"Your blood pressure’s a little high today, Mr. Carter," Uma said, her voice calm but firm as she glanced at the monitor. She adjusted the stethoscope around her neck, her dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail that framed her sharp cheekbones. "Have you been stressed lately?"

Nate shifted uncomfortably on the exam table, his broad shoulders brushing against the paper-covered cushion. He’d known Uma since high school, though back then she’d been the quiet girl in the back of chemistry class, not the confident nurse now standing in front of him. Her scrubs hugged her figure in a way that made it hard to focus on her question. "Work’s been... a lot," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

Uma nodded, jotting something down on her clipboard. Her lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "Well, let’s see if we can figure out how to fix that," she said, her tone light but with a hint of something else—something that made Nate’s pulse quicken. She reached for the blood pressure cuff again, her fingers brushing his arm just a little longer than necessary. "Let’s try one more reading."