Monkeys and Mayhem (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 4)
Page 1
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
Snowfall and Secrets
About the Author
Also by Kimberly Loth
Acknowledgements
Copyright © 2016 by Kimberly Loth
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced in any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without express permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead is completely coincidental.
Cover design by Rebecca Frank
For Amy
My favorite sister-in-law
For welcoming me into your family without question and for liking me more than you like your own brother.
Chapter 1
Hayden flicked off his gloves, washed his hands, and rubbed his forehead. The surgery had taken longer than he had anticipated, but at least the patient wouldn’t have permanent disfiguration of her face. Car and other major accidents were the worst because they messed up the bone structure.
He glanced at the chart one more time and went out into the waiting room. He found the parents in the corner with their hands clasped together.
He sat in the chair beside the father. “I just finished with your daughter. She’s going to be fine. She’ll probably have some swelling for the next several weeks, but she’ll look like her old self.”
The mother looked up, tear streaks staining her face. “Thank you so much, Dr. Jorgensen. We were so worried.”
“A nurse will come get you when you can see her.” Hayden got up and trudged to his office. He never wanted sleep more than he did today. He enjoyed working the trauma side of plastic surgery, but it was exhausting.
He stopped dead in the doorway. “Faith, what are you doing here?”
She stood, revealing her mile-long legs. He was sure she wore the miniskirt to drive him crazy. She slid off her jacket, and her breasts nearly fell out of her dress. He rolled his eyes and sat down at his desk. He knew exactly what she was trying to do.
“I was visiting a friend and thought I’d check on you.” She sat on the edge of his desk and leaned toward him.
He scooted his chair away. Faith didn’t know how to take a hint. They’d broken things off years ago, but she tried to win him back from time to time. Maybe if he had a girlfriend or something, she’d back off, but he couldn’t bring himself to have a serious relationship after what happened with her.
“It’s nice to see you, but I’ve got a lot of paperwork to do.”
She placed her hand on his file. Her inch-long nails were painted a bright red. “Surely you can unwind a little. This won’t take long.”
He touched the rock on her left ring finger. “You’re engaged. I thought I made it very clear that I wasn’t interested.”
She pouted. “Just say the word, sweetie, and your ring can replace this one.”
“You and I are through. We’ve been over for a long time. Why don’t you go home to Neal?” Three years ago, her little show might’ve worked, but he no longer wanted anything to do with her. Every once in a while the girl he knew peeked through, and if Faith remembered anything about their past, she’d know that would be the way to get to him.
She let out a sigh. “He’s at a conference in Boston. I was thinking how much fun we used to have. Plus, you haven’t seen the girls yet.” She jiggled her brand new breasts.
“Faith, get out of my office.”
“When did you become such a bore?” she asked, sliding off his desk.
“I’ve always been. You’re the one who changed.”
He opened his file and refused to look up again. She made a lot of racket stomping out, and as soon as she cleared the door, he shut and locked it.
He sat down and pulled out his phone, searching for the picture he knew was there. The one of Faith before his colleagues’ wives got their claws into her. The picture revealed the bright, blue-eyed gorgeous woman from five years ago, the woman he’d wanted to marry someday.
Before he knew what was happening, she was botoxing and getting lip fillers, and she got liposuction to change her from a size four to a size two.
He broke it off when she requested that he do her breast augmentation. She’d gone through at least three since that time. He remembered that argument well. She ambushed him one night at dinner, invited two of her new friends, and all three women spent an hour explaining why Faith would be better with a C-cup instead of her natural B.
His phone buzzed, and he picked it up. Three days. You ready?
Hell yeah, he answered.
He wasn’t really. In three days he was leaving for a six-month stint at a clinic in Phuket, Thailand. Part of the reason he was going was Faith. Neal transferred his practice to a building at the hospital complex where Hayden worked, and Hayden didn’t want to see Faith parading all over the place.
He didn’t love her anymore. He lost that feeling a long time ago, and he detested what she stood for. She was a stark reminder that he could never be in a serious relationship. Faith was perfect in every way before they began dating. She was sweet, giving, kind, beautiful, and down to earth. Now she was vain and looked nothing like she had then. The plastic surgery wives were the ultimate mean girls, and as long as he remained a plastic surgeon, he’d have to deal with their type.
It wasn’t just Faith. He’d seen it happen to his buddy’s wife as well. She was sweet and cute until she started hanging out with the wives. Now he couldn’t stand the woman.
He’d trained too long to get to this point. He was well-respected in his field. Plus, he got an enormous amount of satisfaction out of the work he did. He especially loved it when he could make a child with a cleft lip smile or allow a burn victim to step outside their doors without stares. He’d thought about switching to family practice, but couldn’t picture himself diagnosing strep throat. He was an expert at those tough surgeries, and to stop doing them wouldn’t be right.
