I opened the door and felt my eyes light up when I took in my two favorite boys in the world. Toby and Hunter’s bright eyes widened, and they sprang into action unbuckling their harnesses; it was at that moment I was grateful for video calls so that despite not seeing them regularly, they knew exactly who I was.
“Hey, monsters.” I leaned in and helped Hunter with his straps, relief trickling through me that they seemed as happy to see me as I was them. It had been so long since I’d seen them, a real pit of dread had sat in my gut at how they’d react at our reunion. I shouldn’t have worried.
Both boys launched themselves out at me. A loud laugh burst free as I gingerly managed to maneuver us out to the side of the car without banging their heads along the way.
“Uncle Scottie,” they called in chorus.
I rained kisses on their cheeks and blew raspberries for good measure.
“How are my two favorite boys?” I repositioned them so I had one on each hip, trying to get my head around how much they had grown. “You ready to cause chaos and stretch your legs after your long journey?”
They both nodded, and Hunter shouted, “Yes!”
“Hey, you.”
My sister’s voice had me looking in her direction. She looked dog-tired, but the smile on her face was real. “Hey.” I grinned and indicated with a nod for her to follow me in.
The sound of the car door closing and the doors locking followed me into the house. Once inside, I set the boys down, crouched, and ruffled their hair. “Do you want to go and explore and see if you can work out where you’re sleeping?”
Hunter bobbed his head excitedly up and down while Toby said, “Yes, please.”
“Go on then. There may even be a couple of surprises for you both.” I’d headed to the toy shop in town and had bought them both a couple of small gifts each. They grinned and raced in the direction of the staircase. Standing, I turned and faced Jenna, not quite prepared as she hurled herself at me and broke into a flood of tears.
Hands gripped the back of my shirt as she sobbed. Wide-eyed and confused, I held her close. “Hey.” I hushed her and placed a kiss on the top of her head. Guilt threatened to claw at my chest. Something was so very, very wrong, and I’d had no idea. “Shh, it’s okay, you’re here now. It’s okay.”
Her sobs calmed a little, her breaths broken. Jenna nodded against my chest. I heard her expel heavy breaths as her shoulders lifted up and down in time with the forced inhale and exhale.
“Let’s head to the kitchen.” The boys were distracted, but I wasn’t sure for how much longer. I heard little feet still thudding above us. She pulled back, but she didn’t lift her head to meet my eyes. Instead, she tucked herself under my arm and allowed me to lead the way into the kitchen.
“Sit.” I directed her to a chair at the kitchen table. “Tea, or something harder?”
This time she glanced up at me and offered a watery smile. “Coffee, please.”
“Coffee?” Jenna never drank coffee.
She snorted a little and nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been hitting the hard stuff recently.”
I cast my eyes over her, my worry for her bubbling to the surface. “You start speaking, and I’ll make coffee.” I paused and listened to the boys. I heard them both squeal and then laugh; a louder thud followed. They’d found their gifts, so should be occupied a while longer.
I started preparing coffee but glanced over my shoulder when Jenna remained quiet. She was almost bug-eyed, a mix of surprise and confusion in her eyes. Her lips tipped up though. “What?” I asked.
“You.” She tilted her head as her gaze roamed my face.
“Me what?” We were meant to be talking about her, so I had no clue what she was thinking or talking about.
“Something’s happened. Changed.” She brushed her thumb across her closed lips. “On our calls, I could tell something was different, but I didn’t know what.”
I froze, not quite sure how to proceed. I really didn’t want to be focused on me right now, especially as something major was going down with her. Why else would she have turned up with a car filled with what looked like all her possessions?
With her narrowed eyes focusing so intently, I fought the urge to squirm. “I meant you were to talk about you and what the hell’s going on.”
She nodded, but her gaze didn’t waver. “You look good. Happy.” Tears sprung once again in her eyes. I was not cut out with dealing with emotional stuff. I wasn’t good at it.
