handed him the weapon of his own destruction by blinding him with a welcoming smile as she gestured to the seat beside her. “Well, if you insist,” he said with a grin. “I’ll go grab some grub and meet you back here.”
“The papaya is amazing,” she offered. “But then the sausages are out of this world, too.”
“Duly noted.” Miles went to the breakfast room and loaded up a plate, grabbing a few extra sausages for his pregnant friend, and before heading out, waved to Lilah and her cute kids. He rejoined Julianna and tucked into his breakfast with relish, groaning as he plowed through the food. Julianna laughed at his enthusiasm and nodded in agreement as he moaned with a mouthful of sausage. “You did not lie. This is sublime. Here, I brought you another,” he said, forking a sausage and putting it on Julianna’s plate. “Extra protein is always good.” He warmed at her easy laughter and he knew he was in a danger zone with this woman. There was something about her that drew him in way that should not if he hoped to keep things professional between them. “So, what do you think of St. John?” he asked, figuring that was a safe question — friendly but not overly nosy.
She exhaled with a wistful sigh as her gaze roamed the gentle, private beach with its white sugar sand and clear waters. “It’s beyond beautiful. Aside from the humidity, it’s near paradise.”
“When I first came here, I nearly passed out from the humidity,” he shared. “Of course, the lenient open container laws might’ve contributed to my dehydration, which in turn might’ve had something to do with my passing out but, you know, live and learn.”
“The laws are bit different here,” she agreed. “Everywhere I go, there’s someone with a drink in their hand.”
“The Caribbean has a long and celebrated past with drinking. You know, pirates and their rum, and all that,” he said, finishing off the sausage and digging into his eggs. “And yet, there aren’t as many alcohol-related deaths as you would think.”
“Interesting. Well, no drinking for me. Although I have craved a beer in the worst way. And I’m not a beer drinker. What does that mean, doc?”
“An old wives tale is that whatever you crave, your body needs.”
“My body needs beer?”
He laughed. “Well, I didn’t say it was backed up by science.” A comfortable silence passed between them and Miles decided to dig a little deeper into the mystery of his newest patient. It was probably a bad idea but he had to know more. “You can tell me to piss off, it’s none of my business, but I’m curious…why is a beautiful woman like yourself, pregnant and alone on an island paradise?”
Her soft smile retreated and he held his breath, worrying he’d pushed too far, too soon but she answered with a sigh. “I needed some space to think. And if I’m being honest, I think I was hurt and scared, too. The guy I was with…it’s complicated,” she finished with a sad shrug that pulled at his heart.
“Do you love him?”
That question seemed to shake her up. Her eyes widened as if to protest but her mouth seamed shut as if to prevent her from committing. “It can’t be love. I barely know him,” she finally said. “Besides, love is the last thing he would ever offer me so it’s ludicrous to even think about it.”
His instincts said to back off. This woman still harbored feelings for her baby daddy and that was drama he did not want but there was something so appealing about Julianna that he ignored his own good sense to say, “Well, if I may…if this guy let you go, he doesn’t deserve you.”
Julianna’s breath hitched in her chest and a shadow passed over her gaze as she accepted his opinion with a shy nod. “You’re too sweet. Are you this nice to all your patients or just the ones with a clichéd sob story?”
“Only the ones I think are special.”
“Thanks,” she murmured, gracing him with a smile that zinged his insides. “I appreciate the kind words. Maybe it’s because I’m hormonal but I’ve been out of sorts and I don’t know what the right choice is anymore.”
“Maybe I can help.”
“It’s not fair of me to unload on you.”