"Parks. Ansley. Good of you to stop by." Nolan rose from his chair and smiled down at a large guy in a blue suit that sat before him. "Congressman Kade, these are the surgeons that will be operating on you. They're the best of the best."
I moved up and extended my hand to the older man. The tired look in his eyes told me that Ansley was right. We should have been operating sooner. He might have a tight schedule, but working from six feet under was impossible. Someone should have told him, but it wasn't my place. Knowing Ansley, she would speak up soon enough.
"Nice to meet you, Congressman." I shook his hand and moved back, making room for the beautiful woman who was sure to stomp my ego later that day. How she could pretend that the night before wasn't fucking amazing was beyond me.
"You as well." He smiled and extended his hand to Ansley. "I've heard a lot about both of you, and your brother as well, Doctor Crawford."
Ansley smiled warmly. "We're going to take good care of you."
"I have no doubt." He sat back down and turned to Nolan. "So not a day over two weeks. I have a packed schedule until then, but I want this taken care of the minute I have a breather."
"Of course, Clay. I think that's what we planned to do, right Parks?" Nolan glanced over at me.
Ansley stiffened, her shoulders drawing back, her chin lifting a little. This was her hospital, and I was a visitor. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that Nolan was trying to goad the beautiful woman.
"Yes. I'll work with scheduling today to make sure everything is good. We're going to need to do some pre-op work, but nothing too out of the ordinary." I glanced over at Ans. "You want to add anything."
She didn't even look at me but rather concentrated on the congressman. "I just want to throw in there that I'm a little concerned about you not getting this taken care of sooner. With the headaches you're having and-"
"He's doing it the minute he has a chance, Doctor Crawford." Nolan's voice held a tone of finality to it.
"Yes. I wish I could get it done sooner." The older man reached up and rubbed the side of his head. "I'll happily find time for the pre-op and such. I appreciate you both. Honestly, I do."
"Parks, please walk Clay through the procedure, so he'll better understand what will happen while he's asleep, and touch on the recovery time for something like this." He nodded at me, and I spent the next half-hour talking through the details of the surgery. The tension rolling off Ansley was enough to leave my stomach sick by the time we were done with the meeting.
"Excellent." Clay stood and offered me his hand. "Just let me know the pre-op dates, and I'll be here. I know I'm in good hands with you, Doctor Parks."
"With us both." I moved back so Ansley could shake the man's hand one more time. I glanced over at Nolan, who was the slightest pale as well. It's as if we were both waiting for Ans to lose her shit and pop off. It wasn't out of the normal spectrum of things that could happen.
"Yes, of course." Clay shook Ansley's hand and turned back to Nolan. "Breakfast, old friend?"
"Absolutely." Nolan walked around the desk and opened the door for both of us. "Thanks for stopping by. I'll come see you both later."
I walked out and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
Ansley's voice was monotone as she moved up beside me. "Well, you put him at ease. Bravo."
"I'm not sure that's a compliment." I started down the hallway toward the OR. "I didn't ask to be in charge of this."
"No?" She glanced over at me with a combination of hurt and anger in her face. She might be in her mid-thirties, but fuck if she didn't have the maturity of a wild-ass teenage girl sometimes.
"I'm not responding to that." I walked away and took a sharp left. There was no way I was fighting with her after the night we'd had before. I'd offered my body up like a baby-making factory, and from the way things happened, she took advantage of it. She didn't need additional drama or stress in her life. She might be carrying my baby.
The thought caused chill bumps to break out across my arms. What if that were true?
I closed the door to my office, needing a few minutes to myself before starting the day. I pulled out my phone to see a text from my best friend, Jackson.
You still alive, man? I ain't heard shit in a week and a half.
I smiled and dialed his number before dropping down at my desk. He answered on the first ring.
"Hey, you bitch. You can't call nobody?"
"That's a double negative." I leaned back in my chair. "So really you're saying I can call someone? And if so, then yes, I can call someone."
