Bad Boy's Bridesmaid by Sosie Frost Page A

cheeseburger and onion rings.
    I didn’t send
him a page. I texted him a picture of the meal waiting for him. Eighteen hours
at the hospital would have made McDonalds look like gold, but I got him the
good stuff. I ordered his favorite from the diner near Dad’s advertising
office.
    Rick found me in
the cafeteria, but he didn’t say hello. He didn’t smile. He dropped his pager,
stethoscope, and ID on the table. I half expected the scrubs to come off too.
    “For the next
fifteen minutes, I’m not a doctor,” he said.
    “…What are you?”
    “A man about to
make love to this burger.”
    I giggled. “Want
some privacy?”
    Rick answered
with a grunt as he took a giant bite. Ketchup and grease stained his lips. He
didn’t care. He woofed down another mouthful.
    “And you’re a cardiologist ?”
    “Do as I say…not
as I do.” He mumbled over the mouthful. “Where’s yours?”
    My single bite of
a chicken sandwich rested somewhere in the bushes outside the hospital.
    “Already ate.”
    A handful of
young nurses walked by, sighing as the most attractive doctor in the hospital
gorged himself on fast food. Rick didn’t take a second look at the blonde, but
she scoffed at me. Meow .
    He inhaled half
of the burger before pausing to wipe his mouth and hands. I arched an eyebrow
as he rubbed the mustard off his wedding ring.
    “Ever going to
take that off?” I asked.
    Rick was the
most practical one in our circle of friends, but he shook his head. “I’m not
ready yet.”
    “It’s been six
months.”
    He nodded and
went back to his burger. “Not ready.”
    Poor guy. Jada
really broke his heart when she left. I hoped no one told him about her
pictures on Facebook. Apparently she was getting re-married—to the man who
lured her away from Rick. I had a lot of choice words reserved for the happy
couple, but Rick didn’t tolerate anyone speaking negatively about her.
    “You know I’m
fine.” He winked at me. “You don’t have to bring food and check on me.”
    “You’re
practically living here.” I gestured around the hospital. “It can’t be
good for you.”
    “As opposed to
what? Want me helping Bryce with the wedding?”
    “You’ve already
been through a divorce. I wouldn’t torture you any more this year.”
    “That bad?”
    I was tempted to
steal an onion ring. The baby wasn’t so keen on the idea. “I don’t know if
we’ll survive to the wedding.”
    He nodded.
“Bryce told me about your parents’ fight.”
    “It was awful.”
    “It happens.”
    “Not like this.”
I sucked in a breath. “I’m worried.”
    “About what?”
    “I…” It spilled
out of me. “They’re getting a divorce. I never thought it’d happen to them. And
you were married, and I swore you and Jada would be together forever. And then
Bryce and Lindsey have been a couple since high school , and now they’re
constantly at each other’s throats.”
    Rick’s eyebrow rose.
Point taken.
    “You’re right,”
I said. “ Lindsey is always at his throat.”
    “So what’s the
problem?”
    “Is there anyone
out there that’s actually happy with the person they love?”
    “Heavy talk for
a burger.”
    “I know.” I
apologized. “There’s just…a lot of things happening lately.”
    “You okay?”
    I hadn’t been
okay since reading the positive line on the test. “I’m fine. I was talking to
Nate and…”
    “Wait.” Rick
dropped the burger. “You were talking to Nate ? About relationships ?”
    “It was pretty
stupid.”
    “More than
stupid. Nate’s never committed to anything that takes more work than a grilled
cheese sandwich.”
    “He has the
bar.”
    Rick laughed.
“Okay, I take it back. But he used the brewery and bar to fuck over his
parents. That takes dedication, but its spite, not commitment.”
    “He likes it.”
    “Sure, and so he’s
an expert on craft brews. Not relationships. He only puts the effort into
getting a girl in bed. You know that.”
    Boy, did I ever.
“He said life