“Jenna.” Her name came out as a sigh as I frowned in concern.
“No.” She waved me off. “It’s so good to see you like this. I can’t remember the last time I saw you this relaxed, this happy. I don’t know who or what’s made you this way, but it’s wonderful. Truly wonderful.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes, her mouth splitting into a grin. “Gah.” She sniffed again. “I suppose I’m just sad that it’s so obvious. That I honestly can’t remember seeing you so… I don’t know, at ease and carefree.” I stepped over to her, placed my hand on her shoulder, and squeezed. She leaned her head against my hand. “Is it crazy that seeing you like this gives me hope?”
Fuck, I’d seriously let her down if she was reacting this way at seeing me happy. What the hell had she been through to be so broken? I pulled out the chair next to her and held her hands on top of the kitchen table. “Fuck, Jenna, you’ve got to give me something. I’m freaking the hell out here. What happened? What’s going on?”
Jenna swallowed, the sound loud. “I’ve left him. I just couldn’t do it anymore.” She shook her head. “I had to get out of there before I was pushed over the edge.”
Loud ringing burst in my ears. “Did—” I slammed my mouth shut, trying to take control of the shake in my voice. “Did he hurt you?”
Her shoulders sagged, her eyes still connected to mine. “Yes and no.” She removed one of her hands to wipe at her free-falling tears. I frowned, not knowing what that meant. “He’s been having an affair, or affairs.” Her lip curled into a sneer. “He was drinking more and losing his temper. He pushed me over in front of the boys. I hit my head pretty badly and needed a couple of stitches. He didn’t hit me with a fist, but—”
“You thought that he might do that next? And shit, Jenna, stitches?”
She bobbed her head and touched her brow. “It was coming. He raised his hand a couple of times, but both times he didn’t go through with it because he was interrupted.” Jenna’s lips thinned. “Things haven’t been going well at work. I think Dad found out he was having an affair with one of the admin staff. She was fired a few weeks ago, but that made things worse at home.”
“What have Mom and Dad said?”
She gave a humorless snort. “I tried talking to Mom, but she shrugged it off, saying ‘men would be men,’ and offered to make me a martini. Dad told me to keep my mouth shut. You know he won’t allow anything to ruin the family name.”
Didn’t I just. I would have liked to say I was surprised at my parents’ lack of support, but considering my own history, I was fully aware that reputation was paramount for the Andersons, appearance everything. We were a family of bulging rugs and stuffed closets. My father would have likely paid off the woman and threatened Stan to show more discretion. Sickness churned in my gut that Jenna, the nicest and sweetest woman I knew, had felt no other choice but to live this way.
“When it became clear you were more settled and you actually started calling me again, I knew it was my chance. I couldn’t look myself in the mirror anymore, bringing the boys up with such a bastard of a father.” Fire lit her eyes, and I smiled despite the heaviness in my chest.
“I’m pleased you came. Wish I had—”
“Nope.” She shook her head vehemently. “This is not your fault, and wishes are pointless. I’m here, the boys are here, you were actually not tense a few minutes ago.” She laughed. “Now I’m here, so it’ll be okay.”
While she didn’t ask a question, her eyes did. I stood and tugged her up and hugged her hard. “
It will be okay. Shit, it’ll be fucking perfect.”
She snorted a laugh and hugged me back. “Thank you.”
I stepped back and grinned. “Why don’t you finish making the drinks and take a few minutes, and I’ll see what those kids of yours are up to. It’s suspiciously quiet at the moment.”
She heaved a breath and blinked while nodding. I could virtually see the first layers of tension drifting off her, and my heart eased a little. I would do everything in my power to make sure she and the boys found their place in the world, and I was more than happy if that place was here in Kirkby.
Once again life knew how to keep me on edge. That wasn’t to say things weren’t falling into place; in fact, almost every aspect of my life seemed to be charging full speed ahead. It was as exhilarating as it was making me shit scared. In truth, it was the reality that everything seemed to be falling into place that kept me wary. I wondered when the other damn shoe would drop.