"You haven't had your coffee yet. I'm hanging up until you do."
I laughed. "You haven't called either."
"Been busy, man. Hustling is all I do nowadays." He cleared his throat. "How's it going up there?"
"Good."
"You sleep with Aiden's little sister yet?" I could hear the humor in his voice. Fucker.
"Yes. Several times, and she's still a bitch." I ran my fingers through my hair and stifled a groan. Going home would feel so damn good. I wanted to get back to simply being me without the pressure of Ans being in my world. It fucked me up more than I wanted to admit to anyone, especially myself.
He laughed loudly. "No score for Doctor Feelgood up there in Boston, hm?"
"Not this time, pal." I glanced over to see one of the nurses standing outside my door. I lifted the phone and motioned that I'd be in the OR shortly. "How about you? Hook a beautiful single girl?"
"Not yet, but then again, I'm not trying to."
"Oh, I see. So the minute Mister Big Stuff tries, he wins?"
"Fuck yeah, he does."
"We're talking about you in the third person. It's starting to weird me out."
"What's with you and the grammar shit before your first cup of coffee?" He snorted.
"I don't know. A bit of my mother in me, I guess. She taught English my whole life. You know this shit."
"Speaking of your mother. How is your dad doing? Things still on the downhill slide for him?"
"No. I got a maid, chef and a nurse to start coming by daily. His chef is a woman about ten years older than me, and from what I can tell, they're sweet on each other."
"Oh shit." He laughed. "Dad's tapping the help."
I rolled my eyes. "Alright, Mister Sensitive. I'm headed to the OR. Talk later."
"Later."
I dropped the call and got up, walking languidly toward what was sure to be a long day of saving lives and offering hope. Too bad the one person in the hospital who needed both badly wasn't receptive to either.
All I could do was offer, and I was about dried up on even that.
18
Ansley
Two Weeks Later
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye, and sadly enough, Parks and I were barely communicating by the end of it. It was my fault, and I wasn't sure how to fix it. Better yet, I didn't want to fix it. He was leaving to go back to New York soon, and life would carry on like it always had.
I walked into Destrada to see Gwen already sitting at our table. I lifted my hand and waved before ducking into the bathroom to slow my racing heart.
Aiden was joining us for lunch. Where I was beyond stoked to see my older brother, I knew that he would read me like a book. He would see my heartache and call me on the floor for it.
I pressed my hands to the sink in front of me and stared at myself as I took a deep breath. "Just play it cool. Talk about medicine, mom and dad and how good the food is. Be shallow. Keep it on the surface."
A deep ache resurrected in my chest as my heart contracted. I didn't want to be shallow with my big brother, but if I let him into all of the fucked up things racing around in my head, he would beat the tar out of Nolan and Parks and drag me back to New York screaming and kicking.
It was nobody’s fault but my own.
The door opened, and Gwen poked her head in. "You meditating before having to see Aiden?"
I chuckled and turned to pull
her into a hug. "No. I just don't want him digging into my private life. It's a mess right now."
"When is it not a mess?" She wrapped her arms around me and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Let him help sort it out with you."
"Not you?" I pulled back a little and gave her a cheeky grin.
"No, way. I don't have much experience with love or sex. I'd just tell you to try again, and again, and again. Try until it works."
"And if it never works?" Her advice wasn't too bad at all, but it required a much stronger person than me.
"It will work, Ans. I believe that with all my heart."
I released her and moved to the door, holding it open for her. "You've always been our dreamer. Don't stop. One of us needs to remind the others what it looks like to reach for the stars."
"I'm not sure that's a compliment seeing how pragmatic you are." She slipped her arm into mine, and much to my delight, my older brother sat at the table waiting on us.
"Aiden." I smiled and moved into his arms as he stood up. Tears threatened to spill onto my cheeks, but I forced them back. There was no way in hell I was making our first lunch as a family in forever about me.
