Chapter 1551

Elwood rolled his eyes and groaned, “Oh, come on. Don’t be ridiculous. I’m old enough to be her father.”

Laughing, Nalani said, her tone softening, “Still… It is strange. Both Barbara and I have also taken a real liking to Dr. Wright. She seems to have a special bond with our family.”

Elwood fell silent at that.

He couldn’t deny the pull he felt toward Belinda. From the moment he’d met her, there was a quiet instinct to be near her, to speak with her, to simply see her. It was… unusual.

Around midday, Bethany invited Belinda and Johnson to lunch. As they ate, Bethany turned to Johnson with an expectant tone. “So? Any progress with Catherine?”

Johnson shook his head slowly. “Not really. But… she’s been acting a little different lately.”

Bethany leaned in with curiosity. “Different how?”

Johnson hesitated for a moment. “She keeps looking at me, like she’s trying to figure something out. But whenever I meet her eyes, she quickly looks away.”

He paused, then added in a more reflective tone, “It’s like… she’s trying to understand something.”

Belinda’s eyes flickered with subtle insight.

Johnson might not fully grasp what was happening, but she did.

It seemed Catherine had taken her words to heart.

Now, she was observing Johnson from a distance, trying to decipher her own feelings, unsure if what she felt for him was affection or something else entirely.

Perhaps she was still feeling conflicted emotions.

Bethany considered this for a moment, then smiled. “Honestly, I think that’s a good sign. The more she looks at you, the more she’s thinking about you. And the more she thinks about you, the more she’ll care about you.”

Johnson didn’t reply, but the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his joy. Sensing the moment, Belinda suggested gently, “Why don’t we plan a little outing? Something fun with everyone. It could give you and Catherine more time together in a relaxed setting.”

“That’s a fantastic idea!” Bethany agreed.

“Sounds good,” Johnson said without hesitation. “I’d be up for that.”

Bethany turned back to Belinda. “Let’s work around your schedule. With your hospital shifts and patients, it might be hard to get time off. See when you can take a break.”

“Yeah, our work schedules are more flexible,” Johnson said. “We can do it whenever you’re free.”

Both of them turned to look at Belinda.

After reviewing her schedule, Belinda said, “How about the day after tomorrow? I’m on night shift tomorrow, which means I’ll have two days off afterward. We can leave early the day after tomorrow. You guys can have fun as soon as we arrive, while I sleep at the hotel. I’ll catch up with you once I get enough rest.”

Bethany frowned. “Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard? You’re going to travel right after clocking out from a night shift? Is that really a good idea?”