Pessimism was hard to shake. After too many years of hiding, of resisting, it was proving difficult to step out of its clinging shadows and break free completely.
“What time are you heading to the clinic?” My sister swept past me, a dirty sock in one hand and Christ knew what in the other. The house, my almost house had become a manic place to be for the past week. And while squeals and the thudding footsteps from the boys had moments that made me wince, I loved spending the time not only with them, but Jenna too.
“In fifteen.” I glanced at the time on my phone. It was my second trip to the clinic this week, but so far I’d kept my head low, not ready to cause a stir. I was aware from Carter that rumors were already rampant about Denver selling, but no official announcement had been made. I still had paperwork and funding to organize, but the whole process was going scarily fast, with Denver seeming to be in a hurry and happy to fast-track as much as possible while nudging his lawyers to be as proactive as possible.
It wasn’t just that though that had my gut threatening to push me off balance.
“And then you’re seeing Davis, and he’s coming here for dinner, right?”
That was the second reason.
On Jenna’s third night here, we’d sat down with liquor once the boys were in bed, and I’d built up to telling her the truth.
She’d cried, devastated I’d been unable to come out and share with her before, while becoming incensed over Dad’s involvement. I’d wondered how much she’d known or seen about Dad’s treatment of me, but she admitted between sobs and shots that she’d been so caught up in our parents all but trapping her in the house and fixing her up with Stan, who she was determined would be her ex-husband, that she’d wallowed in her own angst and hadn’t even considered what I’d been hiding.
It made sense. I just wished life had been different for us. All too well I knew many wouldn’t understand that. Shit, we’d been brought up with goddamn silver spoons in our mouths, but wealth and education were not the making of a man. It was only since moving to Kirkby that I’d allowed myself to embrace that belief fully.
I cleared my throat. “Yeah.”
She grinned widely, while my nerves were as obvious as the heat touching my cheeks. When she waggled her brows ridiculously, I couldn’t help but mirror her amusement. She was excited, and that knowledge slammed into me so hard, I caught my breath.
Davis was incredible. And sharing him with Jenna and the boys was something I’d never expected to be able to do. Life had a funny way of panning out sometimes, and it was that I had to grasp on to rather than allowing the shadows to seep back in.
“What about you?” I asked.
She washed her hands, having discarded the offending items while I’d been blushing. “I have an appointment at the day care in thirty minutes.”
It was that permanent, this move. The morning after our talk, she’d approached me wearing sunglasses and let me know that she planned to stay in Kirkby. Resolve had held her voice steady when she’d told me this place was exactly where she and the boys were meant to be. I hadn’t hesitated when I’d tugged her close and hugged her so hard that she threatened to vomit on me.
Her plan was to settle the boys into the same day care as Libby. Davis had recommended them when I’d discussed everything with him a couple of nights ago over dinner at his house. Toby would be able to start school at the beginning of the next school year, but rather than wait till then, Jenna hoped the boys being together would help settle them in easier, plus she was resolved to find a job.
She hadn’t worked since the boys were born and was determined to make sure she could care for them financially. There was still the fallout of leaving her husband to deal with, but she wasn’t quite ready to handle that just yet.
“Okay, well, I’ll be home at maybe four so I can start on dinner.” I rolled my eyes when her waggling brows started up again.
“I can—”
“Nope. My… Davis.” She grinned when I hesitated. “So I’ll get food prepared.”
“Even the kids’?”
I nodded, sure I could wrangle together a meal for us all. “I’ve got it.”
Amusement lit her features. She knew I wasn’t the best of cooks, but I was determined to try. I pressed a kiss to her cheek, did the same to the boys who were glued to the TV in the sitting room, then headed out to the clinic, trying to shake the nerves away as I traveled closer.