"Sis." He kissed the side of my head and squeezed me tightly. "You ready for me to take you back to New York?"
Gwen laughed and sat down. "Bite your tongue, old man. She's staying here with me."
"You're never here." He moved back but kept his arms around me. "You don't look like you're sleeping."
"Stop analyzing me before I get a glass of wine in me." I smiled and reached up, touching the side of his face. "Your hair is turning gray. You look like daddy."
"I keep asking Lizzy to call me daddy, but she thinks it's a bit off." He winked as we pretended to gag.
I took my seat beside him and picked up my menu. "I'm glad you both were free. It's good to be here with you."
"Agreed." Gwen reached for the bread basket between us. "Tell us about this big surgery you're doing tomorrow."
"Yes. I want to go over everything." Aiden leaned down and pulled a file from his briefcase. "I wish Parks was here. Should I call to see if he's free?"
"No!" I said a little too loudly as Gwen responded with a, "Yes!"
Aiden chuckled. "Alright. We'll do it without him, but you need to pull him aside, Ans, and explain some of the risks associated with this type of surgery. I'm not just talking about medical risks, but legal risks, liabilities."
"I will." I nodded and crossed my legs under the table. "Nolan wouldn't give me the lead on this one because of that. I'm not sure I appreciate him being willing to put an attending, visiting doctor at risk instead. Seems shallow to me."
"He's not the type of guy to care too much for anyone that's not under his umbrella." Aiden pointed out.
"Or even those that are." Gwen gave me a knowing look. "He's not been bothering you too much lately, right?"
"It's off and on." I shrugged. "You know he's not happy with the divorce, so he's still trying to reconcile the situation somehow."
Aiden's handsome face flushed pink. "Reconcile? How do you reconcile what he did?"
"I know." I lifted my hand. "Let's not do this. We've done it a million times before. He's a horrid bastard that deserves nothing but misery."
"I'm not saying that, but Ans, seriously. You have to get the fuck out of there." Aiden's gaze bore into me. "You are one of the most brilliant neurosurgeons in the country. Come to New York."
"One of, but not the top." I smiled, teasing him.
"Well, of course not. I am." He offered a cocky grin that reminded me of Parks. "But, you're second."
"And your protégé?" I smiled.
"Third, but don't tell him that." He handed me the file in his hands. "Check out the notes I have in here when you have time. We can Skype before your actual surgery, and I'll go over anything you want. It's not a complicated surgery by any means, but as you know, there are risks with all of them."
"Of course." I put the file on the table in the empty spot beside me.
"How is Parks doing?" Aiden reached over and grabbed a roll, popping a piece of it in his mouth.
"He's brilliant and funny." I nodded, trying to keep my emotions on lockdown. "He's cocky as hell, but everyone loves him."
"But you." Aiden tilted his head to the side. "Have you given him a chance?"
"I don't know." I glanced over at Gwen, who was chewing on her bread slowly and watching us like someone might an old movie that they loved. "Tell me about your latest trip. China was good?"
"Sort of." She crinkled up her nose. "It was interesting seeing another culture, but I missed you guys. I missed the city and the noise. It's weird over there."
I laughed and glanced over at my brother. "See? We don't have to worry about losing her to another continent."
"Good. That's a relief." He winked at Gwen. "Your ankles are doing better?"
She leaned down and must have been rubbing them. "Yeah. Thanks for helping me with them. I guess twenty years of dancing finally caught up with me."
"Speaking of," I interjected, "are you planning on settling down anytime soon, and if so, where?"
"Yeah." Aiden leaned toward her a little. "Are you still considering that dance academy you've been talking about since you were a little girl?"
She leaned back and lifted her eyebrow. "Why did this conversation suddenly turn to me? Let's go back to Parks and Ans. I like that one better."
