“It’s pretty common to have two jobs these days,” she said. Gemma didn’t like him knowing she couldn’t make ends meet. She started ringing up his purchases.

“So, pump three is ready for you. If you don’t want a receipt, just give me a wave through the window, and I’ll close out your transaction.” She really wanted him to move on. She liked him; well, liked how he looked, at least, and the fact that he’d stitched up Dash firmly put him in the knight in shining armor category. She’d fallen for that trap before. She wasn’t about to do it again.

“Gemma,” Eddie said, getting her to look up from the register.

“Yeah?”

“Are you seeing anyone?”

Holy crapsicle, Why was he asking her that? “Uh, what?”

“Do you have a husband? Boyfriend?”

In a panic, Gemma didn’t take enough time to think through her answer. “I’m divorced.” Shit, again with the personal information!

Eddie’s eyes were on her and they crinkled again; this time not in a smile but a frown.

Eddie was absorbing the fact that his mate had been married before. She’d promised herself to someone. He didn’t take care of her, or she wouldn’t be divorced. True, there was a small possibility that she was the reason behind the divorce, but his instincts and his bear were telling him that wasn’t the case.

The fates matched each shifter with their one true mate. They wouldn’t match him with anyone that wasn’t perfect for him. In his mind, a perfect woman would blossom in a marriage; become all she could be. He could see Gemma like that.

“I’m sorry,” he told her.

“What?”

He repeated himself. “I’m sorry. Divorce is always hard. Even more so if you have a child. You must be a very strong person.”

Gemma couldn’t think of a time when anyone told her she was strong. Her mother told her she was an idiot to divorce Kyle. Sure – he was a drunk, but he worked sometimes. And really, what could Gemma expect? She wasn’t a catch herself. Her mother thought she should accept Kyle as is and just live with the crap that came along with it.

Luckily, somewhere along the way, Gemma had figured out that there was something better out there, and she knew it was something she was going to have to work for herself.

“People do it every day. I’m nobody special,” she said, looking away from the man with the beautiful blue eyes.

“Gemma?”

She turned back to him.

“You are special,” he said, his voice low and quiet.

Well shit, she didn’t know what to do with that.

“Uh, well, thanks. So…have a nice night.” She wanted to run to the back room and organize the frozen taquitos. Anything to end this conversation.

Eddie could see that she was uncomfortable – that he was the cause – but his bear was very loudly trying to convince him to drag her away into the woods and find a nice cave to set up house. Obviously not a reasonable plan.

Eddie knew that now wasn’t the time to tell her that she was the love of his life and that he wanted to take care of her and Dash for the rest of their lives.

Yeah, not creepy or scary at all.

“You have a good night, too, Gemma,” he said, giving her the reprieve she needed. He needed to make plans; he had to figure out how to help her.

---

Gemma watched Dr. Rochon take his snacks and turn to walk out the door. Her eyes followed him to his car. It was an older SUV, not what she would have guessed that a doctor would drive. She watched him place the nozzle in his vehicle. As he pumped the gas, his eyes were on her. She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. He no longer creeped her out, but he did make her nervous still. Just in a different way.

He finished pumping and gave her a small wave. She hesitantly waved back. A part of her wanted him to come back in to get his receipt and talk to her again, but reality was knocking loudly. He was not for her. Maybe when Dash graduated college, she’d find some nice guy like Jamie’s husband to hook up with.

She’d work, caring for Dash as long as he needed and then, well – she’d keep working. People like her didn’t have retirement plans. They were hourly wage earners and always would be. Gemma didn’t mind. She always did her work with pride, no matter the task. She filled roles that helped other people. Provided services that others relied upon. There was no shame in working hard at your job, no matter what it was.

The good-looking doctor was pulling out of the lot, and as soon as she saw his brake lights fade in the dark, she slid down to the floor behind the counter.

Letting her head drop to her bent knees she felt a shiver roll over her. Grabbing the phone that sat on a shelf behind the counter, she picked it up and dialed Jamie.

“Hello?”

“Stick a fork in me,” Gemma moaned into the receiver.

“Uh, you’ve only been at work for half an hour. It can’t be that bad yet, can it?”

“You would think not, but when a certain Dr. Rochon comes in and fries all of your brain cells…” Gemma was starting to replay the scene in her head, and she felt like just quitting and moving to Alaska.

“Oh my God! No way! He came in?” Jamie gasped.

“Yes, he did – and you said he was good looking. You didn’t say he was drop dead, panty-twisting gorgeous,” Gemma said accusatorily.

“Well, you saw him. How do you explain that to someone else? Compare him to someone for me. Go ahead, do it,” Jamie taunted.

Gemma thought through the celebrities he might resemble but nothing came up. It wasn’t even just how handsome he was; there was something else. Something rolling off of him that you could feel – he drew you in. Gemma felt a pull toward him that she had to blame on the sexiness of the man. What else could it be?

“I’m waiting,” Jamie chimed.

“Okay, fine. He’s a force unto himself. Damn, he threw me off,” Gemma admitted.

“I was lucky Dash was there. He was a good focal point. Don’t tell my husband I said that,” she chuckled.

“He dropped a soda and it freaking exploded, like everywhere. All over him and the floor. I was crawling around like a slug cleaning it up. I probably flashed him my back fat or something,” she moaned.

“Girl, you do not have back fat,” Jamie said. “What did he say to you?”

“He knew me. Said my name was on Dash’s forms. I kept telling him shit about myself. You know I don’t do that. You are the only person that I normally talk to, but I told him everything. I might as well have given him my social security number, birthdate, and blood type.”

“Well, what else did he say?” Jamie clearly was liking the idea of her friend having a moment with the hot doctor.

“That it must be hard working two jobs. That Dash was a good kid. You know, all nice things.” As Gemma spoke the words, she realized the doctor was just being nice. It was part of his job to have a good bedside manner, right? That’s all it was. He was surprised that he ran into a patient’s mom. He was being friendly and pleasant. There weren’t any ulterior motives.

Geez, she was such a dork. She needed to get a hobby or new batteries for her battery operated boyfriend. Clearly she was having hallucinations about interactions with sexy physicians to fill in the gaps of her bland work-a-day life.

“Argh, at least he hasn’t been in here before. Maybe tonight was a fluke and twenty or thirty years from now I’ll be able to forget it ever happened.”

“Yeah, good luck with that, sweetie.”

“How’s Dash?” Gemma asked, trying to think of something else.

“Settling in for the night. If you want, he can just spend the night here. You can grab him in the morning,” Jamie suggested.

“It’s sweet of you to offer. But you know I can’t sleep without him.”

“I know, but the offer is always open. Be safe tonight,” Jamie said. “Don’t worry about Dr. Rochon. I’m sure he probably won’t remember you in the morning.”

“Gee, thanks for that,” Gemma snorted.

“Anytime!”