Chapter 108 Signs
Carol was still replaying last night in her head.
She'd been wild. Digging her nails into him, clawing at his shoulders, straddling him for what felt like forever. Like a riverbed that had been bone-dry for years finally flooded by a downpour. That rain soaked into every crack in her heart, sealing up fissures she'd pretended weren't there.
"I'm... I'm so sorry, I..." Ethan stammered out an apology, guilt written all over his face.
Last night he'd held onto her, trying out every move he'd ever seen in porn. He'd had a girlfriend back in college, so he wasn't completely inexperienced with this stuff.
Carol shook her head. "Don't apologize. I'm just as responsible. I shouldn't have drunk that much."
"Then I... how about I give you money?" Ethan offered.
In that instant, Carol's head snapped up, her eyes blazing. Her gaze was striking enough on a normal day, but when she glared at you, it packed a punch.
"How much were you thinking?" Carol asked.
"Whatever... whatever you think is fair."
"Forget it. Truth is, I got something out of it too. This kind of thing doesn't always screw over the woman." With that, Carol climbed out of bed, taking the comforter with her in one smooth motion.
The cold air hit Ethan's bare skin. He was left with absolutely nothing.
He didn't dare protest.
Carol wrapped herself in the blanket and swept out of his room, running straight into Lily in the hallway.
Lily's jaw practically hit the floor seeing Carol emerge from Ethan's room bundled in a comforter.
"Boss lady, you..."
Carol's cheeks flushed. "What's up?"
"Nothing, just... the diner needs to open soon. Wanted to give you a heads up."
"Got it. I'll be right there." Her voice was perfectly casual.
Lily's mouth was still forming a perfect O.
What the hell happened last night?
...
Matilda hadn't slept well.
She'd spent the first half of the night stargazing with Wentworth until she dozed off. Then he had to head back for his shift and dropped her home, after which she couldn't really sleep. Thankfully there were no emergencies today—just two patients. One with a cough who needed cough syrup, another with an injured foot that needed disinfecting and basic wound care.
After finishing with the wound, she glanced over at Ethan without really meaning to. For the past few days at the clinic, his eyes had followed her constantly. She didn't even need to look to know he was watching her, so she'd just ignored him.
But today, Ethan seemed lost in his own world. Every so often he'd bring his fingers up to his nose, inhale, then smile to himself. Like some guy in heat.
He wasn't even looking at her anymore.
What was going on with him?
Had he gotten lucky or something?
Matilda didn't care for gossip, so she let it go. At lunch, she headed to the diner.
"Boss lady, liver and onions," Matilda called out to Carol.
But Carol seemed miles away, completely spaced out.
Matilda called again. Carol finally snapped back to reality and switched on her usual warmth. "Liver and onions, sure thing. Have a seat. Want something to drink?"
"To drink?"
"I mean... want a Diet Coke? You usually like those, right?" Carol gave an embarrassed laugh.
"Yeah, I'll take one," Matilda said.
That's when Ethan walked in. Living alone, he had no choice but to eat at the diner. The moment Carol spotted him, her expression went cold, like she didn't even see him.
Ethan sat down and studied the menu on the wall with its pictures and prices. After a solid minute of staring, he only ordered beef noodles.
Carol took his order without a word. Ethan kept his head down over his bowl. While eating, Matilda caught Ethan stealing glances at Carol. But the second Carol turned around, his eyes dropped back to his noodles.
Matilda could smell something brewing.
These two definitely had something going on.
Of course men and women shouldn't live under the same roof. Eventually something was bound to happen—if not in the morning, then at night.
Matilda had heard bits and pieces about the boss lady. She wasn't originally from here. After her husband died in service, she'd moved to this town—probably to feel closer to his spirit—and opened this diner.
That was several years ago now. Plenty of men had tried pursuing her over the years, but she'd rejected every single one. Her personality could be fierce, plus she had connections with the military guys. Eventually people stopped trying. Everyone just assumed she planned to stay a widow forever.
The old Matilda would've thought living alone was fine. But lately, wrapped up in her own romance, she'd started thinking two was better. Having someone care whether you ate well, someone who looked after your feelings, someone to share your troubles with—wasn't that better than being alone?
So Matilda genuinely hoped Carol would find a good man, someone who matched her strength, and build a life together.
As for Ethan, setting aside their messy history, Matilda thought he was actually pretty decent. Handsome, a promising doctor with a good future, from a solid family—he'd be a good match for Carol. She just wondered how far things had progressed between them.
Not that Matilda would get involved. She'd just keep ignoring Ethan, not giving him an inch. That way he might actually move on.
After finishing her meal, Matilda waved to Carol. "I'm heading out."
She didn't spare Ethan a single glance.
Ethan's attention had been on Carol the whole time, so he barely registered Matilda until she left. Seeing her walk out without even looking his way stung.
After lunch, he headed back to his room in the courtyard to rest. Following a short nap, he came out just as Carol was returning too. The diner didn't get much afternoon traffic, so Carol usually came back to rest a bit.
They ran into each other face-to-face. The memory of last night hung between them, leaving them both fumbling for what to do.
Ethan opened his mouth to say something, but Carol disappeared into her room without a word.
His chest felt tight. Like nobody wanted anything to do with him anymore.
...
That afternoon, an emergency call came in. A kid from one of the families up the mountain had fallen and was unconscious. They needed a doctor.
Ethan volunteered to go.
When he arrived, he assessed the child had a brain hemorrhage and needed immediate surgery. But the town hospital didn't have the facilities for brain surgery. All Ethan could do was start an IV to improve blood flow and urge them to rush the kid to the city for emergency care.
The family asked about costs. Ethan told them it'd probably run twenty thousand dollars with insurance, maybe several times that without.
The family huddled together to discuss. The father, tears streaming down his face, said they'd decided not to make the trip. The child died that afternoon.
It was Ethan's first real confrontation with the harsh reality of remote rural areas. Human life couldn't compete with expensive medical care. Even as a doctor, he'd rarely watched a life this young and vibrant slip away right in front of him. When he got back that evening, his mood was dark.
He went to get alcohol.
Carol stopped him. "Drinking again? You're gonna wreck your body at this rate."
Ethan looked at her. "I'm in a bad mood."
Seeing how late he'd returned and how defeated he looked, Carol softened. "What happened?"
"Work stuff," Ethan said.
"House call?"
"A kid died."
Carol let out a long breath, then pulled out a bottle of whiskey and handed it to him. "Alright, have a little. But don't overdo it."