As soon as he had finished his residency, he moved home to Michigan and started at the hospital in Grand Rapids. He wanted to do necessary surgery, not the fake crap they did in the clinics.
Now the one girl he never wanted to see again would be flouncing all over his hospital.
So in spite of the fact that he loved doing necessary reconstructions instead of elective, he was going to go sell his soul in Phuket. He supposed it wouldn’t be that bad. He expected he’d learn a lot. All the new procedures were in the clinics since that was where the money was. He could take the things he learned and use them in the hospital when he returned. His buddy who hooked him up with the clinic also helped him find a local hospital he could moonlight at, whi
ch he was looking forward to.
His phone buzzed again. He smiled when he saw that it was his mother. They were very close even though she didn’t agree with his career choice.
Do you really have to go?
Yes, Mom. I really have to go.
You know, if you come up here to work, that would solve your problem as well. Also, the Olsen’s daughter moved home. She’s still gorgeous as ever.
He chuckled. His mother wanted grandkids bad, but he figured she’d have to wait until his brother got married, because that would not be his life. She also wanted him to take over her family practice on Mackinac Island. Part of him wanted to. It would get him out of the vanity of plastic surgery, but he wasn’t ready to put all of his training to bed. Also, the money wasn’t as great, and he enjoyed his lifestyle.
I’ll keep that in mind. Got work to do. Talk to you later.
Hayden finished up his paperwork and filed it away. He’d clean out his office tomorrow. He plucked his keys out of the drawer and made his way to his Porsche. He didn’t drive it much, but since it was going into storage for six months, he wanted to give her one more spin.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Faith. He carried the guilt of what she became. If he’d seen the signs earlier, or if he’d never introduced her to the wives, she’d still be normal. If they’d never dated, she would’ve settled down to a simpler life, had a couple of kids, and been happier than she was now.
He passed The Night Owl and stopped at the last minute for a drink. He needed to forget about Faith and all that she represented.
Chapter 2
Anna stared at the grave marker. It’d been six months since Grandpa died, but they had to let the ground settle before they placed the stone, and it was finally there. She’d spent most of the last six months curled up on the couch binge watching sitcoms on Netflix.
She didn't want to go home. In fact, all she wanted to do was forget about that day. The last several months had been horrid, and she didn't know how to move on.
Grandpa had been her whole life. Before he got sick, she'd had a little more of a life, but since her senior year in high school, he’d taken up nearly every minute of her time. Instead of going to school like her friends, she got her CNA license and stayed home to take care of him. She didn’t know how to cope with him being gone.
She promised herself last week that as soon as they placed the stone, she’d stop moping around the house.
Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her purse.
Where are you?
At the cemetery, she replied.
Eileen didn’t respond for a few more moments. She never knew what to say when Anna talked about her grandfather's death.
What's the word?
On what?
What? SCHOOL GIRL!
School still felt surreal. For the past several years, Anna had watched all her friends go off to universities, and she was stuck home. She never said it out loud, but she sort of resented them for that. Now she was going herself, and she wasn’t sure what to think.
Oh, that. Yeah. I'll start August 20. She’d gotten a half scholarship. With that and the rest of Grandpa's life insurance, she could just barely afford the first year.
That calls for a celebration.
What? No. I’m going home. She wanted to see Eileen, but she didn’t have the mental energy to go out.
No way in hell. Meet me at The Night Owl.
Come on, Eileen. I can't afford to go out. Especially now. Just let me go home. So much for her promise to herself. She could go out after school started.
My treat. You need to celebrate the good things, or you'll burn out.
Why don’t you come over. We’ll curl up on the couch, watch chick flicks, and make brownies! Eileen wouldn’t go for this, but it was worth a shot.
You almost had me at brownies. But no. Bar. Two hours. Go home. Put on something cute and meet me there.
Anna dragged her feet all the way to her car, not arguing with Eileen. At home, she dropped her purse on her side table and glanced around the nearly empty apartment. She'd gotten a bug earlier in the day and cleaned everything from top to bottom and locked all of her grandfather's things in his bedroom. Now it was weird without his shoes sitting by the door, his pillow on the lazyboy or his glasses on the coffee table.
Anna needed to start her life. Getting her scholarship was the first step. She could go to school and finally feel like an adult. Her senior year in high school, her grandpa, who had been her sole caretaker, got sick. She managed to graduate, but then spent the last six years being his nurse. She’d always done the responsible thing. Even now, she was getting ready to go to school juar because she was supposed to. She didn’t even know what she wanted to be. Just not a nurse anymore.
