Trisha stepped out of her patient's room and smiled. She had just enough time to change her clothes.

"You look happy."

She turned to see Putty. "I had a good day, but I have to run or I'll be late."

He frowned. "Are you seeing that other guy?"

She wasn't, but didn't owe him the details on her social life. "Have a good night, Putty."

"Have dinner with me next week?"

"Maybe." She laughed. The attention was going to her head.

Ten minutes later, she walked across the lobby dressed in jeans. It had gotten cooler, as they approached September.

Putty appeared with a paper coffee cup. "I'm taking a break."

"You left the residents unattended. It isn't May."

He smirked and followed her to the entrance. "How about a yes, instead of maybe? We're not in the hospital."

She laughed as a car pulled up. "Dr. Jacobsen, waiting for a ride."

She chuckled. "I was waiting for you." She turned to Putty. "Go protect my patients from an overeager second year."

Max laughed from behind the wheel as she walked around and climbed in. As soon as he drove away, her friend turned to her. "Who's he?"

"Dr. Putnam, critical care. I've had dinner with him, but he's looking for more."

"So what's stopping you?"

She bit her lip. "I don't have time for a relationship."

"Bull! You can't snow me. I know you. Plus, I've debunked that excuse. Compared to mine, your schedule is easy."

"Fine. He's a nice guy, but I'm not that into him. Then there is Jonathan."

Max laughed as he inched the car up Storrow Drive. "Who is Jonathan?"

"Joey's brother."

"Joey? Joey! Back up!"

Trish sighed. "Jonathan is his older brother and lives here. He wants to reconnect, but it is so weird. When we get together, I end up leaving. We were close friends once."

"Before the divorce."

She nodded. "He was living in London when Joey's resentment started. If Jonathan was nearby, he might have stopped Joey."

"Might have isn't reality. I might have kept my head buried in the sand if Olivia had given up on me. You didn't give up on Joey. I watched you fight for him."

"I was pathetic."

"No, you were in love and never deserved to be treated like that. Does this guy defend his brother?"

"No, but he alluded that he's not happy."

"Serves him right. I hope he's miserable."

She stopped herself from defending Joey and instantly felt angry with herself. Max had supported her and spoke the truth. He knew her pain better than anyone.

Neither spoke as he drove towards his apartment. She sighed releasing her tension. "How are the kids?"

"Eli is so smart and Abigail is so sweet."

The baby was nine months old. Max had been over the moon to have a daughter. She smiled when she thought of him as a father of two children less than three years apart.

"How are your residents?"

"Depends on their year. We have great chief residents."

"I can't believe I'm finally the one who knows what to do."

He laughed. "I hope so. You've trained long enough. Plus, you had me to guide you for five of the nine years. Now you have better qualifications than me and better hours."

"You have a better life."

He smiled and nodded. "I told you I'm an uncle, right?"

"You said your brother's wife was expecting."

"They had a little girl. Arabella was born perfectly healthy."

"I'm sure Uncle Max made sure."

He smiled. "I was less nervous than with my own kids, but I was still worried."

Max lived in a two-story duplex in a residential area. His old apartment was too small for the family of four. Trish enjoyed her visits because Olivia was a wonderful cook. He parked in his driveway and she followed him to the door into the kitchen. Olivia rushed to them as she stepped through the door first.

"It's been too long. You look great."

She shrugged as Max brushed his wife's lips and said, "She sleeps."

Olivia said, "Lucky you. Abigail was up twice last night."

"Is she sick?"

Max shook his head. "Cutting teeth. Where is she?"

"On the floor."

The large open floor plan had a family room. A cartoon was on the TV. Eli looked engrossed and Abigail sat chewing on a toy. Max clicked off the TV with the remote and kids looked his way. Both were ecstatic to see their daddy and didn't care that PAW Patrol disappeared. Max lifted his daughter as Eli hovered around him. "Daddy. Daddy."

Max sat and listened to his son. Trish turned to see Olivia smile. "He makes up for the time he's not here. What's new besides saving kids?"

"I went on a date, but I don't think..."

"Five dates. My friend said that was enough to know."

"Did it work for you?"

"No, because anyone other than Max wouldn't do." Trish sighed. "Have you liked anyone since your divorce?"

