Love On Anchor Island: An Anchor Island Novel

reason Alex hadn’t gone into pediatrics.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Roxie said, bouncing her knees. “Doc will poke me first, and you can see that it’s super easy.” Locking eyes with Alex, she added, “Make it quick. I know where you live.”
Just as he’d thought. There was a mushy center under all that black leather.
“It’ll be over before you know I was there.”
“That’s what she said,” Roxie mumbled, and Alex nearly vaccinated the plastic chair. Eyes straight ahead, she said, “You walked into that one.”
“Yes, I did.” With the little boy watching, he administered the shot and applied a Peppa Pig Band-Aid as reward for her bravery. “That wasn’t so bad, right?”
Wide brown eyes turned his way. “It’s over?”
“It is.”
“You didn’t even cry,” Daniel said.
“I didn’t even feel it,” Roxie replied with a bright smile. “You can totally do this.”
Suspicion still lingered in the dark-blue eyes, but he pushed his sleeve up. “Real quick, right? Just like Miss Roxie’s.”
Alex opened a new alcohol swab before reaching for the fresh needle. “Yes, sir.”
Roxie held his other hand as Daniel tightly closed his eyes. “I’m ready.”
With a few swift movements, the shot was in and the Band-Aid in place, this time featuring Chase from Paw Patrol. “All done,” Alex said.
The boy’s eyes popped open, and he pulled out of Roxie’s grasp to rub his arm. “That hurted.”
“But not bad, right?” Alex asked, thankful there were no tears.
“I guess not.” Daniel climbed down off Roxie’s lap. “Can I go play now?”
“You may.” Not needing to be told twice, the toddler tore from the room, his battle scar forgotten. Alex disposed of the used needles and his gloves. “That was pretty brave of you.”
She dismissed his words. “Daniel is the brave one. All I did was take the first hit.”
“But you said you don’t do needles,” he reminded her.
Roxie rose to her feet. “I guess it depends on who is holding the needle.” Rubbing the bandage much like Daniel had, she said, “If this shit gives me the flu, I’m going to be pissed.”
“That’s a myth, though you could have some side effects. Achy muscles or a slight fever. They shouldn’t last long.”
She pinned him with a glare. “You tell me this now?”
“Would you have changed your mind if I’d told you before?”
“No, but I still deserved to know.” Retrieving the water bottle from where she’d left it on the table, she asked, “How’s Callie? I assume I’d have heard by now if the twins were here.”
To Alex’s relief, the babies were staying put, and their mother was behaving. “She’s good. Growing more uncomfortable by the day, but there’s no getting around that. Two more weeks and we’ll be on safer ground. Three would be better.”
Lips pursed, she tapped the side of her bottle and started to speak but changed her mind. “I’d better go.”
“What were you going to say?” he asked, happy to keep her talking a little longer.
“It was a nosy question. Never mind.”
“Wait.” Alex reached for her as she stepped away, and Roxie glanced down to their clasped hands without pulling away. “What’s the question?”
Breaking contact, she put more space between them. Whatever walls he’d managed to scale in this brief exchange snapped right back into place. “I was going to ask if you heard from your dad again, but that’s none of my business.”
Alex had made it her business the moment he’d confided in her. “No, he hasn’t called back, but I doubt he’s given up.” In fact, he was mostly likely behind the call from Tanner two days ago, who’d made the same argument and listened to Alex’s answer about as well. “Will you have dinner with me?” he asked, surprising himself as much as Roxie. He hadn’t planned to ask her out, but at the same time, he couldn’t think of anything else he wanted to do more.
Watching him with the same suspicious expression Daniel had worn earlier, she said, “Why should I do that?”
“Why shouldn’t you?”
He could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. Weighing the options. Debating whether to trust him or not. Alex knew enough to understand that she’d been let down by nearly everyone who was supposed to love and support her. Roxie’s skepticism was well earned.
“When?” she replied.
Good question. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I’m free tonight.”
With a twinkle in her eye, she said, “You ask a girl out at the last minute and assume that she’s free?”
Her playful side was going to be the death of him. “Are you?”
“Of course I am. What time?”
“I’ll pick you up at seven.”
She shook her head. “Try again. I’ll starve by then.”
This one would definitely keep him on his toes. “Six?”
“Five thirty,” she said. “I like steak.”
“Deal,” he said, feeling as if he’d survived a high-stakes business negotiation.
Roxie offered a promising smile from the doorway. “This is just a friendly dinner, right?”
“Not for me, it isn’t,” he replied honestly. Before she could respond, Helga brought in another patient, which put an end to their conversation, but Alex would never forget the look on her face when she walked out.
That had not gone as expected. If someone had told Roxie twenty minutes ago that she’d get a flu shot and a date before lunchtime, she’d have told them to go to hell. And yet, here she was with an aching arm and dinner plans.
“Hey, Roxie,” said Sid Dempsey from just inside the center entrance. Daughter Pilar stood by her side. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m helping out,” she answered. “A couple of the regulars have the crud that’s going around.”
Sid squinted at Roxie’s arm. “I’m guessing you’ve protected yourself against the same fate?”
“I have. Did you just get here?”
Pilar was trying to remove her coat, and Sid tugged a sleeve in assistance. “Yeah. Running late, as usual.” Sid tugged a little too hard, and the coat went flying. “Fried pickles and mustard,” she mumbled while retrieving the garment.
According to Beth, Sid Dempsey—originally Navarro—had once possessed the foulest mouth in the Outer Banks. Considering