We shared a laugh as the waiter came up and took our order. I didn't care what it took; I wasn't letting the conversation move back to me and Parks. I was late on my period and scared as hell to take a test. What if I was pregnant with his baby? A delicious warmth raced through me, leaving me on the edge of being emotional again.
I wanted a baby so fucking badly, but to have it with a man that I could so easily fall in love with? It would have been fine if he were the type to settle down, but there was no way in hell that was going to happen. I knew that without thinking too much into it. I would be heartbroken if I weren't careful.
One more week.
"Ans? You ordering?" Aiden put his hand on my forearm and squeezed. I glanced up to find a worried look on his face.
"Oh yeah. Sorry. Thinking about the surgery." I picked up my menu as my stomach growled. I ordered a little more than I usually would, but there was a possibility that I was pregnant. I smiled at the thought.
"What has you smiling over there? Let us into your thoughts." Gwen picked up another roll and tossed it across the table to me. "It's about Parks, right?"
"Why would it be about Jacob?" Aiden lifted his eyebrow and gave us both a look.
"Because he keeps me on my toes." I shrugged and reached for the butter. "If he wasn't young and dumb, I might let him take me out."
"No, you wouldn’t." Aiden not only looked like my father but had the ability to sound just like him too. Nostalgia raced through me, lifting my mood. So many good memories came flooding forward.
"You remember the time Daddy caught you sneaking back in your window from going out with that trashy girl you thought was going to have your babies and make your life right?" I laughed as my brother's expression hardened.
"Dezzy. Yeah. I remember."
Gwen laughed and snorted. "I love that name. What was she, fourteen years older than you, Aiden?"
"Something like that." He rolled his eyes and gave me a warning look. "Really? You gotta bring her up?"
"Oh yeah. Anything to pull the attention off of me. She had wild-ass black hair."
"Like yours when you get up in the morning." Gwen smiled, teasing me.
"No. Hers was kinky." I laughed deep in my belly as another story rose inside of me. "Gwen, did Aiden tell you about the time he got his class ring stuck in her hair? They were doing the dirty deed, right Aiden?" I glanced over at him. The sound of Gwen's giggles filled the room around us, giving me a sense of peace I needed so goddamn bad.
"Really? Fuck." He ran his hands down his face as I laughed.
"Did you
find the ring?" Gwen leaned forward, her eyes big. She looked all of eight years old.
"Yes." He shook his head. "It took a few days, but it was in her hair."
"Her wild-ass curly hair." I smiled and leaned back.
"Your turn." Aiden's smile grew wide.
"No. Mine are boring." I reached over and cupped my hand over his mouth. He was going to tell about the time I got drunk and danced on the table in a champagne fountain when I was in med school. It was one of the most embarrassing memories I had, and he loved to share it even though Gwen had heard it a million times.
"Champagne fountain story?" She lifted her eyebrow.
He pulled my hand down. "Did you know she was naked?"
"I was not!" I popped him in the chest. "I don't think I was. Was I?"
He laughed, and the world seemed right again. "I don't know, Sis. I wasn't there. It's your story to tell."
"Good. Then, it never happened." I gave a cheeky grin and relaxed in the warmth of my family. Whatever else was going on outside of that bubble was something to worry about another time.
For now... I was home with the two of them. A place I missed like crazy.
19
Parks
I woke Sunday morning to someone knocking on the door. It had been a long and arduous two weeks. Ansley treated me like any other second set of hands in her OR and left all of us feeling a bit uncomfortable. I played that shit off as no big deal. What choice did I fucking have?
"None," I mumbled as I dragged myself out of bed and walked to the door. I pulled on a pair of jeans and rubbed my eyes, wondering who the hell would be stopping by so early on the weekend. I didn't know many people in Boston, and the ones I did weren't really the visiting type.
Aiden Crawford stood on the other side of my door, surprising me a little.
"Hey. Wow. What the fuck are you doing here?" I extended my hand as worry raced through me. Was something wrong with Ansley? Why was Aiden up from New York?
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