She shook her head, but then nodded. "It doesn't matter, but I met a guy on my Christmas trip. Nothing happened."

"Did you want it to?"

"Yes. No. He was only there for two days." And he met someone else. Remembering Candy's smiles, she guessed Mick was the reason. In her mind, he was amazing in bed.

"Where does he live?"

Trish sighed. "We didn't share details." She thought of the story she told Candy about his wife. "We pretended he was my uncle."

Olivia laughed. "How old is he?"

"Younger than me, but..."

"You look about twenty."

Trish sighed. "I see lines when I look in the mirror."

"I'm looking now and don't see any. I'm the one with lines on my belly."

"Yeah, but you're a warrior. Motherhood."

"You'll have your chance. So this guy? Is he good looking?"

She smiled. "Very. When I first met him he was playing in the pool with a pack of kids."

"Sounds like something Max's brother Zach would do."

Feeling brave, she took out her phone and showed Olivia the picture of them before he climbed on the boat. She studied it and nodded.

"What?"

"He's holding you close. That means he likes you too. He's also handsome."

"Who's handsome?"

Olivia smiled. "You, sweetheart. Dinner is ready if you are."

"Drink Trish?"

"Just water."

"Are you on-call?" Olivia asked.

"Always, but none of my patients are clinically urgent." She crossed her fingers.

Max put two filled water glasses on the table and returned for a third along with a straw cup. Eli sat at the table while Olivia put Abigail in the high chair. A serving dish of roasted chicken sat in the center. "There are green beans and rice. Help yourself."

Olivia put cut up beans on the high chair tray and Abigail eagerly shoved them in her mouth. Eli didn't complain over the vegetables either. Trish was used to her nieces complaining.

"Any interesting surgeries?" She looked at Max.

"Lots of hernias. Nothing like a liver transplant, although I've repaired a few livers."

"What about you? Olivia, are you planning any big parties?"

She smiled. "I'm helping with the Children's Hospital gala."

"Isn't it coming up?"

"Early November. Come. Max has the night off."

"You should go with the doctor who gave me the eye."

"What?" Olivia asked.

"The guy I had dinner with saw Max pick me up. I didn't tell him Max is a friend."

"He thinks I'm her ex's brother. She has woven a web."

"Stop. I'm happy alone." She turned and said, "Eli, what did you do today?"

"Swim. Baby."

"Did you swim at Grandma's pool?" Max asked.

"Lilli came with Bella."

"Are they going with the nickname?" Max asked.

"Lilli is since Zach coos beautiful."

Trish said, "Are you sticking with Abigail?"

Olivia shrugged. "She's named after my grandmother. I never heard her called anything other than Abigail."

Max said, "You should ask her. I bet she won't mind."

"Are you close to her?"

"Yes, but we don't get to New York a lot. It's easier for my parents to visit us."

"I never go home, but I don't want to. At least you grew up in the city. My small town makes it impossible not to trip down memory lane."

"But your ex still lives in Connecticut, right?"

"Yes, but he has a large family. It's bad enough that his brother is here."

"You're going to the gala. We'll get you a gorgeous gown and you can be the beautiful, youthful, talented doctor who saves children's lives."

Excitement flowed through her. She wanted to be an adult. Because they both had early rounds, Max drove her home, not long after the meal finished.

"I hate taking you away from your family."

"It's okay. I'll tuck Eli in. If tonight is like last night, I'll be with Abigail in the middle of the night."

"She was happy at dinner."

He chuckled. "She likes to eat."

"Both your kids eat healthy."

"That's on Olivia. She just offers them what we eat. She's an amazing mother."

"And a good friend."

Tricia remembered being nervous the first time she met Olivia. It was a strange visit. She had spent the night at their apartment when she and Max had never seen each other outside of the hospital. Olivia was the mother of a newborn, but she had been kind and welcoming. Trish was afraid Olivia might have been jealous because she and Max spent so much time together and she cried on his shoulder, but she wasn't at all. Trish found Max sexy in scrubs, but she was married back then, so she didn't think of him like that. After the divorce, he was firmly in the friend zone. She disagreed with Olivia. Trish thought Mick was better looking than Max.

Mick was a fantasy. She would have better luck trying to like Putty.

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