When I pulled up out front, I took a deep breath, grabbed my files, then headed inside. Emily, one of the receptionists, was at the desk. Her eyes widened a little before she smiled. I was aware how lucky I was that all the shit I’d caused with Carter, which seemed like a lifetime ago but in reality was only a few months, had been kept on the down low. Only Lauren and Terry were aware of the events.
“Hey, Emily.” I bobbed my head in greeting.
“Well, I’ll be. If it isn’t the elusive Dr. Anderson. I heard talk that we may be seeing more of your handsome face around here again.”
Genuine laughter escaped, relieving some of the tension I carried in my shoulders. “Is that right?” Emily nodded, her gray-white hair staying miraculously in place. “Is Terry in his office?”
“He sure is.”
“Perfect. Are you okay for me to head back—”
“Do you really need to ask…, boss?” she hedged.
I snorted and shook my head. “Thanks.” I made my way around the familiar hallway, rightness settling in me. While I hadn’t been at the clinic long before I’d messed up, there was nothing like the stinging scent of disinfectant and the underlying smell of animals to make me feel like I was at home. For all my moments of arrogance and idiocy, medicine was in my blood. Healing animals made my blood sing and heart soar. Hell, I’d missed this place.
As I approached Terry’s office, Lauren stepped around the corner. Her eyes zeroed in on me, her smile slipping as she continued my way. I paused, knowing it was time I addressed her. “Lauren.”
“Dr. Anderson.” There was an edge to her voice.
“May I speak to you privately?”
Her gaze was assessing as she nodded. “The staffroom is empty.” She turned back, and I followed her on through, closing the door behind me so we had privacy.
Once we were alone, I didn’t give her the opportunity to speak. Instead, I launched straight into my apology. “I need to thank you.”
Her eyes widened; no doubt it was not what she was expecting me to say. “Go on.”
I didn’t dare allow my lips to twitch at her focused tenacity. “You did the right thing reporting me. I’m grateful that Carter has you to support him, and the clinic is lucky to have you.” I waited for a beat as her head tilted slightly, her eye contact unwavering. “Thank you for stepping up and reporting my behavior. If it wasn’t for you, and if it wasn’t for Carter, I would never have had the courage to admit I was gay”—her brows shot high at my admission—“and I wouldn’t have been lucky enough to earn Carter’s forgiveness and friendship.”
I took a deep breath, proud of m
yself for keeping the shake from my voice. I’d had no intention of sharing so much with her. My personal affairs were my own, but it had felt right in the moment; plus the words felt freeing.
“I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors—”
“So they’re true? You’re buying the place.”
I straightened up a little. “Yes.” When she didn’t respond, I continued. “One day I’ll step into the role of managing the clinic too, but I don’t plan for that to be until a few years have passed. I love practicing, so am not ready to give that up for an admin role. Not just yet. Plus, Terry is doing an excellent job.”
She nodded. “He is.”
“And I apologize for putting you in a position where you had to step in to prevent a situation that should never have happened.” While I wanted to rush through the words, I owed them the time and respect they deserved, just like I owed the same to her.
When Lauren smiled, breath rushed out of my lungs. She stepped toward me and held out her hand. “Congratulations, and thank you. I look forward to working with you and for you.” I took her hand and gave a firm shake, surprise making my head fuzzy. After she released my hand, she looked up at me. “You need to know I do speak plainly, and sometimes I say more than I should.” I knew this about her for sure. “I’ll always show you the appropriate amount of respect as my boss, but respect has to be earned. You didn’t have to apologize, so I know it took some pretty impressive balls to do so.” She smirked, and I mimicked the gesture.
“We all do stupid shit sometimes and fuck up along the way. Carter’s sung your praises so much recently that I’d already started coming around, but still, I appreciate it.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to go.”
“Okay. Thanks for being so understanding.”
She bobbed her head. “Doesn’t mean I won’t call you out on shit in the future though.” She smirked. “With respect, of course.”
I laughed lightly. “Of course.”
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