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with that many witnesses.”
    “Gee, you make it sound like a fun time,” he said. “But if you want me there, I’m game.” He was, in fact, surprisingly eager to take this next step. He sensed that despite Cait’s fears, he’d have allies there.
    “I’ll call you once I’ve seen them tomorrow and we can decide what’s best,” she promised. “Now tell me about what’s going on at the hospital. Did you work tonight?”
    “I did, though my mind kept wandering. Jill called me on it. I was abrupt with poor Mr. Simpson,” he confessed. “He was just looking for more reassurance that he’d be okay and able to go back to work once the worst of his injuries from the accident heal, but I snapped at him.”
    “I can’t believe you were short with anyone,” Cait said, sounding shocked. “You never lose your temper with the patients, no matter how many times they ask the same questions.”
    “I apologized.” He recalled that uncomfortable conversation. It was one he hoped never to have to repeat. “Do you know what he told me?”
    “What?”
    “That for the first time it made him realize I was only human, too.”
    Cait laughed. “Could be a lesson in there for all of us,” she said. “Not that I recommend losing your cool on a regular basis, but we need to remember we’re not gods and the patients need to know that, too. Aren’t you the one who’s always preached that we need to connect with them as real people?”
    “And I do believe that,” Noah confirmed. “Tell me about Chesapeake Shores. What’s it like this time of year?”
    “I was pretty distracted as I drove into town, but the weather’s nice. Mom and I took a walk along the bay after dinner, then went for coffee. Decaf,” she added quickly.
    “Good for you. I know how you love your caffeine.”
    “Way too much,” she conceded. “Maybe this is one sacrifice that will stick with me and I’ll stop craving it to get through those long days at work.”
    “Describe the town for me again,” he said. He’d never tired of hearing about it. He’d grown up in the middle of a blighted urban area that had made him long for a more peaceful and serene setting.
    “The daffodils are fading on the town green,” she reported. “But the tulips will be in full bloom soon. And the little patch of lily of the valley at the house smells wonderful. That was Grandma Megan’s favorite flower, so Mom and all of her siblings have planted it by their front walks. They say back then it reminded them of her when she was away for so long and they never want to forget how much they missed her and how grateful they’ve come to be that she’s back in their lives.”
    Noah was familiar with the story of how her grandmother had walked out on her workaholic grandfather, a famed architect and urban planner. She’d left behind five children, convinced by Mick O’Brien they’d be better off growing up right in Chesapeake Shores, a town he and his brothers had built along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. While she’d left with the best of intentions for her family, it had caused a serious rift with her children that had only recently healed. Now Mick and Megan had patched up their differences, as well, and were far more happily remarried. It was proof, he thought, that with true love there was always reason to hope.
    “I can’t wait to see this town that’s so special to you,” he told Cait. “And to meet your family.”
    “You’re going to love it here,” she said. “It’s an idyllic setting and a great community.” She yawned sleepily. “I’m beat. You must be, too. I’ll give you a call tomorrow and we’ll decide on a plan for Sunday, okay?” She hesitated, then added, “Or I’ll warn you if it would be wise to leave the country.”
    Noah laughed, though he could tell she wasn’t entirely kidding. “I’ll wait to hear from you,” he said. “I love you, Cait.”
    “Love you, too. Good night, Noah.”
    Even after she’d disconnected the