Read Saving Forever - Part 1 for Free Online

their goal set for six months, maybe a year tops. I keep saying I’m going to take a break after I finish one project and before I jump into the next. It still hasn’t happened. Maybe I’ll finally go on a trip somewhere or a cruise or something.” She stared ahead and didn’t look at him. She couldn’t believe she had just told him that she wanted a holiday. Could she sound any nerdier?
    “I haven’t been out of America for about five years now. I’m due for a holiday as well.”
    “You haven’t gone home?”
    “New Zealand? I planned on going last year but then got hired as chief so I didn’t feel it was the right time to go.”
    They reached her car. “So you’re a procrastinator as well?”
    “I have my moments.”
    They both smiled and she fished around her purse for her keys. An awkward moment ensued when she didn’t know what to say or do. Should she get in the car? Shake his hand? Hug him? “Do you want a lift to the hospital?” She unlocked the doors using the key chain clicker.
    He watched her, his gaze moving left to right like a slow pendulum intently staring into her eyes. “Tempting, but I should probably walk. Then I’ll just catch the subway.” He held out his hand. “I had a lovely time Charity Thompson.”
    Tempting? Weird. It’s just a ride. She reached out and shook his hand, part of her relieved, part of her extremely disappointed. “Me too. Have a nice evening, Dr. Bennett.”
    He waited for her to get into the car and start it before he began walking away.

 
     
     
    Chapter 7
     
     
    The hospital ran on constant busy and seven o’clock in the morning wasn’t any different. Charity carried a tray with two coffees. She had debated about grabbing a third for Elijah but chickened out.
    The elevator opened on the sixth floor. Charity walked by the nurse’s station and noticed they were going over shift change and the patients’ charts. Her father would be in his office and she wasn’t entirely surprised to see Elijah’s lights off and office door closed, though she was a little disappointed.
    She straightened her shoulders and tapped on her father’s door before walking in. “Good morning.”
    Her father looked up from his desk. “I didn’t know you were an early riser.”
    Did he always have to find a way to make her feel just a little bit less? “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Dad.” She pulled her coffee from the tray and dropped the tray and his cup on his desk, purposely on a stack of papers but knowing it wouldn’t spill. “I brought you a coffee. Decaf.”
    His brows shot up in surprise. He quickly moved the tray from the papers but did open the coffee and take a few sips. “Thank you. Your mother used to come every morning and bring me one.”
    “I know,” Charity said as she sat down across from him. “It was on the way to school. I always waited in the car.” She didn’t want to share a special memory of her mom with him. He’d ruined that years ago.
    He took another sip and stared down at the papers in front of him. They both avoided looking at each as they drank from their cups. He finally broke the silence when he cleared his throat. “I like the venue and idea you came up with last night.”
    “Good.” She needed to take the sullen child act down a notch. “I’m glad. I think it’s going to be a big success.”
    “Yes, that would be nice. I have no interest in throwing a party for myself but if it can make the hospital some money, I guess I’ll just have to keep my head down and get on with it.”
    Interesting. She would have thought he’d love the attention. “I’ll confirm the date for…” She pulled out her phone and skipped to the calendar six months from now. “March twenty-sixth? That’s a Saturday. It’s after Saint Patrick ’s Day and spring break which will help. No conflicting parties.”
    “That’s fine.” He wrote the date on a piece of paper.
    “I will probably need to be here again next weekend to