She went into her closet and thumbed through her outfits. Most of them weren't any good for going out. She didn’t have the money to buy nice clothes. Eileen would want her to wear one of the dresses she bought for Anna, but she went with a pair of jean shorts that were too short to be considered decent, but at least it wasn’t a dress. They weren't going to a club. She threw on a thick-strapped black tank top and dug out her old cowboy boots. It'd been nearly a year since she went out.
She enjoyed flirting. Most guys called her a tease because she refused to go home with them, but she'd always had to come home to take care of her grandfather. In the last several years, the latest she'd ever stayed out was ten p.m. Tonight would be different. She needed this.
She kept her makeup subdued and let her hair out of its ponytail. If the opportunity arose, she didn't need to come home. She’d never had this kind of freedom. Well, technically she could've gone out anytime in the last six months, but she was in mourning. She was grateful Eileen had respected that.
Anna was putting on some lipstick when her phone buzzed again. What are you wearing?
Anna rolled her eyes. Clothes.
Uh, uh. It must be cute and sexy. None of the yoga pants and t-shirts you've been rocking lately.
Yoga pants are sexy.
Not for the bar.
Anna sighed. Fine. My Levi’s shorts, a black tank, and boots.
That works. The shorts are the ones where I can see the pockets, right? Not your grandma shorts.
I know better.
Well, we haven't been out in forever. I have news.
What kind?
Not telling. See you soon.
Eileen's news could be about anything. Anna dropped her phone in her purse, grabbed her keys, and locked the door behind her. Tonight would bring something new. She could feel it.
The bar was dark and musty, but busy. This was the place to be if you were under thirty but were over the club scene. Eileen met most of her hookups here.
Anna found Eileen at the bar chatting up Heath, the bartender, and she slid onto a stool next to Eileen. Heath spotted her, left his spot at the bar, and came around to her. He gathered her up in a big hug and whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry about your grandfather."
"Thanks. I'm trying to move on," she mumbled into his shoulder.
He let go of her. “You’ve come to the right place. Let me get you a beer.”
Heath handed her the beer and moved on to others. Anna looked up at Eileen. "What's your big news?"
"I got the internship."
"What internship?"
"I told you about it. It's in Beijing. I'll be there a whole year."
Anna's stomach fell. This was not good news. "What are you talking about? You can't leave." Eileen had majored in international business, so it made sense. Plus, when they were kids, Eileen always talked about living overseas. She wasn’t ready for Eileen to leave though. Not now that she was finally moving on.
Eileen creased her eyebrows. "Of course I can. Thousands of people applied for that internship, and I got it."
There wasn't much Eileen didn't get if she wanted it. For Anna though, this meant that she wouldn't have anyone to hang with because Eileen was the one who pulled her
out of her shell.
Anna stared down into her glass and blinked away her tears. She didn’t want Eileen to see that she was upset. "When do you leave?"
"In a couple of weeks. I can't wait." Eileen was being nonchalant, and Anna knew that was only for her benefit. Eileen had to be bursting with excitement. Beijing. It sounded so foreign.
Anna took a sip of her beer. It'd been a long time since she drank, and she'd have to take it easy. Eileen touched her shoulder. "You'll be fine. You'll meet all kinds of new people at school."
“And then what do I do for fun?”
“Then you go out.”
Anna raised her eyebrows. "Really? Since when have I ever gone out without you?"
"When you were dating Josh.”
Anna shook her head. "That was the summer after high school. It doesn't count."
"Well, it's time for you to do something different. You'll be fine, and we can Skype everyday if you want."
Anna tried not to be upset. They were here to celebrate, and she was happy for Eileen, but she was sad that everything was changing. She couldn't expect Eileen to stick around forever. Eileen had a life, and she should live it. She'd stayed and gone to school at a local college instead of California like she planned. Eileen never said it, but Anna knew it was for her.
A few minutes later Eileen squealed and flung herself off the stool and into the arms of a tall, dark-haired man. Anna spun on her stool and watched for a second. The man leaned down and planted his lips on Eileen's, and Anna knew she'd lost her.
She turned around and debated calling it a night. Eileen didn’t ditch her very often, but when she did, it was usually for the whole night.
Heath walked over to her. "You know she's been coming here a lot without you. I think she's been lonely. Don't be too hard on her."
"Oh, I'm not. This is Eileen. I'm used to it. But I'm probably going to head out."
He shook his head. "Nope. You stay there. Hot piece of man flesh heading your way."
Anna blushed. "Heath."
He winked. "Just give it a few minutes. If he doesn't talk to you, I won't say